Wan Jian returns to his clan!

Chapter 160 Ten Directions Shadow Characters, Straight to the Heart of the Dragon

In the eyes of Cheng Liangyu and Lin Wenjing.

The shadow, which had been lying flat on the ground, suddenly rose up like a splash of water, stood upright, and pressed against Lu Wubing's back. A point of dark, cold light silently pierced the back of his head.

A look of terror flashed in their eyes. They opened their mouths as if to shout and lunge forward, but it was too late.

Lu Wubing, on the other hand, seemed completely unaware of the deadly danger behind him. His neck felt boneless, and his head suddenly dropped to his chest. Without even bending over, a gust of wind swept under his feet, and his right leg, like a dragon's tail, whipped up backward.

The sword light pierced above Lu Wubing's neck, leaving a long, grayish-white ripple. A faint sound of air crackling could be heard, but the sword missed its mark.

Before the long, black sword had exhausted its strength, it was slightly raised and about to slash downwards.

Snapped……

Lu Wubing's Dragon Tail Kick had already struck something.

With a whoosh, the shadow dispersed into a cloud of mist. Within the mist, two dark red wooden statues, each the size of a finger, had just appeared when they were kicked into countless dust.

I heard a painful scream.

"Pretend to be a ghost."

Lu Wubing's mind almost lost its tranquil state of "Pine and Crane Guidance" as he suddenly sensed that the explosive aura of the same frequency had changed position the instant the wooden statue exploded.

"Let's see how many tricks you have up your sleeve."

Lu Wubing's sword flashed without warning, pointing directly at Cheng Liangyu beside him.

His [Flowing Light Sword Style] of the Eight Subduing Dragon Forms was not only the most comfortable to use, but after successively killing experts and devouring wandering primordial spirits, his sword intent realm quietly crossed the [Yin Void Realm] by more than 50%. At this moment, as fast as his mind moved, his sword was as fast as his heart.

So much so that Cheng Liangyu hadn't even reacted yet.

A bright flash of light had just appeared in her pupils when the sword light pierced through her slightly raised armpit.

Her body stiffened, and another painful roar sounded behind her.

This time, blood splattered onto her back like a waterfall.

She abruptly stepped aside and turned to look, only to see a red leaf fluttering down, and large splatters of blood on the ground and grass.

The shadows cast by the leaves suddenly faded a little, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw a chubby black cat arching its back and chasing after it in a few leaps.

Not only did the kitten rush out first, but Lu Wubing also took a step and covered four or five zhang in one stride, flashing through the shadows of the trees like a ghost.

Right in front of them, a figure was swaying unsteadily, surrounded by a veil of mist that made it difficult to see clearly, yet it moved with incredible speed.

He leaped through the jungle, wanting to plunge into the stream beside the forest.

Lu Wubing felt a surge of excitement, vaguely sensing that he might have found something extraordinary again.

He hasn't forgotten where the "Pine and Crane Melody" came from.

Even a master like Qingyun Laodao, whose abilities are completely unfathomable, finds this skill extremely valuable... one can imagine how much it is cherished.

This shadowy figure is now capable of hiding in other people's shadows; neither mental power, the naked eye, nor even attacks can pinpoint its true location.

Its wonder lies even more than that of the "Pine and Crane Melody".

It's like an enhanced version of the "Pine and Crane Melody" technique, but with a more subtle and powerful breath control.

'Goodness, they've even planned their escape route.'

Lu Wubing stomped his foot heavily, his muscles and bones vibrating, producing a sound like a dragon's roar and a tiger's howl.

The vast and mighty true energy of the ocean merged with this power of blood, qi, muscles, and bones, causing the body to suddenly collide and create white, explosive ripples...

The figure suddenly disappeared from its original spot, and when it reappeared, it was already on the water's surface.

He didn't draw his sword, but instead extended his left hand, slightly reaching forward with his claw.

A huge crater instantly appeared in the water, and the man in black, enveloped by his [Hidden Dragon in the Abyss, Hidden Sword Style], involuntarily fell into his palm.

clap clap...

