Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 455 Returning to the Western Regions, Fairy Jingzhai Accompanying Me...

At the summit of Yishan Mountain, the clouds part, revealing the hidden Immortal Terrace on the left and right.

Zhang's sharp axe splits the pine's bones, while Tang's maiden draws moonlight from a silver bottle.

The Wu family fans the burning red soil, while the Xiao family lifts the tripod to suppress the mysterious thunder.

Yellow robes billow amidst the crimson clouds, a jar of heavenly nectar intoxicates the nine realms.

"These are the incantations left behind by the Five Nobles of the Heavenly Sword, each representing the relationship between the treasure trove and the five families."

Li Zhaoting obtained the secret formula of the Five Heavenly Swords from Chief Escort Tang. He felt that the original version was awkward, so he made some modifications to make it look more sophisticated.

Jiang Yuyan said, "Master, I remember that the seven-character regulated verse format was perfected in the Tang Dynasty. Poetry in the Qin Dynasty was not in this format, was it?"

"I made the changes!"

"My lord, your writing is excellent! I admire you!"

Jiang Yuyan changed her tune and praised him within a second.

Wang Shenglan said, "Husband, your adapted poem sounds very nice, but doesn't it go against the original meaning? It was originally about going east, but you changed it to going north!"

"No, maps are for directions. The incantation passed down among the Five Noble Families of the Heavenly Sword is actually to highlight the relationship between the five sword-making families and the Heavenly Sword."

"What do you mean? I don't understand!"

"The Five Heavenly Swords correspond to the Five Elements."

The Zhang family chops firewood; pine is a type of wood.
The Tang family draws water, and the moonlight belongs to the water element;
The Wu family fanned the wind, stirring up fire and creating soil;
The Xiao family was powerful and influential, dominating the gold trade.
The Huang family pours wine, while the thirty-six peaks lock in the clear autumn.

Only two sentences of the incantation are useful: one is to tell future generations that the Heavenly Sword is hidden in Huangshan, and the other is to pour wine into the bronze jue (wine vessel), and the reflection of the wine will form a map.

Let's go see Huangshan!

Li Zhaoting glanced at it a few times and memorized the map.

"Isn't it Yishan?"

"In the sixth year of the Tianbao era, Yishan was renamed Huangshan!"

……

Huangshan is located in southern Anhui.

Starting from Huangshiling in the east and ending at Xiaolingjiao in the west, extending from Erlongqiao in the north to Tangkou Town in the south, the area boasts five scenic wonders: uniquely shaped pines, strangely shaped rocks, sea of ​​clouds, hot springs, and winter snow.

Huangshan is divided into nine management areas, with eighty-eight peaks exceeding three hundred feet in height. There are countless ancient bridges, temples, inscriptions, and steles, and three main peaks.

Lotus Peak, Bright Summit, Heavenly Capital Peak.

If we're talking about the most famous scenery in Huangshan, the first one that comes to mind is the Welcoming Pine. In other famous mountains and rivers, having two Welcoming Pines is considered lucky, but Huangshan has as many as ten kinds of unique pines.

Welcoming guests, seeing guests off, futon, harp, qilin, exploring the sea, guiding, conjoined branches, black tiger, dragon claw.

Li Zhaoting never expected that the incantation passed down by the Five Nobles of the Heavenly Sword could be used as a map for visiting Huangshan. The three of them hurried to Huangshan and had a smooth journey.

No one dared to stop them even a step!

They were terrified of ending up like the Blood Moon Cult.

Upon arriving at Huangshan, following the instructions in the rhyme, head west from Yupinglou, passing through the sea of ​​clouds to the Welcoming Pine, and admire the magnificent scenery of gnarled branches embracing the rosy clouds and thousands of peaks vying for beauty.

Proceed forward to the Farewell Pine, admire the uniquely shaped pine that seems to greet guests, and the strangely stacked rocks. Following the prophecy of the Tang family's "Silver Bottle Drawing the Moon," arrive at the Human-Shaped Waterfall, where the cascading spring splits like jade, and the twin waterfalls hang from the sky.

Next, following the Wu family's "fan-burning red soil" guidance, we arrived at the hot spring area, where the earth's veins were shrouded in mist, and the red soil emitted smoke.

Then climb Tiandu Peak, admire the cliffs draped with clouds that lock the golden turtle, and finally reach Danxia Peak, overlooking the thirty-six peaks swallowing the vastness, with strange pines leading the way and clouds spreading like a sea, taking in the magnificence of Huangshan. The whole journey is full of joy.

Even if we don't find the "Heavenly Sword," being able to appreciate such magnificent scenery makes the trip worthwhile.

