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

Chapter 371 The Martial World More Than a Hundred Years Ago

"Master Xuan Yang!"

Wu Xingyun's voice was full of vigilance and complexity, "Heh, more than ten years have passed, and you're still alive."

Chen Zhan laughed and said, "Even Granny Tong is still alive. How old am I? How could I die so easily?"

These words startled Frostfall and Grain Rain.

They only knew that Chen Zhan was highly skilled, but they did not know that he had the title of "Master of Xuan Yang Dao", and they never thought that he had a connection with Tianshan Tonglao.

Gukou Baisun Daoren, Zhuo Bufan, and others were even more surprised and suspicious.

Tianshan Tonglao and the others naturally knew about it, but the name "Xuanyang Daozhu" sounded familiar, yet they couldn't quite place it.

Everyone at the valley entrance held their breath, their eyes fixed on Chen Zhan and Wu Xingyun.

There are very few people in the martial arts world who can make Tianshan Tonglao conceal her sharpness and only dare to secretly circulate her true energy without daring to make any rash moves.

A faint blue aura emanated from Wu Xingyun's fingertips, and the "Eight Desolations and Six Directions, I Alone Am Supreme" technique was quietly gathering momentum, yet his feet remained motionless.

After her third rejuvenation, her skills reached new heights, and her true energy became even more refined. However, the fear left by Chen Zhan's palm strike back then was like a leech, deeply ingrained in her.

His gaze swept over Frostfall and Grain Rain, and Wu Xingyun asked in a deep voice, "Are they your disciples? Did you obtain that bitch Li Qiushui's martial arts?"

In her opinion, only Li Qiushui's martial arts could produce a disciple with such extraordinary true energy.

Chen Zhan gently shook his folding fan, his tone calm yet resolute: "Their martial arts skills are what I learned from Wu Yazi."

"Ok?"

Wu Xingyun suddenly took two steps forward, his true energy suddenly becoming chaotic, his eyes filled with shock, "My junior brother is not dead? That bitch Li Qiushui lied to me!"

Back then, Li Qiushui specifically sought her out and told her that Wuyazi had been severely injured and died.

Over the years, she sent people to search everywhere, but they could not find any trace of Wuyazi, and there was no news of him in the martial arts world.

As decades passed, although she was unwilling, she gradually came to believe Li Qiushui's lies.

"He didn't die; he's at Leigu Mountain."

Chen Zhan's few words struck Wu Xingyun like a thunderbolt.

Wu Xingyun's expression shifted, and after a long while, he coldly snorted, "I'll believe you this once. Since they're not that bitch Li Qiushui's disciples, I'll let this matter go. They're just a few underlings; you can have them."

The subordinates she mentioned were Granny Yu and Fu Minyi, who had been subdued by Frostfall and Grain Rain.

"go!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Xingyun leaped up, his figure as elusive as a ghost, his toes barely touching the ground before he was about to soar into the distance.

At this moment, she had no heart for fighting; she only wanted to rush to Leigu Mountain to verify whether Wuyazi was alive or dead.

Chen Zhan chuckled lightly, his figure suddenly appearing in mid-air. He stood there as if strolling in a garden, gathering true energy in his palm, and slowly slapped down: "What's the rush, Granny Tong? I never said you could leave."

This palm strike didn't involve any blood or qi; it relied entirely on the overwhelming power of the innate realm's true qi.

He remained firmly in the Innate Upper Realm, a level above Wu Xingyun. Over the past ten years, while Wu Xingyun devoted himself to cultivation and improvement, he had not stagnated either, and his realm had already progressed further and further.

As the palm struck, an invisible field of true energy instantly enveloped the entire area, so oppressive that the air itself rippled.

Wu Xingyun's eyes widened in shock as he realized that this palm strike did not possess the same strange power as it had back then; it was purely the ultimate condensation of true qi and the suppression of the field.

Although her cultivation level was slightly lower, her ninety years of accumulated power, coupled with the domineering nature of the Eight Desolations and Six Directions Supreme Technique, made her no one to be easily slaughtered.

