Chapter 330: Great Prosperity and Winds of Change

The appearance of the He Shi Bi shook the world, and the heroes gathered in Luoyang.

Everything was proceeding as usual, but with the entry of the Imperial Tutor Yu Liancheng into Luoyang, it unexpectedly triggered a series of results that no one could have predicted.

Beyond the He Shi Bi being seized and the heroes being killed or captured, the most surprising event was the Jingnian Zen Sect, guardians of the He Shi Bi, being trampled by the Imperial Tutor; the sect's warrior monks instead defected to the Sui Dynasty, forming a unit of fearless monk soldiers.

After the matter of the He Shi Bi concluded, hundreds of monk soldiers followed Yu Liancheng to campaign against the Wagang Stronghold, which guarded Xingyang.

In just two days, they crushed the invincible and undefeated Wagang Army in a head-on battle.

During this battle, the Great Leader Li Mi, the great general Wang Bodang, and others were killed, while the rest surrendered and were absorbed by the Imperial Court.

The whole world was shocked by this battle.

It turned out that an army composed of pure martial artists was so terrifying, capable of charging and killing back and forth through battle formations, invincible in their path.

Of course, everyone understood why such a result was possible.

On one hand, it was because the warrior monks of the Jingnian Zen Sect were from the same sect and well-trained, capable of forming battle formations at any time to unleash unexpected power.

On the other hand, it was because the peerless expert Yu Liancheng was there to oversee, capable of both coordinating the battle formations and serving as the sharpest spear within them.

After the affairs in Luoyang City were finished, the world's experts turned their gaze toward Daxing.

This was only because Yu Liancheng had once declared that in one month, he would open the Yang Gong Treasury.

The Yang Gong Treasury not only contained various rare treasures, mountains of gold and seas of silver, and divine weapons, but also the Evil Emperor Relic that everyone in the demonic path coveted.

Compared to the He Shi Bi, which only had symbolic significance, the Yang Gong Treasury was clearly more valuable for those vying for the world.

It was just that now, all the experts in the world knew that the Imperial Tutor's martial arts were transcendent and holy, such that even the Three Great Grandmasters might not be able to surpass him.

Moreover, Daxing was his lair, where he could mobilize thousands of troops to charge and kill at any time. Unless an expert was extremely confident in their own martial arts or stealth techniques, they would never dare to go to Daxing.

But even so, the number of martial artists carrying knives and swords in Daxing City had clearly increased, and each one was tough and brave, with sharp glints in their eyes; they were clearly first-class experts wanting to get a share of the spoils from the Yang Gong Treasury.

In the eastern suburbs, a sprawling mansion.

Layer upon layer of buildings, magnificent houses, and the melodious sound of strings and bamboo flutes drifted from a separate courtyard.

Inside the courtyard, singing girls and dancing maidens danced gracefully, playing zithers and singing songs. A middle-aged man dressed in green, styled like a scholar, was holding a woman on his lap, teasing and playing with her.

This person's manners were refined, and a smile hung on his fair, thin face, making him seem like a weak scholar. But those eyes revealed an evil and cruel sharpness, and his pupils even carried a ring of purple light, eerie and terrifying.

"Now that my 'Purple Qi Heavenly Net' has reached completion, I have no fear even when facing the Yin Empress or the Evil King. Since I have returned to the Central Plains this time, I must complete the hegemony that belongs to me, Xi Ying. And the Evil Emperor Relic is also something I am determined to obtain. Whoever wants to stop me will die without a burial place."

Although the man in green was watching the singing and dancing, his mind was sketching out his next actions. Suddenly, the purple energy in his eyes surged, revealing an incomparably evil aura, causing the beauty in his arms to tremble.

This person was none other than the expert of the Demon Sect's "Extinguishing Emotion Path," known as the "Heavenly Monarch," Xi Ying.

Xi Ying ranked fourth among the Eight Great Masters of the Demon Sect. He had once fought the "Heavenly Blade" Song Que, only to be chased for thousands of miles and forced to flee to the Western Regions, in a wretched state.

And now, he had gathered the best of various Western Regions schools to create the unique skill "Purple Qi Heavenly Net." The ring of purple light produced around his pupils was the symbol of the "Purple Qi Heavenly Net" reaching the realm of completion.

Originally, Xi Ying had intended to challenge Song Que to wash away the shame of that year. But upon hearing news of the Evil Emperor Relic midway, he had rushed toward Daxing City.

As long as he could obtain the Evil Emperor Relic, he might become an expert comparable to the Three Great Grandmasters.

"Haha, beauty, do not panic. Let us drink until we are drunk and enjoy life to the fullest."

Xi Ying laughed, picked up a cup of wine, and poured it forcefully into the mouth of the woman in his arms, regardless of her slightly panicked expression. His eyes, with the purple light fully exposed, revealed a trace of a violent aura that made people shudder.

