Wan Jian returns to his clan!

Chapter 242 Fighting Alone for Three Thousand Miles, One Sword Can Be Worthy of a Million Soldiers
"Even if we capture the king and kill Yuwen Zhao, it's impossible to find and kill all the direct descendants of the Yuwen family in such a hasty situation..."

Lu Wubing said after careful consideration.

Aside from Ouyang Lan and Shen Xinzhu, who were trained and mentored by Lu Wubing, the other two were not.

The rest of the group consisted of four monks and two Taoist priests, all of whom were highly skilled experts in the Returning to Truth Realm.

There was originally another Taoist priest named Qingyun, but he didn't come along.

The old Taoist priest had cultivated for a long time and disliked worldly affairs. If he hadn't been worried about Ji Wenxiu's safety, he probably would have long ago retreated to the mountains and forests to keep company with the pines and befriend the cranes.

Lu Wubing felt too embarrassed to bother his own people who were so lazy and had such profound cultivation.

It would be better to have him stay in Weijing, so that he can handle any unexpected changes.

He hadn't forgotten that the Ji family royal family also had one of the eight kings of the world, the Phoenix King, whose whereabouts were unknown.

As long as this person doesn't show up, Weijing won't be completely at peace.

Of course, it was also to prevent anyone from using Ji Wenxiu as a pretext for their own actions.

It would be truly ridiculous if someone stole your hideout while you were out and about.

"As long as Yuwen Zhao's head is cut off, the Northern Zhou army will immediately march to the capital to defend the emperor, and the various enfeoffed generals will surely harbor rebellious intentions..."

Even if they find a successor, it will be difficult to quell the chaos in a short time, and that is our opportunity.

In this battle, kill as many as you can. Junior brother, I've never been to Northern Zhou before.

Ouyang Lan's strength gradually increased... On her way from Tianxing Sect to Weijing, she broke through to the Innate Void Realm, and then her progress became unstoppable.

These days, after fierce battles and with the help of Lu Wubing and Xiu, he has now completed about 70-80% of the Void Realm, his divine will has greatly increased, and his self-confidence has also begun to grow stronger.

At this moment, I am not afraid at all.

The thought of venturing deep into the tiger's den, killing his way into the Northern Zhou capital, and assassinating the king brought an uncontrollable blush to his face.

'I never expected Senior Sister Xiaolan to become so combative. It seems people's personalities aren't static. The senior sister who only wanted to have fun has finally grown up.'

Shen Xinzhu smiled and said, "Senior sister, no, Northern Zhou is a bit different from our Great Li. The royal family's Yuwen Zhao is the strongest, which is why he can command the entire Zhou territory."

However, other families such as the Shi family, the Tuoba family, the Yang family, the Xiao family, and the Huyan family were all powerful and had strong soldiers and fierce generals.

They could choose another ruler at any time and combine the forces of the Northern Zhou together.

At that time, these troops will become a desperate force, and they might be even more difficult to deal with.

Taking down city after city is no easy task.

"Even if we venture deep into Dragon City and work tirelessly, we can't kill many people. Even if we kill hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands, we'll be exhausted. We'd be either dead from exhaustion or driven mad by the sheer number of enemies. Therefore, killing is not the goal..."

The most important thing is to crush the spirit of the Northern Zhou barbarians. We should learn from their example.

"Break the backbone of the Northern Zhou, and no matter how many armies or barbarians they have, they'll be nothing more than pigs and dogs."

A fierce glint flashed in Lu Wubing's eyes as he coldly spoke.

He knew all too well how weak a race would become once its fighting spirit and will to fight disappeared.

Beyond the history of the past.

One Han man was worth five Hu barbarians back then.

The Han people were so powerful that when they encountered foreign tribes, they not only showed no fear, but also harbored a deep-seated contempt for them.

The barbarians were terrified by the slaughter...

At its peak, even the surrounding barbarian tribes bowed down and dared not cause trouble.

Later, after the bloodlust subsided.

A few barbarian soldiers can conquer a prefecture city.

