A Thousand Years of Elegance Discussed in Laughter (Complete) - 34

Volume 40, Chapter 17: The Four Forms of Heavenly Annihilation

. "Thump!" A figure plummeted from the high platform, crashing heavily to the ground, spitting out blood.
"Elder Wang—" the Beggars' Sect members cried out, rushing forward.
"Hmph, the Heaven-Pointing Cudgel, nothing special." Frost and Snow Envoy sneered disdainfully, his judge's pen clanging as he sheathed it at his waist.
Not only were Liu Yuxu, Xiaochen, and Lin Feifan, who were originally scheduled to participate, poisoned, but everyone present at the Moon Gazing Pavilion meeting was also poisoned. The Central Plains Martial Arts Alliance could only barely muster six more people to participate in the next competition.
Who were these six?
Deng Tao, Vice Leader of the Beggars' Sect, "Single Palm Mountain Splitter"; Wang Chongyi, Chief Elder, "Heaven-Pointing Cudgel"; Tang Li'ang, Second Protector of the Tang Clan of Sichuan; Yu Kong, the leader of the Four Elders of Mount Tai, "Sunrise Swordsman"; Xiao Xuan, Head of the Shaolin Dharma Hall, "Dragon-Subduing Arhat"; and Liu Ningtao, Head of the Azure Dragon Hall of the Heavenly Extreme Sect, "Surging Wave Swordsman".
These six men were inferior to their opponents in both martial arts and experience. Coupled with the sudden turn of events, their morale was severely affected. The first to appear, Liu Ningtao, had his weapon knocked away by Frost Snow Envoy after only thirty moves; the second, Wang Chongyi, was attacked by Frost Snow Envoy in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, and was severely injured on the spot.
It's over. The Central Plains Martial Arts Alliance is completely finished.
The assembled heroes looked at each other, feeling a chill run through them, as if they were in an ice cellar, and no one could utter a word.
Having lost three out of seven matches in a best-of-seven contest, even if a miracle occurred and they won the remaining three, no one could possibly be a
match for Ghostly Netherworld Lord… “Chief, forget about the martial arts contest! Let's all go together and fight the Asura Sect! At worst, we'll all die!” The speaker was Ding Songqiang, the Beggar Clan's Enforcement Elder and Wang Chongyi's sworn brother. Seeing his inseparable friend of decades injured like this, he desperately wanted to rush up and fight Frost Snow Envoy.
"Things have come to this, there's no time to hesitate—disciples, listen to my command, form the Dog-Beating Formation!" Elder Nine Bags, "Junshan Sword Ape" Xu Yinghua, drew his sword without further ado. Just as
the Beggars' Sect disciples were about to move, Xiong Xiaotian suddenly shouted, "Without my order, who dares to act rashly!"
"Sect Leader!" the four elders cried out in unison.
"We lost the duel. Only Vice Sect Leader Deng and I will fulfill our promise and commit suicide. The Beggars' Sect's foundation remains. Each of you should fulfill your duties, preserve our strength, and wait for Fourth Brother's return so we can regroup and avenge our defeat." Although Xiong Xiaotian's body was weak, his words still carried an irresistible authority. "If we act now, we have no chance of victory, and our disciples will only die in vain."
"But..."
"My mind is made up, no need for further words!"
"Sect Leader—" The four elders choked, their eyes simultaneously welling with tears.
As the assembled heroes, filled with trepidation and utterly lost, suddenly, Dugu Yu, who had remained silent for some time, spoke up: "Win these three matches, and for the final battle, I, this old man, will go!"
His words silenced the entire arena. Not only the members of the Central Plains Martial Arts Alliance, but even dozens of eyes from the Asura Sect turned to look.
Dugu Yu slowly closed his eyes, clasped his hands in front of him, and assumed the breathing posture of the Hengshan Sect's unique internal energy cultivation technique, clearly beginning to expel the poison.
He didn't speak again, nor did he make any other expressive gestures or expressions, but those few words had given the Central Plains heroes, who were on the verge of despair, boundless confidence.
Without Dugu Yu, what would become of the common people?
With Dugu Yu stepping forward, what would become of the common people!
The third to step forward, Yu Kong, was filled with fervor. He stood up abruptly, brandishing his longsword, ready to leap onto the platform.
"Uncle-Master, wait!" A figure blocked his way.
Xiao Xingchen, Iron Sword Autumn Frost Xiao Xingchen!
"Xingchen, what are you doing?"
"Let me handle this!" Xiao Xingchen smiled slightly, his eyes sharp and focused.
"Nonsense! This battle concerns the lives of dozens of martial arts masters. If anything goes wrong... you... you are no match for Yunyu Shi. Step back now." Yu Kong usually doted on Xiao Xingchen and couldn't bear to criticize him even when he made mistakes. But this time, his white eyebrows furrowed, his eyes glaring at him fiercely, his tone carrying an unyielding authority.
Although Xiao Xingchen was a young hero and proficient in the Three Heavenly Techniques, he was still young. His internal strength and combat experience were far inferior to Fenglei Shi, who had already made a name for himself thirty years ago. In a real fight, he would definitely not be able to defeat him. Moreover, Xiao Xingchen was the only bloodline left by Xiao Yusun. Even if the Taishan Sect were to perish, he could not be allowed to suffer the slightest danger.
"Even if my martial uncle fights, he might not win, but I..." Xiao Xingchen turned around like a whirlwind, looking at the dueling platform. His tone was calm enough to send chills down one's spine. Halfway through his sentence, he suddenly raised his voice, his face filled with a powerful smile of confidence and fighting spirit, and uttered seven words, "But I have absolute confidence!"
What, absolute confidence?
Upon hearing this, everyone present was shocked, especially Xiong Xiaotian, whose expression of astonishment was evident.
Among the four martial arts masters, he was the oldest. Since receiving guidance from the four sages of qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting, he had comprehended the "combination of palm and staff," and thought his martial arts had greatly improved, that he could rival the Ghost Netherworld God. However, just a few months ago, in the capital, he sparred with his third brother, Ye Zhi Qiu, and was evenly matched with him using the Heavenly Dao Divine Skill; in Jiangnan, he almost lost to his fourth brother, Ren Xiaoyao; and now, Xiao Xingchen's heroic spirit surged, claiming that he had absolute confidence in defeating the Cloud and Rain Envoy. It seemed that his own progress was nothing at all.
"You brat, you're too arrogant! I've been navigating the martial world for over forty years, and apart from our sect leader and Hentian, no one has dared to speak like this. What makes you think you can?" Yunyu Shi Shan seemed to be exerting extreme force, a chilling glint flashing in his eyes as he stared intently at Xiao Xingchen. Anyone who stood before him would feel a deep sense of dread.
"Because of my—the Four Forms of Heavenly Annihilation!" This statement shocked the entire audience even more.
Heavenly...the Four Forms of Heavenly Annihilation!?
Wasn't the Taishan Sect's signature technique the Three Forms of Heavenly Annihilation? When did it gain another form!?
Liu Yuxu was also bewildered, looking at his disciple, whom he treated like his own son, with utter suspicion.
"On Qingming Festival, while paying respects at my father's grave, I drifted off to sleep. In my dream, I saw my late father's face. He said that within a few months, the martial arts world of the Central Plains would surely suffer a calamity. He then passed on to me the Four Forms of Heavenly Annihilation, which he had painstakingly researched but failed to create until he finally comprehended them in the underworld. This move combines the strengths of the three forms of Heavenly Annihilation, taking their essence and discarding their dross, its power comparable to 'A Thousand Years of Elegance in a Laugh'..."
Upon mentioning "A Thousand Years of Elegance in a Laugh," the expressions of Ghostly Lord, Heavenly Annihilation, Earthly Destruction, and the Four Envoys of Asura all changed slightly.
"...I will go into battle in place of my master uncle. I will surely defeat the opponent, protect the martial arts world, and uphold the awe-inspiring might of my Mount Tai sect." Xiao Xingchen finished speaking and, without waiting for Yu Kong's reply, leaped onto the high platform.
"Xingchen, go back..." Yu Kong shouted urgently, but Liu Yuxu suddenly said, "Junior brother, let him fight! Let the Asura Sect, let everyone in the world know that the son of 'Eastern Mountain Sword Saint' Xiao Yusun has inherited his father's mantle and will become a pillar of the Central Plains martial arts world just like Xiao Yusun!!!"
The entire audience fell silent, and the eyes of the older generation of heroes began to blur.
Standing before them was neither Xiao Xingchen himself nor the shadow of Xiao Yusun, but the will and soul of the Taishan Sect—father and son, one after another, willing to sacrifice their lives for the stability of the martial arts world!
Yunyu Shi's eyes were like torches as he stared at Xiao Xingchen, who stood five zhang away, and shouted, "Boy, this is a martial arts competition. Don't blame me for bullying the younger generation and using ruthless moves against you." He reached for his waist, and with a "clang," a golden soft whip, about two and a half zhang long, made of thirteen interlocking steel links and inlaid with pearls and jade, was unfurled.
Xiao Xingchen's gaze fell on the whip, and he said calmly, "What is the name of this whip?"
Yunyu Shi raised his right hand, which was holding the soft whip that had been wrapped around his head several times, and the whip suddenly straightened up as if by magic, reaching Xiao Xingchen's head. He said coldly, "Broken Waves!"
"Broken Waves? Arrogant enough, presumptuous enough. Cutting gold and jade is one thing, but Broken Waves? Hmph, haven't you heard the saying, 'Drawing a knife to cut water only makes it flow more'? You think you can cut Waves?"
"Waves? I'll cut them. You? I'll cut you even more!" Yun Yu Shi grinned. He didn't flick his whip back, wielding it as if it were a golden staff over two zhang long, making it hard to believe it was originally a whip. This unwavering inner strength alone was enough to impress the many grandmaster-level experts present.
Xiao Xingchen showed no sign of tension, standing casually with the Purple Lightning and Azure Frost swords hanging high behind his back, their blades still sheathed.
Yet Yun Yu Shi felt as if he had already drawn his sword!
Xiao Xingchen himself was the sword; he had already unleashed sword energy!
He stood there casually, completely unguarded. Yunyu Shi, however, knew perfectly well that this posture could easily transform into a deadly offensive or a flawless defensive stance. If he made even the slightest misstep, Yunyu Shi's sword could pierce through him thirty or forty times in an instant.
Yunyu Shi was proficient in nineteen different whip techniques, had used eleven different types of whips, and had even created two sword styles, but in a short time, he couldn't think of a single move, sword strike, or technique that could break Xiao Xingchen's fighting posture. Then, an idea struck him.
Yunyu Shi moved forward with a sudden, unexpected step, closing in on his opponent like flowing water and drifting clouds. His right middle finger flashed, aiming for Xiao Xingchen's face.
It wasn't Duan Lang he used!
Xiao Xingchen's composed demeanor vanished. He took a small step back, his right hand flashing out in a palm strike. To onlookers, it seemed utterly simple and unremarkable. Only Yunyu Shi, caught in the middle of the attack, felt as if his opponent had preordained the angle and timing of his attack. Even attempting to change his position was slightly off.
With his seasoned experience, Yunyu Shi was shocked. He had discovered that his opponent, at such a young age, possessed eyesight that rivaled his own, if slightly inferior, not by much.
This was completely unexpected.
Yunyu Shi shouted, his footwork abruptly shifting. In a flash, he flashed to Xiao Xingchen's right. The Broken Wave Whip, which had been held horizontally in mid-air, suddenly transformed into a series of swirling whip circles, spiraling in a strange, wave-like trajectory, encircling Xiao Xingchen's arm one after another. It contained a bizarre, venomous, and irresistible domineering power, a technique of unparalleled skill. Instantly, the force of
the whip intruded, and a chilling aura swept over him.
Xiao Xingchen's face turned solemn. His Dongyue Sword Palm, honed over ten years, had been nearly halved by the force generated by the whip's ring. By the time it entered the fourth arc, the palm wind had vanished without a trace.
The world-renowned Dongyue Sword Palm had been broken in an instant—what a fierce attack!
Xiao Xingchen roared, and suddenly a shimmering autumn-water-like light rippled from his hand, cascading down like a waterfall!
Halfway down, the waterfall split into two torrents, clattering against the soft whip, then recombine into a pool of autumn water.
The water condensed, transforming into the sword in Xiao Xingchen's hand. Only one sword—Zidian.
Qing Shuang remained unharmed, slung on his back.
The crowd was utterly bewildered. The Taishan School's swordsmanship consistently employed two swords; single-sword techniques were practically nonexistent. Was Xiao Xingchen holding back a feigned strategy, or did he underestimate his opponent?
They had no time to ponder, for Xiao Xingchen's sword arrived even before the wind, instantly striking Yunyu Shi.
At this moment, he hadn't even retracted his Broken Wave Whip.
So fast! Needless to say, even swordsmen like Dugu Yu and Liu Yuxu were astonished.
The Cloud and Rain Envoy's change of move was swift; his body moved rapidly to the left, the Broken Wave Whip looping around at a speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye, its spiraling force gathering and not dissipating, piercing the sword energy like a sharp cone, circling the Purple Lightning Sword twice like a long dragon coiled around a pillar, then retreating rapidly. This not only avoided the lingering momentum of the sword tip's attack but also firmly restrained Xiao Xingchen's right hand.
At the same time, another thin, black, soft whip emerged from his left sleeve, first sliding to the ground, then darting towards his opponent. When it was about five feet from his feet, it struck Xiao Xingchen's abdomen with lightning speed, like a venomous snake raising its head and flicking its tongue. The level of control the thin, soft whip with was so perfect, as if it had come alive, was truly breathtaking.
The Cloud and Rain Envoy, who usually used a single whip, was now using two!
Everyone's expression changed, their eyes widening as they watched, afraid of missing any of the intense battle scenes.
The two had only exchanged a few blows, yet they all felt a palpable tension.
The change was incredibly fast; Xiao Xingchen had no time to react before a burst of internal energy struck him. Startled, his hand went numb. He jerked his wrist, trying to forcefully break free from the restraints of the Broken Wave Whip, but the soft whip wasn't made purely of gold or refined steel. It also contained black gold, black iron, amethyst, and Xuanbing Lihuo Stone, making it incredibly tough. Even the Purple Lightning Sword, a divine weapon of its time, capable of cutting through iron like mud, couldn't cut through it or break free. He could only watch helplessly as the soft whip struck.
This whip, named "Prison Breaker," was crafted from the vines of the Dragon Blood Tree. Under sunlight, its blade was covered in numerous suction-cup-like protruding dots, giving it an eerie appearance. The whip was soaked in potent poison, emitting a strong, foul odor that made anyone who touched it want to vomit. Even slight contact with the skin would cause rashes, and if the poison penetrated the heart, death would be instantaneous.
Despite this adversity, Xiao Xingchen remained calm, channeling three streams of internal energy to stabilize the Purple Lightning Sword and prevent it from being taken from him. Just when everyone, including the Cloud and Rain Envoy, thought he was about to draw his Azure Frost Sword to block the Prison Breaker Whip, he suddenly roared, his left hand forming a knife-like gesture, and with unparalleled speed and precision, slashed down at the tip of the attacking whip.
The clashing energies produced a thunderous thud.
The Cloud and Rain Envoy shuddered, taking a small step back, his eyes blazing with power. The Broken Wave Whip remained entangled with the Purple Lightning Sword, while the Prison Breaker Whip transformed into countless whip shadows, raining down on Xiao Xingchen like a sudden storm.
He was determined to force Xiao Xingchen to draw his sword, no matter what.
He had never seen the Taishan School swordsmanship wielded with a single sword before, nor had he even considered it. If he were to fight Xiao Xingchen now, all his previous experience would be useless.
In other words, he would lose his greatest advantage over Xiao Xingchen.
Xiao Xingchen, quick-witted and intelligent, was well aware of his thoughts. With lightning speed, he shifted sideways and leaned back, using the force of the whip-sword's pull to spin around the Cloud and Rain Whip like a top.
The Prison-Breaking Whip was short, only fifteen inches long, and the distance between them was a full twenty feet; how could it possibly hit him?
This plan, though clever, displayed unparalleled swiftness and decisive courage!
As Xiao Xingchen continued to pull, the Broken Wave Whip developed ever-expanding wave patterns, resembling a long, winding serpent constantly twisting and turning, undulating like waves, shimmering with golden light. However, the amplitude of the fluctuations was abnormally large; after all, with his unorthodox internal energy honed over forty or fifty years, it should have easily surpassed Xiao Xingchen's.
Just as Xiao Xingchen was puzzled, the Broken Wave Whip transformed from a coiled shape to an extended one, its tip suddenly releasing its grip on the blade, biting forward like a venomous snake raising its head, aiming straight for his throat. Startled, he performed a backbend to avoid it. The Cloud and Rain Envoy flicked her wrist, and the Broken Wave Whip swung downwards, looping back to attack his calf. The changes in technique were seamless and without hesitation.
The Cloud and Rain Envoy's skill and strength were indeed well-deserved.
Even with Xiao Xingchen's abilities, the combination of this evil master's footwork, whip techniques, and astonishingly ruthless internal energy created a fierce counterattack. Unable to find a way to directly parry, he quickly sidestepped, moving about ten feet away, bending his elbow and crouching, unleashing a series of slashes and strikes, followed by a reverse wrist strike of "Immortal Points the Way." The Purple Lightning Sword, as if possessed, first shifted slightly to the left to avoid the whip's force, then returned to the center, diagonally stabbing at the Cloud and Rain Envoy's wrist meridian—a ruthless move of attack against attack.
Dugu Yu, Liu Yuxu, and the others all nodded in approval. Only offense could counter the Cloud and Rain Envoy's ever-changing, unpredictable, and unpredictable whip techniques.
Xiao Xingchen continued his attack with a single sword, but his movements were fluid and unpredictable, combining the breadth of a saber, the sharpness of a spear, the incisiveness of a halberd, the weight of an axe, the power of a battle-axe, and the cunning of a hook… The mere Purple Lightning Sword in his hand was like eighteen martial arts masters wielding eighteen different weapons, simultaneously attacking their opponent.
The Cloud and Rain Envoy secretly exclaimed in admiration, advancing instead of retreating, moving like pearls rolling on a jade plate amidst Xiao Xingchen's surging swordplay. With flowing lightness skills and delicate, profound footwork, he swiftly moved, blocking and parrying with his Breaking Wave Whip, using every trick in the book to deal with his opponent's relentless
, cascading sword strikes. The sounds of clashing weapons were incessant, dazzling and spectacular.
Every move was a perfect blend of offense and defense, exquisitely crafted. Although it was only two people fighting, the whip's whip and sword shadows created the atmosphere of a thousand armies clashing.
Yu Kong was dumbfounded. The sharpness of Yun Yu Shi's whip technique far exceeded his expectations, especially this double-wielding skill, which he had never dared to even dream of before.
If he were to fight, he would be at a disadvantage within fifty moves, and would surely be defeated within a hundred. Xiao Xingchen, using only a single sword, was able to counterattack head-on, fighting Yun Yu Shi fiercely for a long time without showing any signs of weakness. This level of cultivation far surpassed that of his senior uncle, and was even comparable to the martial arts of Xiao Yu Sun at that age.
Yun Yu Shi unleashed his inner strength, and the Prison-Breaking Whip sought an opening to attack, targeting not Xiao Xingchen, but the Purple Lightning Sword!
The tip of the whip struck six or seven times in succession, each finger accurately hitting the blade. The sword's originally all-pervasive momentum, like mercury flowing everywhere, was slightly halted.
Seizing the opportunity, Yun Yu Shi's right hand wielded the Broken Wave Whip, which suddenly scattered like flying catkins, creating a flurry of frost and snow. This was the most profound "Changhe Wind Style" among his signature Eight Directions Wind Rope technique—mysterious, ethereal, and unpredictable. The whip seemed to transform into a celestial cloud, lightly blocking Xiao Xingchen's path. The whip itself was like smoke and mist, unlike its original form.
In stark contrast, his left hand simultaneously held the handle and tip of the Prison Break Whip, channeling his power into the whip's body. Instantly, it resembled a ten-foot-long iron rod, raining down on Xiao Xingchen.
Xiong Xiaotian was utterly shocked.
The onlooker sees more of the game than the player; as an outsider watching the match, his perception was naturally more comprehensive and direct than Xiao Xingchen's. No matter how unpredictable Yun Yu Shi's whip techniques were, he could see through all the subsequent moves in the blink of an eye. However, Yun Yu Shi's sudden use of the whip as a rod completely transcended the realm of whip techniques.
In terms of staff techniques, Xiong Xiaotian was undoubtedly the best in the world. Upon seeing this unique "whip-staff" move, he was completely baffled by its intricacies. The combined attack of the Duanlang and Poyu whips, one hard and one soft, was strikingly similar to his painstakingly created palm-staff combination.
Although in terms of sheer power, the "whip-staff" lacked the unparalleled ferocity and vast power of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, and the Eight Directions Wind Rope couldn't match the unpredictable and elusive supernatural abilities of the Dog-Beating Staff Technique, its power, combined with the Cloud and Rain Envoy's decades of cultivation of unorthodox internal energy, and the unique properties and killing methods of the soft whip, was not far off from the "palm-staff combination."
How could Xiao Xingchen possibly withstand such a strange move?
Xiao Xingchen couldn't block it, he simply couldn't. Even if Xiao Yusun were resurrected, he couldn't stop the Cloud and Rain Envoy's attack with just a single sword. Therefore, he drew his sword without hesitation.
The Azure Frost, a peerless divine weapon renowned alongside the Purple Lightning as the most prized treasure of the Mount Tai Sect, finally left its long-dormant sheath and came into Xiao Xingchen's hands.
Purple Lightning activated, striking straight at his chest; though it unleashed hundreds of sword blossoms, it only delivered a single thrust.
Azure Frost followed, its single thrust producing hundreds of sword blossoms.
Heaven and earth united! He… he actually used the Heavenly Annihilation Three Forms right from the start!
The Cloud and Rain Envoy was suddenly startled.
It wasn't that he feared his painstakingly practiced double whip attack wouldn't withstand the Heavenly Annihilation Three Forms, but rather that Xiao Xingchen's immediate use of a deadly technique with both swords was truly unexpected.
With Xiao Xingchen's cultivation level, he couldn't possibly fail to see that the combined whip strikes were far more complex than this, likely consisting of at least a dozen or twenty moves. To unleash his trump card, the Three Heavenly Annihilation Forms, now was tantamount to prematurely revealing his ultimate strength to his opponent, pushing himself into a dead end—in martial arts duels, the one who uses their ultimate move first always loses. This is an unwritten rule in the martial world, rarely defied except by Ren Qiaocui in his prime. Had Xiao Xingchen gone mad, willing to risk the lives of over forty martial arts masters to challenge this taboo?!
He dared not, dared not gamble with the fate of the Central Plains martial world.
Unless… unless he had absolute confidence, an undeniable certainty of victory.
Where did this confidence come from? Where did this certainty come from
? The Four Heavenly Annihilation Forms!?
Yun Yu's heart skipped a beat, his clothes instantly soaked with sweat.
Who did the Asura Sect fear most?
First, naturally, was Ren Xiaoyao, but Ren Xiaoyao was dead.
Second, of course, was Dugu Yu, but he was old.
Third was Xiao Yusun, who once dominated the world with his sword. His
decisive victory at the Battle of Wuyun Mountain, severely injuring Hentian, was witnessed by countless on both sides.
His title of Sword Saint wasn't just empty boasting; it was earned through his swordplay.
"On Qingming Festival, this disciple will pay respects at my father's grave… The Central Plains martial arts world will surely suffer a calamity… I will pass on… taking the essence and discarding the dross…" Xiao Xingchen's words before his appearance echoed in his mind.
The Asura Sect, revering Mani, naturally believed in gods and ghosts. Yun Yushi's heart suddenly felt blocked, and his speed involuntarily tripled.
If he truly fused the Three Heavenly Annihilation Techniques into the Four Heavenly Annihilation Techniques and passed them on to his son…
In his panic, Xiao Xingchen's hand suddenly shone brightly, like the rising sun, its radiance boundless. For a moment, Yun Yushi could see nothing! The
Four Heavenly Annihilation Techniques! Most of the weaker martial artists among the crowd cried out.
The sect leaders and masters, however, frowned deeply, their expressions involuntarily showing confusion.
This was by no means some kind of Heavenly Three Forms; at most, it was just a slight variation on the final move, "Sunrise in the East," of the Taishan Sect's "Sunrise Sword Technique."
Yun Yu Shi, with his exceptional eyesight, was initially stunned after regaining his sight, then realized he'd been tricked.
Xiao Xingchen, being young, lacked his father's boldness, not immediately unleashing his full power in a life-or-death struggle.
Thinking of how terrified he'd been earlier, Yun Yu Shi was furious. The second of the four Venerable Envoys of the Asura Sect, terrified by a few words and half a sword move—this was a huge loss of face! Enraged,
Yun Yu Shi unleashed his true power, a deafening gust of wind, launching a devastating attack on his opponent with his once-unparalleled and ferocious whip technique.
Amidst shouts, two sharp sword lights and two soft, butterfly-like whips clashed.
Xiao Xingchen calmly responded, his Purple Lightning and Azure Frost flashing intermittently, bright as the rising sun and dim as the setting sun. Between these flashes, the relentless, unstoppable "Sunrise in the East" unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks.
The Cloud and Rain Envoy's momentum was like a rainbow, unleashing thirty-six attacks in the blink of an eye, each faster and more ruthless than the last!
The Broken Wave Whip, employing unorthodox and treacherous tactics, often attacked from unexpected angles, yet it could never penetrate the magnificent golden or dark red sword light.
The Prison Break Whip, whipping through wind and thunder with lightning speed, its body like smoke and mist, seemingly unrecognizable, displayed incredible speed, yet it still could not shake the arrogant and domineering power of the blazing sun overhead!
Yu Kong watched with utter admiration. His nickname was "Sunrise Swordsman," and his signature martial art was the "Sunrise Sword Technique." But Xiao Xingchen's execution of the same move, "Sunrise in the East," was far superior to that of his uncle, who had dedicated over forty years to practicing it for three hours every day without fail!
It wasn't just a little bit better; it was far superior!
Yun Yu Shi grew increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed. He realized that he couldn't even break through the "Sunrise Sword Technique," so how could he possibly withstand the Heavenly Annihilation Three Forms... or even the Heavenly Annihilation Four Forms?
A sharp, clear sound rang out, followed by a flurry of red birds, a surge of powerful energy, and twin swords blazing like crimson flames, their light as intense as
the sun, instantly multiplying several times in brilliance, stinging his eyes and leaving him blind. The swords were no longer swords, but the
blazing sun, the very sun! The Cloud and Rain Envoy, being the Cloud and Rain Envoy, quickly recovered from his brief blindness.
But what he saw was not just one sun, but ten.
Yes, a full ten, not only blazing in the sky, but constantly leaping!
The Cloud and Rain Envoy trembled violently, his vision filled with golden light, as if in ancient times, ten suns scorched the earth, causing drought and withering vegetation, and he had become one of the people on the yellow earth, unable to block the relentless, all-encompassing brilliance projected from the eternal heavens.
This… this was not the sunrise in the east.
This was the Heavenly Annihilation Four Forms!!!
As the Cloud and Rain Envoy realized this, the light of the ten suns vanished, disappearing into his chest.
He felt the world plunge into darkness, sighed, and collapsed to the ground.
The sunlight vanished, the blazing light disappeared, and smoke billowed across the ground. The Cloud and Rain Envoy lay in a pool of blood, hearing Xiao Xingchen utter four words: "Sun Wheel Breaks Yi!"
Let alone a mere Cloud and Rain Envoy, even Hou Yi, who shot down nine suns, would be utterly powerless against this move!

