Chapter 115

Although Zuo Lengchan had never underestimated the Shaolin School and Fang Zheng, he couldn’t help but feel a chill when he heard the old monk recount those conspiracies.

It’s laughable that he boasts of being skilled at manipulating people’s hearts and using insidious and ruthless methods, but compared to this person, he really has to admit that he is inferior.

The Shaolin Temple’s schemes were so secretive, their methods so ruthless, and their vision so far-reaching that they were chilling. Zuo Lengchan suddenly realized that his own past conspiracies were nothing more than child’s play. If he had clashed with the Shaolin faction, he probably wouldn’t even know how he died.

As for the rest of the crowd, they couldn’t help but scrutinize the Shaolin disciples, who usually spoke of compassion and good deeds, with incredulous eyes. Those martial arts practitioners who admired the Shaolin sect felt a sense of disillusionment and the collapse of their faith.

When the Shaolin monks heard their abbot, as if he had gone mad, recounting the many secrets of their sect, they looked at each other in bewilderment, their hands secretly tightening their grips on their still-dripping long staffs.

Seeing the increasingly resentful gazes of those around him, an old monk inwardly groaned. Disregarding Fang Zheng’s physical condition, he directly used a Buddhist supernatural power—the Lion’s Roar—in Fang Zheng’s ear.

“Abbot, wake up!”

A thunderous roar shook everyone’s blood and qi, and those with shallower skills were almost knocked unconscious.

Even the Five Mountains Sect Leaders, who were relatively close by, couldn’t withstand the pressure. Dingxian, Tianmen, and Mo Dabu all retreated one after another. Zuo Lengchan, who had just gone through a fierce battle, felt a mouthful of blood rise to his throat and his body swayed repeatedly. If it weren’t for the disciples around him supporting him, he would have almost fallen to the ground.

Fang Zheng felt as if his head had been struck violently with a sledgehammer, and a sharp pain shot through the periosteum of his ear.

However, this also brought him back to some clarity. Recalling what he had just said, Fang Zheng felt as if he had fallen into an iceberg.

However, old age makes one shrewd and cunning. After all, he had been pretending to be a movie star for many years. Fang Zheng made a tough decision, bit his tongue, spat out a mouthful of blood, and fell backward.

The old monk beside him helped him up, and seeing Fang Zheng give him a wink, he immediately closed his eyes and understood, calling out, “Abbot, what’s wrong? Could it be that you were injured by Zuo Lengchan’s internal force and have lost your mind!”

After saying that, he shouted to those behind him, “Quickly, a few people come and carry the abbot back to Shaolin Temple for treatment.”

Just then, a chilling voice suddenly came from the side: “No need to leave, I’ll treat you!”

Everyone turned to look, and saw that Nie Yun’s long sword had been drawn at some point, and was now exuding a menacing killing intent.

The spot where he stood remained completely still; the old monk’s ‘lion’s roar’ had no effect on him whatsoever, as if it were a gentle breeze.

An old monk stepped forward and said, “Amitabha! Benefactor Nie, what is the meaning of this?”

Nie Yun laughed loudly, his laughter filled with anger and despair. “Ever since our two founders, Cai and Yue, stole the Shaolin scriptures, our Huashan Sect has been unable to hold its head high in the martial arts world. Countless outstanding disciples have sacrificed their lives to clear their name. They have taken on matters that others dared not handle, and killed villains that others dared not kill, one after another, without complaint… I never imagined that it was all a shocking conspiracy by your Shaolin Temple!”

The old monk involuntarily tightened his grip on his staff, his face filled with sorrow as he said, “The abbot’s body has been invaded by Zuo Lengchan’s internal energy, and he is momentarily delirious, which is why he is talking nonsense. Benefactor Nie, as the head of a sect, you must not…”

“Enough!” Nie Yun roared, interrupting the old monk’s sophistry. “Does your Shaolin Temple think I, Nie Yun, am a fool? Since you’ve started this, don’t blame me for doing the next thing! Huashan disciples, listen to my command!”

