Put away your magical powers now!.

Chapter 307 [A Cunning Plan] (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!)
(Wishing everyone a happy Mid-Autumn Festival and good health to your families!)

Chapter 301 [Using a Plan to Turn the Tide]

The huge falcon has sharp talons, and its open claws are as big as a washbasin!
Just as the claws were about to reach the wooden masked man's face, the wooden masked man suddenly raised his hand, and with a flick of his black robe sleeve, a silver light just barely blocked the top of his head!
With a hum, the silver light flickered, and the figure of the wooden masked man seemed to sway slightly. Then, with a hissing sound, his left sleeve tore open, and a piece of cloth was torn off and fell down!

The huge falcon was also violently thrown away, falling dozens of meters before transforming into a beam of light in mid-air and landing firmly on the canopy of a large tree. It was none other than Old Liang!

When Lao Liang landed on the tree, his body swayed up and down with the movement of the branches. His usually indifferent face remained expressionless, but his eyes shone with a piercing light as he stared intently at the wooden masked man.

"Old Liang!" Yun Zhao shouted loudly, "Be careful! This guy's cultivation is incredibly powerful!"

Old Liang did not respond to Yun Zhao's calls, his face was cold, and his eyes were fixed on the wooden masked man.

Meanwhile, Chen Yan, who was in the mirror world, was lying by a puddle and looking at the time "outside" when his expression suddenly changed!
From his angle, he could just see Old Liang standing on the treetop, his left hand behind his back...

This left hand is trembling slightly!

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"Who are you?" Old Liang took a deep breath and spoke slowly in a low voice, "Do you know who you have captured?"

The wooden-masked man seemed to chuckle softly before slowly saying, "Young master of the Yun family, from the Black Feathered Skylark tribe, on the southern slopes of Yinshan Mountain in the Northern Frontier?"

A shadow seemed to flash across Old Liang's eyes: "Since you know he's a child of the Yun family, you're quite bold. Aren't you afraid of Yun...?"

The wooden-masked man shook his head, his tone somewhat dismissive: "What's the point of saying these things now that it's already done?"

Upon hearing this, Lao Liang nodded without changing his expression. His eyes were fixed on the face of the wooden masked man, whose stiff features made it impossible to discern any change in his expression.

After a moment's hesitation, Old Liang suddenly changed to a less indifferent tone. His voice became very solemn as he slowly said, "We have no enmity; we've only met by chance... Whatever your plans here, whatever they may be, has nothing to do with my Black Feather Skylark Clan, and we have no intention of interfering..."

If you are willing to release my young master, we are willing to turn around and leave, and we will not mention a word about what we saw today, and we will not divulge a single word to anyone else!

What does Your Excellency think?

Clearly, having failed to land a blow, Lao Liang had already realized the opponent's cultivation level was high. In addition, with Yun Zhao still being held hostage, this Black Feather Cloud Sparrow Clan expert's first reaction was to choose to compromise.

Jianghu is not about fighting and killing; Jianghu is about human relations.

Upon hearing this, the wooden-masked man fell silent.

He seemed genuinely hesitant, and lowered his head to think seriously for a moment.

A few seconds later, the wooden-masked man raised his head and looked at Lao Liang. He didn't answer Lao Liang's question, but instead asked, "Are you... Liang Gui?"

Old Liang frowned: "You recognize me?"

The wooden-masked man said leisurely, "I don't recognize you, but I know your name."

As he spoke, his tone softened, and he said softly, "Sixteen hundred years ago, the Ironwing Falcon Clan was wiped out in a red tide. The once famous Ironwing Falcon Clan among the demon races was destroyed, and the remaining members were scattered throughout the realms, never to amount to anything."

However, some demons with remnants of their bloodline have emerged from among them. You, Liang Gui, are among the best, and the most famous Ironwing descendant in the more than a thousand years since the extinction of the Ironwing Falcon Clan.

I heard that you joined the Black Feather Lark tribe, became a retainer of the tribe, and made many contributions to the Black Feather Lark tribe.

In the past few hundred years, the Black Feather Lark Tribe's reputation has been 70% due to the lingering influence of that ancestor, and 30% was earned by you, Liang Gui.

To be honest, apart from the patriarch who has been in seclusion for many years, the only person I can think of in the entire Black Feather Lark tribe is you, Liang Gui.

Aside from you, everyone else in the Black Feather Lark tribe is, in my eyes, nothing but pigs and dogs, utterly worthless trash.

These words startled Old Liang. He frowned and stared at the wooden-masked man, saying in a complicated tone, "A remnant of a lost clan, I dare not accept such high praise from you."

