A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 179 Falling short of success

The Taoist Qing Shi pointed his sword, using both sword techniques and his movements. His figure was graceful, transforming into four phantoms that attacked Yin Hao from all four sides. Each phantom used different moves, and each move was aimed at Yin Hao's vital points. The chilling killing intent startled Yin Hao.

This is also a superior martial art of Qingshan Temple, called "Qingyin Four Killing Sword". It was originally an assassination technique, but in the hands of Qingshi Daoren, it showed a majestic air and had no sinister or eerie appearance at all.

Because this move is straightforward and aboveboard, Yin Hao cannot use a clever trick to counter it. The only effective way to deal with this kind of move is to fight it head-on, and the brave will win when paths cross.

Yin Hao glanced at the phantom of Qing Shi and saw four different killing moves coming at him at the same time. With a thought, he flipped his wrist and spun his longsword to neutralize the killing move that was coming straight at him. At the same time, his body suddenly sank down and he shouted loudly. The other three killing moves hit the target at the same time. However, the expression of the Qing Shi Daoist was solemn.

Yin Hao managed to deflect one of his four killing moves with his sword, which wasn't a big deal, but the other three were all quite powerful. Even if they couldn't seriously injure Yin Hao, they could still cause him some trouble. But it seems that Yin Hao is still unharmed.

"He still possesses such power after being poisoned by the Yellow Millet Dream. Could it be that Yin Hao's cultivation is about to break through? No, this person must not be allowed to live. Once the Imperial Sword Manor has this person in charge, the entire martial arts world will belong to the Yin family."

Another reason is that Daoist Qing Shi has always coveted the Blood Ruyi. He can still fight Yin Hao to a standstill, but if Yin Hao breaks through his cultivation level, he will have no hope at all.

Thinking of this, the eyes of the Green Stone Taoist gradually turned bloodshot. Anyone who blocked his way would die.

Yin Hao withstood the Qingyin Four Kill Swords head-on, sparks flying from his body, yet he remained firmly in place. This was a protective technique Yin Hao had cultivated, specifically designed to counter moves that could break through one's protective inner energy.

"Golden Scales and Black Armor?"

Qing Shi Dao Ren's eyes narrowed slightly. He had seen this technique in the sect's books before. This technique was known as the number one self-defense technique in the martial arts world. Even a treasure weapon made of meteorite iron might not be able to break through it, let alone just a few sword lights.

Moreover, the Golden Scale Armor grows stronger with each battle. Every time it is broken, its defensive power increases exponentially after it recovers. Fortunately, this technique cannot be used for offense, which is good news for me. However, if I cannot break through the opponent's defense, it means that the opponent can ignore my attacks.

In this back and forth, he still suffered a greater loss. Qing Shi Dao Ren kept calculating the gains and losses in his mind. Seeing that Yin Hao was already staring at him, Qing Shi Dao Ren flicked his soft sword, shouted, and took out a delicate and small porcelain bottle from his bosom.

Seeing this, Yin Hao knew that the other party must have come up with some new idea. His figure flashed, and his long sword stabbed towards Qing Shi without mercy. The sword light that extended out was cold and gleaming, and the killing intent was rolling. Qing Shi Daoist did not dare to meet it, and only used the Soft Word Technique to entangle with him. At the same time, he waved his sleeve and a powerful force rushed towards Yin Hao.

Qing Shi Dao Ren knew that this wouldn't harm Yin Hao in the slightest, but it was enough to buy him some time.

Just as Yin Hao deflected the soft sword and broke through the gale, a sudden alarm arose in his heart. He circulated his true energy and hurriedly retreated. At the same time, a cloud of blue mist suddenly appeared in front of him. In just a few breaths, the blue mist had spread to the entire courtyard.

"not good."

Although Yin Jun didn't know what it was, since it was released by Qing Shi, it must not be anything good. After giving the retreat signal, the flying arrow immediately stopped, and the people of Yujian Manor also retreated in an orderly manner. For a while, apart from Yujian Manor, only those sects remained in the entire courtyard.

