Wan Jian returns to his clan!

Chapter 188 Bloodstained City, A Sword's Cold Light

"How did you get here? But Tianling Pass has fallen."

Lu Wubing and his group rushed to the outskirts of Shuangjiang County, where they saw dozens of people rushing down the hillside. The leader was dressed in a moon-white Taoist robe and seemed to be walking on air, almost without touching the ground. It was none other than the Moon Fairy Ji Changge, originally Princess Taiping of the imperial court.

However, she seemed particularly averse to being called a princess, and was usually aloof and quiet, much like a Taoist nun in seclusion.

Looking at her now, her face was still as calm and serene as when she was teaching the zither, but her complexion was even whiter, without a trace of blood.

His Taoist robe was stained with blood, clearly indicating that he had been through a series of battles and was injured.

"Uncle Guanghan, Tianling Pass has not fallen. All those sick wild beasts have been killed and burned."

You have no idea how dangerous it was earlier. If it weren't for Junior Brother and the others arriving in time, we might have really lost the position.

Ouyang Lan rushed forward in a few strides, her face beaming with joy.

She actually really liked this Uncle Guanghan...

During this mission to provide assistance, we encountered several dangerous situations. My father, Ouyang Zheng, was preoccupied with the Green Snake King and couldn't really take care of her.

At the very beginning of the confrontation, the Moon Goddess kept hovering around her intentionally or unintentionally, eliminating the danger in advance.

As a result, Ouyang Lan was never really injured from the beginning.

However, the Moon Goddess Ji Changge suffered considerable injuries after fighting several battles with the Green Snake King and the Pig King.

"That's good, that's good." Hearing this, Ji Changge touched Ouyang Lan's hair, and a smile appeared on his pale face.

I couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

The Tianxing Sect brought so many elite disciples to help. Not to mention Ouyang Zheng, a veteran expert who, even before breaking through to the Innate Realm, could fight against the world's top experts and had his own survival skills.

However, these young disciples had never experienced a fierce battle.

Fighting to the death for the sake of the Bright Moon Sect is one thing, but if the casualties are too heavy...

The Bright Moon Sect doesn't know how to face their allies, the Heavenly Star Sect.

Especially Ouyang Lan, the daughter of the Tianxing Sect's leader.

He is exceptionally outstanding among this group of disciples.

With his sixth-grade internal energy cultivation and extraordinary swordsmanship, it was still quite difficult for him to forcibly intercept and kill a second-grade or first-grade expert.

Of course, this also shows Ouyang Lan's potential in swordsmanship.

Despite being so far behind in cultivation, his combat strength has already reached such a level, allowing him to fight head-on with experts from the Demonic Sect and even kill a second-grade [Yellow Chicken]. This is even better than the achievements of the six elders of the Bright Moon Sect, which is truly astonishing.

How can we not protect such a promising talent?

This time, sending Ouyang Lan to lead the team to garrison Tianling Pass was a last resort.

Green Snake She Laomo single-handedly restrained too many masters.

The fields were empty.

Once those wild beasts enter the city, they will be difficult to deal with.

On the other hand, Zhu Lie, the Pig King, gathered a group of demons and summoned hundreds of wild boars to charge.

These ferocious beasts didn't have time to get infected, so although they couldn't break through, there was no need to worry about them getting infected.

In fact, worrying was useless; the entire county town had been occupied by that big black pig.

How much worse can it get?

"So it was my nephew Wubing who arrived. Thank you very much this time."

Ji Changge's eyes were filled with gratitude.

Step forward and thank them.

More than thirty disciples of the Bright Moon Sect also stepped forward.

"Uncle-Master, you're too kind. You helped me a lot at the Heavenly Star Sect last time. Let's not talk about that for now. How's the situation in the city?"

Lu Wubing's heart stirred.

It seemed that Fairy Guanghan Ji Changge had completely integrated into the Bright Moon Sect. Rumor had it that she had joined the sect at the age of twelve and had made it her home ever since. She had never returned to the Princess Weijing's residence.

