Chapter 346: Desperation

Chapter 346: Desperate Straits

The identity of the Strange Guest is shrouded in mystery, elusive like the head of a dragon seen but its tail never glimpsed.

There are legends that this person is not from the Eastern Wasteland but a master who came from beyond it.

He ventured into the Eastern Wasteland merely to wander through the martial world and find a successor for his Cosmic YinYang Mill Disc along the way.

Others say that he originated from the Eastern Wasteland, bearing a deep-seated blood feud, and cultivated a divine martial art.

After avenging his grudge, he found a successor for his martial arts and then vanished, retreating into the mountains.

However, regardless of the legend, the martial arts of the Cosmic YinYang Mill Disc he possessed were truly extraordinary.

Indeed, it was so.

This skill had not been seen in the martial world for many years. When it was unleashed now, the two palms contained two different forces, striking out abruptly.

Even without directly clashing with Wei Ruhan’s palms, a sense of layered distortion was felt.

With a thunderous impact, although Wei Ruhan's aged body did not waver in the slightest,

the ground beneath his feet, the chair behind him, and even the surrounding furnishings all suffered.

The scattered internal energy enveloped everything, first causing it to distort, then shattering it with a resounding crash.

It was as if everything had been ground into dust by an invisible mill between heaven and earth.

A hint of greenish aura appeared on Wei Ruhan's face.

This man's life was quite legendary.

In his youth, he sought renowned masters but failed, yet he learned an eclectic mix of skills.

He mastered everything from hand-to-hand combat to swordsmanship.

Later, he ventured into deep mountains, explored secluded valleys, and braved perilous realms, all in search of true masters to learn profound inner martial arts.*

Unfortunately, true masters proved elusive, and his progress was minimal.

Over time, he learned a few sets of internal techniques, but nothing was particularly remarkable—nothing to write home about.

Yet, Wei Ruhan was no ordinary man.

Since diligent searching yielded little, he decided to forge his own way.

With a foundation in several internal techniques, he began tinkering.

This was a testament to the brashness of youth—had his martial arts been truly profound, he might not have dared such recklessness.

The path of martial arts is vast as the ocean, its depths and dangers akin to an abyss.

With only a superficial understanding, he recklessly experimented with his existing internal techniques, essentially walking a tightrope over the abyss without a net.

A single misstep could lead to losing control of his qi (vital energy), a death sentence.

Yet, perhaps by heaven's blessing, he was destined to achieve something great.

After this period of reckless experimentation, he miraculously succeeded in creating an extraordinary internal technique. *Inner martial arts focus on cultivating internal energy (qi) and are distinct from external martial arts, which emphasize physical strength and conditioning.

He named this technique the "Heaven-Plundering Art," embodying the concept of seizing the wonders of heaven and earth.

Initially, the technique was rudimentary, providing minimal benefit.

Moreover, a self-created method is never easy to cultivate—pitfalls and obstacles abound.

One wrong move risked qi deviation.

Every step of the way was fraught with danger.

Later, after establishing the Fallen Phoenix Alliance and growing older, his understanding of martial principles deepened. Gradually, he refined this unconventional supreme technique into something smooth and masterful.

By now, his internal energy had long reached unfathomable heights.

Wei Qixiong believed his own Cosmic YinYang Mill Disc technique could be called unrivaled.

Yet, after this clash of palms, the two were deadlocked.

This realization made Wei Qixiong’s expression twist in shock.

He sensed that Wei Ruhan’s internal energy, though lacking the uniqueness of the Cosmic YinYang Mill Disc, possessed an indomitable endurance that the latter did not—more refined, like forged steel—unyielding and unbreakable.

Immediately, he nodded repeatedly and remarked,

"Damn, old man—your energy runs deep."

As the words fell, his figure suddenly pivoted in midair.

Yanked by the force of his palm, Wei Ruhan’s body was also lifted into the air.

Palm against palm, the two spun like tops, whipping up howling gusts.

The shockwaves rocked the area.

Under the surge of internal energy, not only did the windows in the hall shatter violently, but even the roof tiles overhead shook loose and crashed.

Two immense forces clashed, entangled, and quaked wildly between them,

sending cracks ripping through the air!

