On the only way to the Mount Hua Sect, the two reincarnated beings beside Jiang Tianxiong stopped at the same time, their faces showing disbelief.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Tianxiong was in a great mood. That Xiao Wang must be dead at the hands of that dark-faced man by now. He knew the dark-faced man's martial arts very well. He was proficient in swordsmanship and had immense strength. Dealing with a disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect would be more than enough for him.
He was invited by the three men with black faces to help him this time. It is said that as long as he helps them get a sword manual, these people will give him a precious 'Marrow-Cleansing Pill'.
For Jiang Tianxiong, who had already reached a bottleneck in his martial arts, the Marrow-Cleansing Pill was incredibly powerful. Therefore, he agreed without hesitation. As for the origins of the three black-faced men, he didn't want to investigate. There were plenty of nobodys in the martial arts world, but only a few were famous; the majority were unknown.
But at this moment, the expressions on the faces of those two people were utterly astonished.
"Blackface... is dead!"
"So, these guys traded the 'Marrow-Cleansing Pill' as a reward to gain Jiang Tianxiong's support. Moreover, their mission is the same as mine—to obtain the 'Upper Clear Sword Marrow' sword manual. We need to hurry!"
Li Wei was now fully utilizing his internal energy, traversing a path strewn with loose rocks and treacherous trees to reach Mount Hua. The wind whistled past his ears, and the continuous flow of true energy made him feel like Superman, tireless.
The appearance of that black-faced reincarnator made Li Wei realize two things.
In this mission scenario, there are multiple teams of reincarnators.
Not only him, but he also received the mission to steal the sword manual.
Thus, time becomes the key factor. Li Wei is unsure whether there are other reincarnators, and he also doesn't know if their tasks are the same as his.
It was precisely because of these uncertainties that Li Wei decided to go up Mount Hua as quickly as possible to make some preparations to seize the 'Upper Clear Sword Marrow' sword manual.
The Yellow Paper didn't specify where the sword manual was or who possessed it. The only clue was Mount Hua.
Li Wei had just confirmed this with the black-faced reincarnator.
The dark-faced group decided to go up Mount Hua first, and then look for clues about the sword manual.
However, Li Wei possessed information they were unaware of: the 'Wulin Encyclopedia' that Li Wei had copied at the beginning.
The Wulin Encyclopedia not only lists the famous figures in the martial arts world and their rankings in terms of martial prowess, but also their signature moves. Among them is one person's martial art, the "Upper Clear Sword Marrow".
Shangguan Ye: The junior brother of Cao Dai, the current head of the Mount Hua Sect, and the sect leader of the Mount Hua "Sword Sect." He is the only inheritor in the world of the Mount Hua ultimate technique, "Upper Clear Sword Marrow," but unfortunately, due to poor aptitude, he can only unleash 60% of the sword technique's power.
This is from the Wulin Encyclopedia.
Who is Shangguan Ye?
Li Wei thought for a long time, but he didn't seem to have any impression of this person. However, he had heard of the rivalry between the "Sword" and "Qi" sects of Mount Hua, and it had a long history.
The Sword Sect focuses on the sword and emphasizes the unity of man and sword. When the sword moves in unison with the mind, the swordsmanship reaches its peak, and one can defeat all moves without using any moves.
The Qi Sect focuses on cultivating internal energy, emphasizing strengthening the body through internal cultivation, and then using Qi to control the sword, making it invincible wherever Qi goes.
These are all depictions in many novels and TV series. They say it's about defending one's beliefs, but frankly, it's still a struggle for interests, just like partisan struggles in modern society.
Li Wei didn't care about this at all. Now that he had a clue about the quest item 'Upper Clear Sword Marrow', he might as well go find Shangguan Ye. But that guy was nowhere to be found.
Li Wei kept thinking about the next step, and finally, he came up with a solution.
Shangguan Ye is hard to find, but there is one person who is easier to find. If you can find him, you will be halfway to success.
Thinking of this, Li Wei stopped and quickly headed in another direction up the mountain.
Three days ago.
Mount Hua Sect, Martial Arts Hall.
The current sect leader Cao Dai, sat in his armchair, eyes closed in deep thought, seemingly lost in thought. Inside the martial arts hall, his disciples, all with solemn expressions, finally stepped forward.
"Master, that Xuanmingzi colluded with heretics to steal the sword manual of my fellow disciples from Mount Hua. Although the Sword Sect and my Qi Sect have a long-standing feud, we are still from the same root. How can we allow those heretics to steal the martial arts masterpiece of our sect's founder!"
No sooner had this disciple finished speaking than another disciple with a somewhat lewd appearance jumped out from the side.
"Junior brother, you're mistaken. Since the Sword Sect disobeyed our master's dying wish and broke away from the Mount Hua lineage to form its own sect, it has committed an act of betraying its master and ancestors. The claim of being born of the same root is therefore invalid. Moreover, Xuanmingzi a disciple of the Free and Xiaoyao Valley. His affairs should naturally be handled by Senior Wuxiazi of the Wuxiazi Xiaoyao Valley. For us to intervene would be overstepping our bounds... As for the heretical sect, their morale is currently high, and they have countless experts. They are far beyond our ability to contend with. I urge Master to reconsider..."
These two men clearly represented two opposing attitudes, and for a moment, the martial arts hall was filled with a heated argument.
