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

Shi Feiyang's tattered robes fluttered in the wind as he watched the ice phoenix in Guo Fu's palm gradually melt, water droplets dripping onto the hem of her pale yellow skirt, like spring rain in Luoyang. He used his unparalleled lightness skill, "Leaving No Trace for a Thousand Miles," his tattered robes merging into the eastern morning light, leaving only one sentence drifting in the wind: "After I finish dealing with matters in Luoyang, I will return to accompany Miss in guarding Xiangyang."

Guo Fu's Qingfeng sword suddenly pointed towards the eastern morning light, the tassel fluttering in the wind as if in response to his promise.

Huang Rong's dog-beating stick tapped out a cheerful rhythm on the city wall, the tip of which held the head of a Mongol soldier. "Brother Jing, it seems we need to send someone to Luoyang." Her gaze fell on Guo Fu's red-rimmed eyes, and she suddenly laughed, "Why don't we send Fu'er?" Guo Jing fired his last arrow from his iron bow, piercing the throat of the imposter trying to escape.

He looked at his daughter tightly holding the Ice Phoenix's hand and suddenly remembered the scene of sending Huang Rong to Peach Blossom Island back then.

The rising sun in the east bathed the city walls of Xiangyang in gold, as did the hem of Guo Fu's pale yellow skirt, making her resemble the Luoyang peony in Shi Feiyang's ice sculpture. Shi Feiyang's tattered robes had now reached the mountaintop outside Xiangyang. He glanced back at the blood-soaked city, a smile playing on his lips beneath his tattered straw hat.

He knew that it wouldn't be long before he returned here, back to the girl who was like a fiery rose.

The autumn sun in Luoyang carried the smell of rust, slanting across the broken window frames of "Zui Xian Lou" and casting spiderweb-like shadows on the bluestone slabs on the second floor.

Shi Feiyang twirled a celadon wine cup between his fingers, the chipped rim of the cup cutting his fingertip painfully—this restaurant was originally the "Wangxian Tower" of the Tang Dynasty, where he and Li Ruitong often drank together. Now, the dragon patterns on the carved beams have been gnawed away by time, leaving only some blurry scales.

"Sir, your 'Shaodaozi' is here!" The waiter's tattered apron swept across the table, the dust he kicked up swirling in the beam of light. He then shouted, "Our building may be dilapidated, but our wine is genuine tribute wine from the Western Regions. Even Yang Guifei once..." Before he could finish speaking, he was frozen by Shi Feiyang's gaze—those eyes, reflecting the wine, shimmered with a jade-like hue, much like the legendary "Mingyu Gong" that could freeze metal and stone.

Shi Feiyang's gaze swept over the braised meat on the next table. A half-open plum blossom was carved on the edge of the plate, and he suddenly remembered the embroidery on Mei Qile's sleeve. Three months ago, in the ruins of "Wuwei Gate," this girl's plum blossom dart carried the fragrance of honey, but the tip of the dart was coated with "Soul-Severing Grass," which could kill instantly. It was as beautiful as a thorny rose.

"Young Master Shi?"

A clear, melodious call, like a nightingale's song, shattered the intoxication. Shi Feiyang twirled his wine cup halfway between his fingers, the wine splashing onto his clothes and instantly freezing into tiny ice beads. The woman in green at the next table slowly turned around, a white plum blossom tucked behind her ear—it was Mei Qile—her right hand tightly gripping a three-inch-seven-tenths-inch plum blossom dart. The instant their eyes met, the water clock at Zuixianlou suddenly stopped with a "click."

Mei Qile's green skirt swept across the stool legs, and the resulting breeze made Shi Feiyang's scattered hair flutter.

The air between the two seemed to freeze into ice, then suddenly melt into scalding hot wine—she remembered those eyes; in the firelight of the "Wuwei Sect," those icy gazes had frozen three elders into ice sculptures.

Shi Feiyang exclaimed with delight, "Miss Mei!"

He ran his fingers across the ice on the wine glass, smearing the character "Tang" into a jumble of lines, and asked with concern, "How have you been?" His black armor was hidden in a deerskin bag, and he was wearing a moon-white brocade robe. The jade belt around his waist was a gift from Li Yuan, and the dragon pattern on the buckle was polished to a shine.

Mei Qile's plum blossom dart clattered onto the table, the cold light of its tip reflecting on her pale face. She asked excitedly, "Why is Young Master Shi here?" Her fingertips brushed against her left sleeve, where the wound was still throbbing. She said sadly, "My father said that 'Dragon Armor Hero' should have been ennobled in Xiangyang long ago."

Shi Feiyang's wine pot suddenly tilted, and the wine condensed into ice arrows in mid-air, which he then shattered with his fingertips.

