Chapter Ninety: Defeat

Page (1/3)

Chapter Ninety: Defeated
Chapter Eleven: Hidden Joys in the Capital Woods; Seven Heroes Stirring Chaos in the Spring and Autumn (Twenty)

The crowd heard a thunderous roar, as if someone was shouting right beside their ears. Startled, they found that the autumn moon over the tranquil lake, the beautiful illusion before their eyes, was gradually dissipating, revealing the forms of their fellow senior and junior brothers. Looking around, memories slowly returned, and as they turned to gaze at the distant man in black, their faces were all marked with terror.

The man in black gave an "Oh?" of surprise, pausing the jade flute at his lips. He looked at Ye Hua, evidently puzzled that Ye Hua had not fallen under the spell of his Autumn Lake Moonlit Melody. Smiling faintly, he said, "Young Buddhist nephew, why did you suddenly unleash a lion's roar? To scatter the beauty of Autumn Lake Moonlight—what a shame!"

Ye Hua seemed not to hear him. Casting his gaze afar, he saw Lü Yunke locked in fierce combat with an elderly cultivator. Though Lü Yunke relied on mysterious techniques and deep inner strength, he was only at the Seven Treasures Realm, while his opponent possessed the Third True Realm—a chasm of difference. As the fight dragged on, Lü Yunke was clearly being pushed back. Ye Hua’s heart grew anxious. He said to the man in black, "Your Autumn Lake Moonlit Melody is nothing special! Just a trick to mystify! If that's all you have, your skill must still be shallow!"

With that, the Scarlet Crow Dagger flashed in his hand, and he hurled it into the air, shouting, "Why not play another melody and see what effect it has?" The dagger emitted a dark radiance, and in moments, black clouds gathered overhead. Thunder rolled, lightning flickered. Ye Hua soared into the sky, sword in hand.

The man in black atop the giant elephant watched Ye Hua prepare for battle and burst out laughing, "Very well, let me see what you, a mere fledgling, can do!" He pointed at the elephant beneath him, and golden light blazed from its body. In the blink of an eye, the elephant seemed clad in thick golden armor. Trumpeting loudly, it broke into a swift charge, heading straight for the translucent shield ahead.

A deafening crash rang out; the shield quivered, and the pearl hovering above flickered uncertainly. Then, its light faded, and it disintegrated into dust, carried away by the wind.

Tian Liang and his companions, witnessing this from afar, paled in alarm. Without waiting for the man in black to make another move, they rushed forward. The man in black glanced at them with sidelong eyes but made no move to block, instead addressing Ye Hua in midair, "Let me test the power of your Buddhist arts!"

He swung his jade flute forward; air rushed into its holes, producing a deep, whistling sound. A slender vortex of wind encircled the flute, swirling like a nebula, slowly spinning and growing larger—soon, it was the size of a millstone.

Ye Hua, suspended in midair, knew he could not allow the man in black to finish his spell. Quickly forming a seal, he shouted, and the illusionary elephant conjured by the Moon Mirror also burst forth in golden light, roaring as it charged the man in black. The man in black twisted his flute, and the vortex whipped out like a coiled long whip, snapping open. The charging elephant opened its mouth and spat golden light, summoning a stone mountain from the earth to block its path, then extended its trunk, growing longer to entangle its foe.

The wind-whip struck the stone mountain, producing a strange, low tearing sound. With a mighty crack, the upper half of the mountain toppled—it had been sliced cleanly by the whirlwind. Dust billowed, wind raged. Even Ma Fei and his group, though distant, were buffeted, their robes billowing. From afar, the cut appeared mirror-smooth, the wind-whip slicing the stone like a razor, its power terrifying. The stone mountain could not withstand a single blow.

Next, the wind-blade struck the elephant. Unable to dodge, the beast cried out in pain; its golden light flickered and vanished, its extended trunk dissolving into a wisp of golden glow.

Ye Hua, seeing this from the air, was shaken. He drew his sword at an angle, and a bolt of lightning split the sky, dazzling and fierce. With another gesture, Ye Hua pointed, and the lightning seemed to come alive, snaking toward the man in black.

