Chapter 49: Who is Enemy and Friend (Part 2)
Slept in again, haha, sorry about that. Here's today's first update:）
Considering you've been up all night until 12, I'll give you two red envelopes (hongbao).
The infinite electric heart method of the Four Images Xuan Gong, and the Lei Shen Di Yi Shi of the Six Spirits Incantation can be said to be two different paths with the same goal. When practiced to the highest level, it can even surpass the speed of lightning. Although he had never seen Mohe Ye demonstrate his skills in person, in the past at the Daxing Imperial Palace, Yang Zhao had also competed with Daro several times among the Five Branches crowd. At this time, Little King's movement was like a flash of lightning, and even though he didn't use his full strength, he felt that he had already surpassed his senior brother Daro in terms of speed by a wide margin, and couldn't help but feel extremely pleased with himself.
Crossing the forest and crossing the stream, climbing mountains and treading ridges. Yang Zhao ran with excitement, like a dazzling flash of lightning flashing across the sky. The mountainous terrain of Lingyun Mountain is undulating, whether it's the riverbank where "Snow Drinking" was stranded or the river section where Yang Zhao landed, looking at Qixia Peak where Lingyun Cave is located seems to be within arm's reach, but in reality, it's a case of running a dead horse. Normally, even after two or three hours, one may not be able to finish walking. However, Yang Zhao displayed his infinite electric speed and arrived at the foot of Qixia Peak in just over ten minutes.
Here is the translation:
The cliff here rises steeply, like a giant pillar supporting the sky. The Lingyun Cave is located halfway up the mountain, while the top of the mountain is home to the Lingyun Temple. The entire mountain peak can be traversed via the nine-turn spiral plank road that winds its way up. This plank road, compared to the Jinyu Plank Road I walked on when entering Shu, may not be as long, but it's even more treacherous. At the narrowest point, one must press against the mountain wall sideways in order to squeeze through. Not far away, between the precipitous cliffs of the Ji Feng and Dui Yue peaks, another iron chain bridge has been strung up, connecting with the Qi Xia peak, its endpoint also located near the middle of the mountain.
Yang Zhao stopped in his tracks, looked up and gazed upwards. He saw that the mountain was already shrouded in clouds and mist, and couldn't see where Lingyun Cave was. Just as he was looking around, a gentle breeze suddenly blew from behind him, carrying a faint scent of incense into his nostrils. Jing Zhai's figure floated like an immortal, still standing several steps behind the young master. "Is this the 'Infinite Thunder'? Then I suppose you've also mastered the 'Merciless Lightning'?"
Yang Zhao's mouth corners slightly rose. Before he spoke, suddenly a loud and clear "Dong~~~ Dong~~~ Dong~~~" sound came from the Lingyun Temple at the top of the mountain. The bell sound shook the sky and earth, causing the entire mountain to tremble, and was heard far and wide. The bell sound seemed to contain a warning and intimidating tone. Immediately after, the strange beasts in the Lingyun Cave let out a deafening roar that shook the heavens. The ferocity and brutality contained within were several times more intense than before. Yang Zhao's expression changed slightly, and he said, "Let's go up the mountain." He led the way, quickly ascending the stone steps along the winding path.
In the early spring, the weather was still very cold. Plus Yang Zhao had just come up from the Min River, his whole body was soaked through, and after being blown by the half-mountain wind, he should have felt extremely uncomfortable. However, as he continued to climb along the plank road, he felt that the temperature around him was also rising continuously. By the time he walked about two-thirds of the way, his clothes had been dried by the heat and not a single thread of water could be found. Although it was already hot enough to make people's lips dry and tongue parched, the clouds and mist surrounding the half-mountain still lingered, without any sign of being evaporated by the high heat.
What a spectacle, if it were ordinary mountain climbers and sightseers, they would naturally be amazed and reluctant to leave. But at this moment, the majestic bell above is ringing continuously, and the roar of the strange beast is also one after another without end. The two sounds intertwined in his ears made Yang Zhao feel that the true energy in his body was slightly stagnant, and it became more so as he went higher. It seemed that the sound itself had already formed an invisible but tangible seal, not allowing anyone to approach the Lingyun Secret Cave. Yang Zhao used all his strength to resist the invasion of the sound, and had no extra energy to pay attention to the surrounding situation.
After walking for half a while, the plank road was about to reach its end. The 81 strokes of the bell rang out just at this moment, and the roar of the qilin beast stopped abruptly. In the desolate mountains, an unusual silence appeared everywhere before the mountain rain came. The climbers, who still had the sound of their footsteps in their ears, let out a long sigh of relief as if they had been relieved of a heavy burden. They quickly walked along the plank road and finished the last few dozen steps, then simultaneously climbed onto the wide open space in front of the Lingyun Cave on the halfway up the mountain, which was covered with black gravel and looked like it had been burned by a big fire, without any grass growing.
