Chapter 9

"Grand Steward, half of the elite forces of the Wind and Thunder Hall have gathered and are ready to set out at any time."

After Dongfang Bubai issued his first command as the new leader of the Sun Moon Cult, the vast resources of the entire cult began to mobilize.

Although the cult's strength had been reduced by nearly two-tenths after Ren Woxing's madness, the remaining power was still more than enough to sweep through the small Five Mountains Sword Sect.

As Dongfang Bubai's younger brother, Ji Boyi's identity naturally commanded the respect of most people. In the battle against Ren Woxing, he also demonstrated his profound martial arts skills, which earned the trust of the remaining members. Therefore, in this operation, although Yang Lianding was the least experienced among the four leaders, no one in the cult raised any objections.

Moreover, Tong Bai Xiong, the hall master of the Wind and Thunder Hall, was a loyal supporter of Dongfang Bubai. To ensure that this mission would be a success, he had dispatched his most elite subordinates to serve under Ji Boyi. Therefore, Ji Boyi was extremely confident about this operation to surround and kill the Taishan Sect.

"Set out."

Ji Boyi, still dressed in his purple robe and high hat, stood on the Blackwood Cliff, facing the wind. After unblocking the Ren and Du meridians, he naturally exuded the aura of a master.

After he spoke, nearly a hundred members of the Sun Moon Cult nodded in agreement and, led by Jiang Han, descended the Blackwood Cliff in an orderly manner.

A moment later, Jiang Han came to Ji Boyi's side and respectfully informed him that everyone had left the mountain.

This incense master, who had introduced Ji Boyi to the Sun Moon Cult, had now become his top subordinate.

After Ji Boyi led more than half of the Wind and Thunder Hall's elite forces down the Blackwood Cliff, Xiang Wentian, Qu Yang, and Tong Bai Xiong each led their own forces to the directions of the other three sects.

The grand and imposing actions of the Sun Moon Cult were naturally known to the spies of the major sects stationed near the Blackwood Cliff.

After an investigation and with the help of insiders, the Lingjiu Temple and Wudang Sect obtained the general information.

The former leader, Ren Woxing, had returned to the Blackwood Cliff after fighting with the Five Mountains Sword Sect's various sect leaders, and his injuries had flared up, leaving his fate unknown. The new leader, Dongfang Bubai, under the banner of avenging Ren Woxing, had mobilized the elite forces of the Sun Moon Cult to attack the Five Mountains Sword Sect.

This news instantly made the leaders of the two major sects break out in a cold sweat.

Without the Five Mountains Sword Sect as a buffer to attract the hatred of the demonic cult, how could their two sects maintain their positions as the leaders of the martial world?

It seemed that the demonic cult was determined to wipe out the Five Mountains Sword Sect, one mountain at a time.

No, they had to stop this. They couldn't let such a good "ally" be destroyed.

However, just as Fangzheng and Chongxu were sending people to deliver the message and gathering their own disciples to prepare to rescue the Five Mountains Sword Sect, a piece of news forced them to abandon their plans.

"The leader of the demonic cult, Dongfang Bubai, personally led the five elders, the Four Great Halls of the Green Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise, and a hundred elite forces down the Blackwood Cliff, heading straight for Mount Song."

Ji Boyi and Dongfang Bubai had discussed this operation for a long time, with three main objectives.

First, to use the pretext of avenging Ren Woxing to shift internal conflicts and direct everyone's anger and doubts towards the Five Mountains Sword Sect. This was also to establish Dongfang Bubai's authority and announce to the martial world that the Sun Moon Cult now belonged to him.

Second, to use the hands of the righteous to eliminate those loyal to Ren Woxing.

Therefore, most of the people Dongfang Bubai led to Mount Song were loyal to Ren Woxing. Letting them avenge their former leader would ensure they fought with all their might, and killing as many righteous people as possible before dying would be a good use of their loyalty.

The third objective was less important: to have Qu Yang deal with the Hengshan Sect to prevent him and Liu Zhengfeng from having a passionate affair that would disgrace the entire Sun Moon Cult.

And to have Xiang Wentian deal with the Huashan Sect to prevent him from forming a relationship with Linghuchong.

Once their hands were stained with the blood of the other side, even if they were close friends, they would inevitably sever their ties.

While Ji Boyi was considering whether there were any flaws in this plan, the people he had sent to gather information returned.

"Grand Steward, we have entered Shandong Province. Should we directly attack the Taishan Sect or intercept the Heavenly Gate Daoist and others on the way?"

Since Ji Boyi's forces were all elite, their journey was swift, and they had already reached Shandong Province before the Heavenly Gate Daoist.

"At this point, our actions should already be known to the righteous people. There's no need to play games. Rest for the night, and tomorrow, we will directly ascend Mount Tai."

Ji Boyi sat in the soft sedan chair specially prepared for him by the Sun Moon Cult and issued his orders calmly.

"Huang Zhonggong."

"Your subordinate is here."

Ji Boyi would not let the talents of the Four Friends of Jiangnan go to waste. After Dongfang Bubai became the leader, he used his authority to transfer all four to his command.

"Go ahead and investigate the situation in the Taishan Sect's territory and check for any ambushes with the insiders in the sect."

