Day and night tour

Chapter 443 A Gamble for Life and Death
The Taoist priest had long seen through the young butcher's identity, but he hadn't revealed it until now.

Now that he had spoken out, the young butcher could no longer keep up the act.

However, before tearing off the disguise, the butcher said to Zhou Xuan, "Master, I have a bit of a wicked sense of humor..."

"Hmm... I can see that."

Zhou Xuan said.

A man who can be so infatuated with Lady Jiang's beauty—no one would believe he has no perverse tastes.

"So, before I officially begin the challenge, I'd like to let you guess my identity."

The butcher's display of wicked humor this time wasn't too extreme.

Zhou Xuanze said, "The Taoist priests call you Xiaoshan—then your real name must contain the character 'Shan' (mountain)."

Your swordsmanship comes from Wuwen Mountain, that much is certain, but according to the old masters of the martial arts world, Wuwen Mountain is close to losing its lineage.
How could such a brilliant and talented master emerge from a lineage that was on the verge of extinction?

So, I guess you... are... the spirit of Wuwen Mountain.

If it were the Zhou Xuan of the past, he certainly wouldn't have made such a deduction, because in his past impression, a mountain was just a mountain, an inanimate object.
However, after comprehending the magician's technique of "being in harmony with the heavens," Zhou Xuan suddenly realized that every mountain has its own mountain spirit.

The young butcher is the spirit of Wuwen Mountain.

"Ah, clever, clever, I intended to carry on your family line, but alas, the Heavenly Soul of the Blue and Red Fish beat me to it, what a pity."

The young butcher's identity is already public knowledge.

Those hiding in the clouds above finally understood why, not long ago, this young butcher had dared to speak so arrogantly and make such a threatening statement, saying that anyone who dared to steal his fish would be slaughtered like a pig.

Wuwen Mountain is recognized as the strongest fighting force in the Jing Kingdom.

The Warriors' Hall has only ever done one thing in their lives—kill.

Although the tradition of Wuwen Mountain is almost over, Wuwen Mountain still exists.

This mountain, covered with famous swords from around the world, has been stained with countless drops of blood and the power of swords over the years, exuding an intense aura of killing intent.

Wuwen Mountain Spirit was naturally not as weak in combat as Bailu Fangshi. Let alone nine incense sticks, even if a peak god were here, he would probably have to kill one or two to offer sacrifices to that butcher knife.

"It's a pity I can only light two sticks of incense at a time. After I've finished visiting the temple of the magician, the senior will come to take me on as a disciple."

"No problem, no problem. Everyone says that the lineage of Wuwen Mountain is about to end, but if you join Wuwen Mountain, then our lineage will have a successor."

At this point, the butcher turned to Zhou Xuan and said, "Master, although I am a spirit of Wuwen Mountain, I have not lied about one thing: my name in the mortal world is indeed Butcher. Today, I have set up a fighting arena on this street..."
This will be a perfect opportunity to witness the Master's methods firsthand.

At this point, the butcher forcefully swung the pig-slaughtering knife from his hand.
The fan-shaped knife flew out in the air, swirling in a dark arc before turning back and plunging straight into the butcher's chest.

"Ding-dong!"

The extremely sharp knife, cutting through flesh and blood, even produced a sound like metal clashing against stone.
A knife wound immediately appeared on the butcher's body.
The knife mark was about half a foot long, but as time went on, it expanded to a foot in length.

Countless drops of blood gushed from the knife wound, congealing on the street and forming a patch of earth.
The land was vast, and every inch of soil was stained crimson with blood. It carried the fragrance of blood, and the smell of blood was extremely strong. As soon as you smelled it, your fighting spirit would be ignited.

Hunting is the most primal human instinct.

In the very center of the land, there is a tombstone, half embedded in the red soil, and half exposed.

On the back of the monument is a row of hastily written characters: "With a three-foot weapon in hand, I ask not who comes."

This phrase is the motto of the disciples of Wuwen Mountain, and they often repeat it.
The general idea is: as long as a disciple of Wuwen Mountain has a knife, no matter how many incense sticks have burned or whether the opponent is a god in heaven, they will be killed.

His words were somewhat arrogant, but they also revealed Wuwen Shanren's confidence in his swordsmanship.

