A Scroll of Infinite Glory

Chapter 174 No Retreat

Even a martial arts master at the Grandmaster level cannot maintain the full destructive power of their weapon dozens of miles away.

For those martial artists at the first-rate level, even if they use throwing knives, spears, bows and arrows to infuse their true energy and launch an attack, they can often only guarantee that they still have more than 80% of their killing power within three miles.

After that, the true power concentrated on the weapon will dissipate and weaken significantly. If it goes beyond five miles, the remaining power on the arrow may not even be able to penetrate an ordinary bamboo-framed earthen wall.

However, a force from outside the martial arts world made the impossible possible.

Regardless of whether the owner of a rainbow stone is kind, evil, cruel, cold-blooded, greedy, or whatever other beliefs they hold, they all share one thing in common: a romantic spirit that challenges the "impossible" as defined by common sense.

Can't iron be as flexible as silk? Can't a person be like dough? Can't a shadow be manipulated?

"Can't I be the protagonist?"

As those arrows were shot, the great river surged, its reflection shimmering in the night sky, and the long wind howled.

Anfeiyu, who has made many cheap and bad movies, is the only protagonist here, now, and at this moment.

He naturally stepped into the fourth star realm. On the arm he raised high, the radiance of the rainbow stone shone brightly with his conviction, giving the rain of arrows, which had gathered the true energy of hundreds of martial arts masters, a brilliant life.

That immense power, so vast that it could make hills tremble and all living things in the fields look up to it in worship, came alive under his gaze.

When the arrows had flown several miles and the speed granted by the longbow had been exhausted, they did not fall, but instead rose.

Each arrow sprouted wings that were so thin they were almost nonexistent, yet broad and beautiful.

The tip of each arrow had wisps of light that outlined a lively vertical eye shape, which was then stretched into a trail of light and flame as it accelerated.

They flew higher and higher, farther and farther, more than a hundred streaks of light flew over the high city wall, and then, according to their own preferences, chose their respective targets and fell down one by one.

From the places closest to the city wall, and from place to place where demons and mutants ravaged, they were struck by the streaks of light from the sky.

A giant, ape-like monster with curved horns on its head, an incredibly tall and imposing upper body, and its lower body covered by long hair, revealing only its black toes, was pulling up a pillar and sweeping it across the soldiers in front of it.

A winged arrow landed on its head, and it seemed as if a vertical eye made of ice-blue light winked at it. Then, the glacial true energy contained in the arrow poured out.

In an instant, the monster was sealed in ice from head to toe, with ice spikes even bursting out from its vulnerable areas such as its eyes, ears, and mouth.

The demonic mutant's terrifying vitality allowed it to remain alive even in such a frozen and severely injured state. Its clenched jaws were the first to crack in the ice, and as the ice loosened, it caused cracks to appear at other joints as well.

But at that moment, two generals from the Imperial Guards struck its head from the left and right with their long-handled warhammers and large axes.

The monster's head was smashed to pieces, ice shards flew everywhere, and the two heavy weapons even collided with each other.

At the opposite corner of the same market, a mutated demon with a rhinoceros horn growing from its forehead was struck by an arrow in the back. A burst of fiery true energy erupted from within, causing it to collapse to the ground, thick smoke billowing from its seven orifices.

The Imperial Guard soldiers turned their crossbows around and fired eight-foot-long crossbow bolts as thick as a bowl.

Further away, a mutated demon, still biting an arm in its mouth, was paralyzed by arrows imbued with thunderous true energy, and a dozen spears simultaneously pierced its body.

Accompanied by the soldiers' grief and fury, it was lifted into the air and torn apart with great force.

Shao Lingxiao watched as the meteor-like arrows flew from afar, passing by the two sides of the wooden building where he stood, falling into the distance with a whooshing sound and the sound of explosions, causing all the demons to submit.

The living arrows flew at incredible speeds, and the process from falling to exploding was such that all the true energy contained within them was consumed the instant they collided with those demonic mutated creatures.

Their outburst was a single, decisive wave, leaving no room for anyone to steal their true energy.

With just this volley of arrows, nearly half of the demonic mutants wreaking havoc throughout Chang'an were killed on the spot.

A moment later, when he saw the second wave of arrows flying in from outside the city, Shao Lingxiao burst into laughter.

His smile caused the tall building beneath his feet to tremble violently, making a loud rumbling noise, and it suddenly sank more than three feet.

