In the arena, a high-ranking monk from Tianyin Temple was facing off against the Wild Dog Taoist. The monks cultivation was extremely deep, and he used a golden wooden fish treasure that shone brightly with golden light to chase after the Wild Dog Taoist in mid-air. The Wild Dog Taoist was in a desperate state, and the strange canine-tooth treasure in his hand had lost its luster, likely having been broken by his opponent.
Only the sound of wooden fish drums echoed in the field, golden wooden fish shaking their heads and tails, chasing after the wild dog Taoists back. The wild dog Taoist panted heavily, running wildly with a comical expression. The people on the right path burst into laughter, and Tian Linger, being a young girl at heart, couldnt stop giggling. Zhang Xiaofan stood beside her, sneaking glances at his master sister, seeing Tian Lingers smile as bright as flowers, two shallow dimples appearing on her snowy face. It was truly captivating. His mind went into a daze, hoping this moment would last forever.
Suddenly, a loud whistle was heard in the field. Zhang Xiaofan looked around and saw that it was an old man who had rushed out of the crowd to rescue him. His Taoist skills were far superior to those of the wild dog, and the red demons eye power was not small either. The high-ranking monk from Tianyin Temple also put away his smile and responded cautiously.
Zhang Xiaofan took a few glances and suddenly noticed something strange. In the midst of the demonic sect, when Ye Gou Dao Ren was in trouble, except for Lao Da Ye and Liu Huan, who looked worried, everyone else had an expression of watching a spectacle, reveling in others misfortune. Later, when Ye Gou Dao Ren couldnt hold on anymore, only Lao Da Ye came to his rescue, while the others just stood by and watched. Zhang Xiaofan found this strange and thought to himself that these people in the demonic sect really cant be judged by ordinary logic, wondering if there were internal factions vying for power within their own ranks.
Actually, Zhang Xiaofans guess was not far off. Lao Da and Ye Gou are both from the Mo Jiao Xue Xue Tang sect, which eight hundred years ago under Hei Xin Lao Ren was extremely powerful and famous, but now it has declined for a long time and has been squeezed out by the mainstream factions of the Mo Jiao. At this moment, seeing Ye Gou making a fool of himself, not only did the numerous Mo Jiao people not help, but they also stood on the side laughing at the joke.
The old man was indeed a master of his craft, and his skills were not shallow. In just a few rounds, he had countered the monks attack from the Tianyin Temple.
The wild dog suddenly found an opening, turned around and shouted: "You bald donkey, you almost killed your own master!" As he cursed, he turned back and pounced on the old man with a two-on-one attack.
The crowd erupted in an uproar, with many people cursing: "Evil cults demonic person, utterly shameless."
Among the voices, Zhang Xiaofan suddenly felt a gust of wind beside him and was startled. It turned out that Tian Linger couldnt bear to be lonely, rushed out, and amidst the amber, crimson, and misty light, she was surrounded by her enchanting figure, rising into mid-air.
"Shameless demon, using numbers to bully the few! Master of the Law, Im here to help you!" Tian Linger shouted.
Zhang Xiaofan only then knew that the monk in the arena was named Fazhong, and upon hearing this name it seemed that he was of the same generation as Faxiang and Fashan, but his appearance looked much older than the two.
Only in the field of law did Tian Linger jump out, shouting a Buddhist mantra, saying: "Thank you, donor."
Fa Zhong said with a wave of his right hand, the golden wooden fish in mid-air immediately rushed towards Lao Da, entwining him and pulling him aside. Tian Linger took advantage of the situation to hand him over to Ye Gou Dao Ren. Anyone with discerning eyes could see that Fa Zhong was taking into account Tian Lingers youth and had left the obviously inferior Ye Gou for her.
Zhang Xiaofan watched as Tian Linger and the wild dog joined hands, feeling anxious in his heart. Just as he was thinking of going out to help, someone suddenly grabbed his shoulder. Looking back, it was his senior brother Song Daren. Song Darens expression was solemn, and he said in a low voice, "Junior brother, the demonic cults evil people are shameless and rely on numerical superiority to win. We, however, do not stoop to such behavior."
Zhang Xiaofan immediately came to his senses, nodded, and restrained himself. Unintentionally, he saw Tian Buyi and his wife, both with a calm and composed expression, and suddenly thought that with Master and Mistress here, how could anything happen to Linger Shijie? He was really worrying for nothing.
