Gao Wu: Ten years of sparring experience, one move and the world knows him.

Chapter 138 Chaos, Returning to the Mountain

Zhao Rui took out all the shady grass from the twelve brocade boxes, put them together, and sure enough, they formed a plant that looked like a cactus.

The only missing piece is at the tip of the leaf.

"Who has the missing piece?"

Zhao Rui frowned slightly. Based on the conversation between the group, the drug shouldn't be in Nie Sheng's hands, otherwise he wouldn't have acted so hysterically.

The man in black is even less likely to be involved.

We don't have any on our side.

Then...

Zhao Rui's eyes lit up, and he instantly understood why Nie Sheng had given up on himself.

It turns out that his two apprentices took this thing and never returned it.

This also explains why Nie Sheng risked his life to find him even after he refused Nie Sheng's pleas for help.

What a fine apprentice!
The night was cold and desolate, but the bright moon shone clearly.

An hour later, Zheng Huaifeng arrived in a hurry with a team of police officers.

When everyone saw what was happening before them by the light, they couldn't help but gasp.

The farmland beneath their feet was full of potholes, as if it had been tilled by heavy mortar shells.

It was truly a pitiful sight.

This land is most likely unusable for farming.

However, raising fish does save the trouble of digging a pond.

"Are you OK?"

Zheng Huaifeng looked at Zhao Rui with concern, and seeing his solemn expression, he thought he was injured.

"It's alright. Look, that guy, he's the one who killed the Martial Alliance members. Take him back."

Zhao Rui nodded slightly in the direction of the man in black and said.

"Okay. Got it!"

Zheng Huaifeng hurriedly arranged for his police officers to investigate the scene and clean up the mess.

These police officers weren't stupid; they knew that someone who could beat a major criminal to such a state wouldn't be so tactless as to question him.

An hour later, Zhao Rui drove Zheng Huaifeng's car back to his residence, took a good shower, and then lay down.

Including the two major villains, Zhao Rui has already dealt with four members of the "Demon Cult".

Whether intentional or unintentional, this feud has already been formed.

Moreover, judging from their behavior, their purpose is not simply to establish a sect and recruit a few disciples.

They clearly came for this beautiful land.

Zhao Rui can't get along with them, either publicly or privately.

If Zhao Rui in the past only saw the peaceful atmosphere of singing and dancing, the martial arts competitions in full swing, and people happily chasing after their favorite martial arts stars.

It seems that in this society, martial arts are just a "plaything".

But now he realizes how much bloodshed and violence lurked beneath this glittering facade.

It's just that many of them have been covered up.

"Is there anything else I don't know?"

Zhao Rui slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep.

……

Emei Mountain Emei Sword Sect!
In a grand hall, Abbess Liaojing, with her long eyebrows drooping and a solemn expression, clasped her hands together and chanted Amitabha Buddha.

"Master, these demons have very likely infiltrated the Japanese territory in the East. There are reports that the Nine Eclipse Sect is one of their hideouts..."

A middle-aged man with a lion-like nose and a wide mouth spoke loudly from inside the hall. The man was dressed in a leather uniform and looked extremely imposing and spirited.

"Commander, our Emei Sword Sect and all our fellow martial artists have already done our best to maintain peace and stability within China, but we are powerless to do anything about the affairs of Japan!"

Upon hearing what the person opposite her said, Abbess Liaojing frowned and said...

"Master, you misunderstand. The imperial court has no such intention. It's just that the border is currently in grave danger, and all the countries in the world are fighting their own battles. I'm afraid the higher-ups..."

Upon hearing the words of the newcomer, a glint flashed in Master Liaojing's eyes, and she said coldly, "Our Emei sect has a thousand-year history and has its own power to protect itself, so there is no need for the Commander to worry about it."

Upon hearing this, the commander's pupils contracted slightly, and he smiled, "What the nun says is quite right. The so-called great change that has not been seen in a thousand years is both a crisis and an opportunity."

"Take care, nun!"

After saying this, the commander waved his uniform cloak, which was made of a jacket-like material, turned around, and strode out of the main hall.

Four men in similar tight-fitting clothes followed behind him.

Each of them had sharp eyes and steady, powerful steps, clearly demonstrating considerable martial arts skills.

After everyone left, a nun accompanying Liaojing put her hands together and said, "Senior Sister, if we offend the imperial court, it may be detrimental to Emei."

"How can such despicable people represent the imperial court? The current imperial court will not side with the Japanese pirates! A bunch of traitors."

Master Liaojing was also angry, and her tone showed no respect for the so-called commander.

"Amitabha!"

The nuns accompanying him fell silent upon hearing this.

"How many divine swords have been unearthed? Are there any warnings?"

Suddenly, Abbess Liaojing turned to look at her junior sister beside her and casually asked.

"Three swords have been produced. Among them, Bai Xuening's Heavenly Frost Sword is of exceptional quality and can fill the gap left by the Autumn Water Sword."