The laughter pressed down on the entire building, causing it to sink into the ground. Three feet wasn't enough; a second tremor caused it to sink another two feet.

The various wooden materials used to construct this tall building could not withstand the pressure, and during the third sinking, some of them broke off in all directions.

As the columns and walls broke and fractured layer by layer from top to bottom, the entire pavilion gradually shrank, one layer at a time.

Boom!

Boom! !

Boom! ! !

The sound was so powerful it shook the earth; even just hearing it from afar was breathtaking and unsettling.

Guan Luoyang stood there steadily, maintaining eye contact with Shao Lingxiao no matter how turbulent the surroundings were. However, his right hand, hidden behind his waist, moved slightly, gradually clenching into a fist.

He could remain calm just now, and he can remain composed now. As the light falls and falls in a chaotic rain, extinguishing the demons and calamities, it is no longer he who should be anxious.

The wooden debris, scattered and cracked outwards, floated in the air at a certain distance. As the pavilion became shorter, the surrounding debris rose higher.

When the spot where Shao Lingxiao was standing finally became level with the street, his attempt to seize the initiative had reached its limit and was ineffective, forcing him to launch a real attack.

Guan Luoyang had been waiting for this moment, and even for the instant before it.

The slight change in the reflection of the Flying Light Sword proved that at the moment the sword was about to move, Guan Luoyang's fist had already struck Shao Lingxiao's chest ahead of time.

For his fist to pierce Shao Lingxiao's torso, he would first have to shatter the clothing on Shao Lingxiao's chest. This was the physical order, and there was nothing wrong with it. The mistake was that the clothing was not tightly attached to Shao Lingxiao's skin.

Between the clothing and the skin, there is a layer of strangely textured armor.

Guan Luoyang's punch was delivered with incredible speed, and the fist technique had already incorporated the intangible penetrating characteristics of the wind. However, when it hit the armor, it felt as if he was not attacking one person, but rather ten, a hundred, or even a thousand different rapidly moving objects.

Of the power in the fist, probably less than 20% actually penetrated, and there was also a resilient and all-pervasive force that rebounded, slowing Guan Luoyang down.

Shao Lingxiao's figure vanished like a wisp of smoke, retreating to the edge of the ruins. With a wave of his longsword, every piece, every fragment, every point of the floating debris suddenly gained jet-like power and charged toward Guan Luoyang.

This scene depicts a wall of ruins, taller and larger than the original pavilion, suddenly collapsing towards a single point.

When all the debris collided and compressed at the center, forming a dense sphere, the original color of the pavilion became irrelevant, because all the debris was coated with a burnt color during the high-speed collision, and the outer layer of the sphere even faintly showed the luster of jade.

This is the third move of the "Morning Life, Evening Death" sword technique: Black Water Pearl.

Speaking of which, the "Great Method of the Heavenly Constellations" and the "Sword Technique of Dawn and Evening Death" from the Demonic Cult's treasured manuals are famous throughout the world, but few people can clearly explain how many moves the "Sword Technique of Dawn and Evening Death" actually has.

Records of the past leaders of the Demonic Cult only mention that they all seemed to enjoy using the first three moves of this sword technique, including "Dragon Cries for a Thousand Miles".

In fact, from the day this sword technique was created, only the first three moves have been definitively established.

The group of masters who retreated and lived in seclusion in the southwestern mountains at the end of the Han Dynasty created the complete set of sword techniques. They then cut off all the moves after the third move and stored them in a secret box. They ordered that future leaders could only observe the first three moves of the sword technique and create their own new style.

The dragon's cry echoed for miles, its scales concealing their form. The Black Water Pearl, from its unrestrained first move to its latent accumulation in the second, and its extreme suppression in the third, seemed to force a soaring dragon into a cowardly, abyssal pearl beneath the abyss.

This forces people to release their pent-up anger, leaving them no choice but to create their own unique fourth move.

However, after Shao Lingxiao learned the three sword techniques, he felt the surging sword energy, which was suppressed like tiny pearls, but he did not feel any anger or resentment.

In his view, a truly free person should be able to enjoy themselves in any situation, find pleasure in themselves, and create their own fun.

Negative emotions such as depression, anger, mania, inferiority, and hatred are all imposed by the outside world, rather than arising from one's own heart, like layers of cocoon clothing worn on the body.

Although it has become part of one's physical form, it is not part of one's true self.

