415 - Made-Up Martial Arts, Have You Really Mastered Them, Disciple?

Chapter 415: Brothers Reunited, Assault on the Immortal The aura, comparable to that of an Immortal Heavenly Venerable, surged through heaven and earth. Xu Yan and Meng Chong remained unfazed, as if they had anticipated this. "Xue Zimo, you've arrived slightly earlier this time." Xu Yan spoke calmly. As the words left his mouth, both he and Meng Chong, who had returned to his usual size, vanished in an instant, fleeing far away. "Let's see how long you can keep running!" Xue Zimo's gaze was icy as he pursued them. It wasn't long before he lost their trail, but he wasn't surprised by this. A dozen miles away, hidden within the clouds, seemingly merged with them, Xu Yan and Meng Chong watched as Xue Zimo's figure disappeared from view. "Xue Zimo is relentless. We can only evade him temporarily unless we leave the Nine Mountains Realm." Meng Chong frowned and said. "No hurry. Sooner or later, we'll behead him." Xu Yan replied with a cold smile. "The Celestial Shadow Alliance indeed has some skill, even allowing the Netherworld Abyss's Blood Child to enter the Spiritual Domain. Moreover, the major forces within the Nine Mountains Realm all have their people, including Immortal Heavenly Venerables." "That Red Cat is getting sharper by the day," he added. The situation in the Nine Mountains Realm was utter chaos. Even the Lingzun Mountain, which could have stayed out of it, got pulled in, with the Lingzun Sect Master reportedly injured. Whether the injuries were real or feigned, only he would know. The Wind Spirit Tiger of Lingzun Mountain unleashed its fury once, suppressing many Immortal Heavenly Venerables. This kept major chaos at bay, though minor disturbances continued unabated. The cause of such chaos was known only to Red Cat. "Is that Skymaster Seventeen still tracking us?" Meng Chong asked seriously. Skymaster Seventeen was much stronger than Blood Child Xue Zimo, and encountering him would make escape very difficult. "Perhaps." Xu Yan exhaled, scanning the surroundings. "Next, we should eradicate those Blood Followers. Once done, we can leave Great Gai Mountain." Xu Yan didn't like owing favors, and his cooperation with the Wan family had reached its end. Besides, the Wan family was under tremendous pressure. It was uncertain when they might falter and stop shielding Xu Yan and Meng Chong from the Immortal Heavenly Venerables' pursuit. "Okay!" Meng Chong nodded. The two moved quickly, beginning to clear the Blood Followers infiltrating Great Gai Mountain. At the Wan family territory, Wan Tianlin looked skyward, his face showing a hint of reluctance. Though he was a prodigy of the Wan family and seen as a promising Immortal Heavenly Venerable candidate, he was currently confined within the family grounds, watched over constantly by Immortal Heavenly Venerables to prevent any assassination. For his safety, Wan Tianlin was not allowed to step out of the family estate. "Sometimes, I really envy Brother Xu, so carefree and unbothered by the threats of the strong." Wan Tianlin sighed inwardly. Xu Yan and Meng Chong were sweeping Great Gai Mountain of the Celestial Shadow Alliance, removing and slaying its members, forcing some to retreat from the mountain. This was beneficial for the Wan family, but Blood Child Xue Zimo had infiltrated Great Gai Mountain, bringing slaughter in pursuit of Xu Yan and Meng Chong, resulting in significant losses. Even the Wan family's Immortal Heavenly Venerables were unable to intervene. "To escape from Blood Child Xue Zimo, Brother Xu and Meng Chong are indeed the true geniuses of our time!" Wan Tianlin had to admit that in terms of being a prodigy, he was far inferior to Xu Yan and Meng Chong. Had he been in their situation, he would have likely been killed already, without any chance to escape the pursuit of Blood Child Xue Zimo. "I hope Brother Xu can escape." Wan Tianlin lamented; he could do nothing to help. Convincing the family Immortal Heavenly Venerables to hold off the Immortal Heavenly Venerables from Thousand Layer Mountain and Heng Peak Mountain was already the extent of what he could do. "Boom!" Meng Chong unleashed a punch, destroying a Blood Follower. "Seven Blood Followers left." Xu Yan said in a solemn tone. A streak of blood light appeared in the sky, indicating that Blood Child Xue Zimo was on the chase. The two immediately vanished. Under their eradication efforts, only seven Blood Followers remained hidden on Great Gai Mountain. "Senior Brother, the last spot with the seven Blood