Chapter 202

Kang Guangling and Fan Baiqi were merely afraid of Ding Chunqiu; seeing that Feng Yi and A Zi did not share this fear, they mocked them.

But upon hearing this, Feng Yi couldn't help recalling the original plot where Ding Chunqiu fought Murong Fu, the poison powder spreading to the Xingxiu Sect disciples, and A Zi even went blind—this point was indeed not to be overlooked.

Divine Doctor Xue said to Feng Yi, 'Hero Feng, why not temporarily retreat to the underground passage, first use mechanisms and traps to deal with Ding Chunqiu; if we truly cannot wound him and have no other recourse, then we will fight him to the death.'

"Yes!" Kang Guangling also said, 'The Xingxiu Sect is numerous and powerful; once a melee breaks out, relying only on those poisons, we will surely suffer casualties. Unless absolutely necessary, we...'

"So what?" A Zi's eyebrows flared, her almond eyes widened, and she spat, 'How disappointing that you are still disciples of Su Xinghe—hah, with so little courage, what martial arts do you even practice?'

I tell you, my master carries explosives wherever he goes; even the finest tunnel, can it withstand blasting?

Everyone was silenced by this little girl's shout.

"How could we be cowards?" Fan Baiqi angrily said, 'Ding Chunqiu schemed against our patriarch, forced our master to feign deafness and muteness, expelled us from the school. As human beings, who does not know the principle of repaying vengeance and wiping out shame? But the enemy is strong and we are weak; what good is mere bravado?'

Just then, a thin voice suddenly called out, 'You lot of Su Xinghe's disciples, why don't you come out to greet me? Otherwise, don't blame this old man for disregarding sect loyalty.'

The voice was as thin as a spider's silk, seemingly only faintly audible, yet everyone heard it clearly, shuddering involuntarily, each with a grim expression, somewhere between crying and laughing.

Suddenly a gust of wind blew, the trees swayed and shadows shifted, a rustling sound arose, and a mysterious atmosphere quietly spread.

Kang Guangling shuddered, tears suddenly welling in his eyes, he said, 'The heavens are collapsing!' and paced anxiously.

Others' hearts pounded wildly, their minds went blank.

This time Feng Yi even sensed that the speaker was still several li away, thinking, 'This must be Li Qingshui's Voice Transmission Soul-Searching Great Art; since our inner energies share the same source, it affects the Carefree Sect members most deeply, able to sway their will.'

Feng Yi sprang to his feet, his eyes flashing with sharp light, and coldly said, 'Alright, I'll personally deal with the Xingxiu Old Monster; you stay here and guard. If I die, you can then go dig the underground passage.'

"Good!" A Zi slapped her hand, 'Whether it's the Great Wheel Ming King or the Xingxiu Old Monster, they're all defeated underlings of my elder brother; just you wait and see!'

A Zi glanced around at everyone; seeing her gaze fall upon them, they felt like a prickle on their backs, extremely uneasy.

Feng Yi pondered for a moment, then said, 'A Zi, wait here.'

A Zi stared for a moment, then loudly said, 'Elder brother, I'm with you; I fear no death.'

Feng Yi smiled faintly: 'But I am afraid.'

"Although they are timid, what they say makes sense; if you were to get hurt, even if I killed the Ding Old Monster, to me it would still be a losing bargain."

A Zi's heart suddenly throbbed several times, her face flushed instantly, and she whispered softly, 'You saying that makes me happy, but if I leave you, I would actually be afraid too.' Her voice was tender and slightly trembling.

Everyone thought, 'So you're just all talk!'

Suddenly a voice from outside cried, 'Amitabha!'—the sound like a dragon's chant.

Everyone jolted, sensing that the speaker's inner power was extraordinarily profound.

Divine Doctor Xue rejoiced, 'This is Master Xuan Nan.'