The previous assumption was that she had become a nun at the Bright Moon Sect on behalf of the royal family in order to find a way to resolve the hidden dangers in the bloodline.

Now it seems that this is not the case; there is more to the story.

Rather than saying she still retains her princess status, it would be more accurate to say she is an refugee who has essentially severed ties with the royal family.

The royal family, the Ji family, has many problems.

These princes and nobles...

The thought that Prince Gong was keeping his troops inactive, focusing only on recruiting soldiers and gathering martial arts masters, while allowing the Demonic Sect to enter the heartland and indiscriminately kill innocent people and destroy cities, made Lu Wubing feel very uneasy.

The imperial court, local garrison forces, and generals at various passes remained indifferent to these demonic forces.

On the contrary, their own Tianxing Sect and Mingyue Sect were locked in a fierce battle with the Demonic Sect, which made them feel extremely frustrated.

It's as if the world belongs to them.

Who is the good guy, and who should step forward to die?

But then again, ignoring it really won't work.

The Northern Zhou Demonic Sect seems to have lost its mind, constantly eyeing the territories of the Bright Moon Sect and the Heavenly Star Sect, and relentlessly causing trouble.

If no one stops them, the city below the mountain will suffer heavy casualties and be occupied by the demonic forces. Will their own sect still be able to continue operating?
Having lost its popular support and the industries at the foot of the mountain, and with caravans no longer operating, the sect could only sit and wait for its resources to run out.

We also have to guard against them coming up the mountain to harass us from time to time...

Even if they could defeat those covetous enemies, the sect would be essentially trapped and would have no chance to grow stronger.

"Other places are beyond our reach, so we can ignore them, and we can't control them anyway."

However, the two prefectures of Mingyang and Liyang cannot be lost... They must be defended no matter what.

"Yes."

Ji Changge raised his eyebrows slightly and said coldly, "It's a pity that Commandant Huang of Liyang is a lazy and incompetent official, with no soldiers under his command willing to fight. In just one wave of attack, some fled and some died..."

Not only did it fail to achieve its purpose, it also demoralized the army. And that Prefect of Wu, all he knew was how to indulge in pleasure and brothels every day; he was utterly ignorant of everything…”

When the topic of military affairs in Liyang County came up, Ji Changge was so angry that she swore, almost ruining her icy fairy-like demeanor.

"Now, the only thing I can do is to protect Zhu Lie's demonic forces and prevent him from joining forces with the Green Serpent, thus reducing the pressure on Mirror Moon Lake."

Otherwise, if this fiend joins forces with the Green Snake, the situation will become quite uncertain. "My nephew Wubing and Fourth Senior Sister have arrived just in time..."

"Could it be that even my junior sister is struggling to hold off that black boar? She's only keeping it at bay... I know it's difficult to kill him, but I've heard that his attack power is somewhat lacking."

"Yes, Zhu Lie's defense is indeed so strong that it's despair-inducing, but his attack is a bit lacking. However, these days he has not only summoned some wild boars in the Hengduan Mountains, but also cooperated with [Mountain Lord] and [White Hair] to attract hundreds of ferocious beasts."

The most outrageous thing is that these ferocious beasts even know how to launch coordinated attacks from different directions. How does the demon lord command them?

"Are you saying, Uncle-Master, that the total number of ferocious beasts in the city has reached over a thousand?"

Ouyang Lan said in horror.

"Indeed, I managed to stop several waves of attacks, but I could only prevent them from leading their beasts south. I couldn't stop the ferocious beasts from devouring people within the city. Now, in Shuangjiang County..."

At this point, the Moon Goddess covered her face with her hand, not wanting to continue.

Lu Wubing looked up at Shuangjiang City and seemed to hear countless screams and roars.

His expression was indifferent when he suddenly asked, "When I came down the mountain, my master's wife told me that my eldest brother had already reached Zhu Lie's side in order to hunt down the notorious villain Jin Manjiang of Hengjiang. I wonder how he is doing?"

"Yue Lingfeng has good swordsmanship, but he can only barely defend himself. After being defeated by Zhu Lie in the city, he even fought against him while injured. Now he is probably hiding in some corner looking for an opportunity."

