A Scroll of Infinite Glory

The three prefectures of Chengyin, Dongning, and Boqing are adjacent to each other and have a combined military force of 5,600 soldiers. However, it will take some time for this force to be fully mobilized and reach the place where the King of Yue disappeared.

Now, on the edge of this valley, there are only about five hundred men under General Yu's command and a dozen or so mages and sorcerers.

Because the final result of the spell tracking is five areas.

Therefore, after Daoist Zhiyuan and his group drew up the route, in order to prevent that group of evil people from finding the King of Yue first, this group of people had to split into five teams and set off at the same time.

Guan Luoyang naturally traveled with the people of Zhenwu Temple, accompanied by a centurion and more than a hundred soldiers. Qiu Shi was in charge of the route map and used magic to observe the direction and estimate the distance to avoid getting lost in the jungle.

A group of over a hundred people is quite a lot; in a town, it would certainly attract attention. However, in this wild and untamed jungle, the deeper one ventures, the more one feels the insignificance of humankind.

The ancient trees, towering in the distance, are lush and verdant. The leaves in the canopy touch each other, blocking out most of the sunlight and leaving only dappled light. The trunks below are spaced far apart, and when people walk among them and look up, each tree looks like a very tall pavilion.

Looking around, countless lush green plants isolate the hustle and bustle of the world, leaving only the chirping of insects and birds, and the sounds of people stepping on withered leaves and chopping branches.

The low shrubs and thick vines sometimes completely blocked the road ahead, forcing some of the people at the front of the group to constantly carry knives to clear the way.

During this process, one can also see the skill level of some people. When most soldiers swung their swords, the blades would easily get stuck between the wood grain, requiring them to pull them out and chop several times before they could cut down a small tree.

The centurion used a thick-backed steel knife, capable of cutting down small trees as thick as a man's leg with a single stroke. The blade became brighter with each sharpening, showing no signs of chipping or denting.

If we disregard the influence of magic, the martial arts skills of most of the Qiu-generation disciples in Zhenwu Temple are roughly on par with this centurion.

General Yu once mentioned that his men were elite warriors who were not afraid of death even when seriously wounded. Their courage and quality were much higher than those of ordinary soldiers, and they could be entrusted with important tasks. It seems that this was not just empty talk.

Guan Luoyang walked at the front, without drawing his sword. He would occasionally kick down some particularly troublesome short, thick-leaved shrubs. Sometimes, the sound of a tree breaking with a kick was like a muffled thunderclap, startling the chirping of insects around him.

But his mind was calm and undisturbed by the nearby noises; his ears were always discerning, listening to the sounds from further away.

Qiu Shi calculated with one hand and said, "We're almost there. Ahead, a hundred feet to the left, a hundred feet to the right, and two hundred feet ahead, the King of Yue is very likely in this area."

Suddenly, Guan Luoyang turned around, drew a soldier's waist knife, and threw it. To the left rear of the formation, a gray wolf shadow had just leaped up when it was pierced through the chest and abdomen by the steel knife. It let out a wail and fell to the side.

The nearby soldiers, though startled, remained calm and dodged to the side, their sabers slashing down simultaneously, ending the wolf's life.

The soldiers looked at Guan Luoyang gratefully, but Guan Luoyang solemnly said in a loud voice, "Be careful, there are many wild animals approaching."

Qiu Shi asked, "How much?"

"Hard to say, at least twenty or thirty."

Guan Luoyang listened carefully, his eyes flickering. "They're not coming for us; they've all gone ahead."

Most wild animals in the forest are nocturnal, and it is only possible that a monster is deliberately summoning them to a certain place in broad daylight.

The Taoist priests and the centurion exchanged glances, all understanding each other's suspicions.

The probability that the demon and the King of Yue are in this area is extremely high, and it's no longer just one in five.

"Be careful, I'll go check it out first."

Guan Luoyang tucked his sheathed longsword diagonally behind his belt, took a few running steps, and swiftly climbed a large tree. He grabbed a relatively thick horizontal branch inside the canopy and swung to another large tree.

The soldiers looked ahead and saw only rustling leaves falling from above, as if scattering a path.

Guan Luoyang had sharp eyesight; in a single glance, he could find branches strong enough to support his weight. He would step on or grab onto them, darting swiftly through the foliage, swinging back and forth, until he was far away, his movements even more agile than a monkey.

Wow!!!

A large expanse of green leaves trembled and scattered, revealing Guan Luoyang's figure. He bent a horizontal branch under his feet, his hands resting on the tree trunk, looking down at the wolf carcasses.

The corpses were almost arranged in an irregular circle, with splattered blood scattered everywhere, instantly reminiscent of a pack of wolves pouncing and then being swiftly killed by a circular blade.

The signs of battle were already very clear from here. The traces of the monsters' activities reappeared, the layer of dead leaves on the ground was pressed down, and long ditches with overturned bushes stretched out.

The numerous large, leafy trees originally had a continuous, dense canopy, resembling a low, lush cloud.

But at this moment, Guan Luoyang, straining his eyes to see, could see that a sparse path had been forcibly squeezed out between the "lush clouds," allowing a large amount of sunlight to shine down directly.