"There were no warnings, but it seems that, just as the imperial court said, the boundary is thinning and the spiritual energy it is absorbing is becoming increasingly dense."

"Indeed, chaos is about to descend. My sword will once again drink the filthy blood of these demons and heretics."

Master Liaojing gave a cold laugh, then suddenly sighed:
"It's just that all living beings suffer. Amitabha!"

"Amitabha!"

The crowd spontaneously chanted Buddhist prayers, and the entire hall instantly fell into a solemn atmosphere.

Inside the "Longevity Cave" on the back mountain of Qingcheng Mountain.

The young Taoist boy yawned, fiddling with a spirit crystal in the crystal pool, and muttered to himself idly, "I have three thousand wonderful methods, all of which can lead to immortality. I wonder which one you would like to learn?"

"This disciple wishes to learn how to break through all laws with a single sword strike, just like the two elders! To electrocute those bastards!"

"Very good, I will now teach you the magic. Begin practicing it now!"

The young Taoist priest asked and answered his own questions, thoroughly enjoying himself.

"Shouzhuo, you're talking nonsense again."

Just then, a cold voice came from the doorway.

The young Taoist priest Shou Zhuo hurriedly stood up, threw the crystal back into the crystal pool, and then bowed, saying, "Uncle-Master Yu!"

"Hmm! Although Elder Zhao is not here, you must not be so lax... Is there anything unusual?"

“Reporting to my uncle, there is nothing unusual…” Shouzhuo finished speaking, pondered for a moment, and then suddenly said, “However, I feel that something is different. But I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

Upon hearing the young Taoist's words, Yu Zhengnan's expression hardened, and he was about to ask for more details.

Suddenly, a cracking sound came from the area above the crystal pool, which was indistinguishable from reality and resembled a mirror.

"That's it, that's the sound. I thought I was hearing it wrong."

Shouzhuo, the young Taoist, excitedly pointed to the area from which the sound came and exclaimed in delight.

Yu Zhengnan frowned, quickly stepped forward, and carefully observed the "mirror" for a long time. Apart from the strange noise just now, there was no other movement.

"Tell me immediately if there is any more noise."

Yu Zhengnan sternly reprimanded the young Taoist boy, then left the "Cave of Longevity" with a sullen face.

Half an hour later, Yu Zhengnan found Master Yunhao sitting cross-legged on the cliff, bathed in the glow of the setting sun.

"Junior brother, there might be some trouble at the Longevity Cave. Should we evacuate some of the disciples first?"

Yu Zhengnan said with a solemn expression.

"When the sect leader was alive, he said that these demons would never let this go. Since the crystal can pass through, it's inevitable that they will try to get in this way..."

"Something must have limited them. Unfortunately, my strength is still far from what it was when I was the sect leader, and I'm afraid I can't protect the entire sect," Yun Hao said with a hint of melancholy.

"I understand. Let's prepare for both possibilities. Qingcheng, a city with a thousand-year history, cannot be destroyed in our hands."

"Hmm! But I wonder about the imperial court..."

"The imperial court is preoccupied with its own problems, and if things go as the sect leader says, I'm afraid they will be powerless to help..."

The two witnessed the distant mountain peaks rising one after another, surrounded by auspicious clouds, with occasional glimpses of rosy light, as if they were in a fairyland.

He couldn't help but chant "Infinite Heavenly Venerable!"
……

Jeju City remains as bustling as ever.

With the hit TV series directed by Wang Ping, Zhao Rui's song "Swords Like Dreams" has also started playing everywhere.

Zhao Rui even received song requests from several directors, asking if he would be willing to write lyrics and compose music for certain movies and TV series.

Zhao Rui did not completely refuse.

He also wanted to spread some great martial arts songs around the world.

Galloping on horseback, shooting eagles with a bow, playing the zither and flute together, laughing and roaming the world.

Which martial arts student doesn't have such a dream?

The sheer size of the audience was beyond Zhao Rui's wildest imagination.

This song, "Swords Like Dreams," has been adored by countless people.

Many children who used to learn martial arts have now switched to learning swordsmanship.

Zhao Rui felt that he was somewhat "misleading the younger generation".

If he were to release a film one day featuring the story of "The Loyal Heart," would the children have to learn archery?

Although he didn't refuse, Zhao Rui didn't agree either, saying he would see how things went.

Ultimately, the quality of the script is the most important factor.

With the conclusion of the second phase of the martial arts student training program, Zhao Rui suspended the recruitment of the third phase.

Firstly, there isn't enough staff; the number of qualified students is decreasing. We can't even gather twenty people.

Secondly, he also planned to return to Qingcheng to see how his disciples were doing in their training.

So, after staying in Jeju until the end of December, just before New Year's Day, Zhao Rui boarded a train to Sichuan Province and headed to Qingcheng Mountain.

After accumulating advancement points over this period, Zhao Rui's strength has clearly improved significantly.

