Chapter 30

According to the plot of "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils," Murong Fu and his companions stumble upon Wu Lao's secret meeting. Murong Fu decides to take advantage of the situation to subdue the people from the seventy-two islands and thirty-six caves, thereby laying the foundation for his restoration of the state and gaining a reputation for righteousness. He then leads everyone to attack Lingjiu Peak. Tian Shan Tonglao, who had been captured by Wu Lao, had been pretending to be deaf and mute. Just as Wu Lao and his men were about to kill Tonglao, Xuzhu's protagonist aura burst forth, and he saved Tian Shan Tonglao. Xuzhu learned the supreme skills of the Xiang Yao sect and even won the heart of the Western Xia princess.

This level of luck is like winning the lottery three times in a row, which is even more impressive. Li She's martial arts skills already surpass those of Murong Fu, and after receiving the seventy years of inner strength from Wuyazi, he is nearly at the level of a half-step to innate. Following behind Murong Fu and his group, he ensures they do not notice him.

Murong Fu and his group, consisting of five men and one woman, ride five fast horses and travel through the night. As they enter a valley, a dart flies from a distance. Murong Fu swings his sword, using the skill "Dodge and Shift" to deflect the dart back, hitting the person who shot it. The person in the bushes falls to the ground with a scream. At this moment, a voice from the left high slope asks, "Who dares to disrupt the gathering of the Ten Thousand Immortals? Do you not respect the masters of the thirty-six caves and the seventy-two islands?"

Murong Fu and his companions all let out a light "ah." They had heard of the "masters of the thirty-six caves and the seventy-two islands," but these so-called "cave masters" and "island masters" were merely a group of unaffiliated and unorganized martial artists. Their skills varied, and their characters ranged from good to evil. They each went their own way, and thus they never formed a significant force. The martial world had always paid little attention to them. They lived scattered in the islands of the East and Yellow Seas, or in the deep mountains of Kunlun and Qilian. In recent years, they had been silent and inactive, and no one had paid much attention to them. They never expected to encounter them here.

Murong Fu said loudly, "We are six friends traveling through the night, unaware of your gathering. We apologize for any unintentional offense. In the darkness, it was a misunderstanding. Let us both laugh it off and part ways. Please let us pass." His words were neither arrogant nor humble, and he did not reveal his identity. Suddenly, laughter erupted from all around, growing louder and more numerous. Initially, only a dozen or so people were laughing, but soon hundreds joined in, some nearby and some several miles away. Murong Fu, hearing the vast number of people, thought, "What bad luck. We've stumbled into a gathering of these unaffiliated martial artists. I haven't revealed my name, so it's best to leave quietly to avoid a mess. Besides, we are outnumbered. How can six of us deal with hundreds?"

Amidst the laughter, the voice from the high slope said, "You speak lightly, thinking it's easy to resolve. You six have already injured several of our brothers. If the Ten Thousand Immortals let you go, where would the masters of the thirty-six caves and the seventy-two islands save face?"

Murong Fu calmed himself and looked around. He saw shadows of people on the slopes, peaks, and ridges, but in the darkness, he couldn't see their faces clearly. These people seemed to have emerged from the ground. Deng Bai, Gongye Gan, Bao Bu Tong, and Feng Bo E had gathered around Murong Fu and Ah Bi for protection, but in the midst of hundreds of people, they were like a small boat in the vast sea.

Murong Fu and his companions had experienced many battles in their lives, but seeing this situation, they couldn't help but feel uneasy. He thought, "These people are strange. A few of them are no threat, but hundreds together are hard to deal with." Murong Fu gathered his energy and said loudly, "It is said that ignorance is no sin. I have heard of the masters of the thirty-six caves and the seventy-two islands and would never intentionally offend you. I believe Sang Tugong of the Green Phosphorus Cave in Sichuan, Xuan Huangzi of the Coiled Dragon Cave in Tibet, and Zhang Dafu of the Northern Mystic Island are all here. I did not mean to offend, please forgive me." A rough voice laughed and said, "Just mentioning our names, do you think you can easily get away? Ha, ha!"

Murong Fu, feeling angry, said, "I respect you as elders and speak politely first. Do you think I, Murong Fu, am afraid of you?" The crowd let out an "ah" in surprise, clearly shocked by the name "Murong Fu." The rough voice asked, "Are you from the Gusu Murong family, known for 'using their methods against them'?" Murong Fu replied, "Indeed, it is I." The man said, "The Gusu Murong family is not to be taken lightly. Light the lamps! Let us all see each other!" As he spoke, a yellow lamp rose in the southeast corner, followed by red lamps in the west and northwest. Soon, lamps and torches rose in all directions, including lanterns, torches, and paper lanterns. The lamps, brought by the various cave and island masters, were of different qualities, some crude and simple, others finely crafted. The flickering light cast strange shadows on the faces of the people.

