Chương 228: The Strange Man

After he finished speaking, Zhao Rui's deep gaze drifted towards the distant Central Asian Shang territory.

As the Great Zhou began its infiltration, the Great Shang was not idle either.

They all believed that the Central Plains was a piece of fat meat.

"Let's go back!"

"Go back to where?"

The bandit leader was somewhat confused and asked, trembling with fear.

Zhao Rui didn't say much. He instantly activated the Heavenly Demon Illusionary Sound Technique, which immediately confused Zhao Rui's mind and placed his Heavenly Demon Mark in Zhao Rui's sea of consciousness.

Then, carrying him with one hand, he transformed into a long streak of sword light and flew towards the ground.

Upon reaching the ground, the bandit leader bowed and shouted, "I will obey the decree of the Lord."

"Go."

After the bandit leader finished speaking, he turned and left.

Zhao Rui watched his retreating figure, lost in thought. Although the Heavenly Demon Art was a demonic martial art, extraordinary measures were naturally needed in extraordinary times.

After surveying the desert, Zhao Rui leaped back into the sky and unleashed the Spring Breeze and Rain Technique to its fullest extent. The entire domain expanded, and vast true energy gathered within his body.

Zhao Rui's spiritual sense spread out with the spring breeze, and the wind blowing through the grass for hundreds of kilometers around was all within his perception.

Zhao Rui sped across the entire Gobi Desert in an instant.

He discovered dozens of border gangs.

This time, without further ado, he directly used the Heavenly Demon Illusionary Sound Technique to mark all the spies from the Great Shang Dynasty with the Heavenly Demon Seal.

This makes them subconsciously regard themselves as superior.

If you kill them all, the Shang dynasty will simply gather more men, which would only alert them.

It's far better to do this: secretly planting seeds for future plans is far more valuable.

After two days of this arduous journey, Zhao Rui finally managed to get a complete overview of the entire frontier.

There were more than thirty small, unaffiliated gangs. The strongest among them was a master at the early stage of the Dharma Aspect Realm, who was ostensibly an elder of a clan in the border region, but had long since defected to the Great Shang Dynasty.

Right and wrong, good and evil, ultimately boil down to nothing more than self-interest.

Just as he was suppressing the bandits on the frontier, a piece of unsettling news arrived.

This news is not good news for Earth at present, nor is it good news for Zhao Rui—the entire old system of Earth has completely collapsed.

In just one week, the Blue Star world was largely destroyed by the extraordinary power of the Ruins, leaving very few countries able to maintain control.

Most small countries were either swallowed up by the powerful Shang Dynasty, enslaved by the wild tribes, or, in the worst case, became hunting grounds for the strange beasts of the Guixu.

The entire modern civilization system of the world is on the verge of collapse.

Only the Central Plains region, along with military powers like Europe and America, managed to barely maintain their national integrity by relying on their steel torrents and advanced weaponry.

But America on the other side probably won't be able to hold out for long either. The sudden arrival of the beast tide has plunged its entire kingdom into a violent struggle.

Human weapons and the terrifying bodies of monstrous creatures are gradually destroying all buildings on the ground.

These strange beasts from the Pangu Continent were incredibly powerful and numerous.

If the void had not been returned to its former state, and the ocean distance had increased several times over, the Central Plains would likely have suffered an onslaught of alien beasts before the Shang and Zhou dynasties even attacked.

All of this has been reported by official sources over the past week.

It only happened suddenly in the last week.

The speed, magnitude, and scope of the development of events were beyond everyone's expectations.

It's impossible to hide it anymore.

The time left for Zhao Rui to grow is becoming increasingly limited.

Zhao Rui's strength has improved significantly compared to before.

More than thirty advancement points were copied, and as many as thirty acupoints were opened, bringing the total to ninety-seven.

Only a few acupoints are needed to fully open all 108 acupoints.

At this moment, his ability to absorb and connect with true energy had reached an extremely terrifying level.

Even so, he always maintained awe for the martial arts power of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and for the unknown.

High in the sky, Zhao Rui braved the howling wind, changed direction, and headed towards the heart of the Central Plains.

The plan has changed, so we have to resort to special measures.

Since ancient times, Kunlun Mountain has been regarded by the people as the location of a celestial palace and a Taoist temple.

The Kunlun School, built upon it, naturally carries a layer of mystery.

However, this Kunlun Sect has nothing to do with the Immortal Kunlun Sect. It is said to have been founded by Pei Qiong, a female knight-errant of the Tang Dynasty, who was famous in the martial arts world for her Ice Soul Cold Light Sword.

"Senior brother, your Yin-Yang Sword Technique already possesses seven-tenths of Master's essence. Among the younger generation and all the sects, there are very few who can surpass you."

Beside a deep pool at the foot of Kunlun Mountain, a young woman gazed with admiration at her handsome senior brother who was sheathing his sword.

"Junior sister, you must also work hard. Once you advance to the Grandmaster realm, the two of us can go down the mountain to travel and make a name for ourselves as the Kunlun Divine Sword Couple. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

The handsome senior brother spoke with burning eyes, his voice filled with longing for the journey down the mountain.

