Wuxia: Become the 100-Victory Sword King at the Beginning

Chapter 510. Helan Xue Embraces the Shadow of Black Armor; Silver Threads Sever the Emperor's Heart.
Li Ruitong suddenly raised her hand, and the silver thread, like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, softened when it touched his chest.

Her fingertips gently traced the dragon-patterned birthmark, drawing a string of blood beads. She stammered, "My father said that whoever can withstand three of my 'Yangguan Triple Strike' moves is either my enemy, or..." Her eyelashes drooped, concealing the turbulent emotions in her eyes, and she finally mustered the courage to say, "or they are the destined person who can cure the cold poison in my body."

Shi Feiyang's palm was pressed against her back, and he suddenly exerted force.

Li Ruitong's "Xiao Wuxiang Gong" internal energy was like a surging wave crashing against the shore, but when it collided with his Mingyu Gong, it was reversed by the vortex-like suction force.

She let out a muffled groan, her small boots beneath her white dress slamming down on his black armor. The pearls on the boot tips embedded themselves in the gaps of the armor—these were the "heart-locking buckles" unique to the Western Xia royal family, which were supposed to be hidden weapons used to subdue enemies, but now they resembled a love knot, tightly binding the two of them together.

She said, both ashamed and angry, "Let me go!" Suddenly, the silver thread wrapped around Shi Feiyang's neck, and the barb at the end of the thread pierced his skin. Blood dripped onto her jade pendant, which merged with the sun totem in the jade, turning into a ball of crimson flame.

She angrily retorted, "You destroyed my home and country, killed my soldiers, what right do you have to touch me?"

Shi Feiyang's Adam's apple bobbed as he let the silver thread dig into his flesh.

Looking at her reddened eyes due to the backlash of her internal energy, he suddenly recalled the sunrise he had seen on the top of Mount Tai—when He Yao's Tai Chi sword parted the morning mist, it was just as breathtakingly beautiful.

His fierce palm strike, which could have shattered her meridians, transformed into the gentle force of Tai Chi, gradually calming her disordered internal energy.

"Before your father died, did he ask you to find the jade pendant engraved with dragon patterns?" Shi Feiyang's voice was tinged with the metallic taste of blood, and he pressed, "Did he say that the owner of that jade pendant was hiding a thirty-year-old secret of the Western Xia royal family?"

Li Ruitong's silver threads suddenly loosened. She looked at the half-jade pendant peeking out from Shi Feiyang's arms, the dragon's tail perfectly connecting with the sunlight emanating from her own jade pendant, like two suns and moons shining brightly together.

The secret from thirty years ago suddenly exploded in his mind—back then, Shi Feiyang infiltrated Western Xia and clashed with Western Xia masters. The Western Xia masters split Shi Feiyang's dragon and phoenix pendant in two, leaving half of it behind in Western Xia.

Li Ruidan murmured, "So that's why..." Her silver thread suddenly broke, and the spool rolled into the pool of blood, revealing the small characters engraved inside. She murmured again, "So you are..." Shi Feiyang's Mingyu Gong was activated rapidly, and his Xuanjia suddenly became transparent as ice, enveloping the two of them in a cloud of cold mist.

Li Ruitong's "Xiao Wuxiang Gong" internal energy was finally guided onto the right track. She could feel the warm current flowing along her meridians. Wherever it passed, the accumulated cold poison turned into white steam, condensing into frost flowers on her plain white skirt, and then quickly melting away.

Shi Feiyang said in a deep voice, "Don't speak." His forehead was pressed against the top of her hair, and he could smell the fragrance of jujube flowers in her hair, mixed with the smell of gunpowder. He then advised, "Your cold poison and my Mingyu Gong are mutually reinforcing and mutually restraining. If we go astray now, our meridians will be completely severed."

Li Ruitong's eyelashes were damp with moisture, making it impossible to tell whether it was sweat or tears.

Her fingertips gently traced the ice patterns on his black armor, the lines of which were exactly the same as the star map she had seen in her dream.

She suddenly remembered the look in her father's eyes before he died. It wasn't a ruthless desire for revenge, but a desperate plea for survival. It turned out that the so-called national and family feuds were a scheme from the very beginning.

As Shi Feiyang's black armor gradually returned to normal in the twilight, the ice patterns disappeared, revealing the dragon birthmark on his left chest—the birthmark was even clearer than before, with an arc at the dragon's tail that blended with the sun totem on the jade pendant.

The moment he released her, Li Ruitong suddenly staggered backward, her white skirt leaving a long trail in the blood-soaked ground, like a wounded white snake.

