A Scroll of Infinite Glory

Chapter 162 Subduing the Dragon Across a Thousand Miles, Dividing the Force into Three Fronts

For a master who is not afraid of the dangers of mountains and rivers, there are many routes from Luoyang to Chang'an. However, Shao Lingxiao's actions on his way to Chang'an will obviously not be just a simple journey.

Therefore, their route selection must have been very deliberate, which makes it possible that Li Gong had planned and calculated it accurately.

The first route involves crossing the river north from Luoyang, passing Huaizhou, then west to Puzhou, and finally crossing the river at Pubanjin to enter northern Guanzhong. This is the same Pubanjin crossing point where Li Yuan entered Guanzhong.

The second route goes south to Dengzhou, then west along the Wuguan Road, entering the southern part of Guanzhong.

Another possibility is to head south to the Han River Valley, then west along the valley to Hanzhong, and finally through the Qinling Mountains to reach Chang'an.

Along these routes, there are several important granaries established by the Tang Dynasty.

Abundant food supplies and convenient transportation often lead to regional prosperity, and many renowned sects choose such regions to establish their temples and pass on their traditions from generation to generation.

For the Demonic Sect, taking these routes would not only maximize the threat to the safety of the Tang Dynasty's granaries, but also allow them to "visit" many righteous figures who participated in the Southwest War with the army back then.

The many experts present were divided into three teams, and under the guidance of the inner guards, they each followed one of the three routes to pursue the enemy.

Guan Luoyang and his team would happen to be on their way back to Xiushuo City.

"Although Lao Jun Mountain has been recaptured, many buildings on the mountain were damaged in the battle. Before these disciples recover from their injuries, seniors, please rest and recuperate in Xiu Shuo City."

This message had already been approved by General Feng and his men when they discussed dividing the troops. Since General Feng and his men were taking a different route, they asked Guan Luoyang to convey this sentiment.

Inside the old mansion of the Duke of Zhuang, Guan Luoyang took out a square-handled longsword and handed it to Master Yu Tu.

"Although Master Tianfang has broken through the void and left, I have brought back this sword. Now that the Master has mastered the Mind Technique, his physical injuries have healed. If he were to unravel this sword into his body, even if something unexpected were to happen, it should be enough to protect the peace of the city."

This Wuwei Divine Sword has a ridged hilt, a square and simple guard with minimalist patterns, and the pommel, hilt, and blade are all of one piece, as if they were a single piece of rough black rock, patiently polished.

However, as long as a little true energy is poured in, spots of silvery luster will appear on the black sword. If enough true energy is poured in, the entire sword will eventually transform into a silvery sword shape entwined with ink, somewhere between solid and liquid, with a strange, fluid beauty.

Master Yu Tu took the sword, ran his fingers over the back of the blade, and suddenly flipped his finger, his fingernail striking the blade and producing a clear, long ringing sound.

"Old friend, it's been a long time."

The old Taoist stroked his sparse, long beard, already knowing the details of the battle at Lao Jun Mountain, and sighed, "That year, Yin Beiwu initiated the battle, and once tried to use his unparalleled sword, the White Paper Punishment, to force Shao Lingxiao to shatter the void and fly away."

"Unexpectedly, what he failed to do back then is now being used by Shao Lingxiao on Tianfang."

Guan Luoyang asked, "After shattering the void, is there any possibility of returning?"

Ironically, Guan Luoyang had seen the term "shattered void" in many novels when he was young.

In his mind at that time, the so-called "shattering the void" was a phenomenon from Huang Yi's series of martial arts worlds.

When a martial artist comprehends the martial arts realm of Yin and Yang, and their life force reaches an extreme, they may suddenly disappear from their original world.

Some believe that after breaking through the void, one will leap to become a higher life form of seven stars or above, or even a higher-dimensional life form of nine stars or above. Others believe that breaking through the void is not that significant; it is simply going from one world to another.

According to the God Space, because the number of worlds in the Great Void Sea is infinite, works that only exist in fantasy in some places can always be found in a real world that is exactly similar to them if they are searched on an infinite scale.

Therefore, Huang Yi's novels must all have corresponding worlds.

Unfortunately, after becoming a reincarnator, Guan Luoyang had not yet encountered that kind of "familiar" worldview, and he knew very little about the specific situation of the shattered void in this world.