Feng Yi felt utterly bewildered; this time without You Tanzi and Hui Jing, why would Shaolin Temple people still come here? He was quite puzzled.

He recalled from the original plot that it was You Tanzi who injured someone, prompting Master Xuan Nan and others to come seek medical aid, but he didn't dwell on it.

"Since Master Xuan Nan has arrived," Feng Yi said with deep meaning, 'Now that he is here to help, you all need not be so fearful anymore!'

Before his words finished, he had already grabbed A Zi and darted out, plunging into the night mist.

Suddenly Divine Doctor Xue said, 'I have deep ties with Shaolin's Master Xuan Nan; he possesses profound divine skill. Though I cannot gauge Feng Yi's martial prowess, he once killed Yun Zhonghe with a single strike—surely not an ordinary opponent. The two of them joining forces should be able to withstand the Ding Old Monster.' He then also went out.

Feng A San slapped the table and said, 'Death is just death; we also cannot let ourselves be looked down upon!'

Kang Guangling and the others couldn't help thinking, 'If we don't dare go out now, won't people laugh at us? Better dead than alive.' Thinking that, they exchanged a glance and hurriedly followed out.

Feng Yi grabbed A Zi and leapt forward; after a few bounds they had left the Xue residence, and far off they heard dozens of voices chanting in unison, 'Xingxiu Old Immortal, his divine carriage traverses the Central Plains, his supernatural powers vast, his magical power boundless!'

As the words ceased, drums began to beat dong-dong-dong-dong.

After three rounds of drumming, a loud gong sounded, and the drumming stopped.

Dozens of voices chorused, 'We respectfully invite the Xingxiu Old Immortal to unleash his great Dharma, to subdue the Shaolin demons and clowns!'

Feng Yi ran several li ahead, only to see someone holding high torches, bright as daylight, with their backs to them being a few Shaolin monks, presumably Master Xuan Nan and company.

Opposite them were two rows of men of varying heights; some held torches, some carried gong and drum instruments, some gripped long banners and flags, red and green, very pleasing to the eye, the banners embroidered with 'Xingxiu Old Immortal', 'Supernatural Powers Vast', 'Magical Power Boundless', 'Power Shakes the Heavens', and so forth.

Feng Yi brought A Zi behind a rock, intending first to observe Ding Chunqiu's methods, lest they truly capsize in a gutter. It was then nighttime, and no one knew of their arrival.

Master Xuan Nan placed his palms together before his chest and said, 'Patron Ding, why have you left the bliss of Xingxiu Sea to come to the Central Plains?'

As it turned out, after Master Xuan Nan and company parted ways with Feng Yi, they happened to encounter Ding Chunqiu's gang; learning that Ding Chunqiu intended to make trouble for Divine Doctor Xue, and being close friends with Divine Doctor Xue and knowing his residence, they brought people to rush to his aid.

A tall, stout elder from the Xingxiu Sect stepped out, waving a goose-feather fan, and said leisurely, 'The Chief of the Shaolin Dharma Academy, "Universe in the Sleeve," renowned throughout the world—I have long admired him. But I have come to seek my martial nephew; what business does the great master have with me?'

This person was none other than the Xingxiu Old Monster Ding Chunqiu, whom the Central Plains martial world deeply loathed and feared, and who is universally recognized in the jianghu as the most difficult to provoke.

Perhaps his martial arts are not invincible under heaven, but his viciousness and poisonousness cause countless jianghu people to tremble upon hearing it; at the very least, Qiao Feng is not as frightening as him.

The firelight shone on Ding Chunqiu's face, revealing a ruddy complexion, a head of white hair, a three-foot-long silvery beard beneath his chin, a tall stature with a youthful countenance—truly like an immortal from a painting.

Xuannan said: "The affairs of the Central Plains martial world are something the Shaolin Sect always intervenes in; moreover, I have met Doctor Xue Shenyi a few times—if you intend to harm him, this humble monk cannot simply stand aside."

