A Scroll of Infinite Glory

Chapter 217 How Did He Become a Demon?

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Upon hearing Guan Luoyang's words, Shi Wengong laughed instead of getting angry, saying, "Anyone can spout nonsense, but if you think you have the right to act recklessly just because you killed Ren Sen and his group, you are probably overestimating these Taoists' ability to fight head-on."

Before he finished speaking, he flicked his halberd in mid-air, and the air within a hundred feet around him was stirred up by a powerful force, turning into a long, narrow vortex of wind.

The immense suction force stirred up countless pebbles between the surrounding valley walls, gathering them in the column of wind. The tiny stones were swept up by the high-speed airflow and collided with each other, scattering sparks.

The countless, swirling, and dancing sparks made the pillar of wind above Shi Wengong's head look like a heavy, fiery sandstorm.

With a swing of the halberd, the entire pillar of flames twisted violently, emitting a deafening roar like hundreds of mad bulls roaring in unison, before crashing down upon Guan Luoyang.

Just from this opening move, it's clear that Shi Wengong's demonic cultivation is absolutely extraordinary.

If it were a competition of refining Purple Qi Divine Sand, poisoning medicine, or creating clouds and mist, he might not be able to beat Ren Sen.

However, in terms of pure combat, Ren Sen's twelve luminous pearls would have been completely wiped out and shattered when they encountered his halberd.

Rumble!!!

Guan Luoyang dodged the attack with a swift movement.

The pillar of fire crashed to the ground, sending numerous fragments of rock flying everywhere, leaving countless shallow craters in the earth.

Flying stones and soil, along with turbulent air currents, shrouded the entire surrounding valley in a state of swirling sand and dust, gloomy fog, and so dense that visibility was extremely low.

Looking around, all that could be seen was a gray expanse, with dust carried by the air currents spreading across the sky and the ground, flying around in all directions.

A glint of lightning flashed in Guan Luoyang's eyes, and everything around him seemed to slow down in his senses as he clearly caught sight of the deadly weapon attacking from the left.

The tip of the halberd was incredibly sharp, but it didn't reflect any cold light. Instead, it appeared grayish and blended perfectly into the surrounding environment.

This incredibly heavy halberd thrust forward with astonishing speed, but all the unusual movements were blended into the chaotic wind. Along the trajectory of the halberd, all the dust and stone chips that should have caused obstacles were crushed into a denser state, adhering to the surface of the halberd and becoming "accomplices" in the attack on Guan Luoyang.

Shi Wengong's first move was magnificent and imposing, with flames and winds raging wildly, but it was only to cover up his truly insidious stab.

If it weren't for someone like Guan Luoyang, whose mind and spirit were so sharp that they could monitor the changes in the surrounding magnetic field at every moment, a slightly careless person here would probably only be able to react after being pierced through the chest by this halberd and having a large amount of flesh and blood shattered.

Guan Luoyang flipped his hand, and a thick-backed, wide-bladed broadsword nearly five feet long was taken out from the Guangwu Divine Weapon. With a turn of the blade, he slammed it heavily into the horizontal branch of the halberd head.

A loud bang that shook the mountains and fields instantly dispersed a large amount of dust, clearly revealing two figures holding weapons.

Shi Wengong felt a slight numbness in his tiger's mouth. His opponent's knife strike was incredibly precise and the force was unbelievably heavy.

He already knew that in a direct confrontation, he might be slightly inferior, so he immediately fiddled with the long pole with both hands, changed the position of his grip, and used an extremely exquisite halberd technique.

The halberd, a weapon with a majestic and imposing appearance, could even be used as a ceremonial weapon when high-ranking officials and nobles traveled.

However, compared to the more common weapons on the battlefield, such as the Spring and Autumn period broadsword, long-handled battle axe, and long spear, the Fangtian halberd has much more complex and intricate variations.

It can be wielded like a spear, thrust and parry, slash and chop like a knife or axe, hook and parry, and flip the crescent-shaped blade, changing within a small space. To truly master this weapon, one cannot simply rely on its fierce and powerful nature.

Guan Luoyang raised his sword several times, but each time Shi Wengong's halberd intercepted it midway, either hooking the back of the blade or pressing down on the spine, avoiding a direct confrontation with Guan Luoyang. Each time he hooked and pulled, the tip of the halberd grazed the blade and stabbed towards Guan Luoyang.

It's like an incredibly cunning venomous dragon, pouncing and leaping, attacking from all sorts of tricky and unpleasant angles.

Shi Wengong's attacks were incredibly smooth, forcing Guan Luoyang to retreat seven or eight steps. Guan Luoyang's room for maneuver in his swordsmanship became increasingly limited. It became difficult for him to not only swing his sword and deliver a heavy blow, but even to properly aim his blade at Shi Wengong.

The twigs, the tip, and the crescent blade of the halberd always had a small part that was tightly pressed against Guan Luoyang's sword, like a lock or an entanglement, flying up and down.