"Master, what is this?"

Zhuo Yuanhang walked over looking disheveled. He had just fought with Yin Rui and Yin Mang and suffered quite a bit. If it weren't for Qing Shi Dao Ren's sudden move, he probably would have had no choice but to retreat.

Shen Hua was also covered in dust and dirt, it seemed she hadn't gained any advantage either.

"This thing is called 'Qingying Wansha'. It is made from hundreds of kinds of poisonous insects. As long as this thing touches the body, the body will become weak and limp. Within three days, the bones and flesh will be completely mushy and turn into a pile of minced meat."

Master Qing Shi proudly put away the porcelain bottle. Just releasing such a small amount was enough to give the people of Yujian Manor a headache.

"You two need not worry. With your true energy protecting you, this thing will not harm you in the slightest. As for those disciples, we will give them the antidote after we have dealt with Yin Hao and the others. You two, this is an opportunity not to be missed."

Zhuo Yuanhang and Shen Hua exchanged a glance, then nodded. After giving a few instructions, the three of them quickly headed towards the inner courtyard.

Inside the inner courtyard, all the Iron Guards were injured by the poison and were so weak that they could hardly stand up, let alone fight.

"Brother, with both poisons used, the Iron Guards can't hold on any longer. They're safe for the time being, but we're afraid those people will take the opportunity to attack. We don't have many men left."

Even Tie Feng has lost most of his fighting strength and is now only barely holding on with his powerful true qi. As for Yin Tianqi and the other two, they are even worse off. Apart from his elder brother, only the five of them still have most of their fighting strength left. However, they are really struggling against Qing Shi Dao Ren and the other two, as well as a group of second-rate experts.

"This poison is indiscriminate. If we are poisoned, they will definitely suffer as well. It would be good if they could survive half of their forces. Zhuo Yuanhang and Shen Hua must have suffered a great loss of true energy after their battle. The only worry is Qing Shi. This person has endless tricks up his sleeve and is a troublesome one."

Yin Hao had to admire the blue stone. If he hadn't been poisoned by the Yellow Millet Dream and had to use 20% of his true energy to seal the poison, he would have suppressed the blue stone with his own strength long ago.

"They're already here!"

Yin Hao's deep voice made everyone present look solemn. Those who had reserved their fighting strength stood up and stood beside Yin Hao, their eyes fixed on the outside. Amidst the swirling green mist, the three Qing Shi Dao Ren walked out.

"kill!"

Zhuo Yuanhang noticed that the aura of Yin Hao and the others had suddenly weakened, and knew that the poison had taken effect. He immediately took the initiative, pointing his sword at Yin Hao. To catch the thief, you must first catch the king. As long as Yin Hao, this big problem, is dealt with, the rest of the people will be no threat.

Seeing Zhuo Yuanhang facing off against Yin Hao, Qing Shi Dao Ren was quite pleased. With a flick of his soft sword, he locked onto Yin Jun, who had not yet engaged in combat and had reacted in time to avoid being poisoned. Eliminating him would also eliminate a formidable opponent.

As for Shen Hua, he looked at Yin Mang and Yin Rui with a cold gaze. Originally, he was thinking of capturing Yin Tianqi and the other two, but the two old guys seemed to have sensed his intention and blocked Yin Tianqi and the other two from the left and right.

"I will send you to the Western Paradise today!" Having been suppressing the attack, Shen Hua was seething with anger. She opened her folding fan and unleashed a barrage of tiny needles that rained down on Yin Mang and Yin Rui. The two dared not dodge and hurriedly parried with their swords. After a while, they managed to deflect all the hidden weapons.

Although the two successfully blocked the attack, they also consumed a lot of their true energy. Shen Hua looked at the two and her eyes flashed. She closed her folding fan and her figure turned into a black shadow as she rushed over. A cold light was aimed directly at Yin Mang's throat. At the same time, her left palm turned into a claw and grabbed at the long sword that Yin Rui was attacking.