"Humph!"

Wu Xingyun spun around and turned back, unleashing his inner energy without reservation. His green robe fluttered in the wind, and he gathered immense palm power in his palm, striking out at Chen Zhan with all his might.

The true energy of the Eight Desolations and Six Harmonies Technique surged upwards like a rushing river, accompanied by a sharp sound that tore through the void.

The two palms did not directly touch; they were several feet apart, yet the two terrifying true energies collided violently.

"boom--"

The deafening roar shook the valley, even more so than when the frost and rain seasons had coincided.

The faces of the people at the valley entrance changed drastically, and they hurriedly staggered back more than ten feet before barely avoiding the impact of the shockwave.

The towering trees around them snapped and collapsed, sending mud and stones flying everywhere. Within a radius of several dozen feet, the vegetation withered and died instantly, and the ground was plowed with deep furrows by the true energy.

Smoke and dust filled the air, obscuring the sun and moon, leaving only the muffled thud of two streams of true energy clashing at the core.

As the dust gradually settled, everyone looked up and saw Chen Zhan suspended in mid-air from above, pressing down steadily with one palm, while Wu Xingyun struggled to support him from below, the two figures locked in a stalemate in mid-air.

The vortex formed by the intertwining of true energy spun wildly in the center, distorting the surrounding space.

"His skill is indeed profound."

"Moreover, your true energy was not absorbed by the Northern Darkness Divine Art, which is quite clever."

Chen Zhan spoke slowly, his tone carrying a hint of approval. He could clearly sense that Wu Xingyun's true energy was domineering and pure, having undergone three rounds of rejuvenation and purification. Every strand of it originated from his own accumulation, far superior to the mixed true energy absorbed from others. It was precisely because of this that it possessed such indestructible power.

Wu Xingyun gritted his teeth, barely managing to resist even with his true energy at its peak, and said coldly, "Your martial arts have progressed quite quickly, why don't you use that move from back then?"

She remained on guard the entire time, constantly wary of the strange palm technique Chen Zhan had used to severely injure her years ago.

"Because, if I spare your life, you'll still be of use."

Chen Zhan's smile remained unchanged. The moment he finished speaking, his true energy field surged dramatically, and the pressure in the void increased as if Mount Tai were pressing down on him.

The stalemate instantly broke its balance, and Chen Zhan's true energy surged down like a tidal wave.

Wu Xingyun's face turned pale as he felt an overwhelming force strike him, causing a sharp pain in his meridians. Unable to hold on any longer, his body plummeted like a kite with a broken string.
With a "thud—!" it was slammed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Master! Master!"

The four people, Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Ju, were affected by the shockwave. Although they were not seriously injured, they were unsteady on their feet and their voices were full of anxiety.

Chen Zhan moved swiftly, appearing at the edge of the pit as if by teleportation, and once again drew his true energy field.

Wu Xingyun, who was underground, wanted to use the mud as cover to escape, but his body suddenly stopped. His meridians were locked by an invisible force, and he could not move.

The next moment, Chen Zhan slapped her on the back.

Wu Xingyun groaned and spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the soil in front of him red. He struggled to climb out of the pit and finally knelt on the ground, his true energy in complete disarray.

Chen Zhan stood before her with his hands behind his back: "Grandma Tong, it's best to behave. I'll give you a chance to kill your enemy, how about it?"

Wu Xingyun suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot. Upon hearing this, his pupils contracted sharply, and his tone was filled with disbelief: "You want to help me... kill that bitch Li Qiushui?"

Throughout her life, she had many enemies, including old grudges from the Thirty-Six Caves and Seventy-Two Islands, as well as numerous sworn enemies in the martial arts world. However, the only one who could truly be called a mortal enemy was Li Qiushui.

The two had fought each other their entire lives, for Wuyazi, for the Xiaoyao Sect, and for their own obsessions, killing each other to the death. This hatred was etched into their very bones. Chen Zhan nodded: "Indeed."

