Liver into a martial arts legend: starting with Embroidered Spring Blade

Chapter 161 Battle with Shangguan Jin Hong, Grandmaster of Artistic Conception! [Two Chapters Combined]

Late at night, the inn in Wenzhou was brightly lit with candles.

The entire inn, from the inside out, was shrouded in shadows, as if blending into the night, and its defenses were extremely tight.

After spending time with the Qiu Moyan and Yang Huizhen sisters, Jiang Xuan returned to his room to cultivate.

He has always been extremely diligent when it comes to martial arts.

"Gurgle..." With the sound of blood and qi flowing, the true qi in the body surged out from the dantian, circulated through the meridians in a great cycle, nourished the acupoints, and finally returned to the dantian.

As this cycle repeated itself, Jiang Xuan's vitality and spirit visibly increased little by little. He was full of vigor, his face was like the rising sun, and his whole body had a rosy complexion, as if he were imbued with a touch of divinity.

"Hoo..." Jiang Xuan slowly opened his eyes, suppressed the surging blood and qi in his body, and exhaled a long breath of white air. He didn't know how much time had passed.

Upon closer inspection, Jiang Xuan discovered that his condition was better than ever before.

With internal strength, external skills, artistic conception, physique... all stats have reached their current peak. In this state, Jiang Xuan feels that he could easily crush even a Grandmaster in battle.

But he quickly adjusted his mindset: "Pride comes before a fall; I mustn't get carried away..."

Shangguan Jin Hong is still very strong. He was ranked second on the weapon ranking list more than ten years ago, and no one has been able to shake his position since.

Just stay calm and do your best.

sigh~
Without a sound, a slender figure appeared in the room. Her face was cold and beautiful. She spoke in a low voice: "Old Man Tianji and Li Xunhuan have arrived. They just entered the city not long ago."

Jiang Xuan's eyes flickered slightly, and he nodded, saying, "With these two here, even if we lose, we can guarantee a safe retreat."

"But regardless of victory or defeat, the Money Gang will be annihilated in this battle!"

Although the Old Man of Heavenly Secrets is old, he was once the number one on the Weapon Ranking. With Li Xunhuan by his side, killing Shangguan Jin Hong would be enough.

Most importantly, both Tianji Laoren and Li Xunhuan are on Shangguan Jin Hong's kill list.

Over the years, in order to win the top spot on the weapons ranking, Shangguan Jin Hong has been sending people to search for the Old Man of Heavenly Secrets.

Although Li Xunhuan had been far away in the borderlands for more than a decade, Shangguan Jin Hong was also sending people to find him, and a battle between the two was inevitable sooner or later.

Even if it's just for their own protection, the two of them will inevitably take action.

Xi Yu said, "But since you invited these two people here, they will surely be able to guess your identity."

"If they guessed it, they guessed it. They can't hide it for long anyway. Besides, even if they know, it doesn't matter. They're not the type to cause trouble."

Jiang Xuan shook his head, not caring about the matter.

"However, the Money Gang should have received news of their entry into the city, right?" Jiang Xuan asked casually.

Xi Yu nodded: "The inn where they are staying is already being watched by members of the Money Gang."

"It's just as I expected!"

Jiang Xuan narrowed his eyes and looked in the direction of the Money Gang.

The reason this group was able to enter the city undetected by the Money Gang was because they didn't take the main route; they entered the city from some remote, desolate place.

Otherwise, within Wenzhou city, there would be no way to escape the sight of the Money Gang.

"He should be on guard now. He might make his move tonight. Go check it out."

Jiang Xuan said this and left.

……

Money Gang.

"Tianji Laoren, Li Xunhuan... they've come together?"

Shangguan Jin Hong stood in the room, listening to his subordinate's report. He frowned slightly, and a sense of vigilance suddenly arose in his heart.

As for the Old Man of Heavenly Secrets, he has never stopped searching over the years, hoping to dispel the rumors about the Weapon Ranking, increase his prestige, and prepare for his future unification of the Jiangnan region and his advance into other areas.

Of course, when he was young, the Old Man of Heavenly Secrets was invincible in the martial arts world with his Heavenly Secrets Staff. He was famous in the north and his strength should not be underestimated.

But he's old, otherwise why would he have been hiding all these years and not daring to show his face?

But now, this old guy has actually shown up on his own initiative and dared to come to his territory?
Shangguan Jin Hong sensed something was wrong.