Then the two people were simultaneously stunned, and their surprise and astonishment turned into an icy current that poured in from the top of their heads, through their spine, and straight to their feet, momentarily rendering them immobile.
Because they saw each other at the same time, and saw a person who absolutely should not have appeared at this time and place.
In Yang Zhao's eyes, he was called Yang Xiu; while in Yang Xiu's eyes, he was called Yang Zhao.
Not only were the two uncles and nephews surprised, but also Tang Jixue, who was closely following the King of Shu. Suddenly seeing Yang Zhao appear from the opposite side of the plank road, the long history of the Wang family, who had just walked over the iron chain bridge between Ji Feng and Dui Yue, could hardly believe his eyes. He subconsciously turned his head to look back, but clearly saw that "Yang Zhao", who was controlled by the lock god needle he had personally used, still standing beside him with a wooden face!
How is it possible? Who is true and who is false? How can you tell them apart?
Facing the sudden change, Yang Zhao was the first to recover among the crowd. He pinched his thumb and index finger together and blew out a strange whistling sound "chirp chirp". The seven killers of the Tang Gate who were walking behind Tang Jie heard the whistle and changed color on the spot. Without any hesitation or delay, the last two members of the team, Tang Wu Xiang and Tang Bing, simultaneously exerted their full strength and launched a fierce attack on the backs of Tang Dian San, Tang Dao Si, Tang Wen, and Tang Yi, who were still in front.
The sound of bones cracking and splitting was terrifying. The violent palm force pierced through the bodies of the four brothers, not weakening in the slightest, but instead seemed to be propelled by some element, continuously upgrading. In an instant, four huge palm prints condensed from scorching hot blood burst out from Tang Dao's and Tang Yi's chests, shooting straight towards their true target: Shu King Yang Xiu!
"Tangmen's deadly technique, Blood Handprint!" At the same time, Feng Yueru and Yan Wugong, who were following Yang Xiu, suddenly cried out in surprise. The Cyan Palm Gate's Muru He, who was by their side, didn't hesitate and drew out his Dragon Whirl Spear to charge forward. His divine spear flashed through the air, stretching infinitely, and arrived just in time to intercept the Blood Handprint's path. In an instant, a deafening explosion erupted. The shockwave rolled and surged with incredible force, sending mud flying everywhere. Even the iron nails that held the Iron Chain Bridge in place couldn't withstand the impact, and they collapsed along with the rocky layer beneath their feet. Tang Wuxiang and Tang Bing fell together into the thousand-zhang deep valley, disappearing from sight in an instant.
The massive shock made Yang Xiu feel like he was waking up from a dream, his incredulous gaze sweeping over the flesh and blood flying behind him, his surprise and astonishment suddenly turning into raging flames of fury. The Shu king, who had always been known for his elegant demeanor and regal bearing, suddenly twisted his face in rage, his eyes bulging as he bellowed: "You little bastard!" His Far-Reaching Divine Power surged to its limit, reaching 120% of its maximum potential! A fierce gust of wind howled across his face, causing pain, as he unleashed a powerful Wind Cloud Hand technique with reckless abandon, shooting straight at his own nephew like a hurricane.
The mighty Yang Zhao finally realized the depth of his uncle's hidden martial arts skills, which were as astonishing as they were profound. The airtight seal on his body made it impossible for him to escape. With no desire to die and only seeking to live, he had no choice but to charge forward! As the mysterious aura of the I Ching surged through his entire being, the young master's body crackled with electricity, his fists clenched tightly as he let out a thunderous roar, unleashing a ruthless attack on his own flesh and blood: Merciless Thunderbolt!
In an instant, the wind rose and the clouds surged, the sky was darkened. The sky was filled with dark clouds, and silver snakes were flashing wildly. The ground was flying sand and walking stones, and even people facing each other couldn't see each other. Two people with the same surname Yang, two bodies flowing with the same blood, this scene of flesh and blood slaughter, seemed to make even the heavens themselves unable to bear witness. At the moment when the four strongest arms touched, the two true energies intersected, producing a black vortex ball that completely engulfed both people. Yan Qing's pupils suddenly contracted, and he involuntarily exclaimed: "Tianmo stage?"
