Chương 142: Chaos in the Northwest

They had a fight and didn't even get to eat noodles, but the two of them had lost all interest in continuing their leisurely stroll.

So they turned back towards Emei.

As for how to deal with the Japanese afterward, that depends on the attitude of the local police station.

In the past, Zhao Rui had to rely on Zheng Huaifeng's influence to clear his name of "suspicion."

So, in Sichuan Province, as an elder of Qingcheng Mountain, he could kill a foreign villain or a demon without any concern.

Because that's their "job"!

However, to avoid trouble, the two did not return the way they came, but instead took a detour to a slightly more distant town and quietly ate a bowl of noodles.

"Fellow Daoist, have you ever heard of the Void Return?"

After finishing their noodles, the two walked slowly back towards Mount Emei. Monk Zhisheng spoke leisurely.

"Return to the Void? Never heard of it!"

Zhao Rui shook his head.

"Fellow Daoist, with your profound understanding, how could you not have heard of the Return to the Void? Oh, it was my presumption that I failed to inquire about your abode."

Zhisheng was slightly taken aback and asked with some confusion.

Logically speaking, someone at Zhao Rui's level should be able to access certain things.

"I cultivate in Qingcheng, but I am not a Qingcheng Taoist. I am more like a guest elder. I have never heard anyone mention these important matters."

"Oh, no wonder! I heard from the disciples that Qingcheng suffered a great calamity and is now closed off to recuperate."

"That's true."

Zhao Rui nodded and continued, "May the monk enlighten me on a couple of questions?"

"Naturally! This Ruins of Return originated five hundred years ago, when foreign enemies invaded, the land was shattered, and the martial arts world of the Central Plains fought each other for their own masters..."

One day, a brilliant light descended from the sky, and flames of Buddha's wrath erupted from the earth, causing widespread devastation and shaking the heavens and earth.

Suddenly, a huge, round, red object tore through the sky and descended. Its size was unknown, spanning thousands of miles. It collided with the earth like a pearl joining a clam. From that moment on, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was released like a torrent, and the world never returned to its former glory.

Elders from various sects gathered at Mount Song and looked up at the vast and boundless expanse of that thing, where they could vaguely sense the movement of living beings...

This is a catastrophe ordained by fate, but how can the bloodline of the martial arts world perish?

Countless heroes ventured into it, and several months later, a Wudang Taoist priest returned, bringing with him a shocking secret: It is neither a demon nor a monster, but the ruins of ancient ancestors! The fertile land stretches for thousands of miles, with auspicious herbs growing everywhere, and martial artists can advance their cultivation by leaps and bounds in a day.

From then on, the world was in chaos. All the countries abandoned their fighting and, like locusts crossing the border, led their troops to flood into foreign lands.

Twenty years passed in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, a strange phenomenon appeared. In an instant, white light engulfed the vast wilderness. When the rooster crowed at dawn, only a pale white light could be seen on the horizon.

The world can no longer find traces of those from foreign lands!

"This place is the Ruins of Return!"

A unique look of reminiscence appeared in Zhisheng's eyes, and he couldn't help but put his palms together and chant the Buddha's name.

Zhao Rui listened with great delight, then asked in astonishment, "Now that martial arts are reviving, does it mean that the alien realm is about to return?"

"Indeed! To be honest, I, the monk, come from a foreign land."

Monk Zhisheng frankly stated.

Zhao Rui was taken aback, then looked at Zhi Sheng with a complicated expression, hesitated for a moment before saying, "Your soul is occupying the spiritual aperture? This isn't your true self?"

Zhisheng shook his head and said, "This is my true nature. It's a long story, involving sect secrets, so I can't go into details with you, fellow Daoist."

Zhao Rui nodded and didn't ask any more questions about that topic. Instead, he asked about various things in the Guixu Secret Realm.

Questions such as what the environment is like there, whether the culture is the same as that of China, and what the ancient inhabitants were.

The two chatted as they walked, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the Emei Mountain area.

"Why don't you come up the mountain with me, fellow Daoist? We can discuss martial arts at length; wouldn't that be delightful!"

The monk Zhisheng's admiration for Zhao Rui was evident in his words. Even after arriving at his own territory, he still invited Zhao Rui to come up the mountain.

"Never mind, the Emei Sword Sect doesn't really welcome me. If you have the chance, Great Monk, you can come to Qingcheng Mountain, and we can have a long talk."

"Amitabha!"

"Goodbye, Great Monk!"

Zhao Rui smiled, his true energy surging beneath his feet, and in an instant, he was already ten zhang away.

In the blink of an eye, the figure flashed a few times and disappeared.

"Such a person, it's a pity he's not a disciple of my Emei Sect."

The monk remained silent for a moment, then his figure flickered and disappeared from sight. When he reappeared, he had already stepped onto the steps.

Several days later, inside the ancient temple of the Emei Sect, the monk Zhisheng sat cross-legged with a solemn expression, chanting Buddhist scriptures.

"Uncle-Master, a message has arrived from the Ruins of Return."

At this moment, several elderly monks with white hair and beards stepped into the main hall.