As for Li Xunhuan, less than half a year has passed since he entered the pass, but Shangguan Jin Hong has already set his sights on him and plans to find an opportunity to take action against him in the next year or two. He wants to shatter the rumor that Li Xunhuan's flying daggers never miss their mark.

It's even possible that Li Xunhuan's departure to the borderlands back then was to avoid him, since he had also challenged Li Xunhuan to a duel.

It can be said that although the two have never fought each other directly, they have long admired each other.

Now, this guy has shown up too!

In Wenzhou City, the only martial arts force is the Money Gang.

These two are definitely here for him!
"Where do they live?" Shangguan Jin Hong's eyes were filled with uncertainty; only people of this caliber could move him so deeply.

"South of the city, at Ruyun Inn," the scout said respectfully.

Shangguan Jin Hong suddenly said, "Summon the remaining twenty-four leaders and surround Ruyun Inn!"

The scout was startled, a look of horror flashing in his eyes. He dared not ask any more questions, swallowed hard, and nodded, "Yes!"

The scout left.

Shangguan Jin Hong turned and went back into the inner room. After a moment, she came out again, a golden light faintly visible on her wrist.

At the entrance of the Money Gang, a group of figures with profound auras and menacing presence were already waiting. Upon seeing Shangguan Jin Hong emerge, they bowed and greeted him, "Greetings, Gang Leader!"

"set off!"

Shangguan Jin Hong said indifferently. As soon as he finished speaking, he put his hands behind his back and headed south of the city. He seemed to be moving very slowly, but in no time he appeared dozens of feet away, not much slower than the others on horseback.

……

Ruyun Inn.

"Please, my esteemed scholar!" The old man Tianji raised his wine cup and drank with Li Xunhuan.

Li Xunhuan raised his cup in a toast and drank it down, saying, "Senior, there's no need to be so polite. I'm no longer a third-place scholar. You can just call me by my name."

The old man Tianji smiled and nodded: "Very well, then this old man will presume to call you 'Xunhuan' (meaning 'seeking pleasure')."

"When Bai Xiaosheng listed this weapon ranking, he ranked my Heavenly Secret Staff first, but that was just to flatter this old man. As for Xun Huan, your flying knife has never been defeated in hundreds of battles since it was first used. It truly lives up to the name 'Little Li Flying Dagger, never missing its mark'."

Li Xunhuan shook his head with a wry smile: "Many times, it is not what I want."

"What you said is right, senior. This so-called 'Weapon Ranking' is nothing but a joke in this vast martial arts world."

"The martial arts world is full of hidden talents. Who would believe in this so-called ranking of weapons? Bai Xiaosheng's actions have tricked us all and put us in the spotlight, because there are always more fools than fools in this world."

"But by the time I realized this, it was too late."

The old man with heavenly secrets asked with a smile, "Is this why you've been away in the borderlands for over ten years?"

"I suppose so," Li Xunhuan sighed and nodded.

The Old Man of Heavenly Secrets sensed the bitterness in Li Xunhuan's words, but did not press further. He smiled and comforted him, saying, "In life, there will always be many disappointments."

Li Xunhuan agreed, then suddenly laughed and said, "I never expected that you would come to Wenzhou City, senior."

The old man Tianji shook his head and smiled, "Just as you said, many things are not something I can choose."

"Since the weapon rankings began, my Heavenly Secret Staff has become a thorn in the side of countless people. This person from Wenzhou City has been searching for me for many years, so I had no choice but to come!"

Li Xunhuan said, "Back in the day, I might not be convinced that his Twin Dragon and Phoenix Rings were ranked second, but I do believe that your Heavenly Secret Staff was ranked first."

The old man Tianji shook his head with a wry smile: "I'm old."

"Senior..." Li Xunhuan was about to speak when he suddenly sensed something, his brows furrowed slightly, and he turned to look at the door.

All the sounds in the inn seemed to have suddenly disappeared.

There were several other people eating and drinking together earlier, but they disappeared without a trace.

Even the shopkeeper who was originally at the counter doing the accounting and the waiters and servants who were responsible for serving customers were nowhere to be seen.

It seemed as if only the four of them remained in the entire inn.

"Young Master, be careful!" Tie Chuanjia's expression turned serious as he looked warily toward the door.

"Grandpa?" Sun Xiaohong looked at the old man Tianji with concern.

