A Scroll of Infinite Glory

Chapter 143 Three Thousand Scrolls of Martial Arts Manuals, Passing Through Cloud Valley Under the Moon

On Laojun Mountain, a sheathed sword stands at the edge of the square, facing a cliff and a sea of ​​clouds.

The man in black robes clasped his hands together, pressing them against the hilt of his sword, his eyes half-closed as he scanned the distance.

"Oh? It evaded my senses, making it impossible for me to determine its exact direction... Northern Envoy, what are your thoughts?"

The fortune teller, who had just arrived from the temple below, stopped abruptly behind him and said with clasped hands, "When I saw that person leave, he vaguely appeared to be one of the disciples of Xue Longzi of the Ice Glacier Sect. It was late at night, and he had no reason to suddenly come to explore Lao Jun Mountain. He must have encountered a Lao Jun Mountain disciple who had escaped from here before."

"Yu Tu's physical strength is completely destroyed, but his realm is still intact. When he went far away with that Taoist priest, he was indeed able to fight against me and disrupt my perception, but after all, his foundation has been destroyed, and his mind cannot hold on until now."

The man in black robes said slowly, "It seems they have indeed mastered the Jade Snow Dragon Ring and have already been able to unleash some of its wonders."

Bu Suanzi responded at the opportune moment: "In such a short time, that Taoist priest couldn't have escaped very far. The most likely reason he encountered the group from Saoxue Temple was at the Sword Casting Manor. However, after this test on the mountain, once that person returns, the Sword Casting Manor will know that they cannot defeat him by force, and will most likely abandon the manor and flee."

"If they go to Shaolin, they'll pass near Lao Jun Mountain, and they won't dare to try. So, the only option is to go to Xiushuo City. We'll set off immediately, cut in from the side, and block the main road to Xiushuo City. We should be able to get ahead of them and ensure that old Taoist Yu Tu doesn't escape!"

He spoke with great enthusiasm and positivity, displaying a spirit of leading by example.

The man in black robes turned around, looking at him with a half-smile: "Compared to the last report, your deductions this time are much more thorough. And you also know that I value Yu Tu more?"

Bu Suanzi bowed again, and said respectfully, "I just feel that the absence of Tianfang Daoren on the mountain will definitely cause trouble. Whether we capture Yu Tu or bring his body back, it might be surprisingly effective in dealing with Tianfang Daoren later."

"Hmm, you're really meticulous."

The man in black robes looked approving, but perhaps out of a guilty conscience, one person present felt that his words had a double meaning.

Bu Suanzi's posture was taut and upright.

Then the man in black robes laughed and said, "It might not be safe for you and Ruzui to go together, so please, Brother Xu, come with you as well."

The man from the Western Regions next to him straightened his back, slightly raised his hand, and bowed, saying, "I obey the command of the sect leader."

Judging from his tone, this person is Xu Miyuan, the "former" leader of the Huoluo Dao sect.

Many people in the martial arts world know that the Fire Luo Path has a leader named Xu Miyuan and a vice leader named Ye Motian. However, even within the Fire Luo Path, only a handful of people with status like Bu Suanzi know that Xu Miyuan has long since become the vice leader, on par with Ye Motian.

Bu Suanzi was always wise and discerning, but he was also curious. He had secretly calculated, based on some clues about Huo Luo Dao's actions over the years, that the person who was above the two vice leaders had arrived in Huo Luo Dao about ten years ago.

After that person briefly suppressed Xu Miyuan, he fell into a long period of seclusion and recuperation. However, due to the inexplicable and complete defection of the vice leader Ye Motian, Xu Miyuan still had no chance to reclaim his throne.

The growth of the Fire Luo Path was driven forward by the will of that person and Ye Motian, along with many others including Xu Miyuan, who moved forward unnoticed in the shadows.

The establishment of branch altars and the addition of new rules have led to the gradual recruitment of unruly, bloodthirsty, or even faked-death martial arts masters—who should have been difficult for any organization to subdue and make obedient.