Zhang Xiaofans face turned red, and he glanced around, seeing that everyone seemed to be watching the scene in front of them, with no one noticing his embarrassment. Song Daren also turned his head back to watch the fight in mid-air, seemingly unaware of anything. Just as he was about to relax, he suddenly felt a gaze on him, coming from beside him. However, when he turned his head to look, he saw that it was where the junior sisters of Xiaozhu Peak were standing, including Xue Qi, but not one of them was looking in this direction.
At this time in mid-air, Tian Linger was using the amber-red silk with complete freedom. In the midst of the multicolored light, Ye Gou Dao Rens head was spinning and his eyes were dizzy, he only felt that up, down, left, right, front, and back were all strips of red silk, trapping him in the middle, unable to break through or shatter them. After a while, he feared that he would be wrapped into a rice dumpling by this silk.
Tian Bu Yi couldnt help but show a proud smile on his face as he saw his daughter Tian Ling Ers beautiful appearance, and many people in the righteous path couldnt help but praise her. Tian Ling Er was originally very pretty, compared to Ye Quans ugly face, it was like heaven and earth apart. Later on, not only did the righteous path disciples applaud, but even a few people from the demonic sect couldnt help but burst out laughing.
The wild dog heard it in his ear, and he was furious. Although his cultivation was not deep, his experience with enemies was far from comparable to that of Tian Linger, a young girl who had just come out of her maiden home. He glanced at Tian Linger several times, and immediately saw that this little girl was probably a newcomer. He shouted loudly: "You stinky girl, you look quite pretty, but I didnt expect you to have an affair with this old monk!"
The people present suddenly fell silent, and after a moment, everyone in the righteous path burst into loud curses. The demonic sect members laughed with glee, and some shameless ones even shouted loudly: "Well said! Well said! Its really unexpected!"
Tian Linger was both angry and anxious, and she shouted: "You, youre talking nonsense!"
The wild dog pointed at him, with a "righteous" expression on his face, and said: "Hmph, if you werent in cahoots with this old monk, how would you dare to jump out and help him?"
The words were spoken, and even Fah Zhongs face changed color. Fah Zhong muttered "Amitabha", and Tian Lingers face turned pale with rage. She actually knew that this was a desperate trick of the wild dog, but she was an eighteen-year-old girl who had suddenly been subjected to such great humiliation in front of everyone. How could she not be angry? At that moment, she revealed a flaw in her Buddhist magic.
The wild dog took aim at the opportunity and rushed out of the amber-red silk package. Just as he saw his shadow slipping out, he only heard a loud rumbling sound, and the red silk suddenly closed in from all directions. If this person was in the middle, wouldnt he be crushed to powder?
The wild dog couldnt help but stick out its long tongue and say: "What a vicious girl!"
Tian Linger was furious, her originally pale face turned bright red, and without another word, the amber-colored silk flew up in the wind like lightning, and she rushed towards the Wild Dog Daoist again.
The stray dog was startled and ran away with its tail between its legs. The people from the demonic sect saw him escape and return, and they all started booing. Suddenly, without knowing who led the way, a "whooshing" sound filled the air as one by one, they flew away in a cloud of fog, not a single person stayed to help.
In the blink of an eye, the demonic sect members in the field were left with only the Refining Blood Hall crowd. The old master looked at them with a gloomy face, his heart filled with resentment, but he knew that this was no longer a place to stay for long. At this time, Chi Yans eyes glowed red, and he forced the law back several feet, stood up, beckoned to the crowd with his hand, and also escaped.
Tian Linger was about to chase again, but only heard her father Tian Bu Yis loud voice saying: "Linger, dont chase anymore."
Tian Linger stopped dead in her tracks, her face still flushed with anger. She turned to Tian Buyi and said, "Father, did you hear that demons nonsense?"
Tian didnt smile, but Su Rou walked up and pulled her down, smiling: "Those demonic cultists are capable of doing all sorts of evil things, let alone saying some coarse words. We just pretend we didnt hear it."
At this time, most of the people in the hall echoed in agreement, saying: "Thats right, thats right."
"Dont take it to heart, Tian."