Once you find the method to unravel the threads and the way to cut through the tangles, and have completed the corresponding task, you can let go of your worries, remove your clothes and leave, and remain free from worldly dust.

During the practice of the three sword techniques, his sword and his qi operate according to his own will. It is his own choice, so there is no need to be angry about it. On the contrary, he should feel relaxed and happy after practicing the three techniques.

The elaborate plans of the person who made the achievement had no effect on his mindset.

So much so that even ten years ago, when the Tang Dynasty launched a military campaign against Shao Lingxiao, his "Life in the Morning, Death in the Evening" sword technique still only consisted of these three moves.

He relied on the sword techniques he had carefully studied from all walks of life, from the most basic to the most advanced, and mixed these three sword techniques together, repeatedly and in reverse order, to perform a feat that almost no one among the leaders of the sect could replicate.

Among the past leaders of the Demonic Sect, even those who shattered the void and departed after perfecting the sword technique to nine moves dared not say that they were confident of defeating the five Grandmasters before their ascension.

That includes the unparalleled number one swordsman who has broken his will, and the headmaster of Laojun Mountain who has mastered the Wuwei True Scripture to the highest level.

However, the ten years following the destruction of the Demonic Sect, the irreconcilable hatred, and the relentless torment of the Way of Non-Action, which sought to turn him into a heartless plant, ultimately draped him in an overly heavy cocoon, forcing him to develop his fourth move.

Weave sorrow into a cocoon-like garment, counting the nine layers of snow.

In the long torment, even the number of snowflakes was patiently counted one by one. The things that bound the body and prevented the self from being liberated were woven into a cocoon by such time.

Shao Lingxiao grabbed his clothes, ripped the tattered black robe to shreds, and tore it off his body, leaving his upper body completely bare except for a thin, transparent layer of armor clinging to his pale skin.

The transparent sword energy, like silkworm silk, was woven into this armor with intricate techniques. Each strand of sword energy within it was constantly shifting and changing, with different directions and speeds.

The protection provided by this method of weaving armor with sword threads is many levels stronger than that of simply releasing internal energy from acupoints to form protective qi.

Even though the fourth and third moves were used simultaneously, Shao Lingxiao sensed that Guan Luoyang's life force did not diminish in the slightest.

The black sphere, almost as if it had just formed, began to expand outwards again.

One by one, fist-shaped marks bulged on the surface of the sphere and exploded with a bang.

When the sphere shattered, the flames and lightning that erupted inside made that area the most dazzling spot in Chang'an City that night.

But this dazzling, blinding light vanished completely as Guang Luoyang raised his right arm.

A sudden burst of intense light, followed by a sudden decline in darkness.

It was all for the purpose of condensing an arc of light that seemed capable of slicing through anything.

That was the trajectory of Guan Luoyang's arm as he swung it. The gloves of the Swift Lightning Shadow Armor collided with Shao Lingxiao's Flying Light Sword at the end of this arc of light.

Shao Lingxiao took a step back, and the force of his foot tore open a long trench where he landed. Bricks and stones were shattered, soil was turned up, and piles of brick and stone dust were blown up.

After Guan Luoyang mastered the four techniques, he independently developed the Azure Sky God-Slaying Whip, which was originally a fist technique. However, because the force exerted was too intense, the load on his arm was too great, so he changed to use a weapon to bear the load.

However, now that he has three divine weapons in his body and is protected by armor, no single weapon he can find can compare to his arms in this posture.

The God-Slaying Whip can finally return to its original form.

This also means that this move can no longer be used as a standalone killing move, but can be reintegrated into any of Guan Luoyang's boxing techniques.

After the clash with the God-Slaying Whip, Guan Luoyang's palm moved swiftly, creating countless afterimages that clashed fiercely with the ever-changing longsword, reaching along the blade to seize Shao Lingxiao.

Faced with such an offensive, Shao Lingxiao retreated several steps, but his sword took the initiative, turning from a passive defense into a proactive move, cutting off Guan Luoyang's capture methods and slashing at Guan Luoyang's head and neck.

His swordsmanship variations are based on the simplest sword-wielding routines, yet they allow him to be strategic and efficient, striking later but arriving first, fundamentally countering Guan Luoyang's current pursuit of extreme speed in combat.

In the place of origin of the Flying Shadow Armor, the Flying Shadow series, which symbolizes speed, has always been inferior to the Xingtian Armor, which arrives first after starting later. This is the reason.