Followers might be a trap." Meng Chong remarked, rubbing his bald head. Xu Yan sneered, "Without Blood Child Xue Zimo, and amidst the chaos of the Immortal Heavenly Venerables' battles, Immortals skilled in hiding could take this chance to infiltrate Great Gai Mountain unnoticed. It must be an Immortal-stage Earth Shadow." "Could it be Skymaster Seventeen?" "If Skymaster Seventeen, a high-ranking member of Celestial Shadow Alliance, appears, there's no way the Wan family wouldn't notice." Xu Yan shook his head. "Let's test this Immortal-stage Earth Shadow's skill. If feasible..." Xu Yan's eyes glinted with ferocity. Although they had killed many Celestial Shadow Alliance members, the losses weren't significant for the alliance. Killing an Immortal would truly hurt Celestial Shadow Alliance. "Reverse-slay an Immortal and make Celestial Shadow Alliance feel the pain!" Meng Chong also showed a fierce gleam. As they entered the Nine Mountains Realm, they were immediately hunted by the Celestial Shadow Alliance, and killing a few underlings wouldn't relieve their anger. In a cavern, seven Blood Followers sat cross-legged, seemingly absorbing and refining consumed essence blood. There was no appearance of anything unusual. Several miles away, two figures quietly emerged. "No Immortal Heavenly Venerable present?" Meng Chong was somewhat surprised. Xu Yan's eyes sparkled as he scanned the area, frowning slightly before looking towards a spot in the clouds above. Meng Chong's eyes seemed to turn into two small suns as he scanned the area too. Under the Small Heavenly Dao Eye, any hiding technique, no matter how powerful, could be seen through. Moreover, when it came to stealth, who could surpass them? "Tsk, tsk. An Immortal Heavenly Venerable hiding in the dirt, how rare indeed." Xu Yan chuckled. His gaze fixed on the earth beneath the seven Blood Followers. It had to be said, Celestial Shadow Alliance understood that typical concealment methods wouldn't deceive them, so they hid underground. Using the Blood Followers' aura to mask themselves, such concealment, even another Immortal Heavenly Venerable would struggle to detect in time and might be ambushed successfully. However, they could not hide from Xu Yan and Meng Chong. Under the Small Heavenly Dao Eye, nothing was concealed. Even without it, their stealth skills would have uncovered it. The opposition was simply too confident, underestimating their capability. "Let's pretend we haven't noticed these Blood Followers and take Blood Child Xue Zimo for a spin." Xu Yan mused. It's a matter of seeing how long this Immortal Heavenly Venerable can patiently remain hidden. The two left quietly, appearing elsewhere to lure Blood Child Xue Zimo over, then continued to evade, leading him away from the Immortal Heavenly Venerable's hiding spot. At Lingzun Mountain, Red Cat was training the spirit beast army. Little Ha had returned, bringing Jiang Buping along. "Where are the Senior Brother and Second Senior Brother?" Jiang Buping marveled at the chaos within the Nine Mountains Realm. It was the first time he heard of such intense internal strife within the thirty-six realms of the Spiritual Domain. This illustrated how deeply the Celestial Shadow Alliance had infiltrated; once they acted, it immediately triggered such a fierce battle. "They're at Great Gai Mountain. That Xue Zimo is chasing them." Red Cat pointed a paw towards Great Gai Mountain. "Farewell, I'm heading to Great Gai Mountain." Jiang Buping didn't linger, turning to leave immediately. "Be cautious. The Wan family and forces from Thousand Layer Mountain and Heng Peak Mountain are confronting each other at Great Gai Mountain. Don't get involved." Red Cat reminded. "It's a minor issue." Jiang Buping replied with a smile. No longer a new hand in martial arts, he had survived being an abandoned pawn, drifting from Tai-Kun Realm to Qinghua Realm, gaining rich experience. Moreover, he had not only fully recovered but had grown stronger than his peak, his martial arts profoundness far beyond before. He could navigate the chaotic Nine Mountains Realm with ease. Back at Great Gai Mountain, Xu Yan and Meng Chong had lured away Blood Child Xue Zimo and quietly returned. "Junior Brother, if I can hold him for a few breaths, do you think you can injure him?" Xu Yan nodded towards the Immortal Heavenly Venerable's hiding spot and asked. Meng Chong contemplated, "Sixty percent chance, but I can't guarantee how much he'll be hurt." "Immortal Heavenly Venerables are indeed powerful, especially in controlling the power of heaven and earth, but it doesn't mean they can't be slain. With sixty percent chance, it's worth a try." Xu Yan's eyes gleamed fiercely as he spoke. "Alright, let's give it a shot!" Meng Chong rubbed his bald head, looking excited. "Reverse-slay an Immortal Heavenly Venerable and let the Spiritual Domain know that Immortals can be defeated!" Xu Yan chuckled coldly. "Senior Brother, what about those seven Blood Followers?" --- Terms and Translations: 1. Xue Zimo (血子漠) - "Blood Child Mo" was translated maintaining the original imagery of a person associated with blood, which fits the character's menacing presence. 