Tian Linger finally came down with a huff. The people of the Orthodox Way saw that the demonic cults evil spirits had dispersed, and they also mostly dispersed. These days, they often fought against the demonic cult in this way, fighting and dispersing, dispersing and then fighting again.
Zhang Xiaofan was just about to go up and talk to Linger Shizi, but his shoulder was suddenly hit by someone. He turned around and was stunned for a moment, then beamed with joy. There stood Lin Jingyu behind him, with a delighted expression on his face. It had been a long time since they last met, and he wore all white clothes, with the Dragon-Slaying Sword inserted diagonally on his back. His sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes made him look handsome and elegant, truly one of a kind.
It was the first time Zhang Xiaofan had seen his childhood playmate since the Seven Meridians Grand Trial. In these days, he drifted through Jianghu, and at every critical moment of life and death, Lin Jingyus figure flashed in his mind.
Lin Jingyu looked at him for a long time, his face first joyful and then excited. He suddenly rushed over and hugged Zhang Xiaofan tightly in his arms, refusing to let go for a long time before finally releasing him. Zhang Xiaofans emotions were equally stirred up, and he saw what seemed like tears glistening in Lin Jingyus eyes.
"Xiao Fan!" Lin Jingyus voice was choked with emotion as he grabbed Zhang Xiaofans shoulder, his grip almost painful.
But Zhang Xiaofan didnt care at all, after seeing Lin Jingyu, it was as if the fear and despair he had experienced on the edge of life and death in recent days could only be understood by this brother. Only in front of this brother could he truly relax himself.
Lin Jingyu held him tightly, saying in a low voice: "Xiao Fan, I...I thought Id never see you again..." As he spoke, his emotions became too intense, his lips trembling slightly, and he couldnt continue.
"I am too." Zhang Xiaofan looked at him in the same way. After a while, the two of them suddenly exchanged a smile and let out a long sigh.
"Come back safely, we still have to sweep away the demonic sect together and avenge ourselves!" Lin Jingyu grasped Zhang Xiaofans shoulder, smiling as he spoke.
"Right." Zhang Xiaofan nodded heavily.
Lin Jingyus emotions slowly stabilized, and his face also calmed down a lot. Looking at Zhang Xiaofans slightly weathered face now, he suddenly had a hint of melancholy between his eyebrows, saying: "I heard that after you came down from the mountain, I was both happy for you and resentful of myself. Who would have thought that over the years, Masters high hopes for me were in vain, and my achievements are not as good as yours."
Zhang Xiaofan was shocked, shaking his head and saying: "Jīng Yuè, you cant say that. Who doesnt know that your talent surpasses mine by ten times? If I had encountered you in the last big test, I would have definitely lost. I just happened to be luckier than you."
Lin Jingyu let out a breath and smiled, saying: "Youre right, Ill work harder to cultivate in the future, I wont believe it if I cant surpass you, but you also cant relax."
Zhang Xiaofan burst out laughing and nodded vigorously.
The two of them were chatting here, where Tian Linger was still pouting at her mother and Su Rou was smiling and comforting her.
Zhang Xiaofan chatted with Lin Jingyu for a while, glanced at the sects entrance, grabbed Lin Jingyus hand and said: "Come on, Ill introduce you to my master and senior brother."
Bu Xianglin was startled and hummed, saying in a low voice: "Forget it, your dwarf gourd master!"
Zhang Xiaofan glared at him and said, "Dont talk nonsense." As he spoke, he forcibly pulled him over.
Lin Jingyus face was filled with helplessness, and he could only follow him. As they walked closer, Zhang Xiaofan was about to speak when he suddenly saw that beside Tian Linger and Shifu Su Rou, who were talking, there was an extra person standing there, elegant and refined, handsome and charming - it was Qi Huan.
Qihao spoke in a warm voice to Tian Linger, and she immediately burst out laughing, with no trace of anger left on her face. Her smile was as bright as a flower, and surprisingly, in front of everyone, she grabbed Qihaos hand and walked over to Tian Nanyi.