Wu Xingyun's eyes darted back and forth between hatred and doubt.

Her hatred for Li Qiushui was etched into her bones. That bitch ruined her life and took away everything she cared about. If she had the chance to kill her enemy, it would be worth the price.

However, her fear of Chen Zhan was equally ever-present. The excruciating pain of that palm strike years ago and the humiliation of being easily crushed today both reminded her of the terror of the man before her.

She caught her breath and said in a low voice, "Why are you helping me? There's no such thing as a free lunch. What do you want?"

Chen Zhan closed his folding fan and glanced at the distant view outside the valley: "Originally, I was too lazy to interfere in the private affairs of your Xiaoyao Sect. Your killing of some Jianghu idlers is none of my business. But Li Qiushui is different. Xixia and Song have been enemies for generations. She secretly colluded with the Xixia Yipintang and repeatedly sneaked into Song territory to cause trouble, disrupt the order of Jianghu, and even get involved in court disputes."

He paused, his eyes turning cold: "If I'm going to launch a military campaign against Western Xia to eliminate potential threats on the border, I must first remove Li Qiushui, this thorn in my side."

This statement is half true and half false. Killing Li Qiushui was one of the objectives, but it did not stop there.

A resolute glint flashed in Wu Xingyun's eyes. Supported by Mei Lan Zhu Ju, he managed to stand up straight and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva:
"Fine! As long as I can kill that bitch Li Qiushui, what does it matter if you use me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Zhan's figure flashed suddenly, so fast that only a blur of a green robe remained.

Before Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Ju could react, he was already standing in front of Wu Xingyun, his fingers forming a sword, the tips glowing with pale golden blood, and he precisely pointed it at her brow.

A warm yet domineering flow of blood and energy entered the body through the space between the eyebrows, coursing through the meridians, seemingly both a confinement and a mark.

Wu Xingyun froze, unable to move despite trying to circulate his internal energy to resist. He could only watch helplessly as the energy took root in his body.

"With the blood talisman planted, Granny Tong no longer needs to struggle."

"Stay in Dali for a few more days, recover from your injuries, and then come with me to Western Xia."

Chen Zhan withdrew his finger, turned and left without looking back, giving the order, and then said to Bai Lu behind him, "Release those people from Lingjiu Palace."

"Yes, Master."

Bai Lu responded and turned to release Fu Minyi and Granny Yu, who were being held captive.

Chen Zhan led Shuangjiang and Guyu into the valley first, leaving Wu Xingyun and the four others, Meilanzhuju, behind.

Wu Xingyun hesitated for a moment, the qi and blood within her body like a maggot clinging to her bones, making her dare not easily break free. In the end, she could only grit her teeth and follow with her disciples.

As soon as Fu Minyi and Granny Yu were released, they saw their master following Chen Zhan obediently, showing no trace of the arrogance of the Heavenly Mountain Child Granny.

The two were startled, and their initial thoughts of resistance vanished instantly. They obediently followed him into the valley.

Suddenly, a group from Lingjiu Palace appeared in Wanjie Valley. These people were all intimidated by Chen Zhan's aura. Seeing this, Wu Xingyun simply raised his hand to release the seal and released several streams of true energy, which landed on the people in the thirty-six caves at the entrance of the valley.

The pain inflicted on those people by the Life and Death Talisman suddenly dissipated, and their complexions gradually regained their rosy hue.

Everyone was both surprised and delighted, and they all knelt down and kowtowed, thanking Chen Zhan and Wu Xingyun repeatedly.

The Life and Death Talisman had troubled them for many years, but now they were freed from it, and they would never forget this kindness.

After everyone had left and the valley had returned to silence, Wu Xingyun walked up to Chen Zhan and said in a deep voice, "Back then, when you broke into my Lingjiu Palace and repeatedly questioned me about my master Xiaoyaozi's past, what was your true intention?"

This question had been weighing on her mind for over a decade, and today she finally had the chance to ask it clearly.

Chen Zhan leaned against the stone table, reopened his folding fan and waved it lightly, saying casually, "Nothing, just curious."