Volume 41, Chapter 1: The Carefree Journey Finally Arrives at Xunfeng City.

"Sun Wheel Breaks Yi!? Xingchen, this…this is the Heavenly Annihilation Four Forms that Senior Brother taught you!?" Not only were the assembled heroes and members of the Asura Sect dumbfounded, but even Liu Yuxu was trembling with shock, completely lacking the composure expected of a martial arts leader. After a moment, he regained his senses, his face still filled with uncontrollable horror, and asked in a trembling voice.
"The Heavenly Annihilation Four Forms are correct, but they weren't taught to me by Father." Xiao Xingchen waved his hand, and a blazing sun-like light suddenly erupted again, then miraculously vanished into the scabbard on his back.
"You brat, you cheated!" Feng Lei Shi roared in fury.
"All's fair in war, isn't that what Ghost Netherworld God said?" Xiao Xingchen whirled around, his eyes flashing with lightning, and said, word by word, "A contest isn't just about martial arts, but also about cunning and strategy. I know you're afraid of my father. You were afraid when he was alive, and you're even more afraid now that he's gone. That's why I brought him up to unsettle you and make it easier to win this contest."
"Then...then Sun Wheel Breaking Yi, who taught you...who taught you Sun Wheel Breaking Yi?" Yu Kong exclaimed in surprise.
“Myself!” Xiao Xingchen smiled slightly, looking at Yu Kong sitting below the stage. “Uncle-Master, do you remember the last words Father asked you to give me before he passed away?”
“Ah, I remember, of course I remember.” Yu Kong was taken aback, then said, “One sentence was ‘Day after day, without interruption,’ and the other was to wait until you are capable of standing on your own. Could it be… could there be some mystery in the first sentence… or…”
“From the time I was a month old, Father took me to Jade Emperor Peak to watch the sunrise every day.” Xiao Xingchen revealed a look of deep reminiscence, and sighed, “He said: On the Sunrise Viewing Platform, the wind and clouds change, the weather is ever-changing, and countless ambitious people from all over the world come here, but he is the only one who has truly watched the sunrise on the Sunrise Viewing Platform for ten years and practiced swordsmanship for ten years.”
Yu Kong couldn’t help but interject, “Senior Brother comprehended the sword by watching the sunrise and finally mastered the Three Forms of Heavenly Annihilation, making our Taishan Sect famous throughout the world. Xingchen, you… ah…”
"Following my late father's dying wish, my nephew has been observing the sunrise and practicing swordsmanship at Jade Emperor Peak day after day for over a decade without interruption. Finally, two months ago, during the Qingming Festival, he comprehended the 'Sun Wheel Breaks Yi' technique." Xiao Xingchen stood proudly upright, a confident smile playing on his lips. "The Four Heroes of the Martial World are advancing side by side; none of them will fall behind!"
"Have you said enough? If you have, let's begin the fifth match!" Ghost Netherworld Lord suddenly spoke, his voice eerie, cold, and devoid of emotion, like a taut steel wire, sounding utterly inhuman.
The rule was one match per person. Xiao Xingchen returned to his seat, while Deng Tao, the vice leader of the Beggars' Sect, leaped onto the high platform.
The Wind and Thunder Envoy sneered, grabbed his pipe, and was about to fight when suddenly, a black shadow flashed before his eyes.
"Ghost... Ghost Netherworld Lord!!!"
The entire hall erupted in commotion.
The Ghost Netherworld Lord, who was supposed to be holding the fort, had actually entered the arena!
At first glance, his appearance was no different from before; the relentless passage of over twenty years had left no trace on his face. However, his crystal-white skin, tinged with a bluish tinge, and his long, narrow, sharp eyes, seemingly always peering into the secrets of others, were enough to terrify any opponent.
"Ghostly Lord, what are you doing?!" Liu Yuxu shouted fiercely.
"Alliance Leader Liu, today's competition was only agreed upon as a best-of-seven series. There's no rule that the order of appearance cannot be changed, is there?"
"You..." Liu Yuxu was speechless, glancing sideways at Dugu Yu. Seeing his eyes tightly closed, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings, he knew the Bone-Dissolving Powder hadn't been forced out yet, and his face turned ashen.
Ghostly Lord's martial arts were formidable; besides Dugu Yu and himself, even Xiao Chen might not be able to defeat him. For Deng Tao to win... no, to draw, would require a miracle.
Ghostly Lord sneered and slowly approached. Without any apparent exertion of force, a scorching aura surged forth, completely enveloping Deng Tao.
As the vice-leader of the Beggars' Sect, Deng Tao was no ordinary man. Despite his usual leisurely demeanor, in emergencies, his physical and mental sharpness would naturally rise to its peak, reacting instantly and using his internal energy to resist.
Ghostly Lord stopped about two zhang in front of him, his eyes blazing with killing intent, flashing with lightning speed: "Vice-leader Deng, rest assured, I would never bear to kill you with a single sword strike."
Deng Tao felt a chill run down his spine, but knowing he couldn't lose in terms of momentum, he remained silent, his eyes fixed on this master, arguably one of the most terrifying and ruthless men in the world.
The Ghostly Lord seemed in no hurry to attack, standing casually with his sleeve sweeping away the dust on his body. He said indifferently, "Your nickname is 'Single Palm Mountain Splitter,' so your palm technique is certainly formidable. How about this: I'll stand still and let you strike me ten times. If my feet leave the ground, I lose. How about that?" His tone was mocking, like a cat playing with a mouse, determined to torment it before finally killing it. Deng
Tao was terrified. He knew that in the Central Plains martial arts world, besides the Eight Great Masters, only Xiong Xiaotian's palm technique surpassed his. To stand still and take ten blows, only to lose if his feet left the ground—was that possible?
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
That's what he thought, but why did the Ghostly Lord speak so casually, so nonchalantly?
Could it be…?
Deng Tao's body trembled, a chill rising in his heart, and for a long time he dared not move.
Ghostly Lord showed surprise, asking curiously, "What? Vice Chief Deng is renowned throughout the martial world, yet you dare not even unleash a few blows?" Suddenly, he took a step to the side, turned, put his hands behind his back, looked up at the night sky, and sighed, "Alas, with Xiong Lei gone, the Beggars' Clan has no successor. What a pity—what a tragedy—" With this simple movement, the evil aura emanating from his very bones became even more chilling.
As he moved to the side, the scorching energy that had been pressing down on Deng Tao vanished without a trace, replaced by a bone-chilling aura that tightly enveloped him, relentlessly eroding and dissolving his true energy and will. It was as if he had been suddenly transported from a scorching, arid desert to an icy, snowy environment. The sudden shift between hot and cold, the momentary emptiness, made Deng Tao feel terribly uncomfortable. He dared not even move, let alone make a move.
Such a technique was something Deng Tao had never touched before, nor even considered.
This showed how much the Ghostly Lord's cultivation had improved since twenty years ago. He had not only glimpsed the essence of some evil technique but had even reached an astonishing level capable of turning the tide of battle. However, Deng Tao already knew that this meant his chances of survival were slim.
However, he couldn't ignore the arrogant words of the Ghostly Lord. To remain silent would be tantamount to acknowledging his theory and admitting the Beggars' Sect had no successors, further weakening his morale. Moreover, he felt his opponent was like a vicious cat that had caught a mouse, determined to torment him.
Deng Tao secretly channeled his inner energy to resist the Ghostly Lord's terrifying evil techniques, while calmly sneering, "Since the Ghostly Lord believes the Beggars' Sect has no successors, why did you poison our leader? Are you afraid he still possesses internal strength and you can't defeat him? If so, why talk of no successors?"
The Ghostly Lord, caught off guard, frowned.
Deng Tao immediately sensed that the chilling evil aura surrounding him had weakened significantly. Such a golden opportunity wouldn't be missed; he took a step forward, poised to strike.
The Ghostly Lord suddenly sneered, "You've fallen for my trap!"
Hearing these few words, cold and unyielding, Deng Tao's forward step froze in mid-air. His original plan was to launch a surprise attack while the Ghostly Lord's mind was disturbed and his momentum weakened, using a powerful palm strike to gain the upper hand and avoid being at a disadvantage due to the Lord's aura.
However, as he stepped forward, the Ghostly Lord's aura suddenly intensified, the chilling energy transforming into incredibly resilient spider silk, binding him tightly. Although he tried to step forward, his body remained trapped in the web, experiencing a terrifying feeling of being pulled and unable to move—he had fallen into the Ghostly Lord's carefully laid trap!
He had lost; the initiative was gone, he had already lost without even fighting.
Deng Tao's right leg finally touched the ground, and the instant his toes touched the floor, he collapsed.
There was no scream, no roar.
A deathly silence fell over the entire arena; so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The fifth match was lost, and the martial arts competition was over.
All forty-odd martial arts masters who had participated in the tournament at Wangyue Pavilion that day were to commit suicide.
Liu Yuxu, Xiong Xiaotian, Ye Zhiqiu, and others, knowing their fate was sealed, rose together and drew their weapons.
Only Dugu remained seated, seemingly oblivious to what was happening around him.
From the over-seventy-year-old Xiaoming and Xiaochen to the prime-of-life Ye Zhiqiu and Xiong Xiaotian, each wore a solemn expression, showing no fear of having agreed to commit suicide. The
Ghostly Lord laughed, a chilling and eerie laugh.
In a short while, these sect leaders, guild masters, gang leaders, and protectors would all perish.
Without them, the Central Plains martial arts world would be a disorganized mess!
The hegemony he had planned, hoped for, and sacrificed his entire life for was about to be achieved!!!
"The fifth match hasn't even started yet, why are you all in such a hurry, seniors?"
"That's right, he's only taken one step, hasn't even moved his hand, how can he be considered a loser?"
"It's hot in June, and Vice Leader Deng is old. He suddenly suffered heatstroke and fainted before the match. Shouldn't we replace him?"
"Replace him, of course we should replace him. How can Ghost Netherworld Lord enjoy himself if we don't replace him?"
"I heard he's allowed ten blows, that's too many. If he can withstand three blows from me, Old Yi, without flinching, then I'll consider it a loss."
At the end of the square, five fine horses galloped in. The leader, with eyes like bright stars and a heroic bearing, gently swung a blue sword at his side. Who else could it be but Ren Xiaoyao?
"Ghost Netherworld Lord, I have a great gift for you." Ren Xiaoyao spurred his horse forward, raised his hand, and threw out a black package. It flew straight onto the high platform. Before it even hit the ground, it had already opened up, revealing a blood-stained human head.
Ximen Wulei, Vice Leader of the Asura Sect, Ximen Wulei!