In terms of internal strength, the total amount of true qi increased by twenty years, allowing him to break through the limitations of true qi liquefaction at the first and second levels of the True Yuan Realm and directly reach the third level.

The True Essence Three Realms is a vague three-level system. It mainly involves a martial artist cultivating and solidifying their surging true energy over many years to achieve a flowing, liquid state.

Similar to liquid mercury.

The higher the degree of liquefaction, the closer it is to the triple peak.

When this thing is used to perform martial arts, it's not visible, so it's quite difficult to estimate.

Some people have unique martial arts skills. Once they enter the Grandmaster realm, they reach the liquefaction level of the second or third level.

Some masters, however, have mediocre skills and can only cultivate step by step.

The grandmasters Zhao Rui encountered during this period, such as Nie Sheng and Qiao Siniang, were all at the True Essence Realm.

Their cultivation level is between the first and second level, mostly achieved through diligent practice and hard work.

Correspondingly, their strength wouldn't be much stronger either.

When Zhao Rui first advanced to the next level, he was able to defeat the elders of the Demonic Cult at the third level, so dealing with them would be a piece of cake.

As for the shadowy figure, he was at the third level of the True Essence Realm.

In addition, the power of his demonic arts allows him to exert the strength of a Divine Void Realm cultivator even beyond his current level.

This is also why he almost seriously injured Zhao Rui.

As for Zhao Rui's current true strength, he is actually the same as the man in black, capable of exerting the strength of the Divine Void Realm at the True Essence Realm level.

However, Zhao Rui is different from him in that, in addition to demonstrating stronger strength, he also has an additional acupoint enhancement.

Just like putting a rocket engine and an auxiliary fuel tank on a car, its explosive power and range can be increased instantly.

This allows him to exert the strength of the third level of the Divine Void Realm while only being at the True Essence Realm level.

The more acupoints a person has, the stronger their auxiliary benefits will be.

If he were to face that Phantom Envoy from Qingcheng Mountain alone, even if he were to lose, he could at least escape easily.

On another note, the Phantom Envoy is far weaker than the Illusionary Sound Demon.

According to Zhao Rui's estimation, the old demon was at least at the high-level of the Dharma Aspect Realm, or even higher.

The Phantom Envoy, on the other hand, is at most at the early stage of the Dharma Aspect Realm or the peak of the Divine Void Realm.

"What exactly is the Dharma Realm like?"

"Perhaps, Master Liaojing and Elder Ge are both at this level of strength."

Zhao Rui was organizing his things along the way, and before he knew it, the train had arrived in Sichuan Province.

As soon as Zhao Rui got off the train and exited the station, he saw Yu Zhengnan waiting for him at the door with two young Taoist priests.

He immediately stepped forward with a smile and said, "Master Yu, haha, it's been a long time."

"Elder!"

Two Qingcheng disciples hurriedly and respectfully called out.

That shout made all the surrounding passengers forget to come over.

"What a young elder!"

"Which Taoist temple is he from? He's kind of handsome!"

Some curious passersby whispered among themselves.

"Everyone in the temple was very happy to know you were coming back."

"Something came up and I was held up; otherwise, I would have been back sooner."

The two chatted as they left the station.

Half a day later.

On Mount Qingcheng, Zhao Rui, now dressed in a Taoist robe, leaped onto a high rock and looked down over the entire Qingcheng Sword Sect's Taoist temple.

"I'm a little reluctant to leave, even though I'm not a real Taoist priest here."

Zhao Rui sighed with some regret.

"If things cannot be done, as long as people are alive, Qingcheng will be rebuilt."

Master Yu spoke with a long, deep breath.

"It shouldn't be that serious, right?"

"The old sect leader once said: The Demonic Sect can destroy Qingcheng for a time, but it cannot destroy Qingcheng forever. What we fear is losing our lineage."

"Judging from what you're saying, the old sect leader must know something. Really, he can't even explain himself clearly."

Zhao Rui said with some dissatisfaction.

"This is just the old sect leader's guess; he himself doesn't know for sure. Zhao Rui, if that day ever comes and Qingcheng is gone, please help Qingcheng keep a flame."

Master Yu said in a low, deep voice.

"No need, no need. Why make such a big deal out of something so trivial? Let's go see how the disciples are doing with their cultivation."

After Zhao Rui finished speaking, he jumped off the rock and walked towards the training ground not far away.

At this moment, there were more than twenty disciples diligently practicing martial arts in the training ground.

Each of them has a different martial arts style, including fist and foot techniques as well as sword and saber techniques.

These martial arts techniques were all unearthed from old documents by the Qingcheng Sword Sect.

Most of them are incomplete or fragmented techniques.

However, Zhao Rui didn't care about that. Before leaving, he specially arranged for each of his disciples to specialize in a particular discipline.

Regardless of whether it's incomplete or not, just practice until you get the basics right.

(End of this chapter)