“Disciple is here!”

Before coming to Mount Song, Nie Yun had already told the disciples of the Huashan Sect about his doubts about the Shaolin Sect. At that time, many people were still skeptical, after all, the Shaolin Temple’s reputation as a righteous sect for so many years was still very deceptive.

Only after hearing Fang Zheng’s personal admission did they fully believe Nie Yun’s words. Now, upon hearing the sect leader’s command, they all drew their longswords and glared angrily at the Shaolin monks.

The three Sword Sect elders, Feng Buping, Cong Buqi, and Cheng Buyou, were filled with rage as they recalled the many masters who had died in vain due to the divergence of sword energy.

Cong Buqi shouted, “Sect Leader, I’ll lead the charge!”

Unexpectedly, Nie Yun waved his hand and said in an unquestionable manner, “You shall form a sword formation, and you shall not let a single Shaolin monk escape, nor shall you make any moves without authorization. Today I will let the world know that the saying ‘Fist from Shaolin’ is a joke, and ‘Sword from Mount Hua’ is the true truth!”

Everyone was shocked to hear this. From Nie Yun’s words, it seemed that he actually wanted to challenge all the Shaolin monks present by himself—the seventy-two martial monks plus the few old monks.

Ning Zhongze’s expression tightened, and she quickly stepped forward, saying, “Yun’er, don’t do anything reckless.”

Yue Lingshan also grasped his hand and said, “Senior brother, Shan’er will accompany you!” Lan Fenghuang swayed her waist lightly, and a five-colored spider appeared in her hand at some point. She looked at the Shaolin Sect with a smile, her eyes filled with murderous intent.

Nie Yun shook his head and said to Ning Zhongze, “Master’s wife, today I will make the Huashan Sect famous throughout the world and renowned throughout the martial arts world!”

After saying that, he threw Yue Lingshan behind him and charged towards the Shaolin disciples without looking back.

“Form the Arhat Formation… uh…” The old monk, seeing that things were not going well, was about to order the monks to form the Arhat Formation, but before he could finish speaking, he felt a pain in his throat and could no longer speak.

“Hiss!” A gasp rang out in the arena. Zuo Lengchan’s expression changed drastically. He stared intently at Nie Yun, his teeth grinding together.

Nie Yun’s longsword had already pierced his throat, but no one saw how he made the move.

The old monk made an “uh-uh” sound in his throat, his eyes wide open like copper bells, and the muscles on his face contorted together.

He weakly reached out his hands, trying to grab Nie Yun, but before he could fully raise them, they lost their strength and fell to their sides.

Nie Yun smiled coldly, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth, and gently drew his longsword. A stream of blood spurted out from the wound on the old monk’s neck like a flying arrow, and he fell heavily forward.

“Senior brother!”

“Master!”

The monks then realized what was happening, and several of those who knew the old monk shouted loudly, their voices filled with grief and indignation.

“Sect Leader Nie, my junior brother has no grudge against you, why did you do this to him?” Fang Zheng no longer cared about pretending to be unconscious. He held the old monk who was already lifeless, his expression almost deranged.

“Shaolin Temple dared to scheme against my Huashan Sect back then, causing rivers of blood to flow. I’m just returning the favor! Only one person died. Don’t worry, none of you will escape!”

Nie Yun flicked his sword, his eyes flashing with cold light. “Isn’t Shaolin Temple afraid that my Huashan Sect will threaten your position? Today, I will use the Huashan Sword Technique to completely shatter your proud Arhat Formation and defeat you fair and square!”

He looked around and said arrogantly, “This matter is a feud between our Huashan Sect and Shaolin Sect. I ask all heroes not to interfere.”

His words were resounding and powerful, each word ringing out with conviction, and his soaring spirit exuded an air of arrogance that seemed to look down upon the world.

Dingxian and Dingyi wanted to step forward to dissuade them, but were stopped by Zuo Lengchan.