Zhang Xiaofan only felt a "buzz" in his head, a blank space, and in an instant, there were no more scenes. Only his masters sister pulled Qi Huans hand to walk over, and vaguely heard Lin Jingyu with a hint of smile, saying in a low voice: "Originally, your short-tempered master was determined not to let Qi Huan brother and Tian sister be together, but Qi brother went to beg Master, Master has always valued Qi brother, and then asked the real person in charge to intercede. Your master had no choice but to agree. Hehe, look at them now, theyre already open..."
Lin Jingyu suddenly interrupted his speech, slightly opened his mouth and looked at Zhang Xiaofan beside him.
At this moment, Zhang Xiaofan suddenly seemed to have changed into a different person, and he only felt that in the depths of his heart, a raging fire had suddenly burst forth, almost burning his entire body clean.
He only felt that he was being roasted alive in the nine-underworld evil fire, while ahead of him, the man and his most beloved beautiful woman were walking towards him hand in hand.
The flint that had been hidden at his waist also rose up with a familiar icy feeling, spreading throughout his body. However, instead of calming the raging flames, it seemed to add fuel to the fire, and a fierce killing intent, a thread of bloodthirsty madness twisted Zhang Xiaofans face.
At this scene, everyone suddenly froze, and the originally harmonious atmosphere was instantly frozen. Then the crowd saw that the gentle and elegant young junior brother had suddenly emitted a killing aura that even the demonic cultivators from earlier didnt have. The people around him involuntarily took a step back, looking at the person who had suddenly transformed into a fierce and evil being, with an intense killing aura, taking a step towards both Qi Huan and Tian Linger.
The blue sky on Liubo Mountain seemed to have darkened.
Song Daren stepped forward, blocking Zhang Xiaofans path, and immediately felt that the little brother he had been watching grow up since childhood was now completely unrecognizable.
Feeling someone blocking his way, Zhang Xiaofan slowly raised his head, staring at Song Daren. Song Daren looked at him and saw that his eyes were suddenly filled with bloodshot, and he felt a chill run down his spine. He forced a smile and said, "Xiaofan, whats wrong?"
Zhang Xiaofan didnt answer, he just lowered his voice and said hoarsely: "Get out of the way."
His tone was very long and low, as if it had taken a lot of effort to say it, but when heard by the crowd, they all felt a sense of trepidation.
Tian Bu Yis face suddenly fell, and everyone else was also shocked.
Following that, under the gaze of everyone, Zhang Xiaofan saw Song Daren still blocking his way, and his right hand tightened around the fire poker. Instantly, a cold and clear dark blue light emerged from the poker, carrying an unprecedented murderous intent.
Song Daren was truly frightened this time, not because of the intense murderous intent, nor because Zhang Xiaofans cultivation had suddenly advanced by leaps and bounds after his month-long seclusion in the mountains. It was because this little junior brother who had always respected and loved him now seemed to have a genuine intention to kill him.
He saw it, Tian Naiyi also noticed it and frowned, taking a step forward. Although he still thought that Zhang Xiaofan was not a match for Song Daren, the little disciples treasure was quite strange. On that day at the Seven Veins Martial Arts Conference, it had already made a big splash, and perhaps even Song Daren would not be able to handle it easily.
Just then, Tian Linger ran out with a look of astonishment and blocked Zhang Xiaofan and Song Darens way. She looked at her little brother whom she had loved since childhood and asked in surprise: "Xiaofan, whats wrong with you?"
That face carved in the depths of her heart, those bright eyes, this woman who has been on his mind, standing in front of him, asking with concern and care...
Zhang Xiaofan suddenly froze, his whole body stiffened, as if he had woken up from a dream. The evil energy inside him receded like the tide, but, but, he felt an excruciating pain, as if being torn apart. He stared blankly at his senior sister, feeling an overwhelming urge to burst into tears!
Do you know, at the moment of life and death, the person I miss most in my heart is you?
Do you know, in dreams I return to the blue clouds, with countless lingering thoughts, all for you?
Do you know...
"Slap", a loud and crisp sound, Zhang Xiaofans face was suddenly slapped by Tian Buyi who appeared beside him, his whole body involuntarily flew out, drawing an arc in mid-air, and fell far away outside.
Everyone was shocked.
Zhang Xiaofan fell to the ground, seeing stars, but as he came back to his senses, he felt even more ashamed. How could he have wanted to lay hands on his senior brother who had taken care of him since childhood and even harbored murderous intentions? It was simply unforgivable and a grave sin!
