Chapter 34: The Eight Pillar Ling, the Eastern Treasure

Sado Yeong, the Dark Demon of the Black Shadow Sect, wiped his nose with the back of his hand.

Seeing his blood-stained wrist, he was momentarily speechless.

"What a madman..."

Confusion outweighed his shame.

His position in the sect was that of a Ten-Headed Horseman. Compared to someone like Xiong Zai Gui, the Illusory Divine Demon of the White-Headed Horse Army, he was like a firefly before the sun. However, in the martial world, he was still considered a peerless expert.

Since becoming a Ten-Headed Horseman, he had lived with the elders of the Seven Sects and Eight Gates looking down on him. To be hit by a young punk and have his nose bleed was unthinkable.

Xiong Zai Gui, who was about to leave, suddenly stopped and turned around.

The flustered Sado Yeong hurriedly spoke.

"I let my guard down. I will take care of it immediately."

Xiong Zai Gui didn't respond, only looking at him with a disdainful gaze.

Sado Yeong gritted his teeth and drew his sword.

Since he had made an excuse about being careless in front of the White-Headed Horse Army, he was determined to give it his all now.

Sado Yeong, who had pushed his Soul Seizing Asura Technique to its limit, shouted "Hah!" and flew towards his opponent.

The sword in Sado Yeong's hand flashed in the air.

A red sword aura shot from the tip of the sword towards Lian Jieha's upper body.

Whoosh.

A little late, Lian Jieha's saber rose in a diagonal line.

Clang.

In an instant, the red sword aura disappeared.

The white saber aura, which had extinguished the red sword aura, surged towards Sado Yeong like a storm.

Shocked, Sado Yeong flipped in mid-air to dodge the saber.

Whirl.

Sado Yeong barely landed, but his expression was grim.

As the tension eased, his waist began to burn.

Sado Yeong's gaze fell on his waist.

"Ah!"

Blood was dripping from his waist.

The bleeding was far worse than the nosebleed.

"Step back. You are not his match."

At Xiong Zai Gui's words, Sado Yeong bowed his head and stepped aside.

After a moment, Xiong Zai Gui slowly walked out.

"Brat, do you know who we are?"

Xiong Zai Gui looked at the boy with a strange expression.

The Illusory Divine Demon had killed a Huashan Sect elder in a dispute thirty years ago and fled to the Black Shadow Sect. After becoming a Ten-Headed Horseman, he eventually rose to the position of White-Headed Horse Army. It took him over thirty years to become a Black Shadow Sect member and reach the White-Headed Horse Army. To him, Lian Jieha was just a young pup.

"I don't care."

"Then die."

Xiong Zai Gui waved his hand as if annoyed.

Instantly, three branches were embedded around Lian Jieha.

"Ugh!"

A heavy groan escaped Lian Jieha's lips.

Dark shadows seemed to gather around Lian Jieha and spread.

Surrounded by the shadows, Lian Jieha swung his saber with a pained expression.

Whoosh. Whoosh.

Fierce sword auras swept in all directions.

However, the shadows did not disperse.

On the contrary, each time Lian Jieha swung his saber, his clothes seemed to tear as if cut by a knife.

It was a bizarre scene, but Xiong Zai Gui laughed as if it were normal.

The 'Shadow Seizing Soul Demon Technique' was a skill he had used to dominate the martial world in the past. The technique, which trapped enemies in shadows and extracted their souls, had made him invincible even when he was a Ten-Headed Horseman. Now, as a White-Headed Horse Army, he was several times stronger. No one could withstand the Shadow Seizing Soul Demon Technique.

Lian Jieha, realizing his situation, stopped.

It was as if he had fallen into a dark hell, seeing nothing.

Stopping was not the end.

Like being trapped in a swamp, his body became heavier, and breathing became difficult. It felt like he wouldn't be able to move a finger if this continued.

'Ah! Is this some kind of curse?'

Tian Jishang had mentioned that there were experts in the martial world who used bizarre techniques. He had seen someone throw chopsticks, but he never imagined it could cause such a phenomenon. If he had known, he wouldn't have just stood there.

'Ugh! What can I do?'

In a situation where he couldn't even tell north from south, no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't come up with a way to escape.

"Haa, haa, haa..."

His breathing became faster.

For the first time, he thought he might die.

The fear of death made his mind go blank.

The weight of the darkness pressing on his body suddenly increased, and he felt suffocated.

'Ugh!'

Struggling to breathe, the last gesture of his opponent flashed in Lian Jieha's mind. The old demon had thrown wooden chopsticks, which were clearly embedded around him.

If those chopsticks caused this bizarre phenomenon, could he destroy them?

And he had a useful technique for breaking the ground.

Longzhao.

Nothing else came to mind.

Lian Jieha struggled to lift his saber above his head.

The saber then drew a curve in the air and fell.

Rumble.

Nothing changed with the first attempt.

Lian Jieha turned his body to the side and used Longzhao again.

Rumble.

A thunderous sound echoed in the thick darkness.

Miraculously, the darkness began to split.

It worked.

The pressure that had been pressing on his body weakened, and breathing became easier.

Turning his body to the side again, he used Longzhao once more.

Rumble.

Finally, the darkness receded.

Xiong Zai Gui's eyes widened in shock.

He had never seen someone trapped in the Shadow Seizing Soul Demon Technique break free by their own power.

