Chapter 1: The Dragon Soul Appears
In the vast ocean of Southeast Asia, the waves suddenly surged and churned. The usually calm sea was now surging with towering peaks. After a moment of turbulence, a massive whirlpool formed, circling for dozens of miles. As the whirlpool accelerated, a deafening roar erupted, and a volcano beneath the sea spewed its contents to the surface. At that moment, the city of Longyang, not far from the sea, felt the tremor, and its inhabitants were filled with terror.
Lord Yi Yunke of Longyang City was sitting in a rattan chair, issuing orders to his people. Suddenly, a great tremor shook the earth, and everyone jumped up in surprise, exclaiming, "Ah! What's happening? What's going on?"
"I don't know!"...
Yi Yunke stood up, waved his sleeve, and roared domineeringly: What's the panic? Has the sky fallen?!
At this moment, a man with bound feet hurriedly entered the hall, knelt on one knee, and reported: "Reporting to the city lord, something has happened on the southern sea. A huge pillar of fire has been seen stretching straight into the sky!"
Upon hearing this, Yi Yunke quickly went outside to investigate, and the others followed him. As they went out to look, they saw a huge pillar of fire stretching straight into the sky to the south, with dark clouds covering the sky and lightning flashing.
Seeing this, Yi Yunke was secretly surprised and immediately shouted, "Prepare the horses!!"
At this moment, Longyang City was in chaos. Although the earth had stopped shaking, everyone was staring at the enormous pillar of fire stretching into the sky! Was it curiosity, panic, or a sign of impending disaster?
At the same time, outside a thatched hut in Yuyang Village, an ordinary-looking boy was roasting a chicken on a wooden rack! Because Yuyang Village is close to the sea, he could not only see the pillar of fire but also feel the scorching heat. He muttered to himself, "No way!? What's going on? Just now the earth shook, and now there's fire and water flowing from the sky! Has the sky broken open!? I, Xiaoyao Lang, don't want to die so young! Oh well, it's best to leave this place." With that, he grabbed the roasted chicken and fled for his life!
The people of Yuyang Village had all witnessed the same spectacle and hurriedly moved away from the pillar of fire, fearing for their lives.
An elderly man with white hair was seen running and shouting, "Run! Everyone run! That pillar of fire is terrifying! I haven't seen anything so horrifying in decades!"
At this moment, a dozen or so fast horses galloped past, carrying young women, each dressed in white and wielding a long sword. They were all beautiful with fair skin and graceful figures. The young man at the head of the group was Yin Qianqiu, the city lord of Baiyun City. He held a Tai Chi fan, had sharp eyes and a handsome face, with dark horned hair flowing down his sides. His faint smile concealed a hint of both good looks and cunning.
When the old man saw them, he was stunned and muttered to himself, "Are these people crazy?! Are there people who don't value their lives?"
Yin Qianqiu led his men, spurring their horses towards the fire pillar, and encountered Yi Yunke and his group on the way.
Upon seeing Yin Qianqiu, Yi Yunke felt a surge of anger rising within him. He immediately spurred his horse and asked, "Brother Qianqiu, what brings you to my Longyang City?"
Yin Qianqiu also stopped immediately. Hearing Yi Yunke's words, he smiled faintly and said, "Brother Ke, don't be so stingy! I haven't seen such a spectacle in decades. I also want to broaden my horizons! Besides, this Fish Ocean Sea doesn't just belong to your Longyang City. Do others need your permission to come and see it?!"
"Hmph!" Yi Yunke snorted coldly and rode off ahead. Yin Qianqiu, still smiling, followed closely behind.
At the same time, in the Tianji Palace of Xuefeng Mountain in Dongyue Shenzhou, Palace Master Yu Linglong was meditating cross-legged on a lotus platform, with two young women, Chunxiang and Qiuxia, standing beside her. The Palace Master's beautiful eyes were closed, her long, flowing hair reaching her waist, her stunning beauty truly celestial. Suddenly, an image flashed through her mind: the pillar of fire reaching into the sky in Nanyang Shenzhou. Instantly, her beautiful eyes opened, her bright, clear eyes seeming to see through everything. She slowly stood up, her soft white robes flowing gracefully, her voluptuous and beautiful figure appearing even more ethereal. Chunxiang and Qiuxia, seeing her rise, realized she had awakened.
