Chapter 264 Protected by pure energy, all impurities dissipated, displaying divine power, revealing true form.
At noon, it was rumored that the Black-Faced Bat King, due to his practice of unorthodox martial arts, was afraid of being exposed to direct sunlight. Walking in the sun would cause him to itch terribly and weaken him. Taking advantage of this rare opportunity, a group of wandering martial artists from the Luo Clan of Embroidery City entered the forest to search for him.
The wandering martial artists, in twos and threes, searched together, armed with knives, spears, clubs, and all sorts of strange weapons. They ventured deep into the forest, concealing their tracks. Li Xian, Luo Feiyan, and others followed the crowd, but a moment later, they entered the forest from another side. Luo Feiyan, holding a map, compared the directions on it, chose a spot, and said, "This thief must have fled here."
She is of noble birth, and this heinous matter has nothing to do with her. How could she possibly know how to track down the thieves? Her haphazard instructions are all based on assumptions and will surely be in vain.
Li Xian considered:
“This girl is spoiled and arrogant by nature. Why bother arguing with her? Let her be and see what happens. Once she understands the situation, I’ll provoke her and get the map.” He then fell silent and dutifully helped cut down trees, clear paths, and search the mountains for the thief. They traveled for half an hour without seeing a trace of the Black-Faced Bat King.
Luo Feiyan's forehead was damp with sweat, her clothes slightly slick with perspiration. Her boots were hot and sweaty, making it unbearable. She rubbed her ankles, wanting to take off her boots to cool off, but glancing at Li Xian and another wandering swordsman, she abandoned the idea. Wiping the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief, she couldn't help but feel quite annoyed.
She was pampered from a young age, and although her martial arts skills were not bad, she relied on her natural talent and did not practice martial arts diligently.
Having personally set out to search for half an hour, she was already feeling restless and frustrated. It wasn't that she feared the Black-Faced Bat King, but rather that the inability to achieve immediate success and finish the task decisively dampened her enthusiasm.
Seeing that the time was ripe, Li Xian sighed and said, "What a pity, what a pity."
Luo Feiyan frowned and asked, "What's a pity?"
Li Xian said, "It's a pity that even if we search for ten days or half a month, we may not be able to find the Black-faced Bat King."
Luo Feiyan retorted, "What did you say? Hmph, you little rascal, you're always daydreaming. What brilliant ideas could you possibly have?" Her words were sharp and merciless. Throughout her search for the thief, the wandering martial artists around her had repeatedly stole glances at her. This only increased her resentment; she felt utterly uncomfortable if she were to have any connection with these people. In this state of mind, hearing Li Xian's disrespectful words naturally infuriated her.
Li Xian said, "If you show me the map, I guarantee you will meet the Black-Faced Bat King tonight."
Luo Feiyan sneered: "Do you really think you're so smart?"
Li Xian said, "How about we make a bet? If we don't meet, you can kill or torture me as you please." He thought to himself, "I'll boast first and trick you into giving me the map. Then I'll just walk away, what can you do then?"
He suddenly thought to himself, "I've gotten into the habit of just packing up and leaving."
Li Xian then said, "As for if we were to meet, how about you grant me a kiss?" Although he found Luo Feiyan to be indeed beautiful, he had no ulterior motives. These words were entirely due to his flirtatious nature; he loved to speak frivolously and was intentionally trying to provoke Luo Feiyan.
Luo Feiyan pondered, "This fellow's face is dark and murky, truly repulsive. But he seems confident, so why not give it a try? If I find the Black-Faced Bat King, hmph, he's far from worthy of my favor. Why bother with him? If I don't find him, I'll take the opportunity to teach him a lesson." She glanced at him contemptuously and said, "Since that's the case, let me see what you've got."
Throw away the map.
Li Xian carefully examined the map. He came across a lake, beside which a path stretched out. He had bathed in the lake the previous night, and after meditating and practicing the "Five Internal Organs' Purification" technique, he had followed this path…
"Ah! No wonder I brushed past that black-faced bat king. The man who went ahead was attacked and drained of his blood, but I didn't see a trace of him."
