Quickly conquer the martial arts world, and let your fists dominate the heavens!

Chapter 349 The Four Heavenly Dragons' Encirclement and Instant Kill!

Chen Zhan used the Soul Transfer Technique, which he learned from the Relic Technique.

This technique is useless against those whose cultivation level far surpasses one's own, but it is more than enough to deal with Gongye Qian, who has already been defeated and whose mind has been lost.

Gongye Qian, controlled by the cultivation technique, was like a puppet on strings, speaking freely about every issue.

Chen Zhan's eyes grew even colder. He waved his hand to release Gongye Qian from the soul-shifting control, but did not release his acupoints. He nodded to Gu Yu: "Get on the boat."

Gu Yu responded and lifted the limp Gongye Qian onto the deck.

She lightly touched the stern with her toes, and with the power of her inner energy, the small boat sped northward like an arrow.

The vast expanse of Taihu Lake was shrouded in mist, and the morning fog had not yet completely dissipated. A small boat cut through the water, leaving a clear trail. The fog on both sides was pushed aside by the boat and then quickly closed up again.

After traveling for several miles, the morning mist gradually thinned, and the outline of a small island began to appear faintly on the water ahead.

The island is small, but it is covered by a large estate. From a distance, the flowers are in full bloom, and a gentle breeze carries the rich fragrance of the flowers across the lake, which is refreshing and delightful.

The camellias were of many varieties, some as red as fire, others as white as snow. Amidst the clusters of flowers, pavilions and towers could be vaguely seen, which was none other than Mantuo Villa.

Chen Zhan gazed at the vibrant camellias, lost in thought.

The fact that the Murong clan of Gusu was able to entrenched itself in Jiangnan for a century, with its power deeply entrenched, was by no means solely due to the efforts of the Canhe Manor.

Li Qingluo of Mantuo Manor has an extremely complicated background. Her stepfather is Ding Chunqiu, the Star Immortal, and her biological mother is Li Qiushui, the Princess of Western Xia. With such a background, it is hard to say what her attitude towards the Song Dynasty is.

How much financial resources would it take to build such a large complex in the center of Taihu Lake?
It's likely that the Murong family's many shady dealings were aided by the Mantuo Manor.

He originally planned to go to Canhezhuang first, and did not intend to visit Mantuoshanzhuang first.

Just as the small boat was about to pass the west side of the island, Chen Zhan's ears twitched slightly, and he caught the faint sound of weapons clashing coming from inside the manor, mixed with a few angry shouts, which were clear even though they were far away.

“Let’s go to Mantuo Villa,” Chen Zhan said immediately.

Without hesitation, Gu Yu flipped her wrist, redirected her inner energy, and the small boat suddenly turned around, heading straight for the dock of Mantuo Manor.

The closer they got to the manor, the clearer the sounds of fighting became, along with a few shouts that sounded like chanting scriptures, typical of Tibetan monks.

As soon as the small boat entered the waters of Mantuo Manor, Chen Zhan was able to see the situation inside the manor.

In the open space in the center of the manor, instead of the Murong family guards they had glimpsed earlier, there were three experts with completely different auras, who were joining forces to besiege a Tibetan monk.

A breeze carried the fragrance of flowers across the lake, but within the manor, a chilling aura of killing intent emanated, and the surging internal energy caused the surrounding camellias to flutter and fall.

The man on the left was extremely ugly, hunchbacked and lame, with a crooked head, and holding a dark iron staff in his hand.

Although he was hunched over, his moves were incredibly powerful, his inner strength was unparalleled, and the true energy at his fingertips was almost tangible. With a casual flick of his finger, he could make the sound of air being torn apart. When he swept his iron staff, it brought with it a whistling wind, forcing the Tibetan monks to face him head-on.

On the right is a noble young man dressed in brocade robes, with a handsome face, holding a long sword. His swordsmanship is ever-changing, sometimes light and graceful, sometimes fierce and swift.

However, his moves were varied and unrefined. They seemed flashy but were actually limited in power and posed no real threat to the Tibetan monks. They were more like harassing them from the sidelines.

In the center was an elderly woman in her fifties or sixties, with gray hair but vigorous spirit. Her hands were empty, without any weapons, and she fought the Tibetan monks with only her bare hands.

