A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 67 Success or Failure
The next day, Murong Wudi personally saw Yan Nantian and the others off. Before they left, Murong Wudi gave Jiang Yuyan, Xiaoyuer and Su Ying some instructions.

"Liu Xi is highly skilled in martial arts, so please be very careful. The capital is the territory of the Eastern Depot, and the assistance I can provide is limited."

"Don't worry, Master, we will be careful in everything we do," Jiang Yuyan said. She knew that her master was in seclusion again and hadn't come to see her off, so she didn't mind. This instruction must have been given by her master.

"Hero Yan, have a safe journey," Murong Wudi said with a fist and palm salute, and Yan Nantian returned the salute in kind.

"Let's go!" Yan Nantian took the lead and rushed off, followed closely by Xiaoyuer, Jiang Yuyan, and Su Ying. In no time, their figures disappeared from sight.

East Factory
"My lord, the alignment of the seven stars will be in three days, and everything is ready on my end."

Liu Xi nodded. "The closer we get, the more vigilant we must be. Pass down the order to double the force to seal off the outskirts of the capital. All suspicious persons must be reported immediately, and any unusual activity will result in immediate execution."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

"Lord Supervisor, a message from Lord Zhou Yan via carrier pigeon!" The messenger presented the message.

"That Wudang Cangmu is something else! He actually summoned martial arts figures to the capital. He's targeting me. This Cangmu is indeed up to no good. I underestimated him." Although Liu Xi was furious, he could only put these matters aside for the time being.

"Send a message to Zhou Yan, telling him to stop them before October 15th and not let them reach the capital, lest they ruin my plans. If necessary, use explosives."

"Yes," the messenger immediately accepted the order and went to carry it out.

"Master, this Cangmu must have someone supporting him, otherwise he wouldn't be so openly opposing you. It's a pity there's no news from Hongyezhai yet, otherwise we could have targeted our attacks and wouldn't be so passive at every turn."

"The only forces that can oppose me are Yihua Palace and Murong Manor. Judging from this style of work, it seems that Murong Manor is behind it all."

Liu Xi was quite familiar with the ways of Yihua Palace and Murong Manor. From some clues, he deduced that it was Murong Manor that sent Cangmu to challenge the Eastern Depot.

"Master, the Murong family's involvement is not good. I received news from Hongye Zhai that Yan Nantian, Xiaoyuer, Su Ying, and Jiang Yuyan are on their way to the capital. In addition, someone from Yihua Palace has also come out, and the person who came is Hua Wuque."

After glancing at Liu Xi, Song Tao continued, "These people are not easy to deal with. Zhou Yan's side is already holding off Cang Mu's forces, which has already diverted some of our strength. If we have to divide the burden between these two sides as well, the defenses around the capital will be much weaker. At that point, Tie Ruyun, who is hiding in the shadows, will definitely come out to cause trouble. I'm just worried..."

"It's alright. Cangmu's side has the numbers and the advantage. No matter how powerful Yan Nantian is, he's just one person. As for the rest, I don't even consider them a threat. As long as Gu Xu and those two women from Yihua Palace don't come in person, all of this will be in vain."

"Rest assured, Chief Supervisor, I have been keeping a close watch on these three men day and night, and they haven't made any unusual moves," Song Tao said, relieved. As long as the Chief Supervisor was confident, that was all that mattered.

Suburbs of Beijing
A tall altar has been completed, upon which sits a celestial globe engraved with the constellations of the heavens. Stone walls stand on all four sides of the altar, and flags of the Eastern Depot are planted everywhere, fluttering in the wind, making it impossible for outsiders to see what is inside.

"You all need to be on your best. If I find you slacking off, you'll have to go and apologize to the Grand Supervisor."

"Lord Shan Zuo, I dare not delay the Chief Supervisor's business, please rest assured."

"That's good. If you do well, the Chief Supervisor will reward you handsomely. If you don't do well, the Chief Supervisor will still reward you, which is to send you back to your hometown," Shan Zuo said calmly, which frightened everyone into kowtowing and swearing to the heavens that they would do their best to serve the Chief Supervisor.

"Alright, go get to work."

After everyone left, Shan Zuo asked Shan You, "How are the preparations for the Five Yama Kings going?"

"He has set up a poison array around the altar and is now preparing to test its power."

"I've long heard that these Five Yama Kings possess poison skills that rival those of their master, the Five Poison Ancestor. Today, I'll have to see for myself. Let's go take a look."

