Mysterious Martial Arts: The Record of the Swordsman

Chapter 351 The Blue Ox's Thin Cart Tramples the Yellow Dust

Jiang Wen's body was enveloped in a surge of sword energy, and the cold light on the Zhanlu sword was almost tangible. The bone-chilling sword intent and the purple dragon light rushed straight towards Luo Chunyi, but suddenly disappeared at the last moment.

With a flick of his wrist, Jiang Wen's Zhanlu sword clattered back into its sheath, and the surging sword energy around him vanished without a trace, as if the earth-shattering attack had never happened.

"We were just joking around."

Then Jiang Wen laughed loudly, and Luo Chunyi covered his mouth and chuckled as well. Their laughter echoed endlessly in the empty hall.

"Senior Luo, you truly live up to your reputation. Even with my sudden and unexpected attack, I couldn't trick you into making a move."

Luo Chun smiled and carefully placed the Jianzhan on the table, his movements still gentle and shy. Then he slowly stood up, patted the dust off the corner of his robe, and walked step by step to the center of the main hall.

"Although we had a great time today, it's time to retire."

He chatted idly, his footsteps light, making no sound as he stepped on the broken tiles and wood chips scattered on the ground. Only the flickering firelight cast a long, indistinct shadow behind him.

Jiang Wen's smile slowly faded. He stood up, walked to the center of the hall, and stood opposite Luo Chun.

The two were separated by a distance of three zhang (approximately 10 meters), and also by hundreds of years.

Jiang Wen slowly asked, "Senior Luo, is it absolutely necessary to take action?"

Luo Chunyi covered his mouth and laughed.

"Why ask a question you already know the answer to, sir?"

He said softly, "No one who has suffered the punishment of being forced to flee from the heavens can retain their humanity. It is already very difficult for me to restrain myself until now and not tear the living person to pieces as soon as I entered the door."

Jiang Wen smiled slightly.

"Very well. But on such a fine night, it would be a waste to resort to violence without cause. How about we combine literary and martial arts this time, discussing profound truths and fighting to the death? Wouldn't that be a more refined affair?"

Luo Chun paused for a moment after hearing Jiang Wen's suggestion, then clapped his hands and laughed, "Young Master is truly interesting! Brilliant! Brilliant!"

Unexpectedly, Jiang Wen bowed slightly and pointed at Luo Shuang'er beside him.

"Let's start with my younger sister, Luo Shuang'er."

After speaking, Luo Shuang'er, who had been as cold as ice, smiled at Jiang Wen, her smile as gentle as melting snow, instantly dispelling the chill of the night in the hall.

Before Luo Chun could speak, Luo Shuang'er had already begun to move gracefully.

With a flick of her left hand, a short, gleaming green dagger appeared in her grasp; with a draw of her right, a long dagger shaped like a cattail leaf appeared horizontally before her. The two daggers, one long and one short, gleamed against the starlight, radiating a chilling light.

In the blink of an eye, the two swords, one long and one short, transformed into two streaks of blue lightning, slashing swiftly towards Luo Chunyi. The swordsmanship was agile and skillful, like swallows dancing among willows in spring, or like mandarin ducks cutting through the water. They moved freely up and down, left and right, each strike precisely targeting Luo Chunyi's vital points.

This sword technique, which combines the styles of Nanyue and Dongdao, was specially designed for her by a renowned swordsman. It eliminates all the large, hard-hitting moves and maximizes the advantage of her agile movements.

However, just as the twin blades were about to strike, Luo Chunyi's figure vanished from the spot like a wisp of smoke!

Luo Shuang'er's twin blades missed, only striking a lingering afterimage. Her heart tightened, and without thinking, she turned to defend herself, her twin blades clashing and flashing in front of her, transforming into a shimmering, impenetrable wall of blades.

But it was too late.

A gentle breeze blew by, and Luo Chunyi's figure appeared within five steps of her. His overly long gray robe sleeves swayed gently, carrying a soft yet irresistible force as they brushed towards Luo Shuang'er's face.

This seemingly slow strike blocked all of Luo Shuang'er's escape routes, much like the flowing sleeve technique. No matter whether she dodged to the left, right, or backward, she would be hit by the sleeve. With Luo Chunyi's skill, even a light sweep would be enough to break bones and tendons.