He struggled to get up, but his body was still unsteady, and before he could straighten up, his legs gave way again, and he fell down once more. Half of his cheek had swollen up high, and bright red blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.
However, the physical pain seemed to have disappeared at this moment, and only in his heart was an unprecedented fear, shouting at himself: Whats wrong, whats wrong, whats wrong with you, are you crazy?
He slowly raised his head, gazing at the people in front of him, as if everyone had suddenly become strangers. And they, looking into each others eyes, seemed to be staring at unfamiliar people they had never seen before.
Whats going on with all of this?
Zhang Xiaofan struggled to get up, no one spoke, everyone was staring at him, but the expression on their faces was more confused than afraid, as if he himself didnt know what had happened.
Song Daren after all loved Zhang Xiaofan from the heart, turned his head to Tian Niyi and said: "Master, my younger brother he...he didnt mean to be disrespectful, he just...just..."
"Shut up!" Tian Buer shouted, and Song Daren didnt dare to say another word. The short and stout Tian Buer now looked like a towering god of anger, step by step approaching Zhang Xiaofan.
Zhang Xiaofans face showed a hint of fear, after all, this was the master he had been most afraid of since childhood, and he didnt even dare to imagine what he would be facing next.
Suddenly, a white figure appeared in front of Zhang Xiaofan.
Everyone was shocked.
Lin Jingyus face was as cold as frost, his sword eyebrows tightly furrowed, but facing the renowned Qingyunmens Da Zhuofeng Zuo, he still remained as fearless as when he was a young man.
He stood there in his white clothes, as if nailed to the ground, and didnt move an inch, even if there were shocking waves ahead, it seemed that nothing could budge him.
"Kuang Dang", amidst the dragons roar, the Dragon Slayer sword flashed out of its scabbard, enveloping him and Zhang Xiaofan in a green glow - these two people with similar backgrounds. With an icy air, he didnt even glance at his usually respected senior brother Qi Huan, who was constantly giving him warning looks, and resolutely said: "If you dare to touch Xiaofan again, youll have to kill me first!"
Qí Hào took a deep breath, stealing a glance at Tián Bù Yì, whose face had turned a sickly shade of liver color. His anger was palpable.
As the eldest disciple of Long Feng, Qi Huan had no reason to avoid it. Moreover, Lin Jingyu had always been deeply loved by his master Cang Song Dao Ren, and he couldnt ignore him in any case.
Zi Hao looked at Tian Bu Yis expression and knew that trying to persuade him would be useless, so he quickly ran over, pulled Lin Xing Yu, and said in a low voice: "Youre crazy, younger brother! This is an internal matter of the Dazhu Peak, what business do you have here? Even if our master were here, it wouldnt be easy to say anything. Come on, lets leave together!"
It turned out that Lin Jingyu was different from usual today, and he hummed a sound, saying: "If I leave, Xiao Fan will not know how much suffering this person will endure. His life is lonely and bitter, just like mine. If I dont stand on his side, there will be no one in the world who can stand on his side." As he spoke, his eyes were like electricity, staring directly at the gate of Dazhu Peak. Although he clearly knew that the gap in strength was too great, looking at his expression, for the sake of his brother behind him, he seemed to disregard life and death.
Zi Hao was stunned, seeing that Lin Shidi had offended Niu Siqi, and his heart was burning with anxiety. Just as he was getting anxious, a hand suddenly landed on Lin Jingyus shoulder.
Lin Jingyu was startled and turned his head to see Zhang Xiaofan standing behind him, half of his face swollen high, but his eyes were already filled with hot tears, and his voice was choked with sobs: "Jingyu, I...I understand your intentions. Now its my fault, I will apologize to Master, you go back with Qi Shixiong first!"
Lin Jings eyebrows furrowed, just about to speak, but heard Qi Huan urgently whispering in his ear: "Lin Shidi, if you stay here any longer, Im afraid it will only provoke Tian Shu more and harm Zhang Shidi instead. Go, hurry up!"
He was dragged away by Qi Huan while struggling, but after seeing Zhang Xiaofans slightly pleading gaze, he hesitated and was finally pulled away with great difficulty, looking back at Zhang Xiaofan three times before leaving.
