Minglong

Chapter 295 Sir, is that you?

Thunder and fire filled the sky, turning the endless snow-capped peaks into daylight.

Even when they were still more than a hundred miles away, Xie Jinhuan could see the firelight and thunderclouds in the mountains in the distance, and the weight in his heart was lifted a little.

As long as there is still movement, it at least means that Sect Leader Lu has not yet returned to the Blood God. However, it is quite unusual for two sect leaders to fight for so long in a tug-of-war.

Logically speaking, aside from encountering Buddhist monks who deliberately stall for time, other schools, regardless of their rank, can be defeated by a single mistake if their strengths are roughly equal.

The fact that the Taoists and martial artists could fight to this extent means that the martial artists have an absolute advantage. The Taoists are trying to find opportunities by using their movement techniques to hold their ground. If the Taoists had the upper hand, they could unleash a powerful combo from a great distance, making it difficult for the martial artists to force their way in.

After Xie Jinhuan entered the Super Grade realm, he gradually discovered through multiple encounters that there were significant restraint relationships between the various schools of thought. For example, the Buddhist school could completely suppress the Wizard as long as they didn't encounter someone like the abbot of Fanyun Temple who was just a charlatan. The Wizard had almost no other means to restrain them except to run away.

A martial artist follows a balanced path, posing no disadvantage against any school of martial arts. However, their weakness lies in their short reach and weak spirit in the early stages, making them easily susceptible to the manipulation and seduction of Taoist sects and witchcraft cults. It is estimated that only when they reach the sixth realm, 'Fuying,' which is the state of perfect mastery where all their lifelong learning is integrated and complete, and their physique, spirit, skills, and temperament are flawless, can they truly be fearless against anyone.

Xie Jinhuan sacrificed two fellow Daoists in succession, one of whom was a high-quality sacrifice, Xu Tong. His strength has advanced by leaps and bounds, and he has already stepped into the late stage of the fourth realm. However, he is still too far from the sixth realm, and the path from the Super Grade to the Immortal Ascension is the most difficult part.

Therefore, if you want to gain an absolute advantage before reaching the sixth realm and not appear as a weakling, you still need to work on your skills.

During his recent travels and rest periods, Xie Jinhuan has also been working on improving his "Joyful Heart Sutra, Part 2". Currently, he has made adaptive upgrades to features such as Youlong Panshan, Tilong Wujiu, and Panlong Henggang, all designed for the Superior Environment, but this is still not enough.

To have a way to deal with any school of thought, he must make use of his strength in "sprinkling candles in turn" and learn a little bit of everything.

Shang Lianbi has always pursued mastery of the five religions, and his goal is obviously the same as his: to prepare to take on the whole world alone. Otherwise, relying on only one religion would make him very vulnerable to being targeted. For example, the immortal artifacts such as the Corpse Ancestor, the Zheng Lun Sword, and the Xiang Wang Token were tailor-made for the Corpse Ancestor.

However, before that, we still need to satisfy our thirst for blood.

Xie Jinhuan had already taken the "Slightly Serious Pill," but he still couldn't quite control himself. Part of the reason he left in a hurry was because he saw Bing Tuozi and couldn't hold back anymore.

During the journey, he could clearly feel the tides of desire. At times, an extremely strong impulse would surge up, wanting to run back and stack the two pairs of masters and disciples on top of each other, and then wanting to run to Northern Zhou to pick up Da Duoduo, who always gave him benefits...

If this continues, Xie Jinhuan feels that the possibility of him saying "Wow, let the world feel pain" is unlikely, but it is more likely that he will make all the girls in the city soar to the clouds.

Historically, demons are only known for massacring entire cities. If one were to go mad and 'dig a hole in a city,' he might be remembered for eternity. Whenever we talk about evil demons, we always have to mention them...

Lost in these thoughts, Xie Jinhuan had already approached the firelight deep in the mountains. He was worried that Lu Wuzhen had been lured into a trap, so he also had to be wary of someone hiding in the shadows.

Because of the great distance, Xie Jinhuan descended into the mountains and walked close to the ground. Halfway there, he discovered a fearless eagle floating in the night sky nearby.

Xie Jinhuan was taken aback when he saw this. After confirming that it was his personal maid, he beckoned, and then Coal Ball fell down and landed on his shoulder. It started shaking its head and muttering, probably meaning—good job! That old Taoist priest is so ungrateful, sending a message from so far away and making the bird go on a hunger strike...

Xie Jinhuan raised his hand and rubbed the coal ball that had been flying around all night, then cautiously approached a snow-covered ridge and looked around, before being startled.