Ding Chunqiu remained calm and unhurried: "The Shaolin Temple claims to be the orthodox lineage of martial arts under heaven; how would I, your junior brother, dare to enter the Venerable Master's discerning eye? But today I truly wish to meet you, this eminent Shaolin monk, to see whether your Shaolin reputation is merely hollow fame."

He wished to appear youthful, so before Xuannan he refrained from calling himself "old man" and instead said "junior brother". As he spoke, he placed an iron whistle to his lips, pursed his lips and blew, producing several extremely sharp sounds; with a flick of his feather fan, he directed the whistle's sound toward the assembled Shaolin monks.

Xuannan unleashed a double palm strike of the "Push the Window, Gazing at the Moon" technique; a fierce wind surged, Ding Chunqiu gave a long laugh, his wide sleeves fluttering as he blocked the palm, yet despite this, one Shaolin monk fell backward to the ground.

A Zi whispered: "It appears he is merely waving his fan to send the whistle's sound, but in fact he is spraying poison powder from the iron whistle, using the feather fan to disperse it and injure people."

Feng Yi nodded.

The Shaolin monks were all astonished, yet deterred by Ding Chunqiu's almost divine abilities, they dared not approach and could only stare.

Xuannan felt even more vexed; relying on his divine skill, he had not expected his first sortie to go awry, losing a disciple. As for Doctor Xue Shenyi, he did not know how he was faring.

In his vexation, all he heard was the clamor of gongs and drums, as Ding Chunqiu's disciples raised their voices in praise: "Master possesses the power to penetrate heaven and earth; none before him, none after—today let you Shaolin bald donkeys witness the techniques of our Star Constellation Sect!"

"Our master is invincible in battle, unstoppable in attack; any enemy who sees him flees in terror!"

"If you are afraid, even if you all come together, it makes no difference!"

"From ancient times to the present, none can match the Star Constellation Old Immortal! Who dares to stand like a mantis before a chariot? They would only be inviting their own doom!"

Ding Chunqiu waved his left hand, and the disciples' praises ceased immediately.

Ding Chunqiu stroked his long beard and said, "Esteemed Shaolin monk, your skill is truly extraordinary." As he spoke, he sent his left palm drifting lightly toward Xuannan.

Xuan Nan knew Ding Lao Guai's body was drenched in deadly poison and that he excelled at the Grand Skill Dissipation; his expression grave, he swung both palms, palm force flowing out in succession—left palm not yet withdrawn, right palm already struck, swift beyond compare, delivering eighteen consecutive palms to Ding Chunqiu, leaving him no chance to use poison.

Xuan Nan held the chief seat of the Dharma Hall; he was one of Shaolin Temple's top experts, rarely meeting his match in the martial world—he had once struck with a palm that left Qiao Feng's arms sore and numb, and precisely because of this profound skill he had no fear of the infamous Xingxiu Lao Guai.

The Shaolin Rapid Palm was immensely powerful, forcing Ding Chunqiu to retreat step by step; Xuan Nan unleashed eighteen palms, and Ding Chunqiu retreated eighteen paces.

After Xuan Nan finished his eighteen palms, his legs lashed out in rapid succession with thirty‑six kicks.

This chain of kicks was one of the Shaolin Seventy-Two Secret Skills; Ding Chunqiu dared not meet it head‑on, relying instead on his elusive footwork to dodge left and right, barely avoiding the thirty‑six kicks—yet two cracking sounds rang out, and his shoulders were struck by two punches.

It turned out that Xuan Nan had unleashed eighteen palms and thirty‑six kicks in one breath, yet Ding Chunqiu strangely evaded them; as he kicked the final two legs, he simultaneously threw a punch.

Ding Chunqiu dodged the kicks, but could not avoid the punches.

Though he had long heard of Xuan Nan's high skill, he never expected the opponent's artistry to reach such a degree; he said, "Amazing!" and his body swayed twice.

