Wandering Swordsman |

Among the nine factions and one gang of the Qingcheng Sect, Shen Mo moved about as if he were in an empty place.

He felt neither joy nor sorrow, only a surging fighting spirit.

He knew that he was no longer the boy who needed to rely on his wits to navigate life.

Now, he stands at the pinnacle of the martial arts world.

He quietly approached the back of the mountain and hid behind an ancient pine tree.

But the next moment, his brows furrowed sharply—he recognized the owner of that sinister aura! It was Situ Changkong!

On the mountain path ahead, Situ Changkong, dressed in a blue robe, no longer possessed his former refined elegance.

His steps were steady, and with each step he took, the ground seemed to tremble slightly. Black mist swirled around him, like a venomous snake coiling around him.

He carried Situ Meng, who had been acupunctured, on his left arm, his movements gentle yet carrying an unyielding force.

Beside him, the Crimson Lotus Demon Guard, her red dress fluttering, blood-red mist swirling around her fingertips, a sinister smile playing on her lips, whispered, "Brother Changkong, hurry, the disciples who have fallen under my mind-controlling spell along the way will soon realize what's happening."

Situ Changkong snorted coldly, a golden light flashing in his eyes: "No need to worry, I have now mastered the Taiyi True Skill, even if the Qingcheng Sect Leader finds out, it is nothing to fear."

Shen Mo hid in the shadows, but his heart was reeling as if struck by lightning.

In just a few days, Situ Changkong's skill level has increased dramatically!

The strength of that aura was comparable to that of the leaders of the nine sects!

Even more bizarrely, his original pure and righteous internal energy had completely disappeared, replaced by a sinister and evil internal energy from overseas, the same lineage as Oda's—a cold, violent, and distorted fluctuation.

He... has completely defected to the enemy!

Shen Mo's palm clenched silently. He was about to strike from the shadows when suddenly—

"Stop immediately!"

A sharp shout, like a thunderclap, ripped through the silence of the night.

Three figures stood like three mountains blocking the way, completely sealing off the path ahead.

The leader, with his flowing white beard and fluttering Taoist robe, held a jade whisk in his hand. His hair and beard danced like silver threads in the night wind. He was none other than the head of the Qingcheng Sect—Master Yuxu!

His eyes were like lightning, his gaze like the moon reflected in a cold pool, and his aura was as deep and solid as a mountain. Wherever he stepped, the blue stone sank slightly.

Then the two elders stood on either side:

On the left is Elder Li Qingyang, whose long sword gleams with a cold light and whose sword energy is as cold as frost.

On the right is Elder Leiyin, Liao Tongxuan, whose palms are crackling with lightning, as if they contain thunder.

Master Yuxu's gaze was like a knife, piercing straight at Situ Changkong. His voice shook the mountains and forests: "Situ Changkong, how dare you betray your sect, collude with external enemies, and kidnap the Alliance Leader's daughter?!"

Situ Changkong sneered, slowly raising his head, his eyes blazing with golden light, as terrifying and ferocious as a wild beast.

He looked down at the unconscious Situ Meng in his arms, his fingertips gently stroking her pale cheek, his movements almost sickly tender, his voice low and soft, yet tinged with madness: "Junior Sister Meng, don't worry, this time, I won't let anyone take you away again."

Having said that, he loosened his grip and gently handed the acupunctured Situ Meng to the Red Lotus Demon: "Wei Honglian, protect her. You don't need to do anything. Today, I'm going to show these people my strength."

Wei Honglian chuckled softly, her red dress fluttering. She lightly touched Situ Meng's brow with her fingertip, and a blood talisman appeared. Then she took a half step back, quietly blooming like a bewitching flower, waiting for the storm to break.

"Elders, make your move!" Master Yuxu waved his whisk, his voice booming like a bell.

In an instant, Elder Li Qingyang moved like lightning, his longsword unsheathed, its light cascading like a silver river, aiming straight for Situ Changkong's throat.

Even before the sword arrived, its chilling aura was already palpable; it was none other than the "Thirteen Swords of Qingyun," one of the Qingcheng Sect's ultimate techniques.

At the same time, Elder Liao Tongxuan of Leiyin pushed out with both palms, and lightning exploded in his palms as he slammed down. Electric snakes seemed to run through the air, making a loud crackling sound. This was his famous technique, "Thunder Sound Palm"!