The old man gently patted his granddaughter's shoulder to comfort her, and looking at the deserted, dark street outside, he said calmly, "Since you're here, why not come in and have a drink? The top three on the Weapon Ranking are all gathered together; isn't this a rare opportunity?"

"It is indeed a rare opportunity."

A calm voice rang out, and a golden figure appeared in the doorway.

Shangguan Jin Hong walked in with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping around the inn before finally settling on Tianji Laoren and Li Xunhuan. He cupped his hands slightly and said, "It's been many years. I hope you two have been well."

Li Xunhuan's entire body tensed up, clearly sensing the threat posed by Shangguan Jin Hong. However, his smile remained unchanged as he replied, "You and this senior should have met before, but I have never met you. How can you say we've been in touch?"

Shangguan Jin Hong said calmly, "Although I haven't officially worn a mask, I have long admired the name 'Little Li Flying Dagger' for a long time."

Li Xunhuan smiled, gestured for him to sit, and said, "Please sit down."

Shangguan Jin Hong strode forward and sat down at the table without fear. Li Xunhuan poured him a glass of wine.

He picked up his glass and drank it all in one gulp: "Thank you."

After saying that, he put down his wine glass, but his eyes remained fixed on the two of them, and said, "You two shouldn't have come."

“But I still came,” the Old Man of Heavenly Secrets said with a smile, while Li Xunhuan remained silent.

“At least they shouldn’t have come at this time,” Shangguan Jin Hong said.

"You've been looking for me for so long, I just didn't want to disappoint you."

The old man of heavenly secrets laughed and said, "Are you scared?"

"afraid?"

Shangguan Jin Hong was taken aback, then his expression changed, and he sneered, saying, "If I were afraid, I wouldn't have been looking for you for so long. On the contrary, you haven't shown your face for so many years, but you've come here at this time. Isn't it because you're afraid?"

The Old Man of Heavenly Secrets didn't mind Shangguan Jin Hong's sarcasm. He smiled faintly and said, "I am indeed afraid. As one gets older, one's courage tends to diminish."

"I'm old. If I don't come now, I'm afraid I won't have another chance." Shangguan Jin Hong's eyes narrowed slightly as he said, "Are you so sure that you can kill me now?"

"You have to give it a try, don't you?"

The old man of the heavens laughed and said, "Besides, I'm afraid I can't do it alone, but don't we still have 'Little Li Flying Dagger'?"

Shangguan Jin Hong pursed her lips and looked at Li Xunhuan: "So it seems the two of you are planning to join forces? This doesn't fit your personalities. Even if you kill me, Little Li Flying Dagger might not be able to take my place!"

Li Xunhuan smiled and said, "Now, I no longer care about these empty titles."

Shangguan Jin Hong's face darkened, and he said, "It seems that the two of you have made up your minds."

"However, your actions are exactly what I wanted. I've long wanted to see the fame of the 'Heavenly Secret Staff' and the 'Little Li Flying Dagger,' but that's definitely not the time!"

Shangguan Jin Hong stood up and said coldly, "You two chose to come at this time, presumably because you know the current situation of my Money Gang. But even if you win, you may not be able to leave Wenzhou City."

"Please wait here for a moment, and I will come to visit you again after I have dealt with the other troubles."

"At that time, regardless of success or failure, I guarantee that no one else will make a move against you two."

The old man of heavenly secrets smiled and said, "Are you so confident that you can solve other problems?"

Shangguan Jin Hong narrowed his eyes and sneered disdainfully: "A mere rat that only dares to hide underground and not show its face is not worth my attention. Since they dare to come to my place, I think it will be easy for me to deal with them!"

After saying that, Shangguan Jin Hong turned around and was about to leave.

Although he had not received any news, he was certain that the people from the Netherworld had arrived based on the reactions of the Celestial Elder and Li Xunhuan.

Before dueling with Tianji Laoren and Li Xunhuan, he must first find these underground rats and wipe them all out!
"You're quite confident."

Suddenly, a voice came from outside.

A figure in black appeared at the doorway, staring at Shangguan Jin Hong, and said calmly, "Since you're so confident taking on two opponents at once, then adding one more would make it three, and I suppose you wouldn't mind either?"

Shangguan Jin Hong paused, staring intently at the man in black: "Leader of the Netherworld?"

"Please address me as 'Emperor of the Underworld'."

Jiang Xuan corrected him, saying calmly, "Since we're going to have to do it sooner or later anyway, let's just do it now."

shhhhh--

In the darkness, shadowy figures emerged, their blades flashing and swords clashing.