Xuan Nan, however, only felt a wave of dizziness, instantly dazed as if losing something. He sensed something amiss—Ding Chunqiu's clothes were laced with deadly poison; the two punches he had just landed had already poisoned him. He immediately drew a breath, circulated his inner qi, and sent his left fist toward Ding Chunqiu.

Ding Chunqiu waved his right palm to block the fist, and in an instant his left palm flashed out like lightning.

After being poisoned, Xuan Nan's body turned sluggish, making evasion difficult; he could only raise his right palm to resist. By now it was a clash of true strength among masters, and Xuan Nan secretly thought: "I must not match inner strength with him!"

But if he did not use inner strength on his fist, the opponent's inner shock would instantly rupture his organs; knowing it was bad, yet he had no choice but to oppose with inner strength. Yet as soon as he exerted force, he felt his inner qi fail to coalesce, as if it had suddenly vanished, and Xuan Nan exclaimed in alarm: "Grand Skill Dissipation!"

Ding Chunqiu chuckled: "Not bad!"

A Zi grabbed Feng Yi's arm, staring straight ahead, her voice trembling: "Elder brother, you've exchanged blows with him; you must not touch his palms, otherwise the deadly poison on his hands will seep into your meridians and you'll end up like them." But because she gripped too hard, her nails dug deep into her flesh.

Feng Yi felt great surprise and asked: "Do you also understand the Grand Skill Dissipation?"

A Zi said proudly: "Of course—I stole the Divine Wood King Cauldron precisely because I learned the cultivation method, so they can't catch me."

The Grand Skill Dissipation is Ding Chunqiu's secret not passed on; therefore none of his disciples know it, and for A Zi to obtain this divine skill she had to secretly steal it and flee with the cauldron.

To cultivate this skill, one must regularly smear the venom of poisonous snakes and insects onto the palms and inhale it into the body; if not applied for seven days, the power wanes. The Divine Wood King Cauldron naturally emits a peculiar fragrance; when incense is burned inside it, it instantly attracts poisonous creatures, and within a ten‑li radius no venomous beast can resist its lure.

When Ding Chunqiu first obtained this strange cauldron, catching poisonous creatures required no effort, and his Grand Skill Dissipation naturally grew deeper and more refined with practice. But the Divine Wood King Cauldron was stolen by A Zi; she was scheming, and on the very day her master had just finished capturing poisonous beasts, she took the cauldron and fled. By the time Ding Chunqiu noticed its loss, seven days had passed.

A Zi was already far away. She traveled mostly on remote side paths; though her senior brothers' martial arts surpassed hers, their strategies fell far short, and she thwarted their attempts with a series of ruses—feints and diversions—each one evaded.

Ding Chunqiu sent batch after batch of disciples in pursuit, even sending his senior disciple Zhai Xingzi, yet each time the pigeon‑carried letters brought back unfavorable news.

Ding Chunqiu dwelt in a dark, damp valley where poisonous snakes and insects bred abundantly; even without the Divine Wood King Cauldron, catching some venomous creatures to add poison was not difficult. But ordinary venomous creatures are easy to catch; to obtain the rare, exotic, highly toxic beasts he used to capture—those are now hard to come by.

Another worry plagued him: if the Central Plains masters discovered the cauldron's origin, they would surely destroy it at once, so he could not rest a day without retrieving it, which is why he personally took the field.

After Ding Chunqiu reunited with his disciples, he heard that Su Xinghe was summoning talented youths on Lei Drum Mountain, realizing he had broken his oath and intended to oppose him. Hence he decided to seize the "Eight Friends of Hangu" to force Su Xinghe to submit, starting with the most renowned figure in the martial world, Xue Muhua. At this moment a Shaolin high monk tried to intervene, but he paid no heed.