The two elders of the Qingcheng Sect joined forces, launching an attack like a raging storm.

But Situ Changkong stood proudly in place, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

"Too weak."

He slowly raised his palms, and the black energy around him surged like a tide. A strange and powerful internal force erupted from his dantian—it was no longer the righteous internal force of the Central Plains martial arts world, but the evil internal force of the "Taiyi True Skill" bestowed by Oda!

"Taiyi Guixu Palm!"

With a single palm strike, the wind from his palm was like a black hole, swallowing up the sword light and lightning entirely!

Immediately afterwards, the force of his palm rebounded, transforming into a jet-black pillar of energy that crashed into the two elders!

"boom!"

Li Qingyang's longsword cracked, his tiger's mouth split open, and he was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string. After finally landing and regaining his footing, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Liao Tongxuan crossed his palms to block the attack, but the evil internal force invaded his meridians. The lightning instantly dissipated, and his meridians felt as if they were being pierced by thousands of needles. He staggered backward, his face ashen.

"This... how is this possible?!" Master Yuxu's pupils shrank suddenly, and his beard and hair stood on end.

Situ Changkong slowly stepped forward, his boot soles grinding against the bluestone, cracks spreading like a spider web.

He was surrounded by black mist, like a venomous python coiling around him, and his eyes shone with intense golden light, reflecting an almost manic arrogance.

"Master Yuxu!" His voice was deep and chilling, each word seeming to rise from the deepest depths of hell. "Now, I realize—the martial arts world of the Central Plains is utterly laughable!"

He slowly raised his hand, his fingertips tracing the night sky, black energy condensing into an arc of light that tore through the silence: "The so-called righteous martial arts of the Nine Sects are nothing but products of closed-door development!"

"And overseas martial arts have long surpassed those of the Central Plains! Lord Oda bestowed upon me the 'Taiyi True Skill,' and in just a few days I have reached such a level!"

"And you? You've only reached this level of martial arts skill in your twilight years? How laughable! How pathetic! How lamentable!"

His gaze was like a knife, piercing straight at Jade Void Master, a mocking smile curving his lips: "I'll give the Qingcheng Sect a chance—lead the Qingcheng Sect now, submit to the Righteous Alliance, and pledge allegiance to Lord Oda, and you can avoid annihilation. Otherwise…"

He paused, then his voice suddenly turned icy, "The Qingcheng Sect is about to face a great calamity!"

Master Yuxu's beard and hair stood on end, his white robe fluttered wildly like a snow-capped peak collapsing, and his anger soared to the sky.

With a flick of his jade whisk, the whisk wielded his hand, and the whisk threads soared into the air like silver dragons, causing his true energy to erupt!

A blue aura rose from his dantian, surging like the tide of a spring river, instantly enveloping his entire body. It was none other than his signature technique, "Azure Cloud True Qi"!

The pure and radiant aura confronted Situ Changkong's black aura, drawing a clear boundary in the night, like a chasm between good and evil.

"Shut up!" Master Yuxu's voice boomed like a bell, shaking the mountain rocks. "You traitor to the Martial Alliance! You betrayed your master and ancestors, colluded with foreign enemies, and kidnapped the Alliance Leader's daughter! Your crimes are unforgivable! If we don't eliminate you today, what face will the Qingcheng Sect have? How can the righteous path of the martial world stand?!"

He slowly raised both palms, and a blue light flowed in his palms, with vital energy faintly gathering.

Just as he was about to make his move, suddenly—

"whee……"

A soft laugh, like a ghostly whisper, drifted in from the night breeze. It was as gentle as a lover's murmur, yet it sent a chill down Master Yuxu's spine and made his hair stand on end.

Wei Honglian, her red skirt billowing, stood half a zhang away, like a demonic lotus blooming in a pool of blood.

With a flick of her fingertips, blood mist overflowed from her palm, condensing in the air into a lifelike blood lotus!

The lotus petals unfolded one by one, spinning endlessly, each one seemingly sculpted from congealed blood, exuding a rich, intoxicating fragrance.

The aroma, sweet yet with a hint of rust, spread silently and subtly, like silk threads.

The moonlight, passing through the blood lotus, was stained dark red and sprinkled on the bluestone, resembling splashes of blood.

A night breeze stirs, carrying a fragrance like mist that quietly seeps into your breath.