Zongwu: Aspiring to be the mastermind behind the scenes

Chapter 248 Sword Spirit Leverages Power: A High-Stakes Gamble

The demonic master Pang Ban completely disregarded the natural border of Zhongnan Mountain. With a graceful movement, he crossed the so-called border and headed east without hesitation to pursue Kunsha.

With the support of the upgraded armor, Kunsha was able to unleash a lightness skill speed comparable to, or even slightly surpassing, that of a second-level Grandmaster.

Even so, his speed is still inferior to that of the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top level, a level of magic master Pang Ban.

After a long chase, Pang Ban, who was dozens of miles behind and even started later, narrowed the distance between the two to about 10 or 20 miles.

This is enough to illustrate the speed difference between the two.

At present, Kunsha can only display his own innate speed, which is pitifully slow when facing Pang Ban's pursuit.

They had only just reached the foot of the Zhongnan Mountains when Pang Ban appeared behind them. Then, with a flash, he blocked Kunsha's path.

Kunsha stopped, panting, and said with a wry smile, "After running for so long, you still caught up with me in the end!"

Pang Ban laughed and said, "Young brother, you have misunderstood me too much. I invited you in good faith, so why run away?"

Kunsha straightened up and said, "Your goal is to get clues about Master Yoda from me, right? Let me tell you, that's impossible!"

Pang Ban said, "This kind of thing should be decided by Master Yoda himself. Putting aside everything else, our Great Yuan Kingdom has enough resources to allow Master Yoda to fully display his skills. Young brother, how can you make decisions for others so casually?"

"Whether it's the Yuan Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty, or the Qin Dynasty, Master Yoda would never agree to it."

Kunsha reached out and pressed his hand against the energy box at his waist: "I'm absolutely certain of that!"

Pang Ban didn't care about his actions; he was only thinking about the meaning behind Kun Sha's words.

He refused invitations from any country... Could it be that Master Yoda was the kind of person who didn't care about fame or fortune and was only focused on research?

People who are so pure are a nuisance.

But it's also the simplest!
If you find something to your liking, persuading the other person isn't difficult.

This is even better news for the Demon Master Pang Ban.

This means that the other party will not be easily won over by the Great Yuan Kingdom.

That's right.

Compared to having the other party join the Great Yuan Kingdom, Pang Ban would rather the other party join the Demon Master's Palace.

These are two concepts.

"I will make him change his mind, without a doubt!"

"But...I don't believe it!"

Kunsha pressed the switch on the energy box, and golden light burst forth instantly.

"Energy activated!"

Golden armor covered his entire body.

White lines curve and intertwine, forming patches of white clouds.

Immediately, countless water vapors emanated from within the armor, instantly covering all directions.

The Zhongnan Mountains, shrouded in mist, appear hazy and indistinct, like a fairyland.

"The power of heaven and earth? An interesting tactic!"

Pang Ban didn't think these energy boxes would be useful to him before, since he hadn't seen them himself and only heard about them from Fang Yeyu.

Fang Yeyu could only recount what he had seen, but he was unaware of the secrets represented by the energy box.

For example, the energy source in the energy box is actually the power of heaven and earth. How could one understand this simply by looking at it with one's eyes?

Therefore, Pang Ban had always thought that this was a rather peculiar type of armor.

Now that I've seen it with my own eyes, I realize that the energy used in it is actually the power of heaven and earth.

He also had some understanding of this power that could only be used by those who reached the Grandmaster level.

After all, he himself was the closest to a Grandmaster in the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top, and his master was a true Grandmaster.

Although it wouldn't be of much benefit to his breakthrough to the Grandmaster level, he might be able to learn from this method of utilizing the power of heaven and earth.

"But this kind of method is just amusing. You think you can deal with me?"

"No, I just want to stall for time."

Kunsha bluntly stated, "This is the Great Ming Dynasty, Pang Ban. As a Yuan Dynasty magician, is it really appropriate for you to stay within enemy territory? Or do you want to reignite a major war between the Ming and Yuan Dynasties?"

Pang Ban didn't care at all: "As long as we defeat you before the Ming army arrives, that's enough. Besides, you can't hold out for that long, can you? Half a quarter of an hour?"

"That's just because intense battles consume more energy. If that's all, I could stay up with you all day!"

"I see, the duration the armor can maintain its state is determined by the energy inside the energy tank..."

Pang Ban's true energy burst forth from his body, swirling around him and transforming into a tornado that whipped up a gale, drawing in the surrounding clouds and mist.

It's not some strange martial art; it's just the pure use of internal energy.