He said with a forced smile, “Two nuns, since Sect Leader Nie has said so, it’s best if we don’t interfere!” He turned to look at Nie Yun, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes.

Meanwhile, the members of the Songshan Sect and the dozen or so underworld assassins stood behind Zuo Lengchan, weapons in hand, ready to fight at the slightest provocation.

Dingyi was impatient and was about to lose his temper, but Dingxian held him back tightly.

Mo Da and Tianmen Daoist exchanged a glance, both feeling somewhat hesitant.

Although Nie Yun had already helped them decipher the Songshan Sword Technique at Mount Hua, as the original novel states, moves are static, but people are dynamic, and the power of sword moves used by different people will naturally vary greatly.

The dozen or so bodyguards from the Songshan Sect were all highly skilled. They had just entered the Arhat Formation and fought fiercely, yet they were completely unharmed.

Zuo Lengchan even overpowered Fang Zheng, the most respected righteous master in the martial arts world, without suffering any damage himself.

Add to that the menacing underworld figures lurking nearby, each one a formidable opponent.

Among top-tier masters, the Songshan Sect still far surpasses the other three sects.

Ding Yi put his palms together and said, “Amitabha! Fellow benefactors, since Sect Leader Nie has said so, we should just quietly observe the battle from the sidelines.”

The group took a few steps back, but their eyes remained fixed on the Songshan Sect. Zuo Lengchan also took the opportunity to meditate, trying to recover his strength as quickly as possible. For a moment, both sides fell silent.

Fang Zheng was overjoyed to hear that Nie Yun actually wanted to challenge Shaolin alone, and quickly said, “Very well, my Shaolin sect will experience the divine skills of Sect Leader Nie. Shaolin disciples, listen to my command, form the Arhat Formation.”

The monks dispersed and formed four Arhat formations identical to the previous ones.

Upon seeing this, the assembled heroes all revealed expressions of disdain.

Just now, Nie Yun said he would challenge the Shaolin Sect alone, and everyone thought he was just young and arrogant.

Now, the Shaolin sect has no regard for its reputation whatsoever. Several grandfather-aged monks and seventy-two martial monks are facing off against Nie Yun alone, and they even want to set up the Arhat Formation. It’s utterly shameful!

Nie Yun’s young and handsome face attracted many women, but it also made people underestimate his strength.

However, Nie Yun didn’t want to keep a low profile today. Instead, he was prepared to make a name for himself and firmly establish his reputation as the number one expert in the world.

The current challenge is only the first half; there’s more to come.

Nie Yun watched the monks set up their formation, but instead of taking the opportunity to cause trouble, he stood aside with a cold smile, quietly waiting. This caused the onlookers to shake their heads, as if they could already see him covered in blood within the formation.

Although the Huashan Sect members had great confidence in Nie Yun, the Shaolin Arhat Formation was so renowned that they were also affected and became restless.

Cong Buqi stamped his feet anxiously and shouted, “Sect Leader, make a move quickly, or you’ll miss your chance!”

Seeing that Nie Yun ignored him, he turned to Feng Buping and said, “Senior brother, do we really want to see the sect leader charge into the formation by himself?”

Feng Buping stared intently at Nie Yun without saying a word, gripping the sword hilt even tighter.

“Mother!” Yue Lingshan came to her mother’s side, her eyes already reddening before she could even speak.

“Shan’er, don’t cry, don’t make Yun’er worry about you.” Ning Zhongze’s face was resolute, but the hand holding her daughter trembled slightly.

At this moment, the beautiful woman recalled what Nie Yun had said when he accepted Zuo Lengchan’s invitation to the alliance meeting at Mount Hua: “This alliance meeting will be the time for our Mount Hua Sect to once again ascend to the throne of the Five Sacred Mountains Sword Sect Alliance.”

“Yun’er…you must come back safely, if…if…” Ning Zhongze stared intently at Nie Yun, her teeth almost drawing blood from her lips.

Unlike the mother and daughter, Lan Fenghuang wasn’t worried. She was the only one among the women who knew the truth about the Shaolin Temple’s Sutra Pavilion incident. She watched Nie Yun’s retreating figure, a strange light flickering in her eyes.