The perimeter of the Cangshan Mine.

Gongsun Sheng had just brought the mercury here when he heard a series of loud rumbling sounds from the mountains. He was deeply worried and could not put his mind at ease. He instructed Dai Zong, "I'm afraid Brother Guan is going to cause quite a bit of trouble. Although he is very skilled, Shi Wengong is no easy opponent either. Brother Dai Zong, you take Master Yuanmiao on his way first. I will go back and take a look."

Dai Zong nodded repeatedly: "Master Guan saved our lives. If he encounters trouble, we absolutely cannot stand idly by."

"If he gets into trouble, the two of you going to help him is just suicide."

Lin Lingsu pointed this out mercilessly from the side and gave the order, "Gongsun Yiqing, you take a bamboo tube, open it, and draw out the flowing divine glue inside so that it stays suspended in the air. I will perform the ritual and see how it goes."

Mercury is volatile and is usually stored in sealed bamboo tubes. Upon hearing this, Gongsun Sheng immediately took out one of the tubes, poured out the mercury, and used his magic power to hold the mercury in mid-air.

Lin Lingsu barely moved her lips and blew out a breath.

The mercury was blown into ripples, spreading out in layers, transforming from a single mass into a flattened shape, resembling a mirror, which reflected the view of the battlefield from above.

Guan Luoyang and Shi Wengong are engaged in a fierce battle.

Gongsun Sheng was extremely worried and said, "This is bad. It seems that my brother is indeed no match for Shi Wengong's fierce power."

Lin Lingsu, also looking at the image in the mirror, rolled her eyes upon hearing this and sighed, saying, "Take a closer look. Does Guan Luoyang's gait show even the slightest hint of panic or disarray?"

Gongsun Sheng said, "But it seems that your weapon is about to be taken away, Brother Dao."

"I think your fellow Daoist doesn't really care about his weapon. It's more like he's deliberately leaving room for Shi Wengong to observe Shi Wengong's martial arts skills."

Lin Lingsu said, "Now I truly believe that he has been cultivating in seclusion in the mountains and has not seen much of the outside world. This appearance clearly shows that he still finds the style of demonic cultivation novel and is interested in exploring it."

Lin Lingsu spoke lightly, but his heart was not as calm as he appeared.

Firstly, she was somewhat impressed by Guan Luoyang's strength. Lin Lingsu had never heard of Shi Wengong when she was in Bianliang, the capital of Tokyo, but even just observing him from afar through this magic mirror, she had to admit that his martial arts were superb, and he was probably close to being among the top in the world.

However, in front of Guan Luoyang, Shi Wengong was induced to unleash all his skills without realizing it. Clearly, in terms of technique, momentum, and willpower, he was far inferior to Guan Luoyang.

Secondly, there was the puzzlement surrounding the methods Guan Luoyang employed, which were neither like those of immortals or demons, nor like those of unorthodox sects; they were quite strange.

After observing for a while, more figures appeared at the edge of the mercury mirror, many of them with bows drawn and arrows nocked, pointing towards the battlefield.

Lin Lingsu whispered, "Watch closely, your Brother Guan is about to use some real methods to kill someone."

Ding! !

With another twist of the halberd, the thick-backed broadsword flew out of his hand.

Shi Wengong was overjoyed, seeing that the halberd was about to plunge into Guan Luoyang's right flank and cut this madman who had come to cause trouble into two pieces.

Suddenly, Guan Luoyang was struck by a burst of lightning, his figure closing in from the side, more than three feet away.

The speed he suddenly unleashed seemed to ignore the process of his body moving, with only a beginning and an end, catching Shi Wengong somewhat off guard. But what was more troublesome was that Shi Wengong's own speed slowed down as a result.

Suddenly, an unknown amount of gravity increased, pressing down on Shi Wengong, making his whole body blurry. He sank down, his ears rang incessantly, and his vision was also affected, making everything around him blurry.

Immediately afterwards, Guan Luoyang's palm, radiating a blue light, slapped him across the face.

The violent electric current first blasted into his head through his seven orifices. The enormous impact made Shi Wengong's neck appear to be stretched backward by a large section. Then, his entire body moved and flew backward, crashing into the cliff.

He and Ren Sen crashed into the same cliff, but he was trapped much deeper than Ren Sen.

If Ren Sen only created a dent in the upper part of the cliff, then Shi Wengong practically carved out a tunnel at the bottom of the cliff, and it's unknown how deep he went.

The soldiers on the cliff top and surrounding hillsides, who had drawn their bows and arrows, were startled by Shi Wengong's sudden defeat and the shockwave from the opening of the "tunnel." Their hands loosened slightly, and the bowstrings snapped.

Arrows pierce through the air and dust; even the weakest arrow can create a small cone of air in front of the arrowhead.

The most powerful arrows broke through several sound barriers in mid-air, their arrowheads exploding through the air rings and their shafts passing right through them.