"Senior brother!"

The woman blushed deeply, lowered her head slightly, and gently pinched the hem of her dress with her delicate fingers, calling out coquettishly.

Her voice was soothing and captivating, naturally alluring.

"Junior Sister!"

Upon hearing this, the man's heart trembled, and he couldn't help but reach out and grasp his junior sister's soft hand.

"division----" Just as the woman was about to respond gently, her eyes suddenly widened, and she looked in astonishment at what was behind her senior brother.

"What's wrong, junior sister!"

"Yes, there is someone!"

The man was shocked and hurriedly turned around to look, only to see a finger getting closer and closer, pointing towards his body.

"not good!"

Upon seeing this, the man quickly stepped aside, but he forgot that his junior sister was still standing behind him.

Without hesitation, the opponent's fingertip struck the woman's body, instantly immobilizing her.

"Release my junior sister!"

The man did a somersault, snatched the long sword stuck in the edge of the deep pool, pointed it at the newcomer, and shouted angrily.

"Beat me!"

The newcomer was masked, so his face was not visible. He spoke in a deep voice and with a wave of his hand, the long sword that the Kunlun female disciple had stuck in the pool fell into his hand.

"How dare you! Take this!"

Upon hearing this, the man flew into a rage and attacked the attacker with his sword.

His Ice Soul Cold Light Sword Technique had reached its peak, and with every move he made, he exuded the aura of a grandmaster, his true energy was also incredibly profound.

This person actually underestimated me so much. The man's sword shadows were numerous and the sword light was dazzling. Once he started, his sword moves were as smooth as flowing water as he attacked his opponent.

The newcomer countered his moves, also wielding a longsword, and engaged him in combat.

The two exchanged blows, their swordplay growing faster and faster. For a moment, only two blurry figures could be seen by the cold pool.

When the junior sister, whose pressure points had been sealed, first heard the other party say that as long as she defeated her senior brother, he would release her, she was overjoyed.

She had a lot of confidence in her senior brother's martial arts skills.

Throughout the entire Kunlun Mountain region, and even in the nearby sects, everyone knows the name of Senior Brother Kunlun's esteemed disciple.

However, as the fight went on for longer, the woman's emotions were like a rollercoaster, instantly shifting from boundless confidence to burning anxiety.

How can this person be so powerful? My senior brother used every move he could think of, but he still couldn't defeat him.

"Good luck, senior!"

The woman silently prayed for her senior brother.

Sword shadows danced in the cold pool, and in the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged hundreds of blows.

"Who exactly are you?"

Senior Brother Kunlun was utterly shocked. He had already used his Ice Soul Cold Light Sword technique to its fullest extent, yet his opponent showed no signs of weakening.

"I've long heard of the power of the Kunlun School's Yin-Yang Sword Technique. Do you not know it?"

"How dare you underestimate me! Let me show you the power of the Yin-Yang Sword Technique."

Senior Brother Kunlun was furious. He changed his sword technique and switched to the Yin-Yang Swordplay. The moves were wide and powerful, but contained the subtle Yin-Yang techniques. The moves were unpredictable and extremely difficult to understand.

"Excellent swordsmanship! Let's do it again."

The newcomer smiled calmly and continued his fierce attack with his sword.

After fighting for a while, the newcomer suddenly flicked his finger, releasing the pressure point of the junior sister who had been immobilized, and casually threw the longsword over to her.

He said, "Do you know the Yin-Yang Sword Formation? If not, I will have no choice but to take your lives."

"Junior sister, Gui Mei moves towards Wu Wang, Wu Wang turns into Ming Yi, quickly—" The man thrust his longsword diagonally and hurriedly shouted to his junior sister.

The woman hesitated only once before quickly attacking with her sword. Although the Two Elements Sword Formation was derived from the Two Elements Sword Technique, its moves and routines were completely different, making it a kind of combined sword technique.

The two stood on the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) positions, their movements displaying the essence of Kunlun swordsmanship. Each move was sometimes agile, sometimes square, and unpredictable.

After fighting for a while, the newcomer suddenly flicked his finger, deflecting their swords, and laughed loudly, "Kunlun martial arts are indeed unique. Farewell."

After the newcomer finished speaking, he waved his hand and unleashed a burst of energy that instantly sent the two of them flying.

Then he leaped into the air, soaring over the deep pool and disappearing from their sight.

"Senior brother!"

"Junior sister, are you alright?"

The two got up from the ground, helped each other up, looked each other over, and breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that the other was unharmed.

"Senior brother, did you recognize this person's moves?"

The woman felt a sense of relief, as if she had escaped a disaster, and couldn't help but look in the direction where the masked man had left.

Upon hearing this, the senior brother's face turned grim. After a moment of contemplation, he shook his head and said, "Junior sister, I was arrogant in the past. From today onwards, I must return to the sect for seclusion. I'm sorry, I cannot accompany you down the mountain to fight for justice."

"Senior brother————" The woman quickly grasped her senior brother's hand, her eyes still filled with tenderness.