Volume 41, Chapter 2: What Has It Reached

Everyone's expression changed.
The heroes of the Central Plains were overjoyed, ecstatic.
The members of the Asura Sect were shocked, utterly shocked.
How could Ren Xiaoyao have come?!
Wasn't he being held back by Xuan Qingqiu?
How could Ximen Wulei be dead?!
The plan to ambush Shaolin should have been flawless!
Everyone was completely bewildered, utterly unable to understand.
Indeed, Xuan Qingqiu's repeated schemes had greatly delayed the group's journey to Xunfeng City; according to her calculations, the trip would be at least ten days later.
Xuan Qingqiu was incredibly intelligent, her calculations couldn't possibly be wrong, but she overlooked a crucial point.
Tingyuxuan was the richest man in the world!
The richest man in the world had money, more money than he could ever want.
With money, one could buy horses, the best horses.
Including the riders and carriages, they needed twelve horses, so double that would be twenty-four.
Twenty-four purebred Ferghana steeds, each one magnificent, each one perfect, each one worth a thousand gold pieces. Even if they couldn't compare to Ren Xiaoyao's mount, the Wind and Fire Lightning Steed, they were still rare and exquisite.
Such a fine horse is rare and hard to come by, yet Tingyuxuan could afford and buy twenty-four.
Therefore, despite initially slowing their pace due to Ren Xiaoyao's injuries, and wasting considerable time, they ultimately arrived only about three days late.
Three days? The martial arts competition was the day after the Heroes' Gathering, so where did the other two days go?!
Without witnessing the events, no one could have imagined Ren Xiaoyao and his group's swift arrival, much less foresee Ximen Wulei's tragic end.
××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××
The sun set, its afterglow filling the sky.
On the Jiangling Road, where spring's beauty faded, the grass grew tall.
A heavy twilight mist descended from the sky, the earth appearing as if dyed with pale ink, the majestic mountains seeming to exist only in a hazy, ethereal space.
In the tea pavilion, under the shade of trees, travelers rested in small groups.
The hoofbeats slowed, the bells jingled melodiously, accompanied by the faint rustling of pine leaves along the roadside. The misty, picturesque mountains ahead added a touch of wonder, set against the backdrop of lingering fog, creating a scene that subtly stirred the soul.
Suddenly, a series of clear, melodious bell sounds rang out from the road in the distance!
A dozen or so magnificent horses galloped towards them, adorned with splendid saddles and ornate bridles. The lead horse was even adorned with two golden bells, which jingled as it raced.
The horses were already striking, but the riders were even more radiant.
On the lead horse, a handsome, imposing young man sat upright
, his white robes clinging to his tall, slender frame, his skin gleaming with a unique bronze hue.
At first glance, his clothes weren't particularly bright or extravagant, but they were flawless from head to toe, further emphasizing his noble bearing. His every glance exuded authority, and the commoners resting by the roadside dared not look a second time, feeling utterly ashamed in comparison.
His gaze was confident and self-assured, yet even a fleeting glance was enough to make any young woman fall for him!
He held the reins in his right hand and the whip in his left, frequently striking the horse's rump, but his leopard-like body, both powerful and gracefully sculpted, remained perfectly still in the saddle, demonstrating his exceptional riding skills.
"We're going to be late anyway, why rush?" Yi Tianhan complained in a low voice as he caught up. "We can't attend the Heroes' Gathering anyway, so arriving a day early or late makes no difference.
" "Yes, rushing like this, we might be able to manage, but the girls in the carriage might not be able to."
Riding at the forefront was Ren Xiaoyao. He sighed softly and said with a wry smile, "My injuries have only recently healed. I certainly don't want to be constantly on the move, even eating on horseback. But... sigh, my eyelids have been twitching these past two days. I have a feeling something is going to happen, so I want to go back as soon as possible. "
"Hahaha, the saying goes: 'A twitching left eye means good fortune, a twitching right eye means bad luck.' That's just a belief held by foolish commoners. You actually believe it?" Deng Lei patted his shoulder and chuckled.
"That's true. The border is peaceful lately, and the 100,000 Heavenly Pole Army have all returned to headquarters. I don't think anything will happen." Ren Xiaoyao smiled slightly, making light of the situation.
As they chatted, they suddenly saw a small eatery by the roadside ahead.
Calling it an eatery was a bit of a stretch; it was really just a few mud-plastered wooden sheds serving tea and food, providing a place for merchants to rest and eat. A fence surrounded the sheds, and the wooden frame without doors made it look very rudimentary. After all, this was an official road, with government-run post stations every ten miles. Small shops run by ordinary people rarely survived. Plus, there was a dense, endless forest nearby, likely frequented by bandits and robbers. Merchants wouldn't dare stop even if they passed by, so business was very slow. Only one storefront was open, and there were no customers inside.
Fu Longyuan suddenly spoke up: "Since we're not in a hurry to get going, it's alright to rest for a while, right?"
Yi Tianhan laughed: "Hahaha, Fu kid, passing through your hometown, getting hungry, huh?"
"Aren't you hungry?" Fu Longyuan retorted irritably, his mind stirring up long-forgotten memories, "Back then, when we were learning our skills from our master, we were very tight on money, almost no spare cash. We'd scrape together a few coins and take our junior sister to a roadside stall for a taste of something new: big bowls of clear soup, meat wontons, black bean oil tea…tsk tsk tsk, I still can't forget that taste."
"Hey, didn't you say you'd eat this every day, every meal, when you're rich? Why haven't I seen a cook who can cook this on Chiwei Island?"
"What do you know? Even the chefs in restaurants and eateries can't make these dishes well. You can only get the most authentic ones at the local street stalls. Oh dear, once we get to Xunfeng City, who knows when we'll have a break. Alright, alright, everyone stop here and let me and Old Man Yi have a good meal before we go."
Since the two seniors had spoken, how could Ren Xiaoyao dare refuse? He told the women to rest for now and continue their journey after lunch.
Seeing a dozen or so riders galloping towards them, the restaurant owner was overjoyed and quickly came forward, smiling obsequiously, "Gentlemen, what would you like to order?"
Before Ren Xiaoyao could speak, Yi Tianhan glanced at the large copper kettle on his back and interjected, "Is the oil tea hot? Is it made with mutton fat or beef tallow? Is the flour mixed with wheat?"
The owner, recognizing the expert, smiled broadly and said, "Hot, hot! Don't let the humble appearance of our shop fool you, our oil tea is made with nine parts flour and one part wheat." "Wheat flour, stir-fried until fragrant, then mixed with top-quality butter, pepper, fermented black beans, scallions, ginger, salt, garlic sprouts, and
peanuts—you name it, it'll be delicious, warming and soothing to your lungs." Fu Longyuan chimed in, "Simmer a pot of clear broth with ground beef, sprinkle plenty of scallions, finely chop the bracken and serve it on a plate, make wonton wrappers with refined flour and fresh pork, and add some pork cracklings. Also, bring a few jugs of liquor." With that, he tossed out a ten-tael silver ingot—he'd been poor as a child, now it was time to show off.
Business at the restaurant was slow; earning one tael a month was already a windfall, ten taels would take a year of hard work.
The shopkeeper held the silver, staring at it intently for a long time. He put it in his mouth and bit down, nearly knocking out his teeth with a "crunch." Confirming it was real silver, his face lit up with a smile. He rushed into the back, shouting, "Wife, forget your needlework! Come out and make wontons! Bring out some bean and wheat bran to feed the horses for our guests, quick!"
Ren Xiaoyao, Yi Tianhan, Fu Longyuan, Meng Fei, Deng Lei, and the woman disguised as a man, Long Feiyun, entered the shed. The women, finding it dirty and messy, sat around the carriage. Xuan Qingqiu, Nangong Fengyi, and Su Hanbi simply stayed inside. Thankfully, otherwise, the fifty-something-year-old, gray-haired shopkeeper might have been too tempted to leave after just one glance.
Fu Longyuan sat by the door, the warm glow of the setting sun making him feel cozy.
Eating hometown snacks and gazing at the distant smoke rising from chimneys and the lanterns coming on, Fu Longyuan was suddenly overwhelmed with homesickness and burst into song. His soaring voice seemed to pierce the clouds, yet it couldn't seem to break through the alluring emotions he felt.
Ren Xiaoyao's expression suddenly changed, and he snapped, "Shut up!"
Fu Longyuan stopped singing in surprise and asked, "What is it?"
Yi Tianhan laughed, "This kid is used to singing and dancing lightly, he can't stand it..."
"Don't make a sound!" Ren Xiaoyao shouted again.
"You brat, you even..."
"Brother Yi, listen." Meng Fei pressed down on his shoulder, making a "shush" gesture.
Yi Tianhan listened intently. Just as the song faded, a terrifying cry for help faintly echoed from the thick fog and forest. Seeing the grave expressions on Ren Xiaoyao's, Yi Tianhan's, and Deng Lei's faces, he pondered, "This is an official road. Who would dare to act so recklessly nearby?
" "Bandits often roam this area. It's probably another merchant who took a shortcut through the woods and got caught," the landlady said with a forced smile. "Don't worry about it, gentlemen. The bandits here only target merchants, not ordinary people."
"No, it's not bandits," Ren Xiaoyao said decisively, his brow furrowed as the landlady walked away.
Meng Fei nodded, "Hmm, judging from those footsteps… it must be a top-tier master of light-footed martial arts."
"I'll go see!" Yi Tianhan, the most impatient of them all, picked up his bowl, gulped down his clear soup, wiped his mouth, and rushed out. "
Uncle, wait! They're already on their way." Ren Xiaoyao smiled slightly.
The groans had turned into wails, each sound piercing the eardrums, drawing ever closer from the depths of the dense forest.
Everyone present was a master, even those except Long Feiyun were all top-tier grandmasters, yet the piercing screams and faint cries felt like the call of a demon, making even the audacious Ren Xiaoyao's heart tremble slightly.
Yi Tianhan roared, "Who's there? Come out!"
The cries were shrill, echoing through the forest, the mountain wind howling, making the branches sway as if ghostly shadows were watching them, emitting a sinister laugh.
"Damn it, what's going on!" "Yi Tianhan flew into a rage. If Fu Longyuan hadn't been holding him back, he wouldn't have cared what Ren Xiaoyao was saying and
would have rushed over long ago. Not long after, a figure indeed burst out of the woods like a wolf or a leopard. His hair was disheveled, his face was filthy, and his clothes were covered in blood and mud. His sleeves, collar, and hem were torn to shreds. Although he looked more wretched than a beggar, no one in the Beggars' Clan could match his speed.
Hearing the wailing and howling coming from his mouth, everyone was dumbfounded.
Who could possibly chase such a master so desperately that he seemed to have lost his soul?!
The answer was quickly revealed. The one chasing him was an old monk with a white beard and white eyebrows. As he chased, he was making strange faces and his expression was even odd. His bright yellow cassock was almost completely stained black and gray, and it was unclear how many days it had been since he had changed it."
"This, this isn't..." The same words came from all six of them.
Yi Tianhan, Fu Longyuan, Meng Fei, and Deng Lei were looking at the person who had fled ahead, while Ren Xiaoyao and Shui Furong were looking at the old monk who had chased after him.
"Ximen Wulei!?"
"Master Zhizhang!?"
Two exclamations rang out in quick succession.
"Ximen Wulei, the vice leader of the Asura Cult!?" "
Master Zhizhang, who for sixty years was known as one of the top ten martial arts masters in the Central Plains along with Master and Old Man Dugu, and the head of the Shaolin Arhat Hall among the 'One Monk, Two Companions, Three Swordsmen, Four Saints'!?" The women were all stunned.
"There's no mistake, Xiaoyao and I met him at Shaolin Temple."
"Didn't Master Zhizhang pass away during the Battle of Bianliang?"
"Yes, Master mentioned him."
"It's him, it must be him!" Yi Tianhan slapped his thigh and said decisively, "We know exactly how powerful Ximen Wulei is. Apart from Old Man Dugu and the deceased Xiao Yusun and Xiong Lei, even I and Old Ghost Xiaochen are no match for him. To force him to this state... who else but Master Zhizhang could do it?"
"Judging by age, it should be him."
"Not should, it's certain." Looking at that old face that he had only seen once but was extremely familiar with, Ren Xiaoyao couldn't help but feel full of doubt: "Ximen Wulei and Master Zhizhang, two completely unrelated people, how could they appear here chasing and fleeing each other!?" Even with his exceptional intelligence, he couldn't figure it out at this moment.
That day, Ximen Wulei personally led a portion of the Asura Sect, along with the five top assassins under Hentian—Burning Sun, Absolute Moon, Soul-Stealing, Spirit-Seizing, and Life-Chasing—and hundreds of elite warriors to attack Shaolin Temple. With inside help and a night raid, their advance was unstoppable, easily breaching the mountain gate, the passageway, the Stele Forest, the Heavenly King Hall, and the Great Buddha Hall, advancing all the way to the Sutra Repository.
The Sutra Repository was a sacred place of Shaolin, housing not only countless precious Buddhist scriptures but also the Seventy-Two Ultimate Skills manuals, treasured by martial arts practitioners.
Ximen Wulei, single-mindedly focused on seizing the manuals, rushed in before the five assassins even arrived. Unfortunately, he overlooked something unknown to everyone except Ren Xiaoyao and the five great Shaolin monks—the once-renowned and powerful Master Zhizhang, the top of the Ten Great Masters, had been living in seclusion in the Sutra Repository for sixty years.
He suffered a severe head injury and, though he miraculously survived, was left with a chronic illness. Every half day, he would become mentally confused, behaving much like a child. For the sixty years he spent in the Burial Sutra Pavilion, whenever he was lucid, he would diligently study Buddhist teachings to cleanse his mind; when he was mentally confused, he would unconsciously practice martial arts. The Seventy-Two Shaolin Arts, each capable of injuring vital organs and taking lives, are ruthless and fierce, defying the natural order. Therefore, each unique skill requires a corresponding compassionate Buddhist teaching to counteract its effects. It should be understood that Buddhism seeks to save the world, while martial arts seek to kill. The two are diametrically opposed and mutually restraining. Only with a higher level of Buddhist understanding and a stronger sense of compassion can one master more martial arts skills. However, monks who have reached such a level of cultivation disdain learning more powerful killing techniques. Thus, in the hundreds of years since the founding of Shaolin Temple, only Xiaochen has mastered thirteen of the Seventy-Two Arts, while the others have mastered seven or eight, which is enough to make them famous throughout the martial arts world.
The mentally challenged man, in a semi-conscious state, harbored a deep compassion for all beings and practiced deadly martial arts at night. His internal rage was completely dispelled, leaving him unimpeded, and his skills improved daily. In sixty years, he mastered all seventy-two unique techniques. Combined with his already profound cultivation, dealing with Ximen Wulei was more than enough.
When he "went mad," no ordinary monk could keep him in check. Therefore, senior monks who retired from their positions would voluntarily take charge of the Sutra Repository. If someone died of illness or old age, the abbot would transfer a highly skilled monk to fill the vacancy. The spies planted by Juesha were unaware of this and were completely unprepared.
When Ximen Wulei sent his men to attack, three high-ranking monks of the "Zhi" generation and nine of the "Xiao" generation suddenly rushed out. Each of them was highly skilled in martial arts. At first, Ximen Wulei and his men could hold them off temporarily, hoping that the five assassins would arrive to provide support. However, once the mentally challenged monk joined the fray, he immediately knew: it was over, and tonight's plan was completely ruined.
The martial arts masters were indeed martial arts masters; they had actually hidden so many old devils among them. Ximen Wulei
considered himself to be a master of martial arts, believing that apart from Guiming Shenjun, Hentian, and Dugu Yu, no one else could match him. Who would have thought that he would encounter the mentally challenged monk? He was overwhelmed by the dozens of Shaolin Fist, Shaolin Palm, and Shaolin Claw techniques that the monk used with lightning speed, like butterflies flitting among flowers, leaving him utterly helpless and unable to fight back.
By the time the five assassins arrived, the members of the Shura Sect were already dead and wounded. The cunning and treacherous Burning Sun, seeing that the situation was not good, hurriedly ordered his men to retreat. Ximen Wulei, with powerful enemies inside and no help outside, was the only one who managed to break through the encirclement.
The attempt to steal a chicken backfired spectacularly, resulting in the complete annihilation of Shaolin.
Ximen Wulei was furious, vowing to kill every Shaolin monk he encountered without mercy. However, upon seeing the "idiot" chasing after him, he turned tail and ran, instantly forgetting his vow.
The "idiot," who had devoted himself to Buddhism for sixty years, had killed fifty or sixty people the previous night, breaking his vow beyond measure. He could no longer remain in Shaolin Temple, and in a fit of rage, he chased after Ximen Wulei to avenge his fellow disciples—this was his thought in his lucid moments. In his confused state, he mistook Ximen Wulei for a rare and formidable master, insisting on a duel.
The two fought intermittently, fleeing and chasing, moving further and further away from Mount Song.
Although the mentally challenged man's martial arts were superior to Ximen Wulei's, the opponent's constant escape made it extremely difficult to kill him. Moreover, he only considered killing when he was lucid; several times he almost succeeded, but then his mind clouded, and in his lucid state, he hesitated to strike—"It's rare to have such a good opponent to practice with; how could I kill him?"
Ximen Wulei's lightness skill was already quite remarkable; otherwise, Ren Xiaoyao wouldn't have been able to judge the approaching person as a top-tier expert just by listening to footsteps. However, the mentally challenged man's footwork, whether it was crossing the river on a reed or his Yi Jin Jing lightness skill, had reached the highest level. Aside from Ren Xiaoyao, even Meng Fei probably wouldn't be able to escape him.
Ximen Wulei tried every possible method to shake him off, but to no avail. In desperation, he thought, "The old monk wants to chase me, huh? Fine! Then I'll take you to Xunfeng City. Even if your martial arts are high, can you handle the sect leader?" He hardened his heart and fled northwest.
Day after day, the two arrived in Jiangling. Ximen Wulei couldn't eat or sleep properly (when the mentally challenged man acted out, he would use him as a target for martial arts practice, but wouldn't actually kill him. Ximen Wulei would only lie down to sleep, sit down to eat, or relieve himself; he would never dare to approach him, and Ximen Wulei would do the same. Once he regained his senses, he would relentlessly pursue and attack him, determined to kill him). No matter how he tried to deceive him, the mentally challenged man's spirit remained persistent, relentlessly haunting him, driving him to the brink of mental collapse. Finally,
unable to bear it any longer, he cried out for help in a wailing, ghostly voice. Meng Fei rushed out of the restaurant, his eyes burning with rage as he watched Ximen Wulei approach.