Immediately afterwards, the sounds of fierce fighting and screams came from all over the street, and even the area around the inn was shaken violently.

Clearly, the people of the Netherworld have already clashed with the people of the Money Gang.

"Are you so confident that you can kill me and destroy my Money Gang tonight?" Shangguan Jin Hong asked coldly.

At this moment, without needing to ask any further questions, he knew why the Old Man of Heavenly Secrets and Li Xunhuan had come.

"Since we've already offended each other, even if I don't come looking for you, you'll still come looking for me, so I have to give it a try, right?" Jiang Xuan said with a faint smile.

"This attempt might cost you your life!" Shangguan Jin Hong said coldly.

"We haven't even fought yet, so it's uncertain who will die first," Jiang Xuan said with a slight smile, but a look of seriousness had already appeared on his face behind the mask.

Without a doubt, the person in front of him was the strongest person he had ever faced head-on since his debut.

Even in a one-on-one fight, he wasn't confident of victory, let alone fighting someone of a higher level.

But as I said before, he had already offended them all, and he didn't have the habit of leaving himself any future troubles.

sigh~
A golden light flashed, and a golden ring engraved with dragon patterns appeared in Shangguan Jin Hong's hand.

Before Jiang Xuan could even see clearly, he had already sensed a terrifying crisis.

Without a second thought, he abruptly retreated.

hum!
The next second, without a sound, a golden light appeared before him, containing an extremely terrifying power of intent, almost locking onto him.

His speed was already extremely fast; with a single leap, he had already jumped back dozens of meters. However, the golden light, containing terrifying power, relentlessly pursued him like a leech. No, it should be said that from the very beginning, Shangguan Jin Hong seemed to have known which direction he would retreat in, and had already blocked his escape route in advance.

From the moment it was made, it was a move that was destined to kill!

Jiang Xuan's expression was cold. A sharp sword appeared in his palm, and without hesitation, he thrust it out with a backhand.

Since there's no way to avoid it, let's face it head-on!
Stupid!
Swords clashed and whistled, the wind howled and cranes cried.

Originally just an ordinary fine iron longsword, it seemed to transform into a world-shaking divine sword as this sword was thrust out, connecting heaven and earth and stirring up the wind and clouds.

Wherever his heart led, an incomparably domineering, sharp and violent aura surged forth, blocking all the blinding golden light, and then bravely counterattacked.

boom!
The two forces of artistic conception clashed, like a thunderclap, instantly shaking the heavens and the earth. A fierce wind raged, overturning the inn behind them in an instant, and sending bricks and stones flying from the street. It was as if a storm had swept through, and the destructive power was terrifying.

Ding~
The golden light was blasted away, revealing its true form: a strange weapon about a foot in diameter, carved with dragon scales and covered with barbs, resembling phoenix feathers.

Shangguan Jin Hong also came out at some point, reached out and gently grasped the ring, and with a gentle pull of the other hand, pulled out a smaller ring, which was exactly the same shape.

The mother-and-child dragon and phoenix rings have finally appeared in the world!

"No ring in hand, but ring in heart... The second step of artistic conception: Boundless Realm!"

Jiang Xuan, holding a longsword, narrowed his eyes and said, "A Grandmaster of the Intent Realm? No wonder he's ranked second on the Weapon Ranking!"

"To comprehend the Heavenly Sword Intent with a mere fifth-grade Grandmaster level? I underestimated you!"

Shangguan Jin Hong frowned deeply. He was a very decisive person. After seeing Jiang Xuan's identity, he did not hesitate to take the initiative and used his ultimate technique. He went all out to deal with Jiang Xuan first and then turn around to deal with Tianji Laoren and Li Xunhuan.

In his view, even a powerful expert who had grasped the essence of the art would be severely injured, if not destroyed, by his full-force first strike.

Unexpectedly, the latter was also at the second step of the Intent Realm, and blocked his Mother-Child Dragon and Phoenix Rings with the Heavenly Sword Intent Realm.

Swish, swish~

The Old Man of Heavenly Secrets and Li Xunhuan and the others also flew out, each standing on one side, surrounding Shangguan Jin Hong, their expressions also very solemn.

"Seventeen years have passed, and I never imagined that you had cultivated the Mother-Child Dragon and Phoenix Rings to this level!" the Heavenly Mystery Elder said in a deep voice, his heart also greatly shaken.

