Volume 8: The Jianghu Chapter 379 Qingqing
"Ah, could this be the Heavenly Secret Stick?"
"What's this cold air?"
Everyone was planning to move forward, but when the wild and domineering stick was swung, gusts of strong wind suddenly blew in their faces, carrying an extremely cold wind. As soon as they were caught in it, they felt their hands and feet go numb, and even their internal strength seemed to slow down.
Huo Tianying was the closest and felt like he was trapped in a cold pond. The young man in front of him seemed to have turned into an iceberg, and his originally light and graceful body movements were instantly suppressed.
"Ming Yu Gong?"
Huo Tianying's eyes suddenly opened wide, his body stabilized, he was already bending his fingers, clenching his fist, and punching towards the terrifying stick shadow that seemed to be turning the world upside down.
His punch was powerful and heavy, and his intention was like a falling mountain. It was straight and curved, and hit the tip of the stick exactly, causing the originally chaotic shadow of the stick to stop in mid-air in an instant.
"Look at the stick!"
Shangguan Shisan grinned, shook his body, and swung the iron rod in his hand horizontally. At the same time, he held the rod with both hands and swung it wildly like a madman. Incredibly, wisps of cold air emanated from the rod, and a layer of frost condensed on it.
Huo Tianying was surrounded by numerous sticks and suddenly felt a tearing force coming from all directions, as if he was going to be strangled to death on the spot. A fierce light flashed in his eyes and he let out a sharp cry like an eagle. He spread his arms and started a quick attack with his left and right hands.
The moment the two men clashed, it was like thunder and lightning shaking the sky and the earth. The shadows of sticks and fists collided continuously, and it was like bursts of muffled thunder and endless explosions between the two.
Shangguan Shisan became more and more courageous as the battle went on, his momentum not weakening at all, and he danced with the iron rod in a earth-shaking manner, rotating endlessly.
Even Huo Tianying was secretly surprised at this moment, because every time the iron rod was swung, the force became stronger. At the end of the swing, the shadow of the rod had disappeared, and only a ball of black wind was floating around Shangguan Shisan, like a mad dragon being captured. After fighting for more than ten moves, there was not an inch of intact ground within a radius of three meters. Either it was cracked and sank, or the wood and stone were shattered and turned into powder.
But beneath the force of the iron rod, there was a vortex of strange power, constantly gathering and rapidly withdrawing, trying to tear him under the iron rod. As a result, he had to divide his attention between resisting the suction and fending off the cold air. His strength was reduced to only 30% or 40%, making it difficult to fully exert it.
This kid actually combined the Mingyu Gong's method of stimulating strength with the Tianji Stick's stick technique into one, creating a new way.
Feeling the increasingly terrifying force on the iron rod, Huo Tianying knew that he could not drag it on any longer, otherwise the opponent would become stronger and stronger, and his momentum would continue to rise. If he was not careful, he would suffer a great loss.
"Boy, you're so arrogant!"
Hearing a cold snort, Huo Tianying suddenly pursed his lips and took a deep breath, followed by a sharp whistle that shook the sky and was sharp and piercing.
When Shangguan Shisan heard the whistling sound, he felt a sharp pain between his eyebrows, as if he was hit by a club on the back of his head. His mind was dazed for a moment, and the continuous attack that was like a raging storm suddenly slowed down.
When he regained his composure, his expression changed drastically. He saw Huo Tianying in front of him spreading his arms as if he was going to fly high, with both hands clenched into fists. As he rose and fell, he seemed to have turned into the eight-armed statue in the Buddhist temple, creating endless fist shadows. Each attack was different, and each move was exquisite and ever-changing, which was truly extraordinary.
Two phoenixes flying together.
There is a peerless killing move in front, and there is also murderous intent coming from behind Shangguan Shisan.
The ferocious bird heard the sharp cry, flapped its wings and flew up, with a claw as hard as cast iron reaching out from the air.