"A fine 'drink until drunk and enjoy life to the fullest'." A crisp and sweet voice suddenly came from all directions, seeming illusory and real, ethereal and void, making it impossible to pinpoint the location: "But if we are talking about enjoyment, this place is still lacking. Why not invite Senior Xi Ying to the Imperial Palace to enjoy himself to the fullest?"

Before the words had finished, a red shadow swept over with sharp Sword Qi, and clusters of flower petals were shattered, swirling into the sword light, further enhancing the sword's momentum.

The Heavenly Monarch Xi Ying's expression changed slightly; he activated the Purple Qi Heavenly Net, his face flushed with purple energy, his five fingers closed, and he suddenly threw a punch toward the sword light.

Centered on his fist, an expanding and fluctuating aura immediately emerged, as if space were constantly expanding. Even the beauty in his arms and the long table in front were pushed away by some kind of force.

This 'Purple Qi Heavenly Net' was of the same origin as the Heavenly Demon Great Art but differed; the Heavenly Demon Art would produce a phenomenon of spatial collapse, while the Purple Qi Heavenly Net was the exact opposite, but it was undoubtedly also an extremely terrifying martial art.

Bang!

Fist and sword collided, and the force surged in all directions; the singing and dancing girls screamed repeatedly and ran away in small steps.

Xi Ying retreated two steps, looking at this uninvited guest with a slightly sunken expression.

This was a petite girl in red, with exquisite and beautiful features, holding a long sword; a pair of clear, bright eyes sparkled, and her cherry lips carried a faint, sweet smile.

"Who are you?" Facing this seemingly fragile girl, Xi Ying did not dare to be the least bit careless.

Although the two had exchanged blows like lightning, it contained a subtlety and danger that ordinary martial arts experts could hardly imagine. He had pushed out a punch, and the Purple Qi Heavenly Net had quickly woven a web, using softness to overcome hardness, binding the opponent's limbs and weapons so that she had strength but could not use it, intending to kill her in one blow.

But the girl not only had a high level of insight, but her sword technique was also sharp and swift; the Sword Qi struck the weakest point of the Heavenly Net like lightning, and in an instant, it shredded the Heavenly Net into pieces.

If he had not retreated in time, he feared that the hand he used to punch would have been severed by the opponent in an instant.

The girl in red smiled sweetly and said: "I am Dugu Feng. I don't have much fame in the Edo, and I cannot compare to you, Heavenly Monarch."

"Dugu Feng? A member of the Dugu Clan." Xi Ying snorted coldly. Before entering Daxing City, he had done some homework, and in his impression, the Dugu Clan did have a girl named Dugu Feng: "I have no grievances with your Dugu Clan. What is the meaning of this?"

Dugu Feng smiled like a flower and said: "The Imperial Tutor asked me to invite the Heavenly Monarch to the Imperial Palace, but I know you would never be willing to go, so I have to beat you half to death first and then drag you over. I hope you will forgive any discourtesy."

"When I, Xi Ying, was roaming the Edo, you hadn't even been born yet. You junior are still far from being able to deal with me." Xi Ying's expression was as gloomy as water, and a cold sneer suddenly appeared at the corner of his mouth, while a trace of obscenity appeared in his eyes: "Don't worry, once I capture you little beauty, I will definitely not kill you immediately. I will enjoy you day and night and teach you to taste every..."

Before he could finish speaking, Dugu Feng's sword had already pierced over, carrying an ethereal quality; the sword technique seemed natural, yet it revealed a trace of cold murderous intent.

Clearly, she had developed murderous intent toward Xi Ying.

Xi Ying revealed a trace of joy; his previous words were intended to provoke Dugu Feng into attacking. He let out a sharp whistle, his feet stepped in a strange pattern, and his hands wove a Heavenly Net of thousands of fine threads, scattering it toward Dugu Feng.

This invisible net could not only defend against the opponent's Sword Qi, but it could also be controlled at will, changing shape at any time to probe the opponent's weaknesses, achieving the effect of striking only after the enemy had struck.

Xi Ying's martial arts had indeed reached a very profound level, but unfortunately, he was facing Dugu Feng. This girl was already a top expert among the younger generation, and having recently received guidance from Yu Liancheng, she had progressed even more rapidly.

The sword light twisted, resembling a silver Flood Dragon, shredding the dense layers of the Heavenly Net, and the long sword moved closer to Xi Ying.

Outside the mansion.

A massive figure was hiding in the shadows.

"Was the person who just went in Dugu Feng?"

This was a very fat man, whose hands, perhaps due to too much fat, seemed particularly short and small; he had a protruding belly, and his flat head seemed to grow directly from his fat shoulders, plus two thick lips, making it clear at a glance that he was a person who paid attention to eating, drinking, and having fun.

Yet, within his eyes, which were almost squeezed into slits by his rolls of fat, there flickered a profound and Zhihui light.

This person was the "Fat Merchant" An Long, one of the Eight Great Masters of the Evil Path and the sect leader of the Heavenly Lotus Sect; he also held the identity of a great Sichuan merchant, and it was precisely by this identity that he and the Heavenly Monarch Xi Ying were able to mix into Daxing City unscathed.