At the critical moment, Luo Shuang'er suddenly stopped and made an extremely strange backbend, like a dancer who heard the drumbeats and instruments. Her slender waist suddenly bent down, but her limbs stretched out and moved gracefully. Her beautiful dance was like that of a celestial being, and she managed to avoid the sleeves of the robe.

Luo Shuang'er, who had survived the ordeal, still had no expression on her face. She slowly raised the Han Wang Qing Blade in her hand, and her fair wrist and the blue blade collided, suddenly producing a series of crisp clanging sounds. It was the Fang Xiang Dance rhythm that Jiang Wen had personally witnessed.

Then, the music seemed to be getting more intense. Her dance was initially graceful, like a goddess under the moon or willow catkins in the wind. But as the dance steps quickened, that gracefulness gradually faded away, replaced by a primitive, wild, fierce and violent power. A terrifying aura suddenly erupted from her petite body, as if an ancient evil god had awakened within her at the same time.

"Fang Xiangshi, clad in a bear skin, with four golden eyes, dressed in black robes and red skirts, wielding a spear and shield, led a hundred servants to quell the plague and search houses."

Luo Chunyi read aloud, his eyes filled with even greater admiration, "Not bad, you actually have the ability to integrate Nuo dance with martial arts, drawing upon the power of the gods to bless yourself."

At this moment, Luo Shuang'er's movements were no longer swift and sharp, but became slow and heavy. Each step she took was in a specific position, and every time she swung her knife, a clear blade flashed, causing Luo Chun's figure to sway.

However, Luo Chunyi's gradual dodging was not a hasty escape. On the contrary, his movements were as elegant as strolling among flowers. His speed was incredible, yet there was no sense of impatience. Every movement was full of grace and composure.

After a dozen or so moves, Luo Chunyi slowly took two steps back, exuding a completely different aura.

"Although the Nuo dance technique is powerful, it ultimately relies on external forces."

Luo Chunyi's voice, like heavenly music, clearly reached Luo Shuang'er's ears, "And my way is to seek it within myself."

He slowly raised his hands, his skin gradually becoming translucent, revealing an eerie luster like jade. At that moment, Jiang Wen noticed that his five senses were somewhat disordered. The sound of the wind he heard was sometimes strong and sometimes weak, and Luo Shuang'er's breathing was uneven. Even more strangely, the scene of Luo Chun standing in front of him turned into several overlapping phantoms.

"Such a bizarre scene truly demonstrates that the martial arts techniques have reached their pinnacle."

Jiang Wen sighed, but Luo Shuang'er sensed an even greater sense of pressure.

Luo Chunyi's left palm radiated pure Yang internal energy, like the blazing sun in the sky; his right palm radiated profound Yin internal energy, like the moon reflected in a cold pool. These two extreme internal energies, which should never coexist, were perfectly fused in his hands, without expending the slightest effort. What was originally an ordinary defensive palm technique now carried two completely different internal energies, rushing towards her with a whooshing sound, shocking her twin swords.

Luo Shuang'er felt her vision blur and heard a cacophony of sounds: the cries of babies, the sighs of old people, and the laughter of women. Her steps began to falter, and the twin swords in her hands grew heavy.

But to outsiders like Jiang Wen, all they could see was Luo Chun's alternating palm strikes, unleashing a relentless barrage of attacks. Luo Shuang'er was gradually being suppressed. Even though she managed to muster her inner strength to defend herself with Han Wang Qing Dao, her senses seemed to be malfunctioning. With each block, her footwork would shift slightly.

Just as the dance reached its most intense and dramatic moment, Luo Chunyi lunged forward again, his palms aimed straight at her. Luo Shuang'er, caught off guard, stepped out of position, and all the clanging sounds vanished. The Fangxiang Dance was completely shattered, and even the majestic divinity on her body disappeared without a trace, leaving only jade-like palms that attacked her head.

But at that moment, Luo Shuang'er suddenly closed her eyes.

Her breathing became long and steady, and she seemed to enter a state of ethereal tranquility. In her mind, only Jiang Wen's image remained.

That was the figure she had contemplated countless times when she was in the shade of Jizu Mountain, wielding the Zhanlu sword, whose swordsmanship was unparalleled.

The inner power of the Divine Illumination Scripture circulated wildly within her body. Her mind was serene and all thoughts were extinguished. A layer of white frost rose in her heart, enveloping all emotions and desires, transforming her into a clear and cold moon that could see the flaws of all things in the world.