He countered with a question: "A title of nobility?" As he chuckled, the muscles beneath his brocade robe rippled slightly, and the ice patterns on his black armor seemed to pierce through his clothes. He said sadly, "Generals of the Great Tang Dynasty never accept titles or honors from foreign tribes."

Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves came from downstairs, three times lighter than the Mongol cavalry, but carrying an even more pungent smell of blood. Mei Qile's ears twitched—her skill of "distinguishing weapons by sound" was unparalleled in the Plum Blossom Gang, allowing her to discern the weight of the opponent's weapon from the sound of horses' hooves.

She said urgently, "They are from the 'Black Wind Cult'." She gripped her plum blossom dart again, the tip pointing towards the stairwell, and explained, "They are looking for a man wearing a moon-white brocade robe."

Shi Feiyang's gaze pierced through the floorboards and landed downstairs. Seventeen men in black had wolf-head belts wrapped around their waists, and the spurs on their boots were engraved with Mongolian script, clearly indicating that they were an assassin organization kept by the Mongols.

The burly man at the head was carrying a human head in his hand, and the tassel of the Beggars' Sect's Dog-Beating Stick was still wrapped around his hair – he was a disciple sent by Lu Youjiao to Luoyang to make contact.

Shi Feiyang calmly said, "They are looking for me." His brocade robe suddenly billowed, and the force of his Mingyu Gong made the wine pots on the table jump up. He then casually added, "If Miss Mei is afraid of being implicated, she may leave first."

Mei Qile's green skirt suddenly swirled up, like a blooming white plum blossom blocking his way, and she asked in return, "Young Master Shi, have you forgotten the kindness of the Wuwei Sect?" Her plum blossom dart spun three times between her fingers, the honey fragrance at the tip mixed with the smell of poisonous herbs, and she said firmly, "Although the Plum Blossom Gang is small, it knows the meaning of 'a drop of water in need'."

Suddenly, the wooden planks at the top of the stairs shattered, and seventeen men in black swarmed up to the second floor like bats. The burly leader's "Black Wind Palm," reeking of corpses, struck Shi Feiyang's face. The sand particles in the palm wind condensed into black beads in mid-air—this was "Bone-Rotting Sand" from the Western Regions, which would cause immediate decay upon contact.

Shi Feiyang swung his palms, unleashing the "Transferring Flowers and Jade" divine skill. He drew a circle in his sleeve, and the palm wind suddenly changed direction, diverting the burly man's "Black Wind Palm" towards his junior brother behind him. Before the man in black could even scream, half of his face had turned into pus and blood, splattering onto Mei Qile's green skirt, resembling a red plum blossom blooming in the snow.

Mei Qile exclaimed, "What a brilliant use of leverage!" The plum blossom darts flew out of his hand, three darts arranged in a "品" shape, piercing the throats of two men in black. The red tassels at the ends of the darts trembled in the wind. "This move is much more elegant than my father's 'Three Variations on Plum Blossom'!"

Shi Feiyang unleashed the "Hundred Victories Blade Technique" – "Slaying the Mortal World" – with both palms. The blade energy carved an icy line across the floor, severing the remaining fourteen men in black at the waist. In the instant blood splattered, his "Bright Jade Skill" condensed the blood droplets into blood crystals in mid-air. Then, Shi Feiyang used his sleeve to sweep the crystals down, hurling them towards the twenty men in black who were swarming forward. The blood crystals pierced their throats, and their corpses piled up like a small mountain.

Mei Qile's left sleeve was suddenly torn by flying bone fragments, revealing a white cloth wrapped around her underneath, with blood seeping out from beneath. Shi Feiyang gently brushed his long sleeve across her wound, and the moment the icy energy was injected, the blood droplets froze into red ice. He said with concern, "Miss's injury has not yet healed."

Mei Qile said dismissively, "What's a little injury like this?" Her fingertips lightly touched his tattered sleeve, where the dust of Zuixianlou still clung, and she teased, "Young Master Shi, you look like a king when you wear brocade robes, but like a chivalrous knight in tattered clothes. Which one is the real you?"

Shi Feiyang's gaze fell on the Mongolian soldiers' flag downstairs, the wolf-headed banner gleaming fiercely in the autumn sun.

He said meaningfully, "It is, and it is not." Then he reached out and put his arm around Mei Qile's waist, and whispered in her ear, "This place is not safe to stay for long." He then took her in his arms and flew out through the broken window, and the two landed in the alley behind Zuixianlou.