On the front of the monument are six shocking characters: "Those who trespass into the Tomb of Knives shall die!"
This land is the butcher's "true form"—the "Wuwen Knife Tomb" in Wuwen Mountain.

The mountain spirit left his body and transformed into the "Knife Tomb Arena." The young butcher, at this moment, was like a walking corpse, ruthlessly reciting the rules of the competition.

"The competition at Wuwen Mountain has always been about fairness; it is fair for those of equal cultivation levels to fight each other."

"Those who enter the Sword Tomb will have their cultivation level suppressed, and the highest they can reach is no more than the eighth or ninth level."

“Disciples who are regarded as the hope of the Jing Kingdom are welcome to fight in the arena.”

A fair arena for the Sword Tomb has been set up.
The Taoist priest, gazing at the clouds, asked, "The arena is ready for everyone, and I have explained the rules."

All aspiring disciples aiming for the eighth or ninth level are welcome to fight. Those at the ninth level who also wish to participate are also permitted, as long as their cultivation level surpasses that of someone at the ninth level; otherwise, it will not be considered a violation.

Do any of you have any objections?

His eyes slowly swept over the people in the sky.

“We have no objections. We took the Blue and Red Fish by the right means. It’s fair!” said Li Tianxiang, the leader of the Dragon Seeking Sect, immediately.

“This kind of battle is in line with the nature of our great Shinto religion. I approve of it.”

The earth boy's voice was particularly loud, drawing the attention of the other members of the temple.

Among the people hidden in the white clouds above, there were quite a few from the main hall, including the second-in-command of the "Gu God"—Ma Tianying.

A centipede crawled on Ma Tianying's hand. His face was dark. He asked Di Tong, "Di Tong, you agreed so readily? Do you also want to join the competition?"

"I heard that a couple of days ago, your second-in-command, Mr. Ye, was killed by Zhou Xuan like a dog. This is a perfect opportunity for revenge."

Di Tong sneered: "My second-in-command, Li Zougui, is indeed dead, but he committed many evils and deserved his fate. What does it have to do with Master?"
"We, Mr. Ye and Mr. Da, are of the 'Mr.' generation. We are people who value dignity and have style. Unlike you, a barbarian from the Ten Thousand Mountains, who talks about revenge all the time, so rude!"

After being reprimanded by Di Tong, Ma Tianying was very unhappy and pretended to release the centipede in his hand to sting Di Tong.

The Earth Child was not afraid at all and sneered, "Old barbarian, go ahead and release those poisonous insects and see if my Mr. Ye's Paper Banner Demonic Sound can counteract your poisonous creatures."

The temples are mutually reinforcing and mutually restraining.

Some sects, when united, can unleash tremendous power.
Some factions are natural enemies, like Mr. Ye and the Gu God—the Gu God clan is skilled in raising Gu, and ninety percent of their expertise lies in Gu worms.
But Mr. Ye can summon demonic sounds, which make the Gu worms drowsy and lose much of their fighting power.

Without the Gu worms, it would be even more difficult for the Gu God to defeat Mr. Ye.

This is also why Jido doesn't indulge Asada Infant at all.

Now, after being warned by Di Tong, Ma Tianying dared not cause any more trouble and instead gripped the centipede in her hand even tighter.

"Humph!"

"What are you humming about? If you're so capable, then get down here."

When Di Tong sensed the birth of the "two fish," he came to Huangyuan Prefecture. After learning that the "two fish" were the treasures that Zhou Xuan wanted, he gave up the idea of ​​stealing the fish.

"Mr. Big is incredibly fierce, how could I possibly outmaneuver him?"

Since they weren't fighting over the fish, Di Tong felt more relaxed and became a troublemaker in the arena, constantly urging everyone to leave the ring.

"Old barbarian, why don't you suppress your cultivation level, go for a walk on the arena, and catch a couple of fish to play with?"

“Zhao Jinjia, don’t just stand there. Everyone knows you want fish… Your Dunjia Incense lineage is unstable. Please ask for two ancestral fish to stabilize the lineage. Go down and fight.”

The Earth Child was jumping around and stirring things up, but in reality, he knew very well that if it were a true duel between people of the same realm, who could defeat Zhou Xuan?
"My master is an unparalleled ruthless person who fought his way out of the dream of the Four Heavenly Venerables."

