Chương 217: Discussing Convening a Martial Arts Conference

Master Puhua's words did not lessen Zhao Rui's doubts; on the contrary, they increased them considerably.

"What does 'Shaolin' mean?"

Zhao Rui frowned and asked.

"With the Great Battle of Guixu imminent, if the evil forces don't go too far, let them be and temporarily retreat from the fray."

After saying this, Zen Master Puhua felt that it was somewhat improper, so he unconsciously chanted a Buddhist chant and lowered his head.

"Hehe, what a compassionate heart, truly saving all sentient beings."

Zhao Rui couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.

"Benefactor, this is the inevitable trend. If we waste our time on internal strife, the martial arts world of the Central Plains will be in danger, and the world will be in danger."

Zen Master Puhua sighed and remained silent for a moment.

"Thank you for your frank advice, Zen Master. Farewell!"

After Zhao Rui finished speaking, he stood up, and suddenly his whole body was filled with sword intent. An invisible domain power instantly spread throughout the entire Emei Mountain.

"Sword, come!"

Zhao Rui strode forward, and with a casual flick of his wrist, a sword light flashed and landed at his feet.

With another step, another sword swept through the air.

One step, one sword!

The sword emitted boundless radiance.

The entire Mount Emei trembled, and the sound of swords echoed everywhere, as if ten thousand swords were paying homage to the emperor. The buzzing sound shook the heavens and the earth.

Somewhere in the back mountains, Abbess Liaojing gripped the Autumn Water Sword tightly in both hands. The sword trembled as if it were about to slip from her grasp, and her face showed horror.

"Master, what's going on!"

The disciples exclaimed in surprise.

"I don't know. The Autumn Water Sword seems about to take flight. This sword intent is so strong, who could it be?"

As she spoke, the sound of swords rang out throughout Mount Emei, and countless shouts of rebuke rose and fell.

The entire Mount Emei was filled with figures leaping and flying, all heading towards the main hall.

"town!"

Master Liaojing spat out a mouthful of blood essence to suppress the agitation of the Autumn Water Sword, strode forward, and declared loudly, "The sword may be discarded, but the Zen mind cannot be broken. I will be right back."

After saying that, he used his superb lightness skill to rush towards the source of the sword intent.

"The Domain of Swords?"

Inside the main hall, Zen Master Puhua's expression suddenly changed, and he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"The sword intent of Emei is truly sharp and worthy of its reputation as a celestial sword!"

Zhao Rui exhaled and spoke, his voice booming like a bell, shaking the surrounding area.

Before he finished speaking, he was already a hundred feet away.

The long sword pierced the air, leaving only a slender figure that vanished into the mountains in an instant.

"A true master is unrestrained, but alas, Emei is not only about swordsmanship! Amitabha!"

Zen Master Puhua shook his head slightly, his face somber.

"Elder, what happened?"

"Uncle-Master!"

"Who possessed such sword intent just now?"

Just then, a group of Emei sword cultivators rushed over and exclaimed in surprise upon seeing Zen Master Puhua.

"Amitabha! It's Benefactor Zhao from the Qingcheng Sword Sect! Benefactor Zhao possesses extraordinary talent and has already comprehended the power of the sword realm!"

"The realm of swordsmanship?"

Everyone was astonished and looked in the direction where Zhao Rui had disappeared.

Suddenly, one after another, long swords that had vanished appeared, slicing across the sky and flying towards Mount Emei.

"It's the Phoenix Cry Sword!"

"Changzhi Sword! ————" The Emei sword cultivators quickly leaped up and took their returned swords into their hands.

"Everyone, disperse!"

Zen Master Puhua waved his hand, turned around, and entered the main hall.

"The realm of swordsmanship?"

Master Liaojing gazed at the sky ablaze with crimson clouds, her eyes as deep as the sea, as if a thousand stars were twinkling within them.

Qingcheng Mountain!

Zhao Rui, who had returned to the mountain gate, along with Wei Chen, the leader of the Qingcheng Sect, and Yu Zhengnan, the leader of the Qingcheng Sword Sect, sat in a pavilion on the mountaintop.

Bathed in the mountain breeze and evening glow, with a pot of clear tea, the clouds are light and the wind is gentle.

"Junior brother's slap in the face has hit Emei's sore spot. Haha."

Yu Zhengnan laughed heartily, his laughter filled with delight.

The Emei Sect has always been renowned in the martial arts world for its Emei Divine Sword. Before the return of Guixu, the spiritual energy was scarce, making the Emei Sect's Divine Sword even more mysterious and powerful, inspiring fear in all evil spirits and heretics.

Now that the Void has returned and evil has risen again, the Emei Divine Sword, which should have been wielding its sword to sweep away the demons, has instead resorted to the art of manipulation.

This is truly astonishing.

"I was just acting on impulse. As for the Emei Sect, they have their own ideas. We just need to do our own thing."

Zhao Rui shook his head and looked at Yu Zhengnan, saying, "Senior brother, one must be strong to forge iron. Our Qingcheng Sword Sect still has too weak a foundation."