The twenty-four protectors of the Western Regions, whose titles were exaggerated, only truly lived up to their names in their hands. They filled in the gaps in the positions and even subtly trained several other key members of the sect, enabling them to reach the first-class level, yet they remained hidden outside the protector positions, existing as beings unknown even to those protectors themselves.

When Bu Suanzi first discovered this place, he decisively stopped investigating further. But tonight, he no longer needed to rack his brains; the person's identity had been fully revealed.

That divine weapon, soaring like light, a sword that cleaves through the clouds, can only be wielded by one person.

Bu Suanzi followed Xu Miyuan down the mountain, using all his lightness skills to follow the figure of Vice Sect Leader Xu like a swift wind and a startled crane. In his heart, he couldn't help but repeatedly recall the punch and sword that had erupted on the mountain peak.

That punch was indeed powerful, but it was too unfamiliar. The meaning it contained was too strong and brutal, making it difficult to fathom its deeper significance.

That sword strike was something Bu Suanzi had long admired and yearned for, and it was also clear evidence of his identity as the leader of the Demonic Sect. Naturally, the feeling was quite different, with a lingering charm that was hard to fully savor.

Unexpectedly, Bu Suanzi remembered the person they were going to meet next—Qiu Ruzui.

They took in that young, terrified fugitive, guided her to easily steal the Heavenly Mirror of the Lushan Sect, and allowed her to maintain her willful nature, rapidly growing into the position of the Four Directions Venerable Envoy...

No wonder she favors such a willful person. She clearly comes from a prestigious family, yet her style is perfectly in line with that of the former direct descendant of the Demonic Sect!

As Bu Suanzi sped away, he glanced back at the mountain peak.

The clouds and mist kept the mountainside closed, while the people at the summit slowly walked back to the ancient building on the cliff.

That is the scripture building on Laojun Mountain, where they collect ancient books. They call this building "Xiaoyou Cave Heaven".

From the outside, it appears to be divided into nine floors, but internally it is actually only divided into three floors.

Apart from the specially designed windows, there are no walls to be seen once you step into this ancient building.

The interior walls feature bookshelves designed during construction, with crisscrossing, orderly long rectangular grids that divide and utilize all the gaps in the walls.

Those wooden compartments were already densely packed with books, brocade boxes, scriptures, and top-quality handwritten copies by Taoist priests.

Dividing the nine-story building into three levels naturally makes the height of each floor inside extraordinary.

These books, arranged from the row of squares closest to the corner all the way to the ceiling, are simply impractical for the average person; finding a book would require carrying a long ladder and climbing for ages.

However, any disciple of Laojun Mountain who has mastered the art of lightness for half a year can climb up a bookshelf with their hands, just like a nimble monkey.

A master with keen eyesight can see in all directions, discern the finest details, and read ten lines at a glance. If they want to find a particular book, they can basically find it by standing here and looking around.

This is the most suitable way for them to store their books.

The man in black robes with flowing hair tossed the Flying Light Sword to the attendant who was carrying it, then used his left hand to pull a book from a high bookshelf and quietly began to read.

Not long after, two more figures entered the building.

The man in front was a middle-aged man with deep and stern features. His gray robe was loosely draped over his body, and his long hair was tied back. His appearance could be described as either a person from the Central Plains or a barbarian from the Western Regions. He was none other than Ye Motian, the vice leader of the Huoluo Dao sect.

The woman behind her was petite, wearing a purple dress, but with very long hair. Her hair was tied up with purple ropes at three different points from the back of her head to the ends, with the ends hanging down to her buttocks.

"Master," the woman in the purple dress spoke first, "the Daoist priest and Sun Ling have already arrived at the foot of Shaolin Mountain with the protectors. They asked me to come over first."

The man in black robes nodded: "Su Mu cast a spell to suppress my sword intent of 'non-action,' allowing me to emerge from 'non-action.' Miss Fu removed my waste blood and rebuilt my five internal organs. The first thing you asked of me was to collect three thousand volumes of martial arts books."

The woman, Xu Hongmei, looked up and said, "Just this place alone has already exceeded three thousand volumes. I didn't expect this goal to be achieved so quickly."