On the other side, Yin Hao had a significant advantage over Zhuo Yuanhang. Although Zhuo Yuanhang was skilled in swordsmanship, his defense was weak. After several exchanges, Zhuo Yuanhang's initial momentum began to dissipate. Yin Hao, whose skill was already superior, saw this as an opportunity he could not afford to miss.

Yin Hao immediately switched his longsword to his left hand and unleashed a powerful palm strike with his right palm. A burst of scorching true energy rushed towards him. Zhuo Yuanhang was startled, realizing that he had been locked onto by the energy. He gritted his teeth, his longsword glowed, and he met the attack head-on. Suddenly hearing a crisp sound, Zhuo Yuanhang's expression changed drastically, and he immediately let go and retreated.

After breaking Zhuo Yuanhang's longsword, the Mountain-Piercing Palm continued its momentum, relentlessly striking towards Zhuo Yuanhang, determined to kill him.

Zhuo Yuanhang's weapon failed, and he lost three or four tenths of his skills. Seeing Yin Hao's unyielding momentum, he could only forcefully unleash a few palm strikes to try and buy himself some time. However, just when he thought he could catch his breath, a look of astonishment appeared on his face. Looking down, he saw a long sword pierce through his chest.

"you!"

Before Zhuo Yuanhang could finish speaking, Yin Hao had already drawn his long sword expressionlessly, turned around and left. Only then did Zhuo Yuanhang's body fall to the ground, his eyes wide open.

"Sect Leader Zhuo!"

When Qing Shi Dao Ren, who was fighting Yin Jun, saw that Zhuo Yuanhang had died after only a dozen or so moves, he was truly shocked. Although Zhuo Yuanhang's cultivation was not as good as his own, he was still one of the top five masters in the martial arts world. If he hadn't underestimated his opponent, then Yin Hao's cultivation was far more than that.

"Second brother, go and look after Tianqi and the others." Yin Hao said calmly, and Yin Jun immediately withdrew to support Yin Mang and the others. Under Shen Hua's various underhanded tricks, the two of them had already fallen into a disadvantageous position, and they also had to take care of the safety of Tianqi and the others. At this moment, they were in a dangerous situation.

"Zhuo Yuanhang is dead, Qing Shi, you should go and join him."

Ignoring the green mist, Yin Hao walked towards the Green Stone Taoist with his sword. The latter looked at Yin Hao with a wary expression. He had just fought with Zhuo Yuanhang and should have lost some of his true energy. The green mist should have been effective, but judging from his appearance, he seemed unaffected.

“Master Yin, if you hand over the Blood Ruyi, I can immediately hand over the antidote. Otherwise, once the deadline is up, all these people will die. Can you bear to watch them die like this?”

Qing Shi Dao Ren was already considering giving up, but the Blood Ruyi was his last remaining belief; if he couldn't obtain it, everything would be in vain.

Upon hearing this, Yin Hao smiled coldly and remained silent. He turned his sword, and the bright sword light made Qing Shi Dao Ren's mind tremble. He thrust left and right with his soft sword, but he still could not shake the long sword opposite him. Instead, he wasted a lot of energy.

After exchanging dozens more blows, Qing Shi Dao Ren grew increasingly fearful. Yin Hao's true energy seemed inexhaustible, unleashing a barrage of extremely powerful killing moves. Qing Shi Dao Ren was exhausted from defending himself with all his might, but he was gradually being dragged into Yin Hao's rhythm. Had he not used his protective treasures several times, he would have been seriously injured by three of those killing moves. Seeing the sword light flying towards him again, Qing Shi Dao Ren dared not continue the fight, knowing he had no chance of winning and urgently needed a way to escape.

Just as the sword light approached within inches of Qing Shi Dao Ren, Qing Shi Dao Ren made an astonishing move. His blue Daoist robe fluttered in the wind as he charged towards the sword light without hesitation, taking advantage of the opportunity to flee quickly.

Yin Hao cleaved open the Taoist robe with a single sword stroke, gave him a cold look, and then leaped into the air to give chase. The two quickly disappeared into the blue mist.