Wang Shenglan exclaimed, "As expected of Huangshan! Such beautiful scenery is truly rare in the world!"

Li Zhaoting laughed and said, "China is a vast and rich land with magnificent mountains and rivers. If one cannot fully appreciate its beauty, wouldn't it be a wasted life? My wish in this life is to travel with my soulmate to famous mountains and rivers, to see all the splendor of the world, the bloodshed and turmoil of the martial arts world, and all the busy and arduous journeys..."

At this point, Li Zhaoting drew his sword, its blade pointing directly at the churning sea of ​​clouds, and let out a long, loud cry: "They are but ripples in a cup, dust beneath a sword, clouds gathering and dispersing. How can they confine my heart, hinder my steps, or impede my freedom?"

The mountain wind whipped up Li Zhaoting's blue robes, his cloak fluttering and rustling. Jiang Yuyan gazed at his silhouette standing on the Danxia cliff, her eyes reflecting the radiant glow of the sunset.

"My husband's heart is filled with the grandeur of mountains and valleys, and he roams freely in the heavens."

Wang Shenglan smiled and took Li Zhaoting's arm. Clouds surged beneath their feet, and the thirty-six peaks of Huangshan Mountain, like lotuses blooming in the vast天地 (heaven and earth), resembled lotuses in a turbid world.

The three of them spent two days sightseeing in Huangshan. Before they knew it, they had wandered into the deep mountains and arrived at Lotus Valley. They walked against the direction of the pine needles of the Putuan Pine, circled around a few times, and found a black pine forest. The entrance was hidden inside the pine forest.

A thousand years have passed, and the outside is covered with moss, old trees and withered vines everywhere. At a glance, it is densely covered with flowers and grass, making it impossible to distinguish the rocks and cliffs.

Most importantly, the internal mechanism is not a rare bronze vessel; after a thousand years, it has long been corroded, and to enter the treasure cave, one must forcibly break open the stone door.

"Xiao Shi" is used to open doors!

Wang Shenglan twisted his wrists, shook his head, aimed at the stone wall, exhaled loudly, exerted force with both arms, and with a cracking sound, the stone door split open.

"Open it for me!"

Wang Shenglan's blood and qi surged like a dragon, like the smoke of war. With continuous force from both arms, he felt as if the earth was shaking. A creaking sound was heard, and the mountain wall slowly cracked open.

"Boom!"

The stone door, made of two massive stones weighing tens of thousands of kilograms each, collapsed towards the cave. There was no mechanism to open the door; brute force was the only way to break it down, minimizing the risk of accidents.

If it were an illusion or a trap, perhaps a lucky person might stumble upon it. But a massive stone door that requires brute force to move is actually safer than a trap or illusion.

Li Zhaoting waved his cloak and used his Kasaya Subduing Demon Technique to fan the air into the cave, ventilating it. The cave had been sealed for a thousand years, and the air inside was extremely turbid, long since accumulating into poisonous gas. After a full two hours, Li Zhaoting caught a few birds and threw them in. He found that the birds could fly freely, and only then did he lead his men into the cave.

The ancestors of the Five Lords of the Heavenly Sword were swordsmiths who did not understand domineering mechanical arts or Yin-Yang arts. The mechanisms in the cave were all crossbow mechanisms, and 99% of them were already rusted.

No need to solve any puzzles, just keep moving forward.

After walking forward for about three or four hundred feet, a stone gate blocked the three of them, with three small holes carved on it.

Jiang Yuyan asked, "Master, these three small holes are very similar to those of the bronze jue (a type of ancient Chinese wine vessel). Could the bronze jue be the key to unlocking the treasure? This mechanism is truly ingenious."

Li Zhaoting said, "I hope so!"

He took out a bronze jue (a type of ancient Chinese wine vessel) and pressed it onto the small hole. Then he shook it vigorously from side to side. With a creaking sound, the stone door slowly opened. Li Zhaoting was overjoyed. He didn't bother to look for the Heavenly Sword and immediately drew his sword to cleave the stone door.

The fact that it has remained uncorroded for a thousand years in a dark and damp cave suggests that the transmission mechanism must have been made of rare metals, most likely the same material as the bronze jue (a type of ancient Chinese wine vessel).

Li Zhaoting gave a brief explanation, and the three of them drew their weapons and began cutting. Before long, the entire stone gate was shattered into pieces, revealing the internal pivot.

Li Zhaoting took out a bronze jue (a type of ancient Chinese wine vessel) to compare, and sure enough, it was made of the same material. Overjoyed, he put it away in a brocade box.

