Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 494 The Divine Finger of Three Points, Dongfang Baishi's Final Bloom

"You are... a scorpion-raising sorcerer?"

Li Zhaoting looked at the old man with white hair, thin as a rake, and wrinkled face with disgust. Behind the old man stood thirty-six disciples in neat rows.

The twelve disciples carried poison sprayers on their backs, the twelve disciples held scorpion-tail spears, and the twelve disciples had hidden weapons at their waists. Each of them had scars on their faces.

These are not scars caused by sword cuts, fire burns, or gunpowder explosions, but rather ugly poisonous scars left from years of consuming scorpion venom.

These disciples were covered in poison from head to toe.

Their blood, saliva, and even their excrement and urine are all poisonous. They have no mates, and they can poison a woman to death simply by kissing her.

Even among fellow disciples, intimacy is impossible.

The scorpion-raising master was proficient in the "controlling variable method." Each disciple was given different toxins and dosages, and each disciple could only resist the toxins contained within themselves. Even the spoons and chopsticks used for eating had to be used by each disciple individually.

Exchanging utensils can cause toxins to interfere with each other's.

They either die from the poison or are cured of the scorpion venom and are then eliminated by the scorpion-raising sorcerer.

They are not normal human beings.

They are—Scorpion People.

They are tools carefully cultivated by the Scorpion-Raising Master using heinous methods. They are not as lethal as the Poison God, but they can retain their rationality and can form formations to attack.

The scorpion-raising sorcerer looked down on martial arts masters.

Unless this martial arts master is proficient in using poison.

In other words, he wasn't afraid of Li Zhaoting, but he was afraid of Lan Fenghuang. This is called: one thing subdues another!
Of course, this is the philosophy of the scorpion-raising master.

He made it up himself out of sheer boredom.

Similar to Ouyang Feiying's fondness for referring to himself as "I" and Ding Chunqiu's fondness for flattery, they were both simply entertaining themselves.

Li Zhaoting ignored this guy, surrounded himself with a layer of sword energy, and slowly walked towards Huangfu Changhen.

Huangfu Changhen was imprisoned in a cage made of refined iron as thick as an arm. His hands and feet were bound with iron chains and shackles, and seven or eight magnetic needles were stuck in his body.

His face was deathly pale, and his hands and feet were trembling from the pain.

Scorpion venom!

Only scorpion venom can cause this kind of pain.

The feeling of being stung by a scorpion is something no one who has experienced it once will ever forget.

Li Zhaoting felt this deeply.

Where do feelings come from?

Don't ask, whoever asks, we'll spend the New Year at whose house!

"Senior Huangfu, I am late and have troubled you. Please forgive me. I will immediately remove the restraints from you and help you get revenge."

“Li Zhaoting, I have no connection with you whatsoever, why did you come to save me? The scorpion-raising sorcerer has poisoned me with seven or eight kinds of scorpion venom, even Hua Tuo himself would be powerless to save me.”

"Although I address you as senior, your knowledge is really lacking. This mere scorpion venom is something I can easily cure. There's no need to trouble Hua Tuo."

Li Zhaoting swung his sword, the blade severing the cage and shackles. He then reached out and grabbed Huangfu Changhen's wrist, using "Water God's Wrath" to remove the poison.

His calm and composed demeanor made it seem as if he were not in the midst of a swarm of tens of thousands of venomous scorpions, but rather in the city lord's mansion of Sifang City, completely disregarding everyone else.

The scorpion-raising sorcerer roared, "Ignorant brat! How dare you disrespect me! I sentence you to death! Guards, throw him into the scorpion pool and let him suffer the bites of ten thousand scorpions!"

The six disciples rushed toward Li Zhaoting at lightning speed.

Li Zhaoting's eyes widened, and he conjured a sword in mid-air. With a swift stroke of the sword energy, six scorpion-men's heads fell to the ground.

"You brat, how dare you injure my disciple!"

The scorpion-raising sorcerer flew into a rage: "Guards, capture Li Zhaoting alive! I'll make him suffer the most in the world! I'll turn him into the most vicious and hideous scorpion-man..."

The scorpion-raising sorcerer's disciple was not only ugly, but also forbidden from contact with women, and harbored deep-seated jealousy towards Li Zhaoting, who was handsome and had countless lovers.

