A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 440 Chess King Cave

In the Sword Hall of Sword Forging City, the Sword Master handed the letter to Gu Xu beside him. The latter casually took it, read it, and said in a low voice, "It's basically in line with our previous estimates. Guan Yutian is really patient. Looking at the style of the handwriting in the letter, I have a lot of confidence."

"As a descendant of the Demon Sword Clan, and with the Supreme Alliance being such a behemoth, it's not surprising that Guan Yutian has such confidence. Furthermore, according to reports from spies, a month ago, a crimson sword aura was faintly seen soaring into the sky above the Supreme Alliance. It seems that, just as the Taoist priest said, Ren Qianxing has indeed mastered the One Sword Separates Worlds. This person is truly blessed."

"One Sword Separates the World is an extremely unorthodox top-tier sword technique. It blindly pursues power but does not know that sharpness cannot last, otherwise it will inevitably be worn down. If I am not mistaken, Ren Qianxing must have taken a shortcut to master One Sword Separates the World. He was already unorthodox to begin with, and this unorthodoxy only made things worse. He may be able to increase the power many times over in a short period of time, but once he encounters setbacks, he will suffer a backlash."

Upon hearing this, the Sword Master said in a deep voice, "That is true, but the Sword Across Worlds is still a variable. Daoist, how is Cangfeng's Heavenly Will Four Symbols Technique progressing?"

To avoid suspicion, Sword Master never inquired about Yan Cangfeng's progress after that great battle. Any shortcomings were handled by Sword Master. However, Sword Master believed that with the Taoist's guidance, Yan Cangfeng would surely achieve something.

"Zang Feng's Thunder God's Wrath is still slightly lacking. He can only last for four breaths at most. It's quite difficult for him. Naturally, the power is beyond what the physical body can withstand. It's already quite remarkable that he can do this much."

Gu Xu originally intended to use the method of drawing electricity to help Yan Zangfeng, but even so, it only prolonged the time slightly and was extremely dangerous. If he was not careful, he would be crushed to pieces. After thinking it over again and again, Gu Xu finally discovered that the true energy cultivated by the Heavenly Will Four Symbols Technique was the purest and most immaculate, and could not tolerate any other force.

"Master, what about this battle?"

Upon hearing this, the Sword Master felt a slight unease. It wasn't out of regret, but rather out of concern that if Yan Cangfeng lost to Ren Qianxing, the treasure of the Chess of Life and Death would fall into Guan Yutian's hands. If that happened, the entire martial arts world, and even the whole world, would be doomed.

"Although it was agreed beforehand that both sides would place their hopes on Ren Qianxing and Zang Feng respectively, I believe that Zang Feng will definitely achieve the final victory. If Guan Yutian does not follow the rules, I have my own way to deal with him. City Lord, you can rest assured."

Although Gu Xu was unsure whether Guan Yutian would take that path, as long as he made proper preparations, he would make sure Guan Yutian couldn't exert any force.

"With the Daoist's words, I am relieved. Time is short. It will take four days to travel from Sword Forging City to Chess Mountain with a small entourage. I need to arrange everything in the city as soon as possible."

Gu Xu nodded in agreement. This time, the number of people going to Duiyi Mountain should be carefully selected rather than large. So, after discussing with the Sword Master, he decided that in addition to the two of them and Yan Cangfeng, Huangfu Changhen and Master Sixin would be enough. The rest of them would stay in Zhujian City to prevent any villains from taking the opportunity to cause trouble.

After the Sword Master finalized the arrangements, he invited everyone to the meeting. Everyone agreed with the Sword Master's arrangements. Although they were disappointed that they could not witness the life-or-death battle, they knew that they had a great responsibility and dared not slack off in the slightest.

Jianxiong looked at the Sword Master at the head of the table and sighed inwardly. Although he was prepared, he was still somewhat saddened. However, Jianxiong had experienced a lot, so he quickly composed himself and returned the Sword Master's gaze with a firm look.

"I'll leave Sword Forging City to you all. Xiong'er, guard Sword Forging City well and wait for your father to return."

Sword Master bowed to the Three Heroes of the Wind and Dust, and the three Immortals of Wine hurriedly stood up and replied, "Lord, you flatter us. We are deeply grateful for this favor and it is an honor that we can be of use to you this time. Please entrust the young lord to the three of us. We will protect Sword Forging City and prevent any invasion by foreign enemies until the Lord and the Taoist Priest return!"