To be able to fight Zhu Lie, who is at the Innate Realm and is said to be able to contend with experts at the Yang Realm, and still manage to escape... it seems that Senior Brother has made rapid progress.

Lu Wubing thought for a moment and said, "We can't delay here. Mirror Moon Lake is currently empty, and the Green Snake Demon is skilled in summoning snakes. No one knows how many venomous snakes he has gathered near Liyang. If we let him attack, I'm afraid the Bright Moon Sect will..."

Now that things have come to this, the only option is to kill Zhu Lie and capture this fortified city.

"No, although Zhu Lie looks rough and clumsy, he is careful in his actions. If we try to kill him by force, we will probably fall into the Hundred Beasts Formation."

Ji Changge said tactfully, "Besides, this person cultivates the Demonic Sect's Body Forging Technique [Mysterious Origin Thick Earth Technique], making his skin and flesh incredibly tough and indestructible. Nephew, you shouldn't try to finish this quickly."

This clearly means that no matter how skilled you are in swordsmanship and how powerful your attacks are, it is impossible for you to break through their defenses.

"Uncle-Master, don't worry. Since Junior Brother dares to say that, he must have his reasons," Ouyang Lan quickly grabbed Ji Changge's hand and said with a smile.

"It's not that Junior Brother's martial arts are stronger than Senior Uncle's. But, how should I put it? He always has some strange and unpredictable methods. Once he makes a move, that pig's doom is nigh."

Shen Xinzhu chimed in, "Yes, Uncle Guanghan, please don't worry. Not long ago, my elder brother got married in Mingyang City, and three innate masters—Gu Taihe, the innate elder of the Ziyang Sect, Xie Qinglong, the leader of the Pai Gang, and Xue Liang, the southeastern garrison commander of the Jinlin Guard—joined forces to cause trouble."

Faced with the three-person attack, Junior Brother Wubing only needed to make a few moves to break their combined attack and kill them all.

"How could a mere twelve ferocious beasts withstand the might of his divine sword?"

"what?"

Ji Changge's expression changed drastically; he was first startled, then overjoyed.

Her knowledge of Lu Wubing's abilities was still based on their time meeting at the Tianxing Sect.

When he was first taught the zither, I only guessed that his martial arts and swordsmanship might not be weaker than those of the Innate Realm.

Although his cultivation level hasn't caught up, his true combat strength is extremely formidable; even I am not confident I could defeat him.

But no matter how much she overestimated this young master of the Heavenly Star Sect, she could never have imagined that his abilities had reached such a level.

Even Gu Taihe, the fourth-generation elder of the Ziyang Sect, would be difficult for me to defeat.

Not to mention Xie Qinglong and Xue Liang, whose fame is no less than, and perhaps even slightly surpasses, that of Gu Taihe.

These two have earned their reputations through their exploits in the martial arts world.

Each of them commands a powerful region and is a formidable expert who has been tested by the world.

These three innate experts working together couldn't even withstand a few casual sword strikes from Lu Wubing.

So, just how strong is Junior Nephew Lu?

Looking up at her fourth senior sister Yun Yi, she saw her senior sister nod slightly, clearly indicating that what Shen Xinzhu said was true.

Could it be that his swordsmanship has become much faster?
No, no matter how fast his swordsmanship is, the Pig King among the Twelve Ferocious Beasts is the least afraid of fast swords.

His entire body was flawless... If one's cultivation level wasn't high enough, one wouldn't be able to penetrate his defenses, leaving one completely restricted.

“Nephew Wubing, you may give it a try. However, that person’s defense is too strong. If things don’t go well, please don’t get entangled. Preserving your life is the priority.”

"Thank you for your concern, Uncle-Master. It's nothing."

Lu Wubing smiled and stepped forward.

He doesn't ride a horse either.

With a slight movement, he had already crossed ten zhang (approximately 33 meters), and in just a few steps, he was already close to the county town gate.

"What a graceful 'square step'!"