Lu Wubing unleashed a sword aura from his palm, striking six major acupoints. The dantian and tanzhong acupoints trembled simultaneously, and the qi surged in all directions, thus destroying the man's qi and blood and internal strength.

As the fingers swept across, three silver needles, imbued with life force, were injected into the person's body.

However, Lu Wubing wanted to leave an important survivor, fearing that he had killed the man by hitting him too hard, so he treated him as well.

The man in black, however, showed no appreciation whatsoever.

His eyes were filled with despair and ruthlessness, and he mumbled words that were barely audible...

Just as Lu Wubing was about to listen closely, he saw the man open his mouth and shoot out a beam of blood with a "poof".

He reacted extremely quickly, casually flicking his wrist and swaying to the side.

With a whoosh, a flash of blood struck a small tree by the river, breaking it and causing it to fall onto the grass. The grass withered and turned to ash, and white smoke rose from it.

Lu Wubing's eyebrows twitched. He turned back to look at the man in black and saw that the man seemed to have a mocking smile on his lips, and he was already silent.

"It is the [Azure Blood Arrow], a secret technique of the Demonic Sect for disintegration. At the moment of death, it gathers the remaining essence of the body and spits out the severed tongue. Either the enemy dies or the user dies."

Cheng Liangyu stared intently at the corpse of the man in black, his body trembling slightly.

Just a moment ago, the man in black had hidden behind him without his noticing. If he had been the man's primary target, he would have been certain to die.

Fortunately, Lu Wubing was not only fast with his sword, but also had extremely keen senses. Even in the thick fog, he was still able to find the enemy's true location, forcing the opponent to not even be able to escape and to use a suicide attack to deliver a fatal blow.

Even so, not a single hair on Lu Wubing's head was harmed.

It can only be said that the gap between the two sides is quite large.

"Is this person a master of the Demonic Sect?" Lin Wenjing also rushed over and looked at the corpse of the man in black with a strange expression.

She always felt it didn't seem right.

Rumor has it that members of the Demonic Sect are selfish and prioritize self-preservation; how could they possibly employ such a reckless fighting style?

If you can't win, commit suicide, dragging your opponent down to hell before you die.

This behavior is not like that of a free and undisciplined master of the demonic sect, but rather like that of a death squad under the command of some important figures.

Cheng Liangyu's eyes were filled with intense hatred, and her eyes were slightly red: "She only learned the demonic sect's offensive techniques. She was not a member of the demonic sect. She should be a master of the [Moon Shadow Hall]. If I'm not mistaken, Father and Mother died under such treacherous methods."

"What exactly is the background of Moon Shadow Hall? They truly deserve to die." Lu Wubing wasn't too concerned about the bloodshed and power struggles in Donghai County. The sorrowful expression on his face was also out of politeness.

You can't expect someone to be indifferent when their parents die, can you?
Moreover, those two senior uncles, no matter what, were still experts of the previous generation of Tianxing Sect... Even if the bones are broken, they are still connected by tendons. As the young sect leader, he should at least show a united front against the enemy.

What he cared about most was the method the man in black had just used.

It's truly miraculous.

Is this still martial arts?

The thought flashed through his mind, and his heart burned even more fervently.

The first time I felt this amazement was when I saw the seal with the character "形" (shape). The way it connected heaven and earth and conveyed boundless vitality completely exceeded worldly understanding.

He couldn't imagine any martial art that could cultivate such a powerful life force.

It was as if my own body had become immortal.

Even the most severe injuries can be cured once life returns.

With such a secret technique at his disposal, he not only had a few extra lives, but practically countless lives...

Lu Wubing has now encountered such an unreasonable martial arts technique again.

He knew better than anyone just how ruthless his first kick, the Dragon Tail Kick, was. It had the power to shatter even a small rocky hill, let alone flesh and blood.

As it turned out, the kick hit a tiny wooden idol.

Doesn't it look like a legendary scapegoat puppet?
Immediately afterwards, relying on the sensing ability of [Pine and Crane Guidance], he sensed the same source of power and suddenly drew his sword. This sword was a flowing light and shadow, and there was also wind and thunder. Even if his master, who was a master of innate level, was hit by this sword, he would be in big trouble.

