The light of the sword is like the moon reflecting on Kyushu

The golden mantis's arms, like mantis blades, slashed towards King Gyatso's shoulders!
His hands emitted a faint golden glow! These "Golden Mantis Hands" had torn apart the signs of seventeen martial arts schools!
Prince Gyatso stood quietly on the long street, his face exuding a cold and aloof air like a snow-capped mountain! His hands were clasped together, and golden light flowed from his fingertips—a sign that he had reached the pinnacle of the Tantric Mahamudra!
Gu Beichen, the Golden Mantis, approached like a ghost, his twin slashes as sharp as knives, the gale already tearing the air in front of Jiacuo!

Gyatso neither dodged nor evaded, letting the two mantis blades fall upon him!

"boom!"

Gu Beichen's fingertips felt like they had hit a copper wall, the shock making his finger bones ache!
He felt a chill run down his spine. Could this Tibetan be at the peak of the ninth realm?
His figure suddenly changed, and his arms slashed like mantis blades, the "Seven Star Quick Strike" instantly turning into seven afterimages, attacking Prince Gyatso from seven directions!
Prince Gyatso slid his feet a few feet away, instantly avoiding the opponent's storm-like attack!
Langjie's reminder made him see the light!
I heard that their unique skill is called Mantis Fist. It was created by a martial arts master who learned the essence of martial arts from the mantis!

Now that I've met a real person, is he not as good as that person from back then?

He suddenly asked, "Lang Jie, do you know the origin of Mantis Boxing?" He shifted his body slightly and dodged another Mantis Blade attack!

Langjie said, "During the Kaiyuan era of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Yuan of Qingzhou was the son of a wealthy merchant, but he disliked the stench of money and loved only martial arts. Every day, he would go to a desolate mountain on the outskirts of the city and beat an old locust tree. People laughed at his madness, but he didn't care at all, saying only: 'There must be a profound principle in all martial arts, and I will find it one day!' One day, as usual, he went up the mountain to practice his boxing when he suddenly heard a strange sound coming from the treetop. He looked up and saw a bright green mantis facing off against a yellow sparrow!"

At this moment, the Golden Mantis was wielding its mantis blade and launching a tidal wave of attacks when it heard the boss of Holy Snow Mountain actually telling the story of the founder of the Mantis Sect, and its offensive suddenly faltered!
Prince Gyatso replied, "You're too slow!"

Upon hearing this, the Golden Mantis was taken aback. Seeing that the opponent's movements were as smooth as flowing water, he had only skillfully dodged and had not launched a single counterattack so far. It was clear that the opponent was toying with him!
But at this point, the battle between the two sides was already in full swing, and they could only advance relentlessly! He gritted his teeth and unleashed another "Seven Star Quick Strike"!
Lang Jie, who was standing next to him, continued, "Zhang Yuan saw that the mantis was no bigger than a thumb, but when it faced the oriole, it raised its head and arms, showing no fear whatsoever! The oriole swooped down to peck at its head, but the mantis did not retreat but advanced instead, twisting its arms like scissors to lock the oriole's beak, and using the momentum, it flipped over, its sharp legs piercing the oriole's eyes! The oriole cried out in pain and fled with flapping wings! Zhang Yuan was stunned at the time."

He was telling a story, while Gu Beichen, the Golden Mantis, launched a frenzied attack on Prince Jiacuo. Pang Shiwu and Bigwov, watching from afar, stood with their arms crossed, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.

"After that, Zhang Yuan stared intently at the mantis for three whole days. When the mantis catches a cicada, it is fast, accurate, and ruthless, killing with a single blow; when fighting a sparrow, it is soft, entangled, and skillful, using the opponent's force against them. Zhang Yuan suddenly had an epiphany. Using his hand as a knife, he imitated the mantis's movements and felt his blood and qi flowing through his arm, seemingly more in harmony with the natural order than the boxing techniques he had previously practiced. So he laughed loudly: 'The essence of martial arts lies not in brute force, but in spirituality!' From then on, he observed the mantis day and night and created seven styles of boxing—'Asking the Way Hand,' 'Throat-Locking Nail,' 'Seven Star Strike,' 'Crushing Hammer,' 'Circling Hand,' 'Flapping Wings,' and 'Green Mantis Crossing Water,' each move capturing the mantis's predatory form while subtly conforming to the Taoist principles of Yin and Yang!"