Shi Feiyang picked up the Seven Star Sword, its tassel adorned with a red silk ribbon tied with a silver thread. He said magnanimously, "Go. Western Xia is destroyed, but Li Ruitong can live." His gaze swept over the murals on the cliff face, depicting the scene of him infiltrating Western Xia and clashing with its masters, now stained crimson by the setting sun. He then said in a deep voice, "Find a place where no one knows you, forget the hatred, and forget me too."

Li Ruitong's silver thread suddenly wrapped around his sword tassel. As she turned around, her plain white skirt billowed in the wind, revealing the Western Xia royal token hidden at her waist—the back of the token was engraved with the same dragon pattern as Shi Feiyang's jade pendant.

“Three months later.” Her voice, still hoarse from the lingering effects of the cold poison, was sharp and clear, her eyes filled with complex emotions as she said, “I’ll be waiting for you in the jujube grove of Xingqing Prefecture.” The silver thread suddenly tightened, pulling his sword tassel into her own hand. She gritted her teeth and said, “Bring your jade pendant. Either kill me, the princess of a fallen kingdom, or…” She didn’t finish her sentence before her figure vanished into the twilight like a startled swan.

Shi Feiyang gazed in the direction she had disappeared, the red silk tassel on his sword wrapped around the silver thread, gently touching in the wind and making a soft, whispering sound. He heard He Yao and Guo Biyu calling from afar, but suddenly he gripped his sword tighter—the Seven Star Sword in his hand, which had somehow become imbued with the fragrance of jujube blossoms.

The setting sun over Helan Mountain cast a long shadow of him, and the bloodstains on his black armor gradually congealed, like a painting that hadn't yet dried.

Shi Feiyang recalled the look in Li Ruitong's eyes as she turned away. There was hatred, resentment, and unwillingness in her eyes, yet also a trace of concern that even she herself hadn't noticed… The battles of this world never ceased, but some things were sharper than the clash of swords, capable of etching indelible marks on the hardest hearts. Like the red silk and silver thread now entwined on the sword tassel—one a dragon banner from the Tang Dynasty, the other a sun from Western Xia—originally incompatible, yet forged in the crucible of blood and fire, they became an unbreakable knot.

He Yao flew over, shouting in mid-air, "Your Majesty!" Her light green battle robe rushed in through the night, blood still dripping from her Tai Chi sword. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she reported, "The remnants of the First-Class Hall tried to escape through the secret passage, but we trapped them in the cave using the 'catch the turtle in the jar' strategy!"

Her gaze fell on Li Ruitong in the distance, and she suddenly understood something. "That's..."

Shi Feiyang said frankly, "The princess of Xia Kingdom is the daughter of my former lover."

He paused, then decisively said, "Issue my decree: all remnants of the Western Xia who lay down their weapons shall be spared death, and those who resist shall be killed without exception."

Guo Biyu, wearing a pale yellow cloak, was covering an unconscious old man, who was none other than the head steward of Yipintang. She said playfully, "Brother Shi, this old man has already reached the ninth level of the 'Bone-Melting Palm'. I used my 'beauty trap' to trick him into drinking the 'Power-Dissolving Powder'."

With her dagger, she pulled out the secret letter from the old man's bosom and said, "Look, he actually colluded with the Jin Kingdom's 'Blood Wolf Camp' to try to restore Western Xia in the Helan Mountains."

The moment Shi Feiyang unfolded the secret letter, three bone-piercing nails shot towards him with a whooshing sound, a hidden weapon technique used by the Jin Kingdom's "Blood Wolf Camp".

With a flick of his wrists, he unleashed the "Transferring Flowers and Jade" divine skill, and with a quick movement, the bone-piercing nail was reflected towards the exit of the secret passage. Amidst screams, a man wearing Jin Dynasty wolf-skin armor emerged—it was none other than Wanyan Zhenlie, the Jin Dynasty prince.

Wanyan Zhenlie roared, "Shi Feiyang! How dare you ruin my grand plan!" His spiked club slammed down on Shi Feiyang, the black blood poison of the "Blood Nerve" causing green holes to appear in the ground. He roared again, "I originally intended to use the remnants of the Western Xia to weaken your forces, and then seize Tongguan, but I didn't expect..."

Shi Feiyang interrupted him, sneering, "Didn't expect me to 'play along'?" He used both palms like blades, unleashing the "Severing Reincarnation" technique from the "Hundred Victories Blade Technique," shattering Wanyan Honglie's spiked club into pieces. He then added mockingly, "You think your 'counter-espionage' scheme with the First-Rank Hall is so clever? Actually..."