The wooden-masked man shook his head: "I'm not just being polite. I only respect people with real skills. The Black Feather Sky Sparrow tribe occupies that rich land on the southern slope of Yin Mountain. Their ancestor has been in seclusion for hundreds of years and should have been coveted long ago. If it weren't for your iron bones, iron claws, and iron knife, which have made the Black Feather tribe famous for three hundred years, the southern slope of Yin Mountain would no longer belong to the Black Feather Sky Sparrow tribe."

Upon hearing this, Liang Gui shook his head and said solemnly, "Your Excellency is mistaken! The Black Feather Sky Sparrow Tribe has been able to stand strong until now only because of the protection of our Ancestor. It is because of the Ancestor's pillar that the other tribes in the Northern Frontier dare not look at us with disdain. I, Liang Gui, am merely a martial artist who has been favored and protected by the Ancestor and resides in the Sky Sparrow Tribe. I do not deserve such praise from Your Excellency."

"what!"

Upon hearing this, the wooden-masked man suddenly burst into laughter a few times before whispering in a strange and complex tone, "Liang Gui, you are indeed very careful, afraid of revealing even the slightest flaw."

Is it because of the power and protection of that ancestor?
Others may not know, but perhaps everyone thinks so.

But... can that ancestor really emerge from seclusion?

The Black Feather Lark Clan has long been the envy of others; your ancestor's prolonged seclusion has aroused suspicion! Over the past three hundred years...

There were at least two major crises in the shadows, and you, Liang Gui, saved them both!

As for that old ancestor... you know perfectly well what kind of person he is.

Upon hearing this, Lao Liang's expression suddenly changed, and he stared intently at the wooden masked man.

His eyes flashed, and he said coldly, word by word, "Who... exactly are you!"

"You don't need to ask who I am. You just need to know that I know more than enough."

The masked man sighed: "I have no grudge against your Black Feather Lark tribe, and I have no intention of revealing the secrets of your ancestor. I say these things only out of admiration and regret for you, Liang Gui."

You are a remarkable person, it's a pity you're assigned to the Black Feather Lark tribe.

A flash of anger crossed Liang Gui's eyes as he coldly said, "My ancestor has done me a great service! There's no need for you to say such things again."

As he spoke, he raised his right hand and flicked it slightly, instantly conjuring a knife in his palm.

The knife was over two feet long, with a thick back, but otherwise it seemed unremarkable.

But once the knife was in his hand, Liang Gui's originally cold and reserved demeanor suddenly changed! He became like a sharpened blade, instantly revealing his sharpness and murderous aura! Even the look in his eyes seemed to faintly gleam with a sharp light!
"Your Excellency, will you release them or not?"

"..."

The wooden-masked man seemed to hesitate for a moment, then said with a hint of regret, "If it were anything else, it would be fine, but Mr. Liang Gui is someone I value, so I'll give you face."

But... today's events are of paramount importance to me, and the scheme behind this operation is even more ambitious. I dare not make the slightest mistake, so..."

As he spoke, the masked man suddenly changed his tone, which seemed to carry a hint of solemnity. He said in a deep voice, "Liang Gui, I still have some respect for you. If you are willing, surrender and I promise to spare your life and that of this young master of the Yun family."

As long as you are under my control and can live peacefully in a secluded place for a year or two, I will let you go back once my scheme is over.

This is already a concession I've made out of respect for you, Liang Gui. What do you say?

Upon hearing this, Liang Gui's eyes flashed with anger, tinged with arrogance. He sneered and said proudly, "In my entire life, when have I, Liang Gui, ever put my neck under someone else's blade or obeyed orders? Since you refuse, let's settle this with our men!"

After saying that, he flicked his wrist, and the knife in his hand suddenly burst forth with a bright, sharp light!
Liang Gui took a deep breath, his body trembled, as if his height suddenly increased by several feet, his figure swelled up, soared into the sky, and leaped through the air, slashing his sword at the wooden masked man!

"……well……"

The wooden-masked man sighed softly, flicked his sleeve, and an object shot out swiftly from his sleeve, soaring into the air with a precious light, heading towards Liang Gui!

Within the radiant light, a square-shaped magical artifact was revealed to be a bronze seal!

The bronze seal landed in front of Liang Gui and suddenly enlarged, its size increasing a hundredfold, becoming the size of a horse-drawn carriage!
Liang Gui's slash in mid-air, the sharp light bursting from the blade struck the bronze seal, instantly creating a buzzing sound, as if the air itself was rippled and vibrating!
The bronze seal made a cracking sound, flipped back several meters, and hovered in mid-air. However, a cut more than a meter long had appeared on the bronze seal!
Liang Gui hovered in mid-air, brandished his knife, and shouted, "Let's see how many magical weapons you have to stop me!!"