“He truly is my man, so domineering! Just like him in bed.” Lan Fenghuang lightly licked her lips, revealing a seductive smile.

“Benefactor Nie, please allow us to form the array.” Fang Zheng assigned several old monks to the array as its core, and then gestured for Nie Yun to proceed. Nie Yun smiled slightly and stepped forward.

As he walked, a martial monk silently raised his staff and attacked Nie Yun from behind. Nie Yun seemed completely unaware and continued walking forward without paying any attention.

Those watching from the sidelines could see it clearly, and Yue Lingshan exclaimed in alarm, “Senior brother, be careful!”

Fang Zheng let out a sinister grin, but before the smile could fully bloom, it turned into utter astonishment.

“Ah!” With a shrill scream, two streaks of blood shot into the sky.

Everyone looked closely and saw two arms tightly gripping a long stick, flying in mid-air.

The monk who had launched the sneak attack was lying in a pool of blood, screaming in agony. Both of his arms were severed at the elbows, the bones jagged and the flesh mangled.

“Shut up!” Nie Yun frowned, and without any visible movement, he kicked the monk away. This time, however, there was no scream; only a trail of blood and flesh remained in the air.

“Slay this fiend with all your might!”

Fang Zheng’s voice was like the howling of ghosts in the deepest hell, vicious and miserable.

He lunged at Nie Yun with all his might, his palm flashing as he struck directly at Nie Yun’s body.

The monks were also aroused by their shared hatred and attacked Nie Yun with their deadly moves.

“It should have been done long ago!” Nie Yun laughed heartily, and stepped forward without flinching. He unleashed his Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill, and a metallic sheen flashed from head to toe, disappearing in an instant.

With a loud bang, Fang Zheng struck Nie Yun’s chest with both palms, but felt a powerful force rebound back. In an instant, he flew back at an even faster speed than before.

The rebounding internal force was extremely powerful, directly rushing into his meridians and rampaging through them, instantly rendering him powerless.

However, what shocked Fang Zheng even more than the injuries was Nie Yun’s incredibly powerful and invincible external martial arts skills.

“You…you are…” Fang Zheng had barely finished speaking when he saw Nie Yun, who had been some distance away from him just moments before, appear in front of him like a ghost, followed by a heavy slap to his chest at the Tanzhong acupoint.

Fang Zheng coughed up blood and his eyes bulged. He saw two unforgettable silver lights flashing beneath Nie Yun’s feet—the silver lights beneath the feet of the black-clad man who burned down the Sutra Pavilion and wreaked havoc at Shaolin Temple.

“You guessed right!” Nie Yun sneered, “But you won’t have the chance!” With that, he raised his long sword and beheaded Fang Zheng.

“Ah!” The white-haired man’s severed head fell into the arms of a martial monk, who almost threw it away.

Fang Zheng’s face still bore the marks of shock and regret, but he would never be able to express his thoughts again.

“He…he killed the abbot!”

“No, this can’t be true!”

The Shaolin monks could hardly believe their eyes when they saw Nie Yun kill Fang Zheng with a single sword strike.

“Avenge the abbot!”

“Kill him!”

The elderly monks were even more shocked. They knew Fang Zheng’s strength better than the disciples below, and therefore understood even more how terrifying Nie Yun was. However, at this point, neither side had a way out; they could only fight to the death.

“Let’s fight!”

A look of madness crept onto Nie Yun’s face, and his eyes gradually turned red.

Fang Zheng, the only one who saw him use ‘Thunder God’s Swiftness’ that night, was already dead. Now, he had no more scruples and charged towards the monks as if he could create clones of himself.

Sword shadows flashed, a chilling aura of killing intent filled the air. Blood and flesh flew everywhere, and screams of agony echoed.

