Chapter 86

“ah……”

A scream rang out, and the head of a fine young man rolled to the ground, splattering blood everywhere.

However, it was Ye Hongyi’s eldest disciple, Peng Shaonan, who was attacked by Wang Hongyu and Wei Yimu. He was beheaded by “Sword Demon” Wei Yimu and died on the spot.

After killing Peng Shaonan, Wang Hongyu and Wei Yimu led a group of palace guards toward Ye Hongyi, intending to finish off this seriously injured and fallen grandmaster.

At this moment, Yao Youwei and Ye Ruiyun were guarding Ye Hongyi. The golden-armored dragon guards and silver-armored imperial guards around them kept attacking and falling to the blades of the mother and daughter.

As soon as Wang Hongyu and Wei Yimu arrived, the morale of these experts from the palace soared. They became fierce and menacing, launching another fierce attack on Ye Hongyi. If they could kill Ye Hongyi, they would have won more than half the battle in this martial arts tournament!

For this, it would be worth sacrificing countless lives.

Meanwhile, Ye Taixuan and the others continued to block the advance of “Sword Saint” Bai Xifeng. With the help of experts from the Kun Kingdom such as Fang Huaxian, they managed to hold off this martial arts grandmaster, but defeating him was absolutely impossible!

Innate masters and Heavenly Realm experts are not even in the same league; the gap is simply too great.

Ye Taixuan’s side had a large number of experts, but Bai Xifeng also had helpers by his side, including the Nine Thousand Years Old Wei Dongxiang, Jiang Hailing and Bai Bufan from Aojian Villa, Tie Yizhou and Zhang Jingzhu from Danxia Sect, plus other martial arts experts, as well as thousands of disciples from Aojian Villa, making their numbers much larger.

Bai Bufan was, after all, a Heavenly Realm expert. Seeing how troublesome these people were, he simply didn’t fight them head-on. Instead, he flew up and hovered in the air, rushing towards Ye Hongyi, who was dozens of feet away. His main purpose was to kill Ye Hongyi to eliminate future troubles. No one else was as important as Ye Hongyi.

Seeing this, Ye Taixuan and the others immediately moved towards that direction, charging and killing the members of Aojian Manor one by one, trying every means to save the lives of their own Heavenly Realm experts, so that they might have a chance to make a comeback.

Seeing Bai Xifeng charging towards her with his sword, Ye Hongyi wore a bitter smile.

At this moment, Yao Youwei was entangled with Wei Yimu, and Ye Ruiyun was entangled with Wang Hongyu, so they had no time to pay attention to Ye Hongyi. Seeing that Ye Hongyi was about to be in trouble, Ye Ruiyun shouted loudly, “Qi Fei!”

Upon hearing her voice, Qi Fei thought she was in danger and quickly flew over.

At the same time, Ye Taixuan, Hua Yushu, and others were also approaching.

However, this was ultimately a case of too little, too late, as Bai Xifeng had already swung his sword at Ye Hongyi. Ye Hongyi forcefully suppressed her injuries, gathered her inner energy, and her Golden Crow Blade emitted a burst of red light as she desperately blocked the opponent’s sword strike.

With a resounding clang, Ye Hongyi coughed up blood again, his right hand’s tiger’s mouth splitting open and bleeding. In his current state, he was no match for Bai Xifeng; he would be defeated and killed in just a few moves!

Bai Xifeng pressed closer, mocking, “Brother Ye, how can you be so weak? I was going to fight you for another three hundred rounds, but judging from your current state, you probably can’t even last three rounds. How boring!”

Ye Hongyi bent over, supporting herself with the Golden Crow Blade in her right hand, her eyes sharply fixed on her opponent, and sneered, “Bai Xifeng, you’ve lost. Because you simply didn’t dare to fight me fairly!”

Bai Xifeng laughed loudly, “I lost? You say I lost? I’ll show you who lost!” With that, he slashed down with his sword, and a white rainbow shot out from the blade, heading straight for Ye Hongyi.