2. Immortal-stage Earth Shadow (不朽境的地影) – Implies an Earth Shadow who has attained the Immortal Realm. 3. Skymaster Seventeen (天十七) – Represents a powerful or rank-specific figure from Celestial Shadow Alliance. 4. Celestial Shadow Alliance (天煞地影) – A coalition or group with sinister objectives and characters skilled at stealth. 5. Nine Mountains Realm (九山境) - The name of the realm or area where the events unfold. 6. Blood Followers (血徒) - Followers who might practice blood-based magic or rituals, hence their association with the “Blood” prefix. Gender Information: - Blood Child Mo: He - Wan Tianlin (万天麟): He - Red Cat: He - Jiang Buping: He Explanation and Suggestions: - Jiang Buping, mentioned as a character associated with Xu Yan and Meng Chong, offers insight into his past and his current skills, denoting a transition and growth important to the narrative. - Xue Zimo's moniker emphasizes his ruthless and relentless nature. - Immortal-stage Earth Shadow designates both the skill level and potential within the narrative power hierarchy. The above-listed terms have been translated to maintain the original narrative's tone, keeping significant names and titles untranslated for authenticity while ensuring clarity and understanding of the scene's context and character interactions. In their quest to reverse-slay the Immortal Heavenly Venerable, the seven Blood Followers indeed posed an obstacle. "Wan family also wishes to hunt down the lurking Blood Followers. Let's have them dispatch their experts. Since that Immortal Heavenly Venerable wants to ambush us, let’s ambush him instead." Xu Yan chuckled. When it came to the art of ambushes, he considered himself quite adept, superior even to many Immortals. Meng Chong nodded in agreement. Suddenly, Xu Yan furrowed his brows and took out a transmission talisman. "Oh, Fifth Junior Brother has arrived in the Nine Mountains Realm." Xu Yan was momentarily surprised. He had thought it might be Wan Tianlin or Red Cat reaching out, but it turned out to be Jiang Buping. "Oh, Fifth Junior Brother has successfully joined the sect?" Meng Chong's eyes lit up with excitement. "Fifth Junior Brother has already reached Great Gai Mountain and is within the transmission range. For now, let's postpone the reverse-slaying of the Immortal Heavenly Venerable and go meet Fifth Junior Brother." Xu Yan communicated with Jiang Buping, arranging a meeting place as he turned to leave. Somewhere in Great Gai Mountain, the three brothers reunited. "So this is the Extreme Soul Martial Path. Its ability to attack the divine soul is more forceful and targeted than my Xun Wind Sword Intent." Xu Yan exclaimed. "I've only just started and haven't practiced many Extreme Soul Divine Arts yet." Jiang Buping shook his head. In terms of strength, he was still slightly weaker than his First and Second Brothers. He had only just started mastering the Extreme Soul Martial Path and its divine arts. Despite having a master teaching him, and yes, he grasped a formidable divine art, but he was still a novice. "Fifth Junior Brother’s Extreme Soul Martial Path is harder for ordinary martial artists to defend against. With your current strength, even an Immortal Heavenly Venerable could have their soul injured if caught off guard." Xu Yan said earnestly. The Extreme Soul Martial Path focused on extremity, making it very hard to defend against. Martial practitioners in the Spiritual Domain hadn't encountered such martial paths, making even an Immortal Heavenly Venerable vulnerable to unexpected attacks. "I didn't expect Fourth Junior Brother to have developed a new transmission talisman. Now distance is no longer an issue for communication." Meng Chong held a transmission talisman, communicating with Fang Hao. After reminiscing, Jiang Buping spoke, "First Brother, Second Brother, I heard Blood Child Xue Zimo is after you. How about..." He was eager, his eyes flashing with a fierce light. "It’s a good