But the power it unleashed was extremely terrifying.

In an instant, more than 30% of the surrounding clouds and mist were shed, forcing Kunsha to continue to harness the power of heaven and earth to generate more clouds and mist in order to conceal his figure.

Nevertheless, Pang Ban had already achieved his goal: to quickly deplete the energy in Kunsha's energy box, causing it to disintegrate as soon as possible, thereby revealing his whereabouts and preventing the two sides from continuing to stalemate.

Moreover, his tornado grew stronger every second, and in just a few breaths, the clouds and mist that Kunsa created could no longer conceal him.

Just then, another figure drifted over from afar, stepped onto a tree branch, and soared into the air like a phoenix.

Lightning burst forth from the golden hilt of the sword in his hand, coiling around the blade.

Immediately, he plunged straight down from mid-air, lightning surging on his longsword. At first glance, he seemed to be wearing a thunderous battle armor, appearing as divine as a celestial being descending to earth.

"Lu Xiaofeng?"

Pang Ban was very surprised.

Lu Xiaofeng was only at the level of a Grandmaster of the First Flower Realm, but the move he unleashed at this moment actually made Lu Xiaofeng feel threatened.

Even if the opponent possesses a divine weapon like the Thunderclap Sword and uses an extremely powerful sword technique like the Celestial Immortal Flying Technique, this is still inappropriate.

Wait... Thunderclap Sword?

Pang Ban instantly realized a key point.

It is said that such divine weapons contain a spirit.

With the power of the Demon Master's Palace, it is enough to obtain detailed information that many people in the martial arts world do not know, including the battle in the Ming Dynasty's palace.

In that battle, the two masters of the Thunderclap Sword and the Azure Light Sword demonstrated the strength of a Second-Grandmaster.

It is said that only the spirit of a divine sword could possess him to achieve this.

Now that the Thunderclap Sword is in Lu Xiaofeng's hands, could it be... that it's the same?
In fact, he guessed correctly.

Several months have passed since that battle, and the sword spirit, which was severely damaged at the time, has recovered in the past few months.

Then Lu Xiaofeng lent his power to come and support Kunsha.

It's estimated that after this battle, the sword spirit will need to slumber for a while longer...

With the blessing of the sword spirit, Lu Xiaofeng's strength surpassed that of a Second-Grandmaster, but did not reach the level of a Third-Grandmaster.

Even so, his use of the Celestial Flying Immortal technique, combined with the power of the Thunderclap Sword, was enough to threaten the Demon Master Pang Ban.

The wind and clouds gathered around Pang Ban roared out, transforming into a thick barrier in front of him.

However, the lightning attached to the Thunderclap Sword clearly possessed a more powerful penetrating force, and in the blink of an eye, the wind and cloud barrier was pierced through by the lightning.

Pang Ban frowned slightly and moved swiftly.

The barrier was destroyed in the next instant.

Lu Xiaofeng's figure, enveloped in lightning, soared through the clouds, leaving an incredibly deep sword mark on the ground. From within the mist, Kunsha's figure emerged.

"Brother Lu, why are you back again?"

"I'm not the kind of person who would abandon my friends."

"Um... Logically speaking, I should thank you, but actually, I just think you're being a bit irrational."

Kunsha said, "Although I don't know where your current power comes from, you can't maintain this state for long, can you? Just like the armor I'm wearing."

"indeed so."

"Brother Lu's arrival at this moment will only make the Demon Master Pang Ban's achievements even more glorious."

Lu Xiaofeng smiled: "Times have changed. Just now, I learned a move. If I can use it, perhaps I will have a chance to defeat the Demon Master Pang Ban."

"Oh? Just because there's such hope? Or maybe? You came all this way? You're gambling with your life!"

"Haha, where in life isn't a high-stakes gamble?"

Lu Xiaofeng gripped the Thunderclap Sword tightly and said, "I'll need some time to prepare for this move. Until then, my life is entirely in Brother Kunsha's hands!"

"All right!"

Kunsha's tone was helpless, but a smile appeared on his lips: "Anyway, Pang Ban's target is me, and I can't escape. Since you're willing to get involved and gamble with your life, what am I afraid of?"

The clouds and mist rolled in once again.

Pang Ban said coldly, "You two, relying on external forces that are even weaker than mine, still think you can compete with me? Dream on!"

The immense true energy transformed into a whirlwind, scattering the surrounding clouds and mist.

Through the clouds and mist, Khun Sa's silhouette could be seen.

However, there was not just one, but three.

In the blink of an eye, two more figures appeared beside the three.