He grabbed the Seven Star Sword and held it to the man's throat, coldly saying, "I knew about your scheme all along." A sudden madness flashed in Wanyan Honglie's eyes, and he said chillingly, "I'll drag you down with me even if I die!"

He suddenly ripped open his shirt, revealing a gunpowder pack inside—he intended to take everyone down with him.

Shi Feiyang snorted coldly and unleashed the "Emperor's Heavenly Thunder" divine skill. The Mingyu Gong ice energy all over his body transformed into lightning and struck the gunpowder pack. In the explosion, Wanyan Honglie's body was blown into pieces, which splattered onto the murals on the cliff.

……

The glazed tiles of the Western Xia Imperial Palace gleamed coldly in the moonlight. Shi Feiyang used his "Hidden Body and Name" light-foot technique to glide along the eaves. The ice patterns on his black armor blended with the moonlight, making him appear as if he were hidden in the night.

The air in Li Ruitong's bedroom was filled with the fragrance of "concentration incense." She was removing silver threads in front of a bronze mirror, which reflected a red mark on the side of her neck—a mark that had been cut by Shi Feiyang's black armor icicles during the day, and which had now swelled up and turned purplish-blue.

“Princess, the Emperor’s Xuanjia Army has surrounded the capital,” the maid’s voice trembled with tears. The poisoned wine on the tray was foaming. She continued, “His Majesty said that if Shi Feiyang cannot be poisoned with the ‘Tethering Mechanism’, then… then you will be forced to immolate yourself to die for your country.”

Li Ruitong's silver thread suddenly tightened, the barb at the end digging deep into her palm. Looking at her pale face in the mirror, she recalled the warmth of Bai Rishi's palm—the warm current that neutralized the backlash of the "Xiao Wuxiang Gong" was even more unsettling than her brother's "Hua Gu Mian Zhang" (a powerful palm technique).

Suddenly, a soft clatter came from outside the window. She swiftly unleashed her "Cold Sleeves Brushing Acupoints" technique, but stopped just as she touched the newcomer's clothes—on Shi Feiyang's black armor was a marigold, the national flower of Western Xia, which she had left behind during the day.

Li Ruitong said softly, "You shouldn't have come." The silver thread wrapped around Shi Feiyang's black armor, and the barbs at the end of the thread drew sparks on the ice patterns. She then said coldly, "The tunnels in the imperial city are full of 'First-Class Hall's' 'Bone-Rotting Poison.' Even if you kill my imperial brother, you won't be able to leave Xingqing Prefecture."

Her fingertips brushed against the silver hair behind his ear, and she said sadly, "My mother was Han Chinese. Before she died, she said that the moon in the Tang Dynasty was rounder than that in the Western Xia Dynasty."

Shi Feiyang's "healing holy method" caused white mist to condense into a lotus flower in his palm, which he gently pressed against her brow.

The pent-up energy there is turning into black mist, a sign that one has been affected by the "triggering mechanism".

He calmly asked, "When Li Qianshun asked you to poison her, did he tell you that there was no antidote?" He then used his "Heavenly Silkworm Skill," and the crystalline light flowing from his palm spun along the silver threads, condensing into an ice bracelet on her wrist.

He then advised, "At midnight tonight, the third brick in the west city wall is movable. Take your maid and go through there."

Li Ruitong's silver thread suddenly wrapped around his neck, but the force was as light as a feather. She asked in surprise, "If you let me go, aren't you afraid that I will attract the Tibetan soldiers to launch a sneak attack?" Her nose brushed against his chin, and the hem of her white skirt swept across the bloodstains on his black armor. She shook her head and said, "If I wanted to leave, I would have done so when you were dispelling my internal energy."

Shi Feiyang suddenly turned sideways and swept his palm horizontally, shattering the "Yipintang" warrior who was eavesdropping outside the window into ice shards.

Looking at the resolute look in Li Ruitong's eyes, he chuckled softly, "I will be waiting for you at the gates of the imperial city tomorrow at noon." The ice patterns on her black armor reflected her tearful eyes, and she added threateningly, "If you don't come, the people of Xingqing Prefecture will have to be buried alive with the emperor."

……

The rising sun of Western Xia dyed the walls of the imperial city crimson. Li Qianshun's "Bone-Melting Palm" shattered the third "truce sign." His dragon robe was embroidered with nine phoenixes rising from the ashes, each phoenix's eyes inlaid with pigeon-blood rubies, which now shimmered with his breath. He roared, "Shi Feiyang! If you have the guts, come out and fight me one-on-one!" The bluestone slab beneath his palm had turned into pus, and a nauseating stench filled the air.