Spectators who'd been edging closer now dove for cover,

terrified of getting caught in the crossfire.

Suddenly, the two figures, who had been spinning midair, descended.

In eerie unison, they each retreated two steps. Wei Qixiong landed in the center of the hall,

with Hua Qianyu and Wu Daoyou at his side.

The two had initially intended to jump in, but the sheer magnitude of the clash between father and son, Wei Qixiong and Wei Ruhan, gave them no opening to step in.

For now, they could only retreat.

At this moment, as Wei Qixiong’s feet touched the ground, he took a deep breath and raised his hands before him.

His qi exploded outward, forming blasts of crushing force.

An invisible weight seemed to materialize between heaven and earth, pressing down invisibly.

Though the sky above seemed empty, it felt as if a colossal millstone hovered overhead, capable of grinding everything in existence.

"Yin and Yang separate the pure from the impure—the cosmos is a mighty millstone!"

Wei Qixiong laughed heartily: "Old man, you’re bringing this on yourself today—don’t blame me for showing no mercy, not even as your son!!!"

Wei Ruhan, having just retreated, now stood with his feet braced against the wall behind him.

The wall was webbed with cracks, shattered by the surging force of the Cosmic YinYang Mill Disc.

With a slight bend of his knees, he didn’t waste a breath. With a single push of his toes, his body shot forth like an arrow from a bow.

His finger shot forward like a spear, the piercing wind driving straight toward Wei Qixiong.

This strike was known as the Heaven-Snatching Finger!

Unlike the earth-shaking might of Wei Qixiong’s Cosmic YinYang Mill Disc, it concentrated a lifetime’s worth of cultivation into a single strike.

Wei Ruhan was already very old.

His face was dotted with age spots, wrinkles carved deep, his frail body seemingly on the brink of collapse.

But now, as the Heaven-Snatching Art within him surged to its peak, his aged appearance began to fade bit by bit.

The wrinkles on his skin smoothed away, the age spots fading. His hunched back straightened, his fingers hardening with power.

Throughout his life, Wei Ruhan had been battling against fate.

In his early years, unwilling to accept mediocrity, he created the Heaven-Seizing Art (a martial technique).

Later, unable to bear the suffering of ordinary folks, he established the Fallen Phoenix Alliance to protect their welfare, bringing under his protection the territories of four cities, three rivers, and two bays.

Shielding them from natural disasters and human calamities alike.

Battling heaven, earth, and men!

This Heaven-Seizing Finger strike may seem unremarkable, yet the power it contains embodies Wei Ruhan’s entire life.

He was already on the verge of death, his flame nearly extinguished.

Yet, if he could not uncover the truth of the past, he would be unable to rest in peace.

Thus, after years of meticulous planning, this operation was set in motion to investigate the events of old.

And to ensure that all those who committed those vile deeds would meet their end within the Fallen Phoenix Alliance.

Only then, with the leadership of the alliance properly handed over, could he truly find peace in death.

Therefore, channeling all his remaining inner strength into this single strike, he had nothing left but the power contained in a single finger.

To his horror, he never imagined that this finger would be aimed at his own son…

WHOOOOM!!!

The fingertip never touched Wei Qixiong's palm, held suspended in midair as both forces reached an impasse.

The Cosmic Yin-Yang Mill Disc unleashed its inner force, grinding away layer after layer.

At the tip of the Heaven-Seizing Finger, a faint cold glow shimmered, mirrored only by Wei Ruhan's impassive gaze.

For a moment, the clash of palm force and finger force remained deadlocked.

Fierce energy exploded outward uncontrollably—rooftiles above them began exploding in sequence under the force's impact.

The ground beneath Wei Qixiong's feet collapsed with a deafening crash.

His face contorted in triumph, knowing this was Wei Ruhan's final stand in this life.

Should the old man live through this, he'd be powerless.

He rooted himself like an iron stake, refusing to retreat an inch.

Truth was, both men had burned their bridges.

As their clashing energies spent themselves, the two Martial Arts Masters—having pushed their limits—began waning from their peak.

Age and frailty ultimately left Wei Ruhan no match for his prime-aged son.

