Chapter 82: Eighty: The Winds and Clouds of the World Emerge from Our Generation

Huashan.

Lu Li stood on the mountain path with his hands behind his back, gazing at the churning clouds and mist in the distance.

"I didn't expect that the second time I entered the Heavens World, my landing spot would be Huashan."

In the Smiling Proud World, Lu Li had lived on Huashan for nearly ten years, and he knew the peaks, trees, and plants of Huashan by heart.

He looked around and, seeing those familiar peaks, knew for certain that this place was Huashan.

The time might have differed by several hundred years, yet these few peaks remained exactly the same. The only difference was that Huashan was sparsely populated now, with no buildings in sight; the Huashan Sect did not seem to have been established yet.

Lu Li sensed his surroundings slightly and realized that the Spirit Qi of heaven and earth in this Huashan was several times greater than that of the Smiling Proud World, but it was still far inferior to the Tianxuan Continent.

Just as he was feeling sentimental, a mountain breeze blew, and Lu Li suddenly heard the sounds of weapons clashing and noisy shouting; it was clear that someone was fighting here.

Lu Li moved without his feet touching the ground, following the sound. After he rounded two mountain ridges, he saw thirty or forty martial artists standing on a large stone terrace, each holding a weapon in their hands.

Lu Li leaped up and landed on a pine tree extending from the cliff above their heads.

"My Xian Xia Sect sword technique is agile and ethereal, invincible!"

"My forty-seven styles of Earth-Bound Saber Technique are the true killing moves."

"This title of number one in the world in martial arts belongs to none other than me!"

Only then did Lu Li realize that this group of martial artists was actually competing for the title of number one in the world.

He saw a man like an iron tower, full of heroic spirit, propping his broadsword on the ground and saying loudly, "Everyone, stop shouting. This title of 'Number One in Martial Arts in Heaven and Earth' cannot be obtained just by yelling."

"Since all the heroes have gathered here today, why not decide the winner through blades and fists? Whoever can defeat the others, we will be convinced and promote them as 'Number One in the World'!"

Another man with a long beard waved his sword and said, "Agreed. Today we shall have a 'Huashan Sword Debate' to see who can take the top spot."

The others cheered loudly, and in an instant, several people jumped out, shouting, "Agreed, let's have a Huashan Sword Debate! Who is unconvinced? Dare to come up?!"

Lu Li couldn't help but be stunned, wondering to himself which year's Huashan Sword Debate this was, and why it was so noisy and disorganized?

While he was puzzled,

six people had already jumped out below and started fighting. At the sight of this, Lu Li couldn't help but be furious.

It turned out that these six people had extremely mediocre martial arts, likely far inferior even to Lin Pingzhi. They were no martial arts experts at all, just a group of vulgar and arrogant people imitating the 'Huashan Sword Debate' to appear cultured.

Seeing this, Lu Li shook his head and sighed. Although this was not the Smiling Proud World, he still did not want to see Huashan made a mess of by this group of idiots.

Not to mention that the Huashan Sword Debate of the Five Greats back then had spread throughout the martial arts world, even in the Smiling Proud World, only experts like him and Dongfang Bubai were worthy of a decisive battle on the summit of Huashan.

Did such vulgar people also come to brandish spears and sticks?

Lu Li let out a long whistle, and as his True Qi circulated, the surrounding valley echoed and resonated, and the sea of clouds gathered and rolled like a dragon.

In an instant, everyone on the stone terrace felt as if the mountains were collapsing; their bodies trembled involuntarily, and the weapons in their hands had long since fallen to the ground.

"Everyone, get off the mountain!"

The group was so frightened they were stunned for a long while. They looked at Lu Li, not knowing if he was an immortal or a ghost.

Suddenly, the crowd shouted several times and stumbled down the mountain, not even daring to pick up their weapons. In an instant, they were gone without a trace.

Lu Li shook his head and jumped down from the pine branch.

Suddenly, a little old man with white hair and a white beard but a rosy complexion darted out from the mountain path.

"Hey! Kid, your voice is very loud!"

The old man jumped onto the stone terrace, circled around Lu Li with a wink and a grin, and said, "Strange, strange. Kid, I see your breathing is long and steady, faintly showing traces of my Quanzhen Sect's techniques, yet it seems a bit different. What kind of kung fu is this? It looks very powerful."