Upon hearing this, Sword Master bowed solemnly once more. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Sword Master, Gu Xu, Yan Zangfeng, Huangfu Changhen, and Master Sixin walked out of the main hall, mounted their horses, and, with everyone watching, Sword Master gave a slight bow to the crowd, flicked his whip, and rode off into the distance.

Meanwhile, on the Supreme Alliance side, Guan Yutian, Jian Yin, Liao Rushen, and Ren Qianxing, along with more than ten guards, rode their horses toward Duiyi Mountain. As soon as they left the Supreme Alliance, the spies hidden in the shadows immediately sent out a message. The carrier pigeon flew several miles and landed in the hands of Changmo Shangren.

"Brother Helian, Guan Yutian and the others have already set off." Master Changmo handed the note to Helian Ba, who took it, glanced at it, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "Duiyi Mountain!"

"It's not surprising, Brother Helian. You may not know this, but this mountain is also called Chessboard Mountain. The terrain is high in the east and west, with a valley in the middle. There are dozens of peaks of varying sizes and heights standing in it. From a distance, it looks like two people playing chess, hence the name. This mountain is only about 170 miles away from the Supreme Alliance, and it can be reached in two days."

As soon as Master Changmo finished speaking, a glint flashed in Helian Ba's eyes. He looked at Master Changmo and said in a deep voice, "Guan Yutian is trying to use their own methods against them and seize the initiative!"

Previously, when the Supreme Alliance was vying for the Frost Sword, they lost their advantage of terrain, which resulted in heavy losses. Judging from the distance between the two sides, by the time the people from the Supreme Alliance arrive at Duiyi Mountain, the people from Sword Casting City will probably still be on their way, giving them some time to make arrangements.

“Brother Helian, you are too clever for your own good. If Guan Yutian wanted to make arrangements, he would have done so many years ago. Why wait until now? Guan Yutian’s priority now is to safely open the gate of the Chess King Cave. Those methods can only be used when the situation is unfavorable.”

"What you say is very true, but I was a little confused. In this way, before the Chess King Cave is opened, the people of Sword Casting City will not only not be hindered, but the people of the Supreme Alliance will even help them."

“That makes sense, Brother Helian. Now all we need to do is follow Guan Yutian closely and wait for the people from Sword Casting City to arrive.”

Zheng Jing chuckled and continued, "Besides, we don't need to worry about Guan Yutian targeting us now. After all, Guan Yutian still needs us to draw the attention of Sword Casting City. To put it another way, even if he were to attack us, if something goes wrong and we lose combat power, it would be a huge loss. Guan Yutian is much clearer about this than we are."

"Sect Leader Zheng is right. If that's the case, let's not delay any longer. We've been preparing for many days, and success or failure depends on this."

Master Changmo gave a low voice, and everyone's expressions turned solemn. After gathering a few of his most promising disciples, they spurred their horses and chased after Guan Yutian in the direction he had gone.

Two days later, at the chess mountain

"Master, the Chess Mountain is just ahead." Ren Qianxing pointed to two towering peaks that stood out abruptly in front of him. Their green color looked like two pieces of jade from afar, and their color became even more intense under the sunlight.

Guan Yutian hummed in agreement, looked at the verdant mountain peaks, his heart made up, glanced behind him, sneered, flicked his whip, and the horse neighed and galloped away. In the blink of an eye, more than ten people disappeared into the dense forest.

"Such a keen sense."

Three miles away, when Changmo Shangren saw the gaze that Guan Yutian cast at him, he was startled as if Guan Yutian had seen through him. He had tried his best to conceal his aura, but he did not expect that Guan Yutian would still discover him.

"It was only a matter of time, but as Sect Leader Zheng said, even if we find out, what can we do? Right now, our primary enemy is not us. Taking action before our interests are threatened would be extremely foolish."

After Helian Ba ​​finished speaking, everyone nodded. Then Helian Ba ​​looked at the composed Lu Wen and asked, "Brother Lu, how is it?"

"Don't worry, they can't escape. Follow me." Lu Wen said triumphantly, spurring his horse forward. The others hurriedly followed.

Although the forest was dense and it was difficult to see the direction, under Lu Wen's guidance, they did not make a single wrong step and always stayed behind Guan Yutian and his group.

"Master, they're catching up again. Should I..."

