The enemy arrives

"Yuan Shuang, do you know what luck is?"

Thousands of feet in the air, Ji Xuan stood proudly at the bow of the ship, looking down at the vast land.

The wind howled, but it was blocked three zhang away by the energy barrier he erected.

Xu Yuanshuang was also within the range of the qi barrier. The beautiful young woman withdrew her downward gaze, glanced at her cousin, and frowned slightly.

"You asked me out just to ask this?"

A barrier of energy confined their conversation to a radius of three zhang (approximately 10 meters).

Ji Xuan narrowed his eyes, his face bearing his usual gentle smile, and said:

"I'm still a little worried, so I wanted to double-check."

Xu Yuanshuang frowned slightly, not understanding his words. After considering it for a moment, she said:

"All things in the world have their own destiny, and these destinies vary from person to person. Humans, animals, plants, trees, the noble and the lowly, these factors determine the amount of destiny."

"Dynasties also have their fate, but in the words of Warlock, this is called destiny."

Ji Xuan's smile faded, and he gazed into the distance. After a long while, he suddenly asked:

"What Seventh Brother wants to ask is, are fortune and destiny the same thing?"

Xu Yuanshuang nodded. "The essence is the same, but compared to the fate of the nation, an individual's popularity is like a drop in the ocean."

Ji Xuan stopped speaking, gazed into the distance, and laughed:

"We've arrived at Quanrong Mountain!"

Xiao Yuenu glanced around and saw the Divine Fist Gang, the Ink Pavilion, and other powerful gangs, as well as some gangs of slightly lesser strength.

There were dozens of them, and fewer than ten, and they all looked in the direction of the sound.

The heroes of the martial arts world gathered in the square had their eyes shining, their gazes fixed on the women of the Wan Hua Lou and unwilling to look away.

Among them, the most gazes were fixed on Xiao Yuenu.

As the most beautiful woman in Jianzhou, Xiao Yuenü is undoubtedly the center of attention wherever she goes.

If it were merely beauty, it would only attract the covetousness and desecration of men, but Xiao Yuenü was also a fourth-rank martial artist.

In terms of individual combat strength, none of the gang leaders and sect masters present dared to say they could definitely defeat her.

With her powerful cultivation as a foundation and her stunning beauty as an adornment, she became the woman that all the heroes of Jianzhou dreamed of.

What are you gentlemen doing here?

Xiao Yuenu's eyes flickered, and a soft, magnetic voice drifted from beneath her veil.

"Alliance Leader Cao has gone to the back mountain."

"The alliance leader is not at home; he has been gone for more than half an hour."

"Did you encounter anything unusual on your journey, Master Xiao?"

The heroes of the martial arts alliance started talking all at once.

On the other side, in the Mo Pavilion camp, Young Master Liu's master glanced at his disciple and, following his gaze, discovered that this unworthy disciple was staring intently at the peerless beauty Xiao Yuenu.

He was immediately enraged and shouted:

"You should at least take a good look at Rongrong, so I can find an excuse to propose marriage at the brothel and bring you a wife."

A teacher for a day is a father for life. As a father, he naturally has to worry about his disciple's marriage.

As a result, this unworthy disciple became infatuated with Xiao Yuenu, without even considering that she was someone a toad could never truly possess.

Young Master Liu whispered:

"Master, you yourself haven't even gotten married yet, you should find me a wife soon."

Master Liu said:

"As a swordsman, having a sword is enough. Only by treating it with wholehearted devotion can it treat you with sincerity."

"The road ahead is long, and only your sword will accompany you. Understand?"

As she spoke, she touched the sword hanging at her waist with a hint of pity.

This sword was given to them by the Bureau of Astronomy on behalf of Xu Yinluo.

Young Master Liu protested in a low voice:

"Master, this sword is mine."

"Didn't I say that I would pass this sword to you after I die?"

The middle-aged swordsman glared at it and said earnestly, "You must treat it with True Intention."

"I will treat it like my master would treat his wife." Young Master Liu licked his lips.

After saying that, the master and apprentice felt that something was off about what they had said. They exchanged a glance and fell silent.

At this moment, a middle-aged man walked out of the Alliance Leader's mansion. He was refined and easy-going, with the air of a scholar.

She wore a black robe embroidered with gold and silver threads, and a golden crown; her attire was extremely exquisite and meticulous.

Wen Chengbi, Vice Leader of the Martial Arts Alliance.

The internal system of the Martial Arts Alliance is completely based on the military system established by the former leader, except that the titles of the positions have been adjusted.

The title "Grand General" was changed to "Alliance Leader".

The titles of "Deputy General" and "Military Advisor" have been changed to "Deputy Alliance Leader".

The vice leaders of the martial arts alliance throughout history have primarily been scholars who valued wisdom and talent over martial prowess.

"Alliance Leader Cao has returned. Everyone, please follow me inside."

Wen Chengbi stood at the entrance of the mansion and bowed.

In perfect unison, the sect leaders and gang leaders present stepped forward and walked into the mansion side by side.

The disciples stayed outside.

