A man in the martial world, a reincarnated sword immortal.

Chapter 89: Plucking Leaves and Flying Flowers – A Close Call!

now.

Inside the Daxiangguo Temple, the gentle breeze still lingers!

The lingering sound of the copper bells under the eaves had not yet ceased; their clear, crisp ringing continued to echo.

Zhong Yuan listened to the old man's words but did not answer. Instead, he asked a question in return.

"Senior, are you perhaps the 'Living Immortal' Yan Ying?"

Yan Ying smiled faintly upon hearing this.

"What kind of living deity?"

"It's just that I live a little longer than others."

"The word 'immortal' is far beyond what is 'immortal'."

This statement implicitly acknowledges his identity.

He is Yan Ying!

That top martial arts master who had been stationed in the imperial city of the Song Dynasty for eighty years.

The Purple Gold Beam, a bridge spanning the sea, within the Song Dynasty court.

I don't know if it was my imagination or if the other party's technique of concealing their aura was too skillful.

Zhong Yuan couldn't sense even the slightest bit of malice from the other party.

This surprised Zhong Yuan.

He didn't have this feeling when he faced the Heavenly Child Granny at Lingjiu Mountain.

This person is like a calm lake.

It's too quiet.

He was as quiet as the old man next door.

Unlike the domineering and overbearing character like the Heavenly Child Granny.

This person seems to have reached a state of returning to simplicity and authenticity.

But Zhong Yuan remembered that the White Dragon Dharma King had once said something.

The fifth leader of the Ming Cult, Min, was seriously injured by this man. Although he escaped from the capital, he still died not long afterward.

That was more than fifty years ago. More than fifty years have passed, and it's unknown what level this person's martial arts skills have reached.

The White Dragon Dharma King, supporting the unconscious Black-Robed Dharma King, had a solemn expression on his wrinkled face.

A person's name, a tree's shadow.

Yan Ying!

The greatest martial arts master in the Song Dynasty at that time.

No one in the entire Song court could surpass him!

He naturally understood how terrifying such a person was.

Compared to the Heavenly Child Granny.

Yan Ying was the biggest shadow looming over the Ming Cult.

Bai Lixiao was already prepared, should Yan Ying make a move against the Left Envoy.

Even if it cost him his life, he would hold off Yan Ying for a moment so that the Left Envoy could take away the Black-Clad Dharma King.

Zhong Yuan looked at Yan Ying, who seemed like a kind old man next door, but was actually quite shrewd. Without giving away any hints, he said to Yan Ying, "You're too kind, senior."

Compared to ordinary people.

"A person like you, who is nearly a hundred years old, is undoubtedly a deity."

Yan Ying sighed softly.

"yes."

"I've lived too long."

""

"That is also a sin."

"To be old and not die is to be a thief."

"It's not that I don't want to leave, but I haven't finished fulfilling a promise I made to someone."

"Of course, we can't just leave and go looking for Yama, the King of Hell."

Yan Ying suddenly changed the subject halfway through his sentence, looked at Zhong Yuan, and slowly said, "You haven't answered my question yet."

"So, what level of the Great Shift of the Universe have you mastered?"

Zhong Yuan raised an eyebrow and slowly said, "I am not very talented."

"He only cultivated the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth to the seventh level."

Upon hearing this, Bai Lixiao, the White Dragon Dharma King, felt a sudden jolt in his heart.

Good guy.

The seventh level of the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth!

As far as he knew, the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth only had seven levels.

The Left Envoy has actually cultivated the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth to the seventh level!

This is something that no previous leader of the cult had ever accomplished.

No wonder the leader was able to trust the Left Envoy to come to the capital.

He couldn't even imagine the power of the seventh level of the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth.

Yan Ying looked at Zhong Yuan, a hint of surprise appearing in his deep eyes.

"The seventh floor————"

"No wonder—no wonder you were able to defeat Tianshan Child Granny at such a young age—"

"it is good."

"Young man, you are very good."

"Your name is Zhong Yuan?"

"Is he Zhong Lieyang's son?"

Yan Ying looked at Zhong Yuan with great appreciation, as if he were just an ordinary old man next door chatting with the neighbor's child.

Moreover, he did so with an expression of admiration.

It really doesn't seem like they intend to harm Zhong Yuan.

Zhong Yuan said solemnly, "That's right, it's me. I am now the Left Guardian of the Ming Cult."