Wei Qixiong bellowed with laughter at the sight:

"Pathetic old man! This is your end! Grovel now and I might spare your wretched life!"

Drunk on impending victory, he felt a lifetime of injustices about to be avenged.

Either Wei Ruhan would kowtow in contrition, or die beneath his palm.

Only then would his vengeance be complete.

Yet suddenly, a sword's flash and palm strike came from behind.

Startled, Wei Qixiong heard two voices declare:

"Great Alliance Leader, we aid you!"

The speakers were none other than Wu Daoyou and Hua Qianyu.

Hearing "Great Alliance Leader," Wei Qixiong roared with laughter at Wei Ruhan:

"See this? When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter!

"You thought yourself a paragon of virtue, the people's champion.

"Reality?

"The martial world crowns the victor, brands the loser!

"Only through ruthlessness and cunning does one prosper in these chaotic times!

"Old man... you're a relic of bygone days!"

"Your mind can't keep up, and your martial arts aren't what they used to be. How do you expect to fight me like this!?"

Just as these words left his mouth, the sword point was already at his back. By the time he realized it, it was too late to dodge.

He could only twist his body forcefully, could only watch as the blade pierced through him.

"Hmm?"

Staring at the sword tip protruding from his chest, he felt a momentary daze in his heart.

But immediately after, fury erupted within him!

With a deafening burst, he released all his qi without restraint.

Earlier, he had seemed evenly matched with Wei Ruhan, but in truth, he hadn’t used his full power.

All the grievances he'd suffered—did Wei Ruhan deserve such an easy death?

Crushing him outright with full force?

That would be too merciful.

Only now, seeing the sword run through his body, did he finally release his full power in a violent explosion.

Wei Ruhan, caught in the blast, was sent flying.

But he had prepared for this. As he landed, he skidded back, barely steadying himself.

Wei Qixiong, however, gripped the sword tip and whirled around. With a single grind of the Cosmic YinYang Mill Disc, the longsword snapped in two.

Before he could turn and kill the traitor, he looked up to see a storm of petals already upon him.

"June's Last Blossoms Scatter!"

The attacker was none other than Hua Qianyu!

Wei Qixiong, facing the attack head-on, met her palm with his own. Just as he was about to activate the Cosmic YinYang Mill Disc to crush her, his expression suddenly changed:

"Who are you really!?"

"Wei Qixiong, after all these years... Have you truly forgotten even me?"

Hua Qianyu sighed deeply. "Back then, the three of us—you, me, and Qifeng—once roamed the jianghu together. Though you and your brother often quarreled, your elder brother... always looked out for you."

"You... you're not Hua Qianyu!"

Wei Qixiong recoiled in shock. "You're Qi Qiaohui! That woman from the Southern Sea’s Qi family who traveled to the Eastern Wastes! You never returned to the Southern Sea!?"

"Your elder brother Wei Qifeng and I fell in love. He was murdered under mysterious circumstances—how could I possibly return?"

Hua Qianyu's face darkened. "He often said that you were younger, far cleverer than him, and outmatched him in martial skill. Only your temperament was slightly lacking and needed tempering.

"The one who could lead the Fallen Phoenix Alliance in the future... was you, Wei Qixiong.

"Yet he never dreamed that the person he placed such hopes in would be one of the killers who took his life.

"Wei Qixiong... you heartless monster!!"

As she spoke, she surged her qi, sending Wei Qixiong stumbling back several steps involuntarily.

It wasn't that his martial energy was inferior to Hua Qianyu's; rather, he had already clashed with Wei Ruhan and been ambushed by Wu Daoyou. By the time he traded that strike with Hua Qianyu, he was far from his best form.

The shock of encountering an old acquaintance, combined with being unsettled by Hua Qianyu's taunts, left him struggling. To summon even 10-20% of his strength in that moment was already a remarkable feat.

Shoved backward by Hua Qianyu, he looked up and sneered coldly:

"Bullshit! If he truly thought that way, wouldn’t he have curried favor with me?

"Why would he have crossed me at every step?

"Contested me in everything...

"But now I finally understand why you support Wei Ziyi.

"I always wondered where the Wei family suddenly got such a granddaughter.