Ding Chunqiu shrugged his shoulders, and Xuan Nan felt a shudder through his whole body—no pain, instead a soft, cloud‑like comfort that defied description, while his body went limp like a pile of mud and collapsed to the ground.

The other Shaolin monks stared wide‑eyed, their faces mixing shock, doubt, and disbelief.

Feng Yi could see that, judging purely by martial skill, Ding Chunqiu was not necessarily superior to Xuan Nan, yet his poison forced submission—could Feng Yi truly withstand it?

Feng Yi had earlier inhaled Shi Qingfeng's bewitching drug merely to test his own poison resistance, but Ding Chunqiu's toxin was of an entirely different order, and he dared not guarantee his safety.

If he made a single misstep and fell into Ding Chunqiu's hands, regret would be endless.

At that moment a clanging rang out; Xuan Tong gripped two monk's spades, struck them together, and lunged at Ding Chunqiu like a mad tiger, roaring: "Shameless villain, today this old monk opens the killing precept!" The twin blades swept toward Ding Chunqiu with a humming like a dragon's roar—his skill was truly formidable. Seeing Xuan Nan fall, obviously deprived of his power, and recalling decades of brotherhood that had brought genuine anguish over broken limbs, he knew he was no match for Ding Chunqiu, yet he resolved to fight to the death.

Ding Chunqiu pivoted on his feet and sidestepped; Xuan Tong, grief‑stricken, struck with even greater ferocity and cruelty.

But his skill fell short of his senior brother Xuan Nan's, and Ding Chunqiu's footwork was light and evasive,

Xuan Tong flung himself forward with over thirty desperate slashes; Ding Chunqiu fluttered like a butterfly among blossoms, twisting left and right, leaping high and dropping low, exhausting every evasive maneuver—his very sleeves remained untouched. The watching Xingxiu disciples all cheered in unison.

Feng Yi saw that Ding Chunqiu's footwork was exquisite—truly extraordinary; if he could not kill him with a single blow, pursuing him at night would be difficult, so he might as well launch a sneak attack.

As he thought of rising to circle around, he felt his hand tighten—A Zi seized it and said: "Elder brother, these bald donkeys and my master are hardly good people anyway; let them fight like dogs. Besides, you told Xuan Nan and the others that day you sought revenge for past grievances—just stay alive."

Feng Yi patted her soft little hand and chuckled: "You even remember that?"

He also recalled that day he had secured Huijing's release from Shaolin, expecting retribution; now Xuan Nan and Xuan Tong had suffered a loss, and in his helplessness his assistance would serve as just compensation.

"Exactly!" A Zi laughed: "I certainly keep your affairs in mind."

Feng Yi felt a warm glow in his heart, and then saw Ding Chunqiu's wide sleeves billowing as he darted to and fro among the blade shadows, relaxed and carefree.

Xuan Tong bellowed: "Treacherous wretch, why won't you strike back? If you've got the guts, kill your grandfather; not fighting back makes you a cowardly bastard."

Ding Chunqiu had not wanted to offend Shaolin too severely, but he cared greatly for face; hearing such insults, his anger flared instantly, and he said coldly: "You really are living impatiently!"

=9+book_eh

In an instant, the feather fan in his hand slapped toward Xuan Tong's monk's spade, then, following the motion, he raised it and struck with his other palm at the opponent's chest and abdomen.

With a hum, fan and blade clashed; Xuan Tong stumbled back more than a zhang, his right arm sore and unable to lift, his inner qi disrupted, his whole body gone limp, and he collapsed to the ground.

It turned out that as Ding Chunqiu waved his feather fan, he had already smeared it with poison; when Xuan Tong tried to block, his circulating qi drew the toxin in, he could not ward it off, and he was felled again.

Xuan Nan and Xuan Tong closed their eyes, saying nothing further—skill inferior, what more is there to say?

Ding Chunqiu's disciples shouted in unison: "You Shaolin bald donkeys, even the fire of glowing insects dares to rival the sun and moon—hurry up and kneel to surrender!"

