Nine Yang Life and Death Transformation

Afterwards, Sun Kang and Wu Feilong descended the mountain together and bid farewell to Tiesheng. Although Tiesheng was very reluctant to part with them, he understood that the two were about to embark on a new journey, so he had no choice but to suppress his sorrow and reluctantly return to Ankang County.

Time flies, and five years have passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, apart from returning home once a year to visit their families, Sun Kang and Wu Feilong devoted all their time to diligent cultivation. Through unremitting efforts, Sun Kang successfully raised his cultivation to the second level of Qi Refining; but Wu Feilong was somewhat unfortunate. Despite his diligent daily cultivation, he had remained at the ninth level of Body Tempering for four years, unable to break through no matter what he tried.

This became a popular topic of conversation among the disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect.

"What kind of peerless genius is he? He hasn't even reached the Qi Refining stage in five whole years!" someone scoffed.

"In my opinion, he's just an absolute loser!" another person chimed in with a mocking remark.

"They've completely disgraced our sect!" Some even went so far as to criticize them mercilessly.

He Wei was filled with distress. He knew that the spirit pillar could not possibly be wrong, but which part of the process had gone wrong? He checked repeatedly but still found nothing.

Just then, Wu Feilong knocked on the door: "Master, I want to go home for a while."

"Well, it's good to get away for a while," He Wei said with a soft sigh. After all, it would be difficult for anyone to remain calm in the face of such overwhelming rumors, and Wu Feilong was no exception. So, he embarked on his journey home alone, returning to the familiar Ankang County.

When he saw that his parents were safe and sound, Wu Feilong finally felt relieved. However, the rampant bandits were like a Damocles' sword hanging over his head, preventing him from truly relaxing.

He strolled to the front of his restaurant and saw a ragged beggar standing pitifully at the door, pleading with passersby: "Sir, please have mercy..."

Upon hearing the noise, the waiter hurriedly ran out the door. He glanced up and saw the imposing Wu Feilong standing before him. He quickly bowed and said, "Young Master, you've arrived! Please come in! As for this stinking beggar, I'll chase him away immediately, lest he offend your eyes!" With that, the waiter rolled up his sleeves, preparing to shoo the beggar away.

Unexpectedly, Wu Feilong waved his hand and said loudly, "Wait a minute, get him two good dishes and a pot of good wine, and let him eat outside."

Upon hearing this, the waiter looked troubled and hesitated, saying, "Ah, this..." Before he could finish speaking, he felt a sharp gaze from Wu Feilong, and his heart trembled. He hurriedly replied, "Yes, yes, yes, I'll take care of it right away. I won't dare to be negligent in the slightest!"

Soon, the beggar happily accepted the food and wine, and like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey, he found a corner and began to devour it greedily. In no time, he had swept the food away in a whirlwind. Afterward, he let out a satisfied burp, lay down on the ground, and fell fast asleep.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window and fell upon Wu Feilong. He was sitting upright by the window in the restaurant, his brows slightly furrowed, his eyes somewhat lost in thought. It turned out that this promising young master was racking his brains trying to figure out how to break through the bottleneck he was currently facing in his martial arts training.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps broke the silence. It was the waiter running over again, shouting as he ran, "Young master, it's terrible! That beggar from yesterday is here again, yelling that if we don't give him food, he won't leave!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Feilong was not angry. He simply said calmly, "Then just give him some more food." With that, he got up and walked towards the door. When he reached the door, he immediately saw the beggar, disheveled and ragged, huddled to one side. Wu Feilong felt pity for him, took out five taels of silver from his pocket, handed it to the beggar, and said gently, "Take this money and go and tidy yourself up."

The beggar sighed softly, his tone filled with regret and helplessness: "Alas, what a pity! Such a brilliant person, who actually possessed multiple kinds of true energy, and was even subjected to a sealing technique."

Upon hearing this, Wu Feilong was startled, his expression instantly turning serious. He stared wide-eyed at the beggar and asked incredulously, "You...you could actually tell?"

The beggar calmly reached into his robes and carefully pulled out a yellowed book, handing it to Wu Feilong and saying, "This book, 'Nine Yang Life and Death Transformation,' is a peerless secret manual. If you practice diligently, when the time is right, all the problems that trouble you will be easily solved. Remember, only by experiencing the test of facing death can you break free from your cocoon and achieve extraordinary success."

Wu Feilong took the book, his brows furrowed, and he muttered to himself in confusion, "Death? Why must one die? As the saying goes, it's better to live a miserable life than to die a good death." Just then, the beggar suddenly picked up the food and wine on the table, and in a flash, he disappeared without a trace.

Wu Feilong stared blankly in the direction the beggar had disappeared, remaining there for a long time before finally coming to his senses. He thought to himself, "Could it be that I've truly encountered a reclusive master today? But what the beggar said was so obscure and difficult to understand. Oh well, since I've taken his secret manual, I'll go back and practice it properly first." With that thought, Wu Feilong, clutching the "Nine Yang Life and Death Transformation" manual, hurriedly departed.

Shizhaigou, near Ankang Town, is a lush, mountainous area. At this moment, a group of bandits are gathered in an open space, holding a secret meeting. The bandit leader, Scarface, has a face full of scars, a gruesome mark running from the corner of his eye to his chin, adding to his menacing appearance. He scanns his men with a sinister gaze and says in a deep voice, "Brothers, it's been a long time since we've come down the mountain to stretch our muscles. This time, we're going to do something big!"

"Good! Great!" The bandits cheered, their eyes gleaming with greed and excitement.

The night was as dark as ink, a crescent moon hung high, and a fierce wind howled—a night for murder. Scarface, clad in heavy armor and a sharp sword at his waist, slew confidently onto a tall, powerful warhorse. At his command, hundreds of bandits behind him mounted their steeds, and the mighty army galloped towards Ankang County. The thunderous sound of hooves shattered the night's tranquility.

Upon entering the county town, the bandits pounced on their prey like hungry tigers, unleashing a rampage of arson, murder, and looting. Flames soared into the sky, and cries for help echoed through the night. As they passed Sun Gang's house, seeing its imposing mansion, Scarface waved his hand, and several bandits roared as they charged inside.

At that moment, Wu Feilong, inside the house, heard the commotion outside and was startled. He quickly got up, grabbed the crossbow beside him, and aimed it at the door, ready for battle. When the first bandit, brandishing a broadsword, burst into the room, Wu Feilong pulled the trigger without hesitation, and an arrow shot out like lightning. The bandit hurriedly raised his sword to defend himself, but he was too slow and was struck in the chest by the arrow. He screamed and immediately fell from his horse, foaming at the mouth, convulsing a few times before becoming still.

Seeing this, the second bandit glared angrily and charged at Wu Feilong, brandishing his broadsword. Wu Feilong dodged easily, easily avoiding the attack. He then raised his crossbow again and fired several arrows in quick succession. The bandit, unable to dodge in time, was struck by arrows one after another and finally fell heavily from his horse.

Just then, the third bandit, seeing the situation was dire, turned his horse to flee. Wu Feilong, however, wouldn't let him escape so easily. He pursued with lightning speed, firing another arrow that struck the bandit precisely in the back. The bandit screamed and tumbled off his horse.

After dealing with the enemies outside the door, Wu Feilong rushed into the room and shouted, "Father, Mother, escape through the secret passage! The bandits are coming!"