Gao Wu insists on cultivating immortality.

With the death of their commander Tian Yue, the morale of most of the cavalrymen was thrown into disarray.

Gao Wu once again displayed his unparalleled martial arts skills, and even a group of cavalrymen were unwilling to go up and fight.

Even Tian Yue's personal guards turned their horses around and ran away.

According to military law, they would all be executed if their commander died. However, after Tian Chengji and Tian Yue died, these personal guards became high-ranking officers in the army.

Who dares to suggest executing them?

Instead, a group of people developed strong ambitions. Now that the Tianxiong Army has lost its commander, it is their opportunity!

The guards took the lead and ran away, and the other cavalrymen followed suit and turned their horses around.

The thousands of cavalry were only a hundred paces away from Gao Wu, and could have charged up in a few breaths with their horses' strength.

Yuhe could already clearly see the ferocious expressions on the faces of the leading cavalrymen. Although she tried to remain calm, her legs were trembling uncontrollably.

She considered herself quite brave, but the sheer force of the thousands of fully armored cavalry charging forward was like a landslide, leaving her mind blank with fear.

If her husband hadn't been sitting steadily on his horse right in front of her, she would definitely have turned and run away.

Seeing the cavalry retreat like a receding tide, Yuhe breathed a long sigh of relief. She secretly wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, but when she looked down, she saw that the steward Li Wang had collapsed on the ground, panting heavily...

As the caravan's chief manager, Li Wang had demonstrated remarkable competence and composure throughout the journey. Discovering that Li Wang had embarrassed herself even more greatly pleased Yu He; she, in fact, was quite bold herself!

Just as Yuhe was about to speak to Gao Wu, she saw Gao Wu gallop forward on his horse, and in the blink of an eye, he had already run far away.

The horse that the Tie family gave to Gao Wu was naturally the best of the best. The crimson warhorse could remain motionless even when faced with a thousand horses galloping, demonstrating its extremely high quality.

Driven by Gao Wu, the red horse leaped several meters and charged straight down the hillside.

Gao Wu ignored the scattered ordinary cavalrymen and shot an arrow through the hind leg of a warhorse with his Sun-Shooting Bow.

The warhorse was in excruciating pain and its hind legs gave way, causing it to lose its balance and fall sideways as soon as it landed.

Riding on horseback, Xu Tianxing reacted very quickly. He used his lightness skill to leap into the air and land lightly on the ground without disturbing the dust, demonstrating the exquisite nature of his lightness skill.

He also drew his twin swords, the Sun and Moon Swords, from his back, mainly to block Gao Wu's arrows. To his surprise, Gao Wu did not fire at him again.

The bowstring snapped again, this time because his son's warhorse had been shot in the hind leg.

Xu Shaoyang also hurriedly got off the stirrups and jumped to the ground. He stumbled slightly when he landed, but managed to stand up by tapping the ground with the butt of his spear.

Compared to his father's composure, he appeared somewhat disheveled.

Elder Jian, Elder Qiu, and a group of Kongtong masters reined in their horses and gathered around Xu Tianxing.

Sect Leader Xu Tianxing is a top-tier expert, and only he can keep the situation under control. If something were to happen to Xu Tianxing, the Kongtong Sect would be in serious trouble.

They outnumbered and outmatched; how could they possibly lose to a high-ranking martial artist when they were all together? Moreover, their sect leader was narrow-minded and held grudges. If they dared to flee alone, they would certainly suffer the consequences if Xu Tianxing didn't die...

Seeing that Xu Tianxing and the others were sticking together, Gao Wu also slowed down.

At a distance of about ten zhang, Gao Wu stopped. He looked down at the wary old man, who was wearing a vermilion Taoist robe, was tall, and had a face covered in black spots. He looked to be at least sixty or seventy years old.

Tie Zhen had briefly introduced him to the famous masters of the Northwest, emphasizing Xu Tianxing. Although this body had never met any masters while living in the Northwest, it had heard of Xu Tianxing's reputation.