Ren Qianxing noticed that the voices behind him were becoming clearer. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he flicked his thumb against the scabbard, the crimson light flickering uncertainly. As long as Guan Yutian agreed, he alone with his sword would be enough to kill them all.

"No need. These people will still be useful in the future. Chess King Cave is just ahead. At the crucial moment, there will be no mistakes. Qianxing, you must remember that your only opponent is Yan Cangfeng. Your task is to kill him. You don't need to worry about anything else."

"Yes, Master."

Ren Qianxing withdrew his hand, and Liao Rushen, who was standing to the side, said, "Alliance Leader, why don't we let your subordinate teach them a lesson?"

"what ever."

Guan Yutian remained noncommittal, offering only this brief reply before continuing to lead his men forward. Liao Rushen, upon hearing this, lagged slightly behind, dismounted, and, at a crucial juncture, lightly waved his feather fan. One by one, he planted banners on tree trunks, formed hand seals, and uttered a low shout. Wisps of white mist shot out from the banners, quickly rising into the forest and growing increasingly thick. Within just a few breaths, it was impossible to see anything beyond three feet.

After making the arrangements, Liao Rushen chuckled, mounted his horse, and rode away with a flourish. "This white mist is strange."

Helian Ba ​​frowned as he watched the white mist surging in from all directions. Seeing this, Changmo Shangren reached out and inhaled, drawing a wisp of white mist into his palm. With a burst of true energy, a flash of dark light appeared in Changmo Shangren's palm, and the white mist was instantly refined.

"This was man-made and contains no toxic gas."

Just now, when Master Changmo used his Black Fiend True Qi to investigate, he discovered that there was a trace of true qi hidden in the white mist that should not be detected. He immediately knew that it must be the work of the Supreme Alliance.

"To be able to create so much white mist in such a short time must be the work of a god."

Zheng Jing responded, watching the billowing white mist approach. With a flick of his sleeve, a gust of wind swept through, instantly drawing the white mist towards the vortex. In just a few breaths, the rapidly swirling wind slowed down, and soon the white mist filled the wind. Zheng Jing's face darkened, and with a flick of his sleeve, the wind shattered, and the white mist that had filled in vanished without a trace.

“If we use internal energy to dissolve it, even if we exhaust our internal energy, we may not be able to completely dispel the white mist. Brother Helian, what do you think?”

Helian Ba ​​pondered for a moment upon hearing this, then raised his palm and slashed. A blade of energy pierced through the thick white mist, revealing a path, but it was quickly filled with mist again. Helian Ba ​​withdrew his hand, looked at Lu Wen, and asked, "Brother Lu, can you still sense their presence?"

Changmo Shangren and Zheng Jing both turned their gazes over, while Lu Wen closed his eyes to sense for a while before saying in a deep voice, "This white mist is quite disruptive. I can only sense a faint aura, and we cannot rule out the possibility that it is a flaw deliberately left by the other party."

After Lu Wen finished speaking, Helian Ba ​​pondered for a moment, constantly thinking of countermeasures. Just then, Bai Yu'er whispered something to Helian Ba, and the latter's eyes lit up immediately.

"Brother Helian, have you perhaps found a way to break this?"

"Indeed, it was fortunate that Yu'er reminded us earlier that this white mist wouldn't appear out of nowhere; it needs a basis. As long as we can find the thing that set up the formation, the problem will be easily solved. Alas, those involved are truly blinded by their own involvement."

Helian Ba ​​sighed, then looked proudly at Master Changmo and the others.

Upon hearing this, the three masters, including Master Changmo, suddenly realized what was going on and clapped their hands in admiration. Looking at the ever-flowing white mist, Master Changmo immediately said to Helian Badao, "Then please, Brother Helian, display your divine power and find the location of the object that sets up the formation."

Helian Ba ​​stepped forward without hesitation, while the others stepped aside. Helian Ba ​​clasped his hands together, his aura lengthened, and three demonic shadows instantly separated, appearing in four directions. The four of them then separated their hands, and a gale reversed, drawing in wisps of white mist, which were continuously poured into the gale like a whale sucking in water.

"Helian Ba's clones are becoming increasingly powerful. The three clones are almost indistinguishable from the real person. Even with only half of their strength, they are still a formidable force. With such a person around, the Sea Shark Palace will be rebuilt sooner or later."

Master Changmo looked at Helian Ba's three demonic shadows with a solemn expression. He estimated that he could withstand a few of the opponent's moves, but after deducing in his mind, the best-case scenario was only a fifty-fifty chance.