Suddenly, the ring on Shi Feiyang's left middle finger felt warm. The aura of the two fairies, Bai Lingniao and Bi Yan'er, from the Divine Dragon Pagoda on the ring wafted out, carrying the fragrance of lotus from the Jade Pool. He really wanted to go into the Divine Dragon Pagoda and have a good time with Bai Lingniao and Bi Yan'er, but then he suddenly remembered what Li Ruitong often said: a man's secrets are like a sword in its sheath, and the sharp edge should not be seen by a woman.

At this moment, shouts from Mongol soldiers came from the end of the alley. Shi Feiyang then grabbed Mei Qile and ran quickly toward Luoyang Palace, saying as he ran, "Let's go to Zichen Hall, there's a secret passage there." He wasn't afraid of the Mongol soldiers, but rather afraid that Mei Qile would be injured by them.

The broken pillars of Luoyang Palace stood like silent giants in the twilight. Shi Feiyang walked towards the Zichen Hall on the broken bricks. The glazed tiles crushed by his boots shimmered blue in the moonlight—the "Seas and Cliffs" pattern from the time of Empress Wu Zetian, which he had personally laid on the Danbi steps, but now only fragments remained.

Mei Xile's green skirt brushed against the overgrown weeds, and the dew on the grass blades condensed into ice beads at the hem of her skirt.

She asked in surprise, "Is this the imperial palace of the Tang Dynasty?" Her fingertips traced the sword marks on the broken pillar, left by An Lushan's rebel army, the edges of which had been worn smooth by the years. She then exclaimed with emotion, "It is much more magnificent than the headquarters of our Plum Blossom Gang."

Shi Feiyang's long sleeves swept over the broken stele inscribed with the two characters "Zhenguan," and he couldn't help but say sadly, "What's the use of grandeur? In the end, it was still torn to pieces by later generations." Suddenly, the black armor flew out of the deerskin bag and automatically put on his body, the dragon patterns in the ice patterns were lifelike in the moonlight.

Mei Qile's eyes gleamed as she exclaimed in surprise, "This is the 'Dragon Armor Warrior's' armor?" Just as her fingertips were about to touch the ice patterns, Shi Feiyang grabbed her wrist, and the icy energy traveled along her pulse points, forcing back the chilling energy of the plum blossom dart in her palm.

Shi Feiyang explained, "The ice patterns on this armor will devour a person's internal energy." When she released her hand, a ring of white frost had already formed on her wrist. She said sadly, "Back then, the palace maids of Yihua Palace turned into ice sculptures because they touched it."

Mei Qile suddenly burst out laughing, her green dress twirling in the moonlight.

She said jokingly, "Is Young Master Shi worried that I'll steal your martial arts? If I, Mei Qile, wanted to harm anyone, why would I wait until today?"

Shi Feiyang's gaze swept across the distant palace wall. Three warriors dressed in the attire of the Dali Duan family were scaling the wall, their jade pendants engraved with the four characters "fisherman, woodcutter, farmer, and scholar"—they were spies sent by Duan Zhixing, and he had seen the same jade pendant three months ago outside Xiangyang City.

He warned, "The spies from Dali have also arrived." The Seven Star Sword popped out of the deerskin bag, and the red silk tassel of the sword wrapped around Mei Qile's wrist. He said angrily, "What they want is the head of 'Dragon Armor Hero' in exchange for the Mongols' control of the Tea Horse Road."

Mei Qile suddenly shot his plum blossom dart towards the shadows of the palace wall, angrily saying, "My father said that Duan Zhixing is the most hypocritical, outwardly helping the Song Dynasty while secretly trading with the Mongols. Today, let them witness the power of the plum blossom dart!"

The three Dali warriors simultaneously unleashed their "One-Finger Divine Skill," their fingers drawing three golden streaks in the moonlight that shot towards Shi Feiyang's chest.

Shi Feiyang used his "Transferring Flowers and Jade" skill, and with a flick of his wrist, the Dali warrior's finger strikes suddenly changed direction, splitting the incense burner at the corner of the hall into pieces.

They drew their swords, and Shi Feiyang unleashed the "Mountain Splitting" move of the "Hundred Victories Sword Technique" with both palms. Crack! Three Dali warriors were cut in half at the waist, their blood splattering onto the broken "Zhenguan" stele, staining the last stroke of the character "Guan" red.

Mei Qile exclaimed, "Truly a model of 'destruction before construction'!" Her green skirt suddenly wrapped around the leg of the last warrior, using the force to leap into the air. She slapped his Baihui acupoint with her right palm and said jokingly, "This move is called 'Plum Shadow Slanting,' and it was taught to me by my mother."

Looking at her, Shi Feiyang suddenly remembered Li Ruitong's silver thread.