Dozens of men could chase and slaughter thousands or even tens of thousands of Han Chinese, and no one dared to fight back...

Where are the people now?
It's a chicken, a pig, and a sheep.

Even chickens, pigs, and sheep, when they are slaughtered, know to run around a bit. If they are really pushed to the limit, they will jump around a few times.

However, at a certain point in time, the Han people, having lost their fighting spirit and reduced to mere servility, were worse than chickens, pigs, and sheep.

All they know is to wait to be cut off.

This was true in my past life, and it's not much different in this world.

The Northern Zhou camp clearly had some highly capable individuals among its members…

Before the main army even sets out, they first use various means to disrupt the Dali kingdom.

They then used the Demonic Sect as their vanguard, aiming to suppress all martial artists and break their spirit.

If their plan succeeds, the Great Li Kingdom will be utterly spineless, whether in the imperial court or among the common people.

When the army marched south, there was naturally no resistance, and they were slaughtered at will.

History has long proven that this approach is both ingenious and highly feasible.

So, Lu Wubing wouldn't mind learning from him.

"Our mission to enter Longcheng in Northern Zhou will involve us splitting into three groups."

Master Fayuan, Master Minghui, Master Mingxin, and Master Mingshi, the four of you should guard the four key routes of Longcheng and contain the Northern Zhou's troops who are coming to the aid of the emperor.

As we head north, we can't escape the notice of Heilongtai's spies.

At this time, the generals of the Northern Zhou must have already marched into Longcheng, intending to surround and kill us.

Whatever the enemy wants to do, we'll prevent them from doing it.

The four masters' purpose in coming here is only to cause disturbances, not to kill the enemy. If you can prevent them from entering the capital to join you, you will be credited with a great service.

"Don't worry, the four of us will each guard one side, and we will ensure that no soldiers or generals from any side are allowed to enter the capital."

The old monk Fayuan bowed his head and chanted Amitabha Buddha. His expression remained indifferent, but it was visibly that his aura became more relaxed.

He said he wasn't afraid to charge back and forth among thousands of troops, but it was hard to say whether he would lose his life.

It wasn't that difficult if they just blocked one line of reinforcements.

Especially since Lu Wubing said that he didn't care about the number of enemies killed, but only about harassment and containment, it would be even easier.

Not only the Venerable Fayuan.

The three eminent monks of the Ming generation at Dafan Temple also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Here we must mention the comparison between the strength of the army and the strength of the expert.

Innate masters, especially those who have reached the pinnacle of mastery or the realm of returning to truth, possess overwhelming and powerful attacks that are extremely difficult for any soldier or general to withstand.

The problem is that the Grandmaster realm has not achieved the unity of heaven and man, nor the interaction between heaven and earth, and cannot draw upon the infinite energy in heaven and earth to harm the enemy.

When they fight, every move they make still relies on the true qi or true essence they have cultivated.

This power is limited.

Perhaps, hundreds or thousands of enemies are nothing at all.

With one burst of energy, they wiped them all out.

If the enemy numbers in the tens of thousands, even if all you can do is swing your sword, thrust your spear, and fire arrows indiscriminately, it will inevitably consume a lot of your true energy to resist or kill them.

As I said before, even if there are tens of thousands of pigs, it still takes a lot of effort to kill them.

Just like a normal person punching and kicking.

If you go all out, you'll be exhausted after a few minutes to ten minutes, and even moving a finger will be difficult.

These experts, of course, could not do that.

However, facing a tidal wave of enemies and constantly expending one's true energy to fight them is equally difficult.

Fighting for a short while is no problem at all... But if you really go all out for an hour, no one can withstand it.

As long as it's not a supreme grandmaster.

When going into battle, they must ride horses, and when fighting the enemy, they usually lead a large army.

Just like King Yuwen Chui of Jinyang.

He not only rode a horse, but also had many skilled guards by his side, and led 100,000 troops.

You can take breaks and adjust your breathing to recover.

If you are truly surrounded and attacked by a massive army, unless you can break through quickly, the more ruthless and impressive your attacks are at the beginning, the more miserable your death will be later.