Her martial arts skills were extremely high. The true energy in her palm was as condensed as silk, and after she struck, she could change direction at will, with extremely tricky angles. She repeatedly attacked the Tibetan monk's weaknesses from unbelievable directions, making her the most threatening of the three.

The Tibetan monk who was besieged was completely different. He was wearing a red robe and had a solemn appearance. Even when he was fighting three against one, his expression remained calm and composed.

His body was filled with powerful and refined true energy, forming an invisible barrier that steadily blocked the three people's attacks.

Even more astonishingly, he casually unleashed Shaolin's ultimate techniques, such as the Flower-Picking Finger, the Doro Leaf Finger, and the Formless Finger, with such exquisite skill that it seemed even more proficient than the high monks of the Shaolin Temple itself.

"Clang!" The Tibetan monk flicked his finger, and the wind from his finger collided with the young nobleman's longsword, producing a metallic clang.

The young nobleman felt a powerful and domineering force travel along the spine of the sword, his arm went numb instantly, and the sword almost slipped from his hand.

He cried out in alarm, his body flying backward uncontrollably, crashing heavily into a camellia bush several meters away, spitting out a mouthful of blood that stained the petals at his feet.

"Son!"

Upon seeing this, the old woman exclaimed in alarm, her palm strikes suddenly intensifying, her true energy shooting towards the Tibetan monk like a torrential rain, attempting to rescue the young master.

The Tibetan monk remained unmoved and said calmly, "Young Master Murong, you dare to show off your meager skills in front of this old monk?"

As he spoke, he sidestepped the ugly man's iron staff, flicked his fingertips again, and a sharp Vajra Finger Force went straight for the old woman's face.

The old woman hurriedly dodged to the side, but the wind still stung her ears, and several strands of white hair at her temples were cut off.

At this moment, Chen Zhan's small boat had quietly docked. He stood at the bow, his gaze sweeping over the people in the room, and instantly recognized their identities.

The Tibetan monk who was besieged was Kumārajīva, the national teacher of Tibet, who later became one of the top masters known as the Four Great Masters of Tianlong, along with Xiao Feng, Murong Bo, and others.

The noble young master who was knocked away was none other than Murong Fu, the young master of the Murong clan of Gusu.

As for the ugly man, he was Duan Yanqing, the leader of the Four Evils, known as "the most wicked of all," whom the old woman did not recognize.
Chen Zhan understood immediately. No wonder Gongye Qian had said that another unpleasant guest had arrived; it turned out that Duan Yanqing and Kumārajīva had already arrived.

However, he didn't understand what was going on in this scene.

Kumārajīva and Murong Bo had a deep connection and were very close, but they were also wary of each other. Murong Bo wanted the Duan family's "Six Meridians Divine Sword", while Kumārajīva wanted the Murong family's return of the secret manuals from the Shishui Pavilion.

It's true that there's a conflict.

But how could Duan Yanqing and Murong Fu cooperate?
Chen Zhan didn't understand, but he didn't intend to. He would just kill them all!

Duan Yanqing was the former crown prince of Dali. Although Dali and the Song Dynasty had always maintained friendly relations, this Crown Prince Yanqing was not one to be trifled with.

His presence could be found in the Western Xia, the Tibetan Empire, and even within the territory of the Song Dynasty.

For the Song Dynasty, this was entirely detrimental.

Needless to say, the Murong family, with their unwavering ambition to restore their kingdom, disrupted Jiangnan and even massacred many ordinary people.

Kumārajīva was actually in a better position. Although there were frictions between Tibet and the Song Dynasty, Tibet was divided into various tribes and was still dealing with its own internal affairs, so the conflict with the Song Dynasty was not deep.

Moreover, Kumārajīva was a person who did not kill.

As for targeting the Murong clan and the Dali Duan family, it's because Kumārajīva is obsessed with martial arts, and Chen Zhan is not a kind-hearted person. What the protagonist of this world is like is none of his business.

Gu Yu threw Gongye Qian onto the deck, gripped the Bishui Sword tightly, and asked in a low voice, "Master, should we make a move?"

She could sense that all four people in the arena were top-notch experts, especially the Tibetan monk, whose aura was so powerful it was unsettling.

"Let's wait and see. I reckon there are still some people who haven't arrived yet," Chen Zhan said with a smile.