Kongtong is also the only major sect in Northwest China, with a history of hundreds of years and a long tradition.

Most of the masters in the Northwest have some connection with the Kongtong Sect.

Xu Tianxing may not be more capable than Ye Qingfeng, but his influence in the Northwest is far greater.

He asked, "Are you Xu Tianxing, the leader of the Kongtong Sect?"

Xu Tianxing coldly looked at Gao Wu: "It's me, what are you going to do about it?"

Although Jian and Qiu had not opened their Ren and Du meridians, they had practiced martial arts for fifty years, possessing profound internal strength and refined martial arts skills. With the addition of Shao Yang, how could the four of them not be able to defeat Gao Wu?

Moreover, there were a group of skilled fighters around them. They had all been trained in the military, wore full armor, and were adept at fighting in formation. They were completely different from ordinary martial arts practitioners.

With so many people around, Xu Tianxing wasn't afraid of Gao Wu causing trouble. He also noticed that Gao Wu's quiver was almost empty, with only two or three arrows left, which gave him even more confidence.

Gao Wu nodded: "I have long admired the name of the Kongtong Sect Leader."

He then asked, "We have no grudge against each other, so why did you all come to kill me?"

“The military governor was my friend. You killed him, so I must avenge him. Isn’t that right?” Xu Tianxing retorted.

"It's reasonable and justifiable to avenge a friend."

Gao Wu praised him, then said seriously, "I have no more doubts. Sect Leader Xu is a man of great righteousness. I will send you to see Tian Chengji. Your friendship of sharing life and death will be a great story."

Xu Tianxing said coldly, "Gao Wu, you are indeed powerful, but do you intend to kill me?"

Before he could finish speaking, Gao Wu had already gracefully dismounted, drawn his sword, and thrust it straight at him with a dazzling sword light that flashed like lightning.

Xu Tianxing was both shocked and furious. This Gao Wu was too arrogant and overbearing. He attacked before he could finish speaking!
However, Gao Wu's sword thrust straight at him like a thunderbolt, swift yet exceptionally powerful and domineering, truly formidable.

Elder Jian and Elder Qiu, who were guarding Xu Tianxing's two sides, simultaneously attacked Gao Wu.

Elder Jian's iron crutch is a typical weapon of martial arts practitioners. Its advantage lies in its length and weight, making it usable as a spear, a staff, or even a hammer.

The iron crutch thrust straight at him like a spear, yet the movement was surprisingly swift.

Elder Qiu wielded a wide, long goose-feather saber, weighing over twenty pounds. Each slash was swift and ruthless, yet he always managed to draw back three-tenths of his strength to react to the attack.

Xu Tianxing, positioned in the center, crossed his two swords, poised to strike, waiting for Gao Wu to make his move before attacking. This strategy of striking after the opponent has always given him a significant advantage.

As for the others around, they couldn't offer much help in a battle of this level.

Gao Wu naturally knew Xu Tianxing's plan. Once he mastered the Vajra King Seal, he would be on a completely different level from these top-tier experts.

It's not that the Vajra Vidyaraja Mudra is particularly superior, but rather that it liberates him from more limitations through more powerful true energy.

Gao Wu met the first one to arrive with Tieguai by using the back of his sword to deflect and guide him, causing Tieguai to uncontrollably sweep towards the other side of the longsword.

Elder Jian realized something was wrong. He quickly steadied himself, withdrew his iron crutch, and with a flash of sword light, suddenly pierced Elder Jian's throat in the fleeting moment.

Blood spurted from the back of Elder Jian's neck along with the thrusting sword. This second-best expert of the Kongtong Sect had his eyes bulging and could no longer make any movement or reaction.

At the same time, Gao Wu lightly tapped the sweeping iron staff with his left hand, sending it hurtling straight at Elder Qiu.

The change was simple yet natural and fluid; Gao Wu's palm strike made the iron staff faster than an arrow shot from a crossbow.

Elder Qiu tried to parry with his sword, but he was a step too slow. The five-foot-long iron staff pierced almost entirely into his chest, and the heavy iron staff also shattered his internal organs. Elder Qiu immediately collapsed to the ground and fell silent.