Ma Fei and his companions, recovering from their shock, unleashed their treasures, a riot of colored lights attacking the man in black. Though his arts were formidable, his face changed slightly, as if cursing under his breath. He hastily urged the elephant beneath him, which formed a golden shield to block Ma Fei’s group.

Page (1/3)

Page (2/3)

The man in black pointed his jade flute skyward, and the nebula-like vortex spun again, lashing toward Ye Hua. With a flick of his right hand, a small golden hammer appeared, tossed upward with a crack of thunder, intercepting the lightning. The man in black felt his spirit tremble, his body tingling and numb, secretly startled: this boy’s lightning is indeed powerful!

Ye Hua, still in midair, saw his previous strike easily blocked, and hurriedly brandished his sword again, slicing out a blinding bolt of lightning, striking the golden hammer above. The hammer shone brilliantly and expanded, seemingly unaffected. The man in black chuckled, weaving a seal with his right hand, as if grasping the hammer, and swung it at Ye Hua. The hammer above mirrored his motion, swinging at Ye Hua, golden light streaming from its head.

Ye Hua felt the air ripple, as if trapped in a quagmire, unable to move. A beam of golden light rushed at him; even before it struck, he felt a tidal wave of oppressive force, unstoppable, like an invisible wall bearing down. His chest tightened, his breath caught; panic surged in his heart. He hastily rotated his internal energy, his body flaring with golden light, his skin turning bronze, like a statue. His hands formed a seal and pushed forward.

A surge of power met the incoming golden force. The golden energy advanced ten yards more, then halted a few yards in front of him. Ye Hua felt a surge of relief, only to groan inwardly as his internal energy grew chaotic, his meridians in turmoil. He tasted blood and spat it out, knowing he had forced the Great Ming Transfiguration before his old wounds had healed, now adding new injuries—such reckless exertion would leave lasting harm.

The man in black was visibly shaken—he hadn't expected Ye Hua, at the Seven Treasures Realm, to withstand the hammer's blow! Before he could react, a loud crash rang out behind him. Turning, he saw the elephant's shield shattered by the group’s treasures; the beast itself lay gravely wounded, unable to rise.

Stunned, the man in black saw dozens of treasures shoot through the dust, aiming for him. His face changed drastically; he summoned the golden hammer into his hand and swung it fiercely at the incoming weapons.

Ye Hua, high in the air, suppressed his chaotic energy, watching Ma Fei and the others attack. He thought, "If the man in black were facing just one or two treasures, he would easily break them—but faced with dozens at once, he must retreat; he dare not confront them head-on!"

Golden light swept out from the hammer, causing the attacking treasures to tremble and hum. Yet the hammer’s aura weakened, and the man in black flashed with gray light, swiftly stepping aside to dodge the incoming assault.

Seeing him dodge left, Ye Hua swooped down, fists blazing. The man in black had just steadied himself when he sensed the wind of Ye Hua’s strike behind him. Cursing inwardly, he lunged forward, swinging right; unable to channel energy into his left hand, he thrust it backward, meeting Ye Hua's punch with a resounding impact. A massive force numbed his left hand, his chest heavy with blocked breath. Before he could think, another gust struck his back.

His internal energy now in disarray, he couldn’t gather strength, panic rising. He tried to follow the wind forward, but it was too late—a dominant force slammed into his back, flinging him forward. Midair, he spat blood; landing, he saw white flashes as dozens of bone needles flew at his face—White Bone Needles! He cried inwardly, "My fate is sealed!"

Just as despair struck, a black cane swept in, clattering aside the bone needles. A voice shouted, "Go!" A large hand grabbed him, lifting him into the air. Turning, he recognized the elderly woman surnamed Li. Her sleeve was torn, blood crusted—clearly she had suffered as well.

Looking down, he saw a bronze figure standing where he had been. Clearly, the two strikes to his back had come from this figure—a grudge to be repaid another day. To think, with a Third True Realm cultivation, he had been wounded by a group of juniors—such humiliation was intolerable. Furious, he spat blood again.