"Yes, I know that, but it's not something that can be accomplished in a short time."

Yu Zhengnan shook his head and said with a wry smile.

"Hurry up! A great calamity is coming, and Qingcheng Mountain needs to protect itself."

After Zhao Rui finished speaking, he looked at Master Weichen and nodded, saying, "The Qingcheng Sect and the Qingcheng Sword Sect are of one mind and share the same fate. The sect leader should make plans for this matter as soon as possible."

"Yes, I have already sent people to Song territory day and night. It seems that something must have happened in Guixu Qingcheng."

Wei Chen said with a solemn expression.

Logically speaking, there are quite a few experts in Guixu Qingcheng, so why didn't anyone come to help?

The return of Guixu was not long ago. The Song territory was far from the Central Plains and there was no modern equipment for communication.

It's actually not as convenient to exchange information between the two places as it was before.

This was also something that Wei Chen and the others did not expect.

"From this day forward, all personnel on Mount Qingcheng are on high alert, from top to bottom, conducting fixed-point patrols both on and off the mountain —" Weichen spoke again.

"That's how it should be. The Qingcheng Sword Sect will obey the Master's orders in everything."

Yu Zhengnan nodded. Special times call for special measures.

The three chatted for a while on the mountaintop before night fell.

The twinkling stars illuminate the lights on the mountaintop, their interplay dispelling the chill.

In the following days, Qingcheng Mountain prepared its troops for battle, and the precious swords that were not easily distributed in the past were also given out.

For use by disciples.

Zhao Rui led Cang Zhenzi and the others around the entire Qingcheng Mountain several times, searching for hidden observation points. They not only arranged manpower but also installed monitoring devices.

Martial arts and technology can be pursued simultaneously.

Not only in Qingcheng Mountain, but they also set up hidden sentry posts within a radius of 100 miles.

No matter what happens, it won't escape the eyes of the Qingcheng Sect.

On this day, a scout from the foot of the mountain suddenly sent a message saying that dozens of martial arts practitioners were heading towards Qingcheng Mountain.

Judging from their attire, they seem to be from more than ten sects, including Lingdong, Mangshan, Taishan, Yuzhu Mountain Villa, and Huashan.

Upon hearing this, Master Weichen immediately instructed the elders of his sect to descend the mountain to greet him.

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, they found that everyone there was an elder or a key figure from various factions.

The elder was startled and quickly led them up the mountain.

Upon arriving at the mountain, after exchanging greetings with Master Weichen, the group explained their purpose.

However, he wanted to unite all the sects and schools, gather them at Shaolin Temple, and invite this "leading figure" of the martial arts world to convene a martial arts conference to reshape the order of the martial arts world.

Although the demonic path has now retreated into seclusion, the evil path is rampant. With a great war imminent, people are filled with anxiety. Although the government supports the major sects, they are not of much help in this matter.

Their focus was on developing technology to prepare for the impending invasion of the Ruins.

How can two cultures possibly clash peacefully?

Either one will absorb the other, or one will completely disappear into the annals of history.

They were powerless to help with matters concerning the martial arts world.

"Qingcheng has no other intentions. Cangzhenzi, you should take three disciples with you to Shaolin and make Qingcheng's stance clear."

After a moment's thought, Master Weichen summoned Cangzhenzi and conveyed the sect leader's decree.

"It's the sect leader!"

Cang Zhenzi bowed and agreed.

"Why haven't I seen Master Zhao from your sect? It's been quite some time since we parted ways at Mount Tai."

Master Qingshan, representing the Taishan Sect, asked with a smile.

"Yes, I am here on behalf of my senior brother, the sect leader, to pay my respects to Master Zhao."

An elder from the Kongtong Sect also said with a smile.

"Hehe, Elder Zhao has already gone down the mountain. He's always been used to living a carefree life. You all have come at a really bad time."

"Oh dear, that's a real shame."

Master Qingshan shook his head slightly, a look of regret on his face.

"Is this Master Zhao the one who forced his way out of the Ruins of Return?"

Some experts from other sects, who had never seen Zhao Rui before, couldn't help but ask.

"It is indeed this Master Zhao."

"Alas, what a pity, I never had the chance to meet you—"

"It's truly astonishing that Master Zhao, at such a young age, was able to force his way into the Ruins of Return. I've also heard that he has killed quite a few strange beasts in the East Sea—" The crowd whispered amongst themselves; what was supposed to be a discussion about Shaolin had turned into Zhao Rui's tea party.

Master Weichen looked helpless; he hadn't expected Zhao Rui to be so popular now.

"If things continue like this, perhaps this martial arts tournament will be held at my Qingcheng Mountain—" Wei Chen's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but think to himself.

After whispering among themselves for a while, once Cang Zhenzi was ready, they stopped talking, got up immediately, went down Qingcheng Mountain, and headed towards Emei Mountain.

"A storm is brewing!"

After everyone left, Master Weichen stood facing the wind, looking at the turbulent mountain clouds, and couldn't help but stroke his beard and sigh softly.