Master Yu Tu said, "There were some peerless masters who, during the process of breaking through the void and stepping through the Heavenly Gate, were able to send back a few words. Through the piecing together and deduction of the sages of the past, most believed that it was almost impossible for those who broke through the void to return to their original world."

A faint flash of lightning appeared at the corner of the old Taoist's eye. He looked into the courtyard, where many green leaves were pulled by his mental power and gathered into a large sphere in the air.

"If this is the world we go to after shattering the void, then..."

On the leaf head, the veins of each green leaf are pulled out slightly by a subtle, invisible force, as if transforming from a tender green ball into a fuzzy green sphere, with strands fluttering outwards.

"Each of these fine threads may be connected to a world like the one we inhabit."

"In the ceaseless and ever-changing universe, when a person breaks through the void and enters it, how can they, upon looking back, discern the path they came from amidst these countless ever-changing threads?"

Even if there truly were an unparalleled master with supreme supernatural powers who could survey that mysterious and unpredictable world, it's unknown how long it would take for someone with shattered souls to cultivate before achieving such an accomplishment.

When that time comes, will they still want to look back at their homeland?

Master Yu Tu shook his head and said, "What happens after the void is shattered is something to ponder, but it's of no use in the present. Are you about to set off to track down the members of the Demonic Sect?"

Guan Luoyang replied, "Indeed, I cannot stay any longer. Senior, I must take my leave now."

"Wait a minute!"

Master Yu Tu lowered his gaze and carefully examined every inch of the Wuwei Divine Sword. He said, "After the Cloud Floss Cold Soul entered my body, with your method, I can already repair my foundation on my own. Even if I were to reintroduce the Wuwei Weapon into my body, it would only slightly accelerate the process."

"But even so, it's still too slow. Leaving this sword here is no longer the best option."

He looked at Guan Luoyang and said, "You have already switched to cultivating the Wuwei True Scripture and have become a grandmaster. This sword is most suitable for you."

Guan Luoyang said, "I already have a very handy divine weapon."

Master Yu Tu sighed deeply: "This old Daoist has a very strong personal motive. I want Shao Lingxiao to truly be defeated by the Sword of Non-Action."

"Consider this a request from an elderly person who isn't too annoying, young man, can you grant it?"

Those aged eyes held an irrefutable, sincere hope.

Guan Luoyang eventually took the sword.

The pursuit was urgent, so he immediately went to meet up with An Feiyu, Gu Lanxiang and the others. The group began to set off along the route indicated by the inner guards, crossing mountains and rivers, searching at all times.

Guan Luoyang plays a crucial role in this, not only in terms of combat strength, but more importantly, in his unique spiritual perception as a Grandmaster. If any other Grandmasters have been around within 30 or 40 miles, it will resonate with him and help him find a more accurate direction.

In ancient times, the concept of a "route" was actually very general, with only a general direction. In reality, there were countless variations in the mountains and wilderness.

To avoid rushing and being outmaneuvered by the demonic cultists, Guan Luoyang needed to continuously refine and adjust the route.

This was an extremely tedious process. People like Gu Lanxiang and Jiang Jiusi, just by following the team, went through countless twists and turns, investigations, and tracking, which gradually wore away their impatience.

The sense of urgency to fight the members of the Demonic Cult was still there, deeply suppressed in their hearts, but before actually encountering them, everyone unanimously chose to restrain their emotions in order to conserve their energy.

Human emotions are finite; only by knowing how to restrain them can one perform better when truly needed.

As night fell on this day, they were all like wooden or clay figures with a burning passion hidden deep inside, yet their outward appearances were becoming increasingly similar. They silently checked, rested, drank water, and moved forward again.

The only difference is Guan Luoyang.

When they set off together after leaving Xiushuo City, Guan Luoyang was calm and composed, keeping a low profile. Although he looked young, he already perfectly matched everyone's impression of a grandmaster.

But as time went by, his sharp and capable nature became more and more apparent.

When he walked through the woods in the afternoon, wherever he went, it was as if a subtle yet lingering breeze arose out of nowhere, causing the branches and leaves to sway and the light and shadow to become mixed.