"Palace Master! You're awake!" Qiu Xia said with concern.
Yu Linglong's clear voice rang out: "During my meditation just now, I saw in the Transcendent Realm that volcanoes in the South China Sea erupted, causing the sea air currents to reverse and forming huge tornadoes. The tornadoes carried the earth fire and connected it with the reverse-current atmosphere in the sky, forming huge pillars of fire."
Upon hearing this, Chunxiang immediately bowed and kowtowed, excitedly saying, "Chunxiang congratulates Palace Master! Congratulations on your master's cultivation reaching the pinnacle!"
"The Palace Master's cultivation has reached the Transcendent Realm!? That's wonderful!" Qiu Xia was overjoyed to hear this.
Yu Linglong said calmly, "Yes! But I have just reached the Transcendent Realm and I have witnessed such an unusual event. It makes me inexplicably worried. I am afraid that the Southern Ocean will be in turmoil again."
After saying this, Yu Linglong, looking slightly worried, added, "I believe this matter is extraordinary and cannot be neglected. I will investigate further, and you will continue to protect me." After saying this, she returned to the lotus platform to meditate, entering a state of enlightenment once more, hoping to glimpse the secrets of heaven.
Half a day later, Yi Yunke and Yin Qianqiu's group arrived at the seaside of Yuyang Village, where they had gathered a crowd of over a thousand people. The main groups consisted of people from Longyang City, Baiyun City, Xiyu Manor, and Maqian Gang, with the rest being members of smaller gangs and some daring ordinary people. They were all amazed by the spectacle before them, with some exclaiming that an extraordinary event had occurred and predicting a great calamity for the world to come.
Yi Yunke immediately stood on the beach. Although he was several miles away from the fiery pillar in the sea, the intense heat still made him sweat profusely. He gazed at the enormous fiery pillar in the sea, which stretched and swirled upwards, directly causing lightning to flash across the sky, waves to surge and whirlwinds to swirl around it, emitting bursts of hissing and rumbling sounds.
Half an hour later, another loud noise came from the sea, and a huge pillar of fire suddenly erupted in all directions.
Immediately someone shouted, "Everyone, be careful!"
As soon as the alarm sounded, flames flying through the air, accompanied by swirling debris, began to fall and destroy the surrounding area. The crowd watching from the sidelines was not spared. Upon seeing the flames attacking from the sky, they panicked and scattered in all directions. Chaos ensued, and things fell apart, but it was too late.
"ah…"
"ah!"
"Ouch!"
...
With screams echoing, one person after another fell to the ground, and those on the periphery were terrified and fled in panic.
Yi Yunke tamed the frightened horse, immediately gathered his energy in his body and concentrated his strength in his palms. He then used both hands to strike out with his palms, blocking all the incoming attacks and protecting his subordinates behind him.
Yin Qianqiu was equally impressive. He swung his fan and gathered his strength, using the move "Guiding the Wind to Borrow the Path" to deflect the attacking object to the side.
Others also possessed surgical skills, all of whom used their abilities to establish themselves and live in peace.
But just as one crisis subsided, another arose. A fierce wind and giant waves came crashing down on the shore, instantly raising and burying up several feet of dust and sand.
Seeing this, Yin Qianqiu turned to Yi Yunke and shouted, "Brother Ke, at such a critical moment, if we don't join forces now, when will we ever get another chance!" As he spoke, he spurred his horse into the air, gathering all his inner energy and focusing it on his palms.
Seeing the wall of waves rushing towards him, Yi Yunke, having no other choice, spurred his horse to its feet, gathering his inner energy to condense his strength.
The two met in mid-air and struck simultaneously, their powerful attacks plunging into the sea and creating a three-zhang-high wave that crashed against the giant wave in the ocean. As the two giant waves collided, the force of the three-zhang wave was instantly swallowed up by the wall of waves in the sea. Although this weakened the incoming giant wave, it was far from enough, and the wall of waves continued to surge and crash against them.
