Chapter 158: Where Are You Going?

Chapter 158: Where Are You Going?

Whether it was the Scholar Liuyun or that black-clothed man, both were unparalleled martial artists.

When these two exerted their full abilities and used their lightness skills to travel, it would be extremely difficult for an ordinary person to catch up.

Moreover, Su Mo had with him Zhen Xiaoxiao, a chubby girl whose lightness skills were completely inadequate...

However, leaving this fatty in Haoran City or elsewhere was also a concern, as she might starve to death again.

So, he simply dragged her along.

Fortunately, Su Mo used the Divine Speed Technique, which was equally swift as the wind.

Although Zhen Xiaoxiao was surprisingly heavy, Su Mo's strength was unmatched in the world.

Thus, even while holding Yang Xiaoyun in one hand and dragging Zhen Xiaoxiao with the other, he still moved like a streak in the darkness!

Since they had already wasted a considerable amount of time, Su Mo followed their direction and chased until dawn before he finally caught their trail again.

Following the clues, he continued until the first light of dawn, when he finally saw the black-clothed man's movements.

At this point, Su Mo finally managed to trail behind them.

But he dared not get too close...

Although Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun were almost certain that the black-clothed man was Yang Yizhi, the more certain they were, the more cautious they needed to be.

Yang Yizhi had broken ties with Yang Xiaoyun to keep his secrets.

If they rushed out happily to recognize each other, and if the black-clothed man really was Yang Yizhi, he might ignore all his previous plans and run away immediately.

Wouldn't that be a waste of all their efforts?

Both Li Siyun and Yang Yizhi must have agreed on one thing:

They could not involve Su Mo in this matter.

Earlier, Li Siyun had some misunderstanding about Su Mo, which led to Su Mo being assigned to escort this convoy.

Later, upon realizing his mistake, Li Siyun even attempted to take his own life.

Yang Yizhi put on a grand performance at Haoran Academy.

Only then did Su Mo understand everything.

From the beginning with the Jade Needle, Yang Yizhi's involvement in this matter seemed likely.

After all, Li Siyun had mentioned that the Jade Needle and the Mandarin Ducks Scroll were bound together.

Having only the Jade Needle without the Mandarin Ducks Scroll was useless.

The fact that the Jade Needle was in Heavenly Blade Sect was no secret to many people.

Therefore, only by discovering the whereabouts of the Mandarin Ducks Scroll would it be possible to make a move on the Jade Needle.

So... who would know the whereabouts of the Mandarin Ducks Scroll?

Twenty years ago, Su Tianyang and Yang Yizhi had escorted the Mandarin Ducks Scroll to the Yu Clan.

After that, although something unknown happened, the Mandarin Ducks Scroll remained in Li Siyun's possession ever since.

Considering the unclear relationship between Su Tianyang, Yang Yizhi, and Li Siyun,

the possibility that Yang Yizhi knew the whereabouts of the Mandarin Ducks Scroll was at least ninety percent.

Otherwise, Li Siyun would not have directly given the Mandarin Ducks Scroll to Yang Yizhi after the incident.

In his view, Yang Yizhi was someone he trusted immensely, someone who could be entrusted with important matters.

This raised a startling possibility.

The whereabouts of the Mandarin Ducks Scroll might have been revealed by Yang Yizhi himself.

His purpose was to obtain the Mandarin Ducks Scroll and orchestrate tonight's plan.

Using Haoran Academy as his base, and the disciples of Xuanhu Pavilion and the high-ranking members of Purple Sun Sect as pawns,

he set up a fishing rod, using the Mandarin Ducks Scroll as bait.

Finally, he lured the Scholar Liuyun.

Now, Yang Yizhi had the fish by the tail.

However... Su Mo felt that this plan was not as simple as he imagined.

If it was just to find a valuable bait, with Yang Yizhi's knowledge of the Mandarin Ducks Scroll,

he could have easily fabricated a fake one.

Using the fake to pass as real, he could have caught the Scholar Liuyun's tail.

Why go through the trouble of getting the real Mandarin Ducks Scroll?

At this moment, was he truly chasing the Scholar Liuyun's trail to find the location of the Three Absolutes Sect?