Back in the jujube forest, Li Ruitong did the same, using incomplete techniques to unleash the most lethal strikes. His Xuanjia Ice Pattern suddenly glowed red, a prelude to "Emperor's Heavenly Thunder"—the shouts of Mongol cavalry came from afar, at least five hundred men were rushing towards the palace.

Shi Feiyang whispered, "Let's take the secret passage." He pulled Mei Qile towards the dry well behind the palace. There, the wellhead was covered with a stone slab engraved with the three characters "Wu Zetian." He then explained, "This was dug by Princess Taiping back then, and it leads to Mangshan outside the city."

The stone steps in the dry well were covered with moss, and Mei Qile's green skirt kept getting caught on them. Shi Feiyang's tattered sleeve cleared the way ahead, the icy air freezing the moss into ice crystals, making it easier to step on. He asked with concern, "Where is your Plum Blossom Gang headquarters? I'll take you back."

Mei Qile's voice suddenly lowered, her fingers twisting the hem of her skirt, her expression somber as she said, "It was burned down by the Mongols long ago. My father... my father was killed by the Black Wind Cult. Before he died, he told me to find 'Dragon Armor Hero,' saying that only you can preserve the foundation of the Plum Blossom Gang."

Shi Feiyang paused, the tassel of the Seven Star Sword brushing against her cheek. He said sadly, "I can't even protect my own country, how can I protect your gang? You should go find Guo Jing, he is the one who can protect the world."

Mei Qile, however, said with hopeful eyes, "But my father said," her fingertips gripping his sleeve as if grasping a lifeline, "that in the Wuwei Sect, there are only two kinds of people who can kill three thousand people—one is a demon, and the other is a savior. Young Master Shi, you..." Her voice trembled with tears, then she added teasingly, "You're not a demon, are you?"

Shi Feiyang remained silent, unable to make a decision for the time being. Losing his country and the world had indeed made him lack courage. The light at the end of the secret passage suddenly dimmed, and the torches of the Mongol soldiers shone at the exit, where twenty archers were facing the well opening.

Shi Feiyang unleashed the "Demon-Slaying Cloud" technique from the "Hundred Victories Blade Technique" with both palms. The ice waves stirred up by the blade froze the rain of arrows. He then used the "Flower Shifting and Jade Grafting" divine skill to redirect the arrows towards the Mongol soldiers themselves. Their screams echoed in the secret passage like the wailing of ghosts.

Mei Qile's plum blossom dart flew out, accurately piercing the archer's wrist. She then said mockingly, "This move is called 'Falling Petals,' my father's signature move." Her left sleeve was torn by the arrow, revealing the scar underneath. She said shyly, "Young Master Shi, look, isn't it ugly?"

Shi Feiyang's long sleeve brushed against her scar, the icy air freezing the gruesome wound into a pale pink. He remarked with emotion, "In our Great Tang, scars are the badges of honor for warriors." His gaze fell upon Mangshan Mountain outside the secret passage, where the pine trees swayed in the wind, resembling the military formations of the Tang Dynasty. He then declared domineeringly, "From today onward, you are the leader of the Plum Blossom Gang. With me protecting you, go ahead and do as you please!"

Mei Qile's eyes suddenly reddened, just like white plum blossoms wet with rain. She asked in a trembling voice, "Will Young Master Shi stay to help me?" She twirled her plum blossom dart three times between her fingers, then quietly put it away. She said sadly, "I know you have someone else in your heart, but... but as long as I can be by your side, that's enough."

Suddenly, a piece of armor blade popped out of Shi Feiyang's black armor bag and landed in Mei Qile's palm.

He said tenderly, "Keep this safe; it can protect you from swords." Then, he used his unparalleled lightness skill, "Leaving No Trace for a Thousand Miles," to drift into the depths of Mangshan. His brocade robe was just a black dot in the moonlight, but his voice could be heard from afar: "Wait for me at the 'Wangmei Pavilion' in Mangshan in three days. I will take you to see someone."

Mei Qile held the nail plate in her hand and suddenly noticed a small plum blossom engraved on it. The chill within the icy patterns carried a faint honey fragrance—just like the white plum blossom tucked in her hair. She pressed the nail plate to her chest, her green skirt billowing in the wind, and chased after the direction where Shi Feiyang had disappeared, crying out in a sob, "Young Master Shi, wait for me!"

……

The "Wangmei Pavilion" in Mangshan is a stone pavilion with the poem "Sparse shadows slant across the clear, shallow water" inscribed on its pillars. It was written by Shi Feiyang when he accompanied Li Ruitong to appreciate the plum blossoms. Now, the writing has been eroded by wind and rain, leaving only a blurred outline.