Yan Ying nodded slightly, seemingly lost in thought.

"It is truly a blessing for the Ming Cult to have someone like you."

"I cherish talent. If you leave Yan Xingzhou here, you can take Li Xuanyi and leave."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Yuan was greatly surprised.

This Yan Ying actually let him take away the Black-Robed Dharma King?

Moreover, the only condition is that Yan Xingzhou stays!

What exactly does Yan Ying mean?

Is this a deliberate attempt to create confusion?

It's still the truth!

Zhong Yuan couldn't see through it.

But since he has come today, it must be to take away the Black-Robed Dharma King.

Of course, we can't go home empty-handed.

So he directly addressed the White Flood Dragon Dharma King, Bai Lixiao, who was standing to the side, saying, "Flood Dragon King!"

"Take the Black-Robed Dharma King with you first!"

"If you leave the city safely."

"Send me another signal arrow!"

Upon hearing this, Bai Lixiao's expression immediately froze, and he said urgently to Zhong Yuan, "Left Envoy!"

"Let me stay!"

"Take the Black-Robed Dharma King with you!"

Zhong Yuan didn't turn around, but just looked at the old man Yan Ying and replied.

"Listen to me."

Seeing this, Bai Lixiao knew that now was not the time to be serious, and immediately said, "Left Envoy!"

"Then be careful!"

"I'll be waiting for you outside the city."

Immediately, he took the unconscious Li Xuanyi and leaped up, disappearing from the Daxiangguo Temple in the blink of an eye.

Seeing this, Yan Ying stroked his beard and smiled, "Young man, it seems you are very confident in yourself."

Zhong Yuan said calmly, "If you don't even have this much courage, how can you talk about reaching the pinnacle of martial arts?"

"In the world of martial arts, there is never a shortage of masters."

There are always people more capable than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding.

"If I am afraid, I will stay in the mountains and wilderness and cultivate myself for sixty years, becoming invincible in the world."

"But what's the point?"

"If I cannot witness the true pinnacle of strength in this world."

How can one forge an invincible heart?

Yan Ying smiled faintly upon hearing this.

"Young man, you're incredibly arrogant!"

"But I admire your arrogance!"

"Over the years, I have seen quite a few martial arts geniuses."

"Some people seek only stability. Even at a young age, they always think about lying low until they become stronger, but in the end, they just blend into the crowd."

"Some people are overly stubborn, thinking they have unparalleled talent, so they bravely and diligently advance, roaming the martial arts world and recklessly challenging various masters, using battle to hone their skills and become even stronger."

"But most of them break down halfway through because they can't handle failure."

"Life is like this."

"Everyone has to experience some setbacks."

"Smooth sailing is never a good thing."

"For example, my good-for-nothing grandson Yan Xingzhou, who was captured by you."

"From a young age, he was the most talented in martial arts among the younger generation of the Yan family. When it comes to martial arts training, others would need to spend half a year to master the same skills."

"He only needs three days to train as well as others do in six months."

"Therefore, he has hardly experienced failure over the years."

"I wonder what it feels like to be crushed by others."

"So, he lost to you, and lost again and again."

"Speaking of which, I should thank you."

"Help this old man teach this good-for-nothing a lesson."

When Yan Ying spoke, every word came from the bottom of her heart, which made Zhong Yuan admire her even more.

This kind of person is the real ruthless character.

His every word and action was flawless.

He just stood there, chatting with you about everyday things, but Zhong Yuan felt that he was even more terrifying than the Heavenly Child Granny.

Upon hearing Yan Ying's words, Yan Xingzhou's eyes were filled with desolation.

But more than anything, it was hatred.

He harbored hatred for Zhong Yuan; if it weren't for Zhong Yuan, he wouldn't have ended up in this predicament.

If it weren't for Zhong Yuan, how could he have been ridiculed by his grandfather like this, how could he have lost face in front of his grandfather like this!

He hates!

But there's nothing he can do right now!

Zhong Yuan replied calmly, "No need for thanks."

"As long as you keep your promise, senior."

"There will be plenty of opportunities in the future for us to educate our grandchildren."

Zhong Yuan said this.

Yan Xingzhou's eyes widened instantly, becoming as big as copper bells!

What did he mean by that?

What does it mean to have plenty of opportunities to educate your grandchildren in the future?

Does this guy surnamed Zhong really think of him as a punching bag?

You think you can just beat someone up whenever you want?