"Curious? That's all?"

Wu Xingyun frowned, clearly disbelieving.

"Aren't you curious about the masters of the last era?"

Chen Zhan looked up at her, his gaze deep. "Xiaoyaozi, Murong Longcheng, Duan Siping, Zhao Kuangyin—the martial arts of these people are far superior to the current top masters. Xiaoyaozi only left behind a few techniques, yet he taught you, Li Qiushui, and Wuyazi, three top figures. What level must his own strength have reached?"

He spoke faster as he unleashed the doubts that had been building up in his mind: "Xiaoyaozi may have considered himself to be detached from worldly affairs and unwilling to get involved in the conflicts of the world. But Duan Siping holds the foundation of Dali, and Murong Longcheng is a descendant of the Xianbei royal family. Both of them have soldiers and men, yet they are willing to submit to Zhao Kuangyin's dragon-headed staff and submit to him."

"Was it because Zhao Kuangyin's achievements were unparalleled that he could suppress all the masters in the world single-handedly? Or were there other reasons?"

"What's even stranger is why, after more than a hundred years, martial arts have regressed to such a state?"

"The Xiaoyao Sect, the Dali Duan Clan, and the Gusu Murong Clan all have complete martial arts lineages. Even if later generations cannot innovate, they should not be inferior to the previous generation, and should not even be able to reach the level of their predecessors."

Chen Zhan looked at Wu Xingyun, his tone inquiring, "You've lived for ninety years, seen all the ups and downs of the martial world, yet you've never thought about these questions?"

These words left Wu Xingyun frozen in place.

Frost's Descent, Grain Rain, and White Dew also gathered around, all lost in thought.

Chen Zhan's words were all reasonable.

Today, the Song Dynasty is strong and powerful, able to share the world with the Western Xia and Liao Dynasties. However, when the Song Dynasty was first established, its national strength was far inferior to what it is today.

In contrast, the martial arts world was full of masters back then, each capable of stirring up storms on their own, yet they all remained obedient to Zhao Kuangyin.

Duan Siping founded Dali, and Murong Longcheng was determined to restore the dynasty. Neither of them were willing to be subordinate to others, so there was no reason for them to give up the opportunity to compete for the world.

Even more strangely, after searching through historical records, no record of any battles between Zhao Kuangyin and Duan Siping or Murong Longcheng could be found, as if the three had never crossed paths.

Dali has always guarded the southwestern border and has never taken the initiative to expand.

The Murong clan of Gusu lay low in Jiangnan, secretly accumulating strength, but never daring to openly raise an army.

Wu Xingyun recovered his senses and shook his head with a complicated expression: "I have spent my whole life fighting against Li Qiushui, and my mind has been focused on revenge. I have never thought about these things. It is really strange that you brought it up today."

She lived for nearly a century, witnessing the changes in the martial arts world from its peak to its decline, but never delved into the root causes.

Chen Zhan then said, "That's why I asked you about some things that happened to Xiaoyaozi before his death."

Wu Xingyun recalled for a moment and said, "Master only taught us for a few years. I was sixteen years old, Wu Yazi was fourteen, and Li Qiushui was eight. We were practicing in a Taoist temple on a mountain in the southern border region."

"He left behind some books before he left, but didn't say much."

"It should be here, right?"

Chen Zhan took out a picture, in which a few strokes outlined the shape of a mountain.

Wu Xingyun looked at it; his memory was already somewhat hazy.

She said, "It's somewhat similar. After our master sent us away from the mountains, we went to look for it again many years later, but we couldn't find it."

Chen Zhan nodded, not dwelling on the matter.

"We're going to Tianlong Temple tomorrow. If Granny Tong doesn't want to go, she can set off for Xixia first. Don't worry, the blood talisman won't take effect for a while."

"Alright, see you at the Western Xia Imperial Palace over there!"

Wu Xingyun knew that Chen Zhan was not someone who could deceive her, so she didn't say anything more and led her men away from the valley.

(End of this chapter)