Chapter 546: Westward Journey

White Horse Departs from Liangzhou

Murong Baoding glanced at the rolling thunder patterns on the scabbard, a little surprised. Although martial arts were vast with countless unconventional paths, anything related to Qi cultivators was considered top-tier. The young brother and sister behind him were even more familiar with such techniques, as there were master Qi cultivators in Beiliang skilled in harnessing lightning. The money-obsessed boy and the food-loving girl whispered together, especially the gluttonous girl, who smacked her lips and stared intently at the nine genuine purple heavenly thunderbolts. She was extremely envious, thinking that if she could swallow them and nurture them for a few years, she could surely beat the annoying fat guy next to her into a pig's head. Hong Jingyan maintained his rigid expression. At his level of martial arts, his approach was simply to respond to all changes with an unchanging resolve.

Xu Fengnian's left hand drew the Guohezhu blade in an instant. The blade moved so quickly that its scabbard flew backward from his palm, crashing into the palace wall. Xu Fengnian's arm swung according to Wang Xiu's "arc" technique, striking down with a blade surrounded by nine thunders, dazzling with purple radiance. Zhong Liang unceremoniously retrieved the iron spear Xu Fengnian had abandoned. He had been holding it with one hand, but now he held it with both, showing due seriousness in facing the drawn blade. The long spear curved horizontally, and before the brilliant blade reached him, the tip of the curved spear was already aimed at Xu Fengnian's waist. Xu Fengnian did not deliberately shift from attack to defense; he simply moved with the blade effortlessly, as if possessed by a deity, understanding the subtle art of foresight. The blade tip suddenly twisted, descending even faster, pulling his body forward by several feet. It was still a rolling blade technique, but it contained far more profound mysteries than a typical swordsman's rolling blade. When the spear inexplicably missed, Zhong Liang's eyes lit up. Using the momentum of the curved spear, his body also moved in an arc. To onlookers, it seemed one person moved with the blade, and the other, unwilling to fall behind, moved with the spear. At first, Murong Baoding watched with a smile, not thinking much of the young man's rolling blade technique. However, when Xu Fengnian's blade movements, though seemingly chaotic, struck precisely, each blow aimed directly at Zhong Liang's face from four feet away, it genuinely surprised the Half-faced Buddha.

Zhong Liang, constantly dodging, frowned. He wasn't annoyed by the young man retaliating for the spear tip aimed at his brow; rather, it was this absurd rolling blade technique, like a child haphazardly waving a knife, that was unheard of. Zhong Liang naturally didn't know about an old swordsman from Dongyue named Song Nianqing, who, on his last journey through the martial world, carried fourteen swords with fourteen moves. The only sword with a tassel, named "Zhaodan" (Illuminating Gall), symbolized illuminating the world with a lamp, and this "walking sword" style had stumbled its way to the side of Luoyang in white. Each time Xu Fengnian's rolling blade pointed, a purple thunderbolt hovered. After nine such instances, his free right hand suddenly clenched. The nine thunderbolts contained nine flying swords, forming a powerful array that encircled Zhong Liang. Xu Fengnian paid no mind to how the demonic Zhong would react. With one hand, he randomly struck the empty air, performing the "Eighteen Beats of the Hu Jia" from the blind zither player in the rainy alley battle. A finger tap on the Guohezhu blade unleashed the "Point the Mountain to Fill the Sea" secret sword technique from the young female Qi cultivator by the lake at Youyan Villa. Many discarded talisman swords previously scattered on the square leaped from the ground with spiritual energy, their trajectories twisting as they fiercely darted towards Zhong Liang. These, combined with the unparalleled, imposing thunder-pool flying swords and the unpredictable Hu Jia beats, created a magnificent spectacle. The "arc" technique formed three arcs of power. Xu Fengnian's "three arcs" at this moment were secretly learned from Song Nianqing, Xue Songguan, and a Qi cultivator from the South Sea. Though seemingly unrelated, they were fused into one, subtly hinting at the grandmaster realm of "devouring thousands of miles like a tiger."

Murong Baoding chuckled softly, "It's impressive and quite practical, just a bit too messy. There's still some distance to go before reaching the celestial phenomenon realm of returning to simplicity."