There were men and women, some handsome, some ugly, monks, and Taoists. Some wore flowing sleeves, others short and tight clothing. Some were old men with long beards, others were women with high hairdos. Their attire was mostly strange and different from that of the people of the Central Plains. Most of them carried weapons, which were also unusual and hard to name. Murong Fu bowed to all directions and said, "Greetings, I am Murong Fu of Gusu, and I offer my respects." Some of the crowd returned the greeting, while others ignored him. A man from the west said, "Murong Fu, your Gusu Murong family can bully people in the Central Plains, but to come to the gathering of the Ten Thousand Immortals and act recklessly is to look down on us. You claim to 'use their methods against them.' How would you use my methods against me?"

Li She, hidden on a tall tree nearby, watched the chaotic scene below, finding it more entertaining than a TV drama. The only difference was that the female lead was Ah Bi. He wondered if Duan Yu, the naive young man, would cause trouble again. Soon, the answer came: Ah Bi was captured, and Duan Yu's inconsistent "Six Pulse Sword" technique suddenly became powerful. Murong Fu felt humiliated, as Duan Yu stole the spotlight.

However, the people of this era still believed that fame equaled strength. The name "Southern Murong, Northern Qiao Feng" had been known for years, making it more influential than the young Duan Yu.

Just as Wu Lao was about to use Tian Shan Tonglao as a sacrifice, Li She moved. He pressed his palm down, releasing a powerful force that enveloped everyone in a mix of scorching heat and freezing cold.

"Who are you, demon!" Wu Lao shouted, rolling to the side to avoid the attack. Murong Fu and his companions also managed to dodge in time.

Li She's palm control was now extremely precise. Those who couldn't avoid the attack around Tian Shan Tonglao were either burned black by the scorching energy or frozen by the cold energy.

Li She, dressed in white, landed steadily using the "Lingbo Weibu" technique.

The crowd was shocked by the sight of the people Li She had killed with a single palm strike. The power was too extreme. What kind of skill could burn someone from over ten yards away? What kind of power could freeze someone instantly?

Seeing the gruesome scene, Wu Lao stammered, "Who, who are you? Do you want to be our enemy, the masters of the thirty-six caves and the seventy-two islands, and Murong Fu?"

Murong Fu, staring at the newcomer, gritted his teeth and said, "Li She!"

Wu Lao, realizing who it was, said, "Li She, the timely rain of Bianliang, the owner of the Heavenly Realm?"

Li She ignored the crowd, grabbed Wu Xingyun, and used the "Lingbo Weibu" technique to leave, leaving a trail of afterimages.

Wu Xingyun, seeing Li She's steps, knew he was from the Xiang Yao sect.

After running for a while, Wu Xingyun said, "Boy, are you a follower of Li Qiushui? Humph, I didn't think I could escape this fate!"

Li She, still running, said, "Senior, you are mistaken. I am not a disciple of Senior Li."

Suddenly, Wu Xingyun noticed the Seven Treasures Ring on Li She's thumb and exclaimed, "You are a disciple of my junior brother! How did he pass you the Seven Treasures Ring? Where is he? What happened to Wuyazi?"

Li She stopped running and landed on a rock, saying solemnly, "Senior, my master has passed away."

Hearing this, the ninety-year-old Wu Xingyun shed tears, saying, "You're lying, you're lying! Wuyazi had pure inner strength. How could he die without dispersing his energy? Tell me, did you steal the Seven Treasures Ring?"

Li She then told a semi-true story about how Wuyazi had been secretly harmed by Ding Chunqiu, his meridians severed, and his life hanging by a thread. He set up the "Jinlong Chess Board" to find a successor and entrusted Li She to come to Lingjiu Palace to learn the Xiang Yao sect's skills from Wu Xingyun before his death.

Li She's convincing story, combined with his eighty years of Northern Sea energy, made Wu Xingyun believe him.

Wu Xingyun, recovering from her shock, murmured, "This scoundrel only thought of me on his deathbed. Ha, ha, why didn't he tell me? Why? A traitor could harm him so much, and he didn't send someone to the Tian Shan to inform me? How could he be so foolish?"

Wiping away her tears, she looked at Li She and said, "My junior brother found a gem in you before his death, which was not in vain. I practice the 'Eight Extremes of the Universe' technique, which requires me to rejuvenate every thirty years. This is the thirtieth year, and my enemy calculated the time to come to the Tian Shan to harm me. But Wu Lao accidentally captured me, saving me from this fate."

Li She, without wasting time, directly asked to learn the "Tian Shan Six Yang Palm," "Tian Shan Zhe Mei Hand," and "Life and Death Mark" techniques from Wu Xingyun, offering to protect her during this time.

"Fine! A true villain is better than a hypocrite. You are stronger than your master, decisive and straightforward, unlike his indecisiveness. I will help you!" Wu Xingyun began to teach Li She these skills.