Chapter 179: Heavenly Phenomenon Versus Heavenly Phenomenon

Sweeping Across the Land, Playing with Fire

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He was dead.

Xuan-yuan Jingxuan, inside the room, was utterly dead. Even a legendary 'land immortal' could not survive with their Qi sea burst and meridians shattered throughout their body.

Outside, the woman stared blankly at the shattered glass vat on the ground. A dozen red carp were hidden among the lotus leaves and green branches. Just moments before, two figures had passed through it in an instant, cutting through the vat as if with a knife. Thousands of catties of water had spilled out, soaking her silk embroidered shoes. It was a cool autumn day; the autumn wind, autumn chill, and autumn feel spread from her feet, chilling her entire body.

Xuan-yuan Qingfeng slumped against the door. She, who had always been praised by elders for her composure in critical situations, had lost the ability to think; her mind was a blank. Her uncle, Xuan-yuan Jingxuan, despite his flawed character, was a genuine top-tier martial artist. Decades of diligent practice had forged him a vajra-like physique. In Huishan, he was recognized as second only to the patriarch and Xuan-yuan Guoqi, who was said to possess "three feet of spiritual energy." He even claimed to have entered the profound 'Zhi Xuan' realm. Even if he had just entered Zhi Xuan and his foundation was unstable, what did it matter? Zhi Xuan! In the martial world, also known as Jianghu, reaching Zhi Xuan meant truly becoming a towering tree in the martial arts community. Daoist masters could hope to ascend, and Buddhist Living Buddhas could transform into sarira. Martial artists outside the three great teachings were even more ferocious and dominant, proving their path through sheer strength, relying on no external power, purely using their physical bodies to resist heavenly might and great tribulations. Just thinking about it made one's blood boil.

How did he die in the blink of an eye?

Limited by her ordinary innate talent, Xuan-yuan Qingfeng was not suited for martial arts. However, she had devoured countless secret manuals since childhood and was accustomed to witnessing masters spar. She possessed an exceptional photographic memory, which honed her discerning eye to be extremely astute. She could tell that after Xuan-yuan Jingxuan momentarily lost focus during the confrontation, he quickly intended to deliver a killing blow. Yet, his opponent gave him no such chance. There was probably no more aggrieved way to die: a Zhi Xuan master, effortlessly approached face-to-face and killed with a single strike. In that instant, Xuan-yuan Qingfeng glimpsed a secret. Xuan-yuan Jingxuan possessed an indestructible body, much like a Buddhist Heavenly King's vajra body. Although he was still two levels away from the Celestial Phenomenon realm, where inner and outer realms perfectly merge with heaven and earth, he had at least formed a formidable internal aura within himself. The reason he was shattered by a single blow seemed to be that after being grabbed by the neck, his opponent used an incomparably ruthless method to guide his Qi with their own, like the entwined turtle and snake of the Northern Black Tortoise, ultimately causing his meridians to explode inch by inch.

Xuan-yuan Qingfeng hesitated, her lips trembling, finding herself unable to articulate anything. When she saw her mother turn to enter the house, she finally mustered the courage to ask, "Mother, are you really not going to Guniujiang's Great Snow Peak?"

The woman turned her head and asked, "To watch Xuan-yuan Jingcheng seek his own death?"

Xuan-yuan Qingfeng muttered to herself, "Since Father could kill Xuan-yuan Jingxuan, he might not be unable to..."

She stepped over the threshold, not even glancing at the bloody corpse, and smiled, "So what? If Xuan-yuan Jingcheng isn't the Xuan-yuan Jingcheng you and I knew, should I then be filled with regret, weeping profusely to beg him to change his mind? And then live respectfully with him, growing old together in Huishan?"

Xuan-yuan Qingfeng, tears streaming down her face, said, "Mother, do you truly feel no pain at all?"

She smiled and said, "Me? I stopped knowing the feeling of pain long ago. If you want to go, go to Great Snow Peak. I want to be alone for a while."