It turns out that this is the real phoenix flying together.
Shangguan Shisan gave a hoarse smile. How could he retreat? He waved his stick wildly like a madman, intending to attack instead of defend and forcefully take this move.
"careful!"
In a flash, only a woman's scream was heard, and the shadows of sticks, fists, knives, and claws collided in an instant.
Dust was swirling, sand and rocks were flying, and when a group of people looked closely, they saw Shangguan Shisan holding a stick in his hand, his eyes were full of murderous intent, the mask on his face had become broken, and a claw mark made by a sharp claw flew across his forehead, almost destroying his right eye and leaving three bloody wounds.
There was also a fist mark on his chest.
On the other hand, Huo Tianying raised his hand, took the lifted hat in his hand, and put it back on. The golden eagle on his shoulder squatted, with a cold light in his eyes.
After all, Shangguan Shisan was a domineering guy who had been famous for many years. In the end, he was still one step behind and suffered a great loss in terms of experience against the enemy.
Huo Tianying said calmly, "Since you are his son, why don't you practice palm techniques? Instead, why practice boxing?"
Shangguan Shisan sneered, "Palm technique? Haha, even if I practice it to perfection, reaching the pinnacle of mastery, so what? I'll never be able to surpass my father in my entire life. If I can't be the best, then second and third are no better than weeds by the roadside in my eyes. I practice boxing with the determination to be the best."
As soon as these words were spoken, Huo Tianying's eyes suddenly froze. If what the other party said was true, then they were destined to be enemies.
Shangguan Shisan gently wiped the blood from his forehead, his pupils trembling. Instead of feeling any pain, he laughed. "Is this the Jianghu? It's quite good."
Huo Tianying said in a deep voice: "What's your name?"
Shangguan Shisan held the stick in one hand, waved his finger at everyone in the air, and finally pointed at Huo Tianying again, "Shangguan Shisan."
The Wudang people who were so arrogant just now were now looking away in fear.
There are many people in the world with the surname Shangguan, but there is only one family that is truly famous in the world and has the Mingyu Gong.
At this moment, the woman in black skirt beside her suddenly raised her hand and threw several black balls the size of walnuts flew out from between her fingers, exploded with a bang when they landed on the ground, and turned into several clouds of thick smoke.
Amid exclamations from all sides, until the smoke cleared, everyone looked intently, but there was no trace of Shangguan Shisan and the woman in the black dress.
Huo Tianying had a blank expression on his face. He waved his sleeves and did not pursue. He just soothed the golden eagle on his shoulder while looking down at his chest.
But inside the lapel, there was actually a shallow fist mark.
"Senior, are you still chasing?" Liu Ruosong asked.
Huo Tianying didn't say anything, nor did he look at the other party. He just glanced at Dugu Yihe and said, "I came here from Wudang Mountain. After you left, the Wudang Sect was invaded by a powerful enemy, and there were heavy casualties."
"Ah." Several Wudang disciples were shocked. "How could this be?"
Huo Tianying looked at the corpses floating on the river with a sinister look in his eyes. He said, "The leaders of several sects and various masters who went to Wudang Mountain to watch the ceremony yesterday have either died or are missing since leaving Wudang Mountain. It seems that there will be another disturbance in the martial arts world... It's best for you to return to Wudang as soon as possible."
"Junior, take your leave!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Ruosong no longer cared about chasing the enemy, and hurriedly took the remaining Wudang disciples and went down the river and rushed back to Wudang Mountain.
Dugu Yihe remained silent throughout the whole process, but a barely perceptible doubt flashed in his eyes, which then turned into horror and finally into terror, as if he had just seen something extraordinary. He stared at the direction Shangguan Shisan had left, unable to recover for a long time.
He seemed to have seen the face under the mask somewhere before.
And it is definitely not in the Central Plains.
Until Huo Tianying's voice sounded, "On the way here, someone found the body of your master, Taoist Hu. He was killed by a sword through the heart."