Prince Gyatso said, "It is truly remarkable that such a small mantis could defeat a strong oriole with its weakness!"

Gu Beichen roared, "Take my Beng Chui!" Beng Chui is a short-range explosive strike, using the back or side of the fist to strike the enemy's ribs and abdomen!

His powerful punch was so strong that if it hit a person, it would likely cause broken bones and tendons!

Prince Gyatso remained unmoved, taking the punch head-on! With a loud bang, he remained unmoved, while Gu Beichen was thrown back several steps by the force of the impact. His fist felt like it had struck an impenetrable wall, his palm bones nearly shattering. A sharp pain shot through him, and sweat began to bead on his forehead!
Prince Gyatso asked, "Do you have any even more powerful moves?"

Golden Mantis Gu Beichen stared wide-eyed at the young Tibetan nobleman before him, his anger burning fiercely!

"who are you?"

Gyatso said calmly, "Didn't I just tell you? My name is Dahai."

"Damn you, Da Hai!" Gu Beichen was completely enraged!

He bit his tongue hard, spitting a mouthful of blood onto his arms, "Blood Mantis Devouring the Moon!"
His arms instantly turned bright red like branding irons, and he stepped in the Seven Star Step, mimicking the movement of the Big Dipper, simultaneously exerting force from seven points including his shoulders, elbows, knees, and hands!
The offensive was ruthless and rapidly increased several times over, with each strike carrying a scorching heat wave that distorted the very air!

Gyatso finally frowned slightly, but still did not retaliate. He simply clasped his hands together, and his body shone with golden light—the aura of the "Triple Lapis Lazuli Body" was fully unleashed!

"Dang! Dang! Dang!"

Gu Beichen's fists and palms struck like a great bell, reverberating all around!
Yet, it still couldn't shake Gyatso in the slightest! Every attack struck the invisible shield! That was a triple-strength glass protective shield!
Gu Beichen, the Golden Mantis, finally realized the opponent's strength! It was several times greater than his own!
He was now bloodthirsty, his body suddenly leaping into the air like a mantis stalking a cicada, performing the "Green Mantis Crossing the Water" move! This move condensed ten layers of his power! The Green Mantis Crossing the Water is the supreme lightness skill of the Mantis Sect. Combined with the penetrating power of the "Golden Mantis Hand," it once pierced through an iron plate several inches thick in one strike!

Seemingly recognizing the power of this move, Gyatso finally made his move—he slightly turned his body, raised his right palm, and unleashed a "Void Seal"!
"boom!"

Gu Beichen's all-out attack was deflected by an invisible force, losing 90% of its force. The remaining force struck Jiacuo's shoulder, but it was like a mud ox sinking into the sea, not even lifting the corner of his clothes!
Gu Beichen, the Golden Mantis, was nearly insane, his eyes bloodshot and veins bulging in his neck. He was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot! This move was a desperate attempt, sacrificing his own meridians to concentrate all his internal energy into his arms, determined to break through Jiacuo's defense!
Gyatso finally sighed, put his palms together, and chanted the six-syllable mantra: "Om Mani Padme Hum!"
"boom--!"

Gu Beichen, the Golden Mantis, felt as if his arms had struck a mountain, his finger bones shattering inch by inch. He was sent flying backward, crashing heavily to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood!

Gu Beichen, the Golden Mantis, struggled to his feet. His arms were crippled and blood was dripping from the corner of his mouth, yet he still stared intently at Jiacuo!

Gyatso stepped forward slowly, his long robe spotless, and said calmly, "The martial arts of the Central Plains are nothing more than this!"

Gu Beichen, the Golden Mantis, gave a bitter laugh and finally collapsed, exhausted.

Langjie said, "Danzin and the others are back!"