As a result, the opponent simply turned into a red leaf, leaving behind a large stain of blood, and still managed to escape unscathed.

Doesn't it resemble the legendary transformation of objects into form?

"Moon Shadow Hall was originally not a significant force in Donghai County, and was always suppressed by our Mingxin Hall."

At Changfeng Wharf, their members were mostly fishermen who would gather together to sell their catch at the market. They were a low-level gang.

However, a few months ago, this gang became arrogant, not only encroaching on territory everywhere, but also clashing with Mingxintang on several occasions.

First, it was some lower-ranking disciples fighting each other. Then, the elders got involved. Later, even my parents were alerted. And then…

Cheng Liangyu wiped away her tears with her sleeve, stubbornly pursed her lips, and said in a deep voice, "When we were ambushed, my parents were in a great position, but for some reason, they were ambushed and killed."

Even though there was no one around, I was suddenly stabbed in the heart. The wound was narrow and resembled the shape of the sword in this person's hand... However..."

"What, do you think that with this person's cultivation level, it's not enough to break through the defenses of Uncle Cheng and Uncle Wen?"

Lu Wubing knew what Cheng Liangyu was wondering about.

The black-clad man's attack methods were indeed unpredictable, but when he actually drew his sword and parried, the swordsmanship and power he used were just so-so.

It can only be said that she is on par with Cheng Liangyu and Lin Wenjing.

Compared to Lu Wubing, he is far inferior.

It collapses at the first touch.

To put it bluntly, this person was somewhat threatening when he launched a sneak attack, but in a real life-or-death struggle, it would be extremely difficult for him to silently break through the protective internal energy of Cheng Wen's two senior uncles.

Back then, Lu Wubing's cultivation was still shallow and his strength was not strong. Even using perfect swordsmanship, he had great difficulty breaking through Gu Dongting's protective inner energy, who was at the second rank. The sword's edge only pierced through the skin and flesh, stopping at three inches.

This person's attack power was somewhat inferior. Even if Uncle-Master Cheng Lin was caught off guard and hit, he was able to repel the enemy despite his injuries.

Moreover, there was also Uncle Wen Yuan by his side.

However, the two senior uncles died very swiftly, as if they hadn't even experienced any battle. It was as if they had been killed in just a few quick moves.

It can only be said that the person who made the move not only concealed himself extremely cleverly, but also possessed formidable and sharp attack power.

"Perhaps they are assassins of the same school, but not the same person. In other words, there is more than one such person."

Lu Wubing said this.

Their mood became slightly heavy.

That man was already extremely troublesome; if there were an even more skilled assassin who were to hide and launch a sneak attack, I'm afraid…

"This is it."

After searching for a while, Lu Wubing stopped and found it.

Lu Wubing casually tossed aside the hidden weapons, medicine bottles, gold notes, and silver coins, and carefully examined the man in black from head to toe.

Finally, prompted by the kitten's paws, a piece of cleverly disguised human skin was torn from the black-clad man's forearm, from which a three-foot-long, translucent silk cloth was taken out.

Upon unfolding the silk cloth, one could see a faint ink drawing on it.

The drawing was done carelessly, not so much like it was drawn with ink, but more like it was drawn with charcoal. In some places, it has become faint after changing hands several times.

You can still roughly make out the general meaning of the picture.

The sun is directly overhead, with houses, people, and hills below, and water flowing to the right.

"Huh, this person has the character 'Shadow' hidden on their arm. Could it be their name?"

Cheng Liangyu saw an opportunity to avenge his father and mother. He was very interested in the swordsman who was suspected to be an enemy of the Moon Shadow Hall. He stared at him with wide eyes. When he saw the picture, he couldn't help but blurt out.

You're saying this is a character?

Lu Wubing's heart stirred, and a flash of excitement crossed his eyes.

“That’s right, junior brother, look. On the left is the sunlit mountain city, which is the seal script form of the character ‘景’ (scenery). On the right is flowing water rippling. Isn’t that the reflection of the sun, moon, and mountain city in the water? It’s the character ‘影’ (shadow).”