The next moment, she suddenly opened her eyes, and the Han Wang Qing Dao in her hand let out a long roar like a dragon's cry, and a sharp and incomparable blade light slashed back towards Luo Chun.

A flicker of surprise crossed Luo Chun's eyes. He clearly hadn't expected Luo Shuang'er to possess such exquisite swordsmanship. He quickly dodged to the side, the blade grazing his sleeve and tearing a gash in his grey robe.

The technique of defeating all moves with no moves, capable of breaking all martial arts techniques in the world, is the palm-breaking technique of the Dugu Nine Swords. It breaks all fist and palm techniques in the world. At this moment, the blade flashed like lightning, accurately pointing to the slight gap between Luo Chun's two palms, finding that barely perceptible flaw.

But he was moving too fast.

Luo Shuang'er displayed the reflexes of a first-rate martial artist, immediately changing her move after her initial strike missed. She unleashed all 360 variations of the Dugu Nine Swords, her blade flashing like a sky full of stars, completely enveloping Luo Chunyi's figure.

She could clearly see the flaws in every move Luo Chunyi made, the loopholes in every action. The sword intent of the Dugu Nine Swords flowed freely in her heart, guiding her blade to stab at those flaws.

However, no matter how fast her knife was, no matter how accurately she spotted the opening, she couldn't hit Luo Chunyi!

His figure was as elusive as wisps of smoke, drifting aimlessly amidst the flashing blades, sometimes east, sometimes west, sometimes up, sometimes down. Though seemingly right before his eyes, the blade always missed by just a hair's breadth, only managing to strike his lingering afterimage—

Luo Shuang'er even suspected that his speed had exceeded the limits of human beings, and even the limits of sound, so that Luo Shuang'er could only see blurry afterimages without making a sound, and could not pinpoint his true location at all.

"it's useless."

Luo Chunyi's voice came from all directions, tinged with a faint smile, "Even if you can break all the moves in the world, you can't break the state of no moves, and I have no moves to begin with."

Luo Chunyi's footsteps came from all directions, making it impossible to tell which direction he was coming from. Luo Shuang'er felt a chill on the back of her neck as a hand was placed on her shoulder.

Without a second thought, she turned and swung her sword, but a gentle yet powerful surge of true energy emanated from Jiang Wen's hand, neutralizing Luo Shuang'er's sword strike.

"Shuangmei, step back. He's right. Although the Dugu Nine Swords can break through all martial arts in the world, it is ultimately a mortal's swordsmanship. You can see through the flaws in the moves, but you can't keep up with extreme speed. When someone's speed is fast enough to exceed your reaction limit, even the most exquisite swordsmanship is useless."

Jiang Wen stood behind Luo Shuang'er, and the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms collided with Luo Chunyi's Yin-Yang Jade Palm, producing a loud "clang".

Upon seeing Jiang Wen appear, Luo Shuang'er smiled sweetly and stepped aside.

Jiang Wen looked at Luo Chunyi and slowly said, "Senior Luo walked on dangerous paths without fear, and his mastery of the Yin and Yang energies was beyond the realm of reason. This kind of strange and divine skill is truly unprecedented and will never be seen again."

Luo Chunyi withdrew his hand, gently dusted off the dust on his sleeve, and smiled slightly.

"Young master, you flatter me. In fact, cultivation and martial arts are of the same origin. The moves in martial arts may come from the methods of battle formation, but the way of internal energy comes from the Yellow Court Internal Refinement Technique and the Way of Dragon Tiger Lead and Mercury. The so-called refining essence into qi, refining qi into spirit, and refining spirit into emptiness are all ultimately aimed at achieving the state of unity between heaven and man and the creation of life. I have only taken a few extra steps that I should not have taken."

Jiang Wen asked, "Senior Luo has always warned of the horrors of the 'Heavenly Punishment,' but if internal energy also originates from the Daoist scriptures, wouldn't one be unable to escape this fate even after reaching a high level of cultivation?"

Luo Chunyi nodded slightly.

Jiang Wen recalled Sang Yue's inscription "Lao Dan is immortal" and suddenly realized that this phrase might not be a praise, but rather a warning to the world after he had discovered something.

