A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 430 Join forces
Ren Qianxing flipped over, steadied himself, and turned around to look back, only to see Huangfu Changhen standing there with his whip sheathed, subtly blocking his path to take the Ling Shuang sword.

"If you want the Frost-Slaying Sword, you'll have to get past my whip." Huangfu Changhen ignored everyone else, flicked his whip, and thunder roared as a black shadow shot off.

Upon seeing this, Ren Qianxing's face darkened. Without thinking further, he saw the long whip coming at him and immediately flicked his soft sword. The taut blade deflected the whip by a few inches, but the force of the rebound also made Ren Qianxing's body pause slightly, and his wrist felt a little sore and numb.

Just as Huangfu Changhen stopped Ren Qianxing, Mu Songzi and the two ghosts from the South Cave seized the opportunity to quickly grab the Ling Shuang Sword, which was within reach. Just when the three thought they could capture it easily, the Ling Shuang Sword suddenly trembled, and then a dazzling golden light burst out. The three were caught off guard and their eyes welled up with tears. They hurriedly covered their eyes with their sleeves to feel a little better.

After the golden light lasted for a while, it gradually dissipated. Mu Songzi and the other two pulled back their sleeves and looked closely. They saw that eight palm-sized jade tablets had appeared out of thin air outside the Ling Shuang Sword. Various animals were carved on them, and they emitted colorful light. They were connected to each other and firmly surrounded the Ling Shuang Sword. An unfathomable aura made Mu Songzi and the other two's expressions change slightly.

"Another formation!"

Mu Songzi let out a hateful cry, flicked his whisk, and a snow-white wisp of silk flew towards one of the jade tablets carved with a blue rhinoceros. Seeing this, the two ghosts of the Southern Cave also used their own methods. The Green Corpse Ghost raised his skull staff high, and his true energy surged, a pale green haze covering the White Elephant Jade Tablet, while the Black Heart Ghost threw three deadly iron caltrops at the Black Tiger Jade Tablet.

The Eight Beasts Sky-Controlling Formation was activated by external force and started operating instantly. The eight jade tablets suddenly lit up, and the five-colored light intertwined to form a ball of five-colored light. The swirling whisk, the shrouding haze, and the attacking iron caltrops seemed to hit cotton wool, making no impact. Not only did they fail to achieve any effect, they almost trapped the attackers.

Sensing a suction force emanating from the whisk, constantly drawing away true energy, Mu Songzi's expression changed. He hurriedly used his true energy to forcefully rush forward. Taking advantage of the formation's absorption of true energy, Mu Songzi quickly withdrew the whisk and retreated rapidly, his eyes fixed on the Eight Beasts Sky-Defying Formation with apprehension.

Seeing the situation was unfavorable, Mu Songzi withdrew in time. Although he only lost some true energy, at least he didn't lose his entire fortune. However, the two ghosts of the South Cave were not so lucky.

They were already seriously injured in the battle against Jianyang and his seven companions, and their true energy was less than half of what it used to be. Now, they were entangled by this superior formation, and in an instant, their remaining true energy was completely drained. The Green Corpse Ghost's face turned even more ashen. Sensing that his true energy was being constantly pulled away, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and he actually severed his right arm with a palm strike. He then forcefully struck the skull staff with his left palm. The skull staff crashed into the energy shield with a loud bang, and the multicolored light of the energy shield flickered erratically, and the energy flow loosened, giving the Green Corpse Ghost an opportunity.

"Withdraw your hand!"

The Green Corpse Demon shouted, and the Black Heart Demon beside him was already prepared. As soon as he finished speaking, the two of them withdrew their palms and retreated, coming to Mu Songzi's side.

"What an eerie formation! Old Taoist, can you discern its origin?"

The Green Corpse Ghost pressed his finger to seal the bleeding severed arm, staring at Mu Songzi with a deathly expression. The latter shook his head slightly and sighed, "This formation must have been set up by Daoist Gu Xu. The key to the formation lies in these eight jade tablets. Destroying one will expose a flaw in the formation's mechanism, allowing external force to penetrate and break it. However, I'm afraid the three of us alone are powerless to do so."