That's because the trunks of many large trees were tilted by a tremendous force, causing their crowns to sway to the sides, creating this strange sight.

Wild wolves, monkeys, venomous snakes, and even tigers from all directions converged on this path, and the scattered leaves and dust were particularly clear in the sunlight.

At the forefront of these beasts, human and animal corpses were constantly being discarded. The number of humans had dwindled to almost nothing, until finally, only two remained alive and capable of fighting.

The vegetation in this area has been severely damaged.

Within a radius of fifty paces, all the tall trees had broken off, leaving behind stumps of varying heights and shapes.

Some of the shorter shrubs were uprooted, while others looked as if they had been crushed. The layer of dead leaves on the ground was turned up, revealing the deepest, moist soil.

The sunlight shines here, and the scents of blood, soil, and fresh plants envelop every active figure.

A man in a crimson robe, a golden hair ornament, and a jade belt around his waist, with graying temples and a completely black beard, wielded his sword with a majestic and agile style, as graceful as a dragon.

He could stab monkeys on tree stumps, and once his sword struck, he would disappear. By the time the monkey fell, he was already under the other tree. Any poisonous snakes, big or small, that got close were all killed by his footwork and the arc of his sword.

However, the person's clothes were already quite torn, and his hair was disheveled. In particular, there was a scratch on his right lower back, with blood occasionally seeping out, making him look rather disheveled.

On the other side, large wild beasts such as wolves and even tigers and leopards were all killed by a Taoist priest wielding a large halberd.

After the blade was pulled from the side of a tiger, the Taoist priest walked in a circle with the knife, wielding it like a large brush, carving out connected runes on the ground with the blood.

As soon as the circle was drawn, the surrounding venomous snakes and wolves seemed to be startled, and hurriedly turned away and hesitated to move forward.

The Taoist priest slammed his broadsword into the ground, and when he looked up, he saw a man with thick eyebrows and a square face—it was Jiu Ying.

The King of Yue landed in the circle and caught his breath: "How long can I rest this time?"

"The combined power of the blood essence of twenty-two wolves and one tiger is ultimately no match for the oppressive aura of that hidden demon. It will last at most half a quarter of an hour."

Jiu Ying was breathing heavily, her eyelids were slightly drooping, as if she was so tired that even her breathing was no longer strong. "The jungle is vast, and there are countless wild beasts and venomous snakes. As long as that monster is alive, it can gather the nearby wild beasts to ambush and kill us wherever it goes. But if we kill it, it will be enough to terrify these wild animals and cause them to scatter in panic."

"But that monster is very cunning; it has already hidden itself and is only using these things to exhaust our strength..."

As the King of Yue spoke, he suddenly laughed self-deprecatingly, "Haha, I had been planning for a long time to stabilize the south in one fell swoop and wipe out this last nest of rats. Who would have thought that I would be forced to this point by a snake, and that the Diwei Army would suffer so many losses."

There seemed to be a hint of dejection in his words, but he didn't need anyone to persuade him. After a smile, he composed himself and said calmly, "But a beast is still a beast. I can see that although this monster is intelligent, it is still wild and untamed. As long as I suffer more injuries and appear weak enough, it will definitely not be able to hold back and will take the initiative to attack."

"Here's what we'll do: I'll relax a bit later, let a few monkeys scratch me, and then let the wolves bite my limbs. You can conserve your energy and wait for the right opportunity. Once the monster appears, strike decisively."

Jiu Ying disagreed, saying, "It's too risky to deliberately get bitten. A cultivator should preserve their true nature and authenticity. How can they deliberately increase the danger? Even if this plan is chosen out of necessity, it should be used by me."

"After I found you, you were unconscious until two days ago when you finally woke up. Then you fought your way through all that fighting. Could you really control how much you were bitten?"

King Yue shook his head and said, "Besides, you are skilled in heavy sword techniques, while my sword is light and agile. It is only reasonable for you to carry out the task if I rely on a moment of opportunity to severely injure or even kill that monster."

Jiu Ying said, "But you are more important, the situation in Jiaozhi..."

The King of Yue brandished his longsword, the fine iron trembling, and said resolutely, "Senior brother, one cannot hesitate when undertaking great tasks. You are too upright. Do you intend to argue with me again like you did on the mountain, wasting your breath?"

Jiu Ying's eyelids twitched: "As you wish."

After saying those three words, the two of them fell silent and rested.

Jiu Ying leaned on his sword without moving, while King Yue swung his sword, his gaze sweeping around as if he were picking and choosing which wolf to let bite him.

They all knew that deep in the jungle, where the sunlight couldn't reach, a monster was lurking, using its powers to coerce and urge these wild beasts.

But unexpectedly, a whistle-like sound came from the air, and the first thing to strike was a ball of green poisonous fire that exploded out of thin air!

King Yue turned sideways and stretched out his arm, his figure moving like a purple cloud. When he wielded the sword, his wrist was as soft as cotton, and the sword was like a tumbler sticking to the flames. He stirred and pulled the sword in the poisonous fire and then flung it out.