The path stretched for several miles. Beside it lay a dark cave, very well hidden. The Black-Faced Bat King, after sucking blood last night, must have been hiding here. Li Xian, a newcomer, was in a hurry and passed by the cave without noticing, thus missing the Black-Faced Bat King.
“The Black-Faced Bat King hid here last night. Now that a day has passed, he is nocturnal and should not have escaped far.”
Putting myself in his shoes: "The Black-Faced Bat King has no map, and he's in the forest, hidden by its cover. If I were him, in this location, I would definitely flee this way first, then this way."
The forest paths and trails, whether numerous or few, all came to mind. They crisscrossed and meandered through the woods.
He kept calculating in his mind. He settled on a few places and then looked for shortcuts to get there. In this way, he passed by several hidden hiding places. Although he did not run into the Black-faced Bat King, he vaguely saw traces of hare and wild boar carcasses. In his hurried escape, he had been to the vicinity.
Li Xian was extremely skilled at hunting.
He regarded the Black-Faced Bat King as prey, searching for its tracks, pondering its motives, and predicting its location. He was also well-versed in feng shui and geomancy, employing a wide range of miscellaneous knowledge. He observed mountains and surveyed the land, interviewed trees and inquired about plants—his knowledge was extensive. While he might not be as accomplished as figures like Wen Caishang, few of his generation of young talents possessed such refinement.
Luo Feiyan initially looked down on Li Xian, but seeing him deep in thought with furrowed brows and profound eyes, even with his dark and grimy face, she noticed a unique charm about him. The little bit of knowledge he revealed was extremely profound, unlike that of an ordinary wandering swordsman.
After following for half an hour, the results were very good. They had already found the whereabouts of the Black-faced Bat King. Overjoyed, he couldn't help but glance at Li Xian slightly.
Luo Feiyan asked curiously, "Hey, what's your name?"
Li Xian said, "Hua Manlou."
Luo Feiyan sneered, "But you're completely mismatched; you're practically covered in black."
Li Xian didn't care and laughed, "What's your name?" Luo Feiyan replied, "Hua Feiyan." She was suddenly asked a question and almost blurted out her real name. In her haste, she chose "Hua" from "Hua Manlou" as her surname.
Li Xian thought to himself, "I bet you're Luo Feiyan, trying to hide your Luo family identity." Finding it amusing, he joked, "Looks like we share the same surname. Surnames like 'Hua' are rare indeed, truly exceptional. We're quite destined for each other. Who knows, tracing our lineage back, we might even be cousins or close siblings!"
Luo Feiyan said disdainfully, "Who wants to be destined to be with you? Ridiculous, do you even deserve it?"
After walking for a while, Luo Feiyan asked, "Is the grime on your face something you were born with?" Li Xian sighed and said, "My mother said that this grime on my face is a congenital birthmark, and only meeting the one I love can dispel it."
Luo Feiyan stopped talking, finding the man to be a smooth talker and unreliable. Every time she spoke with him, he would ramble on about random things.
Li Xian's expression suddenly turned serious. He slowed his pace, making as little noise as possible. He caught a faint scent of blood and, referring to the map, noticed a cave nearby. Li Xian approached quietly, glancing at the cave, thinking that the Black-Faced Bat King must be here; he mustn't alert him. So he slipped away and hid in a tree, using the canopy and leaves for cover.
Luo Feiyan's heart skipped a beat. She also smelled the stench of blood and knew she might have found the Black-Faced Bat King's hiding place. With a formidable enemy at hand, she couldn't help but feel tense. Turning her head, she saw that Li Xian had already hidden himself, ensuring his own safety first, and then gesturing to her to come and hide.
This was perfectly understandable. However, Luo Feiyan was extremely annoyed. She was exceptionally beautiful, and everyone, both within and outside the clan, doted on her, showing her tenderness and consideration. Her frown caused countless men sleepless nights of sorrow. Moreover, the campaign to annihilate the Black-Faced Bat King was entirely due to her reputation as the "Golden Hairpin," which gave it such great momentum. Seeing such a man for the first time, she cursed inwardly, "A coward who clings to life, unworthy of being a man!" She used her "Embroidered Dream Light Gauze Steps" to hide herself to the side.
