The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

However, considering that Chu Luren used his proudest moves to forcefully defeat him, it's not impossible that he was called the "Ten Great Martial Saints".

"Mr. Weide, has your internal energy increased significantly recently, so you can no longer control the 'Wuwang Divine Skill'?" Chu Luren interrupted Bai Zizai before he could finish thinking and asked him about his qi deviation.

Bai Zizai felt uneasy upon hearing this—and gradually recalled his actions and words over the past few days, realizing that the level of shame was truly beyond measure…

"Indeed, alas... misfortune may be a blessing in disguise, and a blessing may be a misfortune in disguise. In recent years, I seem to have gained a deeper understanding, and my internal strength has reached a new level. I thought I could help the Snow Mountain Sect advance further, but I never expected... alas, our sect's founder created the 'Boundless Divine Skill' precisely so that future generations would not become arrogant because of their remote location..."

Bai Zizai felt sorry for himself again, unsure whether he had returned to normal or gone to the other extreme.

The mental state required for the "Innocent Divine Skill" is to make one's heart like an ice mirror, so as to clearly recognize oneself.

Its attributes are closely related to the geographical location of the Snow Mountain Sect. First, it helps one resist the cold; second, it helps one cultivate extreme cold true qi; and third, it helps one's state of mind. This not only strengthens one's self-control but also prevents the Snow Mountain Sect from becoming arrogant and disdainful of others due to its distance from the Central Plains.

Even so, the Snow Mountain Sect's overall ethos was quite arrogant...

In recent years, Bai Zizai's "Wuwang Divine Skill" has backfired due to his disharmonious state of mind, gradually causing him to go mad.

Firstly, family changes made Bai Zizai, who was already irritable and easily angered, even more unstable. Secondly, his internal strength had indeed improved by leaps and bounds in the past few years.

Yang Xiao wasn't lying about this; when he faced Bai Zizai last time, he was genuinely confident of victory.

"Mr. Weide's internal strength only began to improve rapidly after he 'comprehended it thoroughly' over the years?" Chu Luren asked with great skepticism.

Bai Zizai glared at him again, but then said somewhat guiltily, "What else could it be?"

"No, if it were self-realization, it shouldn't be so easy to go astray in cultivation. I've heard that the Snow Mountain Sect's internal energy... well, it excels in subtlety rather than profundity. However, Mr. Weide had a fortuitous encounter, which is why his internal energy is so profound. Is that true?"

As a seasoned martial artist, Chu Luren would naturally not directly say, "Your martial arts are no good!"

Bai Zizai hesitated for a moment, then thought that there was nothing he couldn't say, so he told the truth: "That's right. In my early years, I was practicing my fist technique when I was watching an avalanche. I was caught off guard and was swept into it and buried deep under the snow. By chance, I encountered a strange snake and ate its blood to replenish my strength, which allowed me to break free."

Later, when he cultivated his internal energy, he reached the level of my grandmaster's sixty years in just two or three years. That's why, at the age of thirty, he became the head of the Snow Mountain Sect and from then on, he was unparalleled in the Western Regions..."

Chu Luren ignored his attempt to boast again and immediately pressed on, "What kind of strange snake? Where did you encounter it?"

"I didn't see clearly. I was buried deep under the snow. I just felt something beneath me. The snake was enormous, and I didn't get a full view of it, but... it seemed to be a giant snake with some kind of scales. I do remember the location, but strangely enough, when I went to look for it again, the snake was gone. I should have found a dead snake back then..."

Bai Zizai remembered that the snake was already stiff all over, but its blood was still warm, so he suspected that it had just died.

However, Chu Luren clearly had a different speculation—it was very likely some kind of sleeping beast that Bai Zizai took advantage of.

Therefore, with the opening of the Heavenly Gate, the snake blood that Bai Zizai had not absorbed began to recover, which led to his rapid progress in recent years!

Chapter 884 Congratulations, Mr. Weide

In the original work, Bai Zizai also greatly increased his internal strength by consuming snake gall in his early years, but Chu Luren did not pay much attention to this.

However, upon learning that Bai Zizai's internal strength continued to increase after opening the Heavenly Gate, Chu Luren took notice.

When Chu Luren learned that Bai Zizai had not consumed snake gallbladders but had merely drunk a few mouthfuls of snake blood, Chu Luren became even more certain that it was definitely not an ordinary strange snake!

At the time, Bai Zizai was also in a daze and instinctively went to suck the snake's blood. Moreover, he was under the snow layer, so he couldn't see what kind of snake it was. However, since it felt like it had scales, it was still possible that it was a Han Chi.

Chu Luren naturally wouldn't let such a clue go unnoticed, and asked Bai Zizai for details.

Although the Great Snow Mountain is covered in ice and snow and is mostly a place rarely visited by people and has no name, Bai Zizai could not say the exact location, but he was able to find it himself.