Volume 41, Chapter 3: The Death of Wulei

. Meng Family Fortress was razed to the ground by the Asura Sect, and all two hundred members of his family perished.
His elder brother was killed by the Asura Sect, and his sister-in-law was forced to her death by them.
He himself was forced to leave his homeland, living on a desolate coconut island for twenty years.
A blood feud, irreconcilable!
Meng Fei's eyes widened, his face contorted in a ferocious grimace, his teeth grinding together, veins bulging on his arms. He roared, "Ximen Wulei, prepare to die!!!" Even as his words echoed, he leaped forward like lightning, lunging at the desperately fleeing Ximen Wulei. A thunderous roar echoed as his palms swept across the scene.
Ren Xiaoyao, who had followed his master for twenty years, had never seen him so enraged. He stood there dumbfounded, unable to even utter the words, "Leave him alive!"
Ximen Wulei was running for his life when he suddenly heard a thunderous roar in front of him. Looking up, he saw a man with a murderous look on his face, baring his teeth, charging towards him. He trembled, terrified out of his wits.
More than twenty years had passed, and he might not recognize Meng Fei's face, but he could never forget the "flying immortal" technique of shifting positions in mid-air and soaring high into the sky.
If it were a one-on-one fight, he wouldn't be afraid of Meng Fei, but with this idiot chasing after him, and seeing him almost upon him... If he were to be entangled by Meng Fei, even for a moment's respite, this time next year would be his
death anniversary. Gritting his teeth, he gathered all his strength into his palm, his right fist bulging with muscles, and thrust it straight at Meng Fei's chest. Even a centipede, though dead, wouldn't stiffen. Ximen Wulei, after all, held the second-in-command position in the Asura Sect. Despite being tormented beyond recognition by his mental disability, his full-force strike still possessed a powerful, earth-shattering force.
Even from a distance of several feet, the chilling energy already enveloped Meng Fei.
A simple punch, devoid of any fancy moves or variations, yet like a mighty river, it possessed the power to flow a thousand miles, like unrestrained, wild calligraphy, leaving one completely bewildered.
Before even exchanging blows, Meng Fei was already trapped in a quagmire.
This demonstrated just how formidable Ximen Wulei's martial arts were.
Meng Fei remained fearless, letting out a long roar as his right palm shot out, forcefully penetrating the opponent's chilling, malevolent energy.
A sharp whistling sound filled the air as fists and palms clashed. Meng Fei suddenly sneered, his right palm flicking outwards at an angle, miraculously seizing Ximen Wulei's wrist.
The surrounding air seemed to freeze, transforming into an invisible yet solid boulder weighing ten thousand pounds.
Ximen Wulei's body trembled, his eyes flashing with undisguised shock.
Meng Fei's expression was cold, his voice icy as he uttered a single word: "Ximen Wulei, die!"
His right hand spun in mid-air, his left palm deflecting and pushing, unleashing the Nine Revolutions Returning to Origin Force.
"Bang!" Ximen Wulei's thunderous, earth-shattering fist force was completely reversed, striking Ximen Wulei squarely in the chest with a domineering, world-shattering force that seemed to pierce the universe, penetrating to the very core.
Ximen Wulei screamed in agony, his body flying like a kite with a broken string, spitting out a bridge of blood in mid-air before crashing heavily to the ground with a thud. His face was filled with indescribable horror. He struggled a few times, then lay still.
Meng Fei landed on his feet, not even catching his breath, when a yellow shadow flashed before his eyes, and a palm wind rushed towards him. It was the mentally challenged man who had
rushed over and, without saying a word, unleashed a "Thirteen Forms of Bodhidharma." "Senior!" Meng Fei, unaware of the man's mental disorder, hastily parried with his hand. However, the mentally challenged man's palm changed direction midway, a mere feint. The moment Meng Fei made his move, the mentally challenged man's right palm immediately spun around and struck Meng Fei's chest with a "whoosh." Even with Meng Fei's dodging and leaping skills, he couldn't dodge in time and was sent flying. He staggered backward after landing, only stopping a dozen feet away. Although he wasn't injured, he was in a very sorry state.
Yi Tianhan, quick-tempered, saw the mentally challenged monk defeat Meng Fei and, disregarding whether he was a high-ranking Shaolin monk or not, leaped into the air, his palms circling and sweeping, creating a powerful aura that enveloped the area within ten feet around him. Like a meteor, he flashed across the space where he faced the mentally challenged monk, striking him squarely in the chest.
The old monk, oblivious and unconcerned, chuckled and charged straight at him.
Yi Tianhan's palms reached within two feet of the old monk, but suddenly it felt as if he had struck an invisible wall of energy, or been caught in a fishing net. His palm strikes, though powerful, were powerless, and he was simply bounced back by the energy wall.
Before Fu Longyuan could even see what was happening, he saw his senior brother's body tilt outwards, spinning like a top, unable to maintain his footing, and he fell flat on his back with a thud. Shocked and anxious, Fu Longyuan didn't have time to think. The Dragon's Reverse Scale was unsheathed, and thousands of sword beams surged forth like a raging tidal wave.
The mentally challenged man cackled, his right sleeve flashing out with a "thud!" as it struck the outer edge of the sword shadow. The clashing energies produced another muffled thunderous sound, leaving everyone feeling annoyed. Fu Longyuan staggered back half a step as if electrocuted, but the mentally challenged man seized the opportunity, leaping to the other side, his sleeves flying in unison as he launched a swift, ghostly attack. Fu Longyuan
reacted with lightning speed, his sword transforming into a white light, changing his thrust into an upward slash. He crouched down, his free left hand suddenly extending, delivering a palm strike to the mentally challenged man from a distance. The movement was fluid and graceful, showing no sign of hasty change of tactics, but rather elegant and beautiful, as if he had planned to do so all along.
Although his intellectual disability manifested, his eyesight remained impaired. Seeing Fu Longyuan's unreserved sword strike, which changed instantly and without hesitation, and even predicted his own position in a split second, making the most appropriate counterattack, showcasing his superb swordsmanship, he couldn't help but shout "Good!" His sleeves suddenly closed, striking the sides of the sword's blade with impeccable timing. Fu Longyuan's incredibly swift sword strike immediately stalled. Sensing danger, he tried to withdraw his sword and retreat, but
Fu Longyuan's right hand, hidden in his sleeve, flicked a finger at the sword tip. With over fifty years of profound skill, Fu Longyuan couldn't withstand the blow. His chest felt as if struck by lightning, and he almost coughed up blood, the recoil sending him crashing heavily into a large tree by the roadside.
With a sharp crack, the tree snapped in two. Fu Longyuan's bones felt like they were about to shatter, his body aching and his blood churning. Fortunately, he practiced the Xuanmen mental cultivation method, possessing a very solid foundation. He channeled his inner energy, barely managing to neutralize the opponent's attacking force, but he still staggered back two steps.
Seeing the situation was dire, Deng Lei swiftly raised his hand, sending out two white streaks of light, like lightning!
His distance from the mentally challenged man was just right, allowing the hidden weapons to reach their peak speed. Launched from behind, it was almost a guaranteed hit.
Almost? There must be an exception.
The mentally challenged man was the exception!
His monk's robe billowed, and with a mid-air spin, he managed to move slightly away before the hidden weapons hit. With a flick of his sleeve, he caught two coin darts fired by Deng Lei.
"Whoosh!" The coin darts tore through his sleeve, and the mentally challenged man exclaimed "Eh!" as three more iron lotus seeds struck.
The mentally challenged man leaped forward, his five fingers as heavy as a pound weight, and tried to grab it with his bare hands. The moment his fingers touched it, it was as if he had been struck by lightning, his fingers trembling wildly. He had to exert force a second time to finally pull it down.
Catching a hidden weapon with his bare hands?! And without a scratch?!
Deng Lei was dumbfounded. His "Three Star Break" technique, a hidden weapon move that was renowned throughout the world alongside the "Nine Palaces Flying Star," one of the three great secrets of the Tang Clan, was so powerful that no more than ten people in the world could dodge it. Catching it with his bare hands?! Even
Dugu Yu and Ren Xiaoyao might not be able to do it. Meng Fei
, Yi Tianhan, and Fu Longyuan were also speechless.
When Ren Xiaoyao saw the fight break out, he guessed that the mentally challenged man was having an episode, so he rushed over to try to stop him.
The mentally challenged man attacked indiscriminately, including him, and unleashed a "Formless Finger of Calamity" move. His ten fingers flashed out in a continuous stream, each finger a sharp and deadly strike.
Ren Xiaoyao cried out urgently, "Master Zhizhang, it's me! Don't you recognize me..."
He couldn't finish his sentence, for Zhizhang's attacks were simply too fierce and fast!
Ren Xiaoyao dodged and weaved, instantly displaying seven different movement techniques.
None of these techniques could escape Zhizhang's finger strikes.
Just then, Ren Xiaoyao suddenly stopped dodging altogether.
The finger strikes penetrated his vital points, but Ren Xiaoyao's body seemed rotten, completely unresponsive, like willow catkins in spring, no matter how strong the wind, they merely swayed and drifted, utterly ineffective.
Ren Xiaoyao's expression and figure were like Wei Rui in battle, dressed in light robes and flowing robes, sitting in a sedan chair, his movements gentle and slow, demonstrating that he had reached the highest level of martial arts: using slowness to overcome speed, using deliberate movement to defeat speed, seizing the initiative from behind, and using stillness to control movement. The
Wuxiang Jie Finger, momentarily thwarted, caused Zhizhang to immediately change his move.
The Canhe Finger!
The index finger represents heaven, the middle finger represents man, and the ring finger represents
earth—a unique finger technique specifically designed to break through the combined internal and external qi! His Yi Jing Jin mental cultivation method has surpassed the realm of perfection, supplemented by a powerful finger force that severs true qi and locks lifelines. Even opponents like Dugu Yu, Gui Ming Shen Jun, and Hen Tian would be struggling to defend themselves.
But Ren Xiaoyao was different!
Why?
Because he possessed the world's number one divine skill—the innate supreme qi.
Ren Xiaoyao sidestepped, raising his hand to draw a semi-circle in the air. The true qi within his body, yang at its extreme movement and stillness, yin at its extreme stillness and movement, neither guarded nor forgotten, neither gathered nor released, neither increased nor decreased, naturally transforming and gathering around his body, forming a qi force that is round within square and square within round, possessing a profound feeling of lifespan equal to heaven and earth, and divine power and spiritual response equal to that of saints and immortals.
The moment the combined finger force struck, it vanished without a trace.
"Innate Supreme Qi!" The mentally challenged man was startled and ran away, shouting, "Oh no, Feng Renqiu! It's terrible, it's terrible, we can't beat him!" In the blink of an eye, he darted into the woods and disappeared.
"What's wrong with this monk? He attacks us every time he sees us!" Yi Tianhan rushed over, looking bewildered.
"Master Zhizhang suffered a severe head injury and is often in a daze. His behavior is like that of a child..." Ren Xiaoyao suddenly shuddered, as if remembering something. He grabbed Yi Tianhan's hand and gasped, "There's no time! The five of us must set off immediately, without rest or sleep, to Shaolin!"
"What's going on? Why the sudden rush?" Yi Tianhan was completely confused.
"When I parted ways with Master Zhizhang back then, he said something..." Ren Xiaoyao rushed to Qianli Zhuifeng, mounted his horse, and said hatefully, "If we meet again, the Central Plains martial arts world will surely suffer a catastrophe!!!"