"Senior Sister Cheng is very knowledgeable." Lu Wubing was overjoyed and couldn't help but praise her. To be able to see a single word from this blurry picture, Cheng Liangyu was indeed very learned and a person with both literary and martial talents.

If he were a man, he might have been famous throughout the world by now, hailed as a talented scholar or a hero.

In fact, Lu Wubing felt that her martial arts skills were no worse than those of the Four Young Masters of Jiangnan, and her actual combat strength might even be slightly stronger.

Such a woman, yet she remained unknown, must have been well cared for by her parents, spending most of her time secluded in her chambers and rarely appearing in public. She would certainly not have engaged in any public fights or brawls.

Therefore, it is not famous.

"I've only learned a little bit occasionally." Cheng Liangyu's face darkened slightly, unwilling to say more about these things. She could tell from Lu Wubing's expression that this thing was very important. After thinking for a moment, she suggested, "Even if the characters made from silk have some charm, seven or eight tenths of them will be lost. It's a pity that this person is dead, and we can no longer find out where the original is."

Lin Wenjing, who was listening nearby, suddenly laughed, "Junior Brother is best at following clues in a chaotic situation. Now that we know this person may be from the Moon Shadow Hall, as long as we find the lineage of this Moon Shadow Assassin, we will have found the true source."

Lu Wubing smiled and nodded, handing over the painted silk cloth for the two to look at. "Take a close look and see if you can see anything in it?"

Cheng Liangyu took the calligraphy with a puzzled look, staring intently at it for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, still looking completely bewildered. He could only say that the calligraphy was exceptionally skillful, possessing a strange and profound charm, but he couldn't discern anything specific about it.

After looking at it, Lin Wenjing said that the character image seemed to be moving, and after looking at it for a while, she couldn't recognize it anymore.

"Can you write it down?"

The two picked up tree branches and drew on the soil, but found that once their gaze left the silk cloth, they forgot how to write the characters, and even forgot what the characters they had just drawn looked like.

Let alone copying it, it's impossible to even write out the shape of the characters.

"Hey, what word did we just see?"

Cheng Liangyu squatted on the ground, her waist and hips forming a breathtakingly perfect curve, and her once heroic face now revealed a clear sense of foolishness.

Okay, you were the one who said it was the character "影" (shadow), and you've already forgotten?
That's incredibly forgetful.

Turning to look at Lin Wenjing, I saw that my seventh senior sister was also confused.

With her delicate eyebrows furrowed, she racked her brains to write a single character, which turned out to be the character "京" (Jing).

“I remember now, we were talking about going to Weijing, but no, weren’t we going to Donghai County? Why is this character ‘京’ written here?”

"Never mind if you can't remember. I'll show it to you when I find the original."

This caused a huge uproar in the depths of Lu Wubing's heart.

Standing silently behind the two women, watching them speak to the air in front of them with charming smiles, a chill suddenly ran through him.

"Thank goodness. This secret technique is indeed very strange. Fortunately, although I did not obtain the original, I have managed to grasp some of its basics."

There's no need to ask any more questions; this character must be one of the "Ten Directions Seals" recorded in my grandfather Lu Chengyun's diary.

According to the information he gathered, the "Ten Directions Seal" consists of a total of ten seal designs.

It contains the secret of "attaining immortality". Each seal is pushed to its limit in a certain aspect, which is beyond the reach of ordinary martial arts. Anyone who obtains this thing keeps it a secret. Countless masters have fought bloody battles for the "Ten Directions Seal".

The diary entry also stated very carefully that the news must not be leaked, otherwise, it would cause endless trouble.

Even with Lu Chengyun's reputation for the "Southern Heaven Sword" martial arts, he felt that it would cause him "endless troubles." One can imagine what the consequences would be if an ordinary person obtained it and accidentally leaked it.
The "Six Yang Divine Needles" in my home were transformed into the "Form" character seal.

The character "形" (form) primarily controls the vitality of heaven and earth and cultivates the human body; this is the meaning of "physical evolution".