Li Xian said, "The Black-Faced Bat King is most likely hiding here. How are you going to show your loyalty? Kiss us twice?"
Luo Feiyan cursed, "Dream on!"
Li Xian laughed and said, "Fine, you don't want to admit it. But it doesn't matter, I'm used to being hurt by women."
Luo Feiyan sneered, "With your looks, what woman would even look at you? You're delusional and utterly despicable." Li Xian laughed, "You've got a sharp tongue. You want to kiss me now, but I don't dare. I'm afraid of being poisoned."
Luo Feiyan circulated her inner energy and adjusted her breathing. She glared at Li Xian, then suddenly thought, "Why should I talk to this dirty brat? He'll be so proud of himself for being able to talk to me." But upon closer inspection of Li Xian's features, aside from his dark complexion, he was actually quite handsome.
Luo Feiyan said, "You said this Black-Faced Bat King is hiding in a cave. Shall we go in and catch him?"
Li Xian said, "That won't do. The cave is pitch black, and he has a huge advantage. We need to find a way to force him out." He immediately thought of burning grass and wood to blow black smoke into the cave and force the Black-Faced Bat King out. But the black smoke hanging in the air would inevitably attract the attention of others.
He immediately devised another plan. He unfolded the map and pondered a strategy. Suddenly, he noticed that the map showed several streams around the cave, seemingly connected to it. This method of "finding the mountain veins" was a geomantic technique taught to him by Wen Caishang. Li Xian had learned a thing or two from it, and now it was being put to use.
It was immediately determined that there was an underground river hidden in the cave. The underground river was not large, and after it emerged to the surface, it turned into a babbling stream.
“I once studied feng shui with my wife. Perhaps through some arrangement, I can block the surrounding streams and cause the underground river in the cave to overflow. When he sees this, he will be surprised and will naturally leave the cave.”
Li Xian then began to make arrangements.
This isn't actually that difficult. Li Xianfeng is only somewhat proficient in feng shui. He knows how to utilize the terrain and the direction of watercourses.
He said, "You all stay here and guard this place without making a sound." Holding the map, he used his light-footed skill to disappear. Luo Feiyan exclaimed in surprise, "What amazing light-footed skill! I underestimated him!"
She increasingly felt that Li Xian was no ordinary person. The Black-Faced Bat King had been committing evil deeds for a long time, had been on the run for many days, and had killed several people during that time, making him extremely difficult to deal with. Li Xian had just arrived today, and he immediately displayed his unique skill in tracking and finding his hiding place along the way.
Now he is showing off his impressive lightness skill.
She murmured, "I'll follow him and see what strange thing he's up to! If he's a villain, humph, I won't let him get away with it either." Extremely curious, she said to the wandering swordsman, "You stay here and keep watch. If anything happens, light a smoke signal. I'll go and help."
Her figure swayed, like a wisp of smoke dancing in the air. With a light touch of her toes on the leaves, she could leap several meters. This "Embroidered Dream Gauze Step" was a lower-level light-body skill, but it had its own unique features.
They caught up in no time.
Li Xian said, "Why did you follow me here?" Luo Feiyan frowned and said, "I need to see if you've done anything strange."
Li Xian pondered, "It's still early. I doubt that the Black-Faced Bat King will dare to come out of his cave. If he does come out, wouldn't that be perfect, saving me the trouble?" He then said no more.
The cave had an underground river connecting four streams. Li Xian found them one by one and managed to block them.
They immediately rushed back to the cave entrance and remained there to guard.
The Black-Faced Bat King was sitting quietly in the cave, recuperating and digesting the beast blood in his stomach. He practiced evil martial arts, was bloodthirsty, and his appearance gradually changed, becoming ferocious and terrifying.
Suddenly, I caught a faint whiff of water vapor.
Looking down, he saw that the soil had become soft, and stepping on it felt like walking on water. He thought to himself, "Is this place going to flood? How can I stay here? I'm only at the second level of martial arts, and water is dangerous for me. I need to get out of here quickly!"