An old governess who had watched Xuan-yuan Qingfeng grow up hurried over and respectfully reported, "Madam, Young Lady, the Master has gone alone to Great Snow Peak for some unknown reason. Someone claiming to be invited by the Master for a visit to Guniu Ridge has arrived from down the mountain. It seems to be that arrogant Prince of Beiliang, accompanied by a hundred armed retainers with sabers and crossbows. They have already started ascending the mountain and will soon reach the Gate of Rites. Those who tried to block their path at the manor were brutally torn apart by an unassuming young man; his methods are very fierce. Rumor has it that Li Chungang, the Sword God who humiliated our Xuan-yuan family years ago, is also among them. The Second Master has already led men to intercept them."

Ascending Guniu Ridge, there is a three-hundred-pace jade path, and across it stands a ceremonial archway, which is the Gate of Rites of Huishan Xuan-yuan. It is inscribed with the four characters "Reaching the Pinnacle," and a secondary plaque boldly reads "Martial Way Aligned with Kunlun." Neighboring Longhu Mountain has similar structures, where civil and military officials alike must dismount their horses upon seeing the tablet, to show respect for the Daoist ancestral court. Here in Huishan, it serves to remind all visiting martial artists to voluntarily remove their swords and daggers. Over the centuries, there have been martial boors who, full of self-importance, refused to follow the rules. However, those who succeeded, like Li Chungang, were few and far between; the vast majority were simply thrown off Guniu Ridge.

The sallow and gaunt Xu Longxiang, killing with growing fervor, was simply invincible.

It should be noted that Huishan was reputed to gather nearly a thousand martial arts elites. The Xuan-yuan family, dominant in the Southeast, broadly comprised several types of people. First, of course, were the direct descendants born with the Xuan-yuan surname. This lineage centered around the three main branches of Huishan. Beneath the patriarch Xuan-yuan Guoqi, whose sword was said to possess spiritual energy, Xuan-yuan Jingyi and Xuan-yuan Jingxuan upheld the family's prestige. Along with affinal relatives and talented individuals who married into the Xuan-yuan family, they collectively formed the most flourishing martial arts tree in the Southeast of the dynasty. These individuals had the inherent advantage of being close to the source; depending on their bloodline proximity and martial arts talent, they could access secret manuals from the Wen Ding Pavilion.

Next were the Xuan-yuan family's "hawks and dogs," nurtured through a dual approach of secret manuals and lavish wealth. These were further divided into two types: those of noble status were ranked as guest retainers and enjoyed considerable treatment in Huishan, while those of humble origins, if their skills weren't robust enough, generally had to submit themselves and risk their lives for the Xuan-yuan family, engaging in dark, perilous dealings for their livelihood. If Yuan Tingshan hadn't had that connection with Xuan-yuan Qingfeng, he would have belonged to this latter group, needing to rely on genuine skill to gain what he desired.

Lastly, there was Xuan-yuan's carefully cultivated private military force. The main fighting power consisted of two contingents: one of two hundred cavalry, fifty heavily armored cavalry who had cost immense sums of silver, and a relatively cheaper one hundred and fifty light cavalry. The other contingent comprised loyal death-sworn warriors of complex backgrounds—they could be martial artists or wandering heroes who had fled to Huishan for refuge, but more often, they were assassins and killers cultivated slowly by the Xuan-yuan family as pawns from a young age. Very few of this type lived to the age of thirty, which speaks volumes about the Xuan-yuan family's active presence in the Jianghu of the Southeast.

His Royal Highness the Prince stood alongside Huang Man'er beneath the Gate of Rites.

Beside them stood the old man in the sheepskin robe, and Qingniao held her Instant Spear.

Behind them were Ning Emei with his great halberd and one hundred White Horse Riders.

Near the second gate, a dense crowd had gathered, layered upon layer, equipped with all eighteen types of weapons, including sabers, spears, and staves. Xuan-yuan Jingyi stood on the steps, his face grim, while nearly a hundred archers with superior arm strength occupied the high ground, poised for action.

More than thirty guest retainers had been dispatched, all long-renowned masters in the Jianghu.

Xu Fengnian sighed with admiration, "What a tumultuous Jianghu!"

Above, dark clouds had gathered, signaling a heavy rain.