The four villains always act together, and the three who are even more wicked than Duan Yanqing have not yet shown up.

The fighting inside the manor intensified. Duan Yanqing's iron staff, combined with his One-Finger Divine Skill, was far more ferocious than simple finger strength alone.

The old woman's palm techniques became increasingly cunning, her true energy following her like a shadow, flowing like a white rainbow piercing the sun, causing considerable damage to Kumārajīva.

"The White Rainbow Palm technique lives up to its name. This old monk has indeed come to the right place. The martial arts in the Water Pavilion are all superficial. The real stuff is in Mantuo Manor."

Despite his injuries, Murong Fu forced himself to his feet and rejoined the battle with his longsword. The three of them joined forces, launching a relentless offensive, yet they still could not suppress Kumārajīva.

Kumārajīva activated his Vajra Indestructible Body Divine Skill, knocking Duan Yanqing's iron staff away. His expression grew increasingly displeased: "If the three of you do not retreat, this old monk will not give Mr. Murong any face."

His original purpose for this trip was to obtain the secret manual of the Murong family's Huanshi Water Pavilion.

Last night, I sneaked into Canhe Manor, but before I could find the entrance to Huanshi Water Pavilion, I stumbled upon Duan Yanqing and Murong Fu having a secret conversation behind the artificial hill.

During their conversation, the two mentioned that Li Qingluo of Mantuo Manor was the daughter of Li Qiushui, the Queen Consort of Western Xia. The manor contained martial arts manuals left by Li Qiushui, which were far more profound than the superficial skills of Huanshi Water Pavilion. Murong Fu was planning to find an opportunity to sneak into Mantuo Manor to explore them.

Kumārajīva, with his keen mind, instantly realized that the value of Mantuo Villa far exceeded that of Huanshi Water Pavilion.

He immediately suppressed his thoughts about Huanshi Water Pavilion and planned to sneak into Mantuo Manor to investigate, avoiding Murong Fu.

But as soon as they touched the wall of Mantuo Villa, they were spotted by an old woman on patrol.

The old woman's palm technique was agile and unpredictable; her true energy could be twisted at will. Kumārajīva recognized the style of this martial art at a glance.

In his early years, when he infiltrated the Western Xia palace to steal martial arts manuals, he fought with a woman who possessed such palm techniques. The woman's martial arts were extremely high, and he was no match for her, so he fled in defeat and spent several years in seclusion, never daring to set foot in Western Xia again.

Upon seeing this skill again today, he was both surprised and delighted, which further strengthened his resolve to find the secret manual at Mantuo Manor.

The two started fighting immediately after a disagreement. The noise alerted Murong Fu and Duan Yanqing, who rushed to their aid, creating a three-on-one situation.

The battle had reached its climax. Murong Fu, already injured by the Vajra Finger technique, forced himself to join the fray, but gradually his strength waned, and his swordplay became increasingly chaotic. He was struck on the shoulder by a casual finger strike from Kumārajīva, and was sent flying backward again, spitting out a mouthful of blood, unable to get up again.

"Son!"

The old woman cried out in surprise. Distracted, she was struck on the shoulder by Kumārajīva's palm, and staggered back several steps, her breathing instantly becoming disordered.

Duan Yanqing was struggling to keep up on his own, and it became increasingly difficult for him to wield the iron staff. The veins on his forehead bulged, and he had clearly reached his limit.

Kumārajīva was about to press his advantage and completely crush the three men...

Suddenly, a series of chaotic footsteps came from outside Mantuo Manor, and three figures rushed in.

The leader was a woman with a strange smile, holding a sleeping baby in her arms. She was none other than Ye Erniang, the second of the Four Evils, who was "unscrupulous".

Behind him were two men, one holding a steel fork and the other wielding a short axe. They were the third brother, "Fierce and Evil" Crocodile God of the South China Sea, and the fourth brother, "Extremely Vicious" Yun Zhonghe.

The two men each held a young Tibetan monk hostage. The two monks were wearing red robes similar to those of Kumārajīva, their hands were tied behind their backs, their mouths were stuffed with cloth, and their faces were full of terror.

"Old monk, stop right now!"

"If you dare to move again, I'll kill your disciples and their descendants on the spot!"

The South China Sea Crocodile God, with a booming voice, brandished his steel fork and shouted.

