Knife splashing

Chapter 733 The Trio's Trail
Wang Daoxuan and his companions were no strangers to the Japanese.

In the Battle of Luoyang, the Japanese forces infiltrated the White Horse Temple and impersonated the Maitreya sect to plan sabotage operations, thus aiding the Ghost Emperor Xuanmo.

Outside the palace, an old Japanese monk cast a spell on the shikigami "Blue Lantern Woman, Nightmare of a Hundred Tales" at the City God Temple, even claiming it was a divine summoning technique, which was ridiculed by Yin Jiuge.

Although it was eventually broken, Yin Jiuge was also seriously injured and completely withdrew from the martial arts world.

In short, the esoteric magic system of Japan was significantly influenced by the Central Plains.

Yin-Yang Dao originated from the Yin-Yang and Five Elements theory of the pre-Qin period. Many ninjutsu techniques originated from Taoist esoteric arts. Ninja schools such as the Hattori Hanzo family also originated from Minzhou.

However, due to local customs, they have embarked on a different path.

They are even more ruthless and vicious, and skilled at controlling ghosts.

With Wang Daoxuan's and his companions' level of cultivation, they could naturally handle it with ease.

However, the attacks did not occur in a single wave.

Just as Wang Daoxuan had deflected the sneak attack with hidden weapons—

A muffled pop!

The soft mud beneath his feet collapsed and softened without warning.

A huge, viscous suction force instantly wrapped around his legs.

Those lumps of mud seemed to come alive.

Ninjutsu: Earth Release: Mud Binding!

"Little tricks!"

Wang Daoxuan remained calm, his left hand forming a hand seal, while his right hand suddenly pointed downwards, and a yellow talisman, which had been held between his fingers, shot into the mud with a "whoosh"!

"town!"

The talisman sank into the mud and instantly burst into flames.

A sudden burst of bone-chilling cold.

Click...click click!
The surface of the originally sticky, wriggling mud visibly solidified with a layer of frost, and then cracks appeared.

Wang Daoxuan stretched out his leg and lifted it, causing the frozen mud to fall off with a splash.

All of this happened in a very short time.

Neither Lü San nor Wu Ba offered any assistance.

Firstly, they knew that these methods couldn't harm Wang Daoxuan at all.

Secondly, the real attack is yet to come!

"over there!"

The hiss of a venomous snake came from the bushes, and Lü San immediately swung out a steel cone.

The moment the steel cone sank into the grass, a flash of light appeared, sending the cone flying.

"Roar!"

Wu Ba roared, like a thunderclap from a clear sky!
He suddenly leaped out, his massive body accompanied by the sound of wind.

While in mid-air, the giant, fan-like hand clenched tightly, and the specially made steel gauntlets fell from the arm guards, blasting out with violent force.

Before the punch even landed, the grass was already bent over by the sound of the wind.

Sure enough, two ninjas were hiding there.

In the rain and mist, a dark shadow almost blended into the night, like an incredibly slippery water snake, darted and twisted along the inside of Wu Ba's thick arm.

Like a venomous snake climbing up a pole.

The short blade in the dark figure's hand flashed with a cold light, and a sharp kunai, more than a foot long with a blade that gleamed with a ghostly blue light, silently slashed towards Wu Ba's ribs.

This is a ninja assassination technique.

To have such a level of skill, one must clearly be a master among ninjas.

"Get out!" Wu Ba groaned, his muscles bulging instantly.

He didn't flinch at all; instead, he contracted his lower abdomen and bent his elbow like a battering ram.

Wu Family Eight Extremes Collapse Force, close-quarters combat!
Bang!
The violent energy and power exploded.

Blood and flesh splattered everywhere; the ninja had been brutally cut in two.

However, there was more than one hidden attacker.

Just as the first ninja rushed out, another dark figure stepped on his back and leaped into the air, like an upside-down ghost bat, swooping down without warning.

The person was already spinning rapidly in mid-air, waving their arms.

"Om-!"

A dense array of poisonous needles, shimmering with a ghostly blue light, rained down like a storm.