Ding Chunqiu smiled faintly, waved his feather fan, and said: "Zhai Xingzi, take them down!"

"Yes, Master!"

A hemp‑clad figure floated forward, raised his left hand, and the remaining four Shaolin monks had their major acupoints—Shanzhong, Jianjing, Dazhi, and others—sealed; they instantly collapsed, glanced at each other, closed their eyes, and awaited death.

Feng Yi saw Zhai Xingzi glide out, knowing his inner strength was not weak, but seeing him fell four Shaolin monks with point strikes, he judged his martial arts to be quite impressive.

A Zi said: "This is my senior elder brother; in the Xingxiu Sect his martial skill ranks just below my master's, and he holds the power of life and death over us."

"At this moment, when he extends his finger he fears being too slow, when he strikes he fears being too light, lest he lose prestige before his junior brothers."

Then the crowd cried out: "Senior elder brother, your mystical power is amazing, opening our eyes!"

Feng Yi glanced at Zhai Xingzi, saw he was about twenty‑eight or nine, roughly the same age as Murong Fu, tall and thin, his complexion a greenish yellow, yet his features were quite handsome; he nodded and said: "At his age to attain such skill is indeed extraordinary."

A Zi gave a puffed laugh: "Who would have thought you were seventy or eighty!"

Feng Yi smiled without speaking; his martial achievements could not be compared to ordinary people's, so he never used himself as a yardstick when judging others.

Then Zhai Xingzi said: "Master, these bald dares to storm our Xingxiu Sect's grounds—let's slaughter them all, eh?"

The disciples chorused: "Exactly, exactly! Master's boundless power, senior elder brother's martial art transcending the mundane and entering the sage—this time coming to the Central Plains is the perfect chance to wipe out Shaolin together, blunt the vigor of Central Plains martial artists, and let them know how formidable our Xingxiu Sect is."

Ding Chunqiu stroked his beard and said: "These monks must not be killed."

Zhai Xingzi stared, saying, "Master is unfathomably profound; I really don't understand!"

Ding Chunqiu chuckled and said, "Just think about it, those upright people all curse us as vile villains, heretical ways; we will take the renowned Shaolin high monks to Drum-Beating Mountain and let those so-called talents see who are true heroes and who are the orthodox martial learning."

Zhai Xingzi raised his thumb and praised, "Master is truly brilliant; these Central Plains martial artists have no skills at all, only self-promotion, and they even talk about 'North Qiao Feng, South Murong'—truly shameless."

"This Shaolin Temple is even more arrogant, claiming to be the orthodox martial arts of the world; I just don't believe they can surpass the Star Lodge Sect's divine skills and marvelous techniques!"

"Bringing them to Drum-Beating Mountain will let the world know that Shaolin lost to the Star Lodge Sect's disciples—this is far more famous and imposing than when your second martial brother extorted 40,000 taels of silver from the Gusu Murong."

Xuannan and Xuantong, etc., were subdued, having already resigned themselves; hearing this, Xuantong couldn't help but angrily say, "Old Ding, you lead a bunch of petty troublemakers, using poison and sneak attacks—do you even deserve to be called a hero? Are you truly shameless?"

Ding Chunqiu laughed and said, "Shaolin kung fu is tough; I've learned that much, but you're so stubborn in speech, it makes things difficult for me. You say if those masters lost their noses and ears, would they still be this stubborn? I'd like to know."

Several Shaolin monks turned ashen-faced and said nothing more.

They weren't afraid of death, but they still feared being tortured.

Even if they died, they'd become gossip after tea and meals for others.

"Old Ding thief, you're harming people again!"

Only hearing a shrill shout from afar, suddenly several figures came flying from over ten zhang away.

In a blink, Ding Chunqiu recognized the other party as the Hangu Eight Friends; Kang Guangling shouted, "Old Ding thief, aren't you dead yet? Do you still remember me?"