Within the formation, Zhong Liang was exhausted dealing with the three arcs. The Hu Jia beats, appearing from thin air, were manageable. With his Vajra physique, even if struck, it would only result in superficial wounds—a minor loss of face, not substance. The dozen or so talisman swords, somehow controlled by the young man, were also not a major concern; Zhong Liang's mastery of profound insights allowed him to handle them with ease. Ordinarily, with his rare talent, he wouldn't even need to dodge. But the real danger lay in not dodging, which would mean falling into a trap. Furthermore, the sword-tomb flying swords, clad in purple lightning, were no longer amiable to him, a natural sword embryo. Each of the nine sword energies contained a lethal intent—this was the true killing blow. The head of the iron spear, tightly gripped in Zhong Liang's hands, had already been sliced off by the purple lightning. Since that guy's left-hand blade was drawn, Zhong Liang hadn't been able to counterattack even once. This truly angered the second young master of the Zhong family, who, despite being ranked relatively low among the ten demonic figures of Beiliang, possessed exceptional strength.

In Beiliang, top-tier martial artists engaged in open combat far more frequently than those in Liyang. There was no tradition of "friendly" literary duels that preserved harmony. If the Liyang martial world didn't have the old monster Wang from Wudi City to serve as a whetstone, the number of people on the martial arts ranking list probably wouldn't even be able to split fifty-fifty with Beiliang. In Beiliang, heroes were always judged by their deeds, not their origins. Many who were nobodies one day would leap to become esteemed guests of a General with a Staff the next. Zhong Liang didn't rise to prominence in the Beiliang martial world because of his identity as the younger brother of Zhong Shentong; he did so through repeated pursuits and being pursued. In his youth, he provoked the "Dragon King," who is now also one of the ten demonic figures, and was chased for nearly a month. It was that series of life-and-death escapes that ultimately elevated Zhong Liang to a first-rank master. Zhong Liang had intentionally held back earlier, partly due to the desire to humiliate the young provincial king, but also because he couldn't stand the young man's pretense of practicing and carrying a blade without ever drawing it. How dare he put on airs in front of Zhong Liang? Only now did he realize that this young King of Beiliang had a vast and varied learning, in no way inferior to his own. After drawing his blade, his momentum was like a rainbow. Zhong Liang had no choice but to drop his contempt and treat him as an opponent worthy of an all-out battle. Zhong Liang, of course, knew that the young man standing five *zhang* away had many tricks up his sleeve, and besides the thunder-wrapped flying swords, he must have another, even more potent secret technique. Zhong Liang guessed it must be the second blade remaining at his right waist.

Zhong Liang had heard that Xu Fengnian, once a disciple of Li Chungang, cultivated his blade through the "intent nourishment" method and had once bisected the Colorful Python Demon beside Tuoba Chunshun on the grasslands with a sleeve blade. Zhong Liang dealt with the fluctuating talisman swords following the Hu Jia beats one by one, and of course, there was also the even more troublesome purple thunder sword array. Xu Fengnian attacked, Zhong Liang responded. What seemed complex and lengthy was, in fact, over in a few blinks of an eye. All the talisman swords had shattered and fallen to the ground, and Zhong Liang's iron spear had been largely whittled down, turning into a long blade. Fortunately, Zhong Liang's talent was exceptionally high; no matter what he studied, he could easily surpass many renowned masters' lifelong pursuits. The broken spear in his hand struck the purple thunder flying swords with a booming sound, like thousands of pounds of bells colliding, clearly audible outside the Dragon King's Mansion. Each time the spear struck a sword, Zhong Liang gained a greater perception of each thunder-imbued flying sword.

When the expressionless young man holding the blade finally made a subtle move with his right hand, Zhong Liang's pupils contracted. He knew that the right-hand blade was about to be drawn and unleashed.

Onlookers Murong Baoding and Hong Jingyan sighed softly almost simultaneously.

Xu Fengnian had indeed grasped the hilt of his right-hand Xiudong blade.

But it wasn't Xiudong that was unleashed; it was the scabbard-less Guohezhu in his hand.

The web of Xu Fengnian's hand split open, and blood splattered.

This showed how incredibly fast the Guohezhu traveled, so fast that even Xu Fengnian, who held it, completely lost control.

Outside Shenwu City, someone from Wudi City had borrowed a sword from afar. Xu Fengnian decisively gave the sword, and with it, at the critical moment between life and death, killed Han Shengxuan, the "Human Cat" who was said to be invincible below the level of a terrestrial immortal.

