A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 441 Open

In front of the Chess King Cave, Guan Yutian looked at the group from Sword Casting City walking towards him and spoke directly to the point, which made Sword Master frown slightly. This Guan Yutian really never forgot to put on airs. It was clearly a cooperation between the two parties, but in his words, it sounded like his side was begging him.

However, the Sword Master reacted quickly and said in a deep voice, "Alliance Leader Guan, you are mistaken. Since the Frost Sword has been split into two, if there is a problem, neither of our two families can escape it. There is no need to say more of these useless words. On the day when Mars guards the heart, we will proceed according to the established plan. There is no need for Alliance Leader Guan to worry."

After finishing his words, the Sword Master nodded to Gu Xu and turned to walk towards a cave. Guan Yutian's eyes flashed with a sharp light, then he snorted coldly and returned to the cave. He looked at Ren Qianxing, who was wiping the sword, walked to his side, and whispered, "Qianxing, in three days it will be Mars guarding the heart of the sky. At that time, the gate of the Chess King Cave will show the sword hole. You must insert it accurately, otherwise the celestial phenomenon will recede and the sword hole will disappear, and everything will be in vain."

"Master, I understand, but what about Sword Forging City?"

Ren Qianxing had great confidence in himself, but if the Sword Casting City deliberately delayed or refused to do so, wouldn't all his efforts be in vain?

After listening to Ren Qianxing's words, Guan Yutian chuckled, "Sword Casting City is determined to succeed this time. If they didn't want to open the Chess King Cave, why would they have brought Huangfu Changhen and Master Sixin along? Don't worry, things have come to this point, Sword Casting City will not give up halfway."

After a pause, Guan Yutian's expression became slightly more serious as he stared at Ren Qianxing and said, "Just now, I noticed that Yan Cangfeng's natural aura was much stronger than it was three months ago. It seems that with the guidance of Daoist Gu Xu, he has at least mastered the Heavenly Will Four Symbols Technique to the level of Thunder God's Wrath."

At this point, Guan Yutian's expression turned somewhat grim. Since the creation of the Four Symbols of Heavenly Will Technique by the Sword Ancestor, those who could cultivate it to the level of the Wrath of the Fire God were already considered top-tier masters. As for the latter two levels, they were unheard of in the martial arts world. However, given its resounding reputation, it was at least on par with One Sword Separating the World and Innate Qi.

"In the end, he still managed to gain power. If I had known this would happen, I would have nipped him in the bud!"

It would be a lie to say that Guan Yutian didn't regret it, but if he did regret it, it was only for a moment, followed by intense killing intent.

“Master, no matter what level Yan Zangfeng has reached, I am confident that I can defeat him and seize the treasure of the Chess of Life and Death.”

Ren Qianxing is now ruthless towards Yan Zangfeng. Before, it might have been because of Liu Yiyi, but now it concerns the future of the holder of Ling Shuang Sword and himself. Only one of the two can leave Chess King Cave alive, and that person will definitely be himself.

"Good, as expected of my disciple Guan Yutian, you should have such heroic spirit."

Guan Yutian exclaimed in admiration, patted him on the shoulder, gave a few more instructions, and then walked towards Jianyin.

On the other side, after tidying up the cave, Sword Master and the others sat down. Sword Master looked at the black-clad swordsmen walking outside and said in a deep voice, "These black-clad swordsmen are almost all experts, and seven of them are even top-notch. That crushing defeat was almost no loss for Guan Yutian."

At this point, Sword Master was also shocked. The battle three months ago had almost used up all the strength of Sword Forging City. With the advantage, the damage was reduced, but after the battle, there were still 27 dead and more than 30 injured. In addition, the damaged artifacts were also a considerable loss.

"Most of the losses in that great battle were the elites of the Supreme Alliance. Only those twelve black-clad swordsmen were members of the Demon Sword Clan, and their martial arts were only barely passable. If it weren't for the sword formation, the four of them could have been dealt with by the Dragon Sword alone."

After a pause, Gu Xu continued, "However, Guan Yutian has really gone all out this time. If these black-clad swordsmen outside were to fight, even a first-rate sect would be almost powerless. No wonder Guan Yutian is so confident. No one knows if there are other people in the shadows. When the Chess King Cave opens, everyone must be careful and vigilant."

"What the Taoist priest says is quite right. Also, have any of you noticed that spot in the southeast corner?"

"Mr. Huangfu must be referring to Helian Ba ​​and his group."

The nun replied, and with a twang of her zither strings, the sound blade shot through the air.

"The people of Sword Forging City are not slow either."

While Helian Ba ​​and Master Changmo were secretly observing, a sonic blade suddenly pierced through the air. Master Changmo's expression changed slightly upon seeing this, and he raised his palm to strike, but Helian Ba ​​stopped him. With a flick of his long sleeve, he unleashed a burst of powerful energy that shattered the sonic blade aimed at him.