Ding Chunqiu leisurely said, "Glad to see you, my nephews and nieces!" He waved his feather fan a few times and said, "Murong Hua, the virtuous nephew, if you become my disciple and join my Star Lodge Sect, I will spare your life!"

It turned out that Ding Chunqiu indeed wanted to use them to pressure Su Xinghe, but he also wanted to take Xue Muhua into his sect, relying on his superb medical skills to jointly study the unresolved points in the Eternal Spring Skill manual.

Xue Muhua fully knew how formidable this uncle-master was, feeling truly afraid in his heart, yet he boldly said, "Old Ding thief, in this world I have only one master!"

Ding Chunqiu coldly said, "You only recognize Su Xinghe as your master, is that so or not?"

Xue Muhua shouted, "Only beasts worse than animals would dare harbor the heart to betray master and ancestors!"

Kang Guangling and the others shouted in applause.

Ding Chunqiu said, "Good, good, you are all obedient disciples of Su Xinghe, yet he claims he has expelled you eight from the school, no longer counting you as his disciples. Does the surname Su's word not count, or are you secretly keeping this master-disciple status?"

Fan Bailing said, "One day as a teacher, forever as a father."

The master indeed expelled us eight from the school; over these years we have never been able to see him. When we went to pay our respects, he was not seen.

Yet our reverence for the master has not diminished in the slightest. Old Ding, it is because of you that we eight have become wandering souls without a sect to rely on.

Ding Chunqiu smiled and said, "That's quite right. Su Xinghe fears I would use cruel means to kill you one by one; he expelled you from the school intending to preserve these few lives of yours."

He couldn't bear to deafen you by piercing your ears or cut out your tongues—his affection for you is truly deep!

Hmph, old women, what great things can they accomplish?

Hehe, good. You say it yourselves—does Su Xinghe still count as your master or not?

Kang Guangling and the others, hearing this, all knew that if they did not renounce the title of "disciple of Su Xinghe," Ding Chunqiu would immediately kill them; yet the deep master's grace—how could they betray their sect for fear of death and love of life?

The eight shouted in unison, "Although the master expelled us from the school, the master-disciple bond lasts a lifetime."

Li Puppet suddenly shouted loudly, "I am the old mother of the Star Lodge Old Monster! Back then I had an affair with Erlang God's celestial hound, giving birth to you this little beast—I'll break your dog legs!"

He imitated an old woman's tone, followed by three barks—wang wang wang—and Kang Guangling and the others burst into loud laughter.

Ding Chunqiu, unable to contain his anger, suddenly emitted a strange light from his eyes; with a flick of his left sleeve, a point of oily green phosphorescent fire shot toward Li Puppet's body, swift as a meteor.

Li Puppet tried to dodge but had no time; his face turned grim, suddenly feeling a strong gust from behind, and that phosphorescent fire reflected back toward Ding Chunqiu.

Li Puppet felt he wasn't burned by the fire; in a blink he saw Feng Yi rush over and strike with a palm to save him.

Feng Yi originally thought these people were cowardly to death, feeling some contempt in his heart, but seeing them withstand pressure at the critical moment, with not a single coward among them, he grew admiring; seeing Li Puppet about to be burned, he didn't think, and with a palm like a shooting star and lightning, he struck to save the person.

Before the words were finished, it happened fast—Ding Chunqiu, feeling pleased with himself, suddenly sensed a breeze approaching, but his breathing was already unsteady; he startled, circulated his inner power with both palms, and that phosphorescent light hissed out and vanished in midair.

Ding Chunqiu felt a heat in his chest, his face flushing blood-red, he retreated three steps, startled and angry; fixing his gaze, he saw a handsome young man standing beside Li Puppet, outstanding in appearance, with a faint smile on his face.