Although they live in different worlds, the underlying principle of mutual generation and restraint among all things and fighting styles is the same.

Fortunately, Guan Luoyang was never just about speed.

When the blade touched his neck, he had already dodged to the side, and without realizing it, his hand caught the guard of the flying light sword.

Shao Lingxiao changed his sword technique, and Guan Luoyang pressed his hand on the sword while using his other hand to block Shao Lingxiao's wrist and elbow, neutralizing the fierce sword intent into nothingness. Between his palms, he drew a Tai Chi symbol, where airflow and heat gathered, and lightning flashed, forming a ball of wind and thunder that crashed into Shao Lingxiao's heart.

Shao Lingxiao blocked with his sword and retreated rapidly. Guan Luoyang, who should have been affected by the reaction force, simply twisted his foot slightly and followed closely behind like a shadow.

His hands never left Shao Lingxiao's side for more than three feet. No matter how dangerous Shao Lingxiao's swordsmanship was, he would intentionally or unintentionally neutralize it, and seize the opportunity to attack, randomly switching between gentleness and violence, and at all sorts of unexpected moments, he would unleash a thunderous and fierce killing punch.

The universe encompasses all directions, without flaw or gap; everything under the heavens is one.

The four-stage mastery of the boxing system originally only made the limbs and bones of the human body indistinguishable. At the level of the dojo, it is nothing more than regarding the surrounding air as part of oneself.

However, Guan Luoyang, by silently listening to the world and reflecting on the past, grasped the true meaning of the Zhou Tian Dao Chang (a Taoist practice) with his current level of understanding. He discovered that when the Zhou Tian Dao Chang had become the foundation of his life's learning, the more branches he added, the more solid the foundation became. The experience was endless and ever-refreshing.

Furthermore, relying on the meticulous nature of the Wuwei True Scripture, one can refine one's own power, making it ever-changing among various attributes.

In this way, within the training ground, others do not know me, but I alone know others. When the enemy advances, I have already retreated; when the enemy retreats, I have already advanced. We advance separately and attack together, like yin and yang, like Tai Chi. Enemy and I are one, without self, and without enemy.

Shao Lingxiao could sense that Guan Luoyang's fighting style was similar to that of Lao Jun Mountain, but with a unique Taoist spirit that was also novel and had never been heard of before.

So much so that upon their first meeting, he was forced to retreat all the way back, almost reaching the battlefield where the Abyss Warriors were located.

"What exquisite boxing skills."

Shao Lingxiao could sense that less than a hundred feet behind him, the Abyss One and the four attendants had been completely suppressed. With experts from all sides gathering and the third wave of light from the sky targeting them, the battle situation there had become completely unbalanced, and they were not far from defeat.

"Now that you've done this, all that's left to achieve true victory is defeating me."

I've come this far, so all the efforts I can make now are left to myself.

Thinking this, Shao Lingxiao, for some reason, wanted to burst into laughter again; even he couldn't tell what kind of feeling this was.

Laughing at this moment can't possibly be because of joy.

But he did laugh out loud.

Amidst his laughter, he recalled how, ten years ago, he had severed the Demonic Sect's Transmission Hall with a single strike, willing to give his life for a mere martial arts contest.

He recalled Cui Lingfang, who led eight hundred white-clad swordsmen into the mountains, only to die by his own sword. He did it all for the sake of his family's legacy and for his place in history.

Remembering all the martial arts he had practiced and used, which were all the most powerful and masculine styles of Shaolin, it was only when he was beaten to the point of vomiting blood and on the verge of death that he regretted not having learned any softer or more feminine techniques.

He recalled that even ten years after his death, six people were willing to become his likeness to chase and fight against Su Xing.

I thought of Yu Tu, who had dedicated his entire life's cultivation.

"Alas, the heaviest part of what binds me is not hatred, nor ten years of torment."

"Back then, I was still somewhat conscious, yet I was taken away from there by Motian."

"The mountains are now far away, leaving me without freedom."

Shao Lingxiao caught Guan Luoyang's fist in his chest, exchanging a sharp pain in his internal organs for not retreating even half a step. His sword energy erupted, forming a soaring dragon tornado.

"The night is perfect; my enemies, come and pursue victory!!"

Sword energy swept around, recklessly squandering his true energy, he chuckled.

"And I will try to pursue it, without backing down."

(End of this chapter)