At this moment, someone shouted, "City Lord, I'm here to help you." As he spoke, he transferred his true energy to Yi Yunke.
Seeing this, the others all channeled their inner energy into Ling Kong and his companion. With the help of dozens of people, Yi Yunke and his companion felt their inner energy surge like a vast abyss. They immediately circulated their inner energy and launched a powerful attack. The two clashed again, unleashing their incomparably powerful palm strikes, instantly creating a wall of waves several feet high, and then heading towards the giant waves in the sea.
With a roar, the giant wave in the sea was submerged and absorbed, and the force of the wave carried it away. Seeing this, everyone withdrew their true energy, and Yi Yunke and his companion fell from their horses in mid-air to calm themselves down.
As the sea mist dissipated, a dazzling, iridescent object appeared in the sky. Upon closer inspection, the object, about the size of a fist, resembled a crystal bead, yet it wasn't a bead. It emitted a riot of colors and shimmered brilliantly as it streaked across the sky. By this time, the sea had calmed down, and as the sea returned to stillness, the iridescent object suspended in the sky slowly descended, seemingly about to plunge into the sea.
Just then, Yin Qianqiu leaped from his horse, using his lightness skill to fly across the water towards the strange light. Seeing this, Yi Yunke also spurred his horse and gave chase, but unfortunately, Yi Yunke's lightness skill was slightly inferior, and Yin Qianqiu had already approached the falling light. Just as Yin Qianqiu was secretly delighted, the strange light seemed to possess a spirit, actually stopping its descent and flying towards the shore. Seeing this, Yin Qianqiu and Yi Yunke hurriedly returned to shore, quickly chasing after the strange light. The others, seeing this, also joined the chase, all believing it to be a treasure.
Yi Cai flew towards Yuyang Village, and Yi Yunke, who was in hot pursuit, angrily shouted, "Yin Qianqiu! You'd better not compete with me!"
Yin Qianqiu moved with graceful ease, leaping across grass and trees, traversing the landscape. As he chased, he glanced back at Yi Yunke, twirling his Tai Chi fan, and said with a smile, "Let's see who's better, Brother Ke! In terms of martial arts, I'm not as good as you, but you still need to work on your lightness skill! Ahahaha..."
The group searched for over ten miles before the strange light flew into a bamboo forest. Above the bamboo grove, a man was sleeping. He looked like a beggar, with a gourd hanging from his waist and a blade of grass dangling from his mouth. The strange light flew to his side and stopped, its sharp, piercing light illuminating his eyes!
"Wow! What is that?! It's so dazzling!" the beggar said, looking bewildered.
At this moment, Yin Qianqiu had caught up. He took a breath, and then Yi Yunke followed. The beggar looked at the two people below and said dismissively, "Oh! Isn't this the Lord of Baiyun City and the Lord of Longyang City? When did you two become accomplices?!" the man joked.
Upon hearing this, Yin Qianqiu closed his Tai Chi fan and respectfully replied with a smile, "Your Excellency is dressed in simple clothes, with a gourd hanging from your waist, and you can even dream of immortality atop this bamboo. You must be the immortal of wine, Zui Mochou!"
At this moment, Yi Yunke, who was standing to the side, was somewhat surprised and thought to himself, "It can actually be him!"
Just as he was pondering this, Yin Qianqiu approached him step by step, gave him a look, and whispered, "This old beggar's cultivation is above ours. If you want something, we'll have to join forces to deal with him." Yi Yunke understood.
Upon hearing Yin Qianqiu's words, the beggar took down the gourd from his waist, drank from it, and said with amusement, "Oh my! I never thought that Yin Qianqiu, who is known as the Flying Cloud, would actually know about a drunkard like me! How rare! How rare!"
Yi Yunke grew impatient and yelled at Zui Mochou, "So what if I know it's you! If you know what's good for you, hand over the stuff, or I'd better not have to lift a finger!"
Upon hearing this, Zui Mochou hung the wine gourd on his waist and said indifferently, "Ha! The thing is here with me, so it is naturally mine! Why should I hand over my things to you?! Just because you're fat!" As he spoke, he stuffed the strange color into his pocket.
