A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 425 Blocking the Enemy
In the volcanic cave, within the dense, dust-covered array, Gu Xu held the Azure Thunder sword, standing guard and shattering Jian Yin's Vermilion Bird Arrow. Jian Yin looked at the crimson arrow stuck to the side, his face extremely solemn. He glanced at Gu Xu, who held his sword across his chest, took a deep breath, drew his bow with both hands, and gathered his true energy. A jet-black arrow was slowly placed on the bowstring, the bowstring full, ready to be released.

"Black Tortoise Arrow".

Feeling the surrounding moisture compressing the space, he couldn't help but praise it in his heart. Although the Xuanwu Arrow was not as powerful as the other three arrows, its ability to lock and immobilize was unparalleled. If his estimate was correct, after the Xuanwu Arrow, Arrow Shadow would immediately release the White Tiger and Azure Dragon together.

With a bang, the Xuanwu Arrow shot through the air, and a wave of dark water swept across the sky and earth, its powerful force causing the surrounding space to crackle and pop.

Gu Xu watched the Xuanwu Arrow coming towards him. With a thought, he formed a sword with his right hand and pointed forward. The Azure Thunder Sword standing in front of him transformed into a streak of light and shot away. The surrounding void was shaken by the thunder and roared. The fierce energy swept in all directions. The stone chamber, which had already become a ruin, was destroyed even more silently. It was full of tiny holes and pits, from which wisps of sword energy naturally emerged.

With a clang, the tip of the Azure Thunder Sword clashed with the Black Tortoise Arrow. The two forces collided, creating a surge of energy, scattering light, and sending countless sparks flying. Although the Azure Thunder Sword carried the power of thunder and lightning, the Black Tortoise Arrow was no ordinary weapon. Despite being at a disadvantage, the Black Tortoise Phantom, relying on its sturdy outer layer, firmly blocked the sword light's attack. At the same time, Arrow Concealer drew his bow with both hands in quick succession, and the sound of two arrows piercing the air reached Gu Xu Er. Upon seeing this, the latter's expression immediately became much more serious, and he continuously formed hand seals to perform a ritual.

Five-colored runes continuously flowed into the Azure Thunder Sword. With a mournful cry, the Xuanwu Arrow could not withstand the onslaught. The Xuanwu phantom was already shattered under the Azure Thunder Sword's power. Just as it was about to break apart, two arrows, Azure Dragon and White Tiger, shot in from the left and right respectively. The three forces of the same origin converged and finally saved the faintly broken Xuanwu phantom. The phantom, which was originally somewhat illusory and dim, became more solid.

"If the Four Symbols Shooting the Sun Arrow can't deal with him, do we really have to use that move? No, that move takes too long to build up, and it can't be used again in a short time. Using it here would be a waste of time."

Jian Yin was shocked to see Gu Xu break through two arrows in succession. Since its birth, no one had ever been able to withstand two arrows in succession without taking a step back. Against ordinary experts of the Great Hall, one Vermilion Bird Arrow would be enough to deal with them. As for the likes of Guan Yutian, they could be taken down with two arrows at most. But today's situation was beyond Jian Yin's expectations.

After the Four Symbols Shooting the Sun Arrow, there is another Qilin Demon-Slaying Arrow. This arrow is formless and intangible, existing only in the heart. When it is released, the Master will know about it. Although the Qilin Demon-Slaying Arrow of Arrow Concealment has been mastered, once it is released, it will be like losing a trump card. Moreover, after shooting this arrow, the true energy will be greatly reduced.

Just as Jian Yin was pondering, Gu Xu pointed a single finger at the end of the Azure Thunder Sword. A five-colored light flashed, and the Azure Thunder Sword hummed. After the sword body changed its form several times, it gradually became invisible. This scene startled Jian Yin on the other side.