Its attack range is extremely wide, encompassing Wu Ba, Wang Daoxuan below, and Lü San, who is positioned slightly behind.

Ninjutsu: Rain of a Thousand Needles!

The two worked together seamlessly.

However, he clearly underestimated the abilities of the crowd.

Lu San stepped forward, flicked his cloak, and used a clever technique to spin it around, turning it into an umbrella.

All the steel needles aimed at the two men were blocked.

As for Wu Ba, his body suddenly pressed down, his muscles bulged again, and a surge of energy flowed around him, making him look like an iron Vajra in a temple, his skin even shimmering with a metallic luster.

Huaguang Martial Arts - Secret Striking.

Ding Ding Ding!
A series of rapid, sharp sounds deflected all the poisoned needles.

The ninja in mid-air looked terrified, clearly having never seen such a technique before.

He forcefully twisted his body, flung his hand, and the kunai with the steel wire whistled out, nailing itself to the opposite tree, carrying him in mid-air as he tried to escape.

But Wu Ba's attack had only just begun.

The left fist strikes with the Bajiquan style, powerful and straight, like raising a fire to burn the sky.

Another muffled thud, and the ninja was also smashed to pieces.

Wu Ba withdrew his fist, chuckled, and said, "Trash~"

Meanwhile, Lü San, who was behind, remained expressionless. His gaze swept over the depths of the bushes, and he frowned as he said, "It seems there's another one. He's already escaped. His escape technique can use rainwater to conceal his scent."

Wang Daoxuan shook his head slightly, "It's a pity we didn't catch a single person."

After saying that, he looked at the cave in the grass and said, "Let's hurry up. These Japanese are probably the ones who infiltrated the city to cause trouble. This matter is probably not simple."

"go!"

Looking at the dark cave entrance, Lü San plunged in without hesitation. The little white fox took the lead, twitching its nose to explore the way, followed closely by Wang Daoxuan and Wu Ba.

The tunnel was narrow and deep, and a smell of earth and rust filled the air.

The air was stuffy and humid, and every few steps you had to carefully tread on the slippery moss.

Rainwater seeped in through the cave entrance, accumulating into cold pools in the low-lying areas.

After walking for about ten feet, by the faint light of the torch, the view suddenly opened up before us.

A brick and stone path, wide enough for two people to walk side by side, stretched into the darkness. The ground was paved with neat stone slabs, and the walls on both sides were built with huge stone blocks. Although the arches on top had many cracks, they were still sturdy.

Wang Daoxuan frowned, stroking the faint inscription "Supervised Construction in the Third Year of Daxing" on a stone slab. "This is the underground military tunnel of Zhongdu in the Jin Dynasty! The History of Jin mentions that the Jin emperor imitated the hidden military tunnel of Bianliang and built it with stone slabs mixed with glutinous rice mortar, but no one discovered it... That old ghost in the capital is indeed not simple, he even found this."

But just a few dozen steps ahead, there was a large landslide.

Broken wood and fresh soil blocked the way, and a few broken kunai lay scattered among the rubble.

“It’s newly collapsed.” Lü San squatted down, picked up a clod of soil, wet mud mixed with dry sand, and smelled it. “It smells like gunpowder, most likely that old ghost’s escape plan.”

squeak-

The little white fox, Chuqi, suddenly raised its head, its nose twitching like a fan, and instantly disappeared into a side path half-hidden by rubble.

The three of them immediately followed.

The tunnels are interconnected, but several areas have collapsed.

After winding and twisting through narrow, dog-hole-like openings, we finally found a hidden stone chamber.

On the weapon rack, covered in cobwebs and dust, rusted iron spears lay scattered haphazardly.

The earthenware jar was shattered, and the pickled vegetables had long since turned into black mud. A person, with white hair and a disheveled face, was huddled in the corner.

It was that old devil from the capital!

The old ghost's face was covered in blood, and a hideous knife wound on his chest was so deep that the bone was visible. His filthy and tattered coat was soaked in blood, and the area around the knife wound was tinged with blackish-purple.

His breathing was faint, and he was clutching a broken piece of straw rope tightly in his hand.