The top three weapons in the ranking are all those who have grasped the essence of the art.

However, the more unusual the weapon, the harder it is to master, because there are basically no precedents to follow when learning from such unusual weapons.

Shangguan Jin Hong's ability to cultivate the essence of the Dragon and Phoenix Rings is already a testament to his extraordinary talent.

Now, he has even gone a step further and reached the 'Heavenly Realm', truly a peerless talent!
"In twenty years, this is the first time you have seen me, Shuanghuan, in action. To die by my hand tonight should be something to be proud of!"

Shangguan Jin Hong said coldly, showing no fear even when surrounded by three top experts, remaining proud and displaying the demeanor of a great hero.

"Let's talk after we win, stop pretending!"

Jiang Xuan snorted coldly, his sword flashed, and he charged forward.

The old man Tianji waved his storytelling banner, which fell to reveal a thin, two-foot-long steel rod inside. A small knife also quietly slipped from Li Xunhuan's hand.

The two kept a close eye on the scene, looking for an opportunity to make a move together.

But at that moment, Jiang Xuan's voice came: "Just cover for me."

Although Shangguan Jin Hong was strong, he had roughly figured out Shangguan Jin Hong's strength through the attack just now.

As long as you can't kill yourself with a single, all-out attack, you can keep fighting.

With two grandmasters watching over him, he wanted to test his limits at that moment.

"You are so arrogant!"

Shangguan Jin Hong coldly said, "You're just a Grandmaster. Even if you're exceptionally talented and have comprehended the Heavenly Realm ahead of time, do you really think you can defeat a Grandmaster of the Heavenly Realm? Do you think I'm one of those useless people who only have a high realm but don't cultivate any external skills?"

Rumbling--

Before they could finish speaking, the two were already locked in fierce combat.

Each clash was like a thunderbolt, earth-shattering and devastating. All the buildings along the way, even the blue bricks and boulders on the street, were overturned and destroyed by the aftershocks of the battle. The surrounding residents screamed in terror and fled in all directions.

Flames rose up, illuminating the surrounding darkness where the Money Gang and the Netherworld experts were also engaged in a bloody battle.

The war is about to start.

Moreover, in the distance, more and more members of the Money Gang were arriving, all dressed in bright gold, making them very conspicuous in the night.

This was the first time since the Money Gang was established that someone had come knocking on their door, and the first time they had encountered such a large-scale decisive battle. But for Youming, this was also the first time such a fierce battle had taken place.

Both sides were extremely fierce. The battle had just begun and had already reached a fever pitch. In an instant, the fighting was fierce and blood was splattered everywhere. All kinds of shouts, screams and the clanging of metal weapons clashing together were in one place.

It was already late at night, and many people in Wenzhou were awakened and noticed the commotion. They hid in their homes, feeling uneasy, finding it hard to believe that war could break out in such a remote place.

This was completely foreign to them.

at the same time.

A group of figures who had just arrived outside Wenzhou City on horseback noticed the flashing swords reflected in the dense firelight and quickly realized what had happened.

"Miss, it seems the Money Gang has already clashed with the Netherworld people. This is the best time for us to make our move!"

Zhu Yeqing, dressed in red and wearing a golden mask, stood on a hillside, riding a warhorse, gazing at the distant flames of the city, and turned around excitedly.

Murong Qiudi was dressed in white, with a white cloak covering her face and a half-white mask covering half of her face. She had a sword at her waist and rode a white warhorse. She was incredibly elegant and beautiful.

Upon hearing this, she frowned and remained silent, gazing at the city of Wenzhou. After a moment, she suddenly said, "Xiaozhu, if Shangguan Jin Hong dies, do you think we have a chance to seize the Golden Money Gang's territory and take over Wenzhou City?"

Zhu Yeqing paused, then said, "Miss, you mean..."

"We can't miss this rare opportunity."

Murong Qiudi quickly made a decision, saying, "Send the order to immediately gather all manpower!"

"Yes, Miss." Zhu Yeqing hesitated only for a moment before agreeing and immediately turned around to give the order.

Soon, the two fast horses left the group and sped away into the mountains and forests.

"Giddy up!" Murong Qiudi flicked her whip and led her men to continue their journey into Wenzhou City.

Under the cover of night, the fierce clash between Jiang Xuan and Shangguan Jin Hong, two experts at the second step of the Intent Realm, attracted the attention of all sides and set the stage for a major battle involving multiple forces!

(End of this chapter)