Shi Feiyang's black armor gleamed with an icy light behind the city gate. Tu Pengpeng, who had come to meet Li Ruitong, used her Seven Star Sword to intertwine with Li Ruitong's silver threads, forming a net in front of him. The imperial concubine, whose phoenix robe had been worn for ten years and bore dark patterns, chuckled, "Your Majesty, look at which ring her silver threads are wrapped around your black armor." The red silk sword tassel wrapped three times around Li Ruitong's wrist, and she teased, "Exactly the same as when I wrapped them around you back then."

Li Ruitong's silver thread suddenly tightened, and the barb at the end of the thread was only inches away from Li Qianshun's throat.

Her plain white skirt trembled in the morning breeze, the marigold embroidery on the hem soaked with blood. She pleaded, "Brother, surrender."

Suddenly, her silver thread pierced her shoulder blade, and blood dripped from the end onto Li Qianshun's dragon robe. She said sorrowfully, "This sister is willing to die to atone for her sins and save the lives of the people of Xingqing Prefecture." Li Qianshun's "Bone-Melting Palm" turned towards Li Ruitong, the palm wind carrying a green mist aimed straight for her heart. He cursed angrily, "You wicked creature! You've betrayed us! Humph!"

Suddenly, assassins from "Yipintang" rushed out from behind him, and poisoned arrows rained down on Shi Feiyang like locusts.

Li Qianshun roared, "Even if we perish together, I will make sure your Tang emperor is buried with you!"

Shi Feiyang unleashed the "Burning Heaven and Earth" technique from the "Hundred Victories Saber Technique" with both palms, and the fierce palm wind, carrying raging flames, swept across the entire Imperial City.

Amidst the screams of the Western Xia assassins, Shi Feiyang unleashed his "Emperor's Heavenly Thunder" divine skill, the ice patterns on his Xuanjia armor transforming into lightning that struck Li Qianshun. The tyrant's body shattered into pieces in the explosion, his rotting bones and poisonous blood splattering onto Shi Feiyang's ice armor, instantly freezing into crystals.

Li Ruitong's silver thread wrapped around Shi Feiyang's black armor, and the barbs at the ends of the thread pierced deeply into his flesh.

She stared at her brother's mangled corpse and suddenly vomited blood. A silver thread wrapped seven times around his palm, and she said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty!"

Her voice was as soft as a sigh, yet filled with sorrow as she said, "The 'Xiao Wuxiang Gong' manual of the Western Xia is behind the bronze mirror in my bedchamber. I wish to offer it to the Tang Dynasty in exchange for... in exchange for my mother's Han Chinese clothing to be returned to her homeland for burial."

Suddenly, Tu Pengpeng's red silk sword tassel wrapped around Li Ruitong's wrist. The tip of the Seven Star Sword held a bodice embroidered with twin lotus blossoms. She said teasingly, "This was hastily made by the embroidery workshop overnight by His Majesty the Tang Emperor." Her phoenix robe swept across the girl's pale face, and she added sincerely, "The people of Xingqing Prefecture have already built the 'Han-Xia Peace Memorial Arch' outside the city. If you are willing to stay, this bodice..."

Shi Feiyang used the "Transferring Flowers and Jade" divine skill, his inner energy flowing along the silver thread, drawing the "Trapping Mechanism" poison in Li Ruitong's body to his palm.

The blood crystals on the ice armor suddenly exploded. He watched as the red marks on the girl's neck gradually faded and chuckled, "My Great Tang can accommodate the marigolds of Western Xia, and it can also accommodate the Gesang flowers of Tibet."

Li Ruitong turned and ran away. Tu Pengpeng was taken aback. Shi Feiyang teased, "Your Highness, do not worry. Li Ruitong is a woman who understands the bigger picture. She will come back."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Ruitong suddenly ran over, her silver thread wrapping around Shi Feiyang's wrist. Her white skirt billowed in the night wind as she said devoutly, "Your Majesty, the 'Po Xi Army' of Western Xia is willing to submit to the Great Tang."

Her jade pendant and his jade scepter finally merged into one, their clear sound shaking off the snow on the cliff face, and then they declared in a resounding voice: "From now on, there will be no more Xia Kingdom under Helan Mountain, only the territory of the Great Tang."

Shi Feiyang's black armor gleamed with a jade-like hue under the moonlight. He gazed at the surrendered Western Xia soldiers at the foot of the mountain, overwhelmed with emotion.

He Yao's aquamarine battle robe and Guo Biyu's pale yellow cloak spread out behind him, like two phoenixes protecting their master.