However, that time the sword was borrowed by the old man surnamed Sui, the "sword-eating ancestor." This time, Xu Fengnian returned the blade, but to the Guohezhu's own scabbard. Otherwise, with Xu Fengnian's profound spiritual foundation, long capable of manifesting a sleeve-length azure dragon through intent cultivation, he wouldn't have solely used the rolling blade technique, derived from Song Nianqing's "Zhaodan" sword walk, against Zhong Liang. Everything was an extremely sinister illusion, merely a setup for the blade's return. The thrilling trap outside Shenwu City saw the famous sword "Spring and Autumn" pass within an inch of the Human Cat's heart. The further away the borrower, the greater the blade's momentum. However, Zhong Liang was not Han Shengxuan, who could kill a celestial phenomenon expert with profound insight. This time, as the blade returned to its scabbard, it still pierced directly through the chest of the Beiliang demonic figure, but he didn't die on the spot. Unlike the Third Grand Offering, who had to pull the iron spear out of his own body, Zhong Liang simply went straight through the Guohezhu's scabbard, collapsing the palace wall and escaping. Xu Fengnian did not pursue. He merely glanced at the Beiliang spy who had died sitting on the ground, considering it revenge for the old man's spear wound.

Murong Baoding sighed regretfully, "With Zhong Liang's abilities, if he had gone all out from the start, he wouldn't have been in such a sorry state. His talent is truly exceptional. Before Luoyang, he was the fastest in Beiliang to advance from the Vajra realm to the Profound Insight realm, even faster than Li Chungang of Liyang back then. This is a great thing, but also a considerable disadvantage. The Vajra realm is naturally not as impregnable as that of other martial artists who have remained in this realm for many years. Zhong Liang was fortunate, as a nascent immortal sword, to acutely sense the crisis from that sheath-returning blade, which originated from the path of the sword, just before it pierced his heart. This allowed him to avoid being instantly killed by a heart-piercing blow. Unfortunately, having narrowly escaped this blade, he absolutely cannot escape Xu Yanbing, who has arrived with the Momentary Spear."

Hong Jingyan hesitated for a moment, just about to take a step.

Murong Baoding chuckled softly, "Have you thought it through? Do you really want to save Zhong Liang from Xu Yanbing to curry favor with my sister? Don't regret it."

Hong Jingyan retorted, "If Hong Jingyan can conceal the secret southward journey of the Staff Bearer from His Majesty, can't the Staff Bearer wait for Hong Jingyan to act after careful deliberation?"

Murong Baoding didn't speak, shaking his head.

The two parted ways there.

Once Hong Jingyan had swept out of the Dragon King's Palace, Murong Baoding murmured to himself, "If one dares not make a grand gamble, how can one make a grand gain?"

Murong Baoding raised his voice slightly and chuckled to Xu Fengnian, "This 'Geng Louzi'—don't let his high martial cultivation fool you; in my eyes, he's far inferior to you. Just now, I even promised him that he and you would share the titles of King of the Northern and Southern Courts. Now it seems I was truly insulting you, Xu Fengnian."

Xu Fengnian took a deep breath, absorbing the nine purple thunderbolts, then used his energy to retrieve the Guohezhu, which now rested quietly in its scabbard. He casually shook the scabbard, dislodging Zhong Liang's blood, and asked with a smile, "If you, Murong Baoding, faced that blade, what would the outcome be?"

There was no tense standoff between the two. Murong Baoding sat languidly on the steps and laughed heartily, "I could anticipate that blade, but I most likely wouldn't be able to dodge it. However, even if your blade struck my heart, it wouldn't pierce through. It's not that I underestimate you; in truth, only Wang Xianzhi and Tuoba Pusa could achieve such a feat with bare hands in this world. Deng Tai'a's sword could also do it. As for others, it would be quite difficult. Oh, and also Li Dangxin, the Vajra-eyed. So even if Hong Jingyan went mad and turned to kill me, I wouldn't take it too seriously. I'd just leisurely run back to Beiliang, and perhaps even chat with a few of you about daily life."

The martial arts ranking freshly issued in Beiliang asserted that if Wang Xianzhi was willing to join forces with Tuoba Pusa, they could eliminate all eight individuals behind them. Regardless of public speculation, there was no way to know what these eight truly thought. Coincidentally, two of them were currently at the Dragon King's Mansion: one ranked sixth in the world, the other eighth. They had a casual drinking conversation during their southward journey. Hong Jingyan, who held a slightly higher position, admitted this point. Murong Baoding, however, held a negative view. His denial wasn't due to the Half-faced Buddha's arrogance regarding his own cultivation, but rather his belief that Deng Tai'a, who had gone out to sea to visit immortals after borrowing a sword, had the potential, with a great opportunity, to truly surpass Tuoba Pusa's realm and stand as an equal to Wang Xianzhi.

Xu Fengnian asked, "Not even Xu Yanbing's Momentary Spear?"

Murong Baoding pondered seriously for a moment. "Firstly, I don't know his true depths. Secondly, if I were to say he couldn't do it, you'd simply think I was boasting."

Xu Fengnian laughed, "If Xu Yanbing doesn't fight you, then someone else certainly will."