Ye Hua saw the old woman rush in, wielding her black cane to drive others back, grabbing the man in black and soaring away. He wanted to give chase, but thought better: letting them escape was a karmic boon; it would be foolish to stir up further trouble. Yet the man in black was severely wounded, and Ye Hua feared future troubles from not finishing him off.

He dismissed these thoughts, turning to Lü Yunke’s group. The Eight Friends of Peach Blossom Spring wielded their treasures in perfect harmony, forming a wondrous array. The elder within was greatly weakened, clearly wounded. After a few exchanges, Lü Yunke landed a sword strike; blood spurted, the elder’s right arm flew off, and he collapsed with a scream.

Ye Hua rushed over. Several people surrounded Gao Lu and the so-called Sister Jingyun. His heart was anxious, fearing calamity for his cousin, silently wishing for their safety.

Page (2/3)

Page (3/3)

Reaching the outer circle, he called urgently, "Senior brothers, how… how is Gao’s injury?" A disciple, head bowed, was feeding Gao Lu a healing pill. "He merely fainted—only lightly wounded! He should recover just fine." Hearing this, Ye Hua exhaled deeply, his anxious heart slowly settling. He turned to see the Eight Friends gathering, smiling. "You truly are extraordinary, Eight Friends of Peach Blossom Spring! Brother Lü, your skills are truly divine—worthy of admiration!"

Lü Yunke smiled, "Brother Ye, was it the 'Great Ming Transfiguration' of the Wutai lineage you used in the end?"

Ye Hua started. "Yes, it was! How did you know, Brother Lü?"

Lü Yunke laughed, "Some time ago, I heard one of your elders mention it. He said that when this technique is used, the whole body shines with golden light, with Buddha’s radiance and Sanskrit chants behind, elevating the physical body to a whole new level. He greatly praised it—I’ve admired it ever since, and never thought I would witness it today!"

Ye Hua’s heart stirred. "Brother Lü, could you tell me which elder that was? Which of my uncles was it?"

Lü Yunke replied, "He is Elder Zhiguang, of the Northern Wutai branch, Biyun Temple. Do you know him?"

Ye Hua was stunned, a wave of emotion washing over him. He had searched so long for this very uncle, and now he found news of him here. Thrilled, he said, "How could I not know? He—he is the uncle I’ve sought for so long! I came to the capital just to find him!"

Lü Yunke was surprised, and laughed heartily, "Brother Ye, our fate is truly intertwined! You are really the nephew of Master Zhiguang—ha ha!" He shook his head, "But… but I’m afraid you won’t find him in the capital now."

Ye Hua’s heart tightened. "Why is that?"

Lü Yunke explained, "A few days ago, Master Zhiguang, Master Kongxu of Jile Temple, and one of my uncles went together to southern Sichuan. I heard that Zhang Shaoxuan, leader of the Northern Xi Six Divisions under Prince Yuan’s secret command, led the secret army to Sichuan searching for the hidden treasure of the Winged Saint King of the Supreme Heavenly Sect."

Ye Hua was confused. "The hidden treasure of the Winged Saint King?"

He pondered, "I have heard of the Supreme Heavenly Sect, knowing it was once one of the three great religions of the Divine Kingdom of China, renowned and dominant. But the Winged Saint King I haven’t heard of. Nor do I know who Zhang Shaoxuan is."

Seeing Ye Hua’s doubt, Lü Yunke smiled, "The Winged Saint King was also known as the Divine Stone Ancestor. Surely you’ve heard of him! Zhang Shaoxuan is the Old Man Songshou—you must know that name as well!"

Ye Hua suddenly understood. "I have indeed heard of the Divine Stone Ancestor and Old Man Songshou!"

Lü Yunke gazed skyward, lost in thought, murmuring, "The hidden treasure of the Winged Saint King is said to come from a treasure map. If it’s in southern Sichuan, it’s close to Mount Emei, home of the famed Emei lineage—eighty-one peaks, three hundred twenty-one branches. Surely they will not stand by. Hmph, Puxian Bodhisattva’s shrine is not just a name! Ah—the Sun-Moon Mountain, Goddess Peak, and Western Immortal Source should soon reveal themselves!"

Page (3/3)