As dusk fell, they walked from the woods to the riverbank. Everyone watched as his figure moved forward, and wherever he went, the small beasts and insects hidden in the grass scattered in panic and fled in all directions.

Even now, when he sits quietly drinking water in the evening, his back is still a bit too straight, and when he opens and closes his eyes, one can't help but wonder if there's something captivating hidden in them.

Everyone possessed considerable martial arts skills, so they didn't need to rest until dawn. They simply adjusted their breathing for a while before continuing their journey.

As the stars and moon shifted, another dawn broke.

As they crossed a hillside, a gust of wind swept across the mountain, causing the grass to bend low.

However, once Guan Luoyang reached the top of the hill, those following him could no longer feel any wind coming towards them.

It seems that wherever he went, even the winds that roamed the mountains and fields would fall silent and avoid his sharp edge.

Wu Pingqiang had endured this long, but when he saw this scene, he finally couldn't hold back any longer and went to find An Feiyu.

"Nephew An, the moon wanes after it is full, and water overflows when it is full. Great perfection seems imperfect, yet its use is inexhaustible. No matter how high one's martial arts skills are, one is still a mortal body, not an inexhaustible body like the Yangtze River. Only by being neither full nor incomplete, seemingly imperfect, can one achieve lasting success."

When he said this, he didn't actually lower his voice too much, so everyone present could hear him and naturally understood what he meant.

Guan Luoyang has already shown too much prowess and is climbing higher and higher. I'm afraid that once he catches up with us, he will fall into a trough.

An Feiyu replied in a low voice, "I understand. But my junior brother is a veteran of countless battles and is not someone who doesn't know what's important. He must have his reasons for doing this."

Wu Pingqiang was still somewhat worried, wondering if Guan Luoyang had not had time to consolidate his foundation after advancing to the Grandmaster level, and if something went wrong, causing him to lose his composure and calmness.

Fortunately, Guan Luoyang's aura softened considerably afterward, and those who had been harboring doubts breathed a sigh of relief.

But not long after, his robes began to move without wind, and as he walked, they continuously emitted an invisible heat, causing his aura to rise once again.

Wu Pingqiang couldn't help but glance at An Feiyu repeatedly.

If he had maintained this momentum, it wouldn't have been a problem. However, during the journey, Guan Luoyang's aura fluctuated three times in just a few hours, making even An Feiyu suspect that he had gone mad with his cultivation. She couldn't help but quicken her pace and catch up with him.

"What's wrong with you?"

Guan Luoyang kept walking and said, "It's nothing, I'm just practicing my skills while walking."

An Feiyu said, "With all these ups and downs, the intensity of the training is a bit too high. Let's take it slow."

"Don't worry, I'm just listening to stories, so it doesn't really drain my energy."

Guan Luoyang laughed and said, "The rise and fall of auras that you felt were just my martial arts skills, which were eager to show me a side that I had previously ignored."

Indeed, Guan Luoyang applied the characteristic of "silently listening to the world" to the cultivation of martial arts, which brought him a completely new and wonderful experience.

Practicing martial arts is no longer just a one-way process of learning, pondering, trying and making mistakes, and adjusting; rather, it involves this kind of ambiguous two-way communication.

Each move is like a parable, and each mental technique contains a story, which they themselves tell to Guan Luoyang.

The various difficulties of Bai Family Holy Fist were easily resolved, just as a mayfly or flying insect was telling of its ambition to transform into a dragon. The True Scripture of Non-Action was also making rapid progress, clarifying its essentials. He even re-examined the kung fu he had learned the earliest.

Originally thought to be rooted in physical strength, the "Zhou Tian Dao Chang" (a system of spiritual energy) can be seen as a kind of power when it "narrates" its own story.

Guided by the mundane world, the Daoist temple traverses the heavens and the earth, where the phoenix is ​​reborn from the flames, the mayfly transforms into a dragon, and nothing is beyond reach.

Several stories left unfinished, especially the fist that transforms the mayfly into a dragon and the sword that achieves nothingness, as they eloquently narrate the long chapters to come.

"Wait until I hear all these stories..."

Guan Luoyang gazed at the sun, its intense light seeming to flow through his eyes, then suddenly turned his head to look in the northwest direction.

"Follow me, it's thirty miles away!"

(End of this chapter)