The people in the sky were all watching the arena on the street, and no one objected to the Taoist priests' "rules for taking fish".

The incense-burning Taoist priest breathed a sigh of relief and winked at Zhou Xuan. As the dignified master of time and space, how could he have to resort to such tricks in the mortal realm to ensure that Zhou Xuan could obtain the "Green and Red Fish"?

"You'd better live up to my expectations. If you can't become invincible within eight incense sticks' time, then I'll really... get angry."

The incense-burning Taoist priest transmitted his voice, saying...

Zhou Xuan smiled but remained silent.

The arena was set up, but everyone, both in the sky and on the ground, had their own thoughts and no one was willing to be the first to step forward, so the arena remained empty.

"None of you dare to fight?"

Yun Ziliang couldn't stand it any longer. He rolled up his sleeves and, with the stride of a dragon and the gait of a tiger, entered the arena.

"Yun Ziliang of Canglong Mountain, Xunlong Sect, welcomes you all on this Sword Tomb Arena."

He stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the crowd in the sky, and said domineeringly, "I, Yun Ziliang, have suffered a great calamity, and my combat strength has not yet recovered to the level of nine incense sticks. Just right—the highest level on this arena is only eight, which is perfect for me."

"All branches, quickly send down your disciples so that I, Old Yun, can see if any of you have produced any amazing talents in the past three hundred years."

"What a load of crap!"

Zhao Jinjia immediately backed down considerably.

He was a Taoist, and Taoists know about the Taoist sect—if he didn't know anyone else, how could he not know Yun Ziliang, who had once killed many Taoists and was invincible in the Taoist sect?
Yun Ziliang was so full of vigor back then, and now—he's no less impressive.

“If he doesn’t suppress my cultivation level, I’m not afraid of him, but if we’re at the same cultivation level… what’s the point of fighting?”

Zhao Jinjia originally intended to go down and snatch the fish himself, but he completely forgot that Yun Ziliang, the old dragon-hunting expert, was also present.

He immediately felt that he was drifting further and further away from Pisces.

The other gangs were also unaware of Yun Ziliang's true strength at this time, only knowing that his reputation was widespread.

"Is there no one willing to step forward and fight? When did the martial arts world of Jing Kingdom become so desolate?"

Yun Ziliang strolled leisurely around the arena, his piercing gaze sweeping across the sky. None of the people in the clouds dared to meet his eyes.

The Dragon-Seeking and Intuitive School possesses a hidden dragon within its body, and no one dares to challenge them...

……

"My grandmaster is so impressive."

Li Changxun said to Zhou Xuan, "Master, your Pisces came too easily."

"It is quite lightweight."

Zhou Xuan originally intended to go on stage himself; within the same cultivation level, he feared no one. However, he didn't expect Old Yun to go on stage first. Of course, Zhou Xuan also knew that Yun Ziliang went on stage not to show off, nor to steal the Pisces fish; he simply wanted to wear down his opponent and conserve Zhou Xuan's energy.

"Xuanzi, I'll go be cannon fodder and draw some fire for you."

This was a secret Yun Ziliang whispered to Zhou Xuan before he took office, and now—the cannon fodder has become a powerful asset!
"I'm so bored and thirsty from waiting. Since none of you have the guts, I'll call on someone."

Yun Ziliang pointed at Wan Zangshan and said, "Chief Wan, you 'Ba people' are a clan and have always been united. I killed your second-in-command, Wan Guiyi!"
I know you're dissatisfied. Come on, let's go up on stage and fight. We'll determine who's better and who's worse, and we'll fight to the death."

"Screw you."

Wan Zangshan was already cursing inwardly. "I'm at nine incense sticks in my life, and you're at eight, aiming for nine. You wouldn't dare be arrogant."
Now that the arena is testing your cultivation level, you've gained an advantage, so you're acting all high and mighty?
I won't give a damn about your stuff.

Wanzangshan did not reply. Instead, the shouts below were not a challenge, but rather the cursing of a shrew.

Seeing that Wanzangshan did not respond, Yun Ziliang then assigned the target to Zhao Jinjia and Jimu Daoren.