You think you can just fight whenever you want?

Yan Ying listened and said dismissively, "Although I am not exactly an honest person."

"But I wouldn't lie to a junior like you."

"In all these years, this is the first time I've seen a young man like you."

"A couple of years ago, the names 'Northern Qiao Feng' and 'Southern Murong' became very famous in the martial arts world."

"I also secretly went to see those two. Qiao Feng of the North still has some chivalry, but Murong of the South is nothing but flashy and impractical."

"I'm just idling around anyway."

"Why don't you let me see the power of your seventh level of the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth?"

Zhong Yuan raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

"Senior, how would you like to demonstrate your abilities?"

Yan Ying smiled faintly, raised his hand, and saw a leaf that was falling from the tree to the ground suddenly appear in his hand.

He held a fallen leaf between the middle and index fingers of his right hand and said softly to Zhong Yuan, "Could you return this leaf in its original state?"

Seeing this, Zhong Yuan naturally understood that Yan Ying was testing him.

But he also wanted to see just how powerful this so-called "living immortal" of the Great Song Dynasty really was!

He immediately replied, "Senior, please feel free to help; I'll give it a try!"

Yan Ying nodded approvingly.

"Watch closely!"

But then Yan Ying raised his hand!

The leaf that was caught between his fingers flew out!

That leaf came incredibly fast!

But in Zhong Yuan's eyes, it was extremely slow!

It was as if an invisible force was wrapped around that leaf.

Yan Xingzhou, standing to the side, stared wide-eyed, his eyes filled with excitement.

Grandfather made a move!

My grandfather's achievements are comparable to those of nature, and his ninety years of experience in silkworm rearing are beyond the reach of a mere child like Zhongyuan!

The silkworm's molting skill deepens with each molt!

His grandfather, Yan Ying, lived to be ninety-eight years old!

He has practiced his skills without interruption for ninety years, and has undergone a transformation every ten years!

A single leaf or a flying flower can take a person's life!

This fallen leaf, though seemingly light and airy, actually contains an incomparably powerful silkworm-molting ability!

When it spins, it can even grind a shield made of fine steel to shreds!

Grandfather was truly brilliant; without warning, he managed to take the life of this young man surnamed Zhong!

Zhong Yuan stood there, watching the falling leaf fly by.

But in his heart he was thinking...

If this small fallen leaf were to be caught by the ordinary Qiankun Great Shift technique, the internal force would stir it up and the leaf would surely be shattered into dust!

However—the seventh level of the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth is a top-tier technique of shifting and borrowing power.

Traction, offset, storage, and excitation!

Zhong Yuan stood still, watching the falling leaf swirling in the strong wind.

His face remained calm and expressionless!

next moment.

He gently raised his right hand, slightly bent his index and middle fingers, and gently guided the swirling leaves through the air.

The falling leaves, which had been swirling like a whirlwind just moments before, suddenly slowed down!

The true energy that permeated the fallen leaves was like frozen snow being melted by warm water.

It seeped outwards along the veins of the leaf, and then, following the ethereal energy drawn out by Zhong Yuan, it gradually changed direction.

Zhong Yuan did not disperse Yan Ying's internal energy; he simply shifted the direction of that rotating force.

Then, it gathers that force and reflects it back!

To an outsider, the fallen leaf appeared to be something Zhong Yuan had simply flicked lightly in his hand.

It seemed to be blown up by the wind again, and flew back towards Yan Ying!

call out! ! !

When that fallen leaf soared through the air and landed perfectly intact in front of Yan Ying.

Yan Ying did not raise his hand; the fallen leaf floated three inches in front of him and then stopped!

He looked closely and saw that the veins of the leaf were intact and the patterns were clear, with not a single leaf edge damaged.

Yan Ying stared intently at the intact leaf, remaining silent for a long time.

He had considered all possibilities before he used this move.

If the opponent were to use internal force to block it, the leaf would inevitably shatter.

If the opponent uses the opponent's force against the leaf, the leaf will inevitably be unable to survive the clash of internal forces.

It should be noted that although he did it casually, there are no more than a handful of people in the world who can match his skill.

but.

But all of this was completely unexpected.

Zhong Yuan not only accepted it, but also returned it intact!

If only this child were a descendant of the Yan family.

"What a magnificent feat of shifting the universe!"

After a long while, Yan Ying finally let out a long sigh of relief.

immediately.

He dodged to the side.