Ye Hongyi held the Golden Crow Blade horizontally in front of her. The sword light of the White Rainbow Sword struck the blade, producing a muffled “clang.” A tremendous force surged forth, and the Golden Crow Blade in Ye Hongyi’s hand was instantly shaken to the ground.

Bai Xifeng unleashed another sword strike!

“Well–”

Ye Hongyi let out a muffled groan, managing to suppress his scream. He trembled all over, not even glancing at his severed right arm, but staring intently at Bai Xifeng, and said with a bitter smile, “Bai Xifeng, you are a despicable person, you are unworthy of being a martial arts master!”

Bai Xifeng laughed loudly: “Ye Hongyi, how could you possibly understand me? My realm has long surpassed your worldly views. Whether the world considers me a martial arts master or a villainous demon, it has nothing to do with me!”

Just as he was about to finish off Ye Hongyi with a single sword strike, a dragon-shaped sword aura suddenly descended from mid-air, heading straight for his vital points on the back.

Bai Xifeng turned around and swung his sword, shattering the sword energy that had ambushed him. When he looked up, he saw a boy less than five feet tall standing behind him, holding a gleaming sword with lifelike dragon patterns on its blade.

“Panlong Sword, you are Qi Fei?” Bai Xifeng’s eyes turned cold, and a surge of anger shot out from his eyes, enveloping Qi Fei’s entire body.

Qi Fei glanced at Ye Hongyi, whose arms were broken and who was powerless to resist, sighed inwardly, and then looked at Bai Xifeng, mockingly saying, “That’s right, I am Qi Fei who slept with the White Queen. When I slept with the White Queen, she told me that Senior Bai Xifeng was her brother.”

“court death!”

Bai Xifeng roared, his white rainbow sword swirling, drawing a sword circle, and in a flash of sword light, he attacked Qi Fei.

Upon learning that his sister, the White Queen, had been slept with by Qi Fei, he was enraged and wished he could tear Qi Fei to pieces. This was not only a great humiliation for Wang Tianlong, but also for him. If he didn’t make Qi Fei pay the price, how could he maintain his standing in the martial arts world?

The fact that Qi Fei had severed his son Bai Bufan’s arm further enraged him. If killing Ye Hongyi was for the greater good, then killing Qi Fei was purely a matter of personal vendetta!

Before Bai Xifeng came to Taoli Mountain, he had already made up his mind that the first thing he would do after killing Ye Hongyi was to kill Qi Fei, and he would stop at nothing to do it!

Ye Hongyi and Qi Fei are both here right now, so we can take care of them both at the same time.

With a clang, the White Rainbow Sword and the Panlong Sword clashed together, unleashing a blinding white light!

Qi Fei felt a jolt in his arm, and half of his body went numb. He stumbled back more than ten steps before regaining his footing, his right arm trembling slightly.

He was truly astonished that Bai Xifeng still possessed such formidable power after a series of battles and with his true energy severely depleted!

This exchange not only shocked Qi Fei, but also greatly alarmed Bai Xifeng!

He never imagined that this unassuming young man would have such high martial arts skills, especially his profound and pure internal energy, which was far superior to those of Wei Dongxiang and Yao Ye. The fact that he could block one of his swords by himself showed that his overall strength was already above theirs, and he was on par with the Heavenly Realm experts!

“As expected, heroes emerge from among the young. Let me see how much of Feng Liyao’s true teachings you’ve inherited!”

Bai Xifeng let out a long howl and unleashed the “White Rainbow Sword Technique,” his sword moves incredibly fierce as he swiftly attacked Qi Fei.

Qi Fei managed to parry a few sword strikes, but soon found himself in dire straits. Not only was his internal strength inferior to his opponent’s, but his swordsmanship was also less skillful, and his combat experience was richer. He was completely at a disadvantage.

This was only because Bai Xifeng’s strength had decreased after a series of fierce battles; otherwise, he would have been in even worse shape!