Let's go!

The senior brother sighed, turned around and led his junior sister toward Kunlun Mountain. He had to tell their master about this.

Jade Maiden Peak of the Huashan School!

Six graceful women are practicing the Huashan sword technique on a flat open space.

The clear, melodious calls of young girls and the sharp whistling of swords echoed faintly from the mountaintop.

-

"Dear fellow disciples, please take a break. We have two big news items to share today."

Just then, a round-faced little girl hurriedly ran up to the top of the cliff, looking anxious.

Hearing the sound, the girls practicing swordsmanship stopped what they were doing and asked curiously, "What big news? Did they find out you like Senior Brother Ge? Hehe!"

"Senior sister, this is really serious."

The girl said anxiously.

"Then hurry up and tell me."

The crowd couldn't help but laugh, not taking the important matter the girl mentioned seriously.

If anything major happens, our seniors will always be there to protect us. Who would dare to provoke the tiger on Mount Hua?

"The first major event is that a strange person has appeared in the martial arts world—"

"Weirdo? What weirdo? A flower-picking weirdo? Hehe."

"No, this person has already attacked several sects, including Kunlun Sect, Yueling Manor, Shenjian Manor, and Wulao Sect."

"Wow, that's amazing. What's his motivation?"

"I don't know. I heard they only challenged a few disciples and then ran away."

"What kind of weirdo is this?"

"Isn't that surprising? Moreover, none of the disciples from these sects are his match. Among them are many experts at the Divine Void Realm, and even one expert at the Dharma Aspect Realm."

"Huh? That's amazing! Did he kill someone?"

"no."

"Robbery?"

"No, not at all."

"cut!"

"Tell me the second thing!"

"The second thing is that the Great Zhou and the Great Shang have finally gone to war."

"Oh, let them fight then. They're so far away from us anyway, it's not like they're fighting us."

"But the place where they fought was within Song territory, our land."

Upon hearing this, the girls all shut their mouths, because most of them were from the Song Dynasty.

Even though they are in the Central Plains at this moment, many of them still have family members in the Ruins of Song.

Originally, according to the sect leaders, once they had accumulated enough power, the Central Plains court would allow each sect to bring back the families of their disciples and followers.

But now—

"The sect leader hasn't given any orders yet, but I've heard rumors that we might have to head to the Song Dynasty to bring back the people from the Huashan Sect, including our families."

Upon hearing this, all the female disciples breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sigh, it's started after all!"

Just then, a sigh suddenly rang in everyone's ears.

The female disciples were shocked. They drew their swords and looked around, shouting, "Who is it? What kind of hero hides his head and tail?"

1

"Heroes and heroines—" As a deep voice rang out, a masked man emerged from the nearby dense forest.

"Who are you?"

The women all asked in unison.

The masked man didn't respond. Instead, he casually broke off a pine branch from the pine tree next to him and smoothed out the excess branch with his hand.

Then, with a swift movement, he plunged into the midst of the female disciples of Mount Hua.

"Sisters, watch out!"

The female disciples, each wielding a longsword, unleashed the exquisite swordsmanship of Mount Hua and engaged in battle with the masked man in black.

The masked man in black possessed extremely high martial arts skills. In his hand, a pine branch was like a sharp sword, not only incredibly sturdy but also sharp and mysterious in its swordsmanship.

"Is this the Kunlun School's Yin-Yang Sword Technique?"

"Sisters, change tactics, unleash the Reverse Yin-Yang Sword Technique."

With a shout from a leading female disciple, everyone unleashed the exquisite Huashan School sword technique, the Reverse Yin-Yang Swordplay.

This martial art, which reverses the concept of Yin and Yang, is in no way inferior to the Yin-Yang Swordplay of the Kunlun School.

The sword blades and pine branches clashed, producing a clanging sound like metal striking metal.

The female disciples' swordplay was fluid and graceful, and in terms of aesthetics alone, it was far more elegant than the sword formation of the Emei female disciples.

After a quarter of an hour of fighting, all seven female disciples were struck in their pressure points by the masked man and stood frozen in place.

At this, the female disciples' expressions changed drastically.

Being frozen in place, unable to move, what if the other party had malicious intentions?

Their eyes were filled with fear and despair.

"It's not good to stay still. What if she ends up like Little Dragon Girl, and then I'll be blamed for it?"

The masked man muttered something to himself, then chuckled and flicked his fingers to release seven bursts of energy, unblocking the pressure points of all seven people.

"Not a single one of them knows the Hunyuan Zixia Two Skills. The female disciples of Mount Hua are nothing special."

The masked man shook his head, leaped onto a branch, and disappeared into the depths of the dense forest.

"Senior sister, junior sister!"

The seven female disciples looked each other over and, seeing that everyone was alright, they were relieved.

"This person is very strange—" A female disciple frowned and said.

Upon hearing this, the round-faced girl who had gone up the mountain earlier suddenly realized: "Could he be that weirdo?"

Everyone's eyes widened instantly, and they all turned to look in the direction the strange man had gone.