“Your Majesty,” He Yao’s voice was as soft as spring water as she reported, “Li Xian’s left arm has been stabilized with the Wudang ‘Golden Needle Crossing Calamity’ technique. He only needs to rest for three months to fully recover.” Her jade hairpin shone like a star in the moonlight, and she added excitedly, “Li Tieniu is leading the Beggars’ Sect disciples to clean up the battlefield. He says he wants to replace all the Western Xia’s sun totem with the Tang Dynasty’s dragon flag.”

Guo Biyu, her Emei dagger adorned with a Western Xia wolf flag, was wiping the bloodstains from it with her sword tassel when she reported, "Your Majesty, the Tibetan king heard that you have found a good sister and has specially sent 'Drunken Immortal Tea' as a congratulatory gift." A sand date flower had somehow appeared on her iron hairpin again, and she added, "He also said that he is willing to return the Hexi Corridor to the Tang Dynasty, only asking that Your Majesty not attack his camellia forest again."

Shi Feiyang's Seven Star Sword suddenly pointed eastward, the red silk tassel of the sword fluttering in the night wind.

The morning bell tolled from Tongguan in the distance, and the shouts of the sixteen armies sent to defend the emperor echoed through the valleys. The Western Xia's sun flag fell in the flames, while the Tang Dynasty's dragon flag rose along the Helan Mountains, like a golden dragon awakening.

"Go home." His voice echoed between heaven and earth. The ice patterns on his black armor gradually disappeared, revealing the dragon tattoo underneath. He then said domineeringly, "From tomorrow onwards, the snow of Helan Mountain should have a new name."

He Yao's light green cloak and Guo Biyu's pale yellow battle robe fluttered at the same time.

Their fingertips entwined around the hem of his clothes, as if holding the most precious treasure. Li Ruitong's plain white skirt followed behind, silver threads drawing silver arcs in the moonlight, stringing fallen jujube petals into a necklace—a gift for her future sister-in-law.

The bonfire at the foot of Helan Mountain burned all night. The Xuanjia Army and the surrendered soldiers of Western Xia drank together around the flames. Tibetan barley wine mixed with Tang Dynasty's Daughter Red wine rippled amber in the earthenware bowl.

Shi Feiyang's Seven Star Sword was stuck beside the fire, its tassel wrapped with three hairpins: one of jade, one of pearl, and one of silver. In the flickering firelight, they looked like three stars closely intertwined.

As dawn approached, He Yao's Tai Chi sword suddenly sprang from its sheath, drawing the four large characters "国泰民安" (meaning "Peace and Prosperity for the Nation") on the snow. Guo Xiangyu's Emei dagger followed closely behind, adding exquisite patterns to the characters, while Li Ruitong's silver thread cleverly outlined the lace.

Shi Feiyang's palm gently covered the writing, and the chilling aura of Mingyu Gong caused the characters to freeze quickly, shimmering with eternal light under the morning sun. While the generals returned to the capital, Shi Feiyang, accompanied by He Yao, Guo Biyu, and Li Ruitong, headed to Tibet. He was determined to reclaim this fertile land, so he needed to scout the way first.

The snow in Lhasa never melts, and Shi Feiyang's black armor is covered with ice crystals. The scabbard of the Seven Star Sword is wrapped with yak wool—woven by He Yao using the Tai Chi "Cloud-Cutting Hand" technique, which is said to be able to resist the Tibetan "Gale Palm".

He gazed at the sun banner atop the golden roof of the Potala Palace and said to Li Ruitong beside him, "When you meet the Zanpu later, remember to be 'humble yet proud'."

Li Ruitong, dressed in a plain white dress, was repairing a map of Tibet with silver thread when she heard this. She looked up, puzzled, and asked, "Does Your Majesty mean to deliberately feign weakness?" Her jade pendant touched Shi Feiyang's jade ornament in her bosom, producing a clear, melodious sound. She then analyzed, "But King Lunzhu is extremely suspicious. Won't this backfire?" Shi Feiyang's fingertips traced the four characters "瞒天过海" (meaning "to deceive the heavens and cross the sea") on the ice, the cold air freezing the characters instantly. He also analyzed, "He just annexed Yangtong Kingdom last year and is most worried that the Tang Dynasty will use this as an opportunity to send troops."

The banners fluttered in the cold wind, much like the scimitars at the waists of Tibetan warriors.

Shi Feiyang's gaze swept over the eaves of the Potala Palace, then turned to look at Guo Biyu—she was using an Emei dagger to remove the oil droplets from the butter tea, and a Gesang flower was pinned to the iron hairpin under her pale yellow cloak. He had an idea and said, "My beloved concubine, you will put on a show later and say that I was seriously injured in the Helan Mountains."