Tians face turned extremely ugly, and everyone under Da Zhu Fengs gate looked at each other in dismay, with no one daring to say a word.
Zhang Xiaofan quietly walked up to him, knelt down, bowed his head to the ground in front of him, and remained motionless.
Tian Bu Yi let out a cold laugh and said, "Ah! I dont dare to be so presumptuous. Who is this? Your cultivation is so high, your killing intent is so great, do you still have me, your master, in your eyes?"
Zhang Xiaofans body shook violently, and he heavily knocked his head three times, without lifting it up, still kowtowing on the ground.
Song Daren and the others had always doted on this little brother, and seeing him like this, they soon forgot about Zhang Xiaofans strange appearance earlier. They all turned to Tian Buyi and said: "Master, Little Brother is..."
Tian Buyi waved his hand, and everyones words were stuck in their throats. Tian Buyi looked Zhang Xiaofan up and down, snorted in anger, and said coldly: "I didnt expect that after all these years, I would actually teach a rebellious disciple!"
He finished speaking and turned around, walking away without looking back, and didnt bother with Zhang Xiaofan again.
Su Ru sighed and followed, the crowd had no choice but to follow as well. The scene was left with only one Zhang Xiaofan, kneeling alone on the ground.
His head still didnt lift up.
※※※
The sky turned dark, and the people on the right path arrived at the southern foot of Liubo Mountain to rest. There are more than a dozen natural caves here, which is very convenient. On that day, as soon as they came up the mountain, they were spotted by the people on the right path.
Qingyun Gate is divided into four veins, occupying four mountain caves. Dazhu Peak has the fewest people, in a cave on the far west side, next to a dense forest, and on the other side are Longfeng, Chaoyang Peak, and Xiaozhu Peak. The next cave is where the Tianyin Temple, Fengxiagu, and other Orthodox practitioners live.
This time Zhang Xiaofan returned, Tianyin Temples Fa Xiang and Fa Shan had seen him before, Qi Huan also came over to greet him. 6 Xueqi stood among the crowd on Xiao Zhufeng without coming over, but Li Xun and Yan Hong from Fengxiang Valley were not seen.
But at this moment, he didnt have the heart to think about these things. Following the crowd back, he didnt dare enter the cave and instead knelt on the rocks outside from afternoon till now when it got dark, kneeling for more than four hours. Tian Nayei still showed no sign of softening his stance.
Other disciples of the Qingyun Gate and people from Tianyin Temple and Fengxiang Valley came out to watch, often gathering in a circle, pointing and laughing, with mocking voices faintly audible.
Zhang Xiaofan felt ashamed in his heart, but ultimately didnt dare to get up. However, after kneeling for so long, his knees were unbearably sore.
Suddenly, a commotion came from the cave next door, where Long Fengs disciples lived. Zhang Xiao Fan did not lift his head, but vaguely heard Lin Jing Yu loudly speaking in anger over there, seemingly unable to bear it any longer and about to rush over, but was firmly held back by Qi Huan and other disciples.
Just as the noise was getting louder, a voice with a heavy tone suddenly came from the cave next door: "Jīng Yuè, come in, I have something to say to you."
Zhang Xiaofan knew it was the voice of Cang Song, the master of Long Feng. The disciples of Long Feng immediately fell silent, revealing the usual dignity of Master Cang Song. Before long, Lin Jingyu, who did not dare to disobey his masters orders, walked in and never came out again.
The darkness had returned to calmness, and the onlookers had also gradually dispersed, leaving only Zhang Xiaofan still kneeling at the entrance of the cave.
Just then, the voices of Song Daren, He Dazhi and Du Bishu pleading with Tian Buyi came from inside the cave, but Tian Buyi shouted a few angry words and everyone dared not speak again.
Just as they were about to fall silent, Tian Lingers excited voice rang out: "Father, what are you doing? Xiao Fan has been kneeling outside for almost five hours now. What did he do wrong? Did he hurt or kill Big Brother? Hes already admitted his mistake, why wont you let him in?"
A loud "boom" shook the air, and rocks flew sideways. Tian Naiyis anger was hard to dissipate, and with a slap on the hard stone, he smashed the boulder into powder. Tian Linger seemed to want to say more, but then heard Shifu Su Rou whispering something in her ear, pulling her away, and there was no sound anymore.