Disciples carrying poison spray cannons shot out streams of black poison, while disciples wielding spears quickly formed formations, and disciples with concealed weapons at their waists launched hundreds of darts.

Above, scorpion claws fly like dark clouds; in the middle, scorpion tails and spears resemble wolf fangs; below, poisonous scorpions surge like waves; and there are also ubiquitous and all-pervasive poisonous clouds and fog.

Huangfu Changhen closed his eyes in despair.

Even if he were in perfect health and condition, Huangfu Changhen would still be defeated by the Scorpion Master's "Ten Thousand Scorpions Soul Devouring Formation," let alone now.
Huangfu Changhen had heard of Li Zhaoting's reputation, but he didn't care much. He was skilled with a three-zhang-long whip, and the longer the whip, the stronger it was. He would stand outside the range of the sword energy attack and attack fiercely with the whip. Ordinary swordsmen would find it difficult to withstand three of his moves. In the original story, Huangfu Changhen relied on his distance advantage to withstand Ren Qianxing's sword "Separation of Worlds", showing that he had extremely strong defensive capabilities.

Ren Qianxing's sword strike, capable of laser-like aiming, kills anyone who stands in his way, and never misses.

Even the main character, who had countless adventures and could find opportunities wherever he went, was defeated by him, and could only be forcibly sealed by a deus ex machina.

Such a powerful ultimate move hit Huangfu Changhen, yet he neither died nor was crippled. He certainly had reason to be proud; he was not an arrogant person.

Unfortunately, his knowledge was limited to long whips.

No matter how long a whip is, it has its limits.

The power of the primordial energy of heaven and earth is inexhaustible.

Li Zhaoting formed a hand seal, and the Yin and Yang true energies within his body naturally diverged. The Yin-attribute true energy used the Water God's Wrath to expel the poison from Huangfu Changhen, while the Yang-attribute true energy formed a raging fire on the surface of his body, condensing into a Fire God's Dharma Image.

Vulcan's Wrath - Heavenly Fire - Wildfire!
Flames soared, flowers bloomed, and the area within dozens of feet became a sea of ​​flowers. One after another, the elegant and luxurious peonies slowly bloomed, each petal a raging fire, each flame a sword aura. When the scorpions encountered the flames, they were instantly reduced to ashes, forming a thick miasma.

A ruthless glint flashed in Li Zhaoting's eyes.

The miasma was not burned away by the flames, but instead merged with them, turning into black fire serpents that shot towards the scorpion-raising master's disciples, tearing their bodies apart.

Flames, sword energy, and poison gas simultaneously invaded his body, scorching his flesh and blood, destroying his meridians with sword energy, and corroding his internal organs with scorpion venom. The scorpion-man, carefully cultivated by the scorpion-breeding master, was burned to ashes before he could even scream, leaving only highly poisonous black smoke.

Huangfu Changhen was stunned.

Is this magic or swordsmanship?

Can swordsmanship be used to this extent?

How could I have become acquainted with such a person?
Where does "friendship" come from?
Scorpions prefer cool environments and have a natural aversion to fire. Under the horrified gaze of the scorpion-raising master, thirty-six scorpion-men and thousands upon thousands of venomous scorpions were easily burned to ashes by Li Zhaoting, leaving no trace.

The flames did not dissipate, nor did the flowers wither; instead, they transformed into golden lotuses in the fire. The lotuses bloomed, and on the lotus platform sat a Buddha, his brow furrowed with anger.

The Buddha has anger, the Vajra has a fierce gaze, and he subdues demons and monsters.

Tathagata's Divine Light - Heavenly Buddha Descends to Earth!

The golden and red sword light crashed down, and the scorpion-raising mage watched in despair as the sword light landed above his head, spread into his eight extraordinary meridians, rushed into his internal organs, rampaged through his body, and then exploded all at once.

"Boom!"

The scorpion-raising sorcerer's body exploded and vanished into nothingness.

Li Zhaoting smiled and said, "Senior Huangfu, you must have been implicated because of me. Please forgive me!"

Huangfu Changhen asked curiously, "Well... although this is a bit shameless, I won't have peace of mind for the rest of my life if I don't ask. What kind of relationship do we have?"

Li Zhaoting raised his eyebrows smugly: "I have many female confidantes, one of whom is quite skilled in using a long whip and is considered my disciple."