In this matter, Su Mo still had three points that he hadn't figured out.

The first point was what exactly had happened twenty years ago between the Lovebird Spectrum, the Yu Clan, and even between Su Tianyang and Tong Yun?

This point might soon have an answer.

The second point was Xu Ruoshen's death.

Yang Yizhi chose to settle in Haoran Academy because Xu Ruoshen died in East City, and it was within the territory of Haoran Academy.

Was this person's death really just a coincidence?

Su Mo was unwilling to believe that Yang Yizhi would kill a trusted subordinate over something like this.

There might be more to it than met the eye.

The third point was about Wu Daoyou.

Everyone knew that Yang Yizhi left Sunset City for East City with the purpose of connecting Wu Daoyou with various factions in East City, thereby opening up a new path for the eastward expansion of the Fallen Phoenix Alliance.

But why wasn't Wu Daoyou seen in Haoran Academy?

Where had he gone?

Although it seemed insignificant, Yang Yizhi's plans were far-reaching, and he wouldn't do anything without meaning.

Therefore, Su Mo always felt that Yang Yizhi's purpose on this trip was probably not as simple as imagined.

...

...

It turned out that Su Mo's doubts were correct.

Because Scholar Liuyun did not head towards the so-called 'main camp,' nor did he take the Lovebird Spectrum to any place to hand it over to anyone.

Instead, he ran all the way, changing his attire along the way.

He untied the scholar's headband, casually threw his long hair back, tied it into a bun, and put on a jade crown, securing it with a pin.

Then he took off his scholar's robe, revealing a set of embroidered prince's attire underneath.

He casually threw the scholar's robe into a snow mound and pulled out a jade pendant from his sleeve, hanging it around his waist.

In the blink of an eye, he transformed from a scholar into a swordsman.

He ran swiftly, barely touching the ground.

The man suspected to be Yang Yizhi had extremely high internal skills, and his lightness kung fu was particularly remarkable.

During the journey, whenever Scholar Liuyun rested and meditated, he also rested and meditated; when Scholar Liuyun got up to travel, he also got up to travel.

However, the time spent meditating was short, while the time spent traveling was much longer.

It was almost non-stop.

Finally, there was Su Mo...

These two were seasoned veterans of the martial world, and Su Mo was accompanied by Yang Xiaoyun and Zhen Xiaoxiao.

Naturally, he didn't dare to get too close.

Martial experts possess sharp senses, and a casual glance could easily raise their vigilance.

Su Mo's internal skills had long reached the pinnacle, so he didn't need to worry too much.

However, Yang Xiaoyun and Zhen Xiaoxiao were still a bit lacking.

So they followed at a distance... This went on for three whole days.

He himself was full of energy, not only unharmed but also taking advantage of the continuous running to fully integrate the Twelve-Gate Golden Bell Shield within his body.

His internal strength became even more enduring, seemingly inexhaustible.

Moreover, it had extraordinary features such as an indestructible golden body, resistance to water and fire, and immunity to all poisons!

Thanks to this, even after three days of non-stop travel, he suffered no damage whatsoever.

As for Yang Xiaoyun and Zhen Xiaoxiao, they initially suffered greatly.

Su Mo, while running, used his internal strength to guide their inner breaths, helping them circulate their qi.

At first, both felt their inner breaths growing stronger.

Later, it stabilized, and they simply felt Su Mo's internal strength circulating within them, which kept them from feeling hungry or tired.

Gradually, they got used to it.

Su Mo took the opportunity to remind Yang Xiaoyun and Zhen Xiaoxiao to use this chance to practice their qi circulation.

Yang Xiaoyun was concerned that this might cause significant depletion for Su Mo, but seeing that he was indeed full of energy, she put her mind at ease.

She silently practiced the Great Supreme Mystic Court Scripture, and before she knew it, her internal strength had improved dramatically.

Ordinarily, to improve one's internal skills, one must sit in meditation and circulate qi according to the internal skills one has learned, performing the full cycle.

And for each individual, the methods vary from school to school.

Each family’s qi circulation route is different, naturally leading to varying effects.