"This……"

Just as Jian Yin was horrified that even the Void Valley could use this technique of turning reality into illusion, he suddenly heard a sound of glass shattering. He saw a sword light crisscrossing back and forth on the three arrows, and after only half a breath, the three arrows shattered inch by inch, with only the three arrowheads falling to the ground.

Gu Xu shattered the three arrows with a single sword strike. Looking at the hidden arrow behind him, a thought struck him. He reached out and took the Azure Thunder Sword, and with a flick of his wrist, the dazzling lightning vanished instantly.

"The Four Symbols Shooting the Sun Arrow is extraordinary, its power is earth-shattering and ghost-weeping. If I hadn't set up a barrier and seal outside the volcanic cave beforehand, its power would have been heard from hundreds of miles away. Arrow Hidden, you only need to wait for half an hour, and then I will not stop you again, how about it?"

Gu Xu now felt that keeping the Hou Yi clan around wouldn't be a bad idea. After all, they were just maintaining peace in the martial arts world. As time went by, he didn't know what kind of personality the descendants of the Sword Master would have when Sword Casting City became the number one sect in the martial arts world. If they wanted to maintain a sense of awe, it would be very good for Sword Casting City.

Upon hearing this, Arrow Hidden's heart sank. He was now in a very passive position, unable to even subdue the Four Symbols Arrow. Did he really have to use the last arrow?

Just as Jian Yin and Gu Xu were fighting, in the northwest corner of the Covering Heaven Misty Array, Ren Qianxing and Jian Xiong were fighting. Both of them were top swordsmen. Ren Qianxing had been instructed by Guan Yutian, so he could use ordinary sword techniques to their fullest extent. He also had an indomitable spirit, and every move he made was deadly and ruthless. He destroyed most of the base of the Covering Heaven Array with his hidden weapons.

"What ruthless swordsmanship!"

With a clang, Jianxiong looked at Ren Qianxing with a serious expression. In the previous exchange of blows, a small nick appeared on the Bloodstained Sword he was holding horizontally. This was not due to the material, but because Jianxiong's cultivation was inferior to Ren Qianxing's, which was why Ren Qianxing had overwhelmed him with his powerful true energy and put him at a disadvantage.

"The young city lord's swordsmanship is not good, but his agility and movement are quite superb."

Seeing that Jianxiong was once again using the formation to conceal his figure, Ren Qianxing snorted coldly, his mind highly tense. He rode his sword forward, scanning his surroundings. After a while, seeing that the other party did not appear from time to time, Ren Qianxing calmly walked towards the formation pillar.

Just as Ren Qianxing was less than half a zhang away from the array pillar, his ears suddenly twitched and his body moved to the side. A sword light struck directly at the spot. Ren Qianxing was constantly observing his surroundings. In the instant the sword light appeared, he finally discovered the true energy ripples spreading from the southwest corner.

"Total Annihilation!"

Ren Qianxing turned and swung his sword. A sword light swept across the sky, instantly shearing away a layer of the billowing turbid mist and dust, which took a long time to recover. The swordsman hidden within changed his expression. He immediately touched the ground with his toes and flew into the air. After a delicate shout, a crimson sword light shot down from the sky. Ren Qianxing was not surprised but delighted. He thrust his long sword into the sky, his true energy surging wildly. With a roar, he unleashed the "One Sword Separates Worlds" technique.

Clang, clang, clang—a series of sounds of weapons clashing, sparks flying, the white mist being constantly slashed away by the omnipresent sword energy, and the speed at which it was being covered was getting slower and slower. In the end, the white mist became a thin sheet, and if you looked closely, you could see clearly what the other side was doing.

With a hissing sound, sword energy tore through the air, and with a clang, Ren Qianxing and Jian Xiong clashed with their swords. Their crimson and black swords clashed continuously. The two appeared to be evenly matched, but from the sky, Ren Qianxing was still superior. His dark sword light had already suppressed Jian Xiong's fierce blood sword light, and the speed at which it devoured the sword light was constantly accelerating.