Kumārajīva frowned, his gaze falling on the two young Tibetan monks, his expression changing slightly.

He valued pomp and circumstance. As the national advisor, he was used to a life of luxury and always traveled with many disciples. These two were his personal disciples brought from Tibet, responsible for providing support outside. Unexpectedly, they were captured by the other side.

Kumārajīva swept his gaze across the area, his true energy surged, and he retreated more than ten steps, bringing the battle to an end.

"Young Master Murong, I want three beauties from Mantuo Manor and Canhe Manor," Yun Zhonghe said, licking his lips.

"Mr. Duan, you need to manage your subordinates properly so that our cooperation can proceed smoothly."

Murong Fu was already in a rather disheveled state, but fortunately the old woman was there to take care of him.

Duan Yanqing, on the contrary, was not injured.

“A few maids are nothing. For the sake of our great cause, why would you care about such things?” Duan Yanqing spoke aloud using ventriloquism.

"Humph!"

Murong Fu snorted coldly, not answering directly, but his words sent a chill down the spines of the maids watching from afar.

Kumārajīva's face was gloomy. He was about to respond to the Crocodile God of the South Sea when he suddenly stopped and looked past everyone towards the dock of Mantuo Manor.

Duan Yanqing, Murong Fu, and the others noticed his unusual behavior and turned to look at him.

As the morning light pierced through the thin mist, a small boat was quietly moored on the shore, with two people standing at the bow: Chen Zhan and Gu Yu.

Gongye Qian was thrown onto the deck, his body limp as mud, and he was already lifeless.

Everyone present was a top expert, yet they only noticed the presence of these two at this moment. Their expressions varied, and they warily locked their gazes on them.

Kumārajīva frowned, unable to fathom Chen Zhan's true strength, only sensing that the other's aura was calm and unwavering.

Duan Yanqing's ventriloquism resonated in a deep voice: "Who are you? Why are you spying on me here?"

Ignoring everyone's questions, Chen Zhan turned to Gu Yu behind him and nodded: "We're all here now. Let's get started, but be careful not to hurt the child."

"clear."

Gu Yu responded, and before he could finish speaking, his figure had already disappeared from the bow of the boat.

She left only a series of green afterimages in place. Her speed was so fast that it rippled the air. The people in the arena did not even see her movement trajectory. They only felt a blur before their eyes.

Ye Erniang was standing there holding the baby when suddenly the hairs on her body stood on end, and an unprecedented sense of crisis instantly enveloped her.

The feeling was like falling into an ice cellar, with every part of your body frozen, as if the world itself had solidified, and even breathing became difficult.

She wanted to resist, to back away, but found that her body wouldn't obey her commands, and she could only watch helplessly as a green shadow grew larger in front of her.

The Crocodile God of the South Sea and Yun Zhonghe were standing beside Ye Erniang, and they were now in the same predicament.

The air around them seemed to turn into a solid wall, pressing down on them so they could hardly breathe. Their movements were as slow as a tortoise crawling, and they could only watch helplessly as Gu Yu passed through them, without even having the strength to raise their hands to stop her.

The next moment, Gu Yu appeared in front of Ye Erniang.

She brought two fingers together, the tips of which were wreathed in a chilling cyan sword aura, and without hesitation, lightly touched Ye Erniang's brow.

At the same time, she gently wrapped her left arm around the baby in Ye Erniang's arms and held it firmly in her embrace. The movement was smooth and seamless.

"Huh...huh..."

It wasn't until Gu Yu carried the child back to the bow of the boat that the Crocodile God of the South Sea and Yun Zhonghe felt the oppressive feeling around them suddenly disappear, the air began to flow again, and the two of them were panting heavily, their foreheads covered in cold sweat.

"Second brother, are you alright?" Yun Zhonghe asked in a trembling voice, his face pale.

"What do you mean, second? She's third, I'm the second!"

Panting, the Crocodile God of the South China Sea habitually started arguing and reached out to push Ye Erniang.

But as soon as his fingers touched Ye Erniang's shoulder, Ye Erniang's body fell straight backward, black blood gushing from the corner of her mouth, her eyes wide open, her expression still frozen in shock.

The Crocodile God of the South Sea reached out and discovered that Ye Erniang was already lifeless. His pupils contracted sharply: "Dead...dead?"

(End of this chapter)