But then, the fallen leaf suddenly flew away.

It crashed directly into the wooden pillar under the corridor, like a steel nail, and went straight in!

Yan Ying reached out and gently stroked the white beard under his chin.

"Impressive skill."

Zhong Yuan replied calmly, "You flatter me."

Yan Xingzhou, standing to the side, had eyes full of shock.

How did the person surnamed Zhong manage to do that?!

Those were my grandfather's plucked leaves and flying blossoms!

He actually accepted it so casually?

Yan Xingzhou was greatly affected.

After all, in his eyes, his grandfather Yan Ying was a living god.

How could a mere mortal like Zhong Yuan possibly withstand such divine intervention?

But that's just how it is.

Chung Yuan not only accepted his grandfather's challenge of picking leaves and flying flowers, but also received his grandfather's praise.

To know.

He had never received such praise from his grandfather before.

A sense of frustration arose spontaneously.

Yan Ying smiled faintly, then put his hands behind his back and said, "Talented people emerge in every generation of the martial world."

"That's a good thing."

Just then, a hissing sound was heard!

It resounded from the sky not far away.

Zhong Yuan turned his head and looked up; it was the Ming Cult's signal arrow!

It seems.

The Flood Dragon King has safely led Li Xuanyi out of the city.

Although they didn't know why Yan Ying let them leave so easily.

But when it's time to leave, you should leave; you can't drag things out.

He said to Yan Ying, "Senior, you kept your promise."

"I am not an untrustworthy person."

"That's enough for today."

"If I have the opportunity in the future, I will do my best to learn from my seniors."

Wow!

Then, he took a step back and said something to Duan Yu, who was not far away.

"Young Master Duan, may we meet again!"

huh~~~

Before Zhong Yuan could finish speaking, he had already drifted away.

In an instant, they disappeared outside the courtyard of the Great Xiangguo Temple.

Upon seeing this, Duan Yu looked lost and dejected.

"Young Master Zhong, you haven't made a wish yet!"

there.

Yan Ying glanced at Yan Xingzhou, who had been acupunctured, and casually flicked her finger.

Two pebbles shot out and hit Yan Xingzhou.

Yan Xingzhou immediately regained his mobility and hurriedly went to Yan Ying, saying anxiously, "Grandpa!"

"We can't let that kid surnamed Zhong get away."

"That kid surnamed Zhong has amazing potential; he's much better than Zhong Lieyang."

17

"If we let the tiger return to the mountain today, it will be difficult to capture him in the future."

Yan Ying glanced at Yan Xingzhou and said indifferently, "You want me to personally go and arrest them?"

"Or are you saying you have the ability to win over Zhong Yuan?"

"Are you complaining that Tokyo isn't bustling enough?"

"The Beggars' Sect and Shaolin Temple are calling upon heroes to gather at the Great Xiangguo Temple."

"You, the Junior Secretary of the Imperial City Guard, are you not keeping a close eye on things? What nonsense are you spouting?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Xingzhou was momentarily stunned.

"Grandpa—I—"

Yan Ying turned and walked away, heading towards the exit of the long corridor.

Yan Xingzhou hurriedly chased after him.

The grandfather and grandson have gone far away.

Yan Ying's voice slowly drifted out again.

"Xingzhou, are you aware of the enormous trouble that the Heavenly Mountain Child Granny's Lingjiu Palace has caused in Jiangnan?"

"As long as the Ming Cult doesn't openly rebel, it will remain just the Ming Cult."

"Right now, the Ming Cult is only focused on fighting against the Lingjiu Palace."

"They want to drive Lingjiu Palace out of Zhejiang and Fujian."

"But are Lingjiu Palace so easily driven away?"

"Lingjiu Palace is not a pushover."

As the saying goes, "When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits!"

"Lingjiu Palace has been causing too much trouble these past few years."

"That day, the Heavenly Mountain Child Granny was determined that Lingjiu Palace was far away in the Heavenly Mountains and not within the territory of the Great Song Dynasty."

"Only then would you dare to be so presumptuous!"

"It's time to teach these remnants of the Li family a lesson."

"It would be a wonderful thing if the Ming Cult and Lingjiu Palace clashed, fighting poison with poison."

Yan Xingzhou hesitated upon hearing this.

"But—if we sit idly by and watch the Ming Cult grow stronger."

"One day, the Ming Cult will surely become a great scourge to Jiangdong."