When Bai Zizai was young, he had to compete with his fellow disciples. To prevent others from also going to find this strange snake, he lied and said that he had eaten snake gall.

However, times have changed, and Chu Luren had just saved his life, so Bai Zizai told him the truth.

"To be honest, the reason I came here this time to find the Snow Mountain Frost Dragon is that the strange snake that Mr. Weide encountered in his early years was very likely the Frost Dragon."

Bai Zizai, who had calmed down considerably, nodded upon hearing this and said, "Thanks to Brother Chu for coming from afar and exposing this old man's delusion. After we get out, I'll lead the way for you! It's alright if it's not here this time. I'll have the Snow Mountain disciples search for it for you. As long as the Great Snow Mountain really has this Cold Dragon, we will definitely find it!"

"Then thank you in advance, Mr. Weide," Chu Luren said, cupping his hands in thanks.

Bai Zizai walked to the door and pounded on the iron-clad stone door, shouting, "Lu Wantong! Come back here! Your master is cured!"

"Someone! Open the door for me!"

"I... Master Zhang is the greatest in the world..."

Bai Zizai banged on the door for a long time, but no one came. Obviously, there was no one in the dungeon at the moment.

Bai Zizai was somewhat embarrassed, muttering to himself, "These little brats, they just left this old man here like this?"

"Something happened in the sect before. It seems that Madam Shi and Ah Xiu have returned. Feng Wanli led people to pick up his master's wife and niece. The other elders may have some other ideas. Bai Wanjian has been imprisoned again. The Snow Mountain Sect can't care about anything else right now, which is quite possible." Chu Luren explained to Bai Zizai simply.

"Xiao Cui is back? Ah Xiu is back too?" Bai Zizai was overjoyed to hear this.

"Good, good..." Bai Zizai walked around happily for a few minutes, then said with some disdain, "Those old bastards are really no good... Oh well! This time my wife and granddaughter are back, I won't bother with them!"

Seeing that he was in a good mood, Chu Luren wanted to make him even happier, so she said, "Not only your wife and Ah Xiu, but also a grandson-in-law has come to visit!"

Bai Zizai: ? ? ?

Bai Zizai first looked puzzled, then... looked at Chu Luren strangely.

"Oh, of course it's not me, it's a sworn brother of mine. He and Miss Axiu are in love, and he came to the Snow Mountain Sect specifically for Miss Axiu."

Chu Luren naturally didn't mention that the bastard dog was there to take the blame for his brother...

Bai Zizai frowned upon hearing this, then waved his hand and said, "We'll talk about this later. I'll figure out a way to get out first."

The mere claim of "mutual affection" was clearly not enough to convince Bai Zizai about his granddaughter.

Seeing this, Chu Luren plucked two more hairs, then stretched them out through the crack in the stone door and inserted them into the keyhole from the outside...

Bai Zizai was stunned. He hadn't paid much attention before because he was out of his mind, but now that his rationality had returned, he could see how amazing Chu Luren's move was.

"Excellent! As expected, heroes emerge from among the young. With just this skill, if you were to become my grandson-in-law, I would definitely agree!" Bai Zizai said with great admiration.

It's clear that Bai Zizai hadn't heard about or had forgotten about the Changsha incident, otherwise he wouldn't have "agreed" so readily.

Chu Luren naturally declined, saying, "Mr. Weide, you flatter me. My fourth brother is also a handsome man with a pure heart. Moreover, in terms of martial arts, he is one of the people I am not confident of defeating right now."

"Oh?" Bai Zizai chuckled softly, his expression seeming to say: Really? I don't believe it.

Since he is the "fourth brother", he must be younger than Chu Luren. How could he be so skilled in martial arts?

Putting everything else aside, if Bai Zizai could defeat Ah Xiu's father, who is also his own son Bai Wanjian, he wouldn't object to the marriage.

At this moment, Chu Luren had already unlocked the door and invited Bai Zizai to stand up with him. Then, he used his spin to turn the stone door around.

Bai Zizai seemed disdainful, but still asked with some curiosity, "What sect or school does your fourth brother belong to?"

"I belong to no sect or school; my martial arts skills were mainly acquired through fortuitous encounters," Chu Luren honestly stated.

"Hmm, not bad." Bai Zizai said in a tone that seemed to say, "Oh, he's a poor kid."

"However, his parents are very famous; they are... the Shi Qing couple from Xuan Su Manor."

As expected, as soon as Chu Luren finished speaking, Bai Zizai's eyes widened and he exclaimed, "What? He, he is..."

"It's not that good-for-nothing Shi Zhongyu, but the second son of Master Shi Qing who went missing back then. He was raised by Mei Fanggu in his early years and later received guidance from Xie Yanke for a period of time."

Chu Luren's words made it sound as if Gou Zazhong had inherited the true skills of both families...

"Hmph!" Bai Zizai clearly still harbored resentment towards Xuan Suzhuang.