Qi Fei knew very well that the Diancang Sect’s “Panlong Sword Technique” was no longer enough to protect himself, so he hurriedly used the “Bright Moon Flying Phoenix” divine skill, which allowed him to barely protect himself for a time.

At this moment, Ye Taixuan, Hua Yushu, Fang Huaxian and others had already arrived and joined Yao Youwei and Ye Ruiyun. Gu Yinzhang and Feng Jianqing were also on their way.

Seeing this, Wang Hongyu and Wei Yimu quickly retreated and joined Wei Dongxiang and the others to avoid being surrounded and attacked by the enemy’s experts.

When Ye Taixuan, Yao Youwei, and the others saw Ye Hongyi’s arm completely severed and her tragic state, they were filled with grief and indignation. Together with Qi Fei, they launched a coordinated attack on Bai Xifeng.

On the other side, the battle between Feng Liyao and Wang Tianlong continued. Both were peerless experts at the Heavenly Realm, and it was impossible to determine the winner in a short time. Within a dozen feet of the two fighting, almost no one could get close. The powerful force surged in all directions, causing mountains to collapse and the earth to crack, and dust to fly, destroying everything around them!

Feng Liyao moved swiftly and gracefully, calmly dealing with Wang Tianlong’s attacks. Wang Tianlong continued to attack with his “Dragon God Skill,” but he couldn’t break through her three-foot-thick protective barrier of true energy.

Wang Tianlong found it strange that Feng Liyao didn’t use “Bright Moon Flying Phoenix” to retaliate. He looked at the sunset on the horizon; the two sides had been fighting all afternoon, and the sun was about to set!

Wang Tianlong suddenly realized that Feng Liyao was deliberately stalling for time.

Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival. Once night falls and the Mid-Autumn moon is full, the power of the “Bright Moon Flying Phoenix” divine skill will increase dramatically under its radiance. At that time, Wang Tianlong will not only have no chance of winning, but even his survival will be a question.

Thinking of this, Wang Tianlong directly exposed the other party’s thoughts and laughed loudly: “Feng Liyao, don’t worry, I will never drag it out until night! Watch my move ‘Dragon Soars to the Nine Heavens’—” Regardless of whether he could defeat the other party, he absolutely could not lose in terms of momentum.

A golden dragon, over ten zhang long, emerged, its head, scales, and claws clearly visible, lifelike, roaring as it pounced towards Feng Liyao.

“The bright moon rises over the sea!” Feng Liyao shouted, and a full moon, larger than a door panel, rose from behind her head and pushed forward, colliding with Wang Tianlong’s golden dragon.

“Boom!”

Another deafening roar resounded, affecting almost the entire Peach Blossom Mountain. The peach and plum trees and vegetation on the mountain had already been ravaged beyond recognition, with fruit falling all over the ground. The hillside-like Peach Blossom Mountain was also shaken into pieces by this enormous force, leaving it pitted and uneven, almost impossible for a person to stand on.

“That’s good, that’s good——”

At that moment, a deep Buddhist chant came from the temple. The voice was deep and resonant, yet incredibly clear, carrying a sense of compassion, like a great bell resounding in one’s ears.

“Great Buddha Hand—” As the voice rang out, a huge golden hand descended from the sky and landed directly on Feng Liyao’s head!

Feng Liyao’s eyebrows shot up in anger as she shouted, “Zen Master Kongming, what do you mean by this?” As she spoke, she flashed away, quickly dodging this incredibly powerful attack.

“Boom!”

A giant golden palm descended straight down, and after a tremendous tremor, a huge palm print appeared on the ground where Feng Liyao had just stood. It was several feet wide and as deep as a ravine!

Almost simultaneously, Wang Tianlong was also attacked.

“The power of Tai Chi is boundless!”

A giant black and white yin-yang symbol appeared above Wang Tianlong’s head, with two fists at the center of the black and white dots, falling down on his head.

“Master Xuantian!” Wang Tianlong frowned and quickly retreated.