Martial arts across the land are diverse and flourishing, each with its own strengths, so it’s impossible to generalize about the circulation of qi throughout the body.

However, regardless of the method, if one follows the righteous path, the circulation of qi must be done step by step, and cannot be achieved overnight.

In this process, if there is a master who helps to accelerate the circulation of qi with their internal energy, the effect will naturally far surpass self-cultivation.

But... this method is indeed difficult to achieve.

The main reason is that it requires extremely high internal skills; only those with profound internal energy can possibly carry out such a technique.

Moreover, the person assisting will suffer great depletion, often achieving half the result with twice the effort. The internal energy of the helper is often exhausted before the qi has circulated a few times.

There is even a risk of damaging the foundation.

Rather than this, it is better for someone to cultivate on their own.

Therefore, even between father and son or master and disciple, such methods are absolutely not used.

At most, when teaching internal skills initially, a master might use their internal energy to guide the disciple through the first circulation of qi, helping them remember the route.

After that, it is up to the individual to practice.

Another critical point is that if someone else guides the circulation of qi, they can immediately observe the intricacies of martial arts.

If they are from the same school, it might be acceptable.

However, if an outsider suddenly uses this method, one must consider their intentions.

After all, once this happens, the method of circulating qi will no longer hold any secrets for the other party.

On one hand, the helper suffers great depletion, which could damage their foundation. On the other hand, due to the strict adherence to tradition, almost no one practices this method.

Yet, in this world, there is Su Mo, a unique individual.

His internal skills are incredibly profound, almost unbelievable.

Not only did he run non-stop for three days, but he also helped Yang Xiaoyun and Zhen Xiaoxiao with their internal energy, accelerating their circulation without feeling any burden.

Yang Xiaoyun’s internal skills advanced at an unprecedented rate.

Zhen Xiaoxiao benefited even more.

Yang Xiaoyun never felt the need to hide anything from Su Mo, as the Great Supreme Court Scripture allowed him to see everything clearly.

Zhen Xiaoxiao probably didn’t care at all. To her, as long as Su Mo could provide her with food, she would do whatever he asked, let alone helping her circulate her qi, so she naturally allowed Su Mo to see her method of circulation.

However, when Su Mo’s internal energy penetrated the girl’s meridians, he discovered that her words were indeed true.

The martial arts she practiced were indeed very peculiar.

Her internal energy seemed to move in ‘knots.’ If ordinary people’s qi circulation is like a single line moving within the body, hers was like a string of pearls.

These knots, large and small, moved slowly within her body, guided by true energy.

Furthermore, Su Mo found that her acupoints contained an enormous amount of true energy.

However, this energy was stored and rarely used.

Or perhaps, she simply didn’t know how to use it.

She just kept storing it.

This made Su Mo suspect that her heaviness and obesity might be due to this.

If she could fully integrate and utilize this internal energy, it would undoubtedly bring about extraordinary changes.

Therefore, over these few days, Su Mo guided her internal energy, gradually increasing the speed of her qi circulation, subtly converting the energy stored in her acupoints into her meridians.

Unfortunately, although this method was effective, it was extremely slow.

To completely convert the energy in her acupoints into her own, it would take much more time.

This aspect would have to rely on her own efforts over time.

The three masters exerted their strength, covering over a thousand miles in three days.

On this day, the Scholar Liuyun finally stopped.

Not for any other reason, but because a person appeared in front of him.

This was another black-clad figure, sitting on a tree branch with his legs dangling, half of his face mask lifted to reveal his mouth.

He was throwing roasted peanuts into his mouth one by one, chewing loudly and looking quite content.

The Scholar Liuyun stood silently under the tree, his expression unchanged, but his eyes twitched slightly.

The black-clad figure on the tree seemed a bit embarrassed by the gaze and extended his hand:

“Want some?”

“...”

The Scholar Liuyun took a deep breath: “Where is the leader of Heavenly Gate?”

“He’s hiding, waiting. This place holds special significance for him, and revisiting old grounds isn’t always a good thing.”