After Shan Zuo and Shan You arrived at the altar, the Five Yama Kings hurriedly stepped forward, "Have you two come here with some instructions?"

"Five Yama Kings, the Chief Supervisor has entrusted you with great trust by sending you here to set up the formation. We have come to see just how powerful this poison formation is, so that we can report back to the Chief Supervisor."

"Please wait a moment, gentlemen. I was just about to test my formation. Your arrival is a good opportunity to give me my opinion."

The Five Yama Kings knew that the two were Liu Xi's confidants and wanted to befriend them.

"Please look, my lords, that is the poison array I set up." Following the direction pointed out by the Five Yama Kings, Shan Zuo saw more than a dozen flower pots placed around the altar, each containing an exceptionally beautiful flower.

Dan Zuo knew that there must be something strange about these flowers. Although he couldn't see through their mystery, he wouldn't ask, lest he be looked down upon by the Five Yama Kings.

The Five Yama Kings clapped their hands, and a death row inmate was brought in. Dan Zuo heard the Five Yama Kings telling the inmate that if he could get close to the altar, he would be spared the death penalty. Dan Zuo sneered but said nothing. The death row inmate, however, believed the Five Yama Kings' words and hurriedly walked towards the altar.

The condemned prisoner had just reached a short distance from the altar when he suddenly collapsed. Seeing this, Shan Zuo nodded, "This flower is indeed powerful; it took effect in less than three breaths."

"My lord, the best is yet to come, please watch carefully," Wu Yanluo said to Shan Zuo with a smile.

"Hmm," Dan Zuo replied without a hint of doubt.

A horrifying scene unfolded as the fallen corpse was suddenly entangled by thorny branches, which then pulled and tugged at each other until the entire body was torn to pieces. After devouring the flesh and blood, the flowers became even more vibrant.

"What a terrifying poisonous flower! Five Yama Kings, what is the name of this flower?" Dan Zuo was truly frightened; such an evil creature was indeed terrifying.

"My lord, this is the Corpse-Dissolving Orchid, one of the Four Demonic Flowers. Its pollen is alluring, and its branches can dissect corpses, cleaning them up completely within a quarter of an hour. The more it eats, the faster it grows. The corpse-dissolving liquid is extracted from the sap of this flower."

"If these are the Four Demon Flowers, then the other three could be..." Shan You looked at the Five Yama Kings, uncertainly.

"Your Excellencies possess keen insight. I have placed the other three types of altars on the north, west, and south sides. You two may wish to accompany me to take a look."

The Five Yama Kings were eager to showcase their talents in this important matter so that they could gain more benefits from Liu Xi in the future to support their research. The two men, Dan and Zuo, also wanted to know the power of the poison array so that they could curry favor with Liu Xi and receive rewards.

After seeing the other three types of demonic flowers, Dan Zuo and Dan You no longer dared to underestimate the Five Yama Kings.

"We will certainly speak on your behalf before the Supervisor; this poison array must not fail."

"Rest assured, sir, I will keep a close watch on things from now on until the supervisor accomplishes his great task."

Dan Zuo and Dan You nodded, left the outskirts of Beijing, and returned to the Eastern Depot to report to Liu Xi.

"Master, Shan You and I have seen that poison array. It was truly terrifying. A living person was turned into a puddle of thick liquid by the pollen of a flower the size of a palm." Shan Zuo still felt uneasy when he talked about what he had just seen.

"Hmm, the Five Yama Kings haven't disappointed me after all my efforts. With his poison array, I have a guarantee that whatever he wants, as long as it's not excessive, I'll grant it to him. Now, go down."

"Single Left, Single Right, go down to receive the order."

Liu Xi kept the Five Yama Kings around until this day; once this is over, they will be of no use to him anymore.

"Have any suspicious individuals entered the capital recently?"

"Reporting to the Chief Supervisor, no," Song Tao replied immediately. "Chief Supervisor, according to the rules, tomorrow is the day of the alignment of the seven stars. Yan Nantian and the others should have arrived by now. We haven't found any trace of them. Could it be that someone is helping them?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xi's expression changed slightly. He had truly been foolish, forgetting about Consort Shu in the palace. Although Murong Wudi wouldn't intervene, he might still be able to offer some assistance.

"Has anything unusual happened in Consort Shu's palace recently?" Liu Xi asked hurriedly.

"No, Your Excellency, you mean..." Song Tao also realized the key point. If it was really Consort Shu's help, it wouldn't be difficult for a few people to sneak into the capital. However, there was no news from Consort Shu's spies.