The midday sun had passed; though intense, it was no longer scorching. The Black-Faced Bat King emerged from the cave, the sunlight streaming in, causing him to squint and raise his hand to shield his eyes. His skin was very dark, covered in fine downy hairs. In the sunlight, these hairs curled and bent.
His skin broke out in a fine red rash. He grimaced, scratched vigorously, and quickly sought refuge under the shade of a tree.
Li Xian witnessed this and thought to himself, "He really is here. This person is so afraid of water, he must be at the second level of martial arts! In terms of cultivation alone, he is stronger than me. I haven't been cultivating for long, so I can't really help him. But his actual strength is hard to tell from his realm alone." Li Xian took this very seriously, but he didn't underestimate himself.
Upon closer inspection, one could see that he was short in stature, had sharp teeth, and a dark complexion.
Luo Feiyan's heart tightened, and she said, "Let's attack together!"
Li Xian secretly assessed the situation: "The strength of this Black-Faced Bat King is still unknown. Perhaps I should let Luo Feiyan try it for me. She is a member of the Luo family, and if I succeed in obtaining the Human Yellow, she will be a potential rival." He smiled and said, "Since you're asking me for help, first fulfill your promise and kiss me three times, how about it?"
Luo Feiyan was indeed annoyed and said, "Dream on. Asking you for help was giving you face. Since you don't know what's good for you, then you'd better watch out."
If it weren't for the formidable enemy at hand, she would have definitely killed Li Xian first.
Although she had little experience, she was not stupid. She was extremely skilled in palm techniques and had mastered two sets of palm techniques: "Inferior Floating Dream Palm" and "Basic Luo Family Cotton Palm".
The Black-Faced Bat King, taking advantage of the shadows, moved swiftly, intending to find another cave to hide in. Suddenly, he heard the sound of wind approaching, and a palm strike came suddenly. He laughed, "Another one who's not afraid of death." He turned and returned the blow. The two palms collided with a muffled "bang." The powerful inner energy of both men overflowed outwards. The two hovered in the air, the surrounding trees swirling and turning in the strong wind.
The shrubs and weeds were all flattened and bent over.
Luo Feiyan snorted coldly, living up to her reputation as a prodigy of a great clan. She transformed her palm into a curved finger, shooting out golden Qi light. This move was called "Qi-Breaking Finger," an extremely powerful point-and-shoot martial art. The Black-Faced Bat King was taken aback, not daring to be careless, and withdrew his hand, hiding in a black cloak.
The energy beam struck the cloak, deflected, and hit a large tree. The tree trunk exploded with a 'bang,' breaking in two. Luo Feiyan frowned, sensing that this person was extremely powerful and fearing a fierce battle was about to unfold. She unleashed several palm strikes at the black-cloaked figure, each strike possessing considerable force.
Her movements were graceful, her palms rising and falling as if she were dancing. But the cloak was mysterious, like a soft, resilient ball of cotton, and no matter how she struck, it was difficult to achieve any effect.
The Black-Faced Bat King laughed, "You little devil, coming to find me all alone, you've got some nerve! Even if I let you fight me, you can't do anything to me. I won't fight back, come at me if you want." He curled up into his cloak, shrinking into a ball.
Luo Feiyan cursed, "How arrogant!" and launched a fierce attack. Several sets of palm techniques were executed in rapid succession: the Fleeting Dream Palm, the Luo Family Cotton Palm, the Swallow Triple Kill Palm…
Her inner energy was powerful and ethereal, yet concealed immense strength. It was like silk from a brocade-making city—exquisite and delicate, yet worth a fortune, its weight enough to make one bend over. The application of martial arts is often closely related to the martial artist's perceptions and knowledge.
In terms of internal energy alone, Luo Feiyan was actually the victor. She unleashed several palm strikes, but none of them could overcome the Black-Faced Bat King. The cloak was extremely slippery; when she struck out, she clearly touched the Black-Faced Bat King, but inexplicably, she could not land a solid blow.
turn out to be
This black cloak is both mysterious and not mysterious.