Volume 41, Chapter 4: The Decisive Battle with the Divine Lord. The

crowd was in an uproar!
Seeing Ren Xiaoyao leading the way, with Yi Tianhan, Fu Longyuan, and Meng Fei close behind, the entire crowd erupted in cheers.
Even Tang Yunhe, who was seriously injured and coughing up blood, had his eyes light up after glancing at Deng Lei, and his spirits instantly returned.
Liu Yuxu, the leader of the alliance, trembled with excitement and couldn't even utter a greeting.
There was hope! There was hope! With their arrival, the Central Plains martial arts world was saved!
"Xiaoyao was delayed by some matters and returned a little late, causing everyone to worry." Ren Xiaoyao deliberately slowed down his horse, cupped his hands in a carefree manner, and showed no tension or seriousness on his face.
His deliberate relaxation further emboldened the heroes of the Central Plains, who were on the verge of despair. Everyone stood up and shouted, their voices booming, a stark contrast to the lifeless silence of moments before.
"Hmph, Yi Tianhan, Fu Longyuan, Meng Fei, hahaha!" Ghost Netherworld Lord glanced at the three disdainfully, laughing loudly, "Clowns, like mantises trying to stop a chariot, you think you can fight me?"
"What did you say!" Yi Tianhan, fiery as ever, didn't care who they were, and rolled up his sleeves to step onto the stage.
Ren Xiaoyao smiled slightly and said leisurely, "Uncle, don't be impatient. It was agreed that there would be seven matches, and you won't be left out." After saying that, he dismounted and rushed to the seats of the leaders of various factions.
"Senior Dugu, I'm back." Ren Xiaoyao knelt down, his voice choked with emotion.
"Father-in-law is forcing out the poison..." Lin Feifan hurriedly said.
"No, I'm waiting for him." Dugu Yu suddenly opened his eyes, his aged eyes filled with care and kindness.
"Then what you said, Father-in-law..."
"The extraordinary poison that dissolves bones and scatters the world, how could it be forced out like that?" Dugu Yu stroked his beard and smiled. "The reason I pretended to use my internal energy to expel the poison was to stabilize the chaotic situation at the time, so that everyone going on stage could fight without any worries. The one who truly confronts the Ghostly Lord and maintains the balance of the Central Plains martial arts world is Master Ren." After Ren Xiaoyao returned to the Central Plains, the first thing he did was to write to Hengshan and truthfully report how he learned the Innate Supreme Qi. Dugu Yu was well aware of the immense power of the world's number one divine skill, and naturally believed that Ren Xiaoyao was the savior of the Central Plains martial arts world.
"This...this is too risky, what if..."
"There is no 'what if.' From the first day I met Xiaoyao, I knew that if the Central Plains martial arts world were to suffer a calamity, it would definitely be saved by his own hands." Dugu Yu spoke each word with weight, each word heavier than a thousand pieces of gold.
What an earnest hope this was, what a magnificent judgment this was.
Such courage, such spirit.
Such profound foresight and far-sighted vision could only belong to Dugu Yu, who had reigned supreme as the world's number one martial arts master for sixty years!
Ren Xiaoyao's eyes welled up with tears, and a surge of heroic spirit welled up within him. He choked back tears and said, "Senior, rest assured, even if it costs me my life, I will never fail you!" With that, he stood up abruptly, faced the high platform, and declared loudly, "Ghostly Lord, listen to me! As long as I, Ren Xiaoyao, live, I will never allow you to lay a finger on the Central Plains martial arts world!"
Looking at the fearless and heroic Ren Xiaoyao before him, Dugu Yu couldn't help but think of his dear friend, Ren Xiaoyao's father, Ren Qiaocui. "
Look, Brother Ren," he thought, "your son has grown up, completely grown up. It's not just the significant change in his appearance, but also the great maturity of his thoughts and mind. He now possesses the same charisma as you did back then. He is no longer the unrestrained, womanizing wanderer of the martial world, but a true hero, a pillar of strength, just like you!"
Liu Yuxu asked in astonishment, "Senior Dugu, do you mean... you want Sect Leader Ren to fight against Ghost Netherworld Lord?"
"Yes, we've both been poisoned. Only he in the world can deal with Ghost Netherworld Lord."
These words shocked everyone present.
Apart from Xiong Xiaotian, who had sparred with Ren Xiaoyao at Tingyu Pavilion and personally experienced the immense power of the Innate Supreme Qi, no one dared to believe he possessed such strength.
Yes, Ren Xiaoyao was a rare martial arts prodigy, exceptionally talented and gifted.
Yes, Ren Xiaoyao possessed countless unique skills, any one of which could be used to fight alone.
But he was still young, only in his early twenties. Even though his future achievements were destined to be limitless, he was currently no match for Ghost Netherworld Lord.
Deng Tao, already exhausted and weak from being overwhelmed by the demonic power of the Ghostly Netherworld Lord, was nearly asleep after being helped down from the platform by his followers. Upon hearing that Ren Xiaoyao was to fight, he forced himself to sit up and hissed, "No! Senior Dugu, absolutely not! The Ghostly Netherworld Lord's demonic power has greatly improved, far surpassing what it once was. If that happens, Leader Ren's martial arts will also improve..."
"Deng the Lackey, what are you yelling about, you piece of trash? Don't think everyone is like you. Ten years of hard work is worth less than one year. All your martial arts training has been for nothing," Yi Tianhan laughed and scolded. "Deng the Lackey" was Deng Tao's nickname from his early years, a playful jab at his baldness. For over a decade since Deng Tao became the Beggars' Sect's vice-leader, no one dared call him that.
Deng Tao dared not argue, nor did he have time to argue. He said miserably, "I... alas, I'm useless, I'm sorry to Elder Xiong, but... Brother Yi, Leader Ren is still young, no matter what... he can't possibly defeat Ghost Netherworld Lord."
"Hero Yi, you should go up."
"Yes, Hero Yi, only you can fight."
Among the eight masters, Yi Tianhan ranked fifth, Fu Longyuan sixth, and Meng Fei seventh. For a moment, all the heroes in the arena clamored for Yi Tianhan to fight.
No one noticed that from the moment Ren Xiaoyao entered the arena, two eerie flames immediately ignited in Ghost Netherworld Lord's eyes, a cruel and hateful glint that could chill anyone's heart, staring unblinkingly at Ren Xiaoyao.
Yi Tianhan, always eager for battle, was seething with anger after failing to hold off the mentally challenged man in a five-on-one fight. Hearing the thunderous cheers from the crowd, he couldn't resist the urge to win. He walked over and patted Ren Xiaoyao's shoulder forcefully, laughing, "How about... I go up and meet him first? If I can't beat him, then you can take over."
"Old ghost Yi, we've already lost three out of the best-of-seven matches. This battle is a must-win. If you go up and can't win, won't people have something to say about you?" Fu Longyuan pulled Lin Feifan aside, briefly inquired about the situation, and said loudly, "Xiaoyao, don't delay. Go and fight Ghost Netherworld Lord, let the world see the results of your three years of training."
Meng Fei also said, "The student surpasses the master. This battle that will determine the fate of the martial arts world is yours to fight!"
Ren Xiaoyao was squatting in front of Dugu Yu, listening to his instructions. Just then, he finished speaking, his sleeves fluttered, and he stood up with a "whoosh." A moment ago he was still bowing and insisting, and the next moment he had disappeared.
No, it wasn't disappearance, but a flash onto the high platform, standing opposite the Ghostly Lord.
So fast!
No one could even see his movement.
Everyone was stunned when Yi Tianhan, Fu Longyuan, and Meng Fei unanimously recommended Ren Xiaoyao to fight.
The Ghostly Lord stood there, his eyes deep-set, his brow bones prominent, his eyebrows like two thick strokes of ink, his eyes blazing with a fierce light, coldly staring at Ren Xiaoyao.
"The fifth match, your opponent is me."
"Is that so?" The Ghostly Lord unexpectedly revealed a slight smile, icy and chilling, speaking calmly.
The two were nearly five zhang apart, but for some reason, Ren Xiaoyao felt as if his opponent was already within arm's reach. He knew that if he made a move, a storm of killing intent would immediately come rushing towards him, without a moment's respite, completely unaffected by distance.
Facing a master of evil arts and the greatest demon in the world, Ren Xiaoyao dared not be negligent in the slightest. From the moment he appeared, his spirit, reaction and mind instantly rose to their peak state. His innate supreme qi naturally reacted and resisted the demonic power of the Ghost Netherworld God Lord. However, he suddenly turned his head and looked at Meng Fei with a cold and icy gaze.
Meng Fei, having secluded himself on Coconut Island, diligently practiced for twenty years, dedicating half his life to creating the Nine Revolutions Returning to Origin Force, all for the day he could kill Ghost Netherworld Lord and avenge his elder brother, sister-in-law, and his deceased family. At this moment, he should have glared fiercely, showing no mercy, but for some reason, he dared not meet the other's gaze.
Ghost Netherworld Lord's face darkened, and he said coldly, "Twenty years ago..."
Meng Fei trembled, actually taking two steps back in fear. Ghost Netherworld Lord's deep hatred for Ren Xiaoyao was beyond words. If he knew Ren Xiaoyao's identity, this would no longer be a contest concerning the fate of the martial world, but a duel between two generations, a thirty-year-old feud... no, a death match, a fight to the death where one side would not rest until the other was dead!
Undeniably, Ren Xiaoyao possesses the strength to rival Guiming Shenjun today, and his courage and spirit honed through countless battles in Fusang are second to none. However, Guiming Shenjun's life was ruined by Ren Qiaocui, and his resentment towards him is so deep that even the waters of the Three Rivers and Five Tigers could not wash it away. If he were to discover Ren Xiaoyao's identity, the immense power born from his hatred would be enough to unleash two, three, or even ten times his original fighting strength in an instant! Judging
from Meng Fei's reaction alone, Guiming Shenjun already knew that the information Xuan Qingqiu had relayed and the judgment he made based on it were correct—Ren Xiaoyao was indeed Ren Qiaocui's son, the infant who was taken away by Meng Fei back then. His eyes blazed with a fierce light. He threw a punch in mid-air, seemingly to vent his anger and resentment, and said sternly, "Alliance Leader Liu, let's skip the next two matches and decide the final outcome with this one. What do you say?"
The Central Plains Martial Alliance absolutely had to win the fifth match. Although the sixth and seventh matches featured Yi Tianhan, Fu Longyuan, and Meng Fei, their opponents were formidable figures like Tian Jue, Di Mie, and Feng Lei Shi. While the loss of Ximen Wulei had caused some emotional turmoil, they weren't entirely confident of victory.
According to Ghost Netherworld Lord, if Ren Xiaoyao won this match, the Asura Sect would be considered defeated, thus eliminating any concerns about the risks of the subsequent matches.
As the leader of the martial arts alliance, Liu Yuxu had no reason to refuse such a proposal. Just as he was about to agree, Ghost Netherworld Lord chuckled sinisterly, "Of course, I'll throw in two more matches, and you'll have to raise your bets too..." He glanced at Yi Tianhan, Fu Longyuan, and Meng Fei, his voice suddenly rising, "If you lose, the three of you will also have to commit suicide. What do you say, dare you or not?"
Meng Fei's body trembled violently, his already rapidly beating heartstrings suddenly tightening: "This...this...this...Ghost Netherworld Lord wants to achieve everything in one battle, not only to avenge his blood feud but also to annihilate all the masters of the Central Plains martial arts world and complete the Asura Sect's hegemony of unifying the martial arts world. In other words, he...he's holding nothing back, he's really going to fight to the death!!!"
"Alright!" Fu Longyuan agreed without any hesitation.
Yi Tianhan hesitated slightly, and the Wind and Thunder Envoy yelled, "Old ghost Yi, scared? If you don't have the guts, don't come. Just go back to your sea."
Yi Tianhan had a fiery temper and couldn't stand being provoked. The Wind and Thunder Envoy was his old nemesis, so he wasn't about to be laughed at. Hearing this, he immediately shouted, "Xiaoyao, fight well! If you lose, who will I take on?"
"Hero Meng, what about you?" Liu Yuxu turned around and asked. Although he was the leader of the martial arts alliance, he couldn't, and dared not, represent the eight god-like masters in the hearts of the heroes.
"I..." Meng Fei choked up, his eyes already filled with tears.
"Don't hesitate, this battle is inevitable!" Deng Lei said as he walked over, gave Meng Fei a hard shove on the shoulder, and whispered a few more words in his ear.
Meng Fei's eyes lit up at first glance, then returned to their usual anxious and worried weariness. He said in a deep voice, "Xiaoyao, go!"
The three words fell instantly, all the noise and chaos ceasing, and countless eyes turned towards the high platform.
The fate of the Central Plains martial arts world… no, the Great Song Dynasty, the entire Great Song Dynasty, was about to be decided!
The Ghostly Lord laughed loudly, devoid of his usual arrogance and haughtiness, instead radiating endless desolation and sorrow.
Sunlight flickered, illuminating his veined face, making it appear as if hundreds of centipedes were writhing and biting.
Ren Xiaoyao was stunned, but to his surprise, the Ghostly Lord suddenly lowered his head, his eyes turning crimson, the skin on his hands, feet, and face turning purplish-red in an instant, his entire body as if engulfed in flames. He roared, "You bastard, prepare to die!!!" He lunged forward, his palms meeting in a single motion, unleashing a torrent of intense, powerful Yang energy, fierce as a whirlwind, unstoppable, accompanied by a series of crackling sounds as it surged towards Ren Xiaoyao. The
attack was sudden. Even though Ren Xiaoyao was a seasoned warrior, even though he was on high alert, even though he possessed unparalleled sixth sense, he could never have imagined that the Ghostly Lord, who had always been arrogant and domineering, would abandon his status, position, and dignity to use such a despicable, shameless, and vile sneak attack in front of his subordinates and the heroes of the Central Plains!
This was the culmination of thirty years of resentment and meticulous planning by the Ghostly Lord, a strike unleashed with all his might. His speed was unparalleled; he was upon Ren Xiaoyao in the blink of an eye.
"Xiaoyao, get out of the way!!!" Xiaoming, Xiaochen, Lin Feifan, Nangong Bubai, Dugu Hong, Deng Tao, and the others cried out in unison. Having witnessed the battle at Five Cloud Mountain, they all recognized that the Ghostly Lord had, in the instant before his attack, forcibly elevated the power of the Blood Curse of No Return to its highest level, "Purgatory Fire Sea," with his incredibly profound cultivation. This resulted in the strange phenomenon of "purple eyes and fiery pupils, burning body and scorching skin."
Back then, when he used this to control his sword, even Xiao Yusun in his prime dared not presume to withstand its edge.
Let alone Ren Xiaoyao.

