Wandering Swordsman |

After leaving the Diancang Sect, Shen Mo appeared to be walking around casually, but as the Heavenly Demon God, his martial arts skills had already surpassed the comprehension of ordinary people.

Even the slightest fluctuations in his aura could not escape his perception. He had sensed the faint figure behind him as soon as he left, but in order not to arouse suspicion, Shen Mo pretended not to notice anyone following him and casually arrived in Dali City.

The city of Dali was bustling with activity. Shen Mo deliberately slipped into an alleyway amidst the crowd, using his light-footed skills to leap swiftly onto nearby rooftops. Under the cover of the morning mist, he moved like a ghost between the rooftops. His movements were so fast that they were difficult to follow, as if he had become one with his surroundings.

The Diancang disciple who was following Shen Mo suddenly realized that he had lost track of his target. He immediately searched around the alley for a while but still couldn't find Shen Mo. In the end, he could only sigh helplessly, knowing that he had lost him.

After shaking off his pursuers, Shen Mo quickly left Dali City, found an abandoned, dilapidated temple, and went inside.

Before long, Shen Mo emerged from the dilapidated temple with the face of Li Fanglin. At this moment, Shen Mo had completely disguised himself as the Xuanwu Saint Lord.

Shen Mo touched his neck and began circulating the voice-changing internal energy technique that Shu Wangxing had taught him in his dantian. Before long, a subtle change came from Shen Mo's throat. He cleared his throat, and his voice became deep and majestic.

......

The scene shifts to the towering gates of the Diancang Sect, which stand majestically like a sleeping giant beast.

Shen Mo walked steadily toward the gate. Upon seeing this, the gatekeeper immediately bowed to "Xuanwu Saint Lord" and tactfully made way for him.

Shen Mo observed the gatekeeper's every move and already had his answer: Xuanwu Saint Lord must visit often, otherwise a mere gatekeeper would not treat him, who was impersonating Xuanwu Saint Lord, with such courtesy as one would treat a distinguished guest.

Upon entering the gates of the Diancang Sect, Shen Mo, disguised as the "Xuanwu Saint Lord," was immediately recognized by the disciples. A disciple politely led him into an elegant courtyard, where Duan Qianya was sitting at a stone table, sipping tea. Seeing Shen Mo in disguise, he was slightly taken aback, then stood up, cupped his hands, and asked, "I wonder if the Xuanwu Saint Lord has made arrangements for the overseas martial artists?"

Shen Mo's gaze was sharp, a faint smile playing on his lips, and his expression remained calm and composed.

He slowly sat down, poured himself a cup of tea, took a small sip, and the aroma of the tea spread in his mouth, seemingly bringing a sense of calm to his tense heart.

He put down his teacup, his voice deep and powerful: "The sect leader has already arranged for Oda, the leader of overseas martial artists, to create trouble and attract the attention of the martial arts alliance. Please rest assured, Sect Leader Duan."

Upon hearing this, Duan Qianya's brows relaxed slightly, revealing a satisfied smile: "Excellent. With a master like Oda stepping forward, the Martial Alliance will surely be drawn to him, and we can seize the opportunity to act."

Seeing this, Shen Mo was secretly delighted, knowing that the time had come. So he pretended to urge, "However, Sect Leader Duan, we cannot delay the matter of the 'Martial God's Tomb' for too long. We must hurry up and make it our top priority."

Duan Qianya nodded, his expression slightly grave: "Lord Xuanwu, I am even more anxious than Chief Ding about finding the 'Tomb of the Martial God,' but right now the people sent by the Martial Alliance are still inside the Diancang Sect, so we should not act rashly. We should wait until the overseas martial artists have drawn all the attention of the Martial Alliance before we focus all our efforts on finding the 'Tomb of the Martial God.'"

Shen Mo's heart stirred, and he decided to use this as a starting point to extract information about the "Tomb of the Martial God." "Sect Leader Duan," he said, frowning, "I went back to the Black Wind Gang to ask the gang leader to arrange for Oda to appear and attract the attention of the Martial Alliance. The gang leader is already very angry and told me to speed up the process no matter what. Can you tell me in detail about the progress of the search for the 'Tomb of the Martial God'? Right now, the people from the Martial Alliance are at the Diancang Sect, and it's inconvenient for the Diancang Sect to act, so I will search for it myself."

Upon hearing this, Duan Qianya hesitated for a moment, clearly wary of Shen Mo's request. However, he quickly regained his composure and, after a moment of contemplation, said, "Since the Xuanwu Saint Lord is so eager, then I won't hide it from you. Regarding the 'Martial God's Tomb,' we have actually obtained some new clues through our search."

They've taken the bait! Shen Mo was secretly delighted, but on the surface, he remained calm, raising an eyebrow slightly to show keen interest: "Oh? Does Sect Leader Duan have any new clues?"

Duan Qianya slowly stood up, walked to the stone table in the courtyard, picked up a yellowed sheepskin scroll, densely covered with writing and symbols. "According to the information provided by those overseas martial artists," he said softly, "there's a riddle about the location of the 'Martial God's Tomb':"

Sword marks lie buried atop the nineteen peaks, while the true soul is sought amidst the jade belt of clouds.

Snow on the mountain peaks reflects the blades of a thousand autumns, and the Erhai Lake mirrors the spirits of ten thousand warriors.

At the place where the dragon raises its head in Santa Town, a hanging green sword conceals martial prowess.

Duan Qianya paused for a moment, looking intently at Shen Mo: "Based on my actual search in Cangshan, the new clue I came up with from this poem is that the 'Tomb of the God of War' is very likely located near Erhai Lake."

Shen Mo silently memorized this information, but a thoughtful expression appeared on his face as he asked, "Nineteen peaks, jade belt in the clouds, snow reflecting on the azure peaks... these are all landform features of the Cangshan and Erhai area. So, where does 'the place where the Three Pagodas suppress the dragon's head' refer to?"

Duan Qianya nodded: "Exactly. According to our speculation, 'The Three Pagodas Suppress the Dragon's Rising' refers to the three pagodas of Chongsheng Temple beside Erhai Lake. And 'The Upside-Down Green Sword Conceals Martial Bones' suggests that the entrance to the tomb may be hidden in a secluded place, perhaps related to a sword."

Shen Mo nodded in affirmation of Duan Qianya's discovery of new clues, a barely perceptible smile flashing in his eyes.

Then, feigning thoughtfulness, he said, "Sect Leader Duan, the Chief is worried that those overseas evil cultivators are cooperating so readily because there's something they desperately want in the 'Martial God's Tomb.' If the 'Martial God's Tomb' is found, does Sect Leader Duan have any way to prevent it from falling into the hands of overseas martial artists?"

Upon hearing this, Duan Qianya frowned slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

He gazed intently at the distant outline of the Cangshan Mountains, as if deep in thought. "The things of the Central Plains, whether they fall into the hands of Diancang or the Black Wind Gang, are not for overseas martial artists to covet." His voice was low and firm.

A moment later, Duan Qianya turned to face Shen Mo, a confident smile appearing on his lips: "It's rare that the Black Wind Gang Leader shares the same thoughts as me. Since the Xuanwu Saint Lord has asked, I will explain the plan to you in detail."

He sighed softly and continued, "After leaving the 'Tomb of the God of War,' I will gather the elite of the Diancang Sect and keep those overseas martial artists in Dali forever. Only in this way can we ensure that the things in the 'Tomb of the God of War' do not fall into their hands."