Guo Biyu's Tibetan silver hairpin traced Tibetan characters on the butter sculptures, the characters twisting like snakes. She nodded and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, the 'Power-Dissolving Powder' I brought turns red when heated, making it incredibly easy to feign weakness in internal energy." Suddenly, her Emei dagger pierced the butter jar, picking up a solidified lump of butter, and then asked with suspicion, "But this 'divide and conquer' tactic... can it really make him so suspicious?"

He Yao, her light green cloak stained with snowflakes, was wiping the gold powder on the Thangka with the tassel of her Tai Chi sword as she relayed a message: "The people of Lhasa say that the Great Treatise on Tantra has reached the ninth level. King Lhundrup often has nightmares at night, dreaming that the Great Treatise on Tantra has smashed his skull."

Her jade hairpin shone like a cold star under the butter lamp, and she lowered her voice and said, "I have already had the disciples of the Tai Chi Sword Sect spread the word that Da Lun has secretly kept the 'Bone-Melting Palm' manual of the Western Xia's 'First-Class Hall'."

Shi Feiyang nodded and led the three beauties toward the Potala Palace.

The Potala Palace was chillingly cold, and the golden bell scepter of the Lhundrup Tsangpo left deep marks on the golden bricks. Looking at the faint ice patterns on Shi Feiyang's armor, he sneered, "The Emperor of the Great Tang has traveled thousands of miles just to see my camellia grove?" The "Gale Palm" energy in his palm caused the flame of the butter lamp to flicker violently, and sparks from the wick fell onto Shi Feiyang's armor, instantly freezing and extinguishing them.

Shi Feiyang deliberately restrained his "Mingyu Skill" by a third, and the ice patterns on his black armor faded considerably. He calmly said, "The Zanpu's 'Drunken Immortal Tea' is famous throughout the world, and I have come here specifically to request the tea seed."

His Seven Star Sword leaned against a pillar, the yak wool tassel of the sword hanging to the ground. He then sighed, "Alas! As for the matter of Helan Mountain... sigh, Wanyan Honglie's 'blood nerve' is too domineering, and I have not yet recovered."

After saying that, he deliberately coughed twice, and the black armor on his left shoulder trembled slightly, as if aggravating an old injury.

Guo Biyu suddenly clutched her chest and staggered backward. The Gesang flower on her Tibetan silver hairpin shook off its petals. She pretended to be out of breath and said, "Your Majesty, you may not know, but His Majesty took a blow from that demon to protect us."

Her face was flushed under the light of the butter lamp, and she said breathlessly, "Your Majesty can hardly even use the 'Hundred Victories Sword Technique' now, it's really..." Before she could finish speaking, she leaned weakly on He Yao's shoulder.

Lunzhuzanpu's pupils suddenly contracted, his gaze fixed on Shi Feiyang's left shoulder like a hawk's—there was indeed a hidden wound on the Xuanjia armor there, and the blood that seeped out condensed into dark red flowers on the ice armor, the shape of which was just like the Tibetan wolf head totem.

Da Lun, who was behind him, suddenly stepped forward, his hand under his Tibetan robe clenching tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. Little did he know that He Yao's Tai Chi sword tassel had already wrapped around the corner of his robe like a serpent, and the green bead at the end of the tassel contained the venom of the "Seven Star Begonia".

The prayer wheels of Jokhang Temple spun in the snow and wind, emitting a deep hum.

Shi Feiyang's black armor reflected the halo of the golden Buddha, and the ice patterns flowed under the light, much like the glaciers of Helan Mountain. Suddenly, the "Mahamudra of Tantra" of the Venerable Lunzhuzanpu struck the Thangka, and the smile of Shakyamuni was shaken by the palm wind, causing spiderweb-like cracks to appear. Paint fragments scattered in the air, carrying the aroma of yak butter.

The golden bell scepter of the Zanpu slammed to the ground, the gemstone at the top of the scepter reflecting a cold light, and threatened, "If the Emperor of the Great Tang is truly seeking good relations, he should return the 'twelve-year-old life-size statue' brought by Princess Wencheng. Otherwise, don't blame this Zanpu for showing no mercy."

Suddenly, Shi Feiyang drew his Seven Star Sword, its light cascading like a silver river, catching all the fallen Thangka fragments. He sneered, "Does the Tsangpo know the meaning of 'turning the tables'?" He then used his "Flower Transference" technique, redirecting the direction of the Tsangpo's palm strike, which landed heavily on the butter jar in front of his knee. Dark blue-green venom seeped from the bottom of the jar, corroding fine holes in the gold bricks—the "Seven Steps to Despair" secretly planted by the Grand Master.