"Oh? Has something happened?"

Monk Zhisheng slightly raised his head and said without changing his expression.

"It's not about Mount Emei, but rather that Guixu Qingcheng hopes you will visit Mount Qingcheng to see if any remarkable figures have emerged from Qingcheng in modern times."

Upon hearing this, Monk Zhisheng frowned.

"How could his affairs in Qingcheng disturb my peaceful cultivation? Could it be that he was kicked out?"

"Report back to Mount Guixu and tell them that this old monk is in seclusion."

"Yes, Uncle-Master!"

Go!

A playful smile appeared on the young monk Zhisheng's face. Without a doubt, it must be those people from Guixu Qingcheng who didn't get any advantage from the young fellow Daoist.

"The tide is turning; another bloody storm is brewing. Amitabha!"

The monk Zhisheng closed his eyes slightly and chanted Buddhist scriptures, looking every bit the high-ranking monk.

The old monks exchanged glances and then withdrew.

The gate of Qingcheng Mountain.

Zhao Rui climbed the steps, his figure moving slowly along the mountain path.

With each step, dust particles were stirred up, forming a mysterious, fine current that settled on the steps after each step, resembling a series of paintings.

When the Qingcheng Taoist priests passing by saw that it was Zhao Rui returning, they all stood aside and bowed to greet him.

"This is the honorary elder of Qingcheng. So young! And quite handsome too."

"I heard his martial arts are very powerful, even more so than Master Yunhao, but it's a pity he doesn't take on disciples."

"Sigh, no matter how powerful they are, they're still from the Qingcheng Sword Sect."

A group of short-haired teenagers dressed in Taoist robes walked up the mountain path and spotted Zhao Rui's figure in the distance, and they couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

This group of people were not regular disciples of Qingcheng Mountain, but were forced in by the imperial court.

The elders are all sons of officials from various departments.

However, his official rank should not be high. If it were, he would be sent to Mount Emei, or at the very least, to the Tang Clan to learn some hidden weapons.

"Du Xin, what are you looking at!"

Just then, the group noticed a boy in the group crouching on the steps, carefully examining the stone slabs.

"What's wrong?"

The teenagers asked curiously.

"Don't move!"

The boy named Du Xin quickly shouted loudly.

Everyone was taken aback, and their curiosity grew even stronger.

Then Du Xin said, "Take a close look. Aren't there different dust patterns wherever Elder Zhao walks...?"

Hearing this, everyone looked up at the steps with curiosity and indeed found something different.

"Could it be!"

"Yes, is it possible that this is a martial arts technique?"

Du Xin said with a deep gaze.

"Tch, you watch too many movies. Boring!"

The crowd burst into laughter, ignoring him completely, and began climbing up the steps.

"Hey, stop stepping on them! You guys... damn it!"

Du Xin hurriedly ran to the front to stop the crowd from trampling.

A young person's nature is such that the more you forbid them from doing something, the more they want to do it.

A group of teenagers frolicked and trampled the patterns, turning them into dust that drifted down the stone steps.

Du Xin's eyes were red-rimmed, regretting what she had said earlier. She should have just secretly written it down.

He slumped down on the stone steps, sighing, "If you don't cherish the opportunities in martial arts, why did you come up the mountain in the first place?"

Although he was born into an official family, he was passionate about martial arts from a young age and had a heart set on martial arts.

Unfortunately, his talent is average. Although his family has hired many famous teachers and he has learned advanced martial arts, his progress is slow, and he is still only at the seventh level of martial arts.

His family pulled a lot of strings to secure a spot for him to go to Qingcheng Mountain.

He also instructed him to practice diligently, and that when the time was right, he would naturally have the opportunity to undergo a complete transformation.

Many of the people in the same batch came for the opportunity and were not interested in Qingcheng martial arts.

Although he didn't know what this opportunity or chance was, once he came to the mountain, he was always the most enthusiastic one in practicing martial arts.

"No, one set is enough for me to ponder!"

Du Xin's eyes lit up, and he immediately began searching up and down the steps.

There are hundreds of stone steps along the mountain path, and he silently searches and memorizes them.

It wasn't until the patrolling Taoist priest discovered he was missing that he was found and brought back, whereupon he naturally received a scolding.

However, he didn't care. Once he got back to his residence, he immediately began to memorize the patterns he had collected and copied them into his notebook.

There were only seven designs in total, but he treasured them and studied them diligently.

Zhao Rui had no idea that the subtle ripples he created by casually unleashing his sword intent would be noticed by a disciple, who then began to study them seriously.

At this moment, he was in seclusion in the Longevity Cave, consolidating his cultivation and comprehending the changes in the Divine Void Realm.

They stayed there for two days and two nights.

Two days later, Zhao Rui left the Longevity Cave, met with Master Yu, gave him some instructions, and then packed his belongings and returned to Jizhou.

He wasn't from Qingcheng after all.

Those who are away from home will always want to return!

It was still a several-hour high-speed rail journey, and we didn't arrive at Jeju High Speed Rail Station until it got dark in the afternoon.