The invisible and intangible poisonous fire could not escape the sticky force on his sword, revealing some of the subtleties of Wudang Tai Chi swordsmanship.

One wolf couldn't dodge in time, and its tail was grazed by the poisonous fire. The fire immediately spread and burned its entire body. In its agony, it panicked and ran headfirst into a tree stump, where it died.

But the poisonous fire wasn't just one ball. Some figures appeared in the woods to the west. They were all short and dressed in tight-fitting clothes. They held iron pipes in their right hands and took out white pills from the cloth bags at their waists with their left hands, stuffing them into the end of the iron pipes.

With a flick of their right arms, the pellet rolled inside the iron pipe, and with the force of the final moment, it shot out from the front of the pipe, turning into a ball of poisonous fire that fell toward its target.

However, the dozens of clusters of poisonous fire that fell in batches were all deflected by the King of Yue's longsword and fell towards the surrounding wild beasts, with the Tai Chi sword guarding against them perfectly.

On the surrounding ground, clusters of green flames ignited, and wolves, venomous snakes, and monkeys scurried away, some even lunging into the woods to the west.

However, the iron pipes in the hands of those men in tight-fitting clothes were sharpened at the ends, making them fearless in close combat. Even if wolves or monkeys got close, a single stab would be enough to kill them.

Besides the sorcerers of various backgrounds under Hua Mi's command, there are two other powerful forces: one is the cloaked figures who can dig tunnels with their bare hands, and the other is this team of poison and fire swordsmen.

There were fifty poison-fire swordsmen who came from this area.

While dealing with the wild beasts, they continued to throw poisoned fire toward the King of Yue, and some even put the end of an iron pipe to their lips and blew out an extremely long and sharp whistle.

The King of Yue's eyes flickered, his thoughts shifting. Just as he was about to step out of the circle of runes, a shadow suddenly flashed above him.

The shadow moved as fast as a startled swallow taking flight, landing in the woods on the west side in the blink of an eye, where it collided with the body of a man in tight-fitting clothes.

Bang! ! !

The man in the tight-fitting clothes slammed his back against the tree, leaving a palm-sized dent in his chest. His eyes bulged out, and his head drooped.

A whooshing sound filled the air as two sharp iron pipes pierced through the tree from the left and right sides.

Guan Luoyang raised both hands, flattening the iron pipe and embedding it in the tree trunk. He then spun around, grabbed the collar of the man on the left, and slammed it onto the man on the right.

The two fell to the ground, making the sound of bones breaking, and coughed up blood.

Numerous poison-fire swordsmen, their eyes filled with deathly intent, turned their attention to the attack, shifting their stances and wielding their iron pipes.

Guan Luoyang charged towards them, dodging an iron pipe with his head to the side. He then shoved the man in the abdomen with his right hand, like a battering ram, sending him flying. Half of his body crashed into a tree, and he tumbled to the ground.

The sound of a human torso colliding with a tree is a dull thud, similar to a "thud".

And then, such sounds continued to ring out.

Guan Luoyang strode forward, sometimes straight, sometimes diagonally. Of the five grappling techniques, the most powerful one, the Arhat Grand Grappling Technique, was unleashed. Each time his hand reached out, a Poison Fire Swordsman's body would be thrown into the air, crashing into a tree and dying.

These men were agile and their swordsmanship was ruthless. Many times, the sharp iron pipes seemed about to pierce Guan Luoyang, but he always managed to dodge them by the slightest margin. In a single exchange, the man would be sent flying and lose his life.

"Impressive skills!"

The King of Yue watched with a gleam in his eyes.

He could see clearly that the man's fight, though it looked thrilling and swift, was actually fluid and graceful, full of masterful style and effortless control.

That person's ability to achieve such overwhelming victory was not only due to a complete victory in strength and speed, but also to the control of rhythm and distance.

When everyone thought they could strike that person, they were actually stepping into the other person's trap and heading straight for their own death.

Jiu Ying, who had been conserving her energy and focusing her mind, opened her eyes a crack: "So it was him."

call! !

Another swordsman's body was thrown out, and just as he was about to hit the tree roots, his speed suddenly slowed down.

The swordsman tilted his upright body, his feet not touching the ground, and swayed at an angle before throwing the swordsman back at Guan Luoyang.

Guan Luoyang swept his fist across, smashing the man aside, and stared intently at him.

The poison and fire swordsmen took the opportunity to move away, leaving only a few people approaching.

The old eunuch Chen, who had just thrown the swordsman back, gently stretched and clenched his five fingers. His knuckles were bluish, his nails were white, and his skin was bloodless, yet smooth and lustrous like jade.

These hands appear to be formed entirely from hard, wide, and even bones, and skin as tough as ox horn and ivory.

Guan Luoyang looked at these hands, scoffed, and muttered, "Bone and skin training?"

Behind the old eunuch Chen stood five men of varying heights, builds, and builds, each with their own distinctive features. Their solemn gazes never left Guan Luoyang, yet they smiled at one of the men and said, "Your Highness, it's been a long time."