"You...you..." Upon hearing this, Yi Yunke was furious. He pointed at Zui Mochou, but couldn't utter a word.
Hearing Zui Mochou's words, Yin Qianqiu also felt a little cold. He said slowly, "I have always respected you, senior, but this thing was first discovered by me and Brother Ke. I hope you will be so kind as to return it. I will be eternally grateful!"
At this time, the others also arrived at the location.
Zui Mochou shook his head and said jokingly, "Is that so! How strange! What you found isn't on you! But it flew onto me, the drunkard! Oh dear! I wonder if it's because I smell good, or if this thing doesn't belong to you at all?!"
Yin Qianqiu knew that Zui Mochou was joking with them, so he said coldly, "Since you insist that we fight, then I, Yin Qianqiu, have no choice but to ask you to teach me a few moves."
As he spoke, Yin Qianqiu leaped into the air with his right foot, and with a flick of his left hand, his Tai Chi fan sent several silver needles flying out, aimed directly at Zui Mochou lying atop the bamboo. Immediately afterward, he struck out with his right palm, aiming straight for Zui Mochou's head.
Seeing this, Zui Mochou leaped up onto the bamboo, performing an inverted spin and flying towards the top of another bamboo stalk, shattering the previous one. Yi Yunke, seeing this, quickly followed suit, launching a sweeping kick at Zui Mochou's lower body. After missing his two attacks, Yin Qianqiu flew towards Zui Mochou again, waving his fan in his left hand and raising his palm in his right. Zui Mochou leaped again, dodging Yi Yunke's sweeping kick and simultaneously meeting Yin Qianqiu's attack. Yi Yunke, his sweeping kick also failing, used the bamboo to leap to the top. The three then engaged in close combat, exchanging several blows in a short time.
The onlookers only saw the three figures gracefully moving atop the bamboo grove, each strike deadly and powerful. After over a hundred exchanges, they were evenly matched. Yi Yunke sensed danger and, holding back, unleashed his signature moves. He used the Cloud-Turning Palm in his left hand and the Soul-Chasing Fist in his right, each strike powerful and domineering. Because of the combined power of Yi Yunke's two techniques, his attack speed increased exponentially. Zui Mochou immediately felt the pressure. Unfamiliar with the Cloud-Turning Palm and the Soul-Chasing Fist, he gradually became overwhelmed and began to fall into a disadvantageous position.
Just then, Yin Qianqiu saw an opportunity. He instantly raised his right palm to meet Zui Mochou's palm strike, using the momentum to fly back several steps. He coldly said, "Old drunkard! Die!" Then, he waved his left fan, sending three silver needles flying towards Zui Mochou. Yi Yunke, seeing this, seemed to understand, and with two simultaneous moves, forced Zui Mochou to take the palm strike head-on.
Just as Zui Mochou's palms clashed, three silver needles simultaneously pierced his right arm. The pain caused him to fall from the bamboo top and stagger back two steps. Yi Yunke, having taken Zui Mochou's palm strike head-on, was sent flying several feet away by the powerful force. As he lay on the ground, Yi Yunke slowly propped himself up, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. His subordinates rushed forward to help him up.
Zui Mochou pulled out three silver needles with her left hand, knowing she had been poisoned. She pressed the painful spot and gritted her teeth, cursing, "Yin Qianqiu, you despicable villain, all you do is plot and ambush!"
Upon hearing this, Yin Qianqiu burst into laughter: "Hahaha... Before this, I was speaking to you in a gentlemanly manner, but you didn't appreciate it! You never expected this, did you?! The once famous wine immortal in the West is going to die in the South Seas today—at the hands of me, Yin Qianqiu!" As he spoke, he tapped his fan in his hand, making a clicking sound, looking quite smug.
"Ha! How laughable! I didn't even take your lousy moves seriously! But Lord Yi's signature moves—the Cloud-Turning Palm and the Soul-Chasing Fist—amazed me quite a bit!" Zui Mochou said as he secretly channeled his internal energy to forcefully suppress the poison.
"Hmph!" Upon hearing this, Yi Yunke, who was slightly injured, glared coldly but remained silent.