Dugu Yihe's cheeks twitched, tears suddenly rolled down his eyes, and he said in a hoarse voice: "Thank you for telling me, senior. I will definitely avenge my master."
After saying that, he turned around and flew away into the distance without stopping.
Glancing at the other person's receding figure, Huo Tianying suddenly said with a forced smile, "Revenge? Haha."
Taoist Hu was the head of Emei, and his Emei swordsmanship was so superb that even he would have to struggle against him. But now he died in an unclear manner. Either he met those top swordsmen, or he was ambushed by someone, who pierced his heart with a sword.
"Why not chase?"
I don’t know how much time passed, but it was already bright outside and a voice sounded from behind Huo Tianying.
The man, clad in a black robe, asked, "Have you forgotten your agreement with the Lord?"
Huo Tianying's cheeks twitched even more violently. "That's just your master. I'm just cooperating with you. If you dare to speak to me in that tone again, believe it or not, I can crush you to death."
The visitor's pupils trembled, and he said in a deep voice, "The Lord will soon be able to take control of the capital, and he asked me to bring you a message. If you want to control this martial world, you have no choice but to become an enemy of the Tianxia Alliance. Besides, haven't you always wanted to defeat Li Muchan? Isn't the Wedding Dress Divine Art enough to give you the confidence to challenge him?"
Wedding dress magic!!!
A golden light suddenly flashed in Huo Tianying's eyes, "I just want to defeat him fairly !"
"Haha," the black-robed man laughed strangely, "Then you... ugh..."
Before the man could finish his words, a large hand appeared on his neck, grabbed his throat, and lifted him up in the air.
Huo Tianying said coldly: "Go back and tell him that I will never forget what I promised him. Besides, hasn't he already found someone else? Why are you in such a hurry... Get out!"
With a wave of his hand, the man in black robe screamed and flew back, fleeing into the distance in extreme fear.
Huo Tianying stood alone by the river, watching the rising and falling waves, and sighed inexplicably: "Who will be the loser in this chess game?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the golden eagle suddenly flapped its wings and flew high into the sky. Huo Tianying followed closely behind, took the eagle's claw in one hand, and soared into the wind, crossing the river and heading south.
※※※
Between the mountains, two figures were running rapidly.
Shangguan Shisan suddenly stopped and leaned against a rock, panting. "Huh, go ahead. I need to catch my breath."
The woman in the black dress said unhappily, "I told you to go the other way before, but you didn't. Now you're at a disadvantage."
Shangguan Shisan took off his mask. He was a rebellious man who would never let go of any slight. He wanted to retort when he heard the sarcasm, but the girl suddenly handed him a bottle of medicine and whispered, "Are you injured internally?"
Looking at the other person's pale face and the bloody wound caused by the golden eagle, Shangguan Shisan couldn't say the words for some reason.
Just now, this person seemed to be protecting him with his body, blocking a claw for him.
Shangguan Shisan shook his head and opened his clothes again, only to see that there was actually a treasured armor inside. "That Huo Tianying is indeed powerful. If we fight alone, in a fair fight, I might be able to fight him for a hundred moves with my Tianfan Staff, but after a hundred moves, he will definitely win."
The woman in the black dress also sat on the stone and took a few breaths. Seeing the unwillingness on his face, she couldn't help but laugh and said, "You just entered the martial arts world and you can fight for a long time with such a martial arts giant. What is there to be unwilling about?"
Shangguan Shisan wiped the wound on his forehead, tightly gripping the iron rod in his hand. "It's not that I'm unwilling to accept victory or defeat. Winners are kings and losers are bandits. I'll win with honor, and lose with dignity. I'm just unwilling to accept that some of the changes should have been more sophisticated, but instead made mistakes, leading to defeat."
The woman in the black dress said, "That's because you lack experience in fighting enemies. You've just entered the martial arts world and will naturally encounter countless opponents. Once you hone your skills, you'll be able to dominate the martial arts world."