Back in Jeju, the familiar yet unfamiliar neon lights reawakened Zhao Rui's heart from its silence.

He made a phone call and summoned Qin Rui and others, and they enjoyed a delicious barbecue at the school gate.

Tender lamb skewers, lamb kidneys, oysters, and a small beer...

The mundane world is more humane!

"Miao Miaomiao went to the Taishan Sect, I don't know what she was thinking? Isn't that all Taoist priests there!"

Li Xinran shook her head slightly and said.

"The Mount Tai Sect has no distinction between men and women, and there are female Taoist nuns. Moreover, she didn't go there to cultivate Taoism. She simply went to practice martial arts."

Zhao Rui offered two explanations.

With the example of the Qingcheng Sword Sect, he knew Miao Miaomiao's purpose in going there.

It was also for the sake of opportunity.

This kind of opportunity is not something ordinary people can obtain.

"By the time she returns, she'll probably have already advanced to the Grandmaster realm!"

Qin Rui said with a somewhat downcast expression that she had already advanced to level nine, but felt that she was getting further and further away from Zhao Rui.

His strength is becoming increasingly unpredictable.

Perhaps only a genius like Miao Miaomiao could barely keep up with his pace.

"You should also cultivate diligently, and one day you will become grandmasters."

Zhao Rui offered a few words of encouragement.

"We know, we can't let you down."

Everyone laughed.

Just then, Cao Guannan's phone rang.

He quickly took out his phone, answered the call, and heard that it was his coach, Wang Zhanshan, calling.

"Go to the Northwest? Can I choose not to go?"

After hanging up the phone, Cao Guannan's expression was rather unpleasant.

"What's wrong?" Li Xinran asked curiously.

"Coach Wang said that the University Martial Arts Association is selecting elite members from various universities to go to the Northwest for training for a period of one year."

Cao Guannan then recounted the events.

"Who else?"

"I don't know, it must have been a private call."

Cao Guannan shook his head.

"I'll make a call and ask."

Seeing this, Zhao Rui took out his phone and dialed Wang Zhanshan's number.

"You're back? You weren't with Cao Guannan, were you?"

As soon as the call connected, Wang Zhanshan's voice rang out.

"Hmm, what's the deal with going to the Northwest? Is it absolutely necessary?"

"Our martial arts team has been allocated three spots; it's a political mission. We can't refuse. And everyone must be a martial artist at level eight or above."

"However, the higher-ups said that this trip will also have its benefits. For martial arts students, it will be a rare opportunity for training. They may even gain unexpected benefits."

"Cannot be exchanged..."

Before Zhao Rui could finish speaking, Cao Guannan shook his head at him.

"Who should we replace them with? Wang Dalong and Cai Zhengyang are both preparing for the National Martial Arts Tournament..."

"Okay. Have you eaten? Come on, let's have a drink."

"You only remember me now? You have no sincerity whatsoever. You've already eaten. Go ahead and have fun!"

"Um!"

After Zhao Rui hung up the phone, Cao Guannan said, "I think I'll go. Martial arts can't be mastered by simply working behind closed doors. I also need to find my own opportunity."

"be safe!"

Seeing that he said that, Zhao Rui did not try to persuade him anymore. On the path of martial arts, if one does not have an unwavering determination, one will not be able to cultivate any powerful martial arts.

"With you gone and Zhao Rui frequently disappearing, the martial arts team is just me and Xinran left!"

Qin Rui said, somewhat puzzled.

"It's not like we don't have cell phones; we keep in touch by phone." Cao Guannan smiled, raised his glass, and said, "Drink up, drink up, let's live for the moment!"

"Cheers!"

The four men raised their beer glasses and drank the beer in one gulp.

Zhao Rui didn't expect that some of his friends would leave so soon after he returned.

The Great Northwest?

I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before.

Zhao Rui's eyes flashed, and he suddenly remembered that the old demon's disciple had come from the Northwest.

Could it be the Northwest?

Zhao Rui couldn't help but start thinking about it.

However, he did not indicate at this time that he planned to have a detailed discussion with Wang Zhanshan the next day.

Silent all night.

The next morning, Zhao Rui found Wang Zhanshan and told him about his guess.

Wang Zhanshan said with a wry smile, "So you already knew."

After saying that, he added helplessly, "Do you know where Old Ge is?"

"Could it be in the far northwest?"

Wang Zhanshan nodded.

"What exactly is that place like? Isn't it some kind of Stan country? Why does it need so many martial artists?"

"The Kingdom of Stan no longer exists there!"

Wang Zhanshan's words startled Zhao Rui, who asked in astonishment, "What do you mean?"

"I haven't been there myself, but I've heard Elder Ge mention that the area has become extremely chaotic. The imperial court has deployed a large number of troops, and even special forces composed of martial artists have been mobilized."

Hearing Wang Zhanshan's words, Zhao Rui was secretly alarmed. Sure enough, there were many things that ordinary people did not know about the peaceful and tranquil life.

"You should also be prepared. I reckon they'll likely summon Grandmaster-level experts."

(End of this chapter)