But just when Helian Ba ​​thought everything was alright, the scattered sonic blades gathered together again, turning into a narrow, thin blade that sliced ​​through his sleeve and shot into the distance with a whoosh. An ancient tree was silently cut in half, and birds took flight, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"The Seven Absolute Melodies of the Zither... Could it be that Abbess Sixin has already mastered the Seven Absolute Melodies of the Zither to perfection?"

Master Changmo exclaimed in surprise. He looked at Helian Ba's torn sleeve and then at the fallen ancient tree. He was shocked. To be able to play the zither so subtly and profoundly, his skill in playing the zither had clearly reached an unfathomable level.

"Several months ago, she had already mastered the Seven Absolutes Zither to the point of ruthlessness, but she wasn't very skilled at using it back then. I never expected that in just three months, she would combine Yin and Yang and master the Seven Absolutes Zither to perfection. This adds another variable to the equation."

Helian Ba ​​was also very agitated at this moment. He hadn't taken the nun Sixin seriously when she came, but now her actions had shocked him. It wasn't just because she had mastered the Seven Absolutes Zither, but also because it showed that she was no longer troubled by the relationship between the two of them. This meant that he could no longer use their relationship to scheme for himself.

"There are already enough variables, so it doesn't matter if one more is added. The one who should be most worried now is not us, but Guan Yutian. Didn't Brother Helian say that Master Sixin's Seven Absolute Zither is the nemesis of Guan Yutian's innate qi?"

Master Changmo secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although he didn't know why Abbess Sixin was targeting Helian Ba, it was ultimately a good thing for him.

"The Master is right. Since things have come to this point, we can only continue like this. Let's see who will have the last laugh in three days."

Helian Ba ​​glanced at the Chess King Cave again, then turned and left with his hands behind his back. Seeing this, Master Changmo shook his head and also left quickly. After the two returned to their camp, Zheng Jing saw them return, took a few steps forward, and looked at Helian Ba ​​anxiously, asking, "Brother Helian, how is it?"

"The people from Sword Forging City have just arrived. They are Sword Master, Gu Xu, Yan Zangfeng, Huangfu Changhen, and Master Sixin."

After Helian Ba ​​finished speaking, Zheng Jing's expression turned extremely ugly. Although the number of people in the Sword Forging City was not as large as that of the Supreme Alliance, they were all experts. Not to mention Sword Master and Gu Xu, Huangfu Changhen and Master Sixin were both top-ten martial arts masters in the world. Even one of them alone would be a match for him, let alone two of them coming at once. "Sect Leader Zheng, there is no need to worry. It is rumored that Huangfu Changhen is at odds with Liao Rushen. This time, he is most likely targeting Liao Rushen. As for Master Sixin, if my deduction is correct, it should be Guan Yutian. Sword Master will be dealt with by Brother Helian and me. Arrow Hidden's opponent is still Gu Xu, and Yan Cangfeng will only be Ren Qianxing's opponent. It seems that the two sides are restraining each other. At that time, I will trouble Sect Leader Zheng and Brother Lu to take action and retrieve all the treasures in the Chess of Life and Death."

Master Changmo, seeing Zheng Jing's expression, quickly understood his thoughts and immediately explained the arrangements. Sure enough, after listening, Zheng Jing's expression gradually returned to normal, and even Lu Wen, who was standing next to him, had his eyes shining. He glanced at Zheng Jing and snorted coldly in his heart.

"Helian Ba ​​and Master Changmo have a good plan. Although the Sword Master is skilled in martial arts, Helian Ba ​​alone is enough to contend with him. With the addition of the not-so-weak Master Changmo, they are in an invincible position. On the other hand, those black-clad swordsmen on my side are not easy to deal with. If things go wrong, they will die."

Lu Wen thought to himself, while Zheng Jing, though smiling, was inwardly cursing Helian Ba ​​and Chang Mo. At first glance, it seemed that there were no experts on his side, but he had not forgotten what happened at Juxian Inn. These mysterious and unpredictable black-clad swordsmen were the most difficult to deal with.

"At that time, we need to be more vigilant, lest we be sold out and still end up counting the money for the seller."

Zheng Jing secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he only had seven disciples with him this time. Even if they all died, he could still bear this loss. On the other hand, Master Changmo brought more than twenty people this time, each of whom was an elite. If they all died here, Changsheng Cave could be wiped out from the martial arts world.

"Master, how should your sect's disciples be allocated?"

Lu Wen stood up and asked Master Changmo a question, and Zheng Jing looked over upon hearing this.

"You two need not worry. I have already entrusted the Zen Master and the two fellow Daoists to mobilize my disciples according to the plan."

As soon as Master Changmo finished speaking, the Skeleton Monk, the Child of Perfect Kindness, and Abbess Suyin slowly rose and bowed to Master Changmo.