Shi Feiyang sat on a stone bench in the pavilion, with two jars of "Shaodaozi" (a type of strong liquor) in front of him. One jar was prepared for Mei Qile, and the other was for himself—he hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time. Mei Qile's green dress appeared in the morning mist. Shi Feiyang used his "Mingyu Gong" (a martial arts technique) to freeze the wine jar, turning the liquor into ice wine.

Her left sleeve had been replaced with a new one, embroidered with a blooming red plum blossom, clearly sewn overnight.

She ran up to Shi Feiyang and asked excitedly, "Young Master Shi, have you been waiting for a long time?"

Shi Feiyang smiled and said, "Just arrived." He then pushed the iced wine toward her. A plum blossom was engraved on the ice pattern on the wine jar. He gestured and said, "Come on, try this. It's stronger than the wine from Zuixianlou."

Mei Qile's fingertips had barely touched the wine jar when the icy air made him pull his hand back. He exclaimed, "Young Master Shi's martial arts are truly becoming more and more advanced."

Her plum blossom dart suddenly landed on the stone table, its tip pointing towards the woods outside the pavilion. She whispered, "Someone is following us."

Seven dark figures darted out of the woods, led by a lama dressed in Tibetan attire, whose skull prayer beads clicked.

He threatened, "Dragon Armor Hero, hand over Mei Qile, and I'll spare your life."

He then unleashed the "Great Handprint," slamming it onto the stone table, instantly causing the surface to crack with spiderweb-like patterns.

Shi Feiyang unleashed the "Viewing the Vast Ocean" move from the "Hundred Victories Saber Technique" with both palms to meet the attack. The saber energy collided with the palm wind, sending up a shower of ice shards and bone dust. He recognized the lama as the junior brother of the Golden Wheel Monk. Years ago, outside Xiangyang City, he had seen him kill three Beggar Clan disciples with the "Great Handprint."

So he said jokingly, "The Tibetans are joining in the fun too? Your Dharma King suffered a defeat in Xiangyang, so you come here to bully little girls?"

The lama's "Great Handprint" suddenly turned towards Mei Xile, and he said angrily, "This girl's Plum Blossom Gang is hiding secret letters from the Great Song Dynasty. I, the Buddha, must take them back to the Great Khan." The sinister aura in his palm wind caused the plum blossom carvings on the pavilion pillars to wither.

Mei Xile fired her plum blossom darts simultaneously, the three darts forming a "three stars gazing at the moon" formation, aiming for the lama's brow. The "heartbreak grass" tips of the darts gleamed green in the sunlight. She angrily cursed, "My father was killed by you barbarian dogs!"

Shi Feiyang swiftly used his "Transferring Flowers and Jade" divine skill, redirecting the lama's palm strike towards his own chest. The lama screamed and flew backward, a hole appearing in his chest, his internal organs shattered by the force of his own palm strike. The remaining six Tibetan warriors, just as they were about to rush forward, were struck by Shi Feiyang's "Shocking Calamity," their bodies instantly frozen into ice sculptures, then disintegrating into countless fragments.

Mei Qile's green skirt was splashed with ice shards, but she was completely unaware of it. She just stared into Shi Feiyang's eyes and asked suspiciously, "Young Master Shi, who exactly are you?" Her fingertips traced the ice wine jar on the stone table, and the ice patterns there suddenly revealed the words "Great Tang". She then said seriously, "You are neither a beggar nor a knight-errant, right?" Shi Feiyang's black armor suddenly flew out of the deerskin bag and unfolded outside the pavilion. The dragon patterns in the ice patterns were lifelike in the sunlight, as if they were about to ride the clouds.

He said sincerely, "I am Shi Feiyang, the former Emperor Emeritus of the Tang Dynasty." After saying that, he threw out the Seven Star Sword and stuck it in the center of the stone table. The red silk tassel of the sword was wrapped around Mei Qile's plum blossom dart. He then said sadly, "I am also a sinner who lost the country."

Mei Qile's wine jar suddenly fell to the ground, the sound of the iced wine shattering echoing in the pavilion: "The Emperor?" She suddenly laughed, her green skirt swirling in the wind, and said excitedly, "I knew it! No swordsman could use 'Transplanting Flowers and Jade' with such a dragon aura."

Shi Feiyang's long sleeve brushed against the top of her head as he asked, "Now that you know, aren't you afraid?" His gaze fell on the distant Mongol camp, where wisps of smoke were rising, and he sighed, "Following me will only bring you death."

Mei Qile insisted, "My father said," her fingertips grasping his black armor, the ice patterns melting in her palm, "that men who achieve great things all possess a compassionate spirit. Young Master Shi, look," she pointed to the plum trees outside the pavilion, those plum trees blooming in the autumn sun, which Shi Feiyang had urged to bloom using the Mingyu Technique, and then said tenderly, "even the flowers are willing to make an exception for you, why shouldn't I?"