Under Lu Wuzhen's command, the Yin-Yang Ruler transformed the surrounding mountains within a ten-mile radius into an extremely Yang forbidden zone. The surface of the land had been melted by the blazing true fire, and several mountain peaks were incomplete, with many broken walls. The gaps were smooth and clearly cut open by the blade, making the scene comparable to a battle between immortals and demons.

This level of confrontation should not have occurred within the territory in the century since the founding of the nation, because the surrounding area was filled with crimson afterglow. Xie Jinhuan couldn't find anyone at first glance, and only after looking around slightly did he find two tiny grains of rice among the battlefield.

One of them wielded twin gleaming swords, possessing a terrifyingly broad and powerful physique, resembling an elite leader of the Flaming Mountains.

The other person's Taoist robe was tattered, and his hair was disheveled, making it difficult to discern any trace of a Taoist master's demeanor. Behind him floated three orbs of red, yellow, and green light, making him appear as if…

Is Tiger Vanguard waiting at a traffic light?

?

Xie Jinhuan frowned, somewhat confused about what this meant, but judging from the two people's condition, Lu Wuzhen was probably not long for this world. His heart sank, and he looked around, trying to come up with a solution.

Coal Ball sensed Ah Huan's intention. It first glanced at the large iron rod in Xie Jinhuan's hand, then at Tiger Vanguard in the distance, and raised its wings to press its head down:

"Gooji!"

The meaning is probably—the bird is still small, don't be impulsive...
-
woohoo...

The scorching air currents distorted and changed the scenery, and the raging flames of the burning city turned the world into a bright light, so much so that those in the midst of it could not distinguish whether it was day or night.

Wei Wuyi's bare shoulders and back were covered in dense mine-laying patterns, yet his entire body was radiating sweat like a war beast. The sharpness in his eyes had not diminished; on the contrary, it had reached its peak during the long battle, even revealing a hint of excitement.
"What half-step seventh realm? You've only managed to hold on until now because you're quick on your feet. If I had known this would happen, why would I have resorted to such evil methods? I should have come knocking on your door thirty years ago."

"call……"

Lu Wuzhen held a Bagua compass in his hand, looking rather disheveled. His rapid breathing indicated that his Qi Sea was about to give out, but his eyes still held an arrogant air.
"I, the head of the Imperial Observatory, spend half my time managing the internal affairs of the sect. You've spent your whole life fighting in the martial world, and in the end, you've only gone half a step further than me. Do you even have the right to spout such nonsense?"

As one of the four most outstanding talents in the Southern Dynasty after the chaos of the Witch Cult, Wei Wuyi has grown up for a century and is now the number one figure in the Southern Dynasty's martial arts world. He has already entered the late stage of the Dragon Soaring Realm and is only one step away from the sixth realm.

However, the gap between major realms is like an insurmountable chasm. He lacks resources and his martial arts have not formed a complete system, which prevents him from taking this step.

Betraying the righteous path and starting to use his half-demon body as capital actually means he has lost hope in martial arts and wants to try to advance through the path of demonic body cultivation.

After all, the demonic path is known for being foolish and fast, and doesn't rely on comprehension. As long as there are enough sacrifices, they can withstand the encirclement and suppression by the righteous path. By simply piling up the numbers, they also have a chance to fill the insurmountable barrier.

Now that his cultivation surpasses his opponent's and he has fully unleashed his half-demon body, Lu Wuzhen hasn't died even after fighting for a long time. Wei Wuyi can only attribute the problem to the Taoist movement techniques and the divine gift of immortal artifacts:
"Without the power of the Extreme Yang Divine Force and the Yin-Yang Ruler, you can't withstand one of my strikes. Even with the help of magical treasures and opportunities, you're already at your limit. How will you parry this next strike?"

The Yin-Yang Ruler's creation of the Extreme Yang Domain allows Lu Wuzhen to utilize the power of heaven and earth without conscious selection, a truly enormous advantage. The divine gifts from the three directions are even more unreasonably powerful. Lu Wuzhen didn't deny this, only responding:

"Losing the fight is a matter of skill, but going down the wrong path is a matter of character. Even if I, Lu Wuzhen, perish here, I will be a martyr for the common people and will be worshipped by incense for generations. But even if you win, from now on you will be nothing more than a stray dog, and all that awaits you is eternal infamy."

"Then I still won. The path of cultivation is based on strength. Without strength, what is there to talk about regarding family, country, and the world?"

"Ha ha……"

Lu Wuzhen stopped arguing, perhaps realizing he was outmatched. He glanced around, clearly implying that as long as he survived, he could always find a way to win.