Zheng Jing and Lu Wen's expressions darkened slightly upon seeing this, but they quickly composed themselves.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. The moon was high in the sky, and countless stars shone. In the eastern sky, the most conspicuous star was a red star that slowly streaked across the constellation Antares. Its trajectory was changing from forward motion to reverse motion. As time passed, its red light grew brighter and brighter, almost obscuring the entire constellation Antares.

Meanwhile, in front of the Chess King Cave, Guan Yutian looked at the strange phenomenon in the sky, his face showing fanaticism, and he murmured, "Mars guards the heart, it's Mars guarding the heart."

Liao Rushen lightly waved his feather fan, watching the strange phenomenon unfold, his eyes gleaming.

Gu Xu stared intently at the crimson star. Just then, a bright crimson light shone in the sky, and the starlight shone directly on the Chess King Cave. A wall of light appeared in the Chess King Cave, with flowing light floating on it. Then, it slowly slid into the stone wall. With a few cracking sounds, the stone wall split open to the sides, revealing a large gate made of fine steel, about the height of two people.

Above the gate were nineteen thick steel lock bars, arranged according to the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams. When the starlight shone on them, the nineteen lock bars seemed to melt, instantly turning into mercury-like substances that flowed along the grooves above the gate. The silver light flickered, and a circular hole was pushed up.

"Thousand Lines!"

"Conceal your strength!"

Guan Yutian and the Sword Master shouted at the same time.

Two sword lights, one red and one blue, shot towards the hole like lightning, one after the other. With a clang, the two swords simultaneously pierced the hole. Then, with a click, the door slowly moved to the sides, revealing a portal large enough for one person to pass through. Inside, a white light shone brightly, so bright that it stung to the naked eye.

As soon as the portal opened, the crimson and blue sword light was immediately launched. Ren Qianxing and Yan Cangfeng flew up at the same time and retrieved their respective swords. Ren Qianxing glanced coldly at Yan Cangfeng, and at Guan Yutian's call, he ran away and disappeared into the portal in the blink of an eye.

After Guan Yutian and Ren Qianxing entered the gate first, the others followed in an orderly fashion. Gu Xu, who was the last to approach the gate, glanced at the outer room and noticed that the gate was closing. With a thought, he casually released a burst of energy to temporarily hold the gate open. His figure flickered and disappeared into the white light.

"Come on!"

Helian Ba ​​watched the portal shrink and called out to Master Changmo. Everyone entered the portal one after another. Just as the last person went in, the gate of the Chess King Cave slammed shut with a bang, and the starlight scattered. Only a red star in the sky shone brightly.

After Guan Yutian and Ren Qianxing entered the gate, they immediately felt refreshed. Because Ren Qianxing cultivated the One Sword Separates Worlds technique, he was very sensitive to the energy. After taking a deep breath and sensing the energy, Ren Qianxing said to Guan Yutian, "Master, the natural energy here is very rich. The place where life force gathers is a hundred steps ahead."

After Ren Qianxing finished speaking, Guan Yutian's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he immediately walked forward. Before long, a huge lake appeared in front of the master and disciple. It was as smooth as a mirror and as black as solidified amber. On the east and west sides of the lake, there were two protruding black and white stone pillars, about three feet above the lake surface.

When Guan Yutian saw the two black and white stone pillars, his smile faded. He turned to Ren Qianxing and said with a look of apprehension, "Qianxing, those two stone pillars are where the game of life and death is played. Only those recognized by the Frost Sword can enter. Otherwise, the outer formation will kill anyone who trespasses."

Ren Qianxing felt a chill run down his spine. If even his master was wary of this formation, one could only imagine how terrifying it was.

Just as the master and apprentice were observing the lake, Sword Master and the others arrived one after another. Everyone was surprised by the lake. Guan Yutian said to Sword Master, "City Lord, the first test is a chess game. Let the two juniors go up."

As he spoke, Ren Qianxing stepped forward with his sword, cupping his fists in a salute to the side of Sword Casting City. Upon hearing this, Sword Master glanced at Gu Xu, who nodded. Sword Master then gave an order to Yan Cangfeng, who also stepped forward. The two stood side by side by the lake. Just then, as if sensing something, the two Frost Swords shone brightly with crimson and blue light. Then, a rumbling sound was heard, and everyone was astonished to see a protective aura suddenly appear on the surface of the lake. The moment the aura opened, two beams of light, one black and one white, landed directly on Ren Qianxing and Yan Cangfeng.

The two felt a suction force trying to pull the Ling Shuang sword from their hands. They hurriedly circulated their true energy to suppress the suction force. Just then, the black and white light paused slightly, and then the light spread from the sword to the two of them. Everyone only saw a blur before their eyes, and Ren Qianxing and Yan Cangfeng were instantly pulled into the lake.

(End of this chapter)