"That old fox Murong Wudi, it seems our spies were exposed long ago, otherwise how could we have kept quiet all along? He's truly a master strategist. He held back before to lull me into a false sense of security, saving his move for today."

Liu Xi was secretly annoyed, but things hadn't gotten out of control yet.

"Now we can only deal with things as they come, Song Tao. That matter absolutely cannot have any mishaps; my success or failure hinges on this."

"Rest assured, Master, everything has been arranged properly, and no one else knows about it except me."

"That's good. Tomorrow is the day when the seven stars align. I'll go check on Master Yuanyang and the others."

The Eastern Depot, the Secret Chamber of the First Rank

Yuan Yang Zhenren, Zhao Qianhe, Meng Zhongliu, Jiang Lin and Wu Yan were all imprisoned here. As the iron cage was opened, Liu Xi appeared before them.

The five people squinted when they first saw the light, and after their eyes adjusted, they saw Liu Xi standing above the iron cage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, tomorrow will be the rare occasion of the alignment of the seven planets, a sight that only happens once every hundred years. How many years does one have in a lifetime? To be able to witness this spectacular sight of the seven planets aligning is truly a great joy in life."

Master Yuanyang grabbed the iron cage and cried out, "Master, spare my life!"

Upon seeing this, Wu Yan spat, "Master Yuanyang, you've betrayed your cause by siding with that eunuch Liu and plotting against your fellow martial artists; you deserve your punishment."

Liu Xi chuckled lightly, "Master Wu, you're right to criticize. Apart from a few people with backbone, the rest of the heroes in the martial arts world are all treacherous and scheming, lacking any ambition or style. This governor is deeply saddened by this."

Wu Yan snorted coldly, and Liu Xi continued, "Therefore, I have made up my mind to restore order to the martial world. It is a rare occurrence that the seven stars are aligned, giving me the opportunity to use the pure Yang energy that everyone has cultivated over the years to master the highest level of the Absorption Technique, 'Remote Absorption'."

Ignoring Yuan Yang Zhenren's pleas for mercy, Liu Xi continued, "With this unparalleled martial arts, it's not an unrealistic dream for me to unify the martial world and restore order."

Wu Yan roared, "Bullshit! Nonsense! This Seven Stars Alignment has absolutely nothing to do with your martial arts!"

Liu Xi raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, ignoring him, "Only when I, the Grand Marshal, unify the martial world can there be peaceful days."

"The Grand Eunuch is right," Meng Zhongliu flattered obsequiously. But Liu Xi sneered, "Meng Zhongliu, no matter how much you fawn over me, you're still going to die. Originally, I didn't intend to include you in the Five Yangs, but since your destiny is extremely Yang and you cultivate pure Yang internal energy, I have no choice but to use you as a substitute."

"Master, spare me! Master!"

"Master Supervisor, please spare me!"

Apart from Wu Yan, the rest of them loudly begged for mercy, which made Liu Xi laugh wildly.

"Gentlemen, you'll all have a hard time tomorrow night, haha," Liu Xi laughed as he left, and the iron cage was locked up again.

suburban manor
This was a villa bestowed upon Consort Shu by the emperor, where Yan Nantian and others were staying at the time.

"Master, tomorrow is the day when the seven stars align. That scoundrel Liu Xi will definitely appear. We must not let him go. I want to use his head to pay tribute to our four godfathers," Xiaoyuer said fiercely.

Ever since learning that Li Dazui and the others had died at Liu Xi's hands, Xiaoyuer had wanted to kill Liu Xi. He knew that the Eastern Depot was heavily guarded and full of traps, and even his master was injured, so he dared not act rashly. Now, the heavens had given him a golden opportunity. In order to absorb the power of the Seven Stars Alignment, Liu Xi would definitely leave the Eastern Depot. This was his chance.

"Brother Yu, you must not be careless. Consort Shu has sent word that the altar is surrounded by heavy troops and guarded by some scoundrels from the martial arts world. In addition, the most troublesome ones are the Five Yama Kings."

Jiang Yuyan looked at the three of them and said, "Those Five Yama Kings are the direct descendants of the Five Poison Ancestor. It is said that their poison skills are no less than their master's, and they are very difficult to deal with."

Upon hearing this, Su Ying immediately said, "I will deal with Wu Yanluo."

Yan Nantian glanced at Su Ying and nodded. "Alright, Su girl, you can deal with the Five Yama Kings. I'll handle the rest of the scoundrels in the martial arts world, and you two can deal with Liu Xi."