Ding Chunqiu and the Divine Doctor Xue looked at Feng Yi, each feeling doubtful; that palm was mighty and fierce, requiring at least forty or fifty years of skill—who is this person? Divine Doctor Xue wondered how Feng Yi could be so capable.

Even Kang Guangling and his peers only now realized a problem—they had originally underestimated Feng Yi.

The most shocked person at the center of the scene was Ding Chunqiu.

With his cultivation, even if he faced an enemy with all his might, not a falling leaf in the wind around him could escape his senses—but Feng Yi appeared suddenly, he didn't notice at all, and a single palm sent him reeling; he thought and thought, yet could not imagine there being such a young person in the martial world.

Xuannan and Xuantong were overjoyed with surprise, shouting in unison, "Hero Feng!"

Feng Yi laughed and said, "Old Ding, you too are a renowned figure in the jianghu; I didn't expect you to only play at mysticism and still unleash wicked fire on juniors—truly unbecoming of your stature."

Just after exchanging a palm with Ding Chunqiu, he smelled a strange odor, like sulfur, and realized that so-called green fire was not merely poison but also contained sulfur, nitrate, phosphorus, etc., as incendiary powder—though it looked extremely intimidating.

Before Ding Chunqiu could speak, a Star Lodge Sect disciple shouted, "Kid, who are you? Dare to oppose my master!"

Suddenly a woman's laugh rang out: "Ninth Senior Brother, you're so imposing—you dare to speak up before the world's number one martial expert; this will spread your name, Tian Langzi, across the world, surpassing even the Star Lodge Old Monster!"

Everyone turned toward the sound and saw a girl's head extending from behind Feng Yi; everyone recognized her as the little martial sister, A Zi.

All that was heard was Zhai Xingzi saying, "Little martial sister, you've got quite the face!"

A Zi laughed and said: "Master and senior brother have come all the way to the Central Plains, so junior sister's face is naturally not small, but if we count on my backing, I'm afraid you all still lack a bit of weight."

Zhai Xingzi understood her meaning, glanced at Ding Chunqiu.

Ding Chunqiu saw A Zi's sly smile and thought to himself: "This little girl is full of tricks; she stole my Wang Ding, hasn't even had time to hide from me, yet appears fearlessly—don't let an eighty-year-old old woman end up holding a baby in her hands."

He felt suspicious, seeing Feng Yi tall and slender, eyes bright, he frowned and asked: "Could it be that you are the renowned Feng Yi, the great hero whose name shakes the martial world?"

Ding Chunqiu had heard of Feng Yi's reputation, knowing he had slain the four great villains of the world, and also knowing that A Zi had taken him as her backing, having killed several of his disciples. The so-called four great villains, he originally didn't think much of them, and Feng Yi was no exception; he thought that if they met, he could easily dispose of him, but now he feels apprehensive.

Feng Yi laughed and said: "Others call me a great hero, which I dare not accept. But when I meet you, Ding Lao Guai, I can also play along."

If you are sensible, kneel and kowtow now; out of respect for A Zi, I will spare your life.

Everyone hearing such arrogant words, the crowd instantly erupted in an uproar; the Heavenly Wolf Child suddenly shouted loudly: "Junior Sister, what mischief are you up to? No matter what backing you have, upon seeing the master, how dare you not bow?"

"Nonsense!"

Feng Yi didn't even look, flicked his sleeve, and with a soft sound, the invisible finger force of his flicking-finger divine ability pierced the Heavenly Wolf Child's chest, burst out his back, and a jet of blood shot out.

The Heavenly Wolf Child immediately swayed and collapsed, unable to get up.

Everyone was dumbstruck; not a single disciple of the Constellation Sect dared to step forward.

Ding Chunqiu said coldly: "Although we have no friendship between us, we also have no grudge or enmity, yet you have killed several of my disciples. I don't know why you act this way. Do you truly not take this old man seriously?" He said, slightly raising his robe sleeves.

(End of chapter)