In the blink of an eye, two elders died. Xu Tianxing, who was poised to strike, watched helplessly but was too late to stop them.

He was both surprised and frightened. What kind of martial arts style did this person have? Every move he made was calm and unhurried, with a smooth and natural flow.

Judging solely from his martial arts skills and ability to adapt to combat, he already possesses the demeanor of a martial arts master.

Could he really be a master of innate martial arts?

Xu Tianxing realized that his opponent's martial arts were too strong, and he lost all fighting spirit. Just as he was thinking of asking for peace, the clear and bright sword light arrived.

Left with no other choice, Xu Tianxing could only parry with his twin swords. His Sun and Moon Twin Swords, one wide and one long, one heavy and one light, combined with the Yin-Yang True Qi, a unique skill of the Kongtong Sect, possessed the wonderful harmony of water and fire, and the balance of Yin and Yang.

With his crossed swords blocking Gao Wu's advancing sword light, Xu Tianxing pressed down on Gao Wu's Chun Jun sword with his right Sun Sword, while his left Moon Sword took the opportunity to thrust towards Gao Wu.

With one sword in a parry, the other pressing down, and the other thrusting, the subtle sword techniques are further enhanced by the circulation of internal energy.

Gao Wu originally intended to kill Xu Tianxing with one sword, but upon seeing this, he changed his mind. He drew his sword and retreated quickly. Several skilled members of the Kongtong Sect saw this and raised their spears and knives. Gao Wu swung his sword backhand, and the bright sword light was like a wheel. Three heads flew off at the same time.

Seeing Gao Wu kill people so easily and casually, Xu Tianxing was even more alarmed and hurriedly chased after Gao Wu with his two swords to fight him again.

He unleashed all the variations of the Yin-Yang Two Elements Sword, but he couldn't suppress Gao Wu at all, or even stop him.

Gao Wu moved like a ghost, freely traversing between the two swords, and in the blink of an eye, he killed many skilled members of the Kongtong Sect.

After several rounds, the skilled fighters around them dared not approach and instead kept their distance.

Even Xu Shaoyang watched from afar with his nine-foot-long spear, too afraid to come and help.

Seeing that no one was bothering him, Gao Wu patiently sparred with Xu Tianxing.

Xu Tianxing unleashed his twin swords, their yin and yang harmonizing yet also inverting and intertwining. The sun sword became light and agile, while the moon sword became fierce and powerful, a truly masterful display.

Both sides moved extremely fast, exchanging dozens of blows in less than ten breaths. The surrounding experts from Kongtong Mountain stared wide-eyed, their skill level too low. In the dim light of dusk, they couldn't even see the two figures clearly, let alone discern the changes in their moves.

Even Xu Shaoyang couldn't understand it. He only felt that the swords of the two sides were intertwined, advancing and retreating. From the perspective of the situation, it seemed that his father had the upper hand.

However, Xu Shaoyang felt extremely uneasy. Gao Wu had just killed two elders and more than a dozen skilled fighters, clearly demonstrating that his swordsmanship surpassed his father's.

Now that no one else is helping him, why is Gao Wu fighting so fiercely with his father?

Before Xu Shaoyang could figure out what was going on, he saw the flashing sword light suddenly stop. Gao Wu had already sheathed his sword and taken a few steps back, while his father was spitting blood from the back of his neck and swaying wildly. It looked like things were in a very bad situation.

Gao Wu looked at the dying Xu Tianxing and said, "Your dual sword technique is not bad, but the division of Yin and Yang is something you haven't mastered."

Although he did not know the name of the Kongtong Sect's sword technique, he could see that although the sword technique was divided into yin and yang transformations, in the end, yin and yang should be united and as harmonious as a wheel, which was the highest level.

Xu Tianxing's inversion and interweaving of yin and yang, hardness and softness, may seem complex, but it is ultimately just a trick.