There are powerful traps inside the cave.

Knowing that the mechanisms were bound to rust, the swordsmiths created two types of defensive mechanisms that would not rust.

First, there is a densely packed, winding maze.

Secondly, the dregs of medicine obtained from the alchemist were soaked in a pool of water to form a natural erysipelas.

Like the deadly poison in the Liancheng Treasure Trove.

The treasure was not coated with poison, but with the dregs left from failed alchemy. These things were mixed together haphazardly and accumulated over thousands of years. Even if Hua Tuo were alive, he would not understand the medicinal properties of the elixir poison.

If one is a descendant of the Five Nobles of the Heavenly Sword, one can use family-inherited skills to bypass the two defensive mechanisms. If an outsider comes, then one can only rely on luck.

The swordsmiths never expected that the Heavenly Sword's malevolent aura was so strong that no one could benefit from being associated with it, including the Five Nobles of the Heavenly Sword.

In the Qin Dynasty, the Heavenly Sword was forged, and war raged across the land.

The Xiao family line ended.

The Wu family has only one member left, who has joined the Beggars' Sect and has no plans to marry for the time being, making it very likely that the family line will end.

The Tang family has only one daughter left. If it weren't for Li Zhaoting and Wang Shenglan, the whole family would have been wiped out.

The Zhang family, who brewed and sold wine, were killed by King Abiro in the original storyline and are now just ordinary wine merchants.

The Huang family has only one daughter left. Her mother is the fairy maiden Lvmu, and she still doesn't know her origins.

From the perspective of the original plot, only the Wu and Huang families of the Five Nobles of the Heavenly Sword survived, and from the perspective of their descendants, their lineage was cut off.

Those who obtained the Heavenly Sword all met with bad ends.

The Heavenly Sword's murderous aura is a hundred times more terrifying than Conan's; compared to the Heavenly Sword, Li Zhaoting is truly a lucky charm among men.

Fortunately, neither the maze-like illusions nor the millennia-old poison were of any use to Li Zhaoting.

Yuanbao led the way.

An illusion array can confuse people, but it can't confuse dogs.

A maze can keep people out, but it can't keep out dogs.

Yuanbao wagged its tail and easily navigated the meticulously crafted maze. The layouts based on Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, and the Eight Trigrams of the I Ching had no effect on Yuanbao whatsoever.

As for the poisonous water formation, Li Zhaoting carried Wang Shenglan in one arm and Jiang Yuyan in the other, with Yuanbao on his back. He glided across the water, seemingly floating in the air, and swept past them in an instant.

Poor tech geeks from a thousand years ago, they never dreamed that a thousand years later, someone would use dogs to break through the formation.

What was even more unexpected was that the one who came looking for the Heavenly Sword was a grandmaster who had reached the pinnacle of martial arts, using his unparalleled skills to overcome any tricks. No matter what kind of defense he was, it was nothing more than a speck of dust.

After passing through the maze and poisonous water array, the final portal suddenly appeared ahead, where the Heavenly Sword was stored.

Still the old rules.

First, they used the bronze jue to open the stone door, then searched for a shaft made of the same material, packed the shaft together, and the three of them looked up at the Heavenly Sword in the very center.

The Heavenly Sword was placed on an altar, beneath which were long-extinguished incense, flowers, and candles. The light from the tinderboxes shone on the sword's blade, and in an instant, the sword, which had been dormant for a thousand years, burst forth with a dazzling light, like a searchlight.

This is the divine weapon characteristic of the Heavenly Sword:—focusing and reflecting light!
It can absorb light with its blade, reflecting a dazzling light that can blind the enemy.

It sounds like a useless item, but its actual combat effect is not bad, and it can be surprisingly effective in the first encounter.

Sight is the most important sense.

No matter how high one's martial arts skills are, the eyes are still the most important sense for receiving information from the outside world.

Wu Wudi, one of the "Ten Strongest Warriors" in "Storm Riders," who was full of cool style and beat up the thousand-year-old demon Emperor Shitian, died from the "Dazzling Color Extinction" of the Twelve Swords of Xuan Yin.

How high are the power levels in Dragon Ball? The Solar Flare is used from beginning to end. Whether it's the initial power level of 100 or the later Super Saiyan, the Solar Flare is an effective means of control. The Solar Flare never loses its value.

In the early stages of Dragon Ball, characters could sense "ki" and detect the location of enemies from half a planet away. Later, with Ultra Instinct, their bodies could automatically defend themselves. Despite having such super senses, they could still be controlled by the Solar Flare.

The obvious drawback is that it can only kill on the first encounter.