"That little girl Dugu Feng is the number two expert of the Dugu Clan, and it is said that she has been guided by Yu Liancheng many times these days, so she is no longer what she once was. Moreover, she dared to enter this residence alone, so she must have a backup plan to deal with me and old Xi."

An Long's gaze flashed: "If this Xi Ying can survive, I will continue to discuss business with him. If he dies, let us not speak of it again. This place is no longer safe; I should go find Brother Shi."

After pondering for a moment, An Long turned to leave.

"Uncle Master An, having come to Daxing City, you didn't even notify Wanwan, so that Wanwan could fulfill the duties of a host," a voice that revealed a trace of bewitching charm amidst its ethereal quality suddenly rang out.

An Long turned his head and saw the young girl Wanwan sitting on the wall, her light skirt spread out, her two slender and beautiful jade feet exposed to the air, swinging back and forth, giving one infinite room for imagination.

"So it is Wanwan," An Long said with a smile at the corners of his mouth, which, combined with his obese appearance, made him look harmless to both humans and animals: "Your Uncle Master has business now, so I will be leaving first."

Without waiting to finish his words, the fat man An turned and left, his movement technique unfolding with extreme speed. If one had not seen it with their own eyes, one would fear that no one would believe this big fat man could be so agile.

"Walk slowly, Uncle Master, let Wanwan see you off," Wanwan tapped her jade feet and pounced toward the fat man An.

Whether it was because Wanwan's light-body technique was too high, chasing after these older-generation experts, or for some other reason, in the blink of an eye, she was less than a zhang away from the fat man An.

"Since that is the case, this Uncle Master will not leave."

Who would have thought that at this very moment, An Long suddenly turned around without any warning, spinning like a spinning top, his hands cupped in a lotus gesture, the force of his Qi exploding in the air with a sound that shook the eardrums, like blooming invisible lotus flowers, striking toward Wanwan, containing hidden Xuanji, capturing the soul, and being extremely bizarre; it was precisely his long-prepared ultimate technique, the "Heavenly Heart Lotus Ring."

"There is no such Uncle Master who specifically ambushes his juniors."

Wanwan chuckled, and two flashes of light flew out from her sleeves, cutting through the long sky like a streak of lightning; it was the "Heavenly Demon Twin Blades." The twin blades crossed the sky, and the force of her Qi transformed into threads invisible to the naked eye, like a heavenly net, meeting the "Heavenly Heart Lotus Ring."

A quarter of an hour later, the Heavenly Demon Blade in Wanwan's hand struck An Long's chest, blocking the pivot point of his Qi. At this moment, An Long was exerting his power to the fullest, and now, being blocked, his Qi and Blood immediately surged, and he was then struck by a palm from Wanwan, causing his massive body to collapse instantly, and the ground shook with a boom.

At the same time, a figure was smashed out from the courtyard, hitting the wall and collapsing half of it, and the person also fainted, with multiple sword wounds all over his body; if it was not the Heavenly Monarch Xi Ying, who else could it be?

Immediately following, a bright red figure also drifted out closely behind.

Wanwan looked at Dugu Feng and laughed coquettishly: "Good sister, you lost; I started the fight after you, but I finished it a step before you."

Dugu Feng crossed her arms over her chest and gave a coquettish huff: "The 'Heavenly Monarch' Xi Ying is ranked fourth among the Eight Great Masters of the Demon Sect, while the 'Fat Merchant' An Long is ranked fifth, and on top of that, his Purple Qi Heavenly Net is perfected, making him even harder to deal with. And I only lagged behind by a little time; the winner should be me."

Wanwan did not speak, only looking at Dugu Feng with her beautiful eyes, a smile on the corners of her mouth.

Dugu Feng was silent for a moment, bit her lip and said: "Alright, alright, I admit defeat, I will give you that hairpin when I return to the manor."

"Then this elder sister will accept it without being polite," Wanwan laughed coquettishly, then looked at An Long and Xi Ying at her feet: "Master has gone to deal with the 'Demon Marshal' Zhao Deyan, and 'Zi Wu Sword' Zuo Youxian and 'Pi Chen' Rong Fengxiang have already been captured; it seems that this time, the Young Master wants to use the Evil Emperor Relic to round up all the experts of the Holy Sect."

Dugu Feng said: "The experts of the Demon Sect are all evildoers who treat human life like grass; since he is the Imperial Tutor, he naturally cannot let this group of fellows go, which can be considered ridding the people of a scourge."

Wanwan laughed coquettishly: "Then, little sister Feng, why do you say we should keep them alive? Wouldn't it be easier to just kill them?"

"This..." Dugu Feng's moth-eyebrows knitted slightly.

Wanwan's beautiful eyes flashed with light: "If Wanwan has not guessed wrong, the Young Master wants to bring the supreme 'Heavenly Demon Strategy' of the Holy Sect back into one; this is, this is the wish of the people of insight in the Demon Sect. But in the entire world, besides the Young Master, I fear no one else can accomplish this."