Xu Tianxing, who was being critiqued by Gao Wu, had no interest in listening. His mind was filled only with an endless fear of death…

He stammered as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately couldn't say anything. He swayed and fell to the ground, quickly becoming silent.

Seeing his father die, Xu Shaoyang's expression was complicated but without any sadness. When he saw Gao Wu turn his gaze, he hurriedly threw away the spear in his hand, knelt down and raised his hands high: "Your Excellency, I surrender."

Before Gao Wu could say anything, the Kunlun Sect experts around him all had strange expressions. Some opened their mouths to curse but ultimately didn't dare to speak, some looked anxious and uneasy, and some hurriedly followed Xu Shaoyang's example, throwing down their weapons and kneeling on the ground, looking as if they were at his mercy.

There were more than twenty skilled fighters from the Kongtong Sect. After hesitating for a moment, they all followed Xu Shaoyang's example, kneeling down, throwing down their weapons, and bowing their heads in silence.

Gao Wu found it somewhat amusing: "Is Sect Leader Xu your father?" He didn't recognize Xu Shaoyang, but he could tell that Xu Shaoyang and Xu Tianxing bore a striking resemblance in physique and appearance, and Xu Shaoyang's internal energy cultivation was far more refined than the others, clearly indicating that he had received genuine instruction. Furthermore, the crowd led him, clearly indicating that he was an important figure in the Kongtong Sect.

Xu Shaoyang answered honestly, "My name is Xu Shaoyang, and Xu Tianxing is my father."

"You are decisive."

Gao Wu was somewhat impressed by Xu Shaoyang. Seeing that he had killed Xu Tianxing, he didn't think about revenge but knelt down so readily.

In a critical moment, he didn't let his emotions control him and made the wisest choice; he's truly a talent. Although his moral character isn't exactly exemplary.

Such people are often able to seize opportunities. Of course, by abandoning moral constraints, they also lose moral protection.

For those in positions of power, it's essential to carefully weigh the pros and cons; simply being shameless doesn't guarantee success...

If Xu Shaoyang had knelt any slower, he would have actually attacked him.

Gao Wu thought for a moment and asked, "I have a blood feud with you for killing my father. Why should I spare you? There has to be a reason."

"My father and I were reckless and offended Your Excellency. My father and the others attacked us but were killed instead. We were simply outmatched."

"For my father, it is a good end for a martial artist to die in a fair duel."

Xu Shaoyang was very calm at this moment. He first explained why he didn't hate Gao Wu. At least he had a reason, and it sounded reasonable.

He added, “I am willing to take you as my teacher and serve you at your beck and call. I will give you all the accumulated knowledge and skills of the Kongtong Sect over the past few centuries.”

"Very generous. Not bad."

Gao Wu was starting to admire Xu Shaoyang; he was ruthless, decisive, and generous. He said, "If you hand over the secret martial arts of the Kongtong Sect, I'll spare your life. You can keep the Kongtong Sect for yourself; I have no interest in it."

Xu Shaoyang immediately said, "That's easy."

He crawled on his knees to his father's body, reached into his robes and pulled out a roll of cloth. He then crawled on his knees to Gao Wu and presented it with both hands: "This is the Yin-Yang Two Elements Sword Secret Technique of our sect. It is made of silkworm silk and embroidered with gold thread. It is not afraid of water or fire and can also resist swords. My father always carried it with him."

Gao Wu took the black cloth and unfolded it. Sure enough, it was embroidered with more than 10,000 characters in gold thread, and even had patterns of human meridians and qi circulation.

The meridian diagrams are extremely simple, yet this is precisely where the key lies. Even if an outsider obtains this, it will be difficult for them to practice accordingly.

But that wasn't a problem for him. After exchanging dozens of blows with Xu Tianxing, he had thoroughly understood Xu's swordsmanship and the changes in his internal energy.

With this secret technique's general formula, and by comparing it with the various changes and details of Xu Tianxing's execution, the Yin-Yang Two Elements Sword had been fully understood.

This sword technique is indeed exquisite. Its method of circulating true qi includes the twelve regular meridians and the eight extraordinary meridians, and its level is even above the Vajra King Seal.