"First Encounter Kill" doesn't mean you get one chance against every opponent, but rather that you can only use it once. After using it once, the secret of the Heavenly Sword will spread throughout the martial arts world.

If used well, this opportunity can be used to eliminate a powerful enemy, or to do it cleanly by killing all the spectators. It can be used multiple times.

Compared to divine weapons like the Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, Blood River Red Sleeve, and Unwanted to Stay, which can exert their effects anytime and anywhere, this weapon is far less effective, representing a comprehensive gap.

In the original story, King Abira was able to defeat all the masters in the world with the Heavenly Sword because he was blind.

King Abira is not afraid of the dazzling light of the Heavenly Sword and can release blinding light at will, giving him an absolute advantage.

It is obviously unsuitable for a martial artist with a normal physique.

The Heavenly Sword has a hidden advantage.

It won't be fought over because it's a "divine weapon".

The struggle for the Heavenly Sword is for power and profit, for advancement, and for using its name to deceive others, not for the purpose of seizing the weapon.

This effectively reduces the covetousness of skilled swordsmen.

There are too many swordsmen in the martial arts world.

Swordsmen with divine weapons are very rare.

Each divine sword can attract a bloody struggle.

The exception is Tianjian.

No one would risk carrying around Conan to fight over a searchlight unless they were desperate for money!

Li Zhaoting reached out and grabbed the scabbard, putting away the Heavenly Sword. Originally, it had a trigger mechanism, but after a thousand years, the mechanism and traps had all rusted away.

"Let's go back!"

"Husband, is this the Heavenly Sword? All those fancy legends and exaggerated claims, and all it can do is emit blinding light? It's not even as good as the Overlord Spear!"

Wang Shenglan pouted in dissatisfaction.

Jiang Yuyan was equally disappointed. She had thought the Heavenly Sword would be a divine weapon like the Xuanyuan Sword or the Chixiao Sword, but it turned out to be just a reflector? It wasn't even as practical as the Ghostly Sword!
Li Zhaoting smiled and said, "The value of the Heavenly Sword lies not in the sword itself, but in its symbolic meaning. The sword is called the Heavenly Sword because it was commissioned by Qin Shi Huang to suppress the fate of the world. That is its greatest significance."

Jiang Yuyan said, "What Master means is that the Heavenly Sword has no advantage as a weapon. The Heavenly Sword is only made in the shape of a sword. In reality, it is compared with treasures with 'imperial aura' such as the He Shi Bi and the Seven Constellations of the Azure Dragon."

Wang Shenglan pouted: "Is it that 'whoever obtains the Heavenly Sword will rule the world'? My husband wants to be the emperor?"

Li Zhaoting waved his hand: "Utterly boring! I have no interest in that. Being an emperor is too tiring. Even if you gave me three thousand beauties, I wouldn't bother being an emperor!"

Jiang Yuyan said, "This servant understands. Master wants to give the Heavenly Sword to some ambitious person."

Li Zhaoting chuckled: "Some people are on the verge of opposing or not opposing, and they need someone to give them a push from behind. Just a gentle push can send them tumbling off a cliff."

Li Zhaoting handed the Heavenly Sword to Jiang Yuyan: "I'll leave this matter to you. In a few days, I'll go to the Western Regions to deal with these sword-forging materials. Yuyan, stay here and watch the house. Find an opportunity to spread the word and wait for the Heavenly Mandate Sect to come and buy it."

"How much are you asking for, sir?"

“The Heavenly Mandate Sect is wealthy and powerful, so we can ask for the absolute lowest price, which is 500,000 taels.”

"How much can the servant girl get?"

"Seven-thirds split".

"How come it's only 70%?"

"Seventy percent of them are mine!"

"Then I'll have to beg on my knees?"

"I like this pose..."

Li Zhaoting revealed a wicked smile.

Jiang Yuyan shivered.

Wang Shenglan held a long spear, eager to try.

The White Tiger Star Lord's greatest love in life is wielding weapons!
After striking a few times outside the cave and blocking the entrance with rubble, the three quickly left and found a luxurious inn to discuss whether to beg on their knees or lying down, completely unaware of the outside world.

A person like Li Zhaoting is always the center of attention wherever he goes, and countless people are secretly watching him.

Why did Li Zhaoting go to Tongguan?

Why did Wang Shenglan duel with King Abiro?

Why did you kill Fairy Green Mother after the duel?

Why go to Huangshan after killing Fairy Green Mother?

What did Li Zhaoting discover in Huangshan?
This is all intelligence.

Every piece of intelligence can be sold for a lot of money.