"This sword strike from another world does indeed have the effect of devouring spiritual energy. If it weren't for the support of the formation, with my current strength, I could only last for three quarters of an hour at most."

Jian Xiong flicked his wrist, unleashing a surge of true energy that instantly severed his connection with Ren Qianxing. He then pointed at the sword, its blade flashing with crimson light. With a deep shout, he unleashed a cross-shaped slash. The powerful sword energy caused Ren Qianxing to glance at him slightly. He immediately raised his sword high, a flash of black energy disappearing from his brow. Then, a dark light shone brightly on the sword, and a dense mass of dark, malevolent energy appeared in front of Ren Qianxing.

The cross-shaped sword energy shot over and struck the energy ball squarely without making a sound. Jianxiong's pupils shrank. In her incredulous gaze, she realized that her move was enough to split rocks, yet the energy ball could block it so easily. Moreover, Jianxiong felt a terrifying power emanating from the energy ball.

"What the hell is this."

The cross-shaped sword energy was gradually swallowed up by the black aura, and its surging momentum became more and more violent, constantly spreading outwards. In just a few breaths, except for the area of ​​about ten feet where he was located, the rest of the space was completely submerged. "Not good."

Jian Xiong acted decisively, a flash of red light appeared on his sleeve, and a series of hidden weapons shot towards the surrounding black evil energy. The moment they touched the energy, the hidden weapons cracked with a crack, and a spark of fire appeared on one of them, like blood jade solidified into amber, and exploded suddenly on the black evil energy.

"Heh, Night-Shining Fire, huh?"

Ren Qianxing exuded a sinister aura, his gaze cold as he watched Jian Xiong's actions. After a cold laugh, his aura surged once more, and billowing black energy rushed towards Jian Xiong, attempting to engulf him. The dilapidated array base was struck by this, and with a loud bang, it collapsed.

This dark aura was formed from the malevolent energy of those killed by Ren Qianxing when he cultivated the One Sword Across Worlds technique. It was extremely sinister and vicious. If one did not have a very strong protective technique, being touched by even a little bit of it would cause unbearable pain, until finally being corrupted by the malevolent energy and becoming a puppet that only knew how to kill, whose entire life was controlled by Ren Qianxing.

Although the fire that night could dispel the black mist, it was ineffective against the evil creature formed from such malevolent energy. It vanished without a trace before even lasting half a breath.

As Jianxiong watched the approaching Wu Sha, his heart tightened. Instantly, he erected a protective aura around himself and circulated his qi throughout his body. The Bloodstained Sword in his hand suddenly shone brightly, and his figure moved in an instant. In mid-air, Jianxiong's figure transformed into four figures simultaneously unleashing their attacks. He launched the sixth level of the Dragon Riding Slash, and four dragon-shaped sword energies roamed the sky, roaring and howling. Then, the four sword energies converged into one, forming a fire dragon composed of sword energy, which met the surging Wu Sha.

"Dragon-Riding Slash! Hmph."

Ren Qianxing looked at the fire dragon sword energy that was attacking the main hall. Although he was disdainful, he was also very wary. Although Jian Xiong's Dragon Riding Slash was not as good as Jian Zun's, who knew if Gu Xu had taught Jian Xiong some special techniques? Therefore, he was unwilling to give the initiative to Jian Xiong.

Thinking of this, Ren Qianxing stared coldly at the fire dragon rushing into the black aura. He pointed his long sword straight at the dragon and moved into the aura at the same time. The black aura was churning and swirling, with the sound of metal clashing occasionally reaching the outside. Jian Xiong looked at the dense aura in mid-air with a pale face. A red ribbon was moving back and forth, but it had become precarious under the black aura and Ren Qianxing's attack, and it was in danger of collapsing at any moment.

"No, we absolutely cannot let Ren Qianxing join the others, otherwise things will go terribly wrong. My true energy can still hold for a while. If only we could lure Ren Qianxing into using the Sword Separation again."