Mu Songzi sighed, his face full of dejection. He had thought he was a figure in the martial arts world, but after coming to Sword Forging City, he realized that he was really ignorant and narrow-minded. Gu Xu Dao Ren's formation had caused them a lot of trouble, and even his two junior brothers had been caught in it. They finally got the Ling Shuang Sword, but it was blocked by these few fragile jade tablets. It was a waste of decades of cultivation.

"These eight jade tablets are perfectly integrated. Targeting one tablet is targeting all eight. Without the strength to break through all eight in one strike, any attempt is futile."

As the light on the jade tablet gradually faded, the Green Corpse Ghost swallowed a few blood pills, barely recovering some of its energy. Just as they were pondering how to break the formation, outside the Sword Refining Pool, Liao Rushen had already arrived with Helian Ba ​​and the others. After a fierce battle, Helian Ba ​​and the others successfully entered the Sword Refining Pool. As soon as they entered, gusts of fierce wind rushed towards them, and the scorching heat forced Helian Ba ​​and the others to hurriedly circulate their qi to resist.

"Good, you've come at just the right time."

Helian Ba ​​looked at the Ling Shuang Sword in the center, which was illuminated by the five-colored glow, and a greedy look flashed in his eyes. Then he noticed Guan Yutian fighting with Gu Xu and Ren Qianxing fighting with Huangfu Changhen. He glanced at the Supreme Alliance and found that Jian Xiong was there. His eyes flashed and he gave an order to Changyangzi and the others. Then Changyangzi and Fu Xiao led their disciples toward Master Sixin and Huangfu Changhen.

"Brother Helian, I will handle the Sword Master. Quickly draw your sword."

Zhao Qian looked at the Sword Master, who was being protected by the four sword envoys, and called out to Helian Ba. Then, his figure moved instantly, a flash of red light appeared in his palm, and a Blood Slaughtering Thousand Miles attack, carrying a stench, rushed straight towards the Sword Master's face.

"presumptuous!"

The four swordsmen had already sensed Helian Ba ​​and the others when they appeared. Seeing Zhao Qian attacking, they immediately drew their swords in unison. The four longswords gleamed coldly, forming a dense net of swords, and stabbed towards Zhao Qian's Blood Killing Palm.

"Helian Ba!"

When Master Sixin saw Helian Ba ​​appear, her anger rose again. Just as she picked up her zither and was about to seek revenge, she saw an old Taoist priest in red robes and a young scholar rushing over with several disciples. The two formed a semicircle and blocked Master Sixin's path.

"The Old Monster of Changyang, the Swordsman of Qingpeng."

The nun's expression turned slightly grave. Individually, these two were far inferior to her, but if they attacked together, and she had not yet recovered her strength, even if she could win, it would take hundreds of moves.

"Greetings, Master. I have long heard that your Seven Wonders Qin Music is unparalleled in the martial arts world. Today is a rare opportunity, and I humbly request your guidance!"

Fu Xiao clasped his hands slightly, then a flash of emerald light appeared in his hand, and the jade flute was already in his grasp. He activated his true energy, and with a slight movement of his lips, a deep and melancholic flute melody was launched towards Abbess Sixin. Upon hearing this, the latter snorted coldly, and with a light touch of her delicate hand, the three strings tinkled, and one after another, soothing notes leaped out. Some of them formed a sound wall in front of her to block the flute's attack, while others slashed towards Fu Xiao and Changyangzi like flying blades.

Upon seeing Abbess Sixin begin playing the zither, Fu Xiao's expression shifted, a smile instantly spreading across his face. His flute playing grew increasingly rapid, like a dense barrage of arrows whistling through the air. Meanwhile, Changyangzi on the other side swung his whisk, each swing bringing with it a powerful collision with a surge of energy. After several successful swings, he managed to decipher the zither's power, but he himself was forced back twelve steps, now quite a distance from Fu Xiao. "Cast the net!"