"That's it? I've long forgotten about it!"

"You may forget the favors you've done for me, but I certainly can't forget the favors I've received. Besides, the main responsibility for your capture by those thugs lies with me..."

"What does this have to do with you?"

"Some people, in order to scheme against me, used my seniors as bait to lure me, a junior, to come and rescue people."

"You... hiss... seem somewhat different from the reputation in the martial arts world! No! The Li Zhaoting spoken of by ordinary martial arts practitioners is almost entirely different from the Li Zhaoting seen by important figures."

Having fought with Liao Rushen for many years, Huangfu Changhen possessed exceptional reaction skills and keenly perceived that Li Zhaoting's reputation in the martial arts world seemed to be at two extremes.

In teahouses, taverns, and among the common people, Li Zhaoting was known as the "Grand Duke Jupiter of the Jiazi Year," a living evil god, a powerful figure who secretly controlled the martial arts world, and a wicked brat who wreaked havoc and slaughtered in all directions. There were even rumors that Li Zhaoting was the holy son of the Western Regions Demonic Sect and the successor to the sect's leader, and that he would become the sect's leader once Yu Luosha passed away.

However, in the eyes of those powerful figures, all of the above is nonsense. Even Li Zhaoting's enemies have mostly positive opinions of him. Everyone who wants to scheme against him will start with loyalty and righteousness. The fact that people can use loyalty and righteousness as bait to scheme against him shows that Li Zhaoting values ​​loyalty and righteousness. This is the enemy's official certification.

The Azure Dragon Society, Fang Yeyu, Zhao Min, and even the mad and demonic Yi Shuihan all thought the same thing.

All the plans targeting Li Zhaoting used loyalty and morality as means, either using infamous demons like Fairy Green Mother as bait, or capturing people related to Li Zhaoting. The best choice was someone with some connection, but not a very deep one.

Li Zhaoting didn't want to implicate others!

Huangfu Changhen is more suitable as "bait" than his close friends such as Lu Xiaofeng and Tang Zhuquan.

Unfortunately, her cleverness backfired, costing her her life. Yi Shuihan and the Invincible Sect Master died, and Shangguan Yan solidified her authority through this battle.

The entire family of the scorpion-raising sorcerer was exterminated. Even the scorpions he had carefully cultivated were burned to ashes by Li Zhaoting, resulting in the complete annihilation of the family, leaving not a single hair behind.

Dongfang Baishi escaped with serious injuries.

Huangfu Changhen went to Sifang City.

Li Zhaoting dislikes owing favors.

Huangfu Changhen also disliked owing favors.

To repay Li Zhaoting for saving his life, Huangfu Changhen decided to serve Shangguan Yan for three years. After three years, their grudges would be settled, and they would go their separate ways.

Dongfang Yu, who had not appeared for a long time, rebuilt the Sifang Sect in Sifang City with the support of Shangguan Yan. He recruited disciples and taught martial arts with great enthusiasm. Having experienced the destruction of his sect, the tragic death of his father, and his uncle's descent into demonic possession, Dongfang Yu had matured a lot.

The martial arts of the Four Directions Sect were originally kept secret, and they didn't even teach their own sons. Once an elder was in trouble, the lineage would be immediately cut off. Most importantly, only the elders of the Four Directions Sect were capable fighters; the disciples were all useless.

This includes the "direct descendants" of the Sifangmen sect.

Dongfang Qingmu's son, Dongfang Yu; Beitang Mo's daughter, Beitang Xin'er; and Nangong Lie's children, Nangong Longgang and Nangong Longxiu, none of them knew any of their family's martial arts.

Calling them "useless" might be a bit of an exaggeration, but judging them from the perspective of the second generation, to be honest, they are indeed useless and incapable of shouldering any responsibility.

Dongfang Yu abhorred this.

Based on the Heavenly Will and Four Symbols Determination Method and his experience fighting Dongfang Baishi, Li Zhaoting summarized four volumes of sword techniques similar to the Four Directions Profound Art. Dongfang Yu decided to recruit disciples from the four lineages and restore the original functions of the Four Directions Sect.

--bodyguard!
The primary job of Sifangmen is as a bodyguard.