“The Dunjia Sect and the Tianyan Temple, you have always looked down on my Xunlong Sect. Perfect, let’s settle this with our fists and feet. Come down and have a match.”

Zhao Jinjia and Ji Mu Daoren dared not step down from the platform, and they both followed Wan Zangshan's example, either not responding or just laughing it off.

Zhao Jinjia said, “Mr. Yun, our three Taoist temples have been fighting for over two thousand years. We know each other’s tricks and methods inside and out. It’s all the same old moves and routines. It’s really meaningless. We won’t fight you. We won’t fight you.”

A group of people who were usually high and mighty have now learned to be polite and defer to each other, trying to pass the opportunity to fight to the other, as no one wanted to face Yun Ziliang.

After much back and forth, Yun Ziliang simply shrugged and said, "Since none of you are going to leave the arena, then according to the rules set by the Dao God—the Azure and Red Fish belongs to me."

To be honest, these people didn't have the guts to fight, but they all wanted the blue and red fish.

After much discussion, they actually came up with a way to "deal with" Yun Ziliang.
Zhao Jinjia said to the Taoist priest, "Taoist deity, although none of us are confident of defeating Mr. Yun, we still cannot let the Pisces belong to him."

"Oh?"

The Taoist priest raised his eyebrows, waiting for the rest of the story.

Zhao Jinjia continued, "You just said—hope should remain hope. Yun Ziliang, who has lived for over three hundred years, is already in his twilight years. Even if he possesses unparalleled supernatural powers, he's still buried up to his eyebrows."

What use would such a person have for the blue and red fish? Would he just grow old and die with it, then be reincarnated?

Hearing about the age being mentioned, Yun Ziliang became very displeased and scolded, "Zhao Jinjia, you said that none of your disciples who were eight or nine years old came, and the Dao God specially granted you permission to lower your cultivation level and fight in the arena."
"What, you can leave the ring, but I can't?"

"I am still young, I have hope."

"You old fool, you're over 150 years old, where's your youth?" Yun Ziliang laughed in exasperation.

"Compared to you, I am much younger. So what if I am 150 years old? This is the perfect age to hone my skills and serve the country."

Aside from Zhao Jinjia bringing up his age, everyone else echoed him, saying that Yun Ziliang was too old and did not fit the "original intention of the ring competition," and so on.

The Taoist priest, whose ears were ringing from the noise, was getting annoyed. He had painstakingly set up the arena, only to have a bunch of spineless individuals try to use the "rules" to defeat Yun Ziliang.

"What a coward! What a coward! How could I, the Shinto of the Kingdom of I, be so utterly useless?"

While the Taoist priests were expressing their feelings, a young and loud voice rang out from the arena.

“Since you all think Old Yun is too old, then let me fight.”

"I'm young, I'm hopeful enough, aren't I?"

“If I’m not old enough, you can only find some peeing kids on the street to compete with.”

Upon hearing Zhou Xuan's words, everyone turned to look.
Zhou Xuan sat cross-legged beside the tombstone at the Knife Tomb Arena, his eyes closed, concentrating as he awaited the challenger's arrival.

"Zhou Xuan, how dare you step onto the stage?"

"This week, Xuan only has five or six sticks of incense burning, right?"

"He can perform divination and has the fighting power of two sticks of incense burning, so he should not be underestimated."

"At most, that's only about the combat strength of eight incense sticks."

Everyone's minds started to stir.

Among the celestial beings, there are many ruthless individuals with the power to burn nine incense sticks. Even if their combat strength is suppressed, they are still among the top eight, if not nine.

Although both are eight-stick incense sticks, there are still many differences in the quality of the incense.

"I suddenly feel like I can fight now."

"Don't be too arrogant. Da Nuo's gang has many methods, and they are best at killing enemies across borders. Although he only has the combat strength of a little over eight incense sticks..."

"Then there's nothing to fear!"

The first to have such thoughts was Ma Tianying, the second-in-command of the "Gu God".

He pointed at Zhou Xuan and said, "Master of Mingjiang Prefecture, you've been making quite a splash lately. I'll exchange a few blows with you and see what you're made of."

Zhou Xuan didn't say much, but made a "please" gesture and waited for Ma Tianying.

"Ma Tianying, don't steal my thunder. Zhou Xuan and I are enemies. Let me fight."