In Chapter 5 of Volume 41, Ren

Xiaoyao, without dodging or evading, roared and leaped into the air in a split second, delaying the impact of the Ghostly Netherworld Lord's palm strike. His right palm descended, drawing a circle in the air, while his left palm rose, followed immediately by his right palm soaring upwards. All his internal energy was concentrated in this palm, like a divine dragon piercing the sky, heading straight for the Ghostly Netherworld Lord. His movements were incredibly fast; apart from Dugu Yu and Liu Yuxu, even Xiao Chen, Yi Tianhan, and Fu Longyuan couldn't see it clearly.
This palm strike came from above, not a direct clash with the Thunder Palm's edge. The two astonishing forces collided like a whirlwind, shattering the wooden planks on the stage.
"Boom!" The sound of their palms clashing was earth-shattering.
Ren Xiaoyao was thrown into the air, spinning like a top.
The Ghostly Netherworld Lord was forcefully pushed back, staggering sideways, gaining no advantage whatsoever.
With a few feet to go before reaching the edge of the platform, Ren Xiaoyao's spin began to slow, ending abruptly as his heels touched the edge. He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, clearly suffering internal injuries.
Guiming Shenjun finally regained his footing, stumbling sideways for a step before finally standing firm. He coughed up a small mouthful of blood, his face turning pale, and looked at Ren Xiaoyao with disbelief.
He caught it… he caught it! Without dodging, without yielding, without avoiding—he had actually caught the force of the "Hellfire Sea."
The entire arena erupted in uproar.
"Innate Supreme Qi!!!" Xiaochen exclaimed in shock, his expression filled with astonishment.
"Yes, it is indeed Innate Supreme Qi. Abbot Xiaoming and Master Xiaochen both experienced it firsthand during the Battle of Bianliang; they should be well aware of its power," Dugu Yu smiled slightly.
"Of course...of course..." Xiaoming's lips parted, and his body, which had struggled to stand up, slumped back down with a thud. His voice trembled as he said, "Yelü Deguang, whom six masters—one monk, two companions, three swordsmen, and six other
experts—couldn't handle, only...only lasted three moves against Hero Feng...Everyone, the martial arts world of the Central Plains is saved! Saved! We will surely win this match!!!" The dignified abbot of Shaolin was so unusually excited that even those who hadn't heard of the Battle of Bianliang and didn't know the situation at the time could imagine how powerful the Innate Supreme Qi was. In an instant, the crowd erupted in cheers that shook the heavens, as if they already knew the final outcome of the match without even needing to look.
No one noticed that Ren Xiaoyao on the stage was currently groaning in despair, his handsome face drained of color, completely unable to believe what he was seeing.
The innate supreme qi circulated freely and at will, and because all the acupoints and meridians in his body were open and unobstructed, he could instantly raise his power to its peak.
In other words, even when Ghost Netherworld Lord took the full force of the innate supreme qi head-on, he only coughed up a small mouthful of blood, and his injuries were less severe than his own.
This was impossible, yet it was an undeniable fact unfolding before his eyes.
While it was true that due to the time constraint, his "Pushing the Window to Gaze at the Moon," which should have drawn three semi-circles in the air to complete its power-gathering, was launched before it was even halfway through, making its power slightly inferior, even disregarding the impact of that, Ghost Netherworld Lord's current power was still comparable to the innate qi he had unleashed with all his might after opening his seven acupoints.
How could this be? The Blood Curse of No Return actually fought to a draw with the world's number one divine skill!?
On the contrary, Ghost Netherworld Lord was smiling, a strange, chilling smile, a smile of complete confidence.
How could this be, so calm in the face of innate supreme qi for the first time!?
Ren Xiaoyao had no time to think, for he knew that facing such a formidable opponent, he couldn't rely on his usual light-footed skills to wear down the opponent's stamina and spirit. Instead, he had to go all out from the start!
"Clang!" As he lunged forward, Ren Xiaoyao drew his gleaming Ice Soul Frost Sword, unleashing a streak of azure light like a lightning bolt. This was a departure from his usual unpredictable and elusive swordplay; with the force of thunder and earth-shattering power, he charged straight at Ghost Netherworld Lord, sword and man one.
Ghost Netherworld Lord cursed again, "You bastard, you're courting death!"
His right hand transformed into a hand blade, slashing fiercely at the spine of the Ice Soul Frost Sword.
"Bang!" The force exploded.
Ren Xiaoyao only used six-tenths of his true strength, and was inevitably shaken, causing his blood to churn. However, his purpose was not this; rather, he used the opportunity of the "Free and Easy Wandering" technique, a superb movement technique, to spin around and move to the upper left of Gui Ming Shenjun. Not only did he dodge Gui Ming Shenjun's counter-attack sleeve in time, but he also swept his sword at Gui Ming Shenjun's right shoulder with impeccable precision. At the same time, the fierce feeling of charging and breaking through thousands of troops on the battlefield surged in his heart, and he used a ruthless move without holding back, ready to die with his enemy.
"Sword Control Style Secret Technique? Dragon Hammer Flash!" Yi Tianhan shouted.
Ghost Lord of the Underworld also let out a sound of surprise. Over the years, with the help of Absolute Kill, the Asura Sect had thoroughly investigated the martial arts styles of the Four Heroes of the Martial World. Especially after receiving the information from Xuan Qingqiu, who suspected that Ren Xiaoyao was the infant from back then, he immediately ordered his subordinates to investigate him thoroughly, down to every single move Ren Xiaoyao had ever used since his debut. That's why Ren Xiaoyao suffered such a great loss in their first direct confrontation.
But even with Absolute Kill's all-seeing eyes, it was impossible for him to travel across the ocean to Japan to investigate. Even if he did go to Japan, he couldn't possibly find out the ultimate secrets of the Flying Sword Style.
Therefore, he dared not take it head-on, dared not rely solely on his bare hands and the fierce sword move that came from above, swift as lightning. He shifted his feet and dodged quickly, trying to bypass Ren Xiaoyao in the extremely narrow space beside him.
This "Shifting Stars" technique was the most profound movement technique of the Asura Sect. Ghostly Lord's robes fluttered, as if wings had sprouted from his ribs. In a flash, he seemed poised to escape the sword aura's embrace, but suddenly, with a "whoosh," a cold, sharp blade flashed before his eyes, abruptly blocking his path. He hastily freed his left palm and unleashed a powerful strike, the astonishing energy of the Blood Curse of No Return surging forth like the sturdy bow of a ship breaking through waves, forcefully cleaving a gap in Ren Xiaoyao's fierce sword aura, aiming straight for his chest.
Ren Xiaoyao neither dodged nor evaded, but instead unleashed another move, "Soaring Dragon Flash." The latent power within his sword was incomparably sharp, shattering the remaining force of the Blood Curse of No Return in one fell swoop. Ghostly Lord couldn't gather his energy as quickly as Ren Xiaoyao, and before he could redouble his palm strike, "Double Dragon Flash" arrived unexpectedly before him. The wind from the blade pressed against his body, forcing him to retreat seven steps to avoid the remaining force.
Ren Xiaoyao, holding the Ice Soul Frost Sword upside down, leaped into pursuit, unleashing a "Tornado Flash" from left to right. The blade, gleaming with a cold light, cut through the wind, its movements swift and powerful, its speed unparalleled, like a gazelle leaping through the air, leaving no trace.
Seeing him pursue, Ghost Netherworld Lord turned and struck with a palm, but his palm force was shattered by the sword's fierce power. Filled with resentment, he cursed again, "Bastard!" and unleashed a flurry of palm strikes, like a chaotic thunderclap, incredibly fast and fierce.
Ren Xiaoyao roared, his Ice Soul Frost Sword sweeping horizontally like surging waves, instantly annihilating the power of Ghost Netherworld Lord's palm strikes.
"Draw your sword, or you're doomed."
"Bastard!" Ghost Netherworld Lord's eyes flashed with lightning, repeatedly uttering the same curse. He raised his left palm, circulating the power of the Blood Curse of No Return through his eight extraordinary meridians, and struck Ren Xiaoyao head-on.
Anyone less courageous, having been repeatedly thwarted by the Flying Sword Style's profound mysteries without any knowledge of Fusang ninjutsu, would surely have adopted a defensive stance. However, Ghostly Lord was no ordinary person. While attacking, he used mysterious and profound footwork, each movement slightly faster than Ren Xiaoyao's judgment. His palms struck alternately, meeting the incoming sword shadows from unexpected angles with unpredictable speed.
The sounds of palms clashing with swords rang out like a sudden rainstorm, sometimes dense, sometimes scattered.
Amidst the flashing sword light and the cold glint of lightning, Ghostly Lord resembled a nimble and unpredictable vulture searching for prey on the vast plains, performing various poses in mid-air, sometimes circling and swooping down, sometimes flying sideways and diagonally upwards, seemingly without any weight.
Yi Tianhan, Fu Longyuan, Meng Fei, and the others frowned deeply. They knew that Ren Xiaoyao had gone all out from the very beginning, abandoning countless of his own unique skills and employing moves that Guiming Shenjun would never have seen before. He had used almost all the trump cards he had learned in Fusang, hoping to strike first and catch his opponent off guard. However, Guiming Shenjun was as mighty as a god, blocking and parrying each move with unexpected internal and external strength, relentlessly resisting Ren Xiaoyao's all-out, storm-like, fierce attacks.
At this moment, although Guiming Shenjun was at a disadvantage, he showed no signs of defeat. Once he figured out the patterns of the Flying Sword Style, Ren Xiaoyao would face an unprecedentedly fierce and comprehensive counterattack.
"Clang!" The palm and sword suddenly came together and then separated. Ren Xiaoyao used the force to spin away and retreat.
The Ghostly Lord's clothes ripped open with a "whoosh," revealing two faint bloodstains on his shoulder.
His momentum abruptly stopped, and Ren Xiaoyao stood proudly, raising his sword to point at his opponent, coldly saying, "Good, good indeed, your 'Radiant Wind Surrounding Stones' technique. You withstood my double strikes and are unharmed. It's no less impressive than the Shaolin Vajra Indestructible Body Technique."
"You—bastard—" the Ghostly Lord roared, lunging forward again. His shout was loud and clear, but his attack was light and airy, aimed directly at Ren Xiaoyao's chest.
The palm strike was ordinary, but midway through, it suddenly shifted to the side, flowing smoothly towards his abdomen. The change of attack was incredibly fast, passing through the wind like a sword, rendering Ren Xiaoyao's "Dragon Hammer Soaring Flash" completely ineffective.
"He...he dodged it! How...how is this possible?!" Yi Tianhan exclaimed in shock. "Dragon Hammer Soaring Flash is a combination of Dragon Hammer Flash and Dragon Soaring Flash, combining elements of combo attacks and dashes. It's known as an 'undefendable and unavoidable technique.' On the day of the competition for the leadership of the seven major sects, Xiaoyao had ample intelligence and knew everything about the Flying Sky Sword Style beforehand. Even when Sect Master Kato used 'Dragon Hammer Soaring Flash,' he still managed to make him flustered. How could Ghost Netherworld God Lord..."
"He saw through it! He has seen through the secrets of the Flying Sky Sword Style!" Meng Fei said, trembling.
"Are you kidding me? A martial art that once shook Japan is so easily..."
"Not enough practice." Fu Longyuan hit the nail on the head, sighing, "No matter how talented Xiaoyao is, he's only familiar with Central Plains martial arts. The nine moves of the Flying Sky Sword Style combine ninjutsu, taijutsu, and illusion, mysterious and unfathomable. If Kishimoto Masashi were to wield it, the Dragon Hammer would cleave through anything, unstoppable. Xiaoyao hasn't practiced it deliberately, so his moves aren't refined; secondly, his mastery of ninjutsu and illusion is somewhat lacking; and thirdly, in order to reach Xunfeng City in time, he's been traveling for days without sleep, so neither his mental will nor his physical strength is at its best. That's why, in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the Ghost Underworld God-King, who knows nothing about the Flying Sky Sword Style, figured out his moves."
"Then... what do we do now?"
"Change moves, keep changing moves, and see through all of Ghost Underworld God-King's moves before he sees them all."

In Chapter Six of Volume Forty-One

, "Controlling the Sword with the Mind," Ren Xiaoyao reacted with astonishing speed, slashing out with his sword to deflect the back of his opponent's hand, using the profound technique of the Flying Sword Style.
Gui Ming Shenjun reacted even faster, moving with effortless grace, his figure shifting and appearing behind Ren Xiaoyao in the blink of an eye. His palms danced, striking Ren Xiaoyao
's back twice. Both men's movements were unparalleled in their speed; dozens of moves had passed in an instant. Gui Ming Shenjun's eyes blazed with purple light, his palm techniques unpredictable, each strike changing direction mid-strike, yet carrying an indescribable, wild, and domineering aura, like a savage monster from ancient times. Fueled by his boundless resentment towards Ren Xiaoyao's emaciated state, he completely abandoned all other thoughts, each move aimed to kill, his palm winds possessing the power to sweep away a thousand armies.
Such a single move, simultaneously containing both hard and soft forces, was something even Dugu Yu had never witnessed before.
Ren Xiaoyao's robes fluttered, his sword flashing. The Ice Soul Frost Sword followed him like a shadow, unleashing a series of thrusts. Wherever Ghost Netherworld Lord went, Ren Xiaoyao would follow with a different attack. His inner energy surged and churned, his swordplay continuous yet swift and agile, his movements still exuding a graceful and elegant air, resulting in a stalemate.
"A draw!? Ghost Netherworld Lord has already seen through the secrets of the Flying Sky Sword Style, and Xiaoyao hasn't changed his moves, so why..." Fu Longyuan was also completely bewildered.
"Controlling the sword with the mind," Dugu Yu suddenly said.
"What?"
"Controlling the sword with the mind, the highest realm of swordsmanship, with no fixed rules for moves. Every move is aimed at the opponent's weakness, and every sword strike is the result of countless refinements, a masterpiece of nature." Dugu Yu stroked his beard and smiled. "Therefore, Xiaoyao's swordsmanship may appear the same as before, but its inner meaning is quite different, naturally ensuring a stalemate."
Dugu Hong interjected, "Since it is the highest realm, it should have the upper hand, so how come..."
"Ren Qiaocui once reached the realm of controlling the sword with the mind, but he was only slightly better than Guiming Shenjun. Now, more than twenty years have passed..."
Before he could finish speaking, Guiming Shenjun suddenly exhaled in a deep voice, rushed forward like lightning, and suddenly thousands of palm shadows attacked him, but he seemed to have disappeared into the palm shadows.
Ren Xiaoyao was a master of lightness skills, so how could he not know that his opponent was using a wondrous footwork technique, moving towards him at a ghostly speed, constantly changing position, and employing ever-changing and complex attack moves that obscured even his own form? A slight miscalculation could turn any strike into his death warrant.
Ren Xiaoyao dared not be careless. His wrist moved swiftly, unleashing Fu Longyuan's signature move, "Nine Techniques of Dragon Control," a straight thrust, "Battle Dragon Breaks the Sky." His stance was as steady as a mountain, seemingly simple, yet containing incredibly profound mental techniques and sword principles. It was both slow and fast, combining offense and defense, its speed making it difficult to predict; the trembling of the sword tip, like the tongue of a serpent, gave the impression that the attack could change direction at any moment, leaving the opponent no room to dodge.
Although his naked eye couldn't pinpoint his opponent's location, his sixth sense clearly identified the enemy's strongest core energy, allowing him to pinpoint the optimal target for his counterattack.
Though a clever move, it wasn't a killing blow. Ghostly Lord saw through it immediately. Ren Xiaoyao's sword strike was a test, intended to force him to reveal a weakness, after which an endless barrage of attacks would follow.
"Bang!" Ghostly Lord transformed his palm into a hand blade, wielding it like a weapon to meet force with force, once again blocking Ren Xiaoyao's powerful attack, producing a resounding explosion of clashing energy.
Ren Xiaoyao was violently thrown back, his tiger's mouth splitting open, his weapon nearly slipping from his grasp.
Ghostly Lord coldly shouted, about to seize the opportunity to launch a counterattack, when suddenly a brilliant light appeared before his eyes. The Ice Soul Frost Sword, like a bolt of lightning from the heavens, pierced through the thick clouds and thrust towards his chest.
What's going on!? Wasn't he already knocked back by me?
Ghostly Lord was secretly astonished. He formed a knife with his left fingers and a fist with his right, taking a sudden step forward and delivering a powerful, spiraling punch that slammed into the sharp edge of Ren Xiaoyao's sword energy. Then, he unleashed a hand strike, using the shifted footwork to cut through the gap in Ren Xiaoyao's sword stance from the left. His movements were unpredictable and agile, designed to force Ren Xiaoyao to change his attack and defend.
Ren Xiaoyao used the "Shadow Clone Technique," intending to confuse Ghostly Lord and catch him off guard. However, he hadn't expected the opponent's judgment to be so accurate. The opponent recovered from the confusion in an instant and launched a timely and effective counterattack. His prepared dozen or so moves were instantly rendered useless.
Helpless, Ren Xiaoyao lowered his body and swept his sword back, barely deflecting Ghostly Lord's palm strike, which was filled with true energy.
With a "thud," the palm strike accurately hit the spine of the sword, just avoiding the impact of the blade edge. The gleaming, razor-sharp sword could not even damage the edge of his palm.
Both men shuddered and retreated simultaneously.
Ren Xiaoyao gasped for breath, only calming down slightly after a while. He concentrated his inner energy, standing firmly with his sword pointing straight ahead, as immovable as a mountain – the starting stance of the "Soaring Sky Sword Technique.
" Gui Ming Shenjun, enraged at the sight, roared like a hungry wolf spotting its prey. Suddenly, he rose several inches off the ground, his wide robes billowing, moving towards Ren Xiaoyao with astonishing speed. Combined with his tall, slender physique, he resembled a demon from hell descending to earth.
With each approach, the inner energy suppressed by the Blood Curse of Wuwang intensified, foreshadowing the ferocity and unstoppable attack that would follow when this powerful enemy was upon him.
Ren Xiaoyao stood frozen in place, sword held horizontally to his chest, his feet neither too far apart. Just when everyone thought he was about to defend with all his might, he suddenly unleashed his trump card. The tip of his sword trembled and vibrated, producing three sword flowers in a triangular shape... No, not three flowers, but three flowers forming one flower, then three flowers forming another, three times three equals nine, a total of nine flowers, exquisitely subtle!
The hand blade strike unleashed by the Ghostly Lord was completely different from his previous blade techniques, entirely different. A bright, sharp light slowly emerged from his palm, rising along the edge of his hand to his fingertips, bursting forth with a blood-red glow about a foot long, like a waning moon in the sky, sharp and eerie. It was proof that he had reached the pinnacle of cultivating the Blood Curse of No Return—"Blood Shadow Mad Blade".
The flash of the blade not only shocked the onlookers, but also made Dugu Yu's heart tremble: "No wonder... no wonder he passed the Bloodthirsty Soul-Snatching Sword to his disciple. It turns out that he can already use the ultimate move that he hadn't mastered back then with ease."
The Ice Soul Frost Sword was unstoppable, aiming straight for the Ghost Netherworld God Lord's midsection. The Ghost Netherworld
God Lord smiled coldly, bent his arm and slanted his palm, and the blade-shaped aura suddenly slashed out, actually deflecting the Ice Soul Frost Sword's attack from a distance, deflecting it by a foot!
Ren Xiaoyao's body stiffened, and he was so shocked that his arm went numb and sore, which went straight to his shoulder. This was the first time he had suffered such a great loss in a head-on confrontation since he had mastered the Innate Supreme Qi. He was secretly surprised: "So powerful!" He spun around to dissipate the force, his inner energy circulated rapidly, and the numbness and soreness disappeared instantly. He thrust out a sword with a backhand, with a majestic aura, like Mount Tai pressing down. Countless subsequent moves were like layers of halls, each more open and magnificent than the last. It was none other than the eleventh move, "It is difficult to meet and difficult to part."
That day, he and Shui Furong returned to Tingyu Pavilion with the Jade Blood Pearl. On the way, they were ambushed by Jue Sha and trapped in Yonghe Manor. It was by using this opportunity to break through the ten-thousand-pound iron cage in Zhaixing Tower and escape. Now, with the aid of the supreme innate qi, the extremely yang and powerful scorching true qi, the ferocity and strength of his power are unimaginable.
Guiming Shenjun glared coldly at the sword light and uttered in a cold voice: "Bastard, you overestimate yourself!" The Blood Shadow Mad Blade shot out with great speed, accompanied by a strong wind. It was truly as fast as lightning, as if a ghost was rising, as if a star was collapsing. With a raise and a slash, the "difficult to meet and difficult to part" qi was instantly disintegrated.
Guiming Shenjun's moves were as fast as lightning. As soon as he used his blade, the next move followed immediately. There was no obstruction in his movements. Everyone watched with trepidation, fearing that Ren Xiaoyao might be caught off guard and take advantage of him.
The Lingxiao Sword Technique has no fixed moves; its focus is on sword intent. Ren Xiaoyao wields his sword with his mind, and all his moves are filled with boundless creativity and exquisite subtlety, producing techniques that are as seamless as the tracks of birds in the sky or the paths of fish in the water. Therefore , he is invincible in battle and can easily gain the upper hand.
But today, his opponent is the Ghostly Netherworld Lord, who has regarded defeat to Ren Qiaocui as a great humiliation his entire life and has spent his life studying how to counter the Lingxiao Sword Technique!
Who could imagine that the Ghostly Lord, relying solely on the Blood Shadow Blade formed from his right palm, relentlessly slashed and parried, over and over again. No matter how much innate supreme energy accompanied by the Lingxiao Sword Technique was applied, the Ghostly Lord could not falter even slightly, the blade's edge heading straight for the Ice Soul Frost Sword—the sword light flicked, the Ice Soul Frost Sword was deflected again, and the sixteenth move, "Having seen the ocean, other waters are insignificant," was also forced to retreat.
The Ghostly Lord pressed forward frantically, his eyes blazing with fire. The Blood Shadow Blade swept across Ren Xiaoyao's throat, but fortunately, Ren Xiaoyao's lightness skill allowed him to dodge using the swift movement of "Free and Easy Wandering ." Otherwise, without the protection of the Vast Snow-Treading Armor, a blow to the neck would have been fatal, even for a Great Luo Golden Immortal.
The sword shadow dissipated, and Ren Xiaoyao stood on the edge of the high platform, panting heavily.
For the first time, he felt a chill run down his spine, realizing his opponent was an invincible foe. He knew his confidence was eroding under the opponent's powerful onslaught, and if this continued, defeat was inevitable. Not only would he die on the spot, ending his martial arts journey, but he would also drag many predecessors down with him, causing the annihilation of the Central Plains martial arts world.
Despite these thoughts, even Ren Xiaoyao felt an overwhelming sense of despair before the Blood Shadow Mad Blade, whose power seemed to pierce the universe.
"Why, why is the Ghostly Netherworld Lord not at a disadvantage in his battle against the Supreme Innate Qi? He even... he even has a slight advantage! This... his skill isn't much higher than Yelü Deguang's back then..." Seeing Ren Xiaoyao becoming increasingly passive and seemingly on the verge of defeat, Xiaoming was frantic, completely losing the composure and confidence expected of the Shaolin Abbot. His monk's robes were disheveled, and he stammered.
"The function of the innate supreme qi is to unblock the meridians throughout the body, allowing the internal energy to flow smoothly and unimpeded, enabling the true qi to circulate freely and be controlled at will. The power depends on the number of acupoints opened in the body." Dugu Yu stared intently at the platform, his aged eyes unblinking, and slowly said, "Feng Renqiu endured countless tribulations to create this divine skill. With all nine acupoints opened, its power is unparalleled. As for Xiaoyao... if I'm not mistaken, Xiaoyao can only activate seven at most."
"Seven? Seven should be enough to deal with the 'Hellfire Sea', right?" Xiao Chen said in a deep voice.
"No, it's 'Hellfire Sea,' it's 'Calamity Fire,' the ninth level of the Blood Curse of No Delusion, 'Calamity Fire.'"
Xiaoming was stunned upon hearing this, looking at Dugu Yu in astonishment, and asked in confusion, "The highest level of the Blood Curse of No Delusion is clearly the Hellfire Sea, when did this... appear?"
"The master who created the Blood Curse of No Delusion, although his internal strength was strong, had not reached the level of Ghost Netherworld Lord today. He reached the eighth level of the Blood Curse of No Delusion. He could no longer cultivate the ninth level of the mental cultivation method he wrote. He only relied on his intelligence and imagination to try to change it. Among the successive leaders of the Asura Sect, there were already few who practiced the Blood Curse of No Delusion, even fewer who reached the sixth level, almost none who reached the seventh level, and only Ghost Netherworld Lord who reached the eighth level. Over time, they naturally overlooked this 'Calamity Fire,' which was beyond human power to overcome. I only learned about it from an old friend who mentioned it by chance. I never expected this..."
"Old man Dugu, you're quite clever." The Ghostly Lord suddenly turned his head, coldly interrupting, "After returning to the Western Regions, I spent twenty years painstakingly researching and finally completed the entire mental technique of 'Heavenly Calamity Fire,' achieving it in one fell swoop. I was about to reach the pinnacle of 'Yang within Yang,' but now… hahaha, don't even think about it, Dugu Yu, or this overconfident bastard, even if Ren Xiaoyao were still alive, he wouldn't be able to defeat me!"
"Hmph, you think I'm betting on the Innate Supreme Qi? You're sorely mistaken!" Dugu Yu sneered, "Mastering the Innate Supreme Qi only makes Xiaoyao less afraid of the inner strength of the Blood Curse of No Return, giving him the capital to challenge you. What truly determines victory is…" He didn't finish his sentence, instead looking at Ren Xiaoyao on the stage.