Dongfang Qingmu, Ximen Ruoshui, Nangong Lie, and Beitang Mo are all bodyguards. The Four Directions Sect has never been a pure martial arts sect. If it wants to continue its legacy and develop, it must rely on a certain force and establish a symbiotic relationship with it.

These things don't need to be taught by outsiders.

Having suffered such a tragic turn of events in such a short time, no one understood it more deeply than Dongfang Yu himself. If he didn't understand these things, why would he have taken the initiative to tell Shangguan Yan about Yi Shuihan's plan to lure the tiger away from the mountain?
Dongfang Yu did not betray Yi Shuihan.

In terms of blood relations, Yi Shuihan is a direct descendant of the Dongfang family and Dongfang Yu's cousin.

Family members must not betray each other.

This is the family motto and bottom line of the Dongfang family!
Therefore, he betrayed the Invincible Sect Master.

Dongfang Yu only informed Shangguan Yan of the Invincible Sect Master's marching route; everything else was deduced by Li Zhaoting, and it was definitely not Dongfang Yu who betrayed them.

Upon hearing this news, Ximen Ruoshui, who was cultivating in seclusion in Sword Forging City, sighed with emotion and asked Beitang Xin'er to deliver a congratulatory gift to Dongfang Yu on her behalf.

Starting today, the Sifangmen, founded by four families with compound surnames from the east, west, south, and north, will completely disappear.

……

Yidaoxia.

The place where Ximen Ruoshui jumped off the cliff.

The place where Dongfang Baishi and Li Zhaoting discussed Taoism.

There were no cliffs or steep walls here, only a vast expanse of collapsed ruins. Li Zhaoting moved several large stones and piled them into a stone table and benches, using his true qi to heat the wine pot.

After waiting for half an hour, the target arrived.

Dongfang Baishi clutched his chest and staggered to the spot. Looking at Li Zhaoting, who had been waiting for a long time, he felt not fear, but excitement and joy.

"I know Han'er will lose, and I will fail too. You will wait for me here!"

Dongfang Baishi walked over with an unusually calm expression, seemingly indifferent, and reached out to pick up the wine pot.

“I am not a smart person, never have been. Apart from liking to practice martial arts, I have no other hobbies, no special skills, and no sense of responsibility.”

As a son, brother, husband, and father, I have failed miserably. That's too mild a statement. My life cannot be called a failure. I have no right to fail!
Only those who get things done have the right to talk about success or failure.

As a son, I failed to support my parents.

As the older brother, I did not take care of my younger brother.

As a husband, I abandoned my newlywed wife.

As a father, I have never raised my son.

Since I haven't done anything, what right do I have to talk about success or failure? The most helpless tragedy in the world is not even having the right to fail. How pathetic!

Looking back on my life, the only thing I can be proud of is this martial arts skill, hahahahahaha…

Dongfang Baishi gave a bitter laugh.

The bitterness on his face solidified into something substantial, as if it could drip tears a hundred times more bitter than bitter melon, coptis, or lotus seed hearts, but he swallowed them back forcefully.

"The Great Dao Heart Demon Seed Technique is incredibly powerful! It has reached the pinnacle in terms of deviant and unorthodox practices."

When I fought Cheng Huaixiu, I came to a definite conclusion: the Cihang Sword Manual and the Dao Heart Demon Seed Technique are indeed two sides of the same coin, but the Cihang Sword Manual went astray in its deviant ways, leading itself to its doom.

You should understand this feeling better than I do.

It appears to be a righteous and profound martial art, but in reality it is even more ruthless than the demonic sect's mental techniques, effectively sealing off one's own path.

It appears to be a demonic technique, but in reality, it leaves room for maneuver in a life-or-death situation. It seems cold and decisive, but in reality, it leaves one out of nine, ultimately offering a glimmer of hope.

However, if you pursue a sliver of hope, you will inevitably die in the "Nine Enclosures". The "Missing One" is not the effect of the technique itself, but a life-or-death struggle against the "Nine Enclosures", breaking through one gate to find a way out.

This is my understanding of the concept of "planting demons in one's heart."

Hopefully this will be helpful to you.

Dongfang Baishi took out a secret manual from his pocket.

The complete "Great Method of Planting Demons in the Heart of the Dao".