thought, Junior Brother. If we three brothers work together, we can bring down an Immortal Heavenly Venerable and shake up the Celestial Shadow Alliance." Xu Yan laughed heartily. "Blood Child Xue Zimo can be dealt with later. We need to target another Immortal Heavenly Venerable. Fifth Junior Brother, your concealment skills should suffice to hide from an Immortal Heavenly Venerable..." Jiang Buping's arrival, along with his considerable strength—particularly his soul-assaulting Extreme Soul Martial Path—meant the three of them together should be able to kill an ordinary Immortal-stage powerhouse. The brothers began to strategize on how to assault the Celestial Shadow Alliance's Immortal Heavenly Venerable. Before taking action, they needed to lure Blood Child Xue Zimo away, far from the Immortal Heavenly Venerable's location, preventing him from aiding during the assault. The seven Blood Followers, waiting anxiously, deliberately exposed their tracks. Why hadn't Xu Yan and Meng Chong come to attack? They dared not act rashly, as these were Blood Child Xue Zimo’s orders. Besides, an Immortal Heavenly Venerable was hidden underground with them. "Netherrealm scum, face your demise!" Suddenly, two figures appeared, launching an attack—it was two elders from the Wan family. "Not good!" The seven Blood Followers’ expressions changed. Xu Yan and Meng Chong hadn’t come, but Wan Family elders had! Boom! Battle erupted. Though outnumbered, the seven could not withstand the two Wan family elders, being steadily pushed back and away from the Immortal Heavenly Venerable's hiding place. Underground, buried several zhang deep, an Immortal Heavenly Venerable wearing a shadowy mask watched the distant battle, hesitating on whether to scare away the Wan family elders. Revealing his presence would alert the Wan family's Immortal experts to an Immortal Heavenly Venerable’s presence on Great Gai Mountain and Xu Yan and Meng Chong would then avoid the trap. If he intervened to kill the Wan family elders, his location would be exposed. While hesitating, the soil suddenly surged, sword intent burst forth, and a landscape of mountains and rivers emerged, accompanied by a fierce, cutting sword strike! Boom! "Xu Yan!" In an instant, his aura exploded, the might of an Immortal Heavenly Venerable shaking the vicinity, the landscape shattered, and a youth with a sword struck, with sword wheels spinning around him endlessly. "You’ve come just in time, today you shall die!" The Immortal Heavenly Venerable coldly smiled. Boom! As his Immortal might erupted, he suddenly felt a slight hindrance in his control of heaven and earth, as if another force was opposing him. It was a landscape of mountains and rivers formed by the falling power of Heaven and Earth Laws. "What martial path is this?" Overwhelmed with dread, his killing intent grew more fierce. Such a prodigy had to be killed; the greater Xu Yan's talent, the greater turmoil his death would cause. Boom! A blade slashed out with immense Immortal might, tearing through the landscape, directly aimed at Xu Yan. Whoom! Xu Yan's expression remained unchanged as he retreated; the Yin-Yang Immortal Sword dispersed the force of the strike, while his Ineffable Sword Intent roiled like turbulent waves. "An Immortal Heavenly Venerable, not much after all!" Xu Yan sneered sarcastically, feigning a retreat. "You aren't getting away!" The Immortal Heavenly Venerable, coldly smiling, stepped forward to continue his assault. --- Terms and Translations: 1. Extreme Soul Martial Path (極魂武道) - A martial path focusing on extreme techniques aimed at attacking the opponent’s soul. 2. Xun Wind Sword Intent (巽風劍意) - A specific sword intent named after 'Xun,' possibly referring to one of the Eight Trigrams, emphasizing a wind-based attack style. 3. Transmission Talisman (傳訊符) - A magical item used for communication over distances. 4. Wan Family (万家) - A powerful family or organization involved in the events at Great Gai Mountain. 5. Jiang Buping (姜不平): He 6. Great Gai Mountain (大蓋山) - The location where much of the action is taking place. New Context and Explanation: - Jiang Buping is revealed as the fifth junior brother, with skills in the Extreme Soul Martial Path, which is noted for its soul-damaging abilities. - Terms like "Extreme Soul Martial Path" and "Xun Wind Sword Intent" highlight the diverse martial paths available, each with its unique focus and strengths. - Wan Family is established as a significant player with capable elders, indicating their role and power within the realm's hierarchical structure.