Volume 41, Chapter 7: Without the Wings of a Colorful Phoenix,

Ren Xiaoyao was trapped in a crisis he had never encountered before.
He was a veteran of countless battles, having faced numerous masters and been driven to the brink of defeat more than once. Yet, even when he found an opening in his opponent's mind, he could exploit that weakness with superior tactics to defeat them.
In comparison, the Ghostly Lord was far superior to all his previous opponents. His mental cultivation was impeccable, like a towering mountain that had existed since time immemorial, unshaken by even the fiercest winds. Neither Kato Taka, Mutou Ran, nor Aizen Sosuke could compare.
The only one comparable was Kishimoto Masashi, but Ren Xiaoyao never actually fought him, only receiving the "Swallow Return Secret Sword" as a favor.
Why did he have this feeling?
Was it because his sixth sense activated upon entering the arena, infinitely enhancing his spiritual perception?
Or was it because his opponent was cunning and had already foreseen everything that would happen in the duel?
Or was it because he had been traveling for days without sleep, leaving him in a very low state?
Ren Xiaoyao was utterly bewildered, completely unable to explain the reason for this situation. The only thing he was clear about was that in the confrontation of momentum, he had fallen into a disadvantageous position, hence the feeling of dejection at being unable to defeat his opponent.
A warning bell rang in Ren Xiaoyao's heart; he knew that if he continued to fight without success, this feeling would be enough to drag him into defeat.
However, even knowing this, he couldn't change the fact.
The Ghostly Lord's aura completely enveloped him; under his sharp, gleaming eyes, Ren Xiaoyao felt as if he had been seen through, as utterly humiliating as if he were naked. The Ghostly Lord's
eyes were flashing with an increasingly intense purple light, indicating that he was constantly gathering his strength.
Facing the earth-shattering, unparalleled all-out attack he was about to unleash, he absolutely could not retreat even a fraction, otherwise, it would be a crushing defeat, until he was killed.
No, he couldn't lose, he absolutely couldn't lose.
If he lost, it wouldn't just be his own life that was lost, but the lives of countless others in the Central Plains martial arts world.
In this crucial moment, Ren Xiaoyao looked up, took a deep breath, and banished all distracting thoughts and emotions from his mind. He opened his seven acupoints to their maximum capacity, his blood vessels constricted, accelerating blood flow. His internal energy circulated throughout his body, instantly dispelling all fatigue and weariness. His inner energy surged, transforming into two opposing forces. Suddenly, he lunged forward, charging straight at Guiming Shenjun. When he was about ten feet in front of him, he abruptly shifted to the side, unleashing the Ice Soul Frost Sword with a whooshing sound—three horizontal and two vertical strikes, its momentum overwhelming, seemingly capable of cleaving his opponent into nine pieces.
Guiming Shenjun's eyes blazed with fury, his killing intent intensifying.
The son of his enemy, whose fighting spirit had been almost completely extinguished by Ren Xiaoyao's Blood Curse of No Return, suddenly stood as steady as a mountain, his robes billowing, as if he had become a different person. Even he couldn't understand how Ren Xiaoyao could regain his fighting spirit in such a short time, casually unleashing such a profound, unpredictable, and powerful sword move.
Even more bizarrely, as Ren Xiaoyao shifted sideways, the indestructible true energy field he had constructed with the Blood Curse of No Return suddenly seemed to lose its center of gravity and target, becoming shaky and unstable. This made it impossible for him to control his power, and he hurriedly dodged the sword's edge, his left palm striking forward with the momentum, aiming for Ren Xiaoyao's chest.
Ren Xiaoyao's sword abruptly shifted, seemingly abandoning the approaching left palm and instead slashing halfway to the right.
Sure enough, the Ghostly Underworld Lord's left palm strike was a feint, stopping midway to draw Ren Xiaoyao's attention, allowing his right palm's Blood Shadow Blade to strike and kill instantly. But Ren Xiaoyao, having already sensed this, immediately reversed his actions, transforming into a gleaming blue sword, waiting for his opponent to come to him.
The Ghostly Underworld Lord sneered, his previously stopped left palm suddenly thrusting forward, grabbing at the chest with a powerful, earth-shattering force, producing a thunderous roar before even a sound could be heard.
Ren Xiaoyao reacted with lightning speed, parrying with his sword. Although he was a fraction of a second slower, his opponent's sudden attack from a standstill was also a fraction of a second slower than normal, giving him just enough time to parry.
At that moment, Gui Ming Shenjun's surprise attack with his left palm suddenly stopped again, all his power flowing back to his right arm. The Blood Shadow Mad Blade's edge blazed brightly, the resulting gust of wind surging outwards like waves, spiraling energy erupting from the blade with a deafening roar, shooting like a meteor towards Ren Xiaoyao's throat.
"Three feints and one real attack!?" The crowd finally realized, but they were too shocked to utter a sound.
Ghostly Lord had long anticipated that Ren Xiaoyao had not only seen through his first feint, but also that his second would be useless. Unexpectedly, he used the three feints and one real attack, thus gaining the best opportunity to strike—if Ren Xiaoyao were hit, even with his Bloodstained Armor, impervious to blades and spears, the damage from his internal energy would be enough to inflict serious injury. Ren Xiaoyao
actually smiled, a cold smile, as if he had anticipated this attack. He was well-prepared to counter Ren Xiaoyao's clumsiness with clumsy force, his Ice Soul Frost Sword swinging with effortless grace, circling in the air as if powerless, and returning in the blink of an eye.
Three feints and one real attack, all seen through!!!
Almost instantly, Ren Xiaoyao regained the initiative he had lost long ago.
At this moment, Ghostly Lord couldn't change his move in time; his Blood Shadow Blade remained unchanged, this time raising it upwards.
With his vast experience and keen eyesight, he was completely baffled as to how Ren Xiaoyao had discerned his meticulously planned and unexpected series of moves—three feints and one real attack.
Only Yi Tianhan, Fu Longyuan, and Meng Fei knew that Ren Xiaoyao relied on his extraordinary sixth sense
—intuition. He could see through his opponent's every move without seeing or hearing, simply by sensing their aura. "Boom!" The two opposing streams of true energy within Ren Xiaoyao's body swirled into a single column, erupting like a torrent from his sword to meet the chillingly murderous Blood Shadow Blade. Sword and blade
clashed, and both men trembled violently.
Ren Xiaoyao used the momentum to leap into the air, unprecedentedly wielding his sword with both hands, raising it high above his head.
His mind, spirit, and will were entirely focused on the thick-backed blade; self and others, honor and disgrace, were no longer of concern.
Guiming Shenjun gave him no chance to gather his strength. With a roar, he leaped upwards with all his might. A chilling, piercing force, so intense it made it hard to breathe, stung his eyes, and felt like needles pricking his body, surged forth with his movement. Although it was only early summer in June, Ren Xiaoyao felt as if he were under the blazing heat of August, his blood and qi seemingly boiling.
The demonic power of the Wuwang Blood Curse was so formidable; no wonder it was hailed as the number one master of the evil path.
Ren Xiaoyao smiled slightly, crossed his feet, and used the Flying Immortal Transformation technique to ascend straight upwards. Compared to his leaping ability, Guiming Shenjun was no match for him. Once he reached mid-air and escaped the Wuwang Blood Curse's aura, he could calmly gather his strength and launch a fierce attack.
How could the Ghostly Lord allow him to succeed? He hastily activated the "Heavenly Calamity Fire," the blazing flames surrounding his body suddenly turning purple, and flames seemed to erupt from beneath his feet, his speed increasing exponentially. The distance of two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) was like a few feet, covered in an instant. The concept of shrinking the earth to an inch was nothing short of this.
"So fast, even faster than your Ascension to Immortality..." Deng Lei's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed.
"Xiaoyao hasn't used his full strength." Meng Fei smiled faintly.
"What!?"
"If he wanted to, no one could catch up... absolutely, absolutely no one!"
Even as the words were still uttered, Ren Xiaoyao let out a long roar, and his Ice Soul Frost Sword slashed down like lightning.
He hadn't even considered leaping into the air to accumulate strength; this was all to lure the Ghostly Lord into pursuit—the Ghostly Lord's lightness skill was inferior, and to catch him, he would definitely use all his power to increase his speed. As long as he seized this opportunity, even though the "Heavenly Calamity Fire" was superior to his innate supreme qi that only had seven acupoints open, he could still defeat the enemy in one strike!
The moment he made his move, Ren Xiaoyao felt as if he were facing a vast army on the battlefield. A surge of indomitable spirit welled up within him; even if he were to die on the battlefield, he would not retreat a single step, and would have no regrets.
The sword light flashed, instantly reaching the chest of the Ghostly Lord.
Though startled, the Ghostly Lord
remained calm. A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he shifted to the side, the flames on his palm turning purple. The Blood Shadow Blade moved with lightning speed, meeting the sword's edge head-on. "Clang!" Just like when he cleaved open the cold jade door of the secret chamber beneath the An Gang Hall in the Void Night Palace, the Ice Soul Frost Sword emitted a clear, soul-stirring ringing sound. Within a radius of more than ten feet, the air within the Ice Soul Frost Sword gathered at an astonishing speed towards the blade's tip, converging with a burst of blue light into a blinding bolt of lightning that ripped through the void, surpassing even the limits of human skill for any master swordsman, and striking the Blood Shadow Blade fiercely.
Dugu Yu, Liu Yuxu, Xiaochen, and Lin Feifan exclaimed in unison, "Without the wings of a phoenix to fly with you!!!"