Although the visualization of the head was missing, Grandfather Lu Chengyun was a rare master after all. Perhaps he only had the chance to see it once, but he remembered eight or nine tenths of it and copied a relatively complete image from memory after returning home.

But it is still incomplete.

Lu Wubing's "Heaven Rewards Diligence" destiny only allows him to continuously improve his secret techniques, martial arts, internal strength, and lightness skills and swordsmanship, but it does not allow him to create something out of nothing.

Therefore, he practiced the incomplete character diagram to the point of endless renewal and transformation, but he could never achieve perfection.

In terms of internal energy cultivation, it means that the small circulation of the chest, abdomen, and limbs has been completed, but the large circulation of the entire body has not been completed.

This is precisely why, when someone attacks his head, his first thought is to dodge rather than to take the hit head-on.

He didn't want to take any risks because his head didn't have unlimited vitality to protect it at all times.

Who knows if any of the various divine skills and extraordinary techniques in the world might contain deadly secret techniques that could kill someone with a single touch?
With the body protected by the extremely high level of power of the life force of heaven and earth, even if it is attacked by the most bizarre force, it will have some buffer. But the head is something that must never be tested.

If the "Form" seal controls life force, then the "Shadow" seal before us controls the shadows of all things; wherever there is shadow, one can hide.

The "Pine and Crane Melody" that I practiced myself was probably a fragment of this "Shadow" character.

Having mastered its essence, one can conceal one's breath and form, making others overlook one's presence; these are likely some of the wondrous uses of the Ten Directions Seal [Shadow] character diagram.

In other words, the old Taoist priest Qingyun may have also seen this seal, but he did not grasp its full essence.

Judging from this perspective.

The Ten Directions Seal consists of ten seal images. Many people may have seen it, but probably not many can fully comprehend all the profound mysteries hidden within the seal.

Just like the old Taoist Qingyun, as well as my grandfather Lu Chengyun, and the man in black in front of me, they all received a part of the inheritance.

They don't have the innate talent of "heaven rewards diligence," where effort guarantees success. Even if they try, they might not reap the rewards, and even if they do, they might not remember them. It's only natural that they won't master the skills completely.

But I am different.

Once you see it, you can learn it; once you've learned it, you'll never regress, and you can keep improving.

After thinking for a moment, Lu Wubing carefully put the silk painting away.

Once I've settled down, I'll slowly begin to understand and practice.

I will no longer mention this news to my two senior sisters, Cheng Liangyu and Lin Wenjing.

I've already tested it.

When they saw the word, they were clearly not moved at all, and forgot about it almost immediately.

It's not impossible to force one to understand it, but one cannot use this incomplete painting as a test.

Although he gained a lot of true meaning from this picture, he was able to initially merge his body into the shadow and then conjure up shadows to mislead others.

But in the end, a perfect visualization was not formed.

The image of "Pine and Crane" in my mind is currently composed of three parts: a pine tree, a crane, and a shadow. Each part is playing its own role and has not yet been connected to form a complete mental image.

In other words, these three key points of memory are separate and not a whole.

Ultimately, we need to find more rubbings, and ideally, the original copies.

This person's status isn't particularly high, yet he was able to master such a secret technique. One can only imagine how grand his spirit must be to have mastered the original [Shadow Character of the Ten Directions Seal] diagram.

He wasn't afraid of people learning from him, nor was he afraid of spreading the news; in fact, he wasn't afraid at all of anyone learning from him.

Perhaps they even hope someone will come and rob them.

This kind of person is not arrogant or conceited to the point of being overbearing.

They possess extraordinary artistic talent and have the confidence to meet any challenge.

The thought that such a figure was behind the man in black made Lu Wubing feel a sense of unease.

Suddenly, she said, "Senior Sister Cheng, you should avoid using your [Star Explosion] secret technique if possible, especially when I'm not around; it's too dangerous."

After obtaining this forbidden secret technique from his master's library, Lu Wubing did not openly practice the Star Guiding Technique, as instructed by his master. However, he only agreed to it on the surface.

In secret, he practiced it hundreds or even thousands of times.