Lu Wen watched Helian Ba ​​make his move with amusement, thinking about how to train Helian Ba ​​into a puppet while he was still alive. He dreamed of having a puppet of a top master, and perhaps after training him, his cultivation would naturally increase.

More than ten breaths passed, and the gale grew stronger and stronger, while the surging white mist increased. Just as everyone was worried, Helian Ba ​​shouted.

"found it!"

As soon as the words were spoken, three demonic figures flashed by and rushed into the white mist. After a while, everyone noticed that the white mist began to thin and was dissipating faster and faster. Finally, several paths appeared in front of them, and everyone knew that the formation had been broken.

After a while, the three demonic figures returned, each holding a tattered little flag. Helian Ba ​​withdrew his true energy, and the three demonic figures returned to his body. He glanced at the three little flags and then discarded them aside.

"Brother Lu, how are things now?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Wen twitched his nose, then pointed to a road and said, "Take this way."

As they spoke, Lu Wen took the lead, and the others hurriedly followed. The further they went, the narrower the road became. After walking for half an hour, looking at the scattered hoofprints, Helian Ba ​​was delighted. Lu Wen had indeed made the right choice.

"dismount."

After Helian Ba ​​finished speaking, he dismounted from his horse, looked at the trampled grass in front of him, and walked straight ahead.

Several miles ahead, the Supreme Alliance group was on their way. After walking for more than half an hour, deep in this dense forest where the air was thin, apart from Guan Yutian and the others, the rest of them were already panting and gradually falling behind.

"stop!"

Guan Yutian gestured to stop them, and everyone paused. He turned around, looked at his pale-faced subordinates, and said calmly, "Rest for half an hour."

After speaking, Guan Yutian found an open space, swept away the fallen leaves and mud on the stone platform with a wave of his sleeve, sat down cross-legged, and closed his eyes to rest.

"The air here is damp, and poisonous insects must be breeding. Have someone take the Hundred Herbs Pills just in case," Ren Qianxing instructed Mu Rongyi. The latter immediately nodded, took out the Hundred Herbs Pills from his pack, and distributed them one by one.

Liao Rushen took the pill, thanked Mu Rongyi, and while others weren't paying attention, crushed the Hundred Herbs Pill and threw it on the ground. He tilted his head back and swallowed it. A bright green pill fell into his mouth. After the pill entered his body, the hot and humid feeling in his body was relieved a lot, and he felt much more refreshed.

"Luckily, I have this Refreshing Pill, otherwise I would have suffered a lot."

Liao Rushen glanced around and saw that although the complexions of the group who had swallowed the Hundred Herbs Pill had improved slightly, their breathing was still fluctuating. In order not to be too conspicuous, Liao Rushen also mobilized his true energy to pretend to be like them.

After resting for half an hour, Guan Yutian got up, called out to everyone, and continued on his way. After walking for another half hour, he finally emerged from the dense forest. His view widened, and he saw a huge, monolithic mountain blocking their path. From their perspective, there was a natural cave at the foot of the mountain. When the sun shone into it, the light inside flashed and disappeared.

"Master, is this the Chess King Cave?"

Ren Qianxing pointed to the cave with a joyful tone. Guan Yutian nodded, took a deep breath, and said, "This is the Chess King Cave."

As he spoke, Guan Yutian stepped forward slowly, and Ren Qianxing, Mu Rongyi, and the others hurriedly followed. Jian Yin paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over the mountain peak, and his expression became solemn.

"What is the Chief Protector thinking?"

Liao Rushen stepped forward, glanced at Jian Yin, who glanced at him but said nothing and quickly followed. Seeing this, Liao Rushen snorted coldly, put his hands behind his back, and calmly walked towards the cave.

Just as the Supreme Alliance and Helian Ba ​​and others entered the Chess Mountain, the people of Sword Casting City were rushing over. Finally, at dusk on the second day, they arrived at the foot of the Chess Mountain. After resting for a night, Sword Master and the others, guided by Gu Xu, easily passed through the dense forest and arrived at the Chess King Cave.

"The city lord is indeed true to his word. Now that we're here, let's not waste any more words. In three days, Mars will be in conjunction with Antares, and the keyhole for the gate to the Chess King Cave will appear. The Frost Sword is the only key, and I, the alliance leader, do not want any mistakes to occur."

(End of this chapter)