The man in black shook his head and said, "No, ninety percent of the books here cannot be considered martial arts classics. There are Taoist classics, medical texts, and music. Just the manuscripts of the Book of Changes that have been passed down from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty to the present day, with interpretations by different sages, number five hundred different versions. Only about a thousand volumes meet your requirements, and that includes many manuscripts of martial arts modifications and deductions."

"That's quite a lot. With the ones from the smaller sects we collected before, plus these, and if we can get some from Shaolin later, we'll definitely have enough."

Xu Hongmei counted on her fingers for a moment, then said with a smile, "But why would a bunch of martial arts practitioners on this mountain collect so many random books?"

Ye Motian glanced at her indifferently. Of the four "extraordinary people from beyond the Great Wall," Su Mu was knowledgeable and skilled in both literature and martial arts, and the Hu woman surnamed Fu was ingenious and seemed to know many foreign classics. Only Xu and Sun were ignorant and incompetent, and it was really not worth talking about them.

The man in black robes didn't seem to mind. In fact, he seemed to admire Xu Hongmei's ignorance and outspokenness, and said with a smile, "A person of virtue is both learned and refined. Although Lao Jun Mountain is a martial arts sect, it is also a place for people who study the Dao. Naturally, they must bury themselves in studying the scriptures. Moreover, many aspects of martial arts have evolved from these classics. Being able to draw inferences from one instance to another is the root of progress in martial arts."

Xu Hongmei seemed to understand, but only vaguely nodded and said, "I understand."

"By the way, Master, those Taoist priests outside, especially the dozens on the mountaintop, smell so good. Could you give them to me?"

She quickly licked her lips outwards with the tip of her tongue, making her rosy lips appear even more alluring.

The building lights cast a shadow on one side of her face, and her tone became very cheerful and talkative. "I'm not picky like Sister Fu. I can eat both men's and women's blood. That pure fragrance is like jade submerged in the water of an autumn paddy field. Even the dumbest tadpole can't help but come closer."

"My Lord,

Finally, Xu Hongmei clasped her fair hands together in front of her chest, her eyes glistening with anticipation as she looked at the man in black robes.

"Didn't you already sneak a bite?"

The man in black robes turned his gaze back to the pages of the book in his hands. "Dead is fine, alive is not, I still have a use."

The woman in the purple dress was eerily unsettling; the sense of dread—that she looked exactly like a "human," yet was not human—subtly arose within her smiling face.

But the black-robed man's nonchalant manner in handling a few fresh fish, as if he were an ordinary person you could find anywhere in the marketplace, made the girl in the purple dress subconsciously beg for his permission.

"Okay, that's enough with the dead. I told you I'm not picky about food!"

Xu Hongmei turned around happily and walked out. With impatient steps, her tender red tongue licked her lips again, soft like blood-stained poison cotton.

Before she left, Ye Motian deliberately spoke up: "A terrible habit."

Xu Hongmei acted as if she hadn't heard anything and walked out with cheerful steps without pausing at all.

Ye Motian said to the man in black robes, "Senior brother, don't you hate this kind of thing? When you became the leader, the first thing you did was to ban cannibalism and put those uncles and senior brothers into the water dungeon. Later, you even killed them with your own hands."

"Then you've probably forgotten that I've killed far more than just those few people."

The man in black robes turned a page of his book and said, "The atmosphere of the sect has been completely distorted by those people. Our innate and unique existence is not something to be achieved through deliberately created cruel habits."

"Those behaviors that go against their own inner desires ultimately deceive themselves, making them feel that they really need to rely on that way to survive, and that such cannibalism is too disgusting."

He looked up at the building and said, "And their habit seems to come from the deepest part of their bones, which is quite strange."

Ye Motian didn't really care about such things; he just thought the girl was too stupid and didn't like her, which was why he asked the question. He was more concerned about the black-robed man's health.

"Can these books from Lao Jun Mountain offer you any enlightenment, senior brother?"

"How useful it is, you're asking me now, I don't know either. Let alone not finding the True Scripture of Non-Action here, even if we did, it wouldn't be of much use."