Through the joint investigation of various forces, a startling conclusion was reached: Li Zhaoting had collected the five Heavenly Swords passed down from the Qin Dynasty and found the "Heavenly Sword"!
Well-informed forces such as the Azure Dragon Society, the Heavenly Mandate Sect, and the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion even found the treasure cave.

Looking at the shattered stone gate, everyone unanimously confirmed that it was the work of Li Zhaoting and Wang Shenglan. The couple were the most reckless of the reckless, not knowing anything about mechanisms, and only knowing how to break the formation by brute force, which was a waste of these pre-Qin mechanisms.

The name "Heavenly Sword" spread like wildfire throughout the martial arts world.

Everyone knows that the "Heavenly Sword" has no real meaning other than serving as a pretext for launching a rebellion.

Especially for Li Zhaoting, what use is the Heavenly Sword when he has the Purple and Green Twin Swords that are one with him? A person only has two hands, so what if he carries one in his mouth?
Rebellion is absolutely out of the question!
The only attraction of the "emperor" to Li Zhaoting was the harem and the selection of concubines and young women.

Given this, there are only two possible outcomes.

One option was to present it to the emperor in exchange for official titles and rewards.

The chances are slim. Li Nanxing and Feng Shaoqing have just been promoted and will not be promoted again in the short term. Li Zhaoting is a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person from the martial arts world), and the only meaning of official titles is that they sound impressive and allow Li Zhaoting to brag.

According to a maid in the Li family, Li Zhaoting was very fond of the title of Marquis Xiaoyun, and he would not change it even if he were offered the title of Prince or Duke.

If he didn't offer it to the emperor, he would definitely sell it on the black market. Li Zhaoting has many wives and concubines, several of whom are pregnant, and he is in dire need of money.

How do I purchase the Heavenly Sword?

Of course, it was through the maid who had been selling information about the master that Li Zhaoting quietly left home, taking another maid with him, while Jiang Yuyan stayed at home.

It's obvious that this was a deliberate flaw.

Jiang Yuyan held a small auction in Jinling.

Those who wish to purchase the Heavenly Sword can participate in the auction.

After several fierce competitions, the Heavenly Sword was finally sold to the Heavenly Mandate Sect for 580,000 taels of silver.

This is the limit that the Heavenly Mandate Sect can withstand.

The Heavenly Sword is neither the Jade Disc of He Shi Bi nor the Crimson Sky Sword, nor is it a divine weapon that dominates the world. Apart from the legend of the Five Nobles of the Heavenly Sword, its intrinsic value is very low. The Heavenly Mandate Sect, having thought of a collaborator, gritted its teeth and paid with silver notes.

Li Zhaoting was completely unaware of this.

Five days after returning home from Huangshan, Li Zhaoting went to the Western Regions with Meizhu and Wang Shenglan by his side.

It's not that I don't want to bring more, it's just inconvenient.

Four pregnant women stayed home to rest and prepare for childbirth.

Jiang Yuyan was in charge of trading the Heavenly Sword.

Li Shengnan and Wang Shenglan are the most skilled in martial arts, so one of them must stay behind to protect the sisters. Last time it was Wang Shenglan, and according to the rotation system, this time it should be Li Shengnan.

Unfortunately, Yu Luosha announced her seclusion, causing panic among the Western Regions Demonic Sect and intensifying the struggle for power. It was inconvenient for Li Shengnan to go to the Western Regions. In addition, Li Shengnan wanted to go to Tianshan in a while, so this trip was a "leave of rest".

Lan Xiaodie and Bai Yunfei form the second line of defense. One controls a kite, and the other has a spirit bird, the white crane. When they encounter an insurmountable enemy, they can escape through the air.

fair enough.

If you go around with a large family, a dozen or so beautiful women of all shapes and sizes, anyone who isn't a fool will recognize you at a glance.

To conceal his identity, he didn't even bring any gold ingots. The only thing that could reveal his identity was the old wine. This journey to the Western Regions was tens of thousands of miles long. He could travel without a dog, but he couldn't travel without a horse. He traveled westward in a low-key and cautious manner, and there were no incidents.

Li Zhaoting didn't want to cause trouble.

Those who recognized Li Zhaoting were even less inclined to cause trouble.

Before they knew it, the three of them had arrived at Yumen Pass. Li Zhaoting was about to recite a poem when he looked up and saw the dashing Cheng Huaixiu waiting for him ahead.

"Huaixiu, it's been a long time!"

"With his beautiful wife and concubines, a successful official career, and boundless joy in life, Master Li has probably long forgotten about me!"

Cheng Huaixiu's coquettish anger was most captivating.

(End of this chapter)