Guan Luoyang held his hands as if supporting clouds, releasing a wisp of green energy. His figure spun around, and all the arrows that reached him turned around, like a school of flying fish, bypassing his body and shooting back at the archers.

Under the control of the Zhou Tian Daoist Temple, the force and speed of these arrows increased rather than decreased. When they were shot back, their surfaces were all burning, like streaks of crimson fire.

A large number of soldiers were shot dead on the spot and fell to the ground.

Duan Jingzhu was fortunate enough to dodge two arrows and deflect one with the back of his bow, but he was still shot through the left chest and knelt down unwillingly.

On the outskirts of Cangshan Mountain, Gongsun Sheng watched as the soldiers in the magic mirror suffered a crushing defeat, which only made him more nervous.

"But... those who have mastered the demonic path are often strongest not when they are full of energy and have a clear mind, but rather after they have been injured and suffered a crushing defeat!"

He spoke directly to remind him, not knowing whether his voice could pass through the magic mirror and reach Guan Luoyang.

Crack! A crack suddenly appeared in the mercury mirror. Lin Lingsu frowned slightly, staring at the hole that Shi Wengong had created, her eyes unusually serious.

Crackling sound!

The edges of the cave were covered in loose rocks, and the air inside the cave became distorted.

"Huh!"

Guan Luoyang looked in that direction.

He had previously intended to see what the demonic cultivation in this world was like, but after guiding Shi Wengong through a battle, he felt that there was nothing particularly extraordinary about the changes in moves, the speed of energy circulation, or the subtle control.

I thought that apart from bearing the name of the demonic path and needing to eat some minerals, this cultivation method was no different from the internal martial arts that Guan Luoyang had come into contact with before.

However, it seems that, at least in terms of endurance and defense, their tenacity is somewhat beyond expectations.

Having been struck in such a vital spot on the head, the electric current flowed directly into the brain, causing the person trapped in the cave to unleash an even more chilling aura.

The stench of rusty coal smoke filled the cave, spreading out like a black tide.

Surrounded and propelled by the surging black smoke, Shi Wengong appeared outside the cave, his hands empty, the halberd nowhere to be seen, his hair disheveled, his eyes somewhat glazed, and black bloodstains still remaining in the corners of his eyes, nostrils, and ears.

"What powerful palm strike! I never imagined that I would be forced to this extent for the first time in my life, and it would happen in the mine I'm in charge of."

He took a deep breath, said no more nonsense, and charged forward with lightning speed, raising both palms and pushing them towards Guan Luoyang.

Such a horizontal push is inherently very vulnerable, but speed and momentum can make up for everything.

Guan Luoyang also wanted to see what secrets were hidden in the sense of crisis that was rising on the other party, so he simply circulated his power, and the green energy and thunder fire wrapped around his arms and pushed forward with both palms.

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

A dull, muffled sound.

Guan Luoyang's eyes showed surprise, as if he could sense a wave rising from the magma hidden deep beneath the earth.

Shi Wengong's palms resonated with the surging power beneath the earth, chaotic yet magnificent, actually scattering the thunder and fire, and causing a large amount of green energy to dissipate from Guan Luoyang's side to the rear.

This is the "Nine Grounds of All Laws: The Scripture of Reversing Change" (诸法九地辟易经), a demonic cultivation technique passed down by the imperial court to generals in the army.

Humans have nine orifices, and the earth has nine orifices. If we use the vital energy that humans breathe in and out to control the breath of the earth, then all nine orifices will be destroyed, and ten thousand cavalrymen will be reduced to ashes!

At the beginning of the reign of Emperor Tianming, many of the generals promoted from various places, including those recruited from bandit camps in various prefectures, came from poor families and did not have any superior martial arts inheritance. They almost all practiced this set of "Nine Earths Exorcising Scripture".

Shi Wengong only obtained this set of techniques after he took charge of the mine, so he was one of the later ones to start practicing it among everyone. However, his progress was not slow, and he was only one step away from the highest level, "All Laws Turn to Ashes".

The cultivation of military strategy involves refining the heavy and turbid energy. The deeper one cultivates, the more turbid the energy becomes, and the deeper the impurities in the mineral energy pose a threat to the spirit.

Therefore, throughout history, military strategists and generals have often engaged in acts that have utterly destroyed their humanity. Once they are defeated and scattered, the backlash from their depleted strength can make those defeated soldiers even more vicious than ordinary bandits and outlaws.

Apart from a very small number of famous generals with great perseverance, the vast majority of military cultivators usually have to find ways to restrain themselves and cannot fully unleash their turbid vital energy.

Many people dare not let go of their self-imposed limitations even until death. Death is just death, but if they really lose control completely, they can't even imagine what they will become in the end.

However, Shi Wengong did not have such a high level of awareness.

When facing Guan Luoyang, he couldn't care less about anything else.

"All dharmas...turn to ashes!"

(End of this chapter)