The capital city, a hundred miles away from Qingcheng Mountain, remains as bustling as ever, with its constant flow of traffic and crowds.

Aside from the increased number of pedestrians dressed in ancient costumes and the proliferation of martial arts schools and gangs with their signs, there wasn't much difference.

Of course, if you observe closely, you'll also find that more and more people are climbing over the obstacles.

The road dividers that used to require a lot of effort to climb over are now being jumped over by many people.

The high steps, which would normally require climbing dozens of stairs, can now be easily jumped down or up.

Saves time and effort.

Of course, this kind of "uncivilized" behavior only happens when the police can't see it; otherwise, they would still be educated.

As individual strength increases, the combat effectiveness of the patrol officers also rises sharply.

Previously, ordinary police officers might only be at most level one or two martial artists.

People with Level 6 and 7 certifications are everywhere now, they're very common.

With everyone advancing, all sorts of strange and monstrous figures are naturally no exception.

As the official body that controls the strongest power, it is naturally adapting to the new order of the martial arts' rapid development.

"Your aunt and uncle have both been assigned to work for state-owned companies, and the benefits are quite good. The only problem is that their housing is currently rented—" In a residential community, Zhao Jincheng sipped his tea and chatted with his son, Zhao Rui, with a smile.

Now that Zhao Rui has come to Qingcheng Mountain, he naturally wouldn't leave without "going home" to visit.

This was his first time visiting since his parents and relatives moved here.

The officials in the capital city took good care of them and arranged jobs for them. Zhao Jincheng was still doing his old job in Qian, but he was transferred here from Dongqi.

As for Xue Wenhui, she now works in the logistics department of a school, and the elderly couple lead a very fulfilling life.

Zhao Rui had also thought that they could stay at home and take care of their grandparents and maternal grandparents.

As a result, the two couldn't stay idle and felt that staying at home was too boring.

It's still more comfortable to go out and work.

Zhao Rui couldn't persuade them otherwise, so he agreed.

As long as they're happy.

"Rui, Rui-ge, have some fruit!"

As the father and son chatted, Zhou Moshu brought over a plate of fruit and gently placed it on the coffee table.

"Yes, thank you for your hard work."

Zhao Rui said with a smile.

"It's all part of the job."

Zhou Moshu smiled faintly and said.

"You may bully her, but we treat her like our own daughter. When you're not home, she's here with us, keeping us company. She's much more considerate than you are."

Zhao Jincheng said with a smile.

"Yes, Dad, am I the kind of unreasonable person?"

Zhao Rui said with dissatisfaction.

"I know what kind of person you are. You look harmless on the outside, but you're tough as nails on the inside."

"Okay, Dad."

Zhao Rui smiled helplessly.

Seeing Zhao Rui's discomfiture, Zhou Moshu couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.

During this period, although they claimed to be protecting the safety of the Zhao family, they actually did very little.

On the contrary, she experienced a life completely different from the previous two thousand years.

It's not just about technological changes, but also about interpersonal relationships, social well-being, and many other different experiences.

Of course, I also learned a lot of interesting stories about the "seniors".

Only then did she realize that her senior was also a young person under twenty years old, just like her.

I couldn't help but marvel at it.

"Still laughing? Don't you know how powerful I am?"

Zhao Rui rolled his eyes at Zhou Moshu.

"Hehe, just laugh."

Zhou Moshu chuckled dismissively and turned to walk into the living room.

"Ugh!"

Zhao Rui shook his head, feigning a sigh.

Sincerity is indeed the ultimate weapon.

Using force to control Zhou Moshu is far less effective than the emotional bond of parents.

Zhou Moshu now considers himself a member of this family.

The mundane world is the best place to corrupt one's moral compass.

"Be careful when you're out there. Times have changed. If you can avoid standing out, then don't."

"knew!"

Listening to Zhao Jincheng's nagging, Zhao Rui nodded in agreement.

Zhao Rui didn't stay at home for long; he just needed to know that everything was taken care of at home.

After staying for two days, Zhao Rui left home early on the third day and returned to Qingcheng Mountain.

Upon reaching the mountain, Zhao Rui heard that Master Qingshan and others had visited, and his brows furrowed involuntarily.

"I'm afraid Shaolin doesn't want to get involved in this mess right now."

"It's no longer up to them."

Let's wait and see!

After a brief exchange, Zhao Rui led the three ugly men of Luohe down Mount Qingcheng.

This time, he was going to the Tianshan Sect.

As a major martial arts sect located far from the Central Plains, the Tianshan Sect has never been very involved in Central Plains affairs.

It implies a bit of traveling abroad.

However, the Tianshan Sect's martial arts have unique features, and they often send disciples with exceptional skills down the mountain to gain experience and become famous throughout the martial arts world.

The martial arts world of the Central Plains has never dared to underestimate it.

Zhao Rui's trip this time was not only to witness the martial arts of Tianshan, but more importantly, because Tianshan is close to the territory of the Great Shang Dynasty in Central Asia, and there are also evil sects gathered there.

He wanted to investigate the truth for himself.

While we're at it, let's grab some freebies!

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