Chu Luren said no more, lest Bai Zizai's impression of him worsen.

The two emerged from the dungeon and found no Snow Mountain Sect disciples around. Chu Luren looked southeast and said, "It seems like everyone is over there."

"Over there? That's the Star-Picking Platform! Let's go, I'll see what those old bastards are up to!" Bai Zizai said angrily.

If it's just to stop him from going crazy, Bai Zizai can let them off the hook and temporarily detain his son, which can be considered a temporary measure. However, if they really want to hurt his wife and beloved granddaughter, Bai Zizai will let them know who the senior brother is!

The Star-Picking Platform is actually the summit of a nearby mountain, located in the direction of the mountain gate, and is connected to the main city of Lingxiao City by an iron chain.

Bai Zizai's Snow Mountain Sect lightness skill was inherently wind-resistant. After a few taps, he used the momentum to reach the side of the Star-Picking Platform. When he turned around, Chu Luren was already on this side, and he didn't even hear the sound of Chu Luren cutting through the air.

The spot where we had just landed, hidden from the Star-Picking Platform itself by the surrounding peaks and rocks, was the site of a continuous fighting sound...

The two quietly turned around and saw that the bastard was fighting against four elders of the Snow Mountain Sect, seemingly holding back his strength. At the same time, the two envoys who should not have been there were also there!

Chapter 885 Competition

Chu Luren was also very curious as to why the two envoys who reward good and punish evil were here.

Logically speaking, the Snow Mountain Sect shouldn't be within the scope of Xia Ke Island's card-issuing policy, and the two envoys have never come to the Snow Mountain region of the Western Regions...

Although they had previously threatened Bai Wanjian that if the Snow Mountain Sect "robbed and killed" the guests who were going to Xia Ke Island, then the Snow Mountain Sect would have to make up for the spot, now that Shi Zhongyu and Gou Zazhong are still alive, the two envoys of reward and punishment have actually arrived first.

Could it be that they've decided to launch under the Snow Mountain Sect's name?

Chu Luren didn't consider how unsuccessful the dealing of cards had been due to various uncontrollable factors during the two envoys' trip to the Central Plains...

With the end of the year approaching and the departure date fast approaching, the two envoys, who are responsible for rewarding good and punishing evil, can only exert their initiative to expand their customer base.

The Snow Mountain Sect is far from the Central Plains, which means that Bai Ziben, who is already on the list of chivalrous heroes, has little presence.

Originally, due to the influence of the Snow Mountain Party in the Western Regions, Bai Zizai was at least ranked at the bottom of the Heavenly Ranking a few years ago. However, in the past two years, due to the online card dealing by Xia Ke Dao, the major sects in the Central Plains have all rushed to improve their rankings, and Bai Zizai is no longer on the list.

Therefore, given Bai Zizai's martial arts skills, he would be a suitable target...

Just half an hour ago, Shi Xiaocui and her granddaughter Axiu returned to the Snow Mountain Sect, only to be intercepted by Liao Zili's disciples near the Star Picking Platform.

However, the bastard dog arrived shortly afterward—without fighting back, he charged headlong into the enemy, causing the Snow Mountain disciples to be routed and losing their armor.

After being rescued, Shi Xiaocui naturally rebuked Cheng Zixue, Liao Zili, and others, especially Feng Wanli.

They just said that the "old bastard" had already been harmed by them...

Feng Wanli dared not refute, but knelt down to beg for forgiveness.

However, Cheng Zixue and the other three were only a little guilty at first. Then, in front of all the disciples, they denounced Bai Zizai's cruelty. In an instant, apart from the disciples of the Changmen lineage, the other four branches showed their true colors even more fiercely. They refused to release Bai Wanjian and the other Changmen disciples who had gone out earlier, and they refused to release Bai Zizai either!

Shi Xiaocui also felt a chill in her heart; she never expected that the old bastard would do something so outrageous that angered both heaven and man…

Just then, the two envoys, one for rewarding good and the other for punishing evil, arrived at the door, saying they wanted to issue a token to the sect leader.

As a result, the four fellow disciples who were secretly competing with each other all became moral gentlemen and declined the offer.

When the two envoys, who were rewarding good and punishing evil, saw that Bai Zizai was no longer there, they were greatly disappointed. However, since they had already come, they could not leave empty-handed for the sake of the "persona" of Xia Ke Island. So they casually suggested that they hold a martial arts contest to select a new leader.

Thus, the Star-Picking Platform became a performance art venue...

During the fight, not only did they all hold back their strength, but the four of them also began to perform without any props, as if their opponents truly possessed some supreme internal power, and were easily sent flying backwards.

"Third Senior Brother's swordsmanship is indeed superb; I couldn't dodge this move at all!"

"Could this be the legendary celestial being descending from the heavens? I can't resist the urge to touch it myself... Ah! Second Senior Brother, have mercy..."