The black aura sphere completely eliminated any prying eyes, but the dull and oppressive sound of fierce fighting, along with the chilling killing intent, continued to emanate from within. Anyone whose cultivation was slightly inferior would be shocked by the deafening roar that seemed to strike their own heart, causing their blood to surge in reverse and leaving them dizzy and disoriented. The first strike, second strike, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth strike! No one could count how many strikes had been exchanged, nor did anyone know the outcome of life and death within the sphere. All that could be seen was an endless array of fist and palm prints bursting out from inside the sphere, only to be instantly absorbed back into it.
The black aura sphere absorbed the fist aura palm without restriction, and its volume expanded rapidly. Countless cracks spread out from it in all directions, forming a huge spider web shape wherever they went. The open space in front of Lingyun Cave was originally spacious, but under the erosion of the aura sphere, it gradually became narrow. Fang Qinghui, Tang Jixue, Mu Xinghe, Feng Yeyu, and Yan Wugou were forced to retreat one after another, almost without a foothold. Suddenly, several cracks that were almost invisible to the naked eye appeared on the surface of the aura sphere, but the aura sphere itself became completely still after a sudden shock.
Everyone present was an expert, how could they not know what would happen next? Mu Xinghe and Feng Yeyu's faces changed drastically as they shouted in unison: "Chang Shi, retreat!" A red glow and black air burst forth simultaneously, the two great divine soldiers Dragon Spin and Soul Devourer combining their powers to weave a dense protective net that enveloped everyone on their side. In an instant, a deafening explosion shook the heavens, drowning out all sounds within tens of meters. The people on both sides felt a slight pain in their ears, and suddenly couldn't hear any sound. In an instant, everything before their eyes seemed like an illusion, but the violent energy that surged forth like a tsunami was real, even causing the entire Mount Qixia to tremble.
Her pupils contracted violently again. She pointed her sword without hesitation, and a fierce and sharp sword aura burst out, protecting her body. A magnificent and majestic silver river star spun from the tip of her sword, rushing outward in an instant, transforming into countless silver lights filled with stardust, which was the Ci Hang Jian Dian's "Jian Zhen Huan Yu". The Qingzhai successor only defended without attacking, like a steady pillar in the midst of a raging tsunami. The turbulent waves produced by the explosion of the black halo were instantly split and disintegrated when they encountered the sword aura star spin, ultimately dispersing into nothingness.
The thick smoke and dust were quickly blown away by the mountain wind, and the two masters of Diancang and Qingcheng, who had just regained their composure, recalled their divine soldiers. They still looked pale and frightened. After calming down and looking carefully, they saw that where the black air sphere was earlier, a large semi-circular pit about 2-3 feet deep had appeared. Yang Zhao and Yang Xiu were standing at the center of the pit, swaying unsteadily. Both of them had their clothes torn to shreds on their upper bodies, with several obvious dents in their muscles and bones, clearly showing that they were both seriously injured. The two of them managed to muster up their last bit of strength and simultaneously launched a fierce attack at each other. Yang Zhao's chest made a faint cracking sound as he punched Yang Xiu in the face. Both of them stumbled backward, heavily colliding with the pit wall before sliding down softly, but still glaring at each other with gritted teeth. Suddenly, Yang Zhao burst out laughing loudly, his laughter interspersed with coughs and mixed with several strands of bright red blood. Yang Xiu panted like an ox, turned his head, and spat out a few broken teeth from his mouth, furiously shouting: "Mang Xinghe, Feng Yeru, Yan Wangou, for this king... kill!"
"Don't kill!" Tang Zhong's terrified cry, suddenly carried by the mountain wind from the other end of the broken iron chain bridge. The Shu King's concubine also didn't know why she had brought the last surviving Tang Mingyue to this place until now. She shouted urgently: "No one is allowed to move him. He is the grandson of Emperor Yang of Sui, Yang Zhao!"
Tang Jixue's body shook violently as he heard the voice, and in an instant, the shockwave that hit his chest was even more powerful than the explosion of the black air sphere just now. He quickly turned around and trembled with a loud voice: "Zhong Qing, it's actually... you?"
Tang Zhongqing hadn't even responded when Tang Mingyue suddenly shouted, "Third Uncle, sm—" His voice had barely fallen when a strange, long howl of "Wuuu~" was heard. Everyone present, regardless of their level of skill, felt as if they had been struck in the chest by a giant war hammer. Immediately following that, a massive, surging flame burst forth from the entrance to the Lingyun Cave, and a large, blazing red light emerged. The intense heat emanating from its body even caused the surrounding air to become distorted. Fang Qinghui took a step back, focusing his attention on the creature within the red glow. It had the head of a dragon, the body of a deer, the claws of an eagle, the hooves of a wolf, the tail of a cow, and the scales of a snake, with a single horn protruding from its forehead. It was none other than the divine beast guarding the Lingyun Cave — the Fire Qilin!