Feng Liyao and Wang Tianlong stepped back one after another, each standing on a large rock, several feet apart.

Between the two, two figures slowly descended from the sky. One was a monk wearing a golden kasaya, holding a nine-ringed staff, and wearing a Vairocana crown. This old monk had a kind face, white eyebrows, and looked quite old.

Another one was a Taoist priest dressed in a black and white robe, holding a whisk in his hand. The old Taoist priest seemed to be in his sixties or seventies. He was as tall and thin as a bamboo pole, with a serene and indifferent expression on his face.

Those around were moved when they saw the two great masters, a monk and a Taoist priest, appear. They stopped what they were doing, and even Bai Xifeng sheathed his sword and stood proudly to the side.

“It’s Zen Master Kongming and Daoist Xuantian! Good heavens, it’s these two reclusive masters!”

“The Zen Master Kongming of Dachan Temple and the Taoist Master Xuantian of Shaoyue Sect are true hermits who never concern themselves with worldly affairs. I never expected that they would come to Taoli Mountain today.”

“With these two seniors here, this battle is probably coming to an end.”

“I might never get to see these two esteemed elders in my entire life, but to be able to see them here is truly a worthwhile trip!”

The martial arts gathering at Taoli Mountain was attended by six legendary figures of the time: the Four Grandmasters, the Emperor, and the Empress. It was truly unbelievable that they all arrived one after another!

Those around them were both surprised and delighted. Some were even whispering among themselves. They all held Kongming Zen Master and Xuantian Daoist, two highly skilled martial artists who lived in seclusion and were detached from worldly affairs, in the highest esteem and held them in the deepest reverence.

Qi Fei remained silent and glanced at Shen Xiangxiang beside him.

Everyone has a side that is unknown to others, and these two reclusive masters are no exception.

Wang Tianlong asked, “Old monk, what are you doing here?”

Zen Master Kongming placed one hand on his chest and said with a compassionate expression, “Excellent! I am here to mediate this conflict. Both sides have fought fiercely here, resulting in countless deaths and injuries. Why not shake hands and make peace, turning hostility into friendship, so that everyone can be happy?”

Wang Tianlong snorted coldly, “Da Gan and Kun Kingdom shake hands and make peace?”

Are you kidding me?

He had a friendship with Zen Master Kongming. Although Dachan Temple was not under Wang Tianlong’s control, Wang Tianlong sent the young Wang Hongyu to Dachan Temple to learn martial arts and become a disciple of Zen Master Kongming in order to win him over. Therefore, Wang Hongyu not only knew the Wang family’s “Dragon God Skill”, but also possessed several unique skills of Dachan Temple.

As for Xuantian Daoist, Wang Tianlong would send gifts to Shaoyue Sect every year, and Xuantian Daoist would accept them, but he was not enthusiastic towards him and had an attitude of being indifferent to worldly affairs.

Zen Master Kongming and Taoist Master Xuantian are both legends of their time, and are among the four great masters. Winning over either of them would greatly increase one’s own strength. How could the Emperor and the Empress not give it a try? It’s just a pity that they have always remained neutral and never directly intervened in the disputes between the two countries.

The martial arts gathering at Taoli Mountain turned into a fierce battle between the two sides. Originally, Zen Master Kongming and Taoist Xuantian would not have come. However, they happened to be in Qingzhou City today and heard the commotion, so they rushed over to stop the fighting and prevent further bloodshed.

Feng Liyao said, “Seniors, you should have seen it. Ye Hongyi was tricked by Bai Xifeng and has now lost both arms. Bai Xifeng still wants to kill her completely. Wang Tianlong and Bai Xifeng are in cahoots. Do you think I shouldn’t get involved in this matter?”

“May the Heavenly Venerable grant you boundless blessings!”

Xuan Tian Dao Ren flicked his whisk and said calmly, “I am naturally aware of what the Empress said. However, every war between the Gan Dynasty and the Kun Kingdom causes immense suffering and loss of life, leaving people displaced and grieving the loss of loved ones. You fight for your own country, but it is the people of the world who suffer. How can the Gan Emperor and the Empress bear to do this?”