"After paying respects to the Old Beggar and Ouyang Feng, this Huashan is desolate and boring. Why don't you spar with me to help me pass the time?"

Lu Li frowned slightly, feeling that this old man was not very serious. Despite his advanced age, his speech and actions were no different from those of a young child.

While speaking, before Lu Li could agree, the old man suddenly threw a light, airy punch toward Lu Li's chest.

This punch looked soft and powerless, yet it contained infinite hidden strength, as if it had kneaded the clouds and mist of Huashan together, unpredictable and real, striking out lightly.

Seeing this punch, a look of surprise flashed across Lu Li's eyes.

"Old sir, your fist technique is good!"

He flashed his figure to dodge the punch, then extended two fingers, using them as a sword to strike at the old man's left shoulder.

As this finger pointed out, a sharp Sword Qi suddenly emerged.

The old man let out a strange cry and rolled on the ground to dodge the finger.

"What a powerful sword technique! You scared the Old Urchin to death!"

Old Urchin?

Lu Li said, "You are the Old Urchin Zhou Botong?"

The Old Urchin patted his chest with a grin and said, "That's right, that's right. Do you know me?"

While the two were talking, several more people turned out from behind the mountain path.

These people were of different ages and genders, but at a glance, Lu Li knew that several of them were martial arts experts with extraordinary bearing.

Among them, a man and a woman were the most eye-catching.

Both were in their thirties or forties; the man had one arm missing and his temples were slightly gray; the woman was dressed in white, her features free of worldly dust and frost, like a fairy.

One of the men took a step forward; he had a dignified appearance, and his square face possessed a natural steadiness and majesty.

He cupped his hands and said, "Young hero, good sword technique. I am Guo Jing, and this is my sworn brother Zhou Botong."

It turned out that this group was Guo Jing, Yang Guo, and the others.

Lu Li chatted with Guo Jing and the others for a while before he learned the current era and date.

This day was the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month in the first year of the Jingding Era Era Era of the Southern Song Dynasty, 1260.

Not long ago, Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü had reunited after their sixteen-year promise.

Half a month ago, the two arrived in Xiangyang to help Guo Jing and the others force back the Yuan troops.

With winter approaching and the Yuan troops having retreated, the crisis in Xiangyang had temporarily subsided. Guo Jing's party left Xiangyang and came to Huashan to pay respects to Hong Qigong.

Lu Li exchanged greetings with everyone one by one, including Lu Wushuang, the Wu Brothers, Sishui Yuyin, and many other figures.

Lu Li cupped his hands and said, "I am Lu Li. Hero Guo and everyone else guarding Xiangyang are truly admirable."

This year, the eldest daughter of the Guo family, Guo Fu, had already married, and there was a hint of maturity between her brows. Guo Xiang was in the prime of her youth, while Guo Polu beside her had thick brows and large eyes, much like his father in his youth, yet Guo Jing and Huang Rong were already over fifty.

And standing on the periphery of the crowd, looking somewhat aloof from the world, the strange guest in green robes, Huang Yaoshi, was already over seventy.

Only then did Lu Li realize that he had transmigrated to the moment the *Return of the Condor Heroes* storyline ended. The people before him could be said to be the absolute top experts of the current Central Plains martial arts world, yet they were no longer young and vigorous.

Lu Li looked at them, feeling that he had missed much, as if an entire era had suddenly stood before him.

Suddenly, True Qi surged in his hand, and with a grab into the void, a long sword that the previous group had dropped on the ground was held in his grip.

This display of the Dragon-Capturing Skill caused Huang Yaoshi and the others to secretly marvel.

Lu Li said in a clear voice, "That group from just now were merely people who deceive the world for fame; that empty title of the Huashan Sword Debate is not what we seek. However, among the Five Greats of the past, Western Venom, Northern Beggar, and Central Divine have already passed away. Among the experts of the current age, who else can be called one of the Five Greats?"

"It is truly rare for everyone to be gathered here today. Though this junior is untalented, I am willing to use this sword to catch a glimpse of the style of the Five Greats!"

Having said this, True Qi surged from Lu Li's body, and a burst of Sword Qi shot straight into the clouds; atop Huashan, the sea of clouds churned.

The past cannot be chased; a new martial arts world begins with this sword.

Lu Li stood with his sword held horizontally, as if declaring to them:

The winds and clouds of the world emerge from our generation!