Gao Wu was somewhat surprised by this. Such a profound mental cultivation technique was only at the first-rate level for Xu Tianxing, and was actually slightly inferior to Ye Qingfeng.

He originally intended to go to the Central Plains to find advanced martial arts techniques and complete the method of circulating true qi in the eight extraordinary meridians.

I never imagined the Kongtong Sect possessed such top-tier secret techniques. I should have just gone to the Kongtong Sect directly...

Gao Wuzhuan felt that this was really lucky. Before he even left the Northwest, the Yin-Yang Two Elements True Qi Secret Method was delivered to his doorstep.

"Let's go." Gao Wu waved his hand, indicating that Xu Shaoyang and the others could leave.

Xu Shaoyang was both surprised and delighted. They let him go so easily? He still kowtowed respectfully several times: "This junior has one more request. I want to take my father's and fellow disciples' bodies back to the sect."

"Whatever you say." Gao Wu turned around, mounted his horse, and returned to the village.

By this time, it was almost dark, and Yuhe couldn't see clearly below. She just peeked around, and when Gao Wu rode up to her, she was overjoyed to see that he was safe and sound. She exclaimed, "Sir?"

In the dim light, Yuhe's two rows of white teeth were quite conspicuous.

"Well, I'm fine."

Gao Wu could tell that Yu He was genuinely happy for his safe return. Although the girl had a few ulterior motives, she was still a good person.

In fact, people can't be too naive; they need to be smart and clever, otherwise they won't be able to accomplish anything.

Li Wang, standing to the side, was even more overjoyed: "Sir, you're finally back! I was so worried..."

Gao Wu laughed heartily. Li Wang was slick, but his words were sincere. After all, if something happened to him, Old Li's life would be in danger.

Back in their guest room in the small village, Gao Wu and Yu He casually ate some dried meat and thin porridge.

The other caravan members, including the innkeeper and his staff, all served him with utmost care.

They had witnessed the previous battles from afar; for one thing, Gao Wu single-handedly defeated a thousand troops with a single bow, which they had clearly seen.

To them, Gao Wu was practically a god. In his presence, the group became exceptionally cautious.

Gao Wu didn't pay attention to these trivial matters. He returned to the guest room, which had been cleaned many times. Looking at the brand-new bedding on the bed, he guessed that it was probably prepared by the innkeeper for his son's wedding. Otherwise, how could such a dilapidated inn have such brand-new and clean bedding?

The lamp was lit by an oil lamp, and the smoke from it was a bit pungent, but it was enough.

He unfolded the brocade and looked at it again. With his memory, he could remember everything after just one look, so this time he just looked at the words and patterns on the brocade and felt the changes in the texture of the words.

Yuhe couldn't help but steal a few curious glances from the side. She could vaguely see handwriting and human figures on it. She wanted to ask something but was too embarrassed to ask.

When it comes to martial arts, these are all closely guarded secrets. She was merely a maid, and although her master treated her well, she could not overstep her bounds.

Gao Wu beckoned to Yu He: "This is the Yin-Yang Two Elements Sword of the Kongtong School, a very advanced internal sword technique."

"Since you have some free time, I'll teach you..."

"Sir, is this alright?" Yuhe was very interested, but also a little worried.

"You've done so much for me, but this is just another martial arts manual, it's worthless. Don't be so polite."

Gao Wu called Yuhe over, and he recited the poem sentence by sentence before explaining it to her.

Yuhe is very smart, but she doesn't have a photographic memory.

But for some reason, even after Gao Wu explained the entire text twice, she remembered every single word and every detail perfectly. She found it all unbelievable.

In fact, Gao Wu used the Vermilion Bird Divine Light Spell to forcibly stimulate Yu He's spiritual power, firmly engraving the secret technique deep into her memory.

After finishing these tasks, Gao Wu went into meditation to cultivate.

As dawn broke, Gao Wu opened his eyes, which flashed with lightning. After a night of arduous training, all eight extraordinary meridians had been opened.