Even if the Taishan Sect had set up an ambush, with Ji Boyi's current strength, he could still crush them. However, preserving as much strength as possible was beneficial, as these people were now his sister's assets.

"Yes, Grand Steward, do you have any other orders?"

"Let Heibai Zi go with you. It will be good to have someone to look out for each other."

After saying this, Ji Boyi waved his hand, and Huang Zhonggong and Heibai Zi bowed and left.

Originally, Jiang Han wanted to find a good inn in the city for Ji Boyi to stay in, but to avoid alarming the enemy, he had everyone camp in the outskirts.

Ji Boyi himself spent the night meditating in the sedan chair. The next morning, Heibai Zi, who had been gathering information, returned and woke him up.

"Grand Steward, according to the insider, the Taishan Sect has received the news, but their defenses are not strict, and most of the disciples are lackadaisical."

Ji Boyi narrowed his eyes and inwardly rejoiced. The Sun Moon Cult had not undertaken such a large-scale expedition in a long time. This generation of Taishan Sect disciples had no experience with such events, and with Heavenly Gate Daoist absent and the highest-ranking Yu Jizi being incompetent, capturing this Eastern Peak of the Five Mountains Sword Sect should be easy.

"Where is Huang Zhonggong?"

"Big Brother is still ahead, watching for any developments and will send a signal if anything happens."

"Very good. If we can wipe out the Taishan Sect this time, you two will be greatly rewarded."

"Thank you, Grand Steward."

Hearing Ji Boyi's words, Heibai Zi was very excited and bowed deeply. The four brothers had joined the Sun Moon Cult to achieve great things. During Ren Woxing's reign, his stubbornness had made them consider leaving. But when Dongfang Bubai took over, Ji Boyi's recognition made them feel that their patience had been worth it.

"There's no need to hide anymore. Enter the Taishan Sect through the main gate, and attack them openly. The Sun Moon Cult hasn't done this in a long time. Today, let those so-called righteous people taste the terror of the 'demonic cult.'"

With Ji Boyi's order, the first battle between the Sun Moon Cult and the Five Mountains Sword Sect began.

Stepping out of the warm and fragrant sedan chair, Jiang Han handed him a simple and ancient long sword. The hilt had no tassel, and the material was a smooth and warm wood, with a black and white Taiji pattern at the junction of the hilt and the blade.

"Zhenwu, Zhenwu, you are a famous sword, but you haven't tasted blood for eighty years. As a sword, you must be very lonely."

This ancient long sword was the Zhenwu, which the Ten Elders of the Sun Moon Cult had stolen from Wudang Mountain along with the *Tai Chi Classic*. It was the beloved sword of the great master Zhang Sanfeng and one of the symbols of the Wudang Sect's leadership.

After Dongfang Bubai became the leader, everything in the Sun Moon Cult belonged to the siblings, and no one dared to oppose his taking the Zhenwu sword.

If Zhang Sanfeng were to know, he might cry or laugh. Ji Boyi could be considered the most talented person in the Wudang Sect after him, having mastered the essence of the soft palm at a young age. His internal skills and sword techniques had reached a high level, but unfortunately, these skills were being used to aid evil.

Mount Tai, the Eastern Peak of the Five Mountains, was known as the first of the Five Mountains, but its position in the Five Mountains Sword Sect was the lowest. Although the older generation, such as Yu Jizi and Yu Yinzhi, were still around, they were all cowards who indulged in wine and women.

The sect leader, Heavenly Gate Daoist, had a fiery temper and a strong sense of justice, but he was inflexible and lacked adaptability. In short, he was a simple-minded and physically weak person.

Dongfang Bubai leaving this simplest opponent to Ji Boyi was a thoughtful move.

And Ji Boyi naturally did not want to disappoint his beautiful older sister.

In the early morning, while everyone was still asleep, Ji Boyi led nearly a hundred elite forces of the Sun Moon Cult, guided by insiders, to attack the Taishan Sect.

By the time everyone was awakened, Ji Boyi had already led his forces to the highest peak, the Jade Emperor Peak.

"Who dares to invade our Taishan?"

At this moment, the four highest-ranking Yu generation members finally appeared. They stood in front of the Jade Emperor Peak, drew their swords, and, along with the most elite dozen disciples, prepared to fight for the dignity of the Taishan Sect.

"Sun Moon Cult, Yang Lianding!"

At this moment, Ji Boyi appeared, and his entrance was like a thunderbolt.

The leading Yu Panzi only saw a purple-robed youth appear before him before he could finish speaking. In a panic, he raised his sword and used the Taishan Sect's strongest technique, the "Five Gentlemen Sword."

The long sword thrust out swiftly, with five consecutive strikes, each move exuding a sense of ancient grandeur.

"Good swordsmanship, but..."

Faced with this move, Ji Boyi's face showed admiration. Then, with his left hand, he formed a circle and released five consecutive, extremely soft energy waves, blocking the "Five Gentlemen Sword" completely. Following a dragon-like sword cry, his right hand drew the Zhenwu sword.

On the side, Yu Jizi and the other three only saw a bright sword light extend from Ji Boyi's right palm, piercing Yu Panzi's heart with an unstoppable force.

In one move, Yu Panzi was dead.