A true master who can single-handedly wield a sword and overpower thousands of troops, even hundreds of thousands or millions of soldiers, is a legendary expert, a master who has broken through the void.

It is impossible within the realm of the Innate Realm.

But this does not include Lu Wubing as he is now.

Even if he used up all his Primordial Chaos Qi, he still had a powerful physical body.

Even when exhausted, there is still boundless vitality...

It can absorb life force from heaven and earth to replenish itself and recover to its original state in the blink of an eye.

In a sense, this ability to be perpetually regenerated and immortal is his greatest asset.

He doesn't know how to get tired, nor is he afraid of a war of attrition.

This is what allows him to support his plan.

[He traversed three thousand miles in battle, his single sword capable of stopping a million soldiers]

Otherwise, we cannot break the backbone of the Northern Zhou Dynasty and terrify everyone in the Zhou Dynasty.

"As for the two senior gentlemen, Turtle and Snake."

Lu Wubing looked at the two old Taoist priests, one fat and one thin, one tall and one short, and saw that their eyes were full of expectation and excitement, so he understood their thoughts.

Unbeknownst to them, the Zhenwu Sword Sect was secretly infiltrated by experts from the Northern Zhou Demonic Sect, fighting and dying for the Northern Zhou barbarians and aiding and abetting their evil deeds.

As the Supreme Elders of the Zhenwu Sword Sect, they were naturally filled with anxiety, fearing that Lu Wubing might retaliate later. At this moment, their desire to make a contribution was stronger than anything else.

"You two also have important responsibilities. After the troops outside the city who came to the aid of the emperor were blocked, the 80,000 troops of the Black Dragon Platform inside the city are the biggest obstacle."

"If you two can prevent the Black Dragon Platform's elite troops from leaving the camp at the crucial moment, it will be a great achievement."

“Very well. Shi Fangqing has a great reputation, and his men are stained with the blood of the people of Dali… This time, the two of us will take his head and lock up the Black Dragon Platform.”

Elder Turtle didn't mince words, pounding his chest loudly.

With 80,000 troops, it's certainly not easy to engage in a head-on battle and fight to the death with the enemy.

However, for short periods of time, ambushes, assassinations, and harassment are perfectly acceptable.

If they truly cannot withstand the attack, they will flee. Even if the enemy's horses are fast, they could never match the speed of the two of them in a short sprint.

"In this way, the matter will be settled."

Lu Wubing clapped his hands and chuckled.

After assigning the loyalist troops and the Black Dragon Terrace Imperial Guards, the remaining task was the Imperial Guards, which made his own duties much easier.

In a moment of urgency, the Northern Zhou royal family could only muster a maximum of 30,000 to 50,000 elite troops.

Meanwhile, he himself headed straight for Tenglong Pass, openly attacking the Northern Zhou Dragon City, thus drawing in experts from all directions...

In full view of everyone, they broke through the city gates, rushed into the palace, and beheaded Yuwen Zhao.

Only by proceeding openly and honestly can one keep the other party feeling threatened, yet powerless to do anything about it.

Only then could the fighting spirit of the Northern Zhou be broken and their morale extinguished.

They were plunged into the deepest despair.

An eye for an eye.

He subdued the Northern Zhou with a single sword strike.

To launch another massive military campaign, breaching cities and destroying nations would be as easy as turning one's hand.

The Northern Zhou dynasty did the first thing, and the Northern Zhou dynasty did the fifteenth; Heaven's justice will prevail, and retribution will be swift. That's all there is to it.

……

"Brother Yue, your swordsmanship has improved by leaps and bounds, truly something I have never seen in my life. You are able to fight against my Yin-Yang Profound Nether Technique at the peak of the Realm with only a Void Realm cultivation and not be at a disadvantage."

"As long as you make another breakthrough, even Old Man Zuo of the Sword Pavilion shouldn't be able to stop you. You'll have passed the Burning Heaven Valley trial."

Dressed in a black robe, with a face as pale as a dead man, Yin Pan Lu Ming was completely unlike the fierce and ruthless appearance described in the rumors of the martial arts world. His face was full of smiles.