Three dull-colored amulet coins were tied to the rope.

"There's still help!"

Wang Daoxuan strode forward and poured out a crimson pill the size of a longan from the gourd.

This is a healing pill refined by Ge Pusheng of Baicaotang.

It can not only stop bleeding quickly, but also suppress common poisons.

The old man was a reserved person. He clearly craved excitement, but he kept aloof and rarely spoke to the other masters in the academy. He was only familiar with Wang Jingxiu.

Wang Daoxuan and Long Yan'er learned from him and obtained a lot of elixirs.

The pills in the old ghost's mouth turned into liquid medicine as soon as they touched his saliva and flowed down his throat.

At the same time, Wang Daoxuan tore open his clothes, and used golden needles to seal the major acupoints of his heart meridian, while casting talismans to dispel the evil energy.

The simultaneous application of several methods produced remarkable results.

"Well……"

Old Ghost's throat bobbed, and he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of black blood, his unfocused eyes struggling to concentrate.

"But what about Old Ghost from the Capital, Lin Yu and the others?"

Wang Daoxuan crouched down and asked urgently.

Old Ghost's gaze swept over the three men, but he remained silent, his eyes filled with vigilance.

After Wang Daoxuan explained his identity and purpose, and learned that the other party had saved him, he finally spoke, his dry lips moving and his voice hoarse: "He...they entered the Nine Gates Yin Ruins."

"Nine Gates Yin Ruins?"

Wang Daoxuan was puzzled at first, but then a flash of inspiration made him immediately understand the reason.

And the old ghost from the capital city began to recount what had happened…

…………

Three days ago, at the foot of the wall of the Rabbit God Temple.

Lin Yu squatted beside the stale rice bucket, a fawning smile flashing across his fair and chubby face. He took out the three-eyed beast-face stone carving from his pocket and said, "Senior Old Ghost, give me the truth."

"Is this thing really a protective object from the 'Nuoshen Tomb'? Where exactly is the Peach Capital Mountain Wood?"

From the shadows in the corner, the old ghost from the capital city peeked out.

Staring at the object, he seemed to be recalling something before coldly saying, "The Nuo God Tomb was blasted into pieces by the Tai Xuan Orthodox Sect with lightning magic long ago. There are no clues here."

Upon hearing this, Kong Shangzhao's face immediately fell in disappointment.

The three men were interested in the wood from Taodu Mountain for different reasons.

Lin Yu, the fat man, was driven by two reasons: first, to satisfy his curiosity, and second, because his family was in trouble, and many people were in danger, so he desperately wanted to find this legendary item, hoping it might offer a chance to turn the tide.

Kuai Dayou is a craftsman; this treasure can be forged into the magical artifact he has long desired.

As for Kong Shangzhao, he was interested in the matter of "living ghost messengers".

He was restless by nature and hated all kinds of rules, which is why he caused trouble in the Kong family. During his time in the Commandery, although he was treated with great courtesy, he was almost driven crazy by the confinement.

Having followed Li Yan and the others all along, he had longed to join their team.

When bookishness takes hold, one can sometimes act irrationally.

Thinking that finding this ancient clue about the "living underworld messenger" would allow them to join the Twelve Earthly Branches.

The two were disappointed, but Fatty Lin refused to give up. With a forced smile, he took out a gold ingot from his pocket and said, "Senior, they can't do it, but you definitely can."

"You know I come from the Lin family. If I can get this done, you can name your terms."

The old ghost from Beijing, lurking in the shadows, paused for a moment, then said, "There's a chance too."

"Please speak!"

The three of them immediately became interested.

The old ghost from the capital said in a deep voice, "I know a little about this matter. In the past, the Jin Kingdom's national teacher used it to confer the title of 'Head of the Demons.' They were deeply involved with the Ghost Cult. Seeing that the Xuanmen had joined forces and that the Golden Tent Wolf Kingdom was invading from the south, and that the Jin Kingdom was about to perish, they released it in an attempt to use it to cultivate powerful evil arts. Unfortunately, it caused a great disaster."