Xiao Yuenu and a group of gang leaders entered the Alliance Leader's Mansion and arrived at the council hall.

With a square face and a serious demeanor, Cao Qingyang, dressed in a light blue robe, sat on a large chair, gazing at the group of people who had arrived together.

After everyone was seated, he said in a deep voice:

"Gentlemen, the Martial Alliance is about to face a crisis."

Upon hearing this, the gang leaders below exchanged silent glances, seemingly expecting it and not overly surprised.

The leaders of the small and medium-sized gangs didn't dare to speak and remained silent.

In this situation, everyone just needs to remain silent and wait for Fu Jing to speak.

Among the leaders of the nine affiliated gangs, Fu Jingmen, dressed in a dark blue short-sleeved shirt, shouted loudly:

"Who's foolish enough to provoke our martial arts alliance? Let's fight! Even if it's the imperial army, we're not afraid."

Seeing that the topic had been opened, Xiao Yuenu said softly:

"It's probably the imperial court."

Fu Jingmen frowned. "How do you know?"

A fat middle-aged man diagonally opposite him chuckled, pointed to his head, and said:

"Think about it with your boxing-savvy brain. With the cold disaster raging, the imperial court is busy stabilizing the situation on all sides and appeasing the people. How could they possibly make things difficult for us at this critical juncture?"

The fat man is the president of the Jianzhou Chamber of Commerce, and his name is Qiao Weng.

The expenses of the military town at the foot of Quanrong Mountain were mostly provided by the Jianzhou Chamber of Commerce.

The Leizhou Chamber of Commerce is the money bag of Quanrong Mountain.

Fu Jingmen immediately looked at Cao Qingyang, who nodded, then looked around at everyone again and said:

"It's a long story."

He immediately explained the matter of the dragon's aura to everyone present in detail.

The spirit of the dragon vein collapsed, transforming into dragon energy that scattered throughout the Central Plains.

The dragon's aura is related to the fate of the nation and the safety of the Central Plains.

Buddhist School Vajra masters, Witchcraft Cult experts, and the unheard-of Heavenly Mystery Palace are all coveting the dragon's aura.

The hall fell silent for a moment. After listening to Cao Qingyang's words, the gang leaders tried to digest the concept of dragon energy and this astonishing news.

Especially the word "King Kong" itself, referring to the enemy they were about to face, completely extinguished the arrogance of the arrogant warriors present.

Yang Cuixue, the head of the Ink Pavilion, sighed:

"The dragon's energy dissipated, causing continuous natural and man-made disasters, and countless people froze to death."

"Foreign tribes are eyeing us covetously, intending to seize the Central Plains. Has our Great Feng already fallen to this state?"

The founder of the Moge sect was a scholar who repeatedly failed the imperial examinations. In a fit of anger, he abandoned his literary pursuits and turned to martial arts, establishing his sect in Jianzhou.

The disciples of this school retained the custom of reading and writing, and their daily attire was also more like that of scholars, except that they replaced the folding fan that scholars liked to hold with a three-foot-long sword.

Yang Cuixue at this moment had a somewhat cynical, bookish air about her.

Everyone fell silent; the atmosphere in the hall seemed to freeze.

Cao Qingyang's voice was steady and powerful, neither hurried nor slow:

"This matter concerns the survival of the imperial court, but if we take on this responsibility, we must first worry about the survival of the martial arts alliance."

"I cannot bear to see our ancestral legacy destroyed, but I cannot tolerate foreign powers encroaching upon our Central Plains. Therefore, I cordially invite you all to join me in resisting this formidable enemy."

"Leader!" As a businessman, Qiao Weng first weighed the pros and cons:

"I believe this isn't a question of whether we can handle it, but rather whether we can even bear the burden."

Fu Jingmen, known for his volatile temper, angrily retorted upon hearing this:

"What's there to be unable to bear?"

"The incompetence of the imperial court does not mean that we, the people of the Central Plains, are incompetent. The bald monks and scum of the Witch God Cult in the Western Regions want to seize the dragon's energy, encroach on the Central Plains, and bully us on our doorstep."

"Does he really think the Central Plains human race has no one left? Bullshit Vajra, if he comes, I'll fight him."

Han Xie, the sect leader of the Thousand Machines Sect, said in a sinister tone:

"Fu Jing's sect is as brainless as ever, but I agree with his opinion. So what if there's Buddhist School influence? Does that mean Vajra can recklessly plunder the dragon energy of my Great Feng Dynasty in the Central Plains?"

Yang Cuixue, the head of the Ink Pavilion, tapped the table lightly a few times and asked:

What is the attitude of the Bureau of Astronomy?

Cao Qingyang said, "The Bureau of Astronomy will provide some assistance. The second disciple of the Director of the Observatory, Sun Xuanji, is currently in Jianzhou. He is a third-rank Warlock."

During his painful verbal exchanges with Sun Xuanji, he had already become familiar with her background and rank.

Where is the old alliance leader?

The one asking the question was a middle-aged Daoist priest, the abbot of the White Crane Temple, one of the nine major affiliated forces of the Martial Alliance.