Xiao Yu'er and Jiang Yuyan agreed. Their skills had improved considerably in the past year. One person might not be enough to deal with Liu Xi, but the two of them together would have a better chance of winning.

"I must kill that castrated dog Liu Xi with my own hands."

Su Ying and Jiang Yuyan exchanged a glance and remained silent.

October 15th, sunny, with a light breeze.
The area around the altar on the outskirts of Beijing has been taken over by the Eastern Depot, and some martial arts figures are stationed in all directions to guard against any eventuality.

Yan Nantian looked at an elderly woman with silver hair in the east and said in a deep voice, "Liu Xi has really gone all out, even inviting the Ghost Dove."

"Master, what is the background of this ghost witch?" Little Fish asked.

"She is a renowned expert among the Miao black sorcerers. Although she is not well-known in the Central Plains, she holds a high position in Miao territory. Moreover, her Black Gold Palm technique is extremely vicious; those struck by it will have their bodies turn black and rot to death."

“So, the other three parties must also have experts in charge,” Jiang Yuyan affirmed.

“Miss Jiang is right,” a voice rang in everyone’s ears.

Xiaoyuer and his two companions were startled and turned around to see that it was Tie Ruyun.

"Senior," Jiang Yuyan and Xiaoyuer were overjoyed. With Tie Ruyun joining them, their chances of winning had increased even more.

"Hero Yan, how have you been?"

"Master Iron, it's been a long time!"

After exchanging pleasantries, Tie Ruyun shared the information she had gathered with everyone.

"The north, south, and west are guarded by the Five Yama Kings, the Mysterious Method of the Evil Spirit, and the Green Bamboo Master respectively," Tie Ruyun then emphasized the martial arts styles of the three, giving Yan Nantian and the others a clear understanding.

"With Master Tie here to lend a hand, it's a good opportunity to share the burden. Su Ying, I'll leave the Five Yama Kings to you, and I'll deal with that Ghost Dove. As for those miscellaneous soldiers, I'll leave them to Master Tie."

With an extra boost and appropriate changes to the plan, as long as a loophole is created to sabotage Liu Xi's plans, then it will be considered a success.

After returning to the manor, the group finalized many details and began their work after nightfall.

Standing on the altar on the desolate mountain, Liu Xi watched as the seven stars in the sky gradually aligned, and he was overjoyed. He ordered his men to bring up all five Yang and two Yin stars.

After the iron cage was opened, Eryin saw Liu Xi and shouted loudly, "Godfather, spare my life!" Wuyang, on the other hand, looked dejected.

Liu Xi ignored their pleas for mercy. He remained calm and composed, knowing that the more critical the moment, the less he could afford to lose his composure.

"Master, someone has broken into the altar on the outskirts of the capital," Song Tao said to Liu Xi, looking at the signal rising in the southeast sky.

"Good, it wasn't in vain that I set up this illusion. By the time they come to their senses, I will have already absorbed all the internal energy of the Five Yang and Two Yin. At that time, my divine skill will be initially complete, and I can use them to practice my moves."

Liu Xi sealed off the altar in the suburbs of the capital from the very beginning, making people mistakenly believe that it was where he practiced his skills. In fact, the real place for him to practice his skills was on this desolate mountain. Although the setup was simple, the troops were not weak.

"The alignment of the seven stars has begun!" Liu Xi leaped onto the celestial globe, and the light of the seven stars shone down from the sky. Liu Xi's whole body shone brightly, and a vast power shocked everyone present.

Liu Xi gathered his inner strength and sensed that the time was ripe. He grabbed with his right hand, and a suction force enveloped Yuan Yang Zhenren. The latter kept wailing. As his inner strength gradually dissipated, Yuan Yang Zhenren's body was scattered on the ground like withered bones.

The fate of Master Yuanyang terrified the other six, who immediately begged for mercy. Liu Xi circulated the internal energy he had absorbed, along with the power of the Seven Stars, throughout his body, making him feel as if he were bathing in a hot spring.

"It really worked!" Liu Xi was overjoyed. The suction force grabbed Meng Zhongliu and Zhao Qianhe at the same time, and the two turned into dried corpses amidst screams.

Witnessing the tragic state of the three men, Wu Yan cursed them, "Liu Xi, you scoundrel, you have no humanity! I would rather die than help you!"

Wu Yan was drugged and became weak. He prepared to bite his tongue and commit suicide. Liu Xi saw this, leaped off the stage, pressed his palm against Wu Yan's head, and roared. A continuous stream of internal energy surged out of Wu Yan's body.