This is a secret manual that Yi Shuihan wrote down by hand when he was clear-headed. Dongfang Baishi read it three times. In order to confirm the effect of the demon seed, he took the initiative to absorb the demon seed and used his own experience to verify many of his ideas.

Dongfang Baishi shared his entire life's martial arts insights with Li Zhaoting without reservation, and without any intention of digging a pit for him. He told Li Zhaoting everything, even the flashes of inspiration and the thoughts that crossed his mind while traveling, hoping to help Li Zhaoting.

This is Dongfang Baishi's "thank you gift".

In gratitude to Li Zhaoting—I helped him on his way!
From the moment he learned that Yi Shuihan was his biological son, Dongfang Baishi had already foreseen his fate: he would be betrayed and killed by Yi Shuihan sooner or later, a consequence of abandoning his wife and children.

The difference is—the manner of death!
If given a choice, Dongfang Baishi would prefer to duel with a top-tier master and die a glorious death.

After discussing martial arts with Li Zhaoting, Dongfang Baishi set his sights on Li Zhaoting. If he was destined to be tricked to death by Yi Shuihan, Dongfang Baishi hoped that the last scene he would witness in his life would be Li Zhaoting's unparalleled swordsmanship.

Why not try to guide Yi Shuihan?
Firstly, it was because Yi Shuihan's demonic thoughts were so deep that they penetrated into his internal organs, bone marrow, and brain, making it impossible for him to get rid of them.

Secondly, because Dongfang Baishi knew nothing but martial arts and did not know how to educate future generations.

Xiao Feng said that apart from martial arts, his abilities in other aspects were just average. This was a self-deprecating remark. After serving as the leader of the gang for eight years, how could his abilities be mediocre?

Dongfang Baishi stated that he only knows martial arts, and indeed he only knows martial arts. Teaching children is extremely difficult, especially after abandoning his wife and children for many years. Even a god would have a headache if he tried to teach a child who had gone astray.

What can Dongfang Baishi do?
There is no way!

Only the sentence Cheng Huaixiu had said earlier.

Death is not the end, but a liberation.

Dongfang Baishi came seeking liberation.

That's all I have to say!

The wine is finished!

Dongfang Baishi said calmly, "If reincarnation exists in this world, and we meet again in the next life, I still want to fight you. I hope you can become even stronger."

"maybe!"

The purple and green swords fell into Li Zhaoting's palm.

Dongfang Baishi raised his left hand into a knife shape and chopped off his ring and little fingers, leaving only three fingers: "Martial arts techniques based on self-harm can never be considered righteous, but I don't have time. In order to bring the Three-Part Return to Origin to its limit, this is the most convenient method I can think of. I still have one more strike left!"

"Please make your move."

Li Zhaoting guessed what the move was, and silently gathered Yin-Yang true energy, with his left arm being the most Yang and his right arm the most Yin, the power of Yin and Yang infinitely converging between the two swords.

Li Zhaoting rose up on his own, even without wind.

"Li Zhaoting, prepare to be challenged!"

Dongfang Baishi used three fingers of his right hand to each shoot out a finger force: the thumb with the East Wind Mystic Art, the index finger with the North Electricity Mystic Art, and the middle finger with the South Fire Mystic Art. The three internal skills circulated repeatedly at his fingertips, forming a transparent ball of true energy.

Mystic Skill Fusion - Three-Part Divine Finger!

Li Zhaoting combined his two swords, their yin and yang intertwined.

Yin and Yang are boundless, and the Great Perfection is immeasurable!

The two streams of true energy clashed without reservation, and then dissipated the instant their true energies touched. Transparent ripples, with form and substance, spread outward like ocean waves, shaking up countless fragments of stone and sending up a whirlwind.

Amidst the raging wind and rain, the two fought a desperate battle.

True essence, blood and qi, finger techniques, swordsmanship...

There are no spectators, no winners or losers, only unrestrained and imaginative insights into martial arts, and only sparks of wisdom ignited in the moment of life and death!
I don’t know how long it’s been.

The clouds and fog have dispersed, and the wind and waves have calmed.

Li Zhaoting drifted away from the sea of ​​clouds.

The ruined battlefield left behind only six words.

—The Tomb of Dongfang Baishi!
After an unknown amount of time, a figure dressed in red quietly arrived, greedily sniffing the scent of blood.

"Blood... the blood of warriors..."

(End of this chapter)