Ji Changge wanted to say something more, such as discussing tactics, but she could only see Lu Wubing's shadow from afar, and she was startled.

She realized that even if she used all her strength and her best technique, the [Moon Shadow Flowing Light] movement technique, at this speed, she simply couldn't catch up. A little while later, she wouldn't even be able to see the other person's back anymore.

There's absolutely no need to worry about his safety.

“Let’s go take a look. Even if we can’t kill that pig king, we can still find a chance to slaughter some of the ferocious beasts and give the surviving people in the city a chance to catch their breath.”

Ouyang Lan, however, was not afraid at all. When Lu Wubing stepped into the city, she already thought Zhu Lie was dead.

"Keep a close eye on them. These ferocious beasts and treacherous members of the demonic sect must not be let go. If we wait until they escape into the mountains, we'll have even more trouble later."

"Junior Sister Xinzhu, your zither playing is perfect for group attacks. Please lend a hand later."

"Don't worry, Senior Sister. With the Young Master leading the charge, we just need to follow and cover our retreat."

Apart from the twelve ferocious beasts, this rabble cannot withstand my Seven Emotions Melody.

Shen Xinzhu said with a smile.

After the shadow in her heart was dispelled, she felt more energetic and focused.

He took several more Purple Heart Pills on the way, allowing his cultivation technique to break through a level.

Playing the Seven Emotions Melody again now feels much easier.

Not only does the sound wave coverage increase exponentially, but it can also silently and subtly touch people's hearts.

These wicked villains are all bloodthirsty and neglect spiritual cultivation.

It is the easiest enemy to deal with among the Seven Emotions Sounds.

Shen Xinzhu was very relieved.

Moreover, Shen Xinzhu also knew some secrets.

The biggest force behind the destruction of the Heavenly Sound Hall, one of the six halls of the Demonic Sect, was not actually the righteous factions. Rather, it was the infighting and mutual attacks among the various halls during the defeat, with other halls like the Beast Hall playing a significant role.

They had their reasons for being willing to endure the pursuit of the Tianxing Sect swordsmen to preemptively kill all the musicians in the Tianyin Hall.

The Seven Emotions Sound Attack Method is most effective at stirring up all sorts of distracting thoughts and demonic intentions in the mind.

Once they become enemies, their cultivation methods, which allow demonic intent to grow unchecked like the other five sects, can easily provoke them to lose control of their minds. Before they can even make a move, they will have already suffered a backlash from their cultivation techniques and become possessed by demonic forces.

Because of this unique method, at the height of the Six Halls, the [Heavenly Sound Hall] was known as the Punishment Hall.

It's easy to imagine how much hatred had accumulated.

And it is also very targeted.

Based on these characteristics, Shen Xinzhu was full of confidence.

She knew that her cultivation level wasn't very high, and she might not be able to handle the twelve ferocious beasts. But dealing with some demon cubs was a piece of cake for her.

……

The situation inside the city was the same as usual.

Apart from the roars of some ferocious beasts, no other human voices could be heard.

From the main road at the city gate all the way to the county government office.

Blood was everywhere.

Broken corpses were scattered everywhere.

The entire city reeked of a foul stench.

It was like hell.

Every time Ji Changge stormed in, he couldn't help but feel nauseous and dared not look at the various tragic scenes inside the city.

But this time, she not only watched...

Moreover, they looked at it very carefully.

Unlike usual.

They rushed in, but couldn't see a single ferocious beast, only a demonic sect member blocking their way.

Looking into the distance, the vast expanse was covered with a dense mass of people in black and some large, ferocious beasts lying on the ground.

There are tigers, wolves, leopards, wild boars...

At a cursory glance, there are several hundred of them.

As a result, the black-clad figure lying on the ground, thrashing about, became quite inconspicuous when facing all directions.

The only thing that could explain the state of these guys a moment ago was that all of them, whether human or beast, had swords in their throats, and blood was flowing out like a fountain.

A pungent, hot odor shot into the sky, almost forming a thick fog in mid-air.

"What a fast sword."

"Such a strong killing intent..."