"Later, the trees on Taodu Mountain were struck by heavenly lightning and turned to ashes by the Xuanmen sect. The trees on Taodu Mountain mysteriously disappeared and were secretly taken away by someone."

"I want to know where he/she is..."

He pointed his withered, claw-like finger to the northeastern ground, "Only the Nine Gates of Yin Ruins remain!"

"The Nine Gates Yin Ruins is a place where 'heaven and earth contend, yin and yang are reversed,' and there are remnants of the past, which can trace back the scene of 'drastic changes in the earth's vein nodes.'"

"When lightning struck the Nuo God Temple, it caused quite a commotion and may have left clues, but because of what happened before, the Imperial Clan Court is on high alert, so it is probably quite dangerous."

Fatty Lin's eyes darted around. "With the Qiankun Academy about to open, the elite guards from the Imperial Clan Court have been drawn away to protect it. Perhaps this is an opportunity."

"Oh?"

The old ghost from the capital pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "It's dangerous there. Since you're not afraid, I can lend a hand. I'll use the 'Three Yangs Suppressing Soul' technique to protect your physical bodies and then use amulets to lock your souls. That will allow your spirits to temporarily leave your bodies and explore the Yin Ruins!"

……

"Later, it did succeed..."

Inside the cave, the old ghost from the capital continued to recount what happened next.

“That fat kid Lin found these three precious coins. Taking advantage of the weak defenses of the Imperial Clan Court, I set up an array to let them in.”

"But no matter how long we waited, no one came out."

"I was anxious, so I used magic to summon their souls, but I didn't expect that I would not only fail to summon back their three spirits, but also attract those Japanese pirates and sorcerers to attack me."

"To prevent any accidents, I led the person here."

"You'll know what happened next..."

……

Following the directions given by the old ghost, Wang Daoxuan and his two companions searched deep into the tunnels and finally found a natural stone chamber deep in the underground caves near Jinei City.

Lin Yu, Kuai Dayou, and Kong Shangzhao were sitting cross-legged in a triangular formation, with a mat prepared by the old ghost of the capital city on their bodies, and a copper coin for warding off evil spirits hanging above their heads.

No wonder the three of them dared to take the risk.

The place that the old ghost from the capital found is much safer than the place they found before.

Even if the Imperial Clan Court is alerted, they can still escape if they recover in time.

The three had rosy complexions, as if they were fast asleep, but a chilling, deathly aura emanated from them.

"This is a sign that the spirit has been separated from the body for too long."

After taking the pulse, Wang Daoxuan shook his head and said, "The person is still breathing and alive, but if this drags on any longer, even a god couldn't save them."

Lu San said in a muffled voice, "Taoist Master, what do you think we should do?"

Wang Daoxuan pondered for a moment, "We cannot tell the Commandery that the Nine Gates Yin Ruins involve the Great Xuan Dragon Vein, which is a taboo of the imperial court. If it is leaked, none of these three will survive."

"We didn't have time to notify Brother Yan, so we had no choice but to go in and look for him."

Lu San nodded and said, "Using the old ghost's method from the capital, we can get in. The Taoist priest can cast a spell outside to protect our physical bodies, but the situation inside is unknown. What if the Japanese come to ambush us again?"

"I have a way."

The old man from the capital city next to him said, "We can secretly inform the Commandery that those Japanese are hiding nearby. With them there, the Japanese will have difficulty interfering and won't know that we are hiding underground."

"Alright, thank you for your trouble, senior!"

Without wasting words, Wang Daoxuan first instructed Lü San to follow the old ghost and watch him release the message.

Then, they set up the altar again in this underground cave.

Just like that night, Wang Daoxuan placed the "Soul Separation Talisman" on the two men's foreheads and the Xintai acupoint, pressing his thumb against the base of their ring fingers and keeping the other three fingers together, while reciting:

"The Nine Netherworlds open, the soul departs from the Mysterious Pass... Imperial Decree!"

As the incantation began, Lü San and Wu Ba felt their bodies suddenly become empty, and they rushed through the thick fog.

The thick fog gradually thinned, and through the hazy mist, the ancient and dilapidated streets of the capital city appeared before the two of them...

(End of this chapter)