Because the Records of the Grand Historian did not mention the blue ox when Laozi left the pass, it was not until the Song Dynasty that Chen Jingyuan described Laozi's departure from the pass in the following way in the "Introduction of the Collection of the True Classic of the Way and Virtue": "After living in Zhou for a long time, he saw that Zhou was declining and retired from his official post. In the 25th year of King Zhao, the year of Gui Chou, on the 29th day of the fifth month, he rode a blue ox in a thin-wheeled chariot, with Xu Jia as the driver, and then left Zhou."

In other words, the connection between Laozi and the Green Ox must have occurred much later than the time he left Hangu Pass, and it was probably not until the Song Dynasty that people gradually discovered clues about this matter. The appearance of the Great Ox God "Nute" makes it hard for Jiang Wen not to think of the legend of the Eastern Green Wood and the Ten Thousand Year Wood Spirit transforming into the Green Ox...

Just then, Yuan Chengzhi, who had been standing silently to the side, suddenly took a step forward.

Holding the Golden Snake Sword, he bowed to Luo Chunyi and said in a deep voice, "This junior from Huashan, Yuan Chengzhi, wishes to learn from your divine skills, senior."

Luo Chunyi glanced at Yuan Chengzhi, nodded, and smiled.

Without another word, Yuan Chengzhi moved swiftly, displaying his unparalleled lightness skill, and charged towards Luo Chunyi. His figure weaved and shifted among the beams and pillars, as agile as a monkey, his speed dazzling and breathtaking.

However, Luo Chunyi was faster than him.

He remained as if adrift and helpless as ever, moving with the wind. No matter how fast Yuan Chengzhi sped up or changed direction, he could not close the distance between them. For a moment, the two chased each other in the main hall. One was like a shooting star chasing the moon, and the other was like a gentle breeze swaying a willow. Their figures intertwined, moving so fast that they were almost invisible to the naked eye.

Jiang Wen stood aside and said softly to Luo Shuang'er, "Shuang'er, in a contest between masters, sometimes the position and order of the attack determine the outcome. Therefore, a true master will not easily make a move until he has secured a decisive advantage and is isolated from the enemy."

Sure enough, after a brief chase, Yuan Chengzhi gradually fell into a disadvantageous position. Luo Chunyi seemed to be overwhelmed by the pursuit, but in reality, he was waiting for an opportunity to turn the tables. Yuan Chengzhi was caught off guard and was forced into a desperate situation by Luo Chunyi. With his back against the broken dragon pillar, he had nowhere to retreat and had lost all his advantage. He was now in a do-or-die situation.

Luo Chunyi stopped and stood three feet away from Yuan Chengzhi, smiling as he looked at him.

“You’ve lost. Now there’s a pillar behind you and open space on your left and right. No matter which direction you dodge, I can predict your position in advance.”

Yuan Chengzhi was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

"Senior is right, but my Golden Snake Sword Technique may not necessarily lose."

Before he could finish speaking, his body jerked backward, not backward, but almost parallel to the ground, his head just inches from hitting the broken pillar. This was a movement that no conventional martial arts technique would ever produce—

A normal martial artist can only lean back to 45 degrees to dodge; any further and they will lose their balance and be at the mercy of their opponent. But Yuan Chengzhi used the power of his waist and abdomen to forcefully bend his upper body into a right angle. And in the instant Luo Chun's eyes flickered, a golden light shot out from under Yuan Chengzhi's armpit.

The Golden Serpent Sword is drawn!

This divine weapon, curved like a snake, did not thrust out from in front of him, nor did it slash down from above his head. Instead, it grazed Yuan Chengzhi's own ribs, passed out from under his armpit, and then, taking advantage of the momentum of his body leaning back, he suddenly twisted his body and stood up. The sword also darted up like a living snake, and the tip of the sword pointed upwards, pointing directly at Luo Chunyi's crown!

When an ordinary person draws a sword, the power originates from the waist, passes through the shoulder and arm, and finally reaches the tip of the sword. All the attack trajectories are within a 180-degree fan-shaped area in front of the body. However, Yuan Chengzhi's sword went around half a circle behind him and stabbed out from under his armpit, a dead angle where he could not exert any force.

Even more bizarrely, the Golden Snake Sword itself, with its twisting and turning blade, seemed to come alive, drawing a strange arc in the air and bypassing Luo Chun's left palm, which he had instinctively raised to protect his chest!
Luo Chunyi dodged to the side with lightning speed, but before he could regain his footing, Yuan Chengzhi had already flipped over using the momentum of his backward lean and somersault. With a flick of his wrist, the Golden Snake Sword emitted a buzzing sound, and the curve of the blade changed continuously, instantly transforming into dozens of golden snake shadows that stabbed towards all parts of Luo Chunyi's body.