Ji Changge and Yun Yi, with their keen eyesight, both understood the situation before them.

That was a single person, sweeping across the city like a whirlwind.

A thousand sword shadows erupted around him.

Passing along the road.

Whether they were ferocious beasts or bandits, they were all struck by the sword at the same time.

The sword energy surged, capable of shattering souls and tearing apart spirits.

There is death and no life.

“My nephew must have been provoked. This is the first time I’ve ever seen him so full of murderous intent.”

Stepping on a pool of blood.

Everyone felt their hair stand on end, and a chilling aura spread in all directions, like a sharp sword between their brows, causing their whole bodies to tremble uncontrollably.

The killing intent was so strong it felt almost tangible.

Even though it wasn't directed at them at all, it still made people feel tense.

In the distance, a frantic shout could be faintly heard.

"Quickly, make your move against the Pig King."

Ji Changge held her sword and unleashed the full power of [Moonlight Flowing Light], causing several sword lights to surge forward around her.

I just rushed to the entrance of the county government office.

The scene in the courtyard can be seen at a glance.

They were all stunned...

In the center of the courtyard, a massive, dark-skinned man, about ten feet tall, lay sprawled on the ground, looking up at the sky…

The enormous head continued to roll on the bluestone ground.

The head finally stopped, revealing a ferocious face with bulging leopard eyes and bared fangs at the corners of its mouth.

Seeing that indescribably ugly pig face on a normal day would naturally make one's heart tighten and one would have to be on guard.

Now, everyone is overjoyed.

There's no other reason than that the dead Pig King was the best Pig King.

And not far from this corpse that looked more like a pig than a human.

A middle-aged man with a full head of white hair and a burly man with a "king" character tattooed on his head both fell backward to the ground, with a huge blood hole appearing between their eyebrows, from which red and white blood flowed continuously.

On the table laden with wine, more than a dozen men and women dressed in black, each with a fierce expression, collapsed and fell in a circle around the table.

Only one person remained seated at the lower end; that was Yue Lingfeng.

He was still holding the wine bowl, looking left and right, completely unaware of what was happening.

"Master, junior brother, if I said I just wanted to stall them and prevent these thugs from... from harming children, would you believe me?"

Yue Lingfeng stammered slightly.

Unable to think of any way, after several battles, he had no choice but to pretend to join, calling each other brothers, hoping to stop these people from doing evil.

As a result, when he was drunk and completely out of his mind, a steamed baby appeared at the banquet.

He was restless and had no idea how to handle the situation.

Then a sword whistle was heard.

Silence fell on all sides.

Zhu Lie and Shan Jun reacted the fastest, grabbing their weapons and leaping into the air.

Then they saw streams of light pouring into the courtyard.

Yes, it's a surge.

He couldn't see at all how many swords the newcomer had drawn at that moment.

The light stopped.

And that's what I saw before me.

"I believe it, but I don't know if my master believes it."

Lu Wubing chuckled softly and sheathed his sword.

Turning his head, he said, "Uncle-Master Guanghan, this person's defense is indeed quite good. However, it's not without flaws. At least, his eyesight isn't that sharp."

Upon hearing this, Ji Changge, who had just opened her mouth wide, went blank. She turned to look at the huge head on the ground and, sure enough, found a bloody hole in Zhu Lie's left eye.

One can imagine that a sword pierced through the left eye and went straight to the back of the head.

His brains were pierced and shattered by a single sword strike.

No matter how strong the physical training or how deep the cultivation, it's all useless.

"This……"

Ji Changge recalled her clashes with Zhu Lie these past few days and didn't know what to say.

In a clash between two masters of innate talent, who wouldn't expect the blow to be blinding? But the blow still has to hit its mark, since the opponent isn't dead.

If you could aim for the eyes and pierce the head, you could probably stab your opponent seventeen or eighteen times before they could react.

So, breaking through the defenses is that simple?

Simple my ass!
Thinking of that fleeting glimpse of light that exceeded my reaction time.

Ji Changge was speechless for a moment.

……

(End of this chapter)