The black-clad figure on the tree branch laughed and said, "So it had to be me who came here. After all, Old Earth is practically done for, with seven and a half of his organs shattered. The medical hall is still debating whether to dissect him to study Su Mo’s fist strength or just dig a grave to give him a decent burial..."

How can one have seven and a half organs?

Liuyun's brows furrowed: "Su Mo... Is his fist strength so peculiar? Even the Earth Sect Master’s Ji Kun technique couldn’t withstand it?"

"Who’s to blame?"

In a flip, the black-clad figure jumped down from the tree, stuffing peanuts into his mouth from under his mask as he spoke:

"I told you, Su Mo isn’t someone to mess with. What about the Youquan Cult? Three Great Commanders attacked him together, not weaker than the Blood Sea Sect’s leader.

"What was the result?

"He took out three lives with a single sword stroke.

"Just that one strike, even the Youquan Cult Leader would have to consider if his Youquan Ghost Body could withstand the sharpness.

"But Old Earth, being idle, went to test if Su Mo’s punch was really that powerful.

"Getting killed wasn’t unjustified.

"You say he should have stayed a good Sect Master of the Character Sect. He got the Golden Jade Cone, so what if he did? But he had to go after Nangong Yu.

"Isn’t that overdoing it?

"The entire Heavenly Blade Sect didn’t care much about the Golden Jade Cone. It was just Tong Yun who got confused in the head.

"Twenty years ago, he was actually swayed by Su Tianyang, leading him to neglect important matters..."

"Shut up!"

Liuyun, thoroughly annoyed by the Character Sect Master’s incessant chatter, casually pulled out the Mandarin Ducks Scroll from his sleeve and threw it at him.

"Heh."

The Character Sect Master caught it and smiled, "Finally got it. Heavenly Senior schemed and struggled, but in the end, it was like throwing a meat bun to a dog, never to return.

"In the Jiaolong Water Village, things backfired... Ouch, shush, shush, don’t tell Heavenly Senior this. He has a bad temper and might beat me again.

"But to be fair, he did lose his touch. Not only did he fail to get the Mandarin Ducks Scroll, but he also failed to obtain the Pain Scripture.

"As a result, the Red Cloud Monk is now on guard and heading towards the Demon Sect.

"Once he arrives, the Demon Sect will likely face more trouble.

"The Mandarin Ducks Scroll in Su Mo’s hands is indeed a tough nut to crack.

"Who would have thought that after it fell into Yang Yizhi’s hands, you could get it so easily.

"They say Yang Yizhi looks down on people, which is true. If I had a daughter who liked Su Mo, I’d bind her and send her to Su Mo’s bed to make things happen.

"Such a good son-in-law, you can’t find one even with a lantern... Hey, hey, hey... Where are you going?"

Just as he was speaking happily, he saw Liuyun turn and walk away: "Heavenly Senior is waiting for you. If you run away now, how will I report back?"

"Report back?"

Liuyun glanced back at him, a cold smile on his face: "If Heavenly Sect Master is waiting for me, then you won’t be able to report back. I’ve been traveling from Haoran Academy for three days, and the incident there has already been exposed... Although I did some work to cover my tracks, do you really think the people at Haoran Academy won’t find me?

"Now that everything is prepared, it’s time for Heavenly Sect Master to take charge.

"I can no longer stay in the Eastern Wasteland..."

"You’re going back to the main headquarters!?"

The Character Sect Master was shocked: "You know where the main headquarters is?"

"... Shut up!"

Liuyun’s face turned red with anger: "Do you dare speak of the main headquarters?"

"There’s no one here..."

The Character Sect Master pouted: "I’m just saying, what’s there to fear? I know Heavenly Senior knows where the main headquarters is. Do you know too? Are you planning to go back to the main headquarters to seek peace?"

"..."

Liuyun’s temples throbbed: "Get lost!!"

"... Fine, I’ll go. Why so aggressive?"

The Character Sect Master pouted, stuffing another peanut into his mouth: "Farewell."

With those words, his figure blurred, and in an instant, he vanished without a trace.

Liuyun took a deep breath and turned to leave.

But the next moment, his steps froze.

In front of him stood a black-clad figure, hands behind his back, quietly watching him:

"Where are you going?"