Prince Gyatso said, "Alright, everyone go about your business. Remember, the bodies of those six Han Chinese must be cleaned up, and the bodies of our recently deceased compatriots must be taken to the government office to demand an explanation. I want them to start causing chaos right now!"

Langjie replied, "Yes!" He gestured to the returning lamas to quickly carry away the mantis's corpse. Turning to the other Tibetans, he said, "Take the bodies of these fellow countrymen to the Gaozhou government office and demand an explanation from the prefect!"

"Yes!" The men split up and went their separate ways.

Pang Shiwu, standing some distance away, frowned and said, "Is this guy trying to cause trouble?"

Bigwolf said, "It's all for nothing!" Hiding the other person's body and taking their own to the authorities to demand justice—what are they up to? They're definitely up to no good!

Bigwolf asked, "Are we still going to deal with this?"

Pang Shiwu said, "Whether we care or not, we have to tell our elder brother!"

After Pang Shiwu returned and whispered what had just happened to everyone, Feng Jiuxiao frowned. "You said that Tibetan man in Hanfu resembled Liu Miezhou, so his status must be quite high. He's most likely a Tibetan nobleman! According to your description, there was also a skilled lama next to him. He probably wouldn't have bothered fighting the Golden Mantis, but he still personally intervened. This means he wanted to test his recent martial arts progress! His Tantric skills have reached a high level, and the lama was particularly respectful to him. He's most likely a disciple of the Holy Venerable! I bet he'll also appear at the government office!"

"How can a Tibetan nobleman like him come and go as he pleases? And the city guards don't care?"

"This place is different from other places. In order to maintain stability, the imperial court grants a considerable degree of freedom here, so people of Tibetan, Qiang, and other ethnic groups can come and go quite freely! Why does the imperial court strengthen border trade? Isn't it to make the people here more settled? If the people of the Central Plains become rich, their sense of belonging and loyalty will increase, while if people of other ethnic groups become rich, they will have fewer wicked thoughts. If they can easily make money and live a decent life, who would risk doing things that involve large-scale warfare and risk losing their heads?"

"That's how it is. But I always had a feeling that guy wasn't a good person."

“Your feeling is right. Let’s go take a look in a bit. Brother Zeng, since we’ve caught up with this, let’s go and see what’s going on.” Feng Jiuxiao looked at Zeng Yong. Getting involved in this matter would only delay their journey, so he naturally wanted Zeng Yong’s understanding.

Zeng Yong said, "This matter must be resolved! I suspect that the Tibetans want to take advantage of the unstable situation here and interfere. It could lead to a major war, and once war breaks out, it will be the ordinary people who suffer. We must take care of this!"

"it is good!"

On one hand, there was the need to improve his own skills; on the other hand, there was the need to prevent the people from suffering undeserved calamities. Zeng Yong could naturally distinguish which was more important! If he said that it was more important to continue on the journey, he believed that Feng Jiuxiao would never listen to his opinion, and the rift between the two would never be eliminated!
Feng Jiuxiao asked, "Are you all full?"

Chili said, "We're full. Fifteen, are you full? You've been watching the fun and haven't eaten much."

Bigwolf said, "Hey, I'm going to watch the fun too."

Chili rolled her eyes at him and said, "Whose fault is it that you went to watch the excitement? Who told you not to eat?"

Big Wolf was choked quite a bit, coughed a few times, and quickly drank some water. "Oh dear, I'm so unlucky!" Pang Shiwu quickly said with a smile, "Alright, Brother Wolf, are you full?"

Bigwolf immediately laughed and said, "I'm full! It feels so good to have someone care about me!"

Everyone smiled!

The Eight Immortals and the others exchanged glances and prepared to leave their seats. They were ready to depart immediately should Feng Jiuxiao and his companions make a move.

"It seems those six mantises aren't coming back," the White Ape Immortal said softly.

Linglong Xian sneered, "Who told that sixth brother to be so ignorant? He doesn't even know how to conceal his sharpness when he's traveling the martial world! He dares to act wildly on someone else's turf, isn't that just courting death?"