Wanzangshan dared to step down from the arena now, and his movements were extremely fast. Riding on a purple cloud, he had already entered the arena.

But even faster than him, Zhao Jinjia had already stepped onto the red clay of the arena before him.

"If we're talking about having a grudge against this great master, our Dunjia School is second to none."

Zhao Jinjia brandished his tortoise shell at Zhou Xuan: "Master, fists and feet have no eyes later. If I accidentally injure or kill you..."

"That's because I'm not skilled enough, it has nothing to do with Master Zhao."

Zhou Xuan said with a smile.

"Good, just like me, you have spirit, I like that."

"You have the guts of a mother, Zhao Jinjia, you dare to bully young people? If you really have the guts, fight me."

Yun Ziliang was furious.

Zhao Jinjia acted as if he hadn't heard him and said to the young butcher, "I want to challenge Zhou Xuan."

The butcher nodded mechanically and said, "The arena is now open. All unauthorized persons are requested to leave the arena."

Yun Ziliang didn't want to leave, but Zhou Xuan gave him a wink, and he sighed and stepped off the stage.

On the platform, Wan Zangshan didn't want to leave either. He said to the butcher, "If Zhao Jinjia and I go up to the platform at the same time, who will fight Zhou Xuan in the first round?"

“You were a step too late. If Zhou Xuan wins this match, you will face him in the next one.”

The young butcher's words were like an order. Wan Zangshan shook his head, regretting that he hadn't moved any faster, and left the arena helplessly.

"The arena battle begins."

The young butcher said coldly.

"Wait a minute."

Zhao Jinjia called out to the butcher, saying, "I have a question."

"ask."

"If I accidentally killed Zhou Xuan, wouldn't his body belong to me?"

The reason why the cowardly Zhao Jinjia was forced to enter the arena before Wanzang Mountain was either to steal the Twin Fish or to "steal Zhou Xuan's corpse".

Zhou Xuan's corpse is a valuable treasure.

That perception can manifest the form of the "Day and Night Wandering God." If one were to seize his corpse and use it as blood offerings or sacrifices...

As soon as he voiced this thought, Wan Zangshan cursed.

He, the leader of the Ba people, truly only wanted to get revenge after leaving the arena, while Zhao Jinjia was already greedy for the "corpse".

"If we're talking about who's really bad, these prestigious sects are far worse," Wan Zangshan remarked immediately.

Meanwhile, Li Changxun, Lu Xingzhou, Yun Ziliang, and others cursed Zhao Jinjia, saying he had "ulterior motives."
Zhou Xuan remained calm. He waved his hand lightly, silencing Yun Ziliang, Li Changxun, and the others, and asked Zhao Jinjia, "Master Zhao, you just said that fists and feet have no eyes. So if I accidentally kill you, what will happen to your body?"

"Of course it's yours."

Zhao Jinjia agreed without hesitation. He figured that with his level of cultivation, he had such a great advantage that even if Zhou Xuan managed to defeat him by chance, he would still be able to save his life.

"Zhou Xuan, your sensory abilities are about to change hands."

Zhao Jinjia now looked at Zhou Xuan as if he were a hot commodity, the kind that's steaming hot.

The young butcher then asked Zhou Xuan, "Have you agreed to Zhao Jinjia's request?"

“If I die, my body will belong to him; if he dies, his body will belong to me. It’s fair, of course I agree.”

"The life-or-death duel is now in effect."

The young butcher said solemnly.

The curtain rose on the arena, but Zhou Xuan remained with his eyes closed, concentrating.
Zhao Jinjia said arrogantly, "I, Zhao, am being disrespectful and invite you, sir, to your death. Open your eyes and take another good look at this world."

Zhou Xuan opened his eyes and said with a smile, "Old Master Zhao, guess what I was thinking when I closed my eyes just now?"

"I don't need to guess what a dead man is thinking."

Golden patterns appeared on Zhao Jinjia's body—the protective golden armor of the Dunjia Sect.

With this armor, he felt he was now invincible. Since he was invincible, all that remained was to fight for victory and kill Zhou Xuan.

Zhou Xuan remained impeccably composed, speaking softly, "I've been thinking for a long time about which method to use... to kill you..."

(End of this chapter)