"Hmph, overestimating yourself," Liu Xi casually tossed aside Wu Yan's corpse, and then drained Jiang Lin's life force, turning him into a dried-up corpse as well.

After the Five Yang internal forces were completely dissipated, the Seven Stars were about to disappear. Liu Xi hurriedly pressed his hands on the heads of the Two Yin, and absorbed all the power just as the time was about to end.

Just as Liu Xi was absorbing the power of the Five Yang and Two Yin, Yan Nantian and the others realized something was wrong, but they were entangled by Gui Jiupo and the others.

"Hero Yan, Hero Tie, hurry to the Western Wilderness Mountain, Liu Xi is there!" a palace maid shouted to the people in the room.

Upon hearing this, Yan Nantian and Tie Ruyun hurriedly withdrew. Under the cover of Su Ying's poison powder, Xiaoyuer and the other two successfully escaped and rushed towards the Western Wilderness Mountain.

At this moment, on the Western Wilderness Mountain, Liu Xi felt that he had mastered the skill of absorbing things from a distance. He reached out and saw the flag about ten feet away being drawn towards him.

"Congratulations, Supervisor! Congratulations, Supervisor!"

Upon seeing this, Song Tao hurriedly stepped forward and loudly praised him, and the others echoed in unison, "Congratulations, Chief Supervisor! Congratulations, Chief Supervisor!"

"Good, good," Liu Xi was overjoyed. After decades of arduous training, he had finally mastered the skill of absorbing energy from a distance. Only he knew how much suffering he had endured. Now, he could say that his hard work had finally paid off.

"Once the Grand Eunuch has mastered his divine skills, he can sweep across the martial world and become awe-inspiring throughout the land."

"Is that so?" a strange voice rang out at that moment.

"Who goes there?" Song Tao drew his sword and looked around, while the others were also on high alert.

Liu Xi looked toward the source of the sound and saw a young man in white robes drifting over.

"Hua Wuque," Song Tao frowned as he looked at the newcomer, not expecting him to be the first to arrive.

"Alright, my divine skill is complete. I'll use you as a test move first." Liu Xi looked at Hua Wuque with more delight than surprise and immediately used "Remote Suction Skill," a powerful suction force surging towards Hua Wuque.

Upon seeing this, Hua Wuque flicked his sleeve, and the suction force instantly vanished.

Liu Xi was slightly taken aback and said incredulously, "How could this be?"

"Your martial arts have absolutely nothing to do with the Seven Stars Alignment. The remote absorption technique you wanted to master should be the Wedding Dress Divine Skill of my Yihua Palace. You've harmed so many people, but in the end, it's all for nothing."

"I don't believe it! I don't believe it! Kill them!" Liu Xi's illusions were shattered, and he couldn't accept it. He roared, and the Eastern Depot agents immediately rushed forward with their weapons.

Hua Wuque gripped his sword, its energy shooting out like lightning. Amidst screams of agony, more than a dozen corpses lay on the ground. But more and more barbarians surged forward, and Hua Wuque was soon surrounded.

Just as Hua Wuque was trapped, Yan Nantian and the others arrived in time. Yan Nantian and Tie Ruyun worked together and quickly suppressed the situation.

After Yan Nantian and the others appeared, Liu Xi's face turned extremely ugly. If he had mastered his divine skills, he would not be afraid, but now that he had failed, he was naturally no match for them.

Thinking of this, Liu Xi felt a desire to retreat, believing that returning to the Eastern Depot offered a glimmer of hope.

"Liu Xi, pay for my godfather's life!" When Xiao Yu'er saw Liu Xi trying to run away, he immediately leaped up and blocked him with his sword. When Liu Xi saw that it was Xiao Yu'er, he immediately grinned maliciously.

If it were Yan Nantian and Tie Ruyun, he would have to be wary of them, but what tricks could Xiaoyuer possibly pull?

But when the sharp sword light was about to hit him, he realized that he had underestimated Xiaoyuer. Although the other party's skill was not as good as his, if he continued to entangle with him, he would not come out on top.

He turned and unleashed a palm strike, which neutralized the sword energy. He hurriedly used the force to retreat, but he was caught off guard by a sword light locking onto him from behind. If he ignored it, this sword strike could injure him.

Left with no other choice, Liu Xi had to temporarily halt his retreat, taking another hit from Xiao Yu'er's sword energy before landing smoothly. Turning around, he saw Jiang Yuyan blocking his retreat.

(End of this chapter)