The man in black robes had deep, dark eyes. He said, "But I will succeed."

"I will personally avenge the hatred that has been harbored throughout the entire sect!"

The wind stirs the lights, blowing them out of the building and towards the sea of ​​clouds.

Laojun Mountain is just the beginning.

In the distance, Xu Miyuan had already led his men to the only place on the way to Xiushuo City.

They were confident that they had far surpassed the journey of those fugitives, and were quietly waiting for those people, waiting for Yu Tu, whose fame spread far and wide, who was the best in the world for righteousness, and who was so weak that he could not even kill a chicken, to approach them.

Xu Miyuan gazed into the distance, his heart, which had remained unmoved for ten years and as calm as a still well, suddenly stirred with a strange excitement and anticipation.

………………

Inside the carriage, An Feiyu placed the communication token down.

If the other party is the Fire Luo Sect, their target for invasion and plunder would be difficult to discern. But since they are the leader of a demonic sect, it would be normal for them to target either Han Wengong or Lao Jun Mountain. Shaolin Temple is also very likely to be among their targets.

He was just sending a message to remind Gu Lanxiang.

"cough!!"

Guan Luoyang sat opposite him in the carriage. He coughed weakly as the carriage jolted.

An Fei held the bamboo tube containing the Rejuvenation Pearl in one hand and the other, but knew that this thing would have little effect on Guan Luoyang at the moment.

There had been previous attempts to detect the life force of the Feathered Tea. If not handled carefully, it could be preemptively assimilated by another aura circulating within his body, and might even accelerate the deterioration of Guan Luoyang's injuries.

"In your previous state, you could have even held your own against a four-star opponent confined to a single world system, right? How could that person have defeated you like this in a single move?!"

"He should still be a four-star, after all, the token I used to delay him was only a four-star token."

Guan Luoyang coughed again and said, "The star ratings have a wider range as you go further, and I'm starting to understand that now. No wonder there was that joke at the base."

In the base, there is a famous joke about star rating. It is said that in a long time, there were seven teams of reincarnators who fought a team battle in a wasteland world. On that planet, due to the limitations of the environment at that time, the strongest person's power was only six stars, also known as "below 250,000 horsepower".

Those seven teams of reincarnators, totaling more than thirty six-star individuals, after dealing with several local six-star individuals, assumed that the entire world belonged to them, and that the natives were merely insignificant background figures.

As a result, they were soon targeted by the Wasteland Emperor for their arrogance. One man killed most of them, and the remaining ones were captured before they could even escape.

Later, the survivors, having gone through some unknown ordeal, returned to the base with miserable expressions. Their first words were a furious outburst: "God, I curse your six-star level!!"

There are many versions of this joke, with the protagonists ranging from scientists with 250,000 horses to magicians and armored warriors. They all change the name but not the substance; the only constant is the seven teams of reincarnators who get brutally defeated.

It was precisely because of these unfunny jokes that some people in the base actually divided each star level of the main god into upper, middle, and lower ranks, and promoted this among the reincarnators.

Anfeiyu was speechless: "You can still joke around now, you have a really good attitude."

"Whether I look grim or relax, it won't affect the situation much, so why not choose the relaxed approach?"

Guan Luoyang pressed his hand to his chest, trying his best to block the "qi" entangled in his chest cavity. His eyes lowered slightly as he looked at the floor of the carriage.

Whether he wore a pained expression or relaxed, it wouldn't affect the burning emotion in his mind that was even more intense than the pain in his chest.

Failure is not surprising. From competitive sports in childhood to martial arts now, there is only one principle that cannot be changed no matter what kind of world it is: if you lose, you must fight back!

Transform impulsive, mind-numbing anger into a steady fighting spirit.

Wu Pingqiang's voice came from outside the carriage.

"We'll reach Xiushuo City in another sixty li."

"But the Cloud Passing Valley is not far ahead, and the terrain is treacherous, everyone be careful!"

Less than an hour after Laojun Mountain was attacked.

The group from Sword Forging Manor passed through Cloud Valley.

(End of this chapter)