With that, he twisted his body and charged forward again! The bronze seal immediately rolled over once more!

In an instant, several crisp clanging sounds were heard. After the bronze seal received Liang Gui's several sword strikes, the light on it visibly dimmed, and the bronze seal was even slashed open with several cracks!

On the ground, the masked man flicked his finger, and several beams of black light flew out from his sleeve, landing about seven or eight steps around Yun Zhao. Surrounding Yun Zhao, they transformed into several small black flags planted in the soil.

"Young Master Yun, don't move rashly. If you step out of this black flag, be careful that my magic array will crush you into mincemeat."

The wooden-masked man sneered, took a step and began to stride into the air, climbing step by step into mid-air.

Looking into the air, Liang Gui had already slashed down again. This time, the bronze seal finally couldn't bear the weight and let out a mournful cry under the blow. It finally shattered, splitting the entire bronze seal in two. Its precious light instantly dissipated, and its size instantly shrank to the size of an ordinary bronze seal before falling to the ground.

"What a fine magical artifact! It's been destroyed just like that. Doesn't Your Excellency feel any heartache?"

Liang Gui's face was sharp, and he pointed his blade at the man with the wooden mask.

The wooden-masked man laughed heartily: "You're too kind! I may not have much else, but I certainly have a lot of magical artifacts!"

As he spoke, he flicked his sleeve, and three more beams of light shot out from it!

Three magical artifacts flew through the air toward Liang Gui! A flying sword, a zither, and a large, golden bell!

After the three magical artifacts flew over, the flying sword was the first to meet Liang Gui head-on, its blade flashing up and down as it engaged Liang Gui in battle.

The zither floated not far away, gleaming with precious light. Its strings vibrated slightly on their own, producing powerful rhythms even though no one touched it!
With each note of the zither, a sharp ray of light, like a flying arrow, shot towards Liang Gui with each vibration of the strings!

While wielding his knife and slashing at the flying sword, Liang Gui also dodged and weaved to avoid the flying blades shot from the zither, making it a fierce and evenly matched battle.

The large bell soared into the sky and landed high above, emitting a series of buzzing vibrations!
As the bell tolled, golden light spread out, and golden light enveloped Liang Gui's body!

As the golden light enveloped him, Liang Gui suddenly felt his body sink! With each movement, the heaviness intensified, as if the golden light weighed down a thousand-pound mountain!
The wooden-masked man floated in the distance, his fingers flying up and down, as if remotely controlling three magical artifacts to attack Liang Gui.

At the same time, his sneer carried a hint of smugness.

“Mr. Liang Gui, if I had encountered you ten years ago, I would have turned and left immediately! But several years ago, your demon core was almost shattered in a great battle at the Prison Suppression Platform, damaging your foundation. Do you still have 30% of your skills left? Although I don’t want to hurt you, if you resist to the end, then don’t blame me for using ruthless methods!”

Upon hearing this, Liang Gui suddenly raised his head and glared at the wooden-masked man from afar: "You seem to know quite a bit about my affairs!"

The wooden masked man sighed, flipped his wrist, and covered his face with his palm!

The flying sword pierced towards Liang Gui, but after Liang Gui deflected it with a single strike, the sword suddenly shattered without any struggle! It turned into countless fragments that shot towards Liang Gui!

This change came suddenly. Liang Gui's eyes narrowed, but he retreated quickly. The blade in his hand instantly transformed into countless afterimages, deflecting all the fragments that were shot at him.

But finally, a zither melody rang out from afar, and a flying blade came hurtling towards them!

Liang Gui seemed to have no choice but to retreat again, as if he had used all his remaining strength to finally raise his sword to block the flying blade.

But at that moment, the golden bell in mid-air crashed down!
With a whoosh, the golden bell enveloped Liang Gui entirely!

boom!
The golden bell shot into the sky and fell to the ground, as large as a house! Liang Gui was already trapped inside the bell!
Several buzzing sounds were heard coming from inside the golden bell. It seemed that Liang Gui inside was chopping wildly, but the golden bell only trembled with golden light, and the bell body did not move at all!
The wooden masked man laughed heartily, fell from the sky, and stood in front of the golden bell.

"Liang Gui, stop struggling! This bell is a low-grade magic treasure, not something you can break with your current cultivation level of less than 30%."

My bell can suppress all things in this world. If you are trapped in it, the more you strike the bell, the more the bell will bounce back and strike you!

If you don't want to suffer, you'd better save your energy.

boom!
The golden bell rang again, its golden light trembling, but Liang Gui's angry voice inside was already tinged with panting: "Liang Gui's actions are unyielding!"