The old man Li, now one-armed and without a sword, who had ascended the mountain decades ago, stood dozing, saying nothing.

Xu Fengnian turned his head and asked, "How much further is it to that den of thieves, Guniujiang?"

The old Sword God opened his eyes slightly and said lazily, "Not too far. Outside Guniujiang is a large flat area, that's Great Snow Peak. Barring any accidents, Xuan-yuan Jingcheng will fight a battle to the death there with Xuan-yuan Dapan. It is indeed a good place to die."

Xu Fengnian said, rubbing his head, "So many first- and second-rate masters, plus hundreds of death-sworn warriors, how do we get past them?"

Li Chungang retorted irritably, "I, an old man, could easily pass through alone. As for you, if you want to clash head-on, just be prepared to die here. Do you think a great family's centuries-old foundation was built on vegetarianism?"

Xu Fengnian quietly asked, "Target their leader first?"

The old Sword God pondered for a moment and said, "Are you suggesting we take down Xuan-yuan Jingyi?"

Xu Fengnian nodded with a smile, eager to try.

The old Sword God rubbed his chin, narrowing his eyes. "If I were to personally take action, it would be simple. But there's no reason for me to exert myself while you just watch. You young fellow, first have Huang Man'er challenge them, give them a show of force, tear apart a few people, and then we'll talk. Then, have that girl beside you, who insists on wielding the Instant Spear of all things, provide cover. As for when I'll make my move, that depends on my mood. Don't worry, I won't make you wait too long. I'm also curious to see what heights Xuan-yuan Jingcheng can reach by sacrificing his life for a breakthrough in his realm. Celestial Phenomenon masters fighting each other isn't too rare, but when they are locked in a battle to the death, that's interesting. If, by chance, a half-step 'land immortal' emerges, it would be a sight to behold. Your other skills aren't great, but you're quite adept at learning by observation."

Watching Huang Man'er stride forward, the old Sword God said with a touch of melancholy, "All the effort I put in back then was wasted. After all the trouble, a Xuan-yuan Jingcheng finally emerged, only to cause internal strife. This great tree, hollowed out by Xuan-yuan Dapan, is destined to fall."

Great Snow Peak.

The middle-aged scholar walked slowly against the wind, his sleeves fluttering, appearing distinguished and aloof.

After twenty years of forbearance, this moment finally revealed his true prowess.

As he walked, he coughed incessantly, blood threads seeping out. Xuan-yuan Jingcheng, whom no one had truly understood, had contemplated many things along the way: good and bad, honor and humiliation, ups and downs.

Xuan-yuan Jingcheng stopped, gazing at the tall figure at the far end of Great Snow Peak, and murmured, "I've finally reached this point."

That figure was exceptionally burly.

This was an old man skilled in preserving his youth. Twenty years ago, his hair was entirely white, yet now his temples had turned black again. He stood sternly at the entrance of the Guniujiang manor, like a single guard holding the pass, radiating a formidable aura.

The patriarch, the only one in Huishan qualified to claim the tranquility of a 'land immortal,' had sharp eyes and his voice boomed like a great bell: "Jingcheng, have your studies allowed you to resonate with heaven and earth?"

His deep voice reverberated across Great Snow Peak.

A string of wind chimes hung under the eaves of the Guniujiang manor, perpetually tinkling due to the strong winds on the mountain peak.

But at this moment, they were utterly silent.

Like a dying person with their throat choked.

Xuan-yuan Jingcheng replied calmly, "Whether it's a Celestial Phenomenon, we'll know once we try."

The old man, who had held absolute authority in the Xuan-yuan family for sixty years, and had returned to simplicity in the last twenty, burst into hearty laughter: "I'd like to see if you, my unworthy descendant, can withstand a hundred moves!"

No longer needing to painstakingly suppress his cultivation realm, Xuan-yuan Jingcheng raised his hand and struck a pose.

His right foot took a step forward, his left knee slightly bent.

One hand extended, the other pulled back.

It was indescribably profound.

In that instant, the dark clouds in the sky spun like a tornado and descended abruptly.

Xuan-yuan Jingcheng softly said, "I shake Kunlun."