Yuan Chengzhi's martial arts skills have obviously improved over the years. He moves with the ever-changing footwork, his body spinning rapidly in place. The Golden Snake Sword strikes out from various angles, including his head, feet, left shoulder, right rib, and lower back, as he spins.

Some sword techniques involved thrusting forward, others backward; some involved the blade brushing past Luo Chunyi's feet and around his calves; others involved the tip of the blade pointing upward and passing under his chin; still others involved the blade facing inward, grazing Yuan Chengzhi's own body before suddenly snapping outward and thrusting towards Luo Chunyi's chest—

Each sword strike was executed with extreme cunning, defying the norms of martial arts. Yet, Luo Chunyi's figure darted swiftly through the golden snake shadows, his speed still astonishing. A hint of approval flashed in his eyes. His palms remained jade-like in color, his fingertips tracing the spine of the sword, producing a crisp "ding" sound. A surge of intense Yin-Yang internal energy flowed along the sword into Yuan Chengzhi's body. Yuan Chengzhi felt a numbness in his arm, and the Golden Snake Sword nearly slipped from his grasp.

"What a magnificent Golden Snake Sword Technique!"

Luo Chun smiled.

Before he finished speaking, he simultaneously struck Yuan Chengzhi with his left palm (pure yang) and right palm (mysterious yin). Yuan Chengzhi hurriedly swung his sword to defend. The Golden Snake Sword and the Yin-Yang palms collided one after another. The two exchanged dozens of blows in an instant, so fast that it was dazzling. The agile and unpredictable Golden Snake Sword Technique met Luo Chunyi's unpredictable moves and they were evenly matched.

"Brilliant! They really are a pair of smiling tigers, two black sharks."

Jiang Wen stood aside, nodding secretly as he watched.

He hadn't expected Yuan Chengzhi to be holding back. Previously, when fighting Yu Zhenzi, Yuan Chengzhi had only used about 70% of his power, but now, facing Luo Chunyi, an unprecedentedly formidable opponent, he was finally unleashing his full strength—

Could it be that he is also the type who becomes stronger when facing stronger opponents, and whose true strength is unknown?
After a fierce exchange of blows, the two each took three steps back and separated temporarily.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Yuan Chengzhi's forehead. He looked at the Golden Snake Sword in his hand, then at Luo Chunyi, and slowly said, "Senior's martial arts are unfathomable, and I am ashamed to admit my inferiority. However, it is somewhat unfair that I am the only one using a weapon. How about I also abandon the Golden Snake Sword and settle this with my fists and palms?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Shuang'er frowned slightly, feeling that Yuan Chengzhi was already at a disadvantage, and now he wanted to abandon the Golden Snake Sword, a divine weapon, which was simply courting death.

Jiang Wen smiled slightly and whispered to Luo Shuang'er, "Shuang'er, who says honest people can't be cunning? He's clearly tested the equipment enough and now wants to test something else. Help me see just how good Luo Chunyi's fist and palm skills really are."

Luo Chun smiled and said, "Alright. Since Young Master Yuan is in such a good mood, I'll keep you company."

Yuan Chengzhi took a deep breath, sheathed the Golden Snake Sword back at his waist, and assumed the starting stance of the Huashan School.

"Please enlighten me, senior."

Yuan Chengzhi took a deep breath, stepped forward half a step with his left foot, and slowly pushed out his right hand in a palm shape.

At first glance, this palm strike seemed ordinary and unremarkable, but it was actually the Tiger-Taming Palm of the Huashan School. With the infusion of his Hunyuan Gong, this palm strike came with the power to split mountains and shatter rocks. Luo Chunyi seemed to have the idea of ​​sparring, so he turned around and did not dodge or avoid, but also struck out with his own palm, which lightly touched Yuan Chengzhi's palm.

After a muffled thud, Yuan Chengzhi felt a gentle yet incredibly resilient force coming from his opponent's palm, completely deflecting his Tiger Subduing Palm power, as if he had punched cotton. He immediately changed his move, clenching his left fist and unleashing the Huashan Jade Breaking Fist, smashing it toward Luo Chunyi's chest.