Jianxiong touched the three crystals on his body, but unfortunately, these crystals could only provide passive defense.

Half an hour later, Jianxiong's expression suddenly changed. He hurriedly withdrew and looked closely. He saw that the black aura ball exploded with a bang, and scattered sparks fell from mid-air.

With a flick of his sleeve, Jianxiong swept away the sparks and turbid air that were about to hit him. Just then, a sharp red sword light suddenly shot out from the opposite side. Jianxiong was shocked. Just as he was in astonishment, a blue aura appeared on his body. The red sword light struck it and was knocked away. The aura hummed a few times and then shrank back to its original shape.

"What it is!"

Ren Qianxing originally intended to use a surprise attack to kill Jian Xiong with a single sword strike, but to his surprise, Jian Xiong possessed such a protective item. Upon closer examination, he realized that the item could not possibly belong to Jian Zun, so it must have come from Gu Xu.

"Let's see how many moves you can withstand."

With these thoughts in mind, Ren Qianxing thrust his longsword straight forward, its cold light flashing like stars in the sky. Jian Xiong dared not be careless and hurriedly drew his sword to counter. The two exchanged blows, displaying a variety of exquisite sword techniques. Jian Xiong used the Ascending Dragon Sword Technique, the Chasing Light Sword Technique, and the Soft Cloud Sword Technique taught by Gu Xu to fight Ren Qianxing. The first two sword techniques were broken by Ren Qianxing after only forty or fifty moves. Only the dense Soft Cloud Sword Technique firmly locked down Ren Qianxing's indestructible killing sword technique.

"This is definitely not the swordsmanship of Sword Forging City. Damn it, what other moves does that Daoist Gu Xu have up his sleeve?"

Ren Qianxing thrust his sword diagonally upwards, but it was deflected by Jian Xiong's weak and powerless sword. If he hadn't withdrawn his sword in time, the sword would have been sent back and almost injured him.

"If this drags on for too long, we still don't know what's going on with Master. The Frost Sword will never fall into the hands of the Sword Forging City."

After exchanging blows with Jianxiong for a while, Ren Qianxing used a feint to avoid the sword's edge and take the initiative. He immediately distanced himself, his brows furrowing, and pointed his longsword directly at Jianxiong. He then drew a line with his fingers, a cold light flowing through the air, and a streak of crimson light extended outwards, landing directly on Jianxiong. Upon seeing this, the latter was overjoyed, but his face showed a look of terror.

"One sword separates the worlds!"

With a cold voice, Ren Qianxing raised his longsword, unleashing a crimson light towards Jian Xiong. The latter remained calm, gathering his true energy, and simultaneously unleashed the Dragon Riding Sword Qi and the Shattering Gold Ruyi Hand. Just as the crimson sword light was about to strike Jian Xiong, another crystal flew out, casting a soft, clear light upon him. The crimson sword light, like dried mud in water, was quickly swallowed up and disintegrated, disappearing without a trace.

At the same time, Ren Qianxing was also attacked by the combined force of sword and palm. Although he had also erected a protective barrier, it was only with ninety percent of Jian Xiong's power. The barrier shattered after only three breaths. Ren Qianxing's expression changed drastically. Caught off guard, he was instantly struck by the combined force of sword and palm, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He staggered back several steps before dissipating the force and stopping his momentum.

"good chance!"

Seeing Ren Qianxing injured, Jianxiong hurriedly swallowed a Qi-replenishing pill, swept his longsword, and thrust it straight at Ren Qianxing. The chilling sword energy made Ren Qianxing's skin feel cold. He didn't have time to do anything else at the moment. He rolled over and dodged the killing move. During this time, he swallowed a pill and barely recovered some of his true energy.

Having failed to kill Ren Qianxing with a single move, Jianxiong was about to make another move when he suddenly felt the formation go awry, followed by a deafening explosion. Just as he was wondering what was going on, a domineering voice rang out.

"This mere small formation is nothing special!"

(End of this chapter)