"When the time comes, His Majesty will be furious and will surely take his anger out on the Yan family."

Yan Ying said calmly, "Childish!"

"Since the end of the Tang Dynasty, how many Ming Cult members who rebelled have truly gained any real influence?"

"Back then, Wang Ze of the Ming Cult rebelled, but was wiped out by the imperial army in just a few months."

"Over the past thirty years, the Ming Cult has been severely weakened by suppression."

"But do you know why Grandpa never went so far as to kill everyone?"

"That's because as long as the Ming Cult exists, the Yan family still has a reason to exist."

"If the Ming Cult is gone, can the Yan family still maintain their position in the Imperial City Guard?"

"The enemies of the Yan family have never been within the Ming Cult, but within the Song court."

"The Yan family has existed for far too long."

"Famous artifacts of the past were never made by others."

"But in the current royal family, no one is a match for Father."

Do you think this is a good thing?

"Grandpa is getting old."

"Right now, you are the only one in the Yan family who has the opportunity to master the sixth level of the Silkworm Molting Technique."

"With Father alive, the Yan family still has some strength left, but if Father is gone..."

"Who will protect you?"

"Back then, when Yan Shu was in power, he took control of the central government. I faked my death to escape and sat in the imperial court for ninety years."

"People only saw that the Yan family was at the height of its power, but after Yan Shu died, the Yan family's fortunes declined steadily."

"You think it was because someone framed you?"

"Those were nothing more than thunder and rain, all expressions of the emperor's favor!"

"Sailing."

"When doing things in the future, don't just look at the present; take a long-term view."

"If this world were to truly reach the point where the Ming Cult could overthrow it."

"Then why should the Yan family go against the tide?"

"The Way follows nature!"

"Go with the flow."

"Only then can it last."

"You're still too young."

The voices of the grandfather and grandson gradually faded away.

In the courtyard.

Duan Yu closed his eyes and clasped his hands together in front of the jade Buddha in the pool.

"May Buddha bless me so I can find the fairy godmother soon!"

Outside Tokyo.

In a grove of trees, Bai Lixiao, Pang Wanchun, and the four Huyan brothers waited anxiously with the unconscious Li Xuanyi in tow.

At this time.

Then Zhong Yuan appeared before everyone.

Upon seeing this, Bai Lixiao and the others immediately beamed with joy.

"Left Envoy!"

Are you alright?

Pang Wanchun stepped forward and asked.

Zhong Yuan nodded slightly, and seeing that everyone was there, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is everyone alright?"

Bai Lixiao said, "Left Envoy, we haven't encountered any government troops along the way out of the city."

"It seems that Yan Ying is indeed going to let us leave."

Although Zhong Yuan had some questions, now was not the time to investigate them in detail.

"This is not the place to talk."

"Let's go, let's get out of here first."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately got up and ran towards the distance.

Bai Lixiao, carrying the black-robed Dharma King on his back, still moved at a considerable speed.

It disappeared very quickly.

a few days later.

-

Shezhou.

At the foot of Huangshan Mountain.

Zhong Yuan, Bai Lixiao, and Pang Wanchun, along with the black-robed Dharma King, rode back.

After rescuing the Black-Robed Dharma King and leaving Tokyo, the four Huyan brothers were eager to return home, so they parted ways with Zhong Yuan and the others and went back to Shanxi.

Zhong Yuan didn't try to persuade them to stay, but simply told the four brothers that if they wanted to, they could look for him at the Bright Summit of Huangshan Mountain in the future.

The gates of the Ming Cult were always open to them.

They traveled on and off without encountering any government troops pursuing them.

At first, Zhong Yuan was a little worried that Yan Xingzhou, that mad dog, would lead his men to relentlessly pursue them.

Later, seeing that there was no movement, they realized that Yan Xingzhou must have been held down by Yan Ying.

just.

He had been thinking about it the whole way, but he still wasn't quite sure why Yan Ying had let them leave so easily.

But everything has a reason.

He can't figure it out now simply because he doesn't have enough information.

This trip to Tokyo was thrilling but ultimately safe.

Right now, heading straight back to Guangming Peak in Huangshan is something that was already arranged with Lao Zhong.

Just then, a sound came from the forest ahead.

"Gentlemen!"

"I, Xiao Feng, have come today to seek out your Left Envoy Zhong. Please, all of you, refrain from making a move!"

"So that I, Xiao, might harm you all!"

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