Cao Dai's face turned ashen, and he let out a cold snort, immediately silencing the noise.
"One advocates offering assistance, while the other advocates observing the situation; both are acting in the best interests of the Mount Hua Sect, and I don't blame you. However, this matter is of great importance; the slightest misstep could be a calamity for our Mount Hua Sect..."
At this moment, a disciple stepped out from the end of the line, immediately attracting everyone's attention.
"Master, your disciple has something to say!"
Cao Dai took a closer look, and his expression immediately softened. This disciple had joined the sect five days ago. In terms of character, intelligence, and talent, he could be considered the best and most promising disciple in the Mount Hua Sect. What was he going to say? Cao Dai was truly looking forward to it.
"Master, as you yourself said, this matter is of great importance. No matter what choice our sect makes, we cannot escape responsibility. Therefore, the most important thing right now is to send someone to inform Wuxiazi Xiaoyao Valley and ask him to uphold justice. Although the Sword Sect has betrayed our sect, blood is thicker than water. If we ignore it, the world will only laugh at our Mount Hua for being incompetent. However, the Demonic Sect is currently at the height of its power, and our Mount Hua Sect cannot match it. It would be better to issue invitations to heroes from all over the world and summon heroes and chivalrous warriors to come. Surely, this righteous cause of eliminating demons and protecting the righteous path will attract countless followers. If even half of the masters in the world come, the Demonic Sect will not be able to stir up any trouble!"
Upon hearing this, praises erupted throughout the hall. Even Cao Dai nodded in agreement, feeling greatly relieved. Firstly, Mount Hua had a solution to this calamity, and secondly, he was pleased that his disciples had produced such a talented and skilled individual.
And so, the matter was settled.
Unbeknownst to anyone, after everyone had left, the disciple who had devised the plan returned to his room alone and muttered to himself, "The mandatory task on the Yellow Paper is to guard the 'Upper Clear Sword Marrow' sword manual. Doing it this way should be the safest option!"
After thinking for a moment, he seemed to feel that something was not right, so he came out of the room again, looked around to make sure no one was there, and then leaped up and ran towards the back mountain.
While others might not know, he was very clear that the back mountain was the location of the 'Sword Sect'.
"It's safer to go and protect Shangguan Ye myself. At this time, no one can be trusted. The only one we can trust is ourselves!" the disciple muttered to himself, then leaped and disappeared into the mountains.
Li Wei looked at the One-Line Sky in front of him and let out a long breath.
This is the only way to enter the Mount Hua Sect, and he has been guarding this place for several hours.
We're waiting here, of course, to wait for someone.
With the first level of the True Qi-Controlling Formula fully activated, Li Wei concealed all his aura within his body. Furthermore, by lying motionless behind a rock, even a top-tier expert passing by would not notice that there was another person there.
Judging from the birds that landed on Li Wei was now almost as hard as a stone.
Another hour passed, and finally, a few figures flashed across the One-Line Sky. Li Wei recognized one of them and thought to himself, "They've finally arrived."
After the group of people passed by, Li Wei quietly followed them.
The people in front of him were all top masters in the martial arts world, so Li Wei dared not relax for a moment and always kept a distance of more than 200 meters. At this moment, all the muscles in his body were taut like springs, and his true energy was solidified in his skin and meridians under the True Qi-Controlling Formula. At this moment, he was more like a cheetah tracking its prey, silent and dangerous.
Although the people in front were all highly skilled in martial arts, they did not notice Li Wei following behind. Among these people, the leader was a bewitching woman.
Dressed in a magnificent red gown, her long sleeves were her most powerful weapon. Yet, she walked barefoot in the mountains, seemingly without any hindrance and without getting a speck of dust on her feet. It was hard to imagine how she managed to do such a thing.
Behind her followed two people. One was of medium height, with a broad face, stubble eyebrows, and a ferocious expression. He wore a black eyepatch over one eye and exuded an imposing aura as he walked.
The other person was short in stature with a broad forehead, wearing a wide blue shirt with his limbs rolled up, looking just like a porter.
Of the three, the one wearing an eye patch is Xuanmingzi of Xiaoyao Valley, while the woman at the head and the porter are Yasha and Mahoraga of the Heavenly Dragon Cult.
Who are these Yasha and Mahoraga?
That's someone whose very name can stop a child from crying at night.
"Yasha" from Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils is a young and beautiful woman dressed in red. She is the youngest character in the series, yet her martial arts skills are in no way inferior to those of her predecessors. She excels in lightness skills and exudes an aura of malevolence.
Mahoraga from the novel Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils is a master of poison within the Heavenly Dragon Cult. He is gloomy, ruthless, and infamous throughout the martial arts world.
The remaining few were all members of the Heavenly Dragon Cult, dressed in black and wearing masks; they were clearly not to be trifled with. Any one of them possessed the combat strength of a chief disciple of an ordinary sect.
These people were powerful enough to easily wipe out some minor sects, but they were in a hurry and made no show of it, heading straight for the back of Mount Hua.
At the same time, several other forces were also heading towards Mount Hua.
The sky was already dark, and layers of black rain clouds had appeared in the air. The dry wind was now carrying a hint of moisture, making people feel somewhat depressed. Anyone who saw this celestial phenomenon knew that a heavy rainstorm was definitely coming in the middle of the night.
Perhaps there will be another brutal battle, and who will be the final winner will only be revealed after the rain stops.