All the heavens, starting with Little Li Flying Dagger

Chapter 199 Next time for sure!
Dongping County, Prince's Mansion

Three people were seated in the main seat: a middle-aged scholar, an old man in a blue robe, and a dignified figure who looked like a high-ranking official.

The middle-aged scholar was naturally Wang Tong.

The other two were also top figures of their time: Ouyang Xiyi, a senior figure in the martial arts world, and Wang Shichong, a high-ranking official in the imperial court.

The guests gathered below the stage, and according to custom, this birthday banquet should have been a joyous occasion, filled with lively discussions and clinking glasses.

But at this moment, the scene was eerily quiet. Everyone was waiting silently, and even those who were whispering to each other were very restrained.

Everyone was waiting for one person—'Master Shi'.

As the daughter of the Evil King and the son of the Holy Maiden Cihang, Shi Qingxuan is most famous not for her identity, but for her almost supernatural skill in playing the xiao (a type of Chinese flute)!
For a woman to be called a "master" speaks volumes about her talent.

It is said that Shi Qingxuan's flute skills have long reached a state of perfection, capable of touching people's hearts and moving all who hear them, even surpassing those of her mother, Bi Xiuxin.

Suddenly, a loud male voice rang out, its tone arrogant.

"Is Master Shi here?!"

With a thud, several figures suddenly fell to the ground. They were dressed as guards from the Prince's mansion, already coughing up blood and unable to get up.

Everyone's expression changed instantly. Who was so bold as to embarrass the great Confucian scholar Wang Tong?

It should be noted that Wang Tong was a great Confucian scholar of the time, not only with superb learning but also with unfathomable martial arts skills. He was a figure comparable to the leaders of the four major clans, and his connections spanned both the imperial court and the martial arts world.

Many heroes and powerful figures gathered there, including martial arts masters and even high-ranking officials. If you offended one, you might not even be able to die.

Everyone couldn't help but look up.
A tall, handsome, and deep-set mixed-race man appeared at the door, clearly of Central Asian descent.
Beside her was a beautiful woman of another ethnicity, who bore a striking resemblance to Fu Junzhuo.

The man approached with an arrogant yet composed demeanor. He ignored everyone's gaze, clearly considering himself extraordinary and displaying an astonishing air.

"When it's time for Master Shi to come, he will naturally come."

Ouyang Xiyi, dressed in a tattered blue shirt, said coldly,

"As for you, a barbarian of a foreign race, you really shouldn't have come!"

Wang Tong's face also darkened, and his tone became unfriendly.

"You injured someone with a single move. Although I haven't fought with anyone for many years, I'm not without temper. State your name!"

"My name is Ba Feng Han!"

Ba Feng Han spoke calmly.
"I have long heard that the martial arts world of the Central Plains is profound and full of masters, which is why I have come to the pass to learn a thing or two..."

"I have already defeated masters from several sects. Today, as I pass by, besides wanting to admire Master Shi's beauty, I thought there would be other masters present."

"I never imagined they were all useless old men!"

Upon hearing this, even the hot-tempered Ouyang Xiyi couldn't hold back any longer and coldly retorted,

"Shuzi is arrogant!"

Just as Ouyang Xiyi was about to angrily take action, he heard a sound coming from outside the door.

"Ziling, we thought it was presumptuous enough that we came without prior notice, but we didn't expect there to be such a gem before us!"

"Originally, the Dongming Sect also sent invitations, but since they got involved with my adoptive father, they were also wanted by the court, so Wang Daru naturally dared not invite the Dongming Sect anymore."

"I have no choice but to do my godfather's mission. It's just that I can't stand this kid. My godfather told us to treat great scholars with respect, but this kid is even more arrogant than my godfather!!"

"Alas, this kid is really in trouble. The Holy Emperor can't stand anyone more arrogant than him. That's what my godfather would say."

"You've already found a way to die!" x2!

The two male voices, one still and one active, were teasing and lighthearted, instantly dispelling the tense atmosphere from before.

Upon hearing the words "Holy Emperor," everyone's expression changed, and they became even more tense than before!
"Could the 'Holy Emperor' they're talking about be that 'Evil Emperor'?!"

"That must be Wang Gan, the one who killed Yuwen Huaji with a single palm strike, seized the Longevity Manual, severely injured 'Silver Beard Iron Crutch' with another move, kidnapped the second daughter of the Song family, and proclaimed himself the Holy Emperor of the Demonic Sect and the leader of the Quanxing Sect. He has never used a second move since he debuted!"

"I've heard that this man is not only extremely skilled in martial arts, but also extremely wicked in his actions, capable of driving people to the brink of insanity. It's said that after fighting Yuwen Huaji, he was severely injured and on the verge of death, and upon returning to the Yuwen clan, he was nearly insane! Before his death, he kept shouting in terror, 'I am General Yuwen! I am General Yuwen!' and other such insane ramblings."

"Hiss, so these two are the lucky 'Yangzhou beggars' who obtained the Longevity Formula and were taken in as disciples by the Evil Emperor, right?!"

"I just heard these two exhale, and they already have considerable internal strength. I'm afraid this Evil Emperor is not only incredibly skilled in martial arts, but also adept at teaching disciples!"

Wang Shichong snorted coldly. As a high-ranking Sui official trusted by Yang Guang, his face turned extremely ugly.
"How dare this lowly criminal, wanted by the imperial court, be so arrogant? Does he really think the Sui Dynasty has no one to rely on?!"

Upon hearing this, everyone remained calm and composed, neither responding nor engaging in further discussion, continuing to talk about other topics.

The Sui Dynasty was devoid of capable leaders and its fate was sealed. Wasn't that obvious?!
If we say that when Guangshen first ascended the throne, he implemented tyrannical policies and imposed heavy corvée labor, the Sui Dynasty was merely showing signs of decline.