Cao Qingyang shook his head:

"Our ancestor is in seclusion. I waited for a long time on the back mountain, but I couldn't wake him."

The hearts of everyone in the hall sank.

The old leader is the source of confidence for the entire martial arts alliance. In times of peace and prosperity, he serves more as a deterrent.

However, with powerful enemies surrounding them, the old leader of the martial arts alliance cannot emerge from seclusion, which means the martial arts alliance has essentially lost its biggest trump card.

At this moment, Xiao Yuenu, who had been silent all along, said softly:

Where is Xu Yinluo?

Everyone turned to look at Cao Qingyang, their eyes filled with hope.

Cao Qingyang gave an affirmative answer with a simple nod.

Whew. Almost everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Upon learning that Xu Yinluo would be coming to lend a hand, some of the gang leaders and sect masters, who had been feeling uneasy, immediately felt much more at ease.

With the old alliance leader in seclusion, a mere third-rank Warlock was not enough to put their minds at ease.

Besides, the white-robed Warlock is a stranger. What is his strength? What is his character like? What if he runs away when things go wrong?

These are all potential problems.

But if it were Xu Yinluo, they wouldn't have any such concerns.

Fu Jingmen laughed heartily and said excitedly:

"To have teamed up with Xu Yinluo to kill that unknown young man back then, and now to have the opportunity to fight a powerful enemy together again, is truly a joyous occasion in life."

Another person who helped Xu Qi'an was Yang Cuixue, who looked expectant and said:

At that time, Xu Yinluo was not even a fifth-rank official; it was only with the help of Alliance Leader Cao that he comprehended the Transformation Realm.

"But when he slew the tyrannical ruler, he was already an extraordinary martial artist. I wonder if his cultivation has improved since then. It's something to look forward to."

On the southern peak of Quanrong Mountain, Li Lingsu, whose aura was concealed by the "shifting stars and changing constellations," stood atop a giant pine tree, gazing at the archway at the foot of the mountain.

"Almost all the affiliated sects of the Martial Alliance have arrived, and the military garrison is also on high alert, ready to meet the enemy."

The Holy Son pondered for a moment and said, "But I feel that these direct troops of the Martial Alliance are completely useless."

Miao Youfang stood beside him, looking down at him together, and asked, "How do you know?"

Li Lingsu said:

"Sister Rong possesses a top-grade magical Law Artifact called the Wind-Riding Boat."

"If I were Ji Xuan, I would ride the Wind-Riding Boat and head straight for the secluded place in the back mountain to capture the leader first."

"Once they've dealt with that old scoundrel from the Martial Alliance, their mission will be accomplished. After that, the army and the martial artists of the Martial Alliance will be lambs to the slaughter."

"This is the most advantageous tactic; the old veteran's current situation is clearly very bad."

As he spoke, he glanced at Xu Qi'an not far away, trying to get confirmation from him.

Not long ago, Xu Qi'an suddenly told them about the events in Jianzhou. The great battle came out of nowhere, catching Li Lingsu and Miao Youfang off guard.

Although things can change in an instant, this change happened far too fast.

Especially Miao Youfang, who was fighting fiercely with the girls on the bed just a moment ago, when Li Lingsu burst in and said there was no need to fight anymore, the battle was over!

Miao Youfang and the others were all stunned at the time.

Xu Qi'an kept his eyes closed, ignoring Li Lingsu's probing.

After a long while, he suddenly opened his eyes, looked at the distant sky, and said:

"They're here!"

On the Wind-Riding Boat, the three forces gathered at the bow. Dongfang Wanrong, the owner of the Law Artifact, stood in the center, with two Vajra from Buddhist School on her left and Ji Xuan's team and the Seven Constellations of the Azure Dragon on her right.

Below is a majestic mountain range stretching for hundreds of miles.

According to the "Great Feng: Geography Dafeng", there is a mountain in Jianzhou with a beast on it. It has a human face, a beast body, six tails, and can swallow the moon. It is called "Quanrong".

Ji Xuan smiled and swept his gaze across the crowd, saying:

"We don't know if Xu Qi'an is already with the Quanrong. To be on the safe side, we should probe first."

"The strange beast, the Quanrong, is a descendant of Gods and Devils. Although its bloodline is diluted, it is still not something an ordinary fourth-rank cultivator can deal with. Who will go down and confront it?"

The martial monk Jingyuan stepped forward and said calmly, "I'll handle this."

He possesses the invincible Vajra Divine Skill, making his defensive capabilities far superior to those of other martial artists of the same rank.

Seeing that his master was helping those in distress, and that even the Asura Vajra was helping ordinary people, Jingyuan did not refuse, and raised his finger to tap his brow.

"When!"

With a crisp, bell-like sound, gold paint shone from between his brows, flowing over his entire body like water.

Jingyuan leaped off the flying boat.

Alliance Leader's Residence.

Cao Qingyang led a group of gang leaders and sect masters out of the main hall. Looking up at the sky, he saw a golden streak of light flash by and fall into the back mountain.