Sheathed his sword and returned it to his elbow, his gaze towards Yue Lingfeng filled with joy.

"It was all thanks to Brother Lu's mercy. If it were a real life-or-death battle, I, Yue, would still be lacking in skill."

Yue Lingfeng noticed the gentle gaze of the elegant and beautiful Miss Huo beside him, and felt a surge of pride. However, he remained very reserved and said with a smile, "I am very satisfied that I can help Miss Qinghua."

"If the terrain of Sword Pavilion Burning Heaven Valley weren't so difficult to navigate, with our strength, we wouldn't be without a chance of success even if we forced our way in."

Huo Qinghua smiled and shook his head: "Even without the flames of the Desolate Valley blocking the way, those thirteen sword slaves would be extremely difficult to kill."

These people were all sword fanatics, and they had a great reputation in the martial arts world before they entered the valley.

Now, decades later, and with the aid of countless sword manuals collected by the Holy Gate, it's unknown how powerful it has become.

Seeing that Yue Lingfeng's expression was somewhat dismissive, Huo Qinghua laughed and said, "Of course, no matter how strong the Thirteen Sword Slaves' swordsmanship is, it is still far inferior to Brother Yue's [Nine Forms of Wind and Cloud]."

As far as I know, there has never been a single person throughout history who could master sword intent at the Innate Void Realm stage.

According to ancient tradition, only those who reach the pinnacle of the Innate Realm and become Grandmasters can glimpse even a fraction of the essence of [Sword Power].

I never expected Brother Yue to have mastered it at such a young age.

Huo Qinghua's beautiful face was filled with envy.

It wasn't that she hadn't studied the [Nine Forms of Wind and Cloud] sword technique with Yue Lingfeng.

Unfortunately, the method for learning this sword technique is extremely strange...

If you understand, you understand; if you don't, you can't even get started.

Not only her, but also Yin Pan Lu Ming was the same.

No matter how well you study it, if you actually try to imitate the pattern a few times, you'll be completely clueless.

'I wonder how that person learned it back then. How did he learn it just by looking at it?'

As Huo Qinghua spoke, he suddenly remembered…

Back at the foot of Bright Moon Peak, that masked man casually fought with Yue Lingfeng for a while and learned the Nine Forms of Wind and Cloud.

Although the opponent consistently used the East Sea School's "Azure Wave Sword Technique," she possessed the knowledge of three lifetimes and could naturally see the true nature of things.

They can also see through some of the hidden truths in the opponent's swordsmanship.

'If that person could help me, I might not have had to come up with all sorts of methods, nor would I have had to compete with the Thirteen Sword Slaves to gain their approval, and then invite them into Burning Heaven Valley to plot the rescue.'

That man should be strong enough to storm in directly. The thirteen sword slaves would be nothing more than clowns under his sword.

Thinking of the masked person in the darkness, Huo Qinghua sighed slightly.

When the Three Life Consciousnesses attack, they can sense the opponent's emotional fluctuations, and naturally, they can also sense the opponent's vast and profound origin, as deep as the ocean.

Sensing even the slightest hint of something, Huo Qinghua immediately advised Lu Ming, and the group hurriedly moved away.

In hindsight, my choice was indeed correct.

At the age of seventeen, that man rose from the south with a single sword strike, overwhelming the three prefectures of Donghai, Mingyang, and Liyang, and slaying the innate masters of the Ziyang Sect as easily as cutting chickens and sheep.

He even killed Bi Fenkong, the leader of the Ziyang Sect, with his sword, which frightened several senior retainers of the Prince Gong's Mansion so much that they dared not make a move against him.

Under his arrangement, even the Northern Zhou troops were forced to turn their horses around, abandoning Xiangzhou and taking Jingzhou instead...

Of course, this happened several months ago.

What happened next was like a dream.

This perfectly illustrates a saying.

Are the golden scales just a thing in the pond? They turn into dragons when encountering wind and clouds.

After that person went to the capital in the south, his sword aura dominated all directions...