In Chapter 8 of Volume 41, the Heavenly Calamity Fire,

he and Ren Qiaocui had fought several times, each time suffering defeat at the hands of "Without the wings of a phoenix to fly with you." He should have known the power of this move better than anyone else. However, confident in the power of "Heavenly Calamity Fire," he flicked his sleeves, his figure rising several feet like a white crane riding the wind, meeting the attack from a superior position. The Blood Shadow Mad Blade's edge suddenly shone brightly, its dazzling, dark blue-purple light like scattered moonlight bursting forth, attempting to directly clash with the Ice Soul Frost Sword's lightning-fast, dazzling sword light.
Suddenly, something unbelievable happened.
The intense lightning bolt, rushing towards the Blood Shadow Mad Blade with lightning speed, split into thousands of rays just inches away from it, bypassing the blade.
Ghostly Lord let out a muffled groan, his entire body instantly enveloped in lightning, naturally curling up, his Blood Shadow Blade unable to return to its original position.
"Without the wings of a phoenix," it was just a feint!?
Ren Xiaoyao's wrist flicked, and with a clang, the sword light shot out like mercury, carrying a fierce and righteous "Innate Supreme Qi," forcing a violent wind to howl, like the roar of a dragon and the howl of a tiger, its power irresistible.
"The Forbidden Secret Technique of the Flying Sword Style? Awakening the Ultimate Forbidden Technique of the Peerless Dance—Swallow Return Secret Sword!!!"
With a long roar, the incomparably powerful innate true energy surged along the sword's spine, humming and buzzing. The Ice Soul Frost Sword transformed into a beam of light, burning and disappearing, its sword energy surging straight towards Ghostly Lord's heart.
On that day, Kishimoto Masashi attacked from two zhang away, and Ren Xiaoyao, relying solely on his sixth sense, was completely unaware due to a slight lapse in attention.
Now, Ren Xiaoyao and Guiming Shenjun were only a zhang apart...
Guiming Shenjun couldn't see Yan Fan clearly, but he knew that Ren Xiaoyao wanted to kill him. He had to strike him squarely in the heart with his sword; otherwise, with his 'Radiant Wind Surrounding Stones' body, even if the Ice Soul Frost Sword could cut through iron like mud, he wouldn't be able to kill him in one blow. So, without hesitation, he pulled back the Blood Shadow Mad Blade, filled it with internal energy, and blocked it horizontally in front of his chest.
"Clang!" The Blood Shadow Mad Blade was struck squarely by Yan Fan's sword energy. With a jolt, it hummed incessantly, like the roar of a divine dragon. The innate supreme internal energy cracked, pressing down with the force of towering mountains. It shook violently from a distance, and instantly the purple light shattered, the killing intent vanished, and the true energy of the "Heavenly Calamity Fire" disappeared without a trace along with the Ghost Shadow Mad Blade.
Guiming Shenjun felt a pain in his chest; he had been cut by Yan Fan's sword energy. The sharp force penetrated halfway into his flesh, drawing blood.
Gui Ming Shenjun struggled to gather his strength, gritting his teeth and enduring the blow. He retreated more than ten steps before regaining his footing. Relying on his profound cultivation of the Wuwang Blood Curse, he managed to deflect eighty percent of the sword energy, yet he still lost his balance and nearly fell on the spot. His internal energy surged, causing a tightness in his chest, veins bulging on his face, and he gritted his teeth, his expression ferocious.
The Blood Shadow Mad Blade was finally broken, but this was at the cost of Ren Xiaoyao sacrificing two of his ultimate moves.
Being struck in the chest by the Swallow Return Secret Sword only resulted in a scratch. While the Blood Shadow Mad Blade's obstruction was certainly a factor, and Ren Xiaoyao's lack
of mastery over this move compared to Kishimoto Masashi was also a factor, the real reason he achieved this was due to the near-perfect yang of the "Heavenly Calamity Fire"—his innate supreme qi, which only opened seven acupoints, was indeed slightly inferior. Ren Xiaoyao did not pursue, but unexpectedly sheathed his sword.
In a duel between masters, using the same move a second time is meaningless. The "Flying Phoenix Wings" and "Swallow Returns Secret Sword" techniques were already the pinnacle Ren Xiaoyao could achieve.
Therefore, he decisively sheathed his sword and countered with his palms.
"Good! Good! Good!" The Ghostly Lord no longer cursed the bastard, but instead, for the first time ever, exclaimed "Good!" three times in a row, raising his hands high and spreading them wide, his entire being radiating a profound, unfathomable, and strangely eerie aura.
As the purple flames that had dissipated from his body reignited, Ren Xiaoyao suddenly felt as if the entire world was spinning around him. This was not an illusion, but an unusually real sensation.
Although the Ghostly Lord possessed astonishing demonic power, he was ultimately a mortal. How could he generate such a powerful, mountain-crushing, and ghost-like aura?
At the same time, Ren Xiaoyao channeled his true energy, elevating his sixth sense to its peak. His mind became crystal clear, and everything became clear, including everything within a ten-foot radius, as well as the scorching true energy that the other party was tightly locking onto him. In an instant, he grasped that the reason the Ghostly Lord could give him such a strange feeling was because the power of the Heavenly Calamity Fire was only one step away from the ultimate realm of martial arts cultivation, Yang within Yang. Back
then, Feng Renqiu, wielding Yang within Yang, broke the Heavenly Demon Heart Sutra with ease, and only needed three moves to defeat Hentian.
Now, the Ghostly Lord's cultivation was only one step away from his.
Therefore, he was no longer facing a grandmaster-level expert, but an extraordinary person who had seized the creation of heaven and earth and was almost a ghost.
Ren Xiaoyao didn't move, because he knew very well that he was slightly inferior to his opponent in skill, and his greatest advantage, which had been the foundation of his past invincibility, had been handed over.
Facing the Ghostly Lord, who relied on the calamities of nature and was always eager to eliminate him, the slightest mistake would lead to annihilation.
He had to wait, quietly wait, for the best opportunity to strike and defeat his enemy.
The Ghostly Lord didn't move either, but his eyes were fixed on Ren Xiaoyao's gaze.
It should be known that those who fight can be roughly divided into four levels.
The fourth level fights without looking at anything, blindly charging and attacking!
Such people have neither fighting experience nor any fighting skills, like raging bulls.
The third level fights with their eyes only on the opponent's face or the place they intend to attack, not even noticing when someone punches them.
Such people only know how to attack, not how to defend, and if they cannot overpower others with brute force, they will undoubtedly be defeated.
The second-rate fighters, when engaging in combat, will focus their gaze on their opponent's fists, but they only remember that their opponent has fists, forgetting that their opponent also has legs.
Such people are mostly commoners or third-rate martial artists!
The first-rate fighters, when engaging in combat, will definitely focus their gaze on their opponent's shoulders, because no matter whether the opponent throws a punch or kicks, the shoulders will always move first.
Such people know how to use stillness to control movement, observing subtle details, and can be considered martial arts masters!
True grandmasters, however, will definitely focus their gaze on their opponent's eyes, not only discerning the opponent's attack intentions and direction from their gaze, but also intimidating them with their spirit and aura!
The Ghostly Lord stared intently at Ren Xiaoyao, his eyes flashing with purple flames like stars in the azure sky, unblinking!
He knew that if he even blinked, he would lose control of Ren Xiaoyao's actions, and this haggard, illegitimate son, this stumbling block on his path to unifying the martial arts world, would inevitably seize the opportunity!
One wrong move, and the whole game is lost—how could such a thing happen to him?
Time ticked by, the two faced each other, neither making a move.
Ghostly Lord hung his hands limply, motionless, his sharp, hawk-like eyes gleaming with a chilling killing intent, as if he might tear Ren Xiaoyao to shreds at any moment.
Ren Xiaoyao, however, wore a smile, completely unguarded, his expression growing increasingly nonchalant, as if he was taking the duel less and less seriously as time passed.
Everyone, including experts like Dugu Yu, Xiao Chen, and Xiao Ming, was utterly bewildered. Why could Ren Xiaoyao smile when the situation was so dire? Only Yi Tianhan, Fu Longyuan, Meng Fei, and Deng Lei knew that Ren Xiaoyao had completely abandoned the judgment of sight and sound, his mind entering a state of neither success nor failure, neither joy nor anger, a state of utter emptiness, relying entirely on his sixth sense to judge and anticipate his opponent's actions.
His smile was a way of making it clear that he held a decisive advantage in the mental contest, forcing Ghostly Lord to launch an attack. Ghostly Lord hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not move.
He wanted to capture the moment when Ren Xiaoyao's mind wavered after his failed attempt to lure him.
Unexpectedly, Ren Xiaoyao struck first, seizing the brief moment of hesitation, and darted forward like lightning.
The innate true energy within his meridians and acupoints instantly surged to its peak.
Every hair on his body stood on end, and a fierce, unyielding aura,
like that of a warrior charging into battle, surged towards his opponent. Ren Xiaoyao had only taken two steps, yet he moved with fluid grace, his body as light as a feather, as if floating in the air—clearly a footwork technique imbued with profound and superior secrets. Otherwise, how could he express such power in just two steps, a power that would normally require a long series of movements?
With a series of unpredictable and mysterious movements, Ren Xiaoyao raised both palms simultaneously, creating a series of muffled "bang" sounds, like thunder rumbling in the shadows and lightning flashing. His innate, supreme internal energy circulated several times, solidifying and coalescing before striking his opponent with an unpredictable trajectory. A
faint, ethereal whistling sound echoed around him, like the chirping of ghosts. Where his movements passed, the wooden floorboards cracked slightly, but within a radius of three zhang, not a breath of wind could be felt. Yet, the immense, invisible pressure was enough to make any opponent struggle to breathe and feel excruciating pain.
Unfortunately, this "anyone" did not include Gui Ming Shenjun.
Gui Ming Shenjun shifted to the side, clenching his fingers forward in a downward strike.
Ren Xiaoyao's arms were already raised, his hands surging with true energy, moving unpredictably left and right, unafraid to dodge or retreat, ready to launch a fatal attack at any moment.
But the moment the Ghostly Lord moved from his position, Ren Xiaoyao felt as if the entire world was being pulled along by him.
The Ghostly Lord was no longer the Ghostly Lord, but rather the very essence of heaven and earth, constantly transforming like the universe itself, yet without end.
At the same moment, he felt as if he were in a vast plain, with meteors falling from the sky and heavenly fire erupting everywhere, smoldering and burning, leaving him no chance to escape.
This was the ultimate evil magic; compared to it, Muteng Lan's Corpse Demon Seal was like a crawling infant.
The Ghostly Lord's palm expanded in front of him, becoming an all-encompassing strike.
Ren Xiaoyao knew that what he saw with his naked eye was an illusion, and that he had clearly sensed the opponent's attack through his sixth sense, yet he was still completely absorbed by the Ghostly Lord's ferocious and unparalleled demonic power, unable to stop or neutralize it. He was simply struck squarely by the Ghostly Lord's hand blade at the sharpest point of the palm's wind.
There was no explosive sound of clashing forces, nor the normal splashing of energy; only a breathtaking flash of lightning between palm and hand blade. Ren Xiaoyao's entire body trembled violently, blood seeping from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. He was thrown backward like a kite with a broken string, tumbling twice in the air before landing on the edge of the platform.
Gui Ming Shenjun, though standing still, had all color drained from his face, his right hand, which had struck Ren Xiaoyao, trembling uncontrollably.
No one saw what happened; only those involved knew that the intense exchange had felt like walking on the edge of death, a single misstep and he would have fallen in.
Their eyes met.
Ren Xiaoyao's internal energy churned violently, his internal organs feeling as if they were being turned inside out. (

Volume 41, Chapter 9: Victory or Defeat in the Blink of an Eye)

The Heavenly Calamity Fire was simply too powerful. Despite his overwhelming advantage, he couldn't overcome this hurdle, nearly losing his life in the process.
Even the Ghostly Lord was speechless. His demonic arts, honed over twenty years and considered invincible, had been repeatedly blocked by Ren Xiaoyao—something he had never imagined and could never have done.
Both felt a sense of impending doom: victory or defeat, life or death, would be decided in a few moves.
The Ghostly Lord let out a long laugh, his robes, which had been fluttering in the wind, suddenly stilled. He seemed to become the core of a meteor shower, completely engulfing the entire platform in its fiery glow.
The Heavenly Calamity Fire Technique transformed from nothingness into reality, instantly filling an area of ten zhang in radius with scorching torrents of fire and smoke, relentlessly striking Ren Xiaoyao from all directions with a terrifying force beyond human resistance.
Each shower of fire formed from his true energy depleted a small portion of Ren Xiaoyao's protective true energy, and as the fire rain continued to pour forth in succession, the number of bursts increasing, the depletion of Ren Xiaoyao's energy grew even greater.
Reaching this level of mastery of the Blood Curse of No Return gave him an astonishing feeling of concentrating the rage of the universe into this one point, completely severing Ren Xiaoyao's connection with the outside world, leaving him in an absolutely passive and helpless situation. He himself couldn't even predict when he would be engulfed by the heavenly fire. Once his spirit could no longer withstand the onslaught, he would be like a puppet, completely at the mercy of the Ghostly Netherworld Lord's power, utterly losing his autonomy.
At this level of cultivation, he had surpassed the limits of human capability that had existed for any evil master throughout history.
This was the first time Ren Xiaoyao had encountered such a powerful and unorthodox martial art. His opponent seemed to possess inexhaustible power, which coalesced into a net-like force field. Being within it felt like being in a fiery abyss, the burning sensation constantly intensifying, causing his internal energy to deplete far beyond the recovery rate of his innate supreme qi, which had only opened seven acupoints. This terrifying feeling of his opponent's strength increasing while his own weakened created the most irresistible pressure in the world.
He knew he was at a disadvantage, and his opponent was forcing him to counterattack from this dire situation.
How could he turn the tide?
Ren Xiaoyao wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, his eyes suddenly gleaming with an unusual light as he fixed his gaze on his opponent. His upper garment suddenly bulged, then shattered inch by inch, revealing the Cangmang Taxue armor he wore close to his body . His figure stood as steady as a mountain, as imposing as a celestial being, clearly gathering his power for a life-or-death struggle.
In such a direct confrontation, no strategy or tactic would be of any use.
The only way to turn the tide is to unleash all one's strength without reservation, even pushing one's inner potential to the limit.
Ren Xiaoyao, his mind at ease, naturally generated an aura of supreme innate energy that enveloped his entire body. His left hand was held horizontally in front of his chest, while his right hand slowly rose, palm facing outwards. When he had accumulated explosive energy, he confidently laughed, "Three moves. After three moves, I'll make you taste defeat again." As soon as he finished speaking, his left palm shot out.
Even with the discerning eye of the Ghost Netherworld God, he couldn't immediately understand Ren Xiaoyao's intention.
It turned out that Ren Xiaoyao's palm strike was not only silent and stealthy, but it wasn't directly aimed at the Ghost Netherworld God. Instead, it was directed towards the void beside the Ghost Netherworld God. On the surface, it seemed to contain no force, but it caused the aura of the Heavenly Calamity Fire that was enveloping the Ghost Netherworld God to be completely obliterated by Yan Fei's utterly ethereal palm strike, which then shifted to the right.
Ren Xiaoyao felt a sudden sense of relief, knowing whether he had succeeded or failed. At that moment, lightning flashed upwards against the airflow, and his powerful palm strike, infused with innate supreme qi, surged like a torrent after a rainstorm towards the Ghostly Netherworld Lord in the center of the platform.
Ten zhang away, the two were now ten zhang apart. The Ghostly Netherworld Lord also moved, lunging towards him without touching the ground.
Five zhang away, purple flames appeared around Ren Xiaoyao, seemingly trying to devour his body, but they were all blocked by his protective true qi.
The Ghostly Lord, who had descended from the sky, was filled with purple light. His hair stood on end, his beard and hair billowed, and he let out a fierce shout. He first slashed his hands back at himself, then unleashed an invisible yet tangible, terrifyingly powerful force from between his palms. The force was overwhelming, unstoppable, and with a series of muffled booms, it sealed off all escape routes.
At this moment, Ren Xiaoyao sensed the ultimate weapon his opponent had delivered: a sharp cone of qi formed from the highly lethal, almost yang-within-yang, calamity-causing fire of a celestial catastrophe. It was layered with layers of earth-shattering, fierce power, its strength beyond human resistance.
His keen sixth sense allowed him to instantly perceive the form and characteristics of the invisible qi cone, but there was no way to deflect or escape it; he could only confront it head-on and fight it head-on.
The sound of the force cutting through the air filled Ren Xiaoyao's ears. The wooden planks where the energy cone passed were ripped up like a wall, filling the air with sand, gravel, and wood chips, obscuring the sunlight.
If the energy cone had hit him or exploded nearby, Ren Xiaoyao would surely have been reduced to ashes.
Ren Xiaoyao roared, his palm hissing, and the innate qi he had gathered throughout his body was unleashed, like iron meeting a magnet, striking the energy cone that Ghost Netherworld Lord had sent from a distance.
Mountains crumbled, the earth shook, and the sky trembled.
Ren Xiaoyao was completely unaware of what was happening; he only felt his Yang Fire meet the energy cone first. The two forces clashed, but instead of the expected clash of energy,
the power of the Heavenly Calamity Fire pushed his palm, which was infused with innate qi, back!
The two streams of true energy collapsed instantly a few feet away from him, then expanded outwards at an astonishing speed, finally transforming into lightning that tore through the void, scattering like a spiderweb in mid-air, instantly engulfing him!
"Ahhh... Ughhhh..." Amidst screams, Ren Xiaoyao absorbed the combined force of their palms, his body tumbling and convulsing, coughing up blood, losing control and helplessly plummeting off the stage.
The purple light in Guiming Shenjun's eyes had faded, but his pupils remained bloodshot. He suddenly leaped up and chased after him.
The explosive power of the energy was far less than expected, and Ren Xiaoyao was wearing the Cangmang Taxue Armor; this attack might not be fatal. This was something Guiming Shenjun absolutely could not tolerate—his haggard, bastard son had to be sent to the Yellow Springs by his own hands; otherwise, how could he vent the anger that had been building up in his heart for nearly thirty years!
His sleeve fluttered, his palm pointing at Ren Xiaoyao as he drew three small circles, his elbow bent, then suddenly extended, unleashing the last of his accumulated power. This power surged forth in a fiery torrent, shrinking in size and coalescing into a powerful spurt, striking Ren Xiaoyao like a leaf being swept away by a storm.
The target was his forehead; a hit would shatter his brains.
But then, something incredible happened. The spiderweb-like electric flames that had been coiling around Ren Xiaoyao, seemingly tearing through the void, suddenly surged violently, turning back and attacking Ghost Netherworld Lord!
In an instant, his powerful attack on Ren Xiaoyao was swallowed up.
Nine Revolutions Returning to Origin!?
Yes, it was the Nine Revolutions Returning to Origin, created by Meng Fei during his seclusion on Coconut Island, a skill he had painstakingly developed over twenty years!

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