When the saber cut through the darkness, he felt a bit uneasy. He had never seen such a sword technique in any martial sect.

A young punk with such power?

When six sabers cut through the ground, one branch was swept away.

When nine sabers extended, Xiong Zai Gui subtly stepped back.

"What are you waiting for? Kill him!"

At Xiong Zai Gui's command, Sado Yeong and his subordinates rushed at the boy who had just emerged from the darkness.

"Kill him!"

"Die!"

Twenty-five experts of the Black Shadow Sect swarmed Lian Jieha like a swarm of bees.

Xiong Zai Gui, who had stepped back, threw ten branches at the place where his subordinates and Lian Jieha were mixed.

Swoosh.

As the ten branches fell from the air to the ground, Lian Jieha's body shot up through the Black Shadow Sect.

After a moment, he flipped in the air nine times.

The ninth form of the Nine Heavens Technique, Nine Dragons Turning Over.

The Black Shadow Sect experts, who had swung their swords overhead, missed Lian Jieha, who moved like a ghost.

Following the Nine Dragons Turning Over, the ninth form of the Thundering Saber Technique was unleashed. Nine saber forms fell from the sky.

Clang.

The Black Shadow Sect experts, whose heads were struck by the saber forms, died without a scream.

Shocked by the destructive sword technique, the Black Shadow Sect members took a step back. The boy's sword technique was more terrifying than their orders.

Just before the ten branches touched the ground, Lian Jieha threw his saber with all his might.

Whoosh.

The saber, spinning fiercely, cut through the ground.

The branches were swept away by the whirlwind created by the spinning saber.

Xiong Zai Gui glanced at Sado Yeong, who had survived.

Seeing the half-dazed faces of his subordinates, he decided to change his target.

"Stop him!"

At Xiong Zai Gui's command, Sado Yeong hesitated but eventually stood in front of him with his subordinates.

In his mind, he cursed, "You dog! You're passing a man who even the White-Headed Horse Army couldn't handle to a Ten-Headed Horseman!" but he had no choice.

Meanwhile, Lian Jieha, who had retrieved his saber, walked steadily towards the black-robed men.

He didn't say anything special or ask any questions.

Xiong Zai Gui felt a chill run down his spine at the sight of his opponent.

No matter what he did, it seemed the steps wouldn't stop.

Xiong Zai Gui, the moment Sado Yeong and the boy clashed again, fled without looking back.

Lian Jieha beheaded five more Black Shadow Sect experts.

This time, Sado Yeong, after a moment of hesitation, stepped back.

As Sado Yeong, the leader of the Black Shadow Sect, retreated, the black-robed men scattered like a swarm of locusts.

Lian Jieha, who had no special grudge against them, didn't chase them.

The fight ended like that.

Feng Yanchao approached Zhang Hanying, who was standing in a daze.

"Who were those guys? They don't seem like bandits."

Zhang Hanying, impressed by Lian Jieha's martial prowess, replied politely.

"I don't know their true identities, but you're right, they don't seem like bandits. They only took the item I was entrusted with by Fang Zhu."

"What item?"

"The Eight Pillar Ling, an Eastern treasure."

"Is it expensive?"

"It's hard to obtain, as it only grows in the East, but it's not expensive."

"Really? It's hard to get but not expensive?"

"It's not a popular item, and there are no collectors."

"To steal such an item and commit mass murder? That's strange."

Feng Yanchao shook his head.

"Ha! I can't understand why such skilled martial artists would kill over the Eight Pillar Ling. Ah, thank you for saving us. I will never forget this kindness and will repay it."

"It's fine, don't worry about it."

Feng Yanchao waved his hand.

He had joined the fight not to save them but in hopes of getting a reward, so he felt a bit embarrassed.

While investigating the bodies of the abandoned black-robed men, Zhuo Gao Ming frowned and approached.

"Big Brother, I searched all the bodies, but there's nothing. I can't figure out who they are."

"Since they're not bandits, we don't need to worry about them."

"Ah, that's good then."

Zhuo Gao Ming immediately dismissed the matter since they weren't bandits.

If they were from the same green forest, it would be different, but since they weren't, there was no reason to worry.

The Five Peaks Ten Heroes agreed to carry the Shuoyue Merchant's goods to the nearest town. Of course, it wasn't free. Zhang Hanying promised to pay them three hundred taels of silver.

It was a significant amount, but both Zhang Hanying and the Five Peaks Ten Heroes were satisfied. Zhang Hanying and his daughter had their lives and belongings saved, and the Five Peaks Ten Heroes got the reward they wanted.

***

The next day, the Five Peaks Ten Heroes and Zhang Hanying and his daughter arrived in Shouxian.

The Five Peaks Ten Heroes bid farewell to Zhang Hanying and his daughter in Shouxian and immediately headed to Huainan.

And in early September.

The Five Peaks Ten Heroes finally arrived in Nanjing.

Although it's called Nanjing, Huangshan is still a long way south of Hefei, so the journey was far from over.

At noon.

After a simple meal on the road, while resting, Gumi Fu Jian, the Nine Secrets Saber, pointed to a distant mountain.

"That's Bajun Mountain. There's a green forest stronghold called Red Silk Hall."

The mention of a green forest stronghold made the Five Peaks Ten Heroes' eyes sparkle.

There was a vague hope that they might meet other green forest heroes. While others might fear green forest heroes, to them, they were like family, and even hearing about them was a joy.