The last news I heard was that he had killed the Northern Zhou King Jinyang in battle, annihilated an army of 100,000, and even destroyed the Dafan Temple with a single sword strike.

Tsk tsk.

Huo Qinghua shook his head, deciding not to think about anything else.

He looked at Yue Lingfeng and smiled, "Our goal this time is to find out the Ghost Mother Yan Ruyu. We finally found out her exact whereabouts, so we must not let her escape."

Even if we can't kill her, we must take the Golden Spirit Key from her no matter what.

Otherwise, even if Brother Yue subdued the thirteen sword slaves with his swordsmanship and entered Burning Heaven Valley, he still wouldn't be able to break through the True Spirit Barrier and rescue Mother..."

"Miss Huo, please rest assured, even if I have to fight to the death, I will not let the Ghost Mother escape."

Yue Lingfeng made a serious promise, looking at Huo Qinghua's beautiful face with eyes full of infatuation.

"Hey, something's not right. Let's retreat three miles and see what happens."

Yin Pan Lu Ming, with his greater experience in the martial world, sensed a strange aura in the wind and immediately became alert.

Quietly exchanging hand gestures, the group crouched low and retreated into the waist-high reeds.

Then, on the left, a group of figures in blood-red robes came rushing past.

There were as many as seventy or eighty people.

These people disappeared without a trace, yet each of them was a master.

Judging from their movements, they were all at least at the middle third rank or the upper third rank, and there were at least ten of them.

Wherever they went, a fishy stench filled the air, making people feel disgusted.

"Has the Blood Lotus Sect mobilized all its forces? What a grand gesture! What are they planning?"

Huo Qinghua's expression also changed drastically.

Before she could figure it out, several miles to her right, another group of masked men in black rushed over, disappearing into the valley ahead.

This group actually numbered as many as 140 or 150 people, and the number of experts even surpassed that of the Blood Lotus Sect.

Ok.

This attempt to seize the Ghost Mother of the Underworld is likely to fail.

Don't even think about getting your hands on the Golden Spirit Key.

The other party appeared to be alone, but in reality, they had set up such a large formation.

Fortunately, they did not launch a reckless attack earlier; otherwise, their bodies would already be cold by now.

"It's not just these two; experts from the Heavenly Corpse Sect have also arrived, led by Gong Yu himself."

The three of them lowered their heads further, peeking through the gaps in the grass.

Then they saw a group of people walking in a very strange way, arriving quickly and silently.

More than a hundred people leaped three or four zhang (approximately 10-12 meters) each time, without bending their knees or swaying their shoulders...

Although the speed was fast, the movements were very stiff, and there was a sinister fire in his eyes.

They realized that this was a strange appearance resulting from practicing the Heavenly Corpse Technique.

Despite his seemingly agile appearance, he's a completely different fighter...

Not only is his body as hard as metal or stone, but he also possesses immense strength and incredible speed.

Of the six halls of the Demonic Sect, apart from the main hall of the Wheel of Reincarnation Hall which guards the headquarters... the Heavenly Sound Hall had long since declined, and the Myriad Beasts Hall was almost completely wiped out in the Battle of Liyang, leaving it virtually defunct.

The remaining three masters actually gathered together.

Basically, most of the Northern Zhou Demonic Sect's strength is concentrated here.

There are as many as fifty or sixty top-tier masters alone.

There are several hundred second-rate masters.

With such a large-scale operation, what exactly are they trying to do? Who are they ambushing?
The three looked at each other, and at the same time a name flashed through their minds.

"Lu Wubing".

The man charged north with his sword, leaving a trail of corpses and blood in his wake.

I heard that they are heading towards Tenglong Pass. Once this pass is breached, the Northern Zhou Dragon City will be just ahead.

Therefore, this is the most important level.

I've heard that the Yuwen family has issued a hero's decree, ordering all the experts in the northern border to gather and intercept Lu Wubing at Tenglong Pass.

The three of them had been focused on rescuing the person and hadn't paid much attention to the rumors.

Unexpectedly, because of the Golden Spirit Key, they ended up walking right into an ambush.

……

(End of this chapter)