The Jade-Breaking Fist is fierce and ruthless, truly capable of splitting mountains and breaking jade. Luo Chunyi slightly turned his body to avoid the fist's edge, while at the same time, he brought his right index and middle fingers together and gently tapped Yuan Chengzhi's fist, using his finger strength to rotate the direction of the fist's edge.

Yuan Chengzhi remained unfazed, his hands transforming into claws, fingers curved like hooks, reaching for Luo Chunyi's shoulder. This was none other than the Golden Snake Swordsman's signature move—the Golden Snake Capturing Crane Fist. He spun rapidly around Luo Chunyi, his hands constantly grabbing, seizing, entangling, and hooking, each move extremely vicious. A slight misstep could result in dislocated joints, broken tendons, and fractured bones.

But Luo Chunyi remained calm and composed, easily deflecting any unexpected moves Yuan Chengzhi employed. Each of Luo Chunyi's moves appeared ordinary, yet they seemed to embody the Taoist principle of harmony between man and nature. His body seemed to merge with the heavens and earth, rendering Yuan Chengzhi's attacks as ineffective, like hitting cotton.

Jiang Wen, watching from the sidelines, could see more clearly that as the battle progressed, Luo Chun's aura seemed to be changing. His skin became more and more transparent, and the jade-like luster became more and more intense. It was as if a cultivator had abandoned his family and friends to pursue immortality, slowly giving up everything as a human being in order to pursue the ethereal Dao of Heaven.

At this moment, Luo Chunyi's figure blurred and appeared in front of Yuan Chengzhi. This attack was as fast as lightning, giving no one any time to react.

Just then, Yuan Chengzhi took a deep breath, resignedly closed his eyes, and said something.

"Senior, please give me your guidance."

As the attack was about to strike, Yuan Chengzhi suddenly moved, his body seemingly gaining independent consciousness, automatically dodging Luo Chunyi's palms. At the same time, he made a fist with his right hand and punched towards Luo Chunyi's left ribs—this punch had no rules, but it accurately hit the weakness in Luo Chunyi's strength and moves.

Luo Chun dodged to the side, but Yuan Chengzhi's attacks came like a tidal wave, punch after punch, palm after palm, each move hitting his most vulnerable spot.

Jiang Wen stood aside, watching intently. He could clearly see that Luo Chunyi's movements were getting faster and faster, while Yuan Chengzhi's movements were also constantly evolving. It seemed that in order to adapt to an opponent whose speed exceeded the limit, his body was trying to decipher Luo Chunyi's moves. With each exchange, his counterattacks became more and more precise.

Unlike Luo Shuang'er's previous attempt to suppress him in terms of realm, Yuan Chengzhi chose to fight a decisive battle in terms of technique. At this moment, Yuan Chengzhi's eyes were empty and lifeless, and his movements were stiff and strange. But strangely, his moves became more exquisite and sharp. Finally, his eyes rolled upwards, and he completely entered a dazed and mysterious state.

"To break through all martial arts techniques under heaven?"

Jiang Wen muttered to himself, "No wonder the ten elders of the Demonic Sect claimed they could break all the moves of the Five Mountains Sword Sect."

A look of indescribable surprise flashed across Luo Chun's eyes. He seemed not to have expected that Yuan Chengzhi would have such strange skills. For a moment, he was suppressed by Yuan Chengzhi and had to retreat repeatedly.

After dozens of rounds, Yuan Chengzhi found an opening and threw a punch at Luo Chunyi's chest. Just as his fist was about to hit Luo Chunyi, Yuan Chengzhi's eyes snapped back to reality, and he suddenly regained his senses!
His eyes narrowed. This punch already contained the essence of his Hunyuan Gongfa, making it powerful and heavy. Now, he had poured all the Hunyuan internal energy into it, so the power of the punch naturally increased by three points.

Luo Chunyi also shouted, channeling his inner strength into his right palm and striking at Yuan Chengzhi's fist.

"boom!"

Their fists and palms collided again.

This time, Luo Chunyi was so shocked that he took two steps back. He looked down at his left palm, where a faint fist imprint had appeared.

Yuan Chengzhi, however, did not have it so easy. He retreated straight to the broken pillar, then slowly stood up, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. He said with a bitter smile, "My 'Dazed and Mystic Realm' has many hidden dangers, and my master originally forbade me to use it lightly. I didn't expect that even after daring to try it today, I would still be defeated by you, senior."