Shi Feiyang said thoughtfully, "Let's set up the Plum Blossom Gang's headquarters in the Zichen Palace." He picked up a shard of ice wine with his Seven Star Sword and said domineeringly, "I will have Lu Youjiao of the Beggars' Gang send some disciples to assist us. If the Mongol soldiers dare to come, I will bury them alive."

Mei Qile's plum blossom darts suddenly wrapped around his sword tassel, and she said reluctantly, "What about you, Young Master Shi?" Her eyes sparkled like a star-studded night sky, and she asked sadly, "Are you going back to Xiangyang to find Miss Guo Fu?"

Shi Feiyang's gaze lingered on the poem inscribed on the pavilion pillar, where the character for "shadow" was now blurred. He spoke cryptically, "Xiangyang is guarded by Guo Jing, but Luoyang needs someone. I promised someone I'd wait for her at the Zichen Palace, but now..."

“But you have more important things to do now.” Mei Qile’s green dress drew near his brocade robe, their shadows overlapping on the stone table. She said softly, “I’ll help you guard Luoyang, and when Miss Guo Fu arrives, I’ll personally hand you over to her, how about that?”

Shi Feiyang's fingertips gently stroked her hair, where white plum blossoms were covered with morning dew, the icy air condensing the dewdrops into sparkling diamonds.

He nodded and said, "Alright. I'll be right back and wipe out the remnants of the Black Wind Cult for you." With that, he used his unparalleled "Thousand Miles Without Leaving a Trace" lightness skill to merge into the air and disappear instantly.

Mei Qile stood in the Wangmei Pavilion, watching his figure disappear into the depths of Mangshan Mountain. Suddenly, she noticed a plum blossom carved from ice in the ice wine jar on the stone table, with a tiny character "缘" (fate/destiny) engraved on its petals.

She held the plum blossom in her palm, her green dress swirling in the wind, and shouted loudly towards Luoyang City, "Young Master Shi, I'll be waiting for you to come back!"

In a distant Mongolian camp, the five wheels of the Golden Wheel Monk gleamed golden in the sunlight. He examined the portrait brought by his spies—Shi Feiyang's black armor stood like an ice sculpture monument amidst the ruins of the Zichen Palace, with a girl in a green dress standing beside him, a white plum blossom tucked into her hair.

The Dharma King suddenly crushed the teacup in his hand with his copper wheel and said viciously, "Tell the remnants of the Black Wind Cult that at midnight tonight, we will massacre the Luoyang Palace." At this moment, Shi Feiyang was standing on the roof of the Black Wind Cult's headquarters. He casually flicked out dozens of sword energies, which pierced the throats of dozens of patrolling cult members.

Then, Shi Feiyang unleashed the "Mountain Splitting" technique of the Hundred Victories Saber Technique, shattering the vermilion gate of the Black Wind Cult's headquarters. His moon-white brocade robe, damp with the scent of the Luo River, strode in with an air of dominance. Inside the main hall, on each of the thirty-six dragon-carved pillars, were bound the bodies of three Beggar Clan disciples. Their collarbones were pierced by iron hooks, and blood flowed along the dragon patterns on the pillars, gathering into winding streams on the blue bricks—these were righteous men abducted from the Luoyang branch of the Beggar Clan after the Black Wind Cult colluded with the Mongols.

The cult leader, Helian Tanbo, angrily questioned, "Where did this madman come from!" His "Black Wind Palm" slammed onto the incense table, and the bronze cauldron on the table suddenly shattered, with fragments and sparks shooting towards Shi Feiyang's face. His palm was emanating black energy, clearly indicating that he had reached the ninth level of "Black Wind Corroding Bones." Wherever his palm wind passed, even the hard sandalwood turned into charcoal.

Shi Feiyang's "Transferring Flowers and Jade" technique flowed within his sleeve. The shards, barely touching his clothes, suddenly veered back, shooting towards the right-hand vice-leader, Murong Xie, like bats returning to their nests. This short, stout man, skilled in "Poison Sand Palm," was filling his weapon pouch with poison sand when, caught off guard, the shard pierced his throat. Dark purple blood gushed from the corner of his mouth, and his obese body crashed into the offering table. The embers in the incense burner ignited his robes, instantly turning him into a human torch.

"Junior Brother Murong!" Elder Zuo Shangguan Jinzhu's "Golden Ring Blade" was suddenly drawn, and the crisp sound of the blade rings clashing together caused the candlelight in the hall to flicker.

His "Impenetrable Blade" protected Helian Tanbo's left side. The net of blade light was so dense that even a mosquito couldn't get through. He also warned, "This fiend is using the evil magic of the Flower Shifting Palace. Be careful, Master!"