Changyangzi shouted, and the six disciples behind them made their moves in unison, throwing silver-white nets into the air. The nets formed a large, shimmering silver net about ten feet long. At the same time, Changyangzi swept his palm, and a gust of wind blew the silver-white net towards Master Sixin.

Seeing this, Abbess Sixin remained unmoved. She grabbed three strings with one hand and suddenly released them, sending a powerful force straight towards Fu Xiao. Sensing the murderous aura, Fu Xiao's flute playing became even more urgent. Ripples appeared in the void, followed by a clear, ringing sound. Fu Xiao groaned, and his jade flute cracked with a snap. He retreated rapidly, flicking his sleeves, and landed safely beside Changyangzi, his face slightly pale and his fingers trembling slightly.

Just after Abbess Sixin repelled Fu Xiao, the silvery-white net was less than three feet away from her. Looking at the tiny blades on the net, Abbess Sixin raised her seven-stringed zither, flicked her sleeve, and the five strings rang out in unison, producing a melody of war. Clusters of white light rose from the strings, reaching mid-air and forming a white light screen. The silvery-white net landed on it, and a series of cracking sounds were heard. Then, a high-pitched zither note rang out, and to the horror of Changyangzi and Fu Xiao, the Heavenly Silkworm Net, on which they had placed their hopes, was shattered into pieces. The scattered blades shot towards them like a rain of lightning.

"Flash!"

Changyangzi cried out in surprise, retreating while using his whisk to protect himself. In the blink of an eye, he had moved more than ten feet away. Fu Xiao also reacted quickly, drawing his jade sword from his waist with a clang. The sword flashed, deflecting the incoming blades one by one, and at the same time, he used the recoil to retreat smoothly.

Changyangzi and Fu Xiao were both unharmed, but the six disciples were in deep trouble. Apart from two lucky ones who were seriously injured and managed to escape, the other four were all turned into a bloody mist without even being able to let out a scream. The mist lingered for a long time, and the scene was filled with a strong smell of blood.

"Is this the Seven-Character Melody of the Qin?"

Fu Xiao watched the horrific scene from afar, horrified. He unconsciously gripped his sword and jade flute tightly. Chang Yangzi also took a deep breath. This nun, who was not yet at her peak, still possessed such skill. If she were to fully recover her power, the two of them probably wouldn't even be able to withstand twenty moves.

“Brother Fu, you see, even if we are determined to use the Seven Absolutes Zither, it is not without its price. As long as we are careful and hold on for three quarters of an hour, we can leave the rest to Helian Ba.”

Changyangzi noticed that Master Sixin's aura suddenly weakened, and he was overjoyed. Fu Xiao followed the direction of Changyangzi's finger and looked closely. Sure enough, Master Sixin was leaning on her seven-stringed zither and did not move for a long time. After a brief examination, he found that her aura was disordered, and she had obviously consumed too much true energy.

"Well, we've already come to this point, there's no turning back."

Fu Xiao's eyes flashed with malice. He pointed his jade sword at Abbess Sixin and played his jade flute again. After exchanging a glance with Changyangzi, the two attacked Abbess Sixin one after the other. The other two disciples who had managed to escape also received a signal from their sect leader and dared not hesitate. They each took up their weapons and rushed forward. The four of them immediately surrounded Abbess Sixin. Just as two long swords were about to strike her, Abbess Sixin's aura surged. She half-squatted down, held her seven-stringed zither horizontally on her knee, and plucked the strings with her delicate hands. A powerful melody that shook the heavens swept across the surrounding area, shattering everything around her. The two disciples cried out in pain, and then their bodies were severed from their heads. Half of their bodies were swept away by the powerful force and rushed towards Fu Xiao and Changyangzi.

Changyangzi remained unfazed upon seeing this. With a flick of his whisk, thousands of silver threads flew out, forming a white barrier in front of him. Fu Xiao, meanwhile, urgently played the "Sea and Sky Calm Waves" melody, creating rings of sonic energy to protect himself. However, a shattering sound rang out as the jade flute in Fu Xiao's hand could not withstand the powerful Seven Absolute Melodies, shattering into countless fragments that fell to the ground. Fu Xiao's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly unleashed his sword technique. The sword light intensified, instantly cleaving the oncoming half of the body in two. However, the severed corpse suddenly shattered into countless pieces of flesh and blood, overwhelming the two of them.