Wei Wuyi has already taken this step, and from now on he will stand on the opposite side. As long as he kills Lu Wuzhen, he will eliminate one of the leaders of the righteous path, obtain the two heavyweight immortal artifacts, the King's Decree and the Yin-Yang Ruler, and also receive three divine powers as an extra gift.

Compared to that, the losses Xie Jinhuan suffered during this period were completely acceptable. They even gained an advantage, which is why they lured Lu Wuzhen here to ambush him.

But that damn Taoist priest is too good at pretending. With a single sentence, "half-step to the seventh realm," he and the reinforcements dared not advance rashly. Only now, after fighting for so long, have they realized that this Taoist priest is truly a fraud, and he could kill them all by himself.

Seeing that Lu Wuzhen wanted to escape, Wei Wuyi was not worried, after all, if he couldn't catch up, someone would stop him.

Having been entangled for a long time, Wei Wuyi was also worried that Monk Wuxin would arrive. Without further delay, he picked up his twin swords, ready to send his old classmate, with whom he had fought all his life, on his final journey!
But at this tense final moment, Wei Wuyi suddenly sensed something was wrong!

Huhu~
A gentle breeze began to rise among the mountains, carrying a faint sword intent amidst the desolation!
Everyone, both in the light and the dark, turned their gaze away from the battlefield and looked towards the distant mountains to the south, where they saw a figure appear on a snow-capped ridge.

The figure was too far away to see clearly, but with his arms wrapped around his sword and his robes fluttering in the wind, his posture exuded an aura of dominance over the world, just like an unparalleled sword standing on a mountain peak, resisting the heavens and supporting the earth. Even when facing the clash between the sect leaders, he was like a celestial sword immortal looking down on the ants struggling for power!
Below the figure, on the snow-covered slope, were several large characters, their strokes resembling dragons rising from the land, displaying a carefree sword intent that seemed to pierce the very soul.

Without attachment or aversion, one can truly be a free spirit!
"..."

The mountains and plains located on the border of two dynasties instantly turned into a deathly silence where you could hear a pin drop.

Lu Wuzhen, Wei Wuyi, and even the hidden monk Wuxin all stood at attention, filled with awe and respect!

Even in this life-or-death battle, Wei Wuyi subconsciously hid his twin swords behind his waist, just like when he was a child and accidentally bumped into the principal on an inspection tour.

Even the mountain giants hidden in the darkness almost had a heart attack, so frightened that they held their breath!

After all, that posture and that aura are exactly like Ye Sheng in the portrait; how could an ordinary person possibly learn that kind of swagger...

And this line of writing, the brushstrokes are like dragons and snakes, the spirit moves with the will, anyone who has seen Ye Sheng's original work would not be able to mistake it. If Fan Li and Mu Yunling came, they would probably have to kowtow twice on the spot!

Chacha...

Wei Wuyi gazed at the distant mountains, paused for a moment, then dropped both swords to the ground. His arrogant fighting spirit gradually dissipated, and he even showed a hint of dazedness.

Ye Shengzhen came out of retirement for me...

Without attachment or aversion, one can truly be a free spirit...

This is to help me let go of my obsessions and start anew...

Having come this far, how could I possibly turn back...?

……

Lu Wuzhen was also stunned, standing there dumbfounded, staring at the writing on the distant mountain, thinking to himself:
Not so much...

Don't you know my abilities, sir?

This loser can't beat me, he might as well kill himself. Isn't this just bait to catch a big fish...?

Could it be that his act was so convincing that he even fooled Ye Sheng...?

Then you didn't need to come out. If I couldn't win, I'd just die here, which would prove I'm a useless piece of trash and unworthy of being the sect leader. I just said the righteous path is ruthless, and you come out here to slap me in the face right now...

I'm still so touched...

……

Even though the monk Wuxin had just disturbed Ye Sheng, he was still confused by the handwriting, which could be described as a 'signature,' and couldn't tell if it was real or fake. He thought that Ye Sheng was feeling sorry for him and was trying to persuade him, so he frowned.

After all, someone of Wei Wuyi's caliber would never betray the righteous path on a whim. Ordinary people can reform themselves, but they are already leaders of the righteous path. What is considered the righteous path is up to them. If their hearts are not upright, they will lead everyone astray.

Even if they can be brought back, those who are indecisive and waver in their stance will only bring an unpredictable disaster to the righteous path. Such people should not be kept as a black sheep, even if they are given to the evil path.

But once Ye Sheng showed his face, no one present had the right to object. Even the monk Wuxin could only sigh inwardly.
Humans aren't plants or trees; how can they be without feelings? It seems even sages are no exception. Ye Sheng has grown old after all...

……

(End of this chapter)