The cloak was entirely black, made of bat down and a mixture of poisonous eel skin. The exterior was rough and sticky, while the interior was incredibly slippery. Luo Feiyan's powerful palm strike landed on the cloak, touching the bat down. The rough surface of the cloak subtly clung to Luo Feiyan's hand, but the slippery interior allowed the Black-Faced Bat King to easily deflect his palm strike with a slight movement.
The Black-Faced Bat King cackled. Luo Feiyan was furious, thinking, "If I can't even catch you standing still, how can I possibly lose face?" She vaguely guessed the Black-Faced Bat King's methods. She touched her skirt with both hands and struck out again. Her palm strike was incredibly fast, but ultimately failed to harm the Black-Faced Bat King.
Li Xian exclaimed, "Ah, what a powerful move!" but he was referring to Luo Feiyan's useless palm technique.
Despite her renowned reputation, Luo Feiyan possessed formidable strength. The moment she touched her skirt with both hands, she was secretly drawing the silk threads of the garment into her palms. From then on, each of her palm strikes and retractions resembled threading a needle. Seemingly pointless, she was actually sewing the cloak, attaching it to the Black-Faced Bat King's skin.
If the mission succeeds, the Black-Faced Bat King will be trapped in a cocoon, unable to move his limbs, utterly miserable. Li Xian thought, "If this technique sewn into a person's five orifices and acupoints, he will become unable to move without realizing it, his limbs becoming indistinguishable!"
In reality, very few members of the Luo family possess this ability. Martial arts prowess is one requirement, but high-level martial spirit and long-term dedication are also essential. It contains extremely profound secrets, requiring mastery of the 'Luo Family Mindset' and the 'Luo Family Golden Rules.' All Luo family members have the opportunity to come into contact with these two, memorizing them thoroughly from a young age. Many essential elements of the Luo family's martial arts are hidden within the family rules.
The Luo family's mental cultivation methods nurture character, while the Luo family's golden rules constrain habits. Both are shaped from childhood, correcting one's conduct and clarifying one's nature, while also laying a solid foundation. Those with outstanding character, knowledge, and comprehension receive further nurturing and are given opportunities to work in the family business, where they must become proficient in accounting. And within this "accounting" lies the method of circulating Qi.
After that, he practiced two martial arts: "Embroidered Body Skill" and "Silk Spinning Hand". Embroidered Body Skill is a martial art for health preservation, which uses slight vibrations of the body to loosen and loosen the threads of the clothes on the body. Silk Spinning Hand is a technique of "threading" and "manipulating" threads.
Thus, the "Luo Family Inner Strength Method," the "Luo Family Golden Rules," the "Embroidered Body Skill," the "Circling Body Technique," and even the methods of accounting—all these techniques combined to create such a method. It's not something that can be achieved with a single martial art. The Luo family's methods for cultivating their descendants are indeed remarkable. Even if someone were lucky enough to glimpse one or two martial arts techniques, how could they possibly use them to blackmail the Luo family?
Li Xian nodded secretly, thinking that it was good he hadn't underestimated Luo Feiyan. Seeing that the Black-faced Bat King remained motionless, Luo Feiyan repeatedly clasped her hands, and most of the silk threads on her skirt had already disappeared.
This move is called "Passing Clothes".
Silk threads were held in the palm as the palm strikes were executed with incredible speed. Once the palm technique was finished, the opponent's clothes were completely transformed. Even more... some could completely replace their own clothes on their opponent.
Of course... in actual combat, "needle and thread" would pierce through flesh and blood. Luo Feiyan delivered two more palm strikes, completing the task.
The Black-Faced Bat King suddenly threw off his cloak, revealing himself covered in blood. The silk threads had just pierced through the cloak, sewing through his flesh and bones—a truly formidable feat. Yet, he was an extremely ruthless character; he forcefully pulled at the threads, causing his skin to tear and his flesh to rip. From seemingly nowhere, he threw out a large skeleton.
Luo Feiyan was startled and struck the skeleton with both palms. The skeleton actually moved and instantly grabbed Luo Feiyan's hands.
turn out to be.
The Black-Faced Bat King's weapon is a meticulously crafted skeleton! It is identical to his body shape and usually fits snugly against his body. Even when he wears heavy clothing, no one can tell that it's there.