Shangguan Shisan calmed down and suddenly asked, "What's your name?"
The woman said calmly, "Qingqing!"
Shangguan Shisan repeated it twice in his mind, then asked, "Who killed the corpse in the river?"
He was just asking for fun, but the answer he didn't want to hear was surprising.
The girl Qingqing looked at him and said three words, "World Alliance."
Shangguan Shisan's eyebrows knitted together, the murderous look between his brows as fierce as frost, "This is impossible."
Seeing the other party's serious expression, which didn't seem fake, Shangguan Shisan suppressed his anger and sneered, "Although my eldest sister is a bit eccentric, she doesn't like power struggles and is weak at heart. How could she massacre the forces in the martial arts world? Someone must have framed her."
Qingqing sighed, "Yes... I even know who is behind all this."
Shangguan Shisan's expression suddenly changed, and he became worried. "So, the killing in the martial arts world is definitely not just one place. Someone wants to bring down the Tianxia Alliance."
Once this killing begins, no matter it is true or false, the entire martial arts world will be in turmoil, and everyone will be extremely wary of the Tianxia Alliance. By then, people's hearts will be in chaos and it will be difficult to escape disaster.
"Who is it?" he asked.
Qingqing's pupils trembled wildly, and she trembled as she spoke, "He's a very mysterious and terrifying person. He came from overseas and had been planning this for a long time. I was always under his command. If it weren't for... if it weren't for the elders of the sect who risked their lives to protect me, I'm afraid I would have been nothing more than a floating corpse in the river."
Shangguan Shisan frowned and asked, "Could that person be some demonic cult leader?"
Qingqing shook her head upon hearing this. "No. This person is a disciple of an unparalleled master, the heir of the Wedding Clothes Divine Art. He has long since reached the realm of gods and demons, and is also well-versed in all martial arts. He must be one of the most incredible beings in the world."
"Hehe," Shangguan Shisan sneered, "What a bullshit realm of gods and demons! I don't believe he can grow three heads and six arms. Anyone with flesh and blood will definitely die."
But he was very quick-witted and suddenly realized, "The heir of the Wedding Dress Divine Art? Could it be a descendant of the Zhu family? That's for sure."
Unexpectedly, Qingqing shook her head again, "That man's surname is not Zhu, we don't even know his name."
At this point, the aura in Qingqing's Dantian had returned to peace. She stood up and said softly, "I have to go. I still have to find a way to save my mother. Be careful."
Shangguan Shisan raised his stick and said, "I'll go too. I want to see who that person is."
After a quick conversation, the two people who met by chance immediately walked away hand in hand, into the mountains.
Not long after they left, someone was seen coming to the rock again.
The man, dressed in rags, with disheveled hair and a grimy face, looked at the direction the two had left with a hint of doubt in his eyes. He muttered to himself, "The successor of the Wedding Dress Divine Art? Zhu Da's disciple? Interesting."
As he finished speaking, an endless amount of water vapor suddenly gathered around the man out of thin air. However, after a few breaths of tumbling and changing, the water vapor exploded in all directions and disappeared with the wind.
Looking closely again, the man's clothes and appearance had changed greatly. He was standing still in a black robe. The sunlight shone through, revealing a face that looked like a jade sculpture from ice. His black hair was flying on his shoulders, and from a distance he didn't look like a flesh and blood body.
Li Muchan.
Li Muchan sat on a rock, his sleeves brushed, gazing at the distant mountains. A moment's thought passed through his mind, and he recalled every person on that island. It wasn't until he remembered a child, a young child named Wu, that a light gradually returned to his calm eyes.
"Wu Ming!" he whispered.
"I never thought that after waiting for so many years, I would actually see someone like this," Li Muchan said, looking down on the others, as if he had been prepared for this. "Well, it's time for the Tianxia Alliance to disappear."