Luo Chunyi also withdrew his internal energy, and the jade-like luster on his body gradually faded.

"Your martial arts are quite good. You've mastered the Hunyuan Gong to perfection, and it seems to be from the orthodox lineage of Taoism."

He looked at Yuan Chengzhi and said slowly, "However, I advise you not to delve too deeply into this illusory and profound skill, otherwise you will end up like me and suffer the punishment of being forced to flee from heaven."

Yuan Chengzhi was slightly taken aback and asked, "What do you mean by that, senior?"

"Because your kung fu is somewhat similar to my Taoist martial arts, and even to the martial arts manual that I destroyed myself."

Luo Chunyi said, "When I was immersed in the benefits of the techniques, I almost went down a completely different path. If I had gone any further down that path, I'm afraid I would have ended up like me, falling into the punishment of escaping the heavens even earlier."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wen's heart stirred.

He suddenly recalled a scene from *The Smiling, Proud Wanderer*, where the ten elders of the Demonic Sect, in their quest to reclaim the Sunflower Manual, first stormed Mount Hua victorious, but were then trapped in a trap on their second attempt. In a secret cave on the Cliff of Contemplation at Mount Hua, they carved out techniques to counter all the martial arts of the Five Mountains Sword Sects—

Could it be that they were able to break through the martial arts of the Five Mountains Sword Sects because they had read the Sunflower Manual?
In the martial arts world of the Ming and Qing dynasties, the traces of deciphering all the martial arts techniques that Yuan Chengzhi saw in the secret cave of Mount Hua were also left by the ten elders of the Ming Cult. In other words, Yuan Chengzhi's elusive and mysterious kung fu might also have originated from a move or martial art that Luo Chunyi accidentally discovered.
So, Luo Chunyi's summoning this time seems to be closely related to Yuan Chengzhi's encounter in the secret cave of Mount Hua...

Jiang Wen looked at Luo Chunyi and slowly asked, "Senior Luo, is the thing that the Dao Ancestor said he was looking for, or rather, part of it, the 'Nute' and 'Chenbao' of the Qin Kingdom?"

Luo Chun was startled by what he heard and looked up at Jiang Wen.

"How did you know?"

Jiang Wen smiled faintly and said, "I'm still guessing that the appearance of the Supreme Star Ascension Seed and the Azure Bird Descent Technique in the hands of the Western City King is probably closely related to Laozi's journey to the west..."

"I only knew that Lao Tzu rode a green ox out of the pass. People say that Lao Tzu saw the decline of the Zhou Dynasty, so he resigned from his official post and went into seclusion. He rode a green ox west out of Hangu Pass and disappeared without a trace. But the truth may be much more complicated than that."

"Lao Tzu rode his blue ox westward out of Hangu Pass, perhaps not to retire into seclusion, but to go to the Qin state to see those secrets that even he himself had not yet fully understood..."

Jiang Wen's reasoning stemmed from a cryptic historical account found in classical texts.

In 770 BC, during the reign of King You of Zhou, the Quanrong plundered the treasures of Western Zhou. It was during this time of Western Zhou's fall and the loss of books that the Grand Historian of that era, relying on his memory, compiled important historical documents into the "Huang-Lao philosophy," which emphasized that "national treasures should not be shown to others." This led to the story of King Ping asking the Grand Historian about the "Dao."

Because of this story, later generations associated it with Taishi Dan and believed that these contents were the "Laozi", a classic text of the Huang-Lao school. Later, Taishi Dan passed away in his old age. King Ping of Zhou discussed the Dao with his disciple, the newly appointed Taishi Wenzi. Later generations recorded Wenzi's sayings, which formed the "Han Bamboo Slips: Wenzi".

However, a huge time gap has appeared. In fact, in the fourth year of King Jing of Zhou (the twenty-sixth year of Duke Zhao of Lu, 516 BC), Lao Dan was dismissed from his post as the Keeper of the Archives because the books under his management were taken to the State of Chu by Prince Chao. So, Lao Dan lived from 770 BC to 516 BC, spanning at least 250 years.

It was because of this that Liu Zongyuan of the Tang Dynasty began to doubt its authenticity, and the questioning continued for thousands of years until a large number of bamboo slips were unearthed from Han Tomb No. 40 in Bajiaolang Village, Ding County, Hebei Province in 1973, including the book "Wenzi", which brought this case to an end.