There were a total of five figures, scattered all around, as if surrounding him.

"Illusion?"

Pang Ban sneered: "A mere trick!"

The martial art he practiced was the supreme manual of the Demonic Sect, the "Great Method of Planting Demons in the Heart of the Dao," which focused on the spiritual aspect.

Although he had not yet achieved perfect cultivation, not even reaching the Great Perfection stage, his powerful spiritual energy still allowed him to connect with the outside world.

If he could go a step further and break through to the Grandmaster level, his powerful spiritual energy would be able to directly control the power of heaven and earth, and even more so than that of an ordinary Grandmaster.

Although he hasn't reached that level yet, his mental strength still makes him immune to most illusions, and his perception has reached its peak.

Although the surrounding clouds and mist were hazy, they could not obstruct his vision.

Those phantoms were completely ineffective against him.

With a wave of his hand, the wind from his palm was as sharp as a knife!

As the five illusions shattered, the surrounding clouds and mist were also dispersed, revealing a figure in golden armor.

It turned out that the five illusions were all illusions; the real Kunsha was mixed in with the clouds and mist and had not been revealed at all.

Unfortunately, this tactic was ineffective against Pang Ban and was easily seen through.

Kunsa realized he had been exposed and immediately turned and ran.

Pang Ban appeared behind him in an instant and struck out with his palm, knocking Kunsha to the ground.

The armor was obviously much sturdier than the ground, and this impact left a human-shaped mark on the ground.

However, it did not cause much damage to Kunsha inside the armor.

The armor emitted clouds and mist, which transformed into white snakes that slithered towards Pang Ban, but Pang Ban destroyed them all with a wave of his hand.

"The defensive capabilities of this armor are indeed impressive. However, I am also quite proficient in the technique of attacking from a distance."

Another palm strike came down.

This time was completely different from before; the technique of "hitting a cow from across a mountain" was used.

Pang Ban's mastery of this technique far surpasses that of the Three Friends of Winter, and his overall strength is unmatched by them.

Unfortunately, Kunsha wasn't wearing upgraded armor; he was wearing basic armor with even lower defense.

The power of this palm strike was only weakened by 70% by the basic armor, with only 30% of it landing on Kunsha.

Even though Pang Ban had no intention of killing, this palm strike still caused Kun Sha to vomit blood and his face to gradually turn pale.

"I've seen many loyal people, but their loyalty often changes when faced with the threat of death. I wonder what you would do..."

Pang Ban raised his palm, gathering his true energy, as if he was about to unleash another palm strike.

"I have no ill intentions. I only wish to invite Master Yoda to join the Magician's Palace. Please introduce me to him."

"Absolutely... absolutely impossible..."

"Commendable loyalty!"

Pang Ban dispersed the true energy in his palm.

He couldn't just kill Kunsa directly, since he hadn't gotten any information from him yet.

Moreover, he guessed that Master Yoda was someone who didn't care about fame or fortune and only wanted to do research.

People like this are the most stubborn.

The relationship between Kunsa and Master Yoda cannot be confirmed at this time.

If the two are extremely close, then killing Kunsha today will become the biggest reason for Master Yoda to refuse the Mage's Palace in the future.

However, this does not mean that Pang Ban is helpless against Kunsha.

A pair of eyes suddenly became bewildered and magical, radiating a mesmerizing magical light.

A powerful spiritual force emanated from these demonic eyes.

“Kunsa…”

Pang Ban's voice seemed to come from afar: "Tell me, where is Master Yoda in the Western Regions..."

The plan was to use a bewitching technique to directly confuse Kunsha and extract clues from him.

"Do not……"

Kunsa's eyes were glazed over, and his face showed signs of struggle.

Pang Ban remained silent, but increased the output of his mental energy.

In terms of martial arts skills, Kunsha is no match for Pang Ban, but in terms of spirit, Pang Ban is far inferior to Kunsha.

After all, Kunsha is actually a projection of Zhou Ming.

Whether or not to speak was entirely up to Zhou Ming's own will from the beginning, and had nothing to do with Pang Ban's mental power or bewitching technique.

"But is Lu Xiaofeng's situation still not ready? How come he still can't figure out how to use his cheat code?"

It seemed to sense Zhou Ming's resentment.

Amidst the surrounding clouds and mist, a bolt of lightning suddenly burst forth, without any apparent target.

However, this made Pang Ban feel threatened.

Unlike the previous "Flying Immortal from Outer Space".

This time, it's a terrifying, potentially deadly threat!

(End of this chapter)