Shi Feiyang mocked again, "Great Master, what skill you have." His "Shocking Calamity" divine skill was activated in response, and his gaze swept over the old man in the Tibetan robe. His icy gaze caused the old man's Tibetan boots to freeze, and the soles of the boots stuck to the gold bricks, making them unable to move.

He then sarcastically remarked, "Aren't you afraid the Zanpu will skin you alive for using a 'borrowed knife to kill' scheme to frame the Tang Dynasty?"

The great master suddenly struck out with the "Great Seal of Esoteric Buddhism," the palm wind carrying the Sanskrit sound of the six-syllable mantra, and a faint golden light emanating from his palm.

This palm technique was incredibly powerful, said to be able to split rocks and shatter monuments, yet it was now caught in the vortex of "Mingyu Gong's" true energy just three inches from where the stone had flown. Dalun watched helplessly as his palm gradually froze, the ice spreading upwards along his meridians. Suddenly, he screamed shrilly, "Zanpu, save me! This Tang dog is using sorcery!"

Shi Feiyang unleashed the "Mountain Splitting" technique from the "Hundred Victories Saber Technique" with both palms. The chilling aura clashed with Dalun's palm strikes, the two forces collided in mid-air, producing a thunderous roar. Dalun's Tibetan robe was shattered, revealing the Western Xia brocade robe he wore underneath, the hem embroidered with a sun totem—the symbol of "Yipintang." Shi Feiyang chuckled coldly, "It seems the remnants of 'Yipintang' have already colluded with Tibet."

He drew his Seven Star Sword, picked up the bronze talisman hidden in Da Lun's boot, and saw that the wolf head mark on the talisman was exactly the same as the token of the Jin Kingdom's "Blood Wolf Camp". He then mocked, "When the Zanpu annexed Yangtong Kingdom last year, he used this 'taking advantage of the chaos' tactic, didn't he?" He then used the "Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms" technique, "Dragon Appears in the Field", and the palm wind swept up the snow in the Buddhist hall, which condensed into ice arrows in mid-air.

He then mocked, "How does it feel to be betrayed by your own subordinates now?" The golden bell scepter of the Great Master remained motionless. Seeing the ice in the Great Master's palm spread to his elbow, he threw the scepter to the ground and angrily shouted, "Drag him away and use 'sky burial' to feed the vultures!"

Just then, more than ten Tibetan masters suddenly emerged from behind the murals on both sides of the Buddhist hall.

Their "Gale Palm" forms a fan shape, and the palm wind is like a knife, cutting the air with a hissing sound.

The leading warrior wore a bronze mask with wolf heads and fangs clearly visible. His palm strike aimed directly at Shi Feiyang's face, the edge of his palm carrying fine ice shards—it was actually the Tibetan "Snowy Seven Kill Palm".

Shi Feiyang used the profound lightness skill of "Concealing One's Body and Name," his black armor weaving through the beams and pillars of the Buddhist hall, leaving behind streaks of ice. He sheathed his sword, his palms drawing silver arcs as he unleashed the domineering "Breaking Heaven and Earth" technique of the Hundred Victories Blade Art, the sharp blade energy crushing ninety warriors into fragments.

Li Ruitong unleashed her "Cold Sleeve Acupuncture Point Technique"! Her plain white skirt fluttered like a butterfly in the Buddhist hall, and silver threads shot out from her sleeves, precisely wrapping around the ankles of three warriors. Her silver threads, soaked in a secret medicine from Xixia, would contract when heated, but now, taut from the warriors' body heat, they left deep marks on their ankles, and beads of blood crystallized on the silver threads.

He Yao drew her Tai Chi sword, the green beads on the tassel striking the prayer wheel. She unleashed the soft power of the "Thirteen Forms of Tai Chi," echoing Shi Feiyang's domineering "Hundred Victories Knife Technique," forming a unique offensive and defensive formation.

Her aquamarine cloak unfurled in the snowlight. Her swordplay appeared slow, yet she always managed to dodge the palm strikes at the last second. Wherever the sword tassel swept, the samurai's "Gale Palm" would suddenly deflect and strike his companion.

Guo Biyu's Emei daggers were designed to target the warriors' weaknesses. She hid three "thunderbolts" under her pale yellow cloak and threw them into the corner of the Buddhist hall during the melee.

Amidst the explosion and billowing smoke, her iron hairpin suddenly shot out, piercing the throat of the last warrior with pinpoint accuracy. The Gesang flower on the hairpin, stained with blood, looked particularly eerie in the smoke.