The internal energy he had previously cultivated had all been transformed into Yin-Yang True Qi, and his True Qi had at least doubled.

In his opinion, he was just one step away from condensing innate Qi.

The problem is that he doesn't know where this layer of paper is... There is no relevant record in the Yin-Yang Two Elements True Qi Secret Manual, only a vague sentence: "Eight meridians form the sea, Qi returns to the innate state."

Gao Wu felt that with his talent and the shallowness and simplicity of martial arts in this world, he should have been able to touch the innate true qi by now.

Therefore, there must be something wrong here.

After breakfast, Gao Wu suddenly had a premonition and said to Yu He, "I'm not going to the Central Plains. Someone is waiting for me in Yongcheng."

He thought for a moment and said, "This journey is dangerous, don't come with me. Go with the caravan first. We'll return to Heishui in a couple of days."

Yuhe didn't understand what was going on, but she said very firmly, "Wherever you go, sir, I will follow you!"

Before Gao Wu could speak, she added earnestly, "My master is the one who taught me martial arts. How could I abandon him? We might as well die together!"

Gao Wu could tell that Yu He was serious, and he laughed heartily: "Good, you have both boldness and loyalty, I like that. Let's go..."

Since Yuhe is not afraid of death, let's go together.

The two men and two horses slowly walked back along the way they had come. The bodies below the hillside had all been collected or buried, and there was no trace of yesterday's tragic deaths.

This is normal, after all, they were elite cavalry, and their armor alone was quite valuable. Regardless of the reason, the Tianxiong Army had to collect the bodies.

The two horses were very fast. After a day's journey, Gao Wu and Yu He arrived at the East Gate before noon.

It was the busiest time of day, with people coming and going outside the East Gate, and various motorcades passing by.

Suddenly a commotion broke out at the east gate, and a large number of cavalrymen poured out of the city gate, driving away passersby and merchants.

Before long, a troop of cavalry slowly emerged from the city. Surrounded by the cavalry was an old man in white robes, riding a magnificent black horse with a long sword stuck in front of the saddle.

Xu Shaoyang was standing beside the old man in white robes, bowing and scraping with exceptional respect.

"Mr. Bai, Gao Wu and the others rested in Cangxi Village yesterday, and they won't go far today. It'll be easy to catch up with them..."

Xu Shaoyang knew that the white-robed old man was the Sword Demon Bai Ke, a master of innate martial arts among the Qiang people, and an invincible expert.

This person personally came to find Gao Wu; Gao Wu is doomed!
Bai Ke is old, with white eyebrows and hair, and droopy eyelids, making him look like he hasn't woken up yet.

He didn't care about what Xu Shaoyang said; as long as Gao Wu wasn't dead, he couldn't escape. Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly sensed something and looked up, only to see a middle-aged man in blue robes a hundred paces away.

Their eyes met, and lightning flashed in their gazes simultaneously.

Xu Shaoyang was startled by Bai Ke's burst of aura. He followed the other's gaze and saw Gao Wu riding a red horse. He was both surprised and delighted. He was just about to go find Gao Wu when Gao Wu delivered himself to his door!
Gao Wu completely ignored Xu Shaoyang, and smiled at Bai Ke: "Bai Ke, the Blade Demon?"

Bai Ke nodded slightly: "Exactly."

He said calmly, "It's not easy for you to have this level of cultivation. If you survive my strike, I'll spare you."

Gao Wu laughed heartily, drew his sword, and dismounted. He brandished his longsword and said, "Chun Jun, today I invite you to drink the blood of a Grandmaster of the Innate Realm, so that your time with me will not be in vain!"

He said calmly to Bai Ke, "Mr. Bai, please!"

Everyone around was stunned. Gao Wu actually had the courage to directly challenge a Grandmaster of the Innate Realm. Even Xu Shaoyang had to admire his boldness and courage.

Bai Ke also drew his sword and dismounted. He shouted, "Truly a hero's spirit! Exhilarating! Please!"

(Long chapter, please vote with monthly tickets~) (End of this chapter)