Hearing this, Yin Qianqiu, still fuming, said disdainfully, "My martial arts are indeed poor! But you are already poisoned and in no better shape! At this moment, even if you offered me the item with both hands, I wouldn't be willing! Because, killing you right now would be as easy as turning my hand!"
As soon as Yin Qianqiu finished speaking, he unleashed his ultimate move, swiftly advancing towards Zui Mochou. Simultaneously, he gathered his inner energy in his right palm and struck directly at Zui Mochou's chest. Seeing Yin Qianqiu's powerful attack, Zui Mochou no longer held back, immediately unleashing his signature move. He suddenly surged with inner energy, slightly raising his left palm and extending his right palm horizontally, uttering the first move of the Wine Immortal: "Lifting the wine jug, a thousand pounds of power!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Zui Mochou's figure moved like a phantom. He intercepted the incoming right palm with his left hand and kicked Yin Qianqiu's lower body with his right foot. Yin Qianqiu's right palm was unable to break free, and he was thrown into the air. Then, Zui Mochou's right palm struck Yin Qianqiu's chest with great force. Yin Qianqiu immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, flew several feet, and fell to the ground dead.
Yi Yunke was secretly surprised. Although Yin Qianqiu's skill was not as good as his own, it was hard to believe that he could kill someone with one palm, especially since the old drunkard was also poisoned.
At this moment, Baiyun City's subordinates shouted loudly, "City Lord! City Lord!"
"Pay for our city lord's life!" Immediately, the crowd brandished their swords and swarmed forward to attack Zui Mochou.
Zui Mochou unleashed a flurry of movements with both palms, employing the second move of the Wine Immortal, and uttered, "Embracing the jar of wine, I turn the universe upside down!" Instantly, the bamboo leaves beneath his feet, drawn by the force of the energy, began to swirl around his body. The crowd, bewildered, tried to thrust, parry, and slash with their swords, but to no avail. They were completely controlled by the energy, spinning endlessly. As Zui Mochou's palms moved, the crowd circled him several times. Then, he struck outwards with both palms, and the crowd collapsed to the ground, coughing up blood.
Zui Mochou breathed a sigh of relief and said calmly to Yi Yunke, "Lord Yi, how about it! It's time for me to experience your ultimate move! Show me your true strength, and I'll know what the Immortal of Wine can do! Come on!" After saying that, Zui Mochou turned to the side and pointed his hand at Yi Yunke in a provocative manner.
"Why not!" Yi Yunke declared boldly.
Immediately, Yi Yunke surged his inner energy, gathering it in his hands, and leaped into the air. Raising both hands, his left hand formed a palm and his right a fist; the two powerful energies combined, instantly creating a fierce wind and scattering bamboo leaves, unleashing his signature move—the Cloud-Turning Soul-Chasing Hand!
Seeing this, Zui Mochou dared not underestimate him and immediately launched an attack! He proclaimed, "The Fifth Form of the Immortal of Wine!" He channeled his energy throughout his body, stomped his feet hard on the ground, clenched his fists, and slowly raised them upwards. Finally, he exclaimed, "Drunkenness in the arena of love, soaring to the heavens!"
As the two ultimate moves collided, the surrounding green bamboo snapped in two, and everyone present was knocked back. Zui Mochou and Yi Yunke fell to the ground one after another, vomiting blood, both suffering serious internal injuries.
Despite being poisoned, Zui Mochou still forcefully used the "Immortal of Wine" technique. By this time, the poison had spread to his internal organs, and he collapsed to the ground, unable to move, knowing his days were numbered. He wiped the blood from his mouth and laughed, "Before I die, I can still see... see the 'Cloud-Turning Soul-Chasing Hand'! It's not a wasted life!"
Yi Yunke got up, wiped the crimson from the corner of his mouth again, and walked towards Zui Mochou, saying calmly, "Give me the things! I will not make things difficult for you anymore! Moreover, I can guarantee that no one from Baiyun City will touch you in the slightest!"