This is precisely why he was able to cultivate the [Great Sun Lapis Lazuli Golden Body] to perfection.

The body is destroyed and rebuilt, destroyed and rebuilt again, and after countless destructions and repairs, the Golden Body Body Training Technique progresses rapidly.

With boundless vitality protecting him, he becomes so arrogant.

However, no matter what, the Star Guiding Technique is still a forbidden cultivation technique, yet unexpectedly, Cheng Liangyu has created a self-generated explosive version of it.

"Isn't it because my junior brother is here? Otherwise, I really wouldn't dare to use it." Cheng Liangyu was heartbroken for a moment, but quickly regained her composure and even knew how to joke.

She smiled and said, "After witnessing Junior Brother's medical skills, I felt that this [Star Explosion Technique] was tailor-made for you. Now that you've encountered a powerful enemy, it's a good opportunity to demonstrate it to you and see if it's of any use."

As she spoke, she pulled a small booklet from her bosom. The handwriting was delicate and beautiful, clearly written with great care. The paper was thin and fine, the very same Snow Jade Xuan paper supplied to the guest rooms of the Heavenly Star Sect.

Lu Wubing guessed that Cheng Liangyu must have written this by hand while he was recuperating from his injuries.

"When Mother first studied this forbidden technique, Father scolded her for a long time. He said it was an evil practice that would ultimately harm both herself and others, but alas..."

Cheng Liangyu sighed heavily and said no more.

Lu Wubing understood the unfinished meaning in the words.

Her mother, Wen Yuan, unintentionally created this life-or-death skill, which is incredibly powerful. However, it also carries a great deal of hidden danger. Once used, one's fate is uncertain.

So her parents put this secret technique away and stopped practicing and using it.

But as times change, there are some secret techniques that you may not need, but you can't be without.

Danger loomed, and before they could even master the technique, they were already killed.

With this in mind, Cheng Liangyu picked up the [Star Explosion Technique].

Upon encountering the enemy, he immediately unleashed his power, killing Gu Hengdao with a single sword strike, but he himself was on the verge of collapse.

Fortunately, Lu Wubing was by her side and used silver needles to treat her for a long time before she recovered.

……

After the group cleaned up the battlefield...

He decided to ignore the horses and weapons, only gathering some gold, silver, and valuables. At dawn, he spurred his horse and galloped at breakneck speed, never stopping at any city he encountered. After traveling four hundred li, he finally arrived at Donghai County City around noon the next day.

"Are we just going to swagger into the city like this?"

Cheng Liangyu was somewhat puzzled. She looked up and saw some paintings hanging on the wall on one side of the city gate. One of them was a black-and-white portrait of herself, which looked seven or eight parts similar.

"A notorious thief... what a notorious thief!"

She felt a surge of bitterness and resentment.

His parents died, his younger brother was held hostage, and he himself became a notorious bandit, wanted by the authorities.

This is truly unbearable.

Not long ago, she was a famous young lady in Donghai County, the dream goddess of countless young heroes and noblemen, and a VIP guest of various wealthy and powerful families.

In less than a month, it has already turned into this state.

"Let's go straight into the city. We're not here to steal; we're here to get our things back."

Lu Wubing laughed.

"I'm afraid they won't come knocking on our door. The more people they come, the simpler it will be."

Lin Wenjing took a deep breath, thinking to herself, "Junior Brother has probably changed his mind."

Originally, I wanted to gather information carefully and secretly plan ahead. Now, I'm sure I'm planning something big.

I don't know if it's for the [Crimson Flame Shell] or for that picture, what picture was it again? Hmm, I think I saw an assassin on the street, what kind of martial arts did the assassin use?

After thinking it over, Lin Wenjing put those distracting thoughts aside.

She knew that her mission in coming to Donghai County was actually very simple: to master the Kaiyang Sword Technique and fight a series of bloody battles.

"I can not wait any more."

Thinking of Ouyang Lan, who was still diligently practicing swordsmanship on the mountain, Lin Wenjing felt a sense of urgency.

Who wants to be left behind?
…………

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(End of this chapter)