However, after the three campaigns against Goguryeo, uprisings broke out in various places, and the central government was no longer able to suppress the ever-emerging rebel armies, so it had no choice but to accept the status quo of warlordism.
Anyone with eyes could see that the Sui Dynasty was doomed to collapse sooner or later. Therefore, what Wang Shichong said was just empty talk to save face, and the fact that no one laughed out loud was a sign of respect.

At this moment, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling landed gracefully, both looking radiant and full of energy, clearly indicating that their martial arts skills had improved considerably in recent days.

"Hahaha!"

"I never expected it to be the adopted son of the Evil Emperor in person. I wonder if the 'Evil Emperor,' whose martial arts are said to be close to those of the 'Three Grandmasters,' is just a facade!"

Ba Feng Han laughed heartily, finding himself intrigued.

"Let me see how much of the Evil Emperor's skills you've learned, you adopted sons!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Ba Feng Han suddenly made his move, his figure flashing and covering a distance of more than three zhang.

He wore a slight smile, his hands clasped at his waist. Surprisingly, he carried a knife and a sword at his waist, leaving onlookers unsure whether he was using a knife or a sword.

"Well done!"

Kou Zhong laughed heartily.
"It just so happens that our martial arts skills have improved, and one of us is going to test our swords!"

Xu Ziling also smiled.

"I've heard that Ba Feng Han is extremely talented. At the age of twenty, his martial arts skills are already comparable to any senior master. Before my adoptive father debuted, he was the most powerful young figure in the Central Plains martial arts world."

"Perfect for testing the sword!"

Ba Feng Han moved, drawing his sword slightly with his right hand. Instantly, an incomparably sharp sword aura slashed out, striking the two dragons opposite him!

Xu Ziling stepped forward, drew his longsword to defend himself, his mind was clear and bright, and the strange true energy in his body was different from any other true energy in the world!

The Mingyu Divine Skill possesses boundless inner power!
The powerful energies clashed!

Xu Ziling grunted, feeling a force like a thousand waves coming from the blade opposite him, which forced him to take several steps back.

Ba Feng Han's expression also shifted slightly, and he felt somewhat uncomfortable. He felt that the true energy opposite him was extremely strange, seemingly there but not there, cold and icy, as if he had bumped into a ten-thousand-year-old iceberg, which did not radiate outwards at all.

Even with his domineering true energy, it couldn't shake it, and was even faintly absorbed in part?!
Before he could react, Kou Zhong let out a soft shout and unleashed a powerful strike, his momentum like a rainbow, releasing a scorching aura that was completely opposite to Xu Ziling's "immovable as a mountain" style!

"Well done!"

Ba Feng Han let out a long roar, advancing instead of retreating. He dared not underestimate the two, drawing both swords and sabers with both hands, his true energy surging out wildly. Those who saw this all changed color!
In an instant, energy burst forth in mid-air as the three engaged in a dazzling battle!

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, each wielding a sword and a saber respectively, joined forces to surround Xu Ziling. The scorching and icy energies exploded simultaneously, their power more than twice that of a single person!
However, based on the nature of their true qi, Wang Gan specially taught them the secret techniques of Mingyu Gong and Jiayi Shen Gong, one cold and one hot, to manifest the power of the longevity true qi respectively.

Moreover, the two's true energy, one yin and one yang, collided and exploded while subtly merging. Their true energy flowed continuously, with almost no gaps. Their energy recovery was extremely fast, and their attacks alternated constantly, making it extremely difficult for their opponent to cope!

Therefore, only by combining their powers could the two dragons catch up with the combat strength of a top-tier expert in just one month.

This was the first time Ba Feng Han had faced two such strange opponents. Their alternating hot and cold true qi, along with their two styles of swordsmanship, left him somewhat overwhelmed and he suffered a few hidden losses.

But as expected of the third protagonist whose talent was no less than that of the two dragons, he adapted to their strange attacks in no time and turned the tables and started to attack instead!

call out!
Ba Feng Han was forced back by the two's attacks, and then his true energy suddenly became as still as water, like a boundless deep pool. But in the instant when his energy surged and subsided, he did the opposite and unleashed three moves with his sword and saber.

Clang clang clang!
Each move struck the weak point in the alternation of the two dragons' true energy, causing the two to retreat repeatedly, almost unable to hold their swords steady.

His ingenious response of using the opponent's true energy tide to his advantage was so remarkable that anyone who saw it would exclaim in amazement that this young man's martial arts were naturally perfect and that he had already forged his own path!
After three moves, Ba Feng Han's moves became increasingly fluid and unhindered, and his power increased dramatically, putting Kou Zhong and the other man at a disadvantage. They could only rely on the ability of the Longevity Technique to recover their energy and barely hold on!
"Should we use it, Ziling!?"

Kou Zhong gritted his teeth, only to be forced back again by a powerful strike of true energy from his opponent.

"You mean that move?!"

Xu Ziling also frowned.

"That move is no joke!"

"Didn't we agree that we absolutely wouldn't use it unless it was a matter of life and death?!"

Kou Zhong sighed.

"But this guy is really formidable. If we can't defeat him and make our godfather lose face, the consequences could be even worse!"

Xu Ziling was initially hesitant, until he heard the last sentence.

"Do you want to eat a purple egg?!"

Upon hearing the name "purple egg," Xu Ziling couldn't help but shudder and grit his teeth as he nodded.

"But let's make it clear first, next time I want to be on top!"

Before he finished speaking, Kou Zhong had already sprung up and straddled Xu Ziling's head in a somewhat comical manner!
"Next time definitely!"

(End of this chapter)