Zui Mochou looked at Yi Yunke and laughed, "I never intended to take this thing. I just saw Yin Qianqiu and wanted to take this opportunity to get rid of this scourge for the people of Baiyun City!" As he spoke, he slowly got up, reached into his robes, and prepared to take out the strange light and hand it to Yi Yunke.
Just then, a voice rang out from the bamboo forest in the distance: "In your eyes, we are all a menace. Then today, I will rid the Western Martial World of you of this menace!" Immediately, a figure flew down from the bamboo forest. The person was extremely fast. Before Yi Yunke could even react, the figure passed in front of him and struck Zui Mochou in the chest with a palm.
Yi Yunke realized what was happening, but it was too late. Zui Mochou had already been struck by the palm and was sent flying, falling to the ground dead.
Yi Yunke asked coldly, "Who are you? Why would you use such a cruel method on a dying person?!"
The newcomer was a monk, but his actions didn't resemble those of a Buddhist monk. The monk grinned wickedly and said, "What! You want to stand up for him?! I'm in a good mood today! I wouldn't mind attacking another seriously injured person!"
Yi Yunke knew that he was seriously injured and that if he angered him, he might not survive, so he remained silent.
The newcomer's palm struck the strange light within Zui Mochou's arms. The light, struck by the force, transformed into six colors, flying from Zui Mochou's body. One of the colors, red, flew into Yin Qianqiu's corpse and then vanished. Just then, Zui Mochou rubbed his head and woke up. He was confused; hadn't he been killed by the Flower Monk and Xing Batian?!
When everyone saw that Zui Mochou was still alive, they secretly discussed how lucky he was to be, how he could not be killed by being beaten or poisoned! The most surprised were Xing Batian and Yi Yunke. Xing Batian knew that he had used ninety percent of his power in that palm strike. Even if Zui Mochou's power was profound, he should not have woken up completely unharmed, especially since he was poisoned and seriously injured!
Just as everyone was puzzled, Yin Qianqiu, who had been lying dead on the ground, also woke up, leaving everyone stunned!
"The city lord is not dead! The city lord is actually not dead!"
"Great!" Yin Qianqiu's subordinates all shouted with joy.
Yi Yunke recalled what had happened and instantly understood that the key was the strange color, which should have the power to bring the dead back to life! After thinking it over, he quickly chased after the other colors that had flown away.
The others quickly realized what was happening as well:
"Hurry and chase after it! That thing can actually bring people back to life!"
"Yes! That colored thing is amazing!"
But the colored thing flew too fast and disappeared without a trace in no time. Everyone in the bamboo forest went to search for the strange thing, and soon everyone had run away, leaving only Zui Mochou and Xing Batian.
Zui Mochou: "Flowery Monk, you didn't expect this, did you! Your palm strike not only didn't kill me, but actually saved me! Oh my! What a stroke of luck!"
Xing Batian glanced at Zui Mochou, secretly channeling his energy into his right palm. In a flash, Xing Batian's figure shifted, and his right palm struck towards Zui Mochou.
Seeing this, Zui Mochou leaped up, displaying a powerful aerial acrobatic movement that deflected Xing Batian's palm strike. He then channeled his inner energy, launching a flurry of aerial kicks at Xing Batian's upper body. Although Xing Batian channeled his energy into his palms, he couldn't counter Zui Mochou's relentless aerial kicks and could only parry each blow, forcing him to retreat with each attack. After retreating several steps, Xing Batian stopped with his left foot, using it as leverage, and grabbed Zui Mochou's feet, pulling them down. He then channeled his energy again, preparing to strike simultaneously at Zui Mochou's chest. Zui Mochou, his legs pulled down, instantly lost his balance. He quickly channeled his energy into his palms, leaning forward to use the momentum, and launched his palms at Xing Batian. The two exchanged blows, their four palms clashing. Zui Mochou landed mid-air, while Xing Batian staggered back several steps, blood staining his mouth.
Xing Batian thought to himself, "A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle. I can't beat him, so it's best to run away first!" He then channeled his energy into his right palm and struck at Zui Mochou from a distance. Seeing this, Zui Mochou dodged to the side, only to see a bamboo behind him snap in half. When he turned around, Xing Batian had already flown dozens of steps away.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