"Get out of the way!"

Changyangzi shouted, his figure flashed, and he blocked Fu Xiao's path. He suddenly spun his horsetail whisk, and a powerful internal force swept out. The broken flesh was pushed apart by the strong wind. With a whoosh, the shattered flesh fell to the ground and was instantly stained red. A nauseating smell spread out.

Fu Xiao held his breath, his longsword thrusting swiftly, a flash of cold light appearing as it aimed straight at Abbess Si Xin's chest.

At the same time, Changyangzi flicked his whisk, and ten thousand cold stars shone forth, enveloping Master Sixin in an attempt to trap her.

Seeing this, Abbess Sixin's expression turned solemn. She played the Seven Absolutes zither again, and instantly powerful sound waves shot out. In an instant, the wind and clouds surged, sand and stones flew, and the fierce battle between the three continued.

Meanwhile, Guan Yutian and Gu Xu were locked in fierce combat. Guan Yutian's Dragon Palm shattered rocks and cracked gold, and its energy was indestructible wherever it went. Gu Xu did not draw his sword. Instead, he raised his hand and struck down with his palm. A Tai Chi vortex instantly enveloped the palm force, slowly dissolving it until it vanished without a trace.

After a brief exchange of blows, Guan Yutian was already feeling the strain. Just then, Guan Yutian's eyes flashed as he saw Helian Ba ​​reaching for the Frost Sword. His mind raced, and he used a fake body to break free of Gu Xu's encirclement in the blink of an eye. Seeing Helian Ba ​​so close, Guan Yutian unleashed a bloody handprint without hesitation. The blood skull, carrying a fierce wind, struck Helian Ba's back.

Helian Ba ​​looked at the Frost Sword in front of him, and saw the dimmed five-colored light shield suddenly brighten. However, Helian Ba ​​was prepared and focused on striking out with his palm. But when he hit it, he felt a suction force coming towards him. Helian Ba ​​thought to himself that something was wrong and hurriedly circulated his true energy to cut off the palm force in time. Just as he was about to turn around and move away, he felt a sharp wind coming from behind.

Turning around, a blood-red skeleton came into view, with Guan Yutian close behind. He immediately channeled his true energy, and the image of the Wind God appeared faintly behind him. With a push of his right palm, the power of the Wind God surged out, and the blood-red skeleton was instantly dispersed. Using this power, Helian Ba ​​landed safely, his hands behind his back, looking at Guan Yutian who was walking towards him with an unfriendly expression.

“Brother Guan, now is not the time for our two families to have a conflict. The most important thing is to resolve the Sword Casting City issue first.” Before Guan Yutian could speak, Helian Ba ​​pointed at Gu Xu, who was walking slowly towards them.

Upon hearing this, Guan Yutian's expression darkened. He snorted coldly, turned to look at the composed Gu Xu, and said in a cold voice, "Don't forget the alliance between us. If you break this alliance, I, the alliance leader, will kill you even if it costs me the Ling Shuang Sword!"

"It's natural."

Helian Ba ​​chuckled, flicked his sleeve, and walked to Guan Yutian's side. He looked at Gu Xu with a cold gaze. The latter glanced at the two of them and said in a calm voice, "It is my great honor to meet the Four Masters of the Martial World today."

After Gu Xu finished speaking, Guan Yutian and the other exchanged a glance. Then, Helian Ba ​​created more than a dozen phantoms, which surrounded the three of them. Upon seeing this, Guan Yutian reached for his waist and a fine steel soft sword appeared in his hand. With a hum, the sword light shot out as the Mighty Dragon Palm was unleashed at the same time. The sword and palm were used together, and the power was unparalleled. The ground rumbled, and even the five-colored light shield protecting the Frost Sword flickered.

(End of this chapter)