The scene at Shaolin Temple that night played out again, with Nie Yun executing sword techniques with effortless grace: Huashan Sword Technique, Hengshan Sword Technique, Songshan Sword Technique, Taishan Sword Technique, Hengshan Sword Technique, Wudang Sword Technique…

Furthermore, the various sword techniques he had seen in the library, even if only briefly glanced at, have now been incorporated into his own martial arts.

With the enhancement of the Dugu Nine Swords and the swiftness of the Thunder God’s Swiftness, Nie Yun’s sword moves were like a celestial horse galloping through the sky, or a meteor falling to earth, ever-changing and incredibly powerful, each move drawing blood and each strike deadly.

The assembled heroes, witnessing this fierce battle, were all dumbfounded.

Those who were learning swordsmanship turned pale, and some of the weak-willed ones no longer had the courage to pick up their swords.

Compared to Nie Yun, they felt that their use of swords was as crude and inept as a farmer using a sickle to cut grass.

“Is this… is this his true strength?”

Zuo Lengchan was drenched in cold sweat and his face was pale. Only now did he realize how ridiculous his scheme had been.

With such swordsmanship and such lightness skill, let alone himself, even the other four sects combined would only lose a few more lives.

“No, I absolutely cannot give up!” Zuo Lengchan gritted his teeth, still unwilling to abandon his ambition.

As for the leaders of the other three sects, they were also dazzled and trembling with fear, while their disciples below had their eyes shining, wishing they had ten more pairs of eyes.

“This ‘Golden Needle Wave Calamity’ move can be used like this!”

“Heavens! Could it be that Sect Leader Nie is using the ‘Five Divine Swords’?”

The people from Mount Hua were practically cheering and waving flags. They were thrilled to see the amazing expressions on the faces of those around them!

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, not a single Shaolin monk was able to stand up.

Several old monks went to the Western Paradise with Fangzheng. Of the ordinary martial monks who survived, only two hands remained, and they were either missing hands or feet, rendering them useless for life.

“Sect Leader Nie, although this is a feud between your Huashan Sect and Shaolin Sect, your murderous intent is far too strong!”

Zuo Lengchan stepped forward, adopting a righteous and awe-inspiring posture, “The Shaolin Sect is, after all, the leader of the righteous sects. Now that we are about to go to war with the Demonic Sect, wouldn’t what you’re doing hurt our friends and please our enemies?”

He turned to Chongxu and said, “Daoist, Nie Yun is so ruthless. The Wudang Sect is a leading sect among heroes. Are we just going to stand by and do nothing?”

Chongxu smiled slightly. When he saw Fang Zheng being killed, if it weren’t for his status, he would have liked to clap and cheer.

Nie Yun had analyzed it for him that day: Wudang had produced a land immortal like Zhang Sanfeng, and the number one master in the world like Zhang Wuji, who was even conferred a title by the emperor. If they wanted to compete for the supreme position in the martial arts world, I’m afraid that people from the imperial court to the martial arts world would have designs on them.

Nie Yun sneered, “Zuo Lengchan, you still won’t give up even now! Fine, I’ll show you what it means to be at your wit’s end!”

Just then, a series of loud voices suddenly rang out from the mountain road: “The Holy Master of the Sun Moon Divine Sect, renowned for his literary and martial virtues and bestowing blessings upon all living beings, has arrived at Mount Song!”

“It’s the Demonic Sect! Dongfang Bubai has arrived!”

“Oh my god! I heard that Dongfang Bubai’s martial arts are invincible. This is terrible!”

A person’s name, a tree’s shadow.

Dongfang Bubai’s formidable reputation was already known to all, and now that they heard he was coming up the mountain, everyone was excited.

Zuo Lengchan was also startled, but seeing Nie Yun’s smiling face, his eyes lit up and he shouted, “Well! Nie Yun, I was wondering why you were so ruthless. So you colluded with the Demonic Sect and wanted to wipe out all of us righteous heroes!”

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately turned their gaze to Nie Yun. Some were angry, some were shocked, some were incredulous, and some even resorted to insults, which enraged the Huashan group.

“Quiet!”