With Qing Shi Dao Ren gone, Shen Hua found herself in a predicament. She had been holding off Yin Mang and Yin Rui all by herself. If Zhuo Yuanhang hadn't suddenly died, allowing Yin Jun to intervene, she could have dealt with them in just a few moves. Now, not only had she failed, but she had also gotten herself into trouble.

"Shen Hua, if you surrender, I, Yin, may spare your life; otherwise, you will face certain death."

Yin Jun, Yin Mang, and Yin Rui formed a triangular formation, trapping Shen Hua inside. No matter how much Shen Hua struggled, as long as she couldn't break through the three's moves in one go, she could only continue to break the formation. In the end, she could only exhaust her true energy and die.

However, Yin Jun and his group were not without injuries. The depletion of their true energy was secondary; if the enemy had perished along with them, they might not have been able to escape either, especially since a sect leader like Shen Hua would undoubtedly have some unknown trump cards up his sleeve.

If they could subdue the enemy with words, that would be ideal, but seeing Shen Hua's stubborn resistance, Yin Mang and his companion felt that the chances were slim.

As expected, Shen Hua, who was in the middle of the formation, was no longer as composed as before. Her white clothes were stained with blood, and the folding fan in her hand was torn to pieces. The fan surface was nowhere to be found, and only the twelve sharp fan ribs were still gleaming coldly.

"Since I have already gone this far, I have no intention of backing down. But does Second Master Yin really think I have no backup plan?"

"what?"

Yin Jun was puzzled, but his attacks did not stop. However, judging from Shen Hua's expression, she did not seem to be lying. Just as the three long swords were thrusting towards Shen Hua's body at the same time, the latter smiled slyly and took the three killing blows head-on with her body. At the same time, the folding fan in her hand suddenly exploded, and twelve iron rain arrows flew towards Yin Tianqi and the others who had no fighting power.

"not good!"

Yin Jun shouted that he had been careless and had actually revealed such an opening. Just as Yin Jun was about to withdraw his hand, he suddenly felt a tingling and numb sensation in his back. Yin Mang and Yin Rui were also severely injured and flew backward.

"Flying Immortal Sect, Zhao Yun!"

Yin Jun stared grimly at the person who made the move. Despite his precautions, he hadn't expected the other party to strike so swiftly and use the vicious "breath-holding needle." Once this needle enters the body, it locks the Ren and Du meridians, causing the user to lose all martial arts skills in a short period of time. Without an antidote, the user would become a cripple within seven days.

"Second Uncle! Great-Uncle!"

"father!"

Yin Tianqi and his two companions watched as Yin Jun and his group initially gained the upper hand, but suddenly a change occurred. They were filled with resentment as they watched the twelve iron-feathered arrows flying towards them. Just then, a white light appeared, and the arrows immediately vaporized and dissipated after entering the white light.

"who?"

Zhao Yun and Shen Hua's expressions changed. The white light was strange. It could easily deal with the iron-feathered arrow. It was not something that an ordinary expert could do. At the very least, it was an expert like Yin Hao.

As the white light dissipated, Tong Zhan's figure emerged. While the others remained calm, Yin Jun and several elders' expressions changed drastically. They didn't recognize this person, but they had seen his attire in ancient texts.

"The Tong family?"

Yin Jun was shocked. Why would the Tong clan come to Yujian Manor? They didn't seem to be here to take advantage of the chaos. Just as everyone was hesitant to make a move, the green mist that had filled the entire courtyard slowly gathered into a ball under Tong Zhan's control, and finally condensed into a drop of emerald green water, which Tong Zhan put into a porcelain bottle.

"Who are you? Don't interfere in the feud between us and the Imperial Sword Manor."

Shen Hua's face was very ugly. The victory that she thought was within her grasp had been ruined. Now that her true energy was exhausted, she was powerless to fight against the newcomer. She could not rely on Zhao Yun either. If the situation was not good, Zhao Yun would definitely use her as a stepping stone.

