One person: Senior Brother Zhang Zhiwei, who has mastered the Golden Light Mantra to its fullest lev

Zhao Tieshan was also stunned, wondering where this young man had come from.

"Kid, get out of my way! Or I'll kill you too!"

Han Dong grinned maliciously, and the Xuanbing Hook in his hand showed no mercy, bringing a biting cold wind as it grabbed towards Zhang Yunyuan's face.

Zhang Yunyuan didn't even glance at him.

He simply extended two fingers and casually clamped them against the menacing iron hook.

Han Dong's fatal blow, which was infused with all his strength, was effortlessly caught by those two seemingly slender fingers.

The chill attached to the ice hook melted instantly upon contact with the boy's fingertips, like ice and snow meeting the blazing sun.

Han Dong's sinister smile froze instantly.

He felt as if his weapon was welded shut by iron clamps. No matter how much he channeled his inner strength, he could not advance an inch further or withdraw it.

An indescribable fear instantly surged into my heart.

He had just uttered a single word.

Zhang Yunyuan flicked his finger.

An overwhelming force traveled through the iron hook.

The double steel hooks in Han Dong's hands snapped in two.

He was struck dumb, screamed, and flew backward for more than ten meters, crashing heavily into the mountain wall. He spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted on the spot.

This swift and decisive scene unfolded in the blink of an eye.

The remaining bandits hadn't even realized what was happening when they saw their near-top-tier leader get killed in one move.

After a brief silence, someone let out a terrified scream.

"Oh my god! There's a ghost!"

All the bandits scattered instantly, scrambling and crawling as they fled back the way they came, wishing they had more legs.

In the blink of an eye, only the dumbfounded Huode Sect members and the calm-looking young man standing with his hands behind his back remained on the mountain path.

Zhang Yunyuan turned around, glanced at Zhao Tieshan, who was covered in wounds and panting heavily while leaning on his knife, and walked over.

He reached out and placed his hand on Zhao Tieshan's shoulder.

The Return to Truth Mantra is activated.

A gentle and pure Qi slowly flowed into Zhao Tieshan's body.

Zhao Tieshan felt a warm current flow through his body, and the burning wounds on his body began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye. Even the meridians in his body that had been eroded by the cold air quickly returned to normal.

In just a short while, he felt that most of his physical strength and energy had been restored.

This incredible skill left Zhao Tieshan utterly shocked.

He threw away his broadsword and struggled to kneel down.

"Zhao Tieshan of Huode Sect thanks you for saving my life!"

Zhang Yunyuan helped him up.

"Easy to do."

He looked at Zhao Tieshan and spoke calmly.

"While one may be brave, if one injures oneself before harming the enemy, it is not a sustainable path."

Zhao Tieshan was taken aback upon hearing this.

"Your Fire Virtue Sect's techniques are more powerful than resilient. When facing a strong enemy, you should be like 'charcoal smoldering in a fire pit,' extinguishing the exterior while burning brightly inside, accumulating power for the moment, rather than 'wildfire spreading across the plains,' which would only deplete your vital energy."

These words struck Zhao Tieshan like a thunderclap.

He had practiced the Blazing Sun Saber Technique for over twenty years, and no one had ever been able to so incisively point out its core flaws.

Externally extinguished but internally blazing... poised to strike...

He pondered these eight words repeatedly, and suddenly everything became clear. Many obstacles that he couldn't understand before were instantly resolved.

He was deeply shaken, and when he looked at the boy in front of him again, his eyes had changed from gratitude to utter awe.

This is no young man at all; he is clearly a senior master with divine insight and unfathomable cultivation!

He struggled to push away Zhang Yunyuan's support and bowed respectfully in a deep salute.

"Zhao Tieshan of Huode Sect expresses his deepest gratitude to our benefactor for saving his life and for his invaluable advice! May I ask your honorable name? This kindness will be forever etched in the hearts of Tieshan and the entire Huode Sect!"

Zhang Yunyuan looked at him calmly.

"Longhu Mountain, Yunyuan".

Chapter 29 At the Crane-Welcoming Tower in Jin, Heroes Gather for the First Time

"Longhu Mountain... Master Yunyuan!"

When Zhao Tieshan heard this name, he was first taken aback, and then he was filled with respect.

So he was a master from the Celestial Master's Mansion; no wonder he had such extraordinary abilities.

He had no more doubts, only a heart full of gratitude and admiration.

Upon learning that Zhang Yunyuan was merely traveling and had no specific destination in mind, Zhao Tieshan's mind immediately began to stir.

He immediately thought of the gathering at Yinghelou.

