Chapter 97

(After several revisions, I've dug a big hole, made some minor adjustments to the outline, hmm, I'm asking for recommendations and new readers to add this book to their collections.)

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Gu Yuehe, a disciple of Wudang, and I shall take the lead!"

In the Ten-Zhang Realm, another young man stepped in. He had long, sword-like eyebrows, thin lips, and his long hair was tied with a snow-white silk ribbon. He wore a pure white Taoist robe, and a jade pendant as white as sheep's fat hung from his waist. The aura of both Taoism and Confucianism blended within him, and his outstanding demeanor made many people look at him with admiration.

A Wudang disciple!

As the only national major sect in Shiyan Prefecture, these four words carried immense weight within the region.

Gu Yuehe, the legitimate son of the Gu family, a prominent clan in Shiyan Prefecture, had built his foundation with the eighth level of Wudang's "Turtle and Snake Technique," demonstrating great potential and depth. It was rumored that when he first built his foundation a year ago, he encountered a third-rate bandit who had opened four of the twelve main meridians, yet the bandit was beheaded in a single move. This battle later spread throughout Shiyan Prefecture, and many sects and noble families saw some signs, but it was undeniable that this young man had exceptional talent.

Recently, there were even rumors that he had been taken in by the master of Wudang's Golden Lock Peak, the top-level Yuan Shen figure, Immortal Jin Guang, as a personal disciple.

A Yuan Shen disciple, this was a supreme honor, the dream of countless young martial artists in the world of martial arts.

His steps were quick, quickly surpassing disciples and elders from various sects. In this Ten-Zhang Realm, he seemed to walk alone like a king of the five lakes and four seas, effortlessly crossing vast distances.

Hiss!

Finally, he surpassed everyone, stepping into the distorted air. The entrance, which was less than ten zhang high, completely closed and disappeared.

"What! It's gone!"

"I can't accept it! Are they just choosing successors from those ten people?"

At the foot of Xuejia Mountain, the martial artists who had been competing stopped in their tracks. The Ten-Zhang Realm had disappeared, and they were no longer sealed within the realm, but the stone gate also slammed shut, leaving no one a chance to enter again.

"I don't believe it! A mere stone gate can't stop us!"

This was an elder from Tianyun Fort, his face dark. Just a moment ago, he was only three feet away from entering the stone gate when he was overtaken by Gu Yuehe, as if the opportunity for enlightenment had been snatched from his hands. He dared not show anger, however, because the top-level Yuan Shen figure of Wudang's Heavenly Pillar Peak, Immortal Tianwu, was present. He looked at the ancient stone gate and finally decided to take action.

Clang!

A curved sword, shaped like a crescent moon, flashed with a cold light. A silver-white sword qi, like a crescent moon, cut through the air, turning day into night, and instantly struck the stone gate.

"Tianyun Fort's 'Cloud and Moon Sword,' one of the best among second-rate sword techniques."

"Cloud and Moon Sword Qi, like the moon emerging from the clouds, is mysterious and unpredictable, often changing like the weather."

Clang!

Before the elders could finish their words, the sword qi struck the stone gate, producing a metallic sound, and then shattered instantly.

Immediately, the elder from Tianyun Fort suddenly froze and fell straight to the ground without any warning.

"His soul is gone! His soul has been cut off!"

"What a terrifying weapon mark!"

The eyes of the elders from major sects and noble families like the Ming family of Jiuxi Quan became serious. The stone gate to the Yuan Shen world had closed, and while there was still a glimmer of hope, it now seemed that even the will of a top-level Yuan Shen figure like Hong Qi, who had fallen in ancient times, could not be easily defied.

The four young talents on the Dragon and Tiger List, except for the one who had just acted, remained calm and composed, not moving a step even as the heroes competed.

At this moment, Shi Wusheng's gaze shifted, looking toward the foot of Xuejia Mountain.

Hum!

The mountain body, like a jade and gold pagoda, burst forth with boundless light. The sudden change caught many off guard. Some less powerful martial artists who had not yet built their foundations screamed in pain, tears streaming down their faces, and some were even blinded, bleeding profusely and falling to the ground in agony.

After ten breaths, the light dissipated.

"This is... the second stone gate!"

Someone muttered, some finding it hard to believe, some hesitating, but many were excited.

The stone gate, covered in sword and knife marks, was surrounded by numerous weapon marks and bore six powerful characters.