Shi Feiyang's "Mingyu Gong" reached the "Supreme Forgetfulness of Ice Soul Cold Prison" realm, and the skin under his moon-white brocade robe turned a transparent jade color, and the surrounding air instantly condensed into white mist.

He unleashed the "Shocking Calamity" divine skill, his icy gaze sweeping over the ninety-two cultists charging at the forefront. Their eyeballs suddenly burst, and then their bodies disintegrated, shattering into countless ice shards.

Helian Tanbo asked in horror, "What kind of evil magic is this?" He unleashed the "Black Wind Palm," stirring up a river of blood on the ground. The palm wind, carrying pieces of corpses, slammed towards Shi Feiyang, and roared, "I'll see whether your ice is harder or my wind is fiercer!"

Shi Feiyang's Mingyu Skill instinctively protected him, erecting an ice wall in front of him. Helian Tanbo's palm strike slammed into the ice wall in front of Shi Feiyang, and blood droplets exploded on the ice surface, condensing into eerie red plum blossoms.

Shi Feiyang roared, "You villain, you colluded with the Mongol soldiers to harm the people of the Central Plains! How can such a shameless person have the face to live in this world?" He unleashed the "Demon-Slaying Cloud" technique of the "Hundred Victories Blade Technique" with both palms. The icy waves stirred up by the sharp blade energy collided with the Black Wind Palm. Suddenly, the dome of the hall cracked open, and moonlight poured down, illuminating the Mongol wolf-head flag hanging on the beam.

His boot tip lightly touched the blood-soaked ground, displaying the mysterious lightness skill of "Concealing One's Body and Name," moving like a ghost among the believers. Wherever his moon-white brocade robe swept, it left behind strings of ice beads. The believers who touched them all screamed and fell to the ground, their meridians frozen and cracked by the icy air.

Gongsun Tu's "Yin-Yang Finger" struck Shi Feiyang's "Mingmen" acupoint on his lower back. The finger strike contained both yin and yang forces, a variation of Ouyang Feng's "Toad Skill." When his fingertip was three inches away from the acupoint, it was entangled by ice silk that flew out from Shi Feiyang's sleeve—silver threads from the "Heavenly Silkworm Skill," which burrowed into Gongsun Tu's meridians through the gap between his fingers, instantly freezing his internal energy into a block of ice.

"Ah—" Gongsun Tu's ten fingers suddenly burst open, and bone fragments mixed with ice shards flew everywhere. He was then cut in half by Shi Feiyang's "Slaying the Mortal World" sword energy. His mutilated body crashed into the dragon pillar, and blood dripped down the dragon's mouth, forming a small pool of blood on the ground.

Seeing the situation was dire, Helian Tanbo suddenly activated a mechanism under the incense table, causing a secret passage, about ten feet wide, to crack open in the floor of the main hall. Poisonous mist, carrying the stench of rotting flesh, billowed out from within. Eighteen core disciples of the Black Wind Sect leaped out of the passage, each wielding a two-foot-long bone blade. The serrated edges of the blades were coated with dark green venom—these were "Bone-Corroding Blades," crafted from the shinbones of living people mixed with a rare poison from the Western Regions.

"Let him see the power of the 'Eighteen Black Wind Fiends'!" Helian Tanbo roared, unleashing the "Black Wind Palm" and striking the rock wall of the secret passage. Arrows from the hidden compartments fired in unison, their tips gleaming blue in the poisonous mist.

Using the poisonous fog as cover, he retreated deeper into the secret passage leading to the Mongol army camp.

Shi Feiyang unleashed his "Transferring Flowers and Jade" divine skill, drawing a circle in front of him with both palms. The crossbow bolts and bone blades suddenly changed direction, and the eighteen fiends were instantly pierced by their own weapons. The venom on the bone blades splattered onto their faces, causing their skin to rapidly ulcerate and reveal their stark white bones.

Shi Feiyang's moon-white brocade robe unfurled in the poisonous fog. The chilling aura of his Mingyu Gong condensed the fog into ice crystals, and strings of icicles hung from the top of the secret passage, resembling the icicles of the Tang Dynasty palace. He roared, "Helian, you old dog, don't even think about escaping!" He then used his miraculous "Deeds Done, Departure" lightness skill to follow closely behind, unleashing the "Severing the Horizon" technique of the Hundred Victories Blade Technique with both palms, shattering the stone door blocking his path. From the cells on both sides of the secret passage came the groans of Beggar Clan disciples. Their tendons had been severed, yet they still roared with all their might, "Kill this dog!"