"Daoist Yunyuan, now that you are traveling, do you have any plans for the future?"

Zhao Tieshan asked cautiously.

Zhang Yunyuan shook his head slightly: "I am a free spirit, traveling around and seeking opportunities. Saving you just now was also a manifestation of the ripening of opportunities."

"It's quite a coincidence that in two days, the famous Yinghelou in Shanxi will host a gathering of young talents. At that time, young talents and outstanding students from Shanxi and surrounding areas will gather here to exchange ideas and learn from each other."

Zhao Tieshan's face was filled with eager anticipation.

"Master Dao, your strength is extraordinary and your knowledge is exceptional. Your presence would surely bring great honor to our humble abode! I, Tieshan, am willing to guide and introduce you to the Master, which would also give me the opportunity to repay your kindness today!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yunyuan's heart stirred.

A gathering of the younger generation?

This is a good opportunity to meet more extraordinary people and understand the current situation in the martial arts world.

Moreover, the direction to Yinghe Tower is roughly the same as his route northward.

He nodded, which was considered an agreement.

Zhao Tieshan was overjoyed and quickly instructed his fellow disciples to check the supplies before setting off again.

The road to Yinghelou was the same one that Zhao Tieshan was taking to deliver the supplies.

A day later, they successfully delivered the supplies to a secret stronghold of the Huode Sect.

After completing the handover, Zhao Tieshan immediately sent the other disciples back to their sect to report, while he himself was overjoyed and wanted to personally take Zhang Yunyuan, his "benefactor and master," to Yinghe Tower.

Yinghe Tower is located in the center of a bustling city in Shanxi.

This building is no ordinary restaurant; it is a notorious den of iniquity in the world of supernatural beings, and a hub for all kinds of information.

Those who can afford to spend money here are all prominent figures from various sects.

As soon as Zhang Yunyuan followed Zhao Tieshan into the building, the system notification sounded as expected.

[Ding! Check-in location detected: Yinghe Tower in Jindi.]

【Check-in successful! 】

[Congratulations, host, you have received a reward: A Name Card for Extraordinary People (one-time use).]

[Name Card for Extraordinary Persons: Using this item, you can designate an extraordinary person to quickly increase their basic favorability towards you, or it can be used to resolve a grudge that is not a life-or-death feud.]

Zhang Yunyuan raised an eyebrow.

This reward is quite interesting.

He put aside his thoughts and followed Zhao Tieshan to the top floor of Yinghe Tower.

The top floor is a spacious terrace with excellent views, offering panoramic vistas of most of the city.

At this moment, seven or eight young people had gathered on the terrace, sitting around a large round table, clinking glasses, and talking animatedly, creating a very lively atmosphere.

"Brother Zhao, you've finally arrived! We've been waiting for you!"

A young man with a loud voice and a rather forthright personality saw Zhao Tieshan and immediately stood up and waved.

Zhao Tieshan laughed and pulled Zhang Yunyuan over.

"Let me introduce you all. This is Master Yunyuan from Longhu Mountain, and he is also my savior!"

He briefly recounted what had happened on the way.

When everyone heard that Zhang Yunyuan had severely injured a near-first-rate bandit with a single move, their eyes looked at him with a mixture of surprise and solemnity.

With Zhao Tieshan's enthusiastic introduction, Zhang Yunyuan got to know everyone present one by one.

A young man with a free and unrestrained demeanor, holding a long sword, smiled kindly at him, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Flowing Cloud Sword, Lin Zifeng."

The forthright young man who was the first to greet Zhao Tieshan patted his chest and said, "Fengping, like Brother Tieshan, is also from the Huode Sect."

There was also an arrogant young man at the table who simply nodded slightly as a greeting: "A person of high character, Gao Gen."

Although he appeared arrogant, Zhang Yunyuan could sense that he was not a cold-hearted person, but rather that he was simply driven by his personality and had his own principles.

There was also a pair of fellow disciples from the Natural School.

Senior Brother Bian Tong appears steady and honest, and doesn't talk much.

Junior brother Hao Wencai, on the other hand, was much more lively, his eyes darting around, full of curiosity about Zhang Yunyuan, the new "expert".

Finally, a burly man with dark skin and bulging muscles introduced himself in a deep voice: "Yanwu Hall, Liu Deshui."

Lin Zifeng, Feng Ping, Gao Gen, Bian Tong, Hao Wencai, Liu Deshui...

As Zhang Yunyuan heard these names and compared them with their sects and temperaments, his heart was already stirred.

In the Jia Shen Rebellion that would later shake the world, several of the thirty-six traitors were particularly notorious!