Nao Haixian said, "Brother, I see that many of these people are going to Qinghai, and some seem to be going to Nianboyeze Mountain. Brother, what do you think we should do next?"

The White Ape Immortal said, "These things are not contradictory. The way to Qinghai inevitably involves passing through the Nianbo Yeze Mountain! Whether there are dates or not, grab a few when you pass by!"

Nao Hai Xian said, "That's good! I was worried we'd lost them!"

Linglong Xian said, "By the way, elder brother, do you think they know we're actually following them?"

"Know!"

"But we're tracking the Mantis Six, aren't we?"

"Brother, remember this: we're not the Mantis Six. Never make any silly mistakes! Don't underestimate their abilities!" The leader, White Ape Immortal, looked at Feng Jiuxiao and the others. "The Mantis Six always think some people's reputations are just hype, but they don't understand one thing: many things can't be fabricated! Take his claim of withstanding the Demon Lord's thirty moves, for example. Who would dare to exaggerate? If it were false, someone from the Demonic Sect would have come out to clarify! Because if the Demon Lord couldn't kill a teenager within thirty moves, it means the Demon Lord's body has problems, which is very serious! But no one from the Demonic Sect has clarified this!"

"Perhaps this is just a smokescreen set up by the Demonic Cult? To lure those restless individuals to their deaths in the Demon City?"

"Your idea makes sense. But if it were you, and the Demon Lord were your enemy, and you knew that the Demon Lord might be injured or his power might have been greatly reduced, would you go to the Demon Capital to fight the Demon Lord?"

"of course not!"

"why?"

"Shanghai is teeming with experts; I'll probably die on the way before I even see the Demon Lord!"

"Then tell me, why did those demonic sect experts let him go after he escaped from the Demon Lord's clutches? If you were a member of the demonic sect, would you have let him go?"

"Of course not!"

"Then how did he manage to come back alive?"

"This one……"

"Hehe, you should all know that it's not that we didn't want to stop him, but that we simply couldn't stop him!"

"I heard that a few days ago, he fought the Demon Lord for hundreds of moves until he finally wore the Demon Lord down. Is he really that powerful?"

"The Demon Lord's defeat wasn't due to his instigation! According to reliable sources, the Demon Lord had been controlling the Azure Dragon for half a day that day, and his inner strength was already exhausted. The one surnamed Feng gained a huge advantage! Otherwise, the Demon Lord wouldn't have been defeated!"

"I've heard that the Demon Lord possesses the Soul Transfer Technique, which allows one to be reborn using a furnace. I wonder if it's true."

"It's true. I wonder who the Demon Lord is possessing now. Be careful in the future, and never offend anyone carelessly. Who knows, maybe that person is the Demon Lord. If he were to use his power to devour you, all your strength would be his, and you would be in big trouble."

"Big brother, they're gone."

"Then let's go too."

The hall, which had been quite noisy, suddenly became restless when someone left their seat. Some people wondered, "Are they going to visit the Bo Ye Ze Mountain right now?"

"possible!"

"Then why are we even eating? Let's go!"

"go!"

Suddenly, a large group of them stood up!

Feng Jiuxiao and the others paid the bill and left without making a sound. Before leaving, they inquired about the address of the Gaozhou Prefectural Government Office, a place known to everyone in the city, so they found out the answer easily.

Three carriages slowly drove towards the government office.

When the carriages following behind suddenly realized that the three carriages in front had changed direction, they all stopped immediately.

A person inside the carriage asked, "Why did it stop?"

The driver said, "They've turned."

"Then let's turn too!"

"But turning the corner would take a longer route!"

"They've taken a detour? Haha, it's obvious they don't know the way. Let's go our own way."

"okay!"

The following carriages headed towards their destination in the "correct" direction!
Among the crowd of people hurrying along the way, the Eight Thieves looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Brother, it seems that the guy surnamed Feng has gone the wrong way!"

"No matter where he goes, we'll go. We're sticking with him! Everyone else is a fool; they'd be wasting their time. Remember, brother, following a tiger means you'll get leftovers; following a sheep means you won't even get the grass roots!" (End of Chapter)