Nie Yun frowned, channeled his inner strength, and shouted loudly.

This roar was even more powerful than the Shaolin monk’s “Lion’s Roar” before, instantly silencing everyone else.

Moreover, echoes continued to reverberate through the valley, only ceasing after a long while.

Zuo Lengchan swayed. He had already found Nie Yun’s swordsmanship and lightness skills hard to accept, but now even his internal strength far surpassed his own…

He gritted his teeth and secretly encouraged himself, “Although Nie Yun is highly skilled in martial arts, I have the moral high ground. I must link him with the Demonic Sect so that we can use the combined forces to attack him.”

The shouts of the Sun Moon Cult members grew closer, the sounds of the suona and bells ceased, and the delicate music of the xiao, flute, and erhu began to play.

Amidst the soft music, two pairs of Sun Moon Sect followers walked up the mountain side by side.

The crowd’s eyes lit up as they saw that each of the followers was dressed in brand-new dark green brocade robes with white belts around their waists, bright and eye-catching, and surprisingly, no swords were hanging at their waists.

Forty members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard reached the top of the mountain and stood at a distance.

Following them came a small band of two hundred people, all dressed in fine clothes, playing flutes, pipes, and strings, continuing to play.

Then came the trumpeters, drummers, gongs, cymbals, bells, and all the instruments.

Amidst the sounds of drums and music, groups of followers of the Sun Moon Sect came forward. These people wore clothes of various colors, and each had a white belt tied around their waist; there were three or four thousand of them.

After the followers took their places in groups, ten elders came up, five on each side, one on the left and one on the right.

The music suddenly stopped, and the ten elders said in unison, “The Holy Master of the Sun Moon Divine Sect, who is accomplished in both literature and martial arts and whose blessings extend to all living beings, has arrived.”

Then a large blue sedan chair was carried up the mountain.

The sedan chair was carried by sixteen palanquin bearers, and it moved quickly and steadily.

The sedan chair stopped, the curtain was lifted, and a beautiful young woman dressed in plain clothes stepped out.

This was completely unexpected. Looking at the beautiful young girl who was not yet ten, they could not connect her with Dongfang Bubai at all.

Zuo Lengchan was also filled with doubts, but he still stepped forward and asked, “May I ask who you are, young lady? And why have you come to my Mount Song?”

The girl’s skin was as white as snow, and she was charming and beautiful, yet her eyes and brows exuded an air of dignified composure.

“I am Ren Yingying, the leader of the Sun Moon Sect. I have come here today…” The girl’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Nie Yun not far away, a sweet smile appearing on her face, “to submit to the Huashan Sect!”

“What?!” Zuo Lengchan took several steps back. No matter how hard he had racked his brains to guess, he never expected to hear such an answer.

Fei Bin quickly asked, “Nonsense! The leader of that demonic sect is clearly Dongfang Bubai, how could it be a little yellow-haired girl like you!”

Ren Yingying sneered, “That Dongfang Bubai was killed on Blackwood Cliff several months ago. Everyone on Blackwood Cliff knows this!”

What?! Everyone could hardly believe their ears. The so-called “Unrivaled Leader of the East,” who proclaimed himself “the sun rises in the east, and I alone am invincible,” had actually been killed in his own stronghold?!

Suppressing his shock, Zuo Lengchan asked, “Who killed Dongfang Bubai?”

“Cough…” A soft cough came from behind him, followed by that voice he found extremely annoying: “That… it seems like I accidentally killed him when I went to Blackwood Cliff to enjoy the scenery last time.”

A figure came to the girl’s side and gently took her small hand. Who else could it be but Nie Yun?

A blush crept across the girl’s face. She tried to pull away a few times but couldn’t. She whispered, “Quick… let go!”

Nie Yun smiled slightly, turned to the stunned crowd, and said, “Everyone, let me introduce you. This is Ren Yingying, the daughter of the former leader of the Sun Moon Sect, and also the current leader, as well as my betrothed. How about that? Unexpected? Surprised?”