He pointed to the ravaged Taoli Mountain, which at this moment resembled a hell, with corpses everywhere, severed limbs scattered about, and blood staining the entire mountain, a truly horrific sight!

Feng Liyao narrowed her phoenix eyes and said, “Are you two seniors determined to stop us?”

“Excellent!” Zen Master Kongming looked distressed. “If the Empress is unwilling to give up, this old monk can only presume to take on the Feng clan’s ‘Bright Moon Flying Phoenix’.”

Xuan Tian Dao Ren said, “If the two emperors will stop here, I am willing to offer you longevity tablets to bless you with immortality and the eternal stability of your empire.”

Feng Liyao and Wang Tianlong’s eyes flickered, their thoughts racing.

They all knew that Master Kongming and Daoist Xuantian were giants in the martial arts world, and it was impossible to defeat them unless two Heavenly Realm experts joined forces to suppress one Heavenly Realm expert.

How could Wang Tianlong and Feng Liyao possibly join forces?

However, the monk and the Taoist priest on the other side might be able to join forces to defeat the enemy.

Therefore, the power of discourse is in the hands of the other party at this moment. Their politeness is merely to give Wang Tianlong and Feng Liyao a way out, which is to say they are giving them face.

Wang Tianlong asked, “How do you two seniors intend for us to shake hands and make peace?”

Zen Master Kongming said, “Excellent! I have no right to do so. I only hope that within three years, there will be no more large-scale battles and casualties in Daqian and Kun Kingdom. You should know that Heaven cherishes life. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone lived in harmony?”

This means they should cease hostilities for three years.

“Three years…” Wang Tianlong’s eyes flickered.

Feng Liyao’s phoenix eyes flashed, and after thinking for a moment, she said, “Since both seniors have said so, as long as Da Gan does not take the initiative to provoke trouble, my Kun Kingdom will naturally back down.”

Having received her personal promise, both Zen Master Kongming and Taoist Xuantian were overjoyed and then looked at Wang Tianlong.

Wang Tianlong thought for a moment before saying, “Fine, I’ll give you face! I promise not to start a war within three years.”

“Excellent!”

“That’s excellent!”

Zen Master Kongming and Taoist Master Xuantian both praised it.

Zen Master Kongming looked at Feng Liyao and said, “I hope the Empress will leave the Great Gan territory as soon as possible.”

“Hmph, who cares to come here?” Feng Liyao waved her robes, soared through the air, and flew away.

Fang Huaxian, Ji Qiujun, and Yu Youyang, the three leaders of the Kun Kingdom’s martial arts world, also led their disciples away from Taoli Mountain.

For a time, only the people from Aojian Manor, Hongye Manor, Dagan Palace, and Qi Fei and his group remained at the scene.

Ye Taixuan and Ye Jingyun supported Ye Hongyi, whose arms had been broken, and glared angrily at Bai Xifeng.

Seeing that Feng Liyao and the other people from Kun Kingdom had left, Bai Xifeng touched the White Rainbow Sword in his hand, feeling quite tempted. If he made a move now, he could easily kill Ye Hongyi and Qi Fei.

At this moment, Zen Master Kongming and Taoist Xuantian came over. Zen Master Kongming said to Ye Hongyi, “Hero Ye is seriously injured and has difficulty moving. It is my responsibility to escort the people of Red Leaf Manor away.”

Xuan Tian Dao Ren also glanced at the people in Ao Jian Manor and the Imperial Palace around him, his eyes gleaming with a sharp light that made people afraid to approach.

Ye Taixuan said, “This competition was completely unfair. Bai Xifeng even broke both of my elder brother’s arms. I hope the two seniors can uphold justice for us!”

Zen Master Kongming sighed, “A duel is a matter of mutual consent, and life and death are left to fate. Please forgive this old monk for being unable to intervene in such matters. I hope that Master Ye will understand.”