Tong Zhan glanced at him but didn't say anything. Judging from his appearance, this person was not a kind person. He was too lazy to talk to him. He turned around and walked to the side of Yin Tianqi and the other two. He placed his palms on the backs of Yin Tianqi and Yin Tianhe respectively, and with a burst of force, the toxins swirling in their dantian were immediately forced out.

With the toxins expelled from their bodies, Yin Tianqi and Yin Tianhe felt much more relaxed. After thanking them, they took out pills to restore their vitality and immediately sat down to meditate and recover. Although the situation had taken a turn for the better, it was still best to restore their true energy as soon as possible.

Shen Hua and Zhao Yun watched as Tong Zhan cured everyone of their poison, but dared not make a move. The newcomer disdained to fight them, but if they didn't know what was good for them, the consequences would be unpredictable.

The moment Tong Zhan saw Yin Tianxue, his calm heart was stirred, as if she were the one he would spend the rest of his life with. Yin Tianxue blushed when she saw Tong Zhan staring at her.

Just as Tong Zhan came to the rescue, Yin Hao had already caught up with Qing Shi Dao Ren. The two ran for several miles to a grove of trees. Yin Hao looked at Qing Shi Dao Ren and said, "Daoist, do you know the name of this place?"

Upon hearing this, Qing Shi Dao Ren snorted coldly, his soft sword twirling into several sword flowers, and his left hand forming a sword finger, its chilling sword energy pointing towards Yin Hao.

"This place is called the Soul-Severing Forest, which is quite fitting."

Yin Hao realized that his internal energy was running low and the poison was constantly eroding his heart meridian. He pointed his sword and the two stared at each other coldly. They quickly clashed, sparks flying everywhere. The two sides instantly joined and separated, their swords flashing and their energy waves crashing together, instantly destroying the surrounding forest.

"Yin Hao, this is a sword technique that I have refined over sixty years, named 'Heaven and Earth Grieve Together.' Please enlighten me."

Qing Shi's aura suddenly surged, as he sacrificed his cultivation to gain many times more power. With this forbidden technique, Qing Shi Daoist's power far surpassed that of Yin Hao.

With this assistance, Daoist Qing Shi poured all his true energy into the soft sword without hesitation. A faint light appeared, and it hummed and vibrated, like a dragon soaring from the abyss, as if it wanted to destroy all obstacles in its path.

Upon seeing this, Yin Hao's expression changed drastically. This Qing Shi was ruthless. No matter the outcome, Qing Shi Daoist would eventually end up with no trace of his body, while he himself would at least be seriously injured, or worse, lose all his cultivation.

"Yin Hao, I will be waiting for you in the Yellow Springs!"

With a deep shout, the soft sword flew out of his hand, and the body of the Green Stone Daoist shattered into countless pieces like broken glass. Seeing the soft sword coming, Yin Hao mobilized all his true energy and struggled to use the "Golden Scale Mystic Armor" technique.

With a few hissing sounds, the "Golden Scale Armor" was sliced ​​open by the soft sword as easily as cutting tofu. Just as it was about to hit Yin Hao, a long, blood-red shadow suddenly appeared and coiled around Yin Hao.

With a loud bang, the soft sword collided with the blood-red shadow. After a brief stalemate, the force dissipated, and the soft sword turned into dust, drifting away in the wind.

"Blood python!"

Yin Hao cried out in surprise. The huge head of the blood python stared at Yin Hao and hissed a few times. A sizable wound appeared where the soft sword had struck him.

"Did the Ancestor send you?"

The blood python nodded and then released Yin Hao.

"Shen Hua is still at the villa; we need to hurry back."

Yin Hao dared not delay and immediately used his lightness skill to rush back. When he returned to the manor, the sight of corpses scattered all over the place was shocking.

"Second brother, what's going on?"

The sudden disappearance of the blue mist left Yin Hao somewhat bewildered. When Yin Jun saw Yin Hao return, he explained the situation briefly and then pointed, causing Yin Hao's pupils to shrink slightly.

(End of this chapter)