He was adept at provoking his opponents with words, then curled up inside his cloak. When his adversary grew increasingly enraged and his attacks intensified, he suddenly opened his cloak and threw out the skeleton he had been carrying.
By surprise, the skeleton closed in, and a single blow was sure to bring victory! The skeleton grabbed Luo Feiyan's hands with tremendous force, instantly leaving her hands red and swollen! The Black-faced Bat King was covered in blood; although he was seriously injured, this move had finally worked.
He lightly kicked the skeleton's heel with his toe. The skeleton immediately kicked back. Luo Feiyan's hands were grabbed by the skeleton, and she kicked her skirt, trying to wrap it around the skeleton's leg. But at the same time, the Black-Faced Bat King's palms struck.
Luo Feiyan's face turned deathly pale, her hands unable to break free. The Black-Faced Bat King's skeletal weapon was extremely bizarre, yet also extremely deadly. It was as if she had suddenly faced two people, instantly feeling overwhelmed by the overwhelming force of two fists against four hands.
She used her "Embroidered Body Skill" and "Robe Turning Skill"... The Embroidered Body Skill uses slight vibrations of the body, combined with the special sewing and embroidery techniques of the clothing she wears. This makes the clothes appear unchanged, but the needle and thread within them flow like water.
The Luo Yi Turning Technique... is a life-saving martial art. It is closely related to "Consolidating Blood and Closing Orifices" and is "Circulating Blood and Overflowing Qi". Internal Qi seeps out from between the skin, flows through the silk threads of the clothes all over the body, and spreads the silk threads of the clothes in all directions, swirling and intertwining all over the body, like a dense net, protecting the whole body.
Li Xian understood: "The Luo family's martial arts... are closely related to the clothes one wears!" Seeing Luo Feiyan's figure revealed, he couldn't help but laugh: "Then, wouldn't the Luo family disciples always have their clothes completely destroyed after going through life-or-death battles?"
The Black-Faced Bat King knew that Luo Feiyan was extremely powerful. The moment he struck out, his palm touched the silk thread and was immediately scratched and bled. If he had struck back forcefully, his palm would have been sliced into eighteen pieces.
The Black-Faced Bat King said coldly, "Little wench, it's too late for regrets. You'll have to make up for all the blood I've lost!" He felt a sweet taste in his throat and spat out a mouthful of blood.
The blood splattered on the skull, making a sizzling sound as it evaporated into a blood mist. Indistinctly, it seemed as if flesh and blood had grown back.
This is the Art of Blood Regeneration!
Li Xian murmured, "When I was with Madam before, such masters were often killed by her before they could even make a move. Or they would lose limbs and wail miserably... Now, facing them personally, the variety and strangeness of their methods have truly broadened my horizons!"
The black-faced bat king spat out three mouthfuls of blood mist. The first mouthful...regenerated flesh from a skull. The second mouthful...dissolved the silk threads. The third mouthful...clung to human flesh, adhering to the skin like a silkworm cocoon!
The first wisp of blood mist was the Art of Blood Regeneration. The second wisp of blood mist, the third wisp of blood mist... were extremely powerful martial arts techniques.
Many elements complement each other! Extremely powerful.
Seeing the blood mist spreading, Luo Feiyan was at her wits' end. Her arms were covered in blood cocoons, instantly becoming numb and cold... The blood cocoons seeped into her skin, and if she didn't get rid of them quickly, they would spread throughout her flesh, bones, and meridians... and her hands would be completely useless!
Luo Feiyan's pretty face turned deathly pale. The Luo family's martial arts relied entirely on their skillful hands; if their hands were crippled, there was no hope left for their martial arts. Suddenly at this moment…
A wisp of white mist drifted over, blowing past the blood mist and instantly dispelling it all! Luo Feiyan's hands were numb, and she suddenly felt a cool sensation.
When I came to my senses, Li Xian was already behind me, surrounded by scattered flowers, white mist, and a bewitching red between his brows, impervious to all impurities.
The rouge and powder on her face naturally and unintentionally faded away.
(End of this chapter)
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