With Bai Xifeng and Wang Tianlong watching intently from the sidelines, the people from Red Leaf Manor dared not remain there any longer.

Ye Hongyi’s face was deathly pale, devoid of any color. He took a deep breath and said, “Thank you both, seniors. Everyone, please come back to the manor with me. I hope we can get home before the moon sets. I’ll treat you all to mooncakes… cough, cough…”

As he spoke, he began to cough violently, coughing up a lot of blood.

“Big brother!”

“Hero Ye…”

“father!”

People around them stepped forward.

“I’m fine…” Ye Hongyi took a deep breath, her expression somewhat forlorn.

He lost this battle completely. Not only did Red Leaf Manor lose all its wealth, but almost all of his disciples died, and all the martial arts friends he invited were also killed or injured. He himself had his arms severed, and even his arms were shredded by Bai Xifeng and could not be reattached. His martial arts skills would be difficult to recover in the future!

He has no chance of defeating Bai Xifeng anymore!

Thinking of this, Ye Hongyi felt a strong sense of defeat and her heart was filled with resentment.

Ye Taixuan, Ye Jingyun, Hua Yushu, Yao Ye, Yao Youwei, Ye Ruiyun, and a few other martial arts masters, including Chen Chijiao, helped Ye Hongyi leave Taoli Mountain, boarded a carriage, and headed towards Hongye Manor.

When we arrived, there were over a thousand people at Red Leaf Manor, but now there are only a dozen or so left. The rest of us have all died in battle!

Qi Fei, Gu Yinzhang, Li Huiyu, Shen Xiangxiang, Mei’er, and the three women Feng Jianqing, Leng Shuxue, and Li Yuyao, the eight of them quickly descended the mountain and soon disappeared at the end of the official road.

Bai Xifeng and Wang Tianlong both stared at Qi Fei’s retreating figure until he disappeared from sight before turning their gaze away.

Hmph, this kid has committed a heinous crime, causing them to lose face. Should we let him go?

How is that possible?!

“Excellent! Isn’t this the best of both worlds?” Zen Master Kongming and Taoist Master Xuantian exchanged a glance and smiled.

Zen Master Kongming looked at Wang Tianlong and Bai Xifeng and said, “Since there is nothing else here, we will take our leave.”

Wang Tianlong said, “May you two have a safe journey.”

The monk and the Taoist priest leaped into the air and quickly disappeared into the horizon.

Wang Tianlong asked, “How many of us died?”

Wei Dongxiang stepped forward, bowed his head and said, “Your Majesty, nearly three thousand people died in the battle between the Imperial Palace and Aojian Manor. Only a little over a thousand survived. Everyone was wounded, and the casualties were quite heavy. Five of Your Majesty’s Thirteen Protectors died, and Lei Biao, the leader of the Silver Armor Guards, was killed in battle…” He reported the casualties on the scene to Wang Tianlong one by one.

“Hmph!” Wang Tianlong snorted coldly. Although Ye Hongyi was crippled this time, and Red Leaf Manor was finished, his own casualties were also really heavy. What was most hateful was that the power of Kun Kingdom was not destroyed, and even the casualties were very small.

Bai Xifeng said with a faint smile, “At least Ye Hongyi is crippled. Like Hua Zhenbei, he is fierce and resolute. I predict that he will not wait to die in the days to come, but will definitely fight back with all his might.”

Wang Tianlong looked disdainful: “What can someone like him possibly accomplish?”

“It’s hard to say.” Bai Xifeng narrowed his already long and narrow eyes, making them look like slits.

In summary, Gan Huang and Bai Xifeng won this battle because they removed the malignant tumor that was Red Leaf Manor and almost eliminated Ye Hongyi, a thorn in their side. Although the strength of Kun Kingdom was not affected at all, the internal affairs of their Da Gan Dynasty were basically pacified. Even the Jianghu forces within Da Gan, as long as they did not obey the court, had their core strength destroyed in this battle, making it difficult for them to cause any more trouble.