The wooden-masked man sighed, placed his hand on the golden bell, and chanted incantations. As he recited the incantations, the golden bell seemed to shrink little by little!
Inside the golden bell, Liang Gui seemed to still be bombarding the bell with loud banging, but the sounds seemed to be getting quieter and the intervals were getting longer...

Finally, as the wooden-masked man finished chanting his last incantation, the golden bell shrank to a size only a little over one person tall.

Inside, Liang Gui seemed to have stopped moving.

The wooden-masked man slowly withdrew his hand from the golden bell, seemingly having finally subdued Liang Gui.

But suddenly, something unexpected happened!

As if silently, a straight golden ray of light appeared on the golden bell from top to bottom!

In an instant, the bell split open to the left and right along this golden ray of light!

Without a sound, the golden bell was sliced ​​open!

Liang Gui's body had already shot out of the bell, the blade in his hand pointing at the wooden masked man!

The tip of the knife was less than a foot away from the face of the wooden masked man!

This turn of events happened extremely quickly. The wooden-masked man suddenly slid backward at high speed, but Liang Gui did not slow down. The blade was almost touching the wooden-masked man's face as he relentlessly pursued him!

Liang Gui shouted loudly, "You've been tricked! A Nascent Soul cultivator who gets close to me, a demon cultivator, is doomed!"

This strike was incomparably sharp, its light dazzling the heavens and earth!

As Liang Gui shouted fiercely, the blade almost touched the face of the wooden masked man. Even his mask, under the sharp force of the blade, began to crack, revealing the wood grain bit by bit...

But at that moment, a soft laugh seemed to come from the face behind the mask.

"You're the one who fell for it."

A hand rose up, as if it had instantly grasped the tip of Liang Gui's knife!

That incomparably sharp blade seemed to be instantly captured by that finger!

Then, Liang Gui's expression suddenly changed: "You! You're not a Nascent Soul cultivator..."

In an instant, a flash of light appeared...

A burst of light erupted from the hand of the wooden-masked man gripping the tip of the knife, so bright it was almost blinding.

The light flashed and disappeared in an instant, vanishing completely...

Looking at the ground again, Liang Gui's body had already flown out and crashed directly to the ground!

The knife in his hand had fallen to the side, and he lay on the ground, covered in blood!

At this moment, Liang Gui's chest rose and fell slightly, and he was breathing rapidly, but he could no longer stand up.

The wooden-masked man slowly walked up to Liang Gui, looked down at Liang Gui, and sighed softly.

"You...you're not a Nascent Soul cultivator...you deliberately used a magical artifact to fight me, just to lure me into thinking you're a Nascent Soul cultivator who isn't good at close combat..."

Liang Gui lay on the ground, panting, and spoke these words intermittently, his tone filled with anger and resentment.

"You used tricks too! When I surrounded you with my magical artifacts, you deliberately feigned weakness, pretending to be trapped by my artifacts to lure me close," the wooden-masked man chuckled softly, then sighed and continued, "I was just playing along... After all, you are Liang Gui!"

"You are Liang Gui, who once rendered meritorious service on the Prison Suppression Platform, slaying countless 'evil spirits.' Even though your demon core is now shattered and your cultivation is less than 30% remaining, I am truly not confident that I can defeat you in a fair fight. Therefore, I have no choice but to resort to some means."

The man in the wooden mask spoke calmly.

Liang Gui smiled bitterly: "You... are you a Nascent Soul cultivator? You... you cultivate combat techniques! You deliberately lured me into getting close."

At this point, Liang Gui's eyes widened suddenly, staring intently at the wooden-masked man: "No! You, the way you injured me just now, this is... this is... you, you, you are..."

Before he could finish speaking, the masked man waved his hand, and in a gust of wind, Liang Gui was swept up and flew into his sleeve.

"Considering you are Liang Gui, I will not kill you, but imprison you for a year. After this matter is over, I will release you."

The wooden-masked man spoke calmly and slowly before turning around.

His body slowly floated up and headed back towards the pool.

But a few seconds later...

The wooden-masked man landed on the muddy side of the pool, but froze on the spot!

The few black array flags he left behind to imprison Yun Zhao are still there!

But Yun Zhao, whom he had just thrown into this restrictive formation...

The person is gone!!

"…………"

The wooden masked man seemed to freeze on the spot. After a long while, he suddenly took a deep breath.

He let out soft, rhythmic laughs.

"Ha! Ha! Haha... Hahaha!!!"

His laughter was tinged with annoyance, anger, and even a hint of mania and madness.

The laughter lingered for a long time before gradually subsiding. The masked man shook his head and shouted, "Good! Good! What a skill!! You actually managed to take someone away silently from the restrictive formation I set up!! Today, I will fight you to the death!! Even if I have to flatten this mountain, I will still capture you!"

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(End of this chapter)