Helian Tanbo's "Black Wind Palm" suddenly attacked from the shadows, carrying three poisoned bone-piercing nails aimed directly at Shi Feiyang's heart. Shi Feiyang swung his palms, unleashing the "Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms" technique, "The Regretful Dragon." The shockwave from the collision of the fierce palm wind and the Black Wind Palm caused the secret passage to tremble precariously. The bone-piercing nails were deflected by the force of the palm strike and embedded themselves in the wooden bars of the nearby prison cell, the iron locks instantly corroded into powder by the poison.

Helian Tanbo asked in alarm, "Who exactly are you?"

As he spoke, the palm strikes became increasingly chaotic. He realized that his opponent's internal energy seemed inexhaustible. Every time his "Black Wind Corroding Bones" palm strike landed, it was bounced back by a burst of icy energy. His meridians were already aching slightly. He threatened again, "The Mongol Khan will not let you go!"

Shi Feiyang snorted coldly, and the "Shocking Calamity" divine skill was activated in response. His icy gaze pierced through Helian Tanbo's protective true qi and struck his dantian directly.

The Black Wind Cult Leader suddenly let out a pig-like scream. His clothes at his dantian instantly froze, and the meridians under his skin cracked like a spider web. He pointed at Shi Feiyang, trying to say something, but could only make a "ho ho" sound in his throat before turning into ice shards all over the ground—even his bones were frozen into powder.

Suddenly, a bell rang from the tower at the end of the secret passage, a signal for the Black Wind Sect to summon its outer disciples. Shi Feiyang used his profound "Hidden Body and Name" lightness skill to ascend the tower wall by stepping on the brick seams. His moon-white brocade robe unfurled in the night wind, making him resemble a giant white bird.

On the rooftop terrace of the tower, Elder Zuo, Shangguan Jinzhu, was slashing at the hanging bronze bell with her "Golden Ring Blade," the sound of which echoed through Luoyang, causing the dogs in the city to bark incessantly. Shi Feiyang said mockingly, "You are no match for me!" He unleashed the "Burning Heaven and Earth" technique from his "Hundred Victories Blade Technique," the sharp blade energy carrying flames slashing out and colliding with Shangguan Jinzhu's ring blade. The sparks that flew ignited the wooden eaves of the tower.

The elder's "Impenetrable Blade" lived up to its reputation. The blade ring in his hand spun out layers of blade curtains, completely deflecting Shi Feiyang's blade energy. The crisp sound of the blade ring colliding even drowned out the sound of the bell.

Shangguan Jinzhu roared, "If you have the guts, take my 'Mother and Child Linked Blades'!" The two golden ring blades suddenly separated, one aimed straight at Shi Feiyang's face, while the other circled around behind him, the barbs on the blade rings gleaming coldly.

This was his trump card, a move he had used to kill three Shaolin monks years ago.

Shi Feiyang used his "Transferring Flowers and Jade" skill, drawing an arc between the enemy's two swords with both palms. His left hand deflected the sword in front, while his right hand used the "Heavenly Silkworm Skill" silver thread to wrap around the sword ring behind him. He suddenly brought the two swords together in the middle, and Shangguan Jinzhu felt a sharp pain in her wrist. The two swords crossed on their own, and the sword ring gripped her neck tightly.

Shangguan Jinzhu gasped for breath, stammering, "Impossible!" Her eyes widened as she watched her golden ring knife embed itself deeply into her throat, blood dripping down the grooves of the ring and pooling into a small pool on the terrace.

He never understood why his signature skill would backfire on him until his death.

More than three thousand Black Wind Cult disciples who came to provide assistance have gathered in the plaza below the tower.

Seeing that their leader and elders were all dead, they rushed towards the tower like madmen, their swords, spears, and halberds gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

Shi Feiyang said contemptuously, "You dogs, what use are more people? They're just adding more piles of ashes!" He then used the "Hundred Victories Blade Technique" to "View the Vast Ocean," using his palm as a blade. The sharp blade energy stirred up ice waves that poured down like a tide, and the square instantly turned into an ice field.

More than three thousand believers were frozen in their running postures, some raising their knives to strike, others roaring with their eyes wide open, but all turned into eternal ice sculptures.

Shi Feiyang stood beside the bronze bell at the top of the tower, his moon-white brocade robe now stained purplish-black with blood.

He unleashed the "Slaying the Mortal World" technique from the Hundred Victories Swordplay with both palms. Boom! Crack! Crack! A series of heart-wrenching, ear-piercing sounds rang out as over three thousand cultists shattered into countless ice shards. From the direction of Luoyang, a rooster crowed, and the first rays of dawn pierced the clouds, illuminating the ice sculptures in the square, their reflected light more dazzling than the glazed tiles of the Tang Dynasty. (End of Chapter)