Shi Feiyang then unleashed the "Emperor's Heavenly Thunder" divine skill, his entire body radiating icy energy that transformed into lightning as he struck the bronze-masked warrior. The mask shattered amidst the lightning, revealing a face that bore a striking resemblance to Lhundrup—it was none other than the prince of Yangtong Kingdom, who had been falsely accused of treason by the Great Chanyu last year.

"You're not dead?" Lunzhuzanpu's golden bell scepter shook violently as he exclaimed in astonishment, "Dalun said you had already been sentenced to death!" Yangtong Prince's "Snowy Land Seven Kill Palm" suddenly turned towards Dalun, his eyes burning with the flames of revenge, and he roared, "He took the gold from the Jin Kingdom, imprisoned me in the Potala Palace dungeon, and tortured me with the 'Bone-Melting Palm'!"

Shi Feiyang swung his palm, blocking the two of them. The ice patterns on Mingyu Gong reflected Da Lun's terrified face.

He threatened, "If the Zanpu (king) is willing to return the Hexi Corridor and offer the seeds of 'Drunken Immortal Tea', I can pretend nothing happened. Otherwise, the golden dome of Lhasa will be replaced by the dragon flag of the Tang Dynasty."

Husband and wife in perfect harmony, He Yao suddenly drew her Tai Chi sword, the green beads on the tassel striking the prayer wheel, and threatened, "Our 'Snow-Treading Camp' has now surrounded the Potala Palace." Her light green cloak unfurled in the snow, and she teased, "Is the Tsangpo satisfied with this 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao' strategy?"

The Zanpu of Lunzhu laughed heartily, the jewels on his golden bell scepter casting dappled light across the Buddhist hall. He then chuckled, "The Tang Emperor truly has the demeanor of Li Shimin." He pulled a jade seal from his robes, its Tibetan inscription reading "Hexi Corridor Protectorate," and said devoutly, "From this day forward, this land belongs to the Great Tang, and the tea seeds are yours as well." His gaze fell upon Li Ruitong's jade pendant, and he asked with a hint of curiosity, "However... may I take a look at the dragon and phoenix pendant around the princess's neck?"

Shi Feiyang used the "Mingyu Gong" to protect himself, and his black armor instantly became as transparent as jade. He said coldly, "Your Majesty, you might as well speak your mind."

His palm was placed on Li Ruitong's back, and he questioned Lunzhu Zanpu again: "What else was in Princess Wencheng's dowry besides Buddha statues?"

Suddenly, the golden mask of the Lhundrup Tsangpo was removed, revealing a face that bore a slight resemblance to Shi Feiyang. He said sincerely, "The one who escorted the princess to Tibet back then was the 'Snowy Land War God' of my Tubo." His fingertips traced the mural behind the Buddha niche, where a Tang general was embracing a Tubo princess. He added, "And the War God's mother was none other than Princess Yi'an of the Tang Dynasty."

Suddenly, the butter lamps in the Buddhist hall all lit up simultaneously, and Shi Feiyang's jade pendant and Lunzhuzanpu's golden bell resonated in unison. Li Ruitong's silver thread wrapped around their wrists, her white skirt fluttering in the snowy light, and she exclaimed in surprise, "So...we're actually relatives?"

Avalanche sounds came from the distant snow-capped mountains, and the prayer wheels in Lhasa turned at the same moment. The dragon flag of the Tang Dynasty and the sun banner of Tibet shone brightly under the golden roof of the Potala Palace, like a Thangka soaked in snow.

Shi Feiyang's voice echoed in the Buddhist hall as he proclaimed, "Issue my decree: The Hexi Corridor shall be the boundary between the Great Tang and Tibet, and they shall forever be bound by friendly relations."

Then, he embraced He Yao, Li Ruitong, and Guo Biyu, and used his magical "leaving after the deed is done" lightness skill to leap out of the window with them. The ice patterns on his black armor shimmered with a jade color in the sunlight. He then said domineeringly, "At this time next year, I will be in the Daming Palace in Chang'an, waiting for the Zanpu's 'Drunken Immortal Tea'."

He Yao's aquamarine cloak and Guo Biyu's pale yellow battle robe spread out in the snow, like two phoenixes carrying olive branches. Li Ruitong's silver thread wrapped around Shi Feiyang's wrist, and the Gesang flowers on her plain white skirt shook in the wind, sticking to his black armor like a snowflake that never fades.

The snow was still falling in Lhasa, but it no longer carried the air of battle. Shi Feiyang looked at the Tang-Tibet flags fluttering on the golden roof of the Potala Palace and understood that the most powerful martial art in the world was never the "Hundred Victories Sword Technique" or the "Great Seal of Tantra," but rather the righteousness of the nation and its people that could turn the flames of war into smoke.

(End of this chapter)