Since the book wasn't fake, there must be something else wrong. Jiang Wen then turned his attention back to the matter of "Prince Chao fleeing to Chu".

In 516 BC, a major internal strife broke out in the Zhou royal family during the late Spring and Autumn Period. Prince Chao lost the struggle for the throne and fled to the State of Chu with all the classics accumulated by the Zhou royal family over hundreds of years. This event is known as "Prince Chao's Flight to Chu". This political exile not only brought an end to the power struggle of the Zhou royal family, but also directly led to the mysterious disappearance of the core classics of the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, becoming one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in Chinese cultural history.

However, Prince Chao never reached Ying, the capital of Chu. During his escape, King Ping of Chu died and King Zhao of Chu ascended the throne. Chu was in turmoil and was unwilling to take in Prince Chao. He could only establish a small exiled court there, still calling himself the King of Zhou. He issued a "Letter to the Lords" accusing King Jing of Zhou and the State of Jin in an attempt to gain the support of the other states. This stay lasted for 11 years until 505 BC, when King Jing of Zhou sent someone to infiltrate Chu territory to assassinate Prince Chao.

The timing of the vulnerability's emergence is very likely related to this "King Ping of Chu".

The "Wenzi" also frequently mentions "King Ping," but it is very likely that this person is not King Ping of Zhou after King You of Zhou, but rather refers to King Ping of Chu! The reason why Chu did not accept Prince Chao was that Wenzi, a disciple of Taishi Dan, had long been a guest of King Ping of Chu, so Chu naturally had no need to accept this batch of bamboo slips, jade tablets, and bronze inscriptions and needlessly anger the surrounding feudal lords.

At this time, Prince Chao took away the royal records, imperial edicts, feudal lords' oaths, ritual and music systems, astronomical calendars, and patriarchal genealogy from the archives. His disciple Wenzi had also gone to the State of Chu to spread the Huang-Lao philosophy. Only after Laozi had retired from public life and achieved his goal did he begin his own plan.

"I think that Laozi was the Keeper of the Archives of Zhou, in charge of the library of the world. He was familiar with all the books in the Zhou Dynasty, but he was missing the ones that were lost in Zhouyuan because of King You of Zhou. And those books in King You of Zhou were later found by Duke Wen of Qin. I'm afraid that some of them were not returned to the emperor, but were secretly stored in the library of Qin."

"As a rhinoceros-wielding craftsman, I naturally know that the strange and insidious writings recorded on the bamboo slips and bone fragments of the ancient Three Dynasties are definitely not good for mortals. The Daoist patriarch Laozi immersed himself in them for many years. Perhaps it was for some purpose that he allowed Prince Chao to take away those things that should not have been preserved in history?"

Luo Chun stood with his hands behind his back, his robes fluttering, like an immortal who had stepped out of a traditional Chinese ink painting. His gaze toward Jiang Wen seemed to be filled with pity, yet also with helplessness.

"Young master, you are truly a remarkable man. You were able to deduce so much from the slightest clues. You are absolutely right. I left Hangu Pass to the west for the purpose of accessing the Qin state's archives."

After a long silence, Luo Chunyi sighed and said vaguely, "The world only knows that the purple aura comes from the east, but no one knows what the Dao Ancestor wants to do. Perhaps he is just willing to risk his remaining life to see if he can buy a little more time..."

Jiang Wen nodded and said, "I see. However, there is one more thing I need to tell you, senior—please do not hold back from now on, because I have already fought against King Shouluo."

Luo Chunyi's expression instantly became quite interesting. First, he was shocked, then confused, and finally excited. He looked at Jiang Wen, his eyes gleaming with an unusual light.

"Such a thing could have happened! His terma (hidden treasure) practice has truly been accomplished?!"

Luo Chunyi laughed heartily, no longer hesitant as before, and instead said bluntly, "Then today, I will definitely go all out."

Jiang Wen laughed loudly, slamming his hand on the table as he rose to his feet. A sharp sword aura swept across the hall. Luo Shuang'er quickly tugged at Jiang Wen's sleeve, asking worriedly, "Brother Wen, are you confident?"

"It's just the strongest in modern times versus the strongest in history."

Jiang Wen turned his head, looked at Luo Shuang'er, and gave her a confident smile.

"We will win."

I'll take a day off tomorrow to organize my thoughts.