Murong Baoding said gravely, "No room for discussion? Must it be a fight to the death?"

Xu Fengnian shook his head. "During his life, Xu Xiao never bothered with you all. I, for my part, will never do business with Beiliang."

Murong Baoding stood up, a look of regret on his face, stretched, and said, "It turns out you are far more foolish than I imagined."

Xu Fengnian replied with a smile, "I return that sentiment to you."

The leader of Qingcang's spies was actually a chess piece planted by Beiliang. After falsely reporting military intelligence to Zhou Junchen, he had long since disappeared. He had claimed that Xu Fengnian entered the land of refugees alone and that Beiliang had no large army pressing on, which was only half true. Entering the territory, besides this young King of Beiliang, who should have been a pampered prince kept far from danger, was a magnificent cavalry detachment of a thousand men. However, fewer than a hundred were armored escorts; the rest, with their striking bald heads, were all clad in cassocks, presenting the surprising sight of a large group of monks journeying west. There was only one carriage, and nearby, a massive black tiger roamed, occasionally stopping and turning its head to wait for the carriage. On both sides, a hundred cavalrymen were mounted on heavy horses and wore heavy armor. Even in the isolated land of refugees, one glance was enough to recognize them as the Dragon Elephant Army, which had torn through three major strongholds of Beiliang's Southern Dynasty last year! They were the elite among Beiliang's elite cavalry! It was precisely the thirty thousand Dragon Elephant Iron Cavalry that had trampled half of Gusei Prefecture into ruin. Who in the Southern Dynasty's court wasn't terrified by the invincible black-clad youth who charged into battle?

Beiliang had always been pro-Buddhism. Especially after the Liyang imperial court suppressed Buddhism, countless monks and ascetics fled to Beiliang, which seemed to be the only remaining untroubled pure land in the world.

Then, the new King of Beiliang recently issued a sudden decree, ordering all monks within Liangzhou to enter the land of refugees to spread Buddhist teachings, promising escort by armored cavalry. Most monks from other regions feared jumping from the wolf's den into the tiger's lair, and for a time, adopted a wait-and-see attitude. Fortunately, the King of Beiliang did not make things difficult, merely ordering six hundred local Liangzhou monks to assemble for the "Western Journey," with no resistance allowed. However, over three hundred monks from outside Liangzhou still held the determined belief of "If I don't go to hell, who will?" and, besides those from Liangzhou, there were also monks who quickly set off from Youling Liangzhou to join the procession. When many monks who had chosen to avoid the risk learned that the black tiger, which had once listened to scriptures under the great master Qi Xuanzhen, was also among the cavalry, they all regretted their decision.

Many monks, well-versed in worldly affairs, tried to "mend the fold after the sheep had been lost," attempting to secretly follow behind the cavalry, but were mercilessly driven back to Liangzhou by the border cavalry.

After the great Beiliang spy, Daoist Qinghuai, who had been dormant for many years at Qingrong Temple, was annihilated by the Beiliang Falcons, Grandmaster Huangdeng, originally a famous monk from Jiangnan, personally witnessed the old Daoist's demise. The venerable Zen master then became the new abbot of Qingrong Temple. When the new King of Beiliang decreed that monks should journey west to the land of refugees, the elderly Zen master was among the first to voluntarily go to Liangzhou, and was also the most renowned among them. Thus, Grandmaster Huangdeng was specially permitted by Beiliang to travel by carriage, a distinct honor. However, the old Zen master seemed rather restless throughout the journey. It wasn't that an elderly high monk would bow before power; Grandmaster Huangdeng, when expounding the Dharma in Jiangnan, treated everyone equally, even an esteemed governor from a prominent clan, just like ordinary peddlers. The reason the old Zen master felt "uneasy" was because the new King of Beiliang's brother was seated inside the carriage—none other than Xu Longxiang, who had brutally massacred a city and buried surrendered soldiers alive at the border last year! If that were all, the eminent monk wouldn't have been overly constrained. The main reason was that His Highness was not in his usual barefoot black robes, but encased in an extremely bizarre and strikingly red armor, with only his eyes visible!

Killing intent filled the carriage.

Pity the Grandmaster Huangdeng, who was renowned for his pervasive Buddhist aura.

Still some distance from Qingcang City, a peregrine falcon circled low in the sky.

Hearing the sound, the armored figure suddenly rose, left the carriage, and the armored youth began to run frantically.

Before this red armor entered the Dragon King's Mansion, located in the westernmost part, it had already shattered the entire Qingcang City in a straight line.

Great Vajra Realm versus Great Vajra Realm!