Nine-Five, Dragon Soaring in the Sky!

When these six characters appeared, some of the excited martial artists felt as if they had been doused with a bucket of cold water.

What is Nine-Five? Nine-Five Supreme, that is the title of the Son of Heaven. In the world of martial arts, it is well known that the Beggar Sect's "Dragon Subduing Palm" has a move called "Dragon Soaring in the Sky," but adding "Nine-Five" before it was a significant difference.

To subdue the Nine-Five, the dragon soaring in the sky, was a great act of disrespect. Although the current Han Emperor was more enlightened and open to advice than previous emperors, he would not tolerate such provocation and desecration.

"Shi Wusheng! Is your Beggar Sect planning a rebellion?"

This was a cavalry general who had surrounded the area, his voice like a bell, shaking the surroundings, and he showed no courtesy.

"General, please calm down. This is just a line from the I Ching, a classic of Taoism, which has been praised by generations of Han Emperors. Four thousand four hundred years ago, King Wen of Zhou interpreted the I Ching. If you say my Beggar Sect is rebelling, are you suggesting that ancient sages and emperors were all rebels?"

Shi Wusheng was neither humble nor arrogant, but his words became sharp, not giving an inch. Such a major issue, if mishandled, could lead to irreparable consequences. As the young leader of the Beggar Sect, he had long seen the fickleness and changing orders of the martial world, understanding the undercurrents of the martial arts community.

The current Han Emperor, more so than previous emperors, did not favor the Beggar Sect, so they could not give any grounds for accusation, even if it was from the past.

In fact, Shi Wusheng knew that some major sects in the martial world, like his Beggar Sect, had a history that could be traced back to before the founding of the Han Dynasty, to the dark age when nine great demon sages ravaged the land.

Back then, it was not the Son of Heaven who was like a dragon, but everyone could be a dragon. Now, it had become a taboo.

At the foot of Xuejia Mountain, many sects and noble families sensed a heavy atmosphere. With nearly ten thousand troops surrounding the area, if a real fight broke out, unless the Immortal Tianwu intervened, few would survive.

Hum!

In this moment, Xuejia Mountain stirred again, radiating light that seemed to illuminate the nine heavens and ten earths.

The third stone gate!

Next, people saw this scene: not far from the second stone gate, another stone gate appeared on the mountain body.

Nine-Two, Dragon Appearing in the Field!

"General, have you seen? It's just a line from the I Ching, highlighting the sacred way. Our Beggar Sect's ancestors were well-read scholars who, out of compassion for the beggars of the world, passed on their teachings and established the foundation of the Beggar Sect for over five thousand years. For generations, we have resisted the demon race, and countless disciples have fallen without regret," Shi Wusheng said again, his back straight and his gaze clear and open.

At this moment, many martial artists nodded in agreement. Indeed, although the Beggar Sect had many disciples, they had always been at the forefront of resisting the demon race and defending the borders, with countless disciples sacrificing their lives, their bodies buried in the wilderness, and their remains lost in the vast seas.

Hmph!

The cavalry general snorted coldly and said no more, as he was listening to the sounds around him, and it was not yet the right time to act.

...

This time, all the martial artists held their patience. They did not know if the four young talents on the Dragon and Tiger List had already seen through everything, but it was clear that the stone gate leading to the Yuan Shen world had not yet fully manifested.

Indeed, in the next hour, the Xuejia Mountain continuously emitted boundless light, and the intervals between the appearances of the stone gates became shorter and shorter, with one gate after another appearing at the foot of the mountain.

After an hour, there was a long period without any new phenomena. At this point, some of the elders from Shiyan Prefecture's martial world could not help but take a deep breath. Starting from the first closed stone gate at the foot of Xuejia Mountain, a total of eighteen stone gates had appeared, opening the way.

Eighteen gates to the Yuan Shen world, and the lines from the "Dragon Subduing Palm" inscribed on the ancient stone gates, led many to speculate and make various judgments.

"Beggar Sect's Shi Wusheng, I will show my skills."

Finally, this young talent from the Beggar Sect, a border war dragon on the Dragon and Tiger List, moved. (After several revisions, I've dug a big hole, made some minor adjustments to the outline, hmm, I'm asking for recommendations and new readers to add this book to their collections. Writing about Pure Yang has given me a bit of an obsession. I rewrote a large part of it, and this is the first time I've done so. If I'm going to dig, I'll dig a hole that can kill someone!)