"So this Wei Ziyi is actually the illicit offspring of Wei Qifeng and you!

"Very well, very well! Today, I may as well slaughter every last one of you!"

As he spoke, he glanced at Ren Xiongfei, who was still battling Wei Ziyi.

With the conflict between Wei Qixiong and Wei Ruhan reaching this point, nearly everyone else had ceased fighting, watching the clash unfolding before them.

Only Wei Ziyi refused to yield.

Su Mo had once told her that Ren Xiongfei was the mastermind behind Wei Qifeng’s murder.

This man hails from Evernight Valley, possessing extraordinary martial arts and being exceedingly cunning.

If he senses anything amiss, he is likely to withdraw immediately.

How could Wei Ziyi possibly tolerate this?

Ren Xiongfei indeed sensed something was off at this moment.

Firstly, Wei Ruhan did not prove as easy to defeat as expected.

This old man grew stronger with age; though he appeared to be on his last legs, his end was clearly not yet near.

Secondly, Wu Daoyou and Hua Qianyu suddenly attacked Wei Qixiong.

This confirmed his earlier suspicions.

There is something fishy about today's events!

At this moment, his gaze met Wei Qixiong’s.

Without hesitation, he thrust out a palm, forcing Wei Ziyi back, then leaped to Wei Qixiong’s side with a light step.

At the same time, Zeng Youwang, Xu Junshang, and Chi Lu also withdrew, gathering around the two of them.

"Brother Ren."

Wei Qixiong laughed heartily: "Today’s events will not unfold as you wish. They still have the strength to fight. In that case, let’s unleash a full-scale battle."

"..."

Ren Xiongfei cursed inwardly, "Wei Qixiong, you absolute moron!"

But after taking a deep breath, he nodded and said:

"Fine then! Attack together!!!"

As he spoke, he glanced at the crowd that had been observing coldly.

Suddenly, a war cry rang out from among them:

"Kill!!!!"

The shout was savage, and in an instant, they charged forward to attack.

Just as they were about to press forward, those at the rear unexpectedly drew their weapons and, with a single slash, cut down their own allies.

This sudden turn of events made Ren Xiongfei’s heart sink.

Wei Qixiong, too, was stunned by this development and couldn’t help but ask Ren Xiongfei:

"Brother Ren, what kind of trick is this?"

"..."

Trick my ass!

Ren Xiongfei knew that Wei Qixiong was completely useless at this point.

The man had been clever in his youth, but ever since the incident at the Wanli Glacier, he had gone off the deep end.

Now, he relied only on his martial arts, dismissing tactics and wit as worthless.

He believed that sheer martial strength was enough to plow through anything, that no one in the world could stand in his way.

His mind had gradually been replaced by muscle and qi.

In this situation, hoping he’d think of a plan was pointless.

Immediately, Ren Xiongfei turned to look at Wei Ruhan:

"Wei, Great Alliance Leader... what a brilliant move."

"You flatter me," Wei Ruhan replied with a faint shake of his head. "Just a small trick, nothing more."

With a wave of his hand, he called out:

"Fallen Phoenix Alliance disciples—step forward!"

The men surrounding them suddenly stripped off their disguises, revealing the garb of the Fallen Phoenix Alliance beneath.

"Present!"

"Reporting!"

Their shouts surged like a tidal wave.

With their shouts, the crowd simultaneously dropped to one knee:

"Hail the Supreme Leader!!!"

"Hail the Supreme Leader!!!"

The voices rippled outward, with untold numbers still joining from beyond.

Zeng Youwang's face turned deathly pale as he whirled around to look at Wu Daoyou.

Only to see Wu Daoyou give a faint smile:

"Supreme Leader Zeng, are you looking for the brothers who came with us?

"Don't worry, they're all dead, not a single one remains alive."

"You..."

Zeng Youwang felt darkness closing in on his vision:

"This was all an act from the start! You never... You never meant to become the Supreme Leader!?

"You've always been loyal to Wei Ruhan!"

"The Alliance stays the same Alliance.

"And Wu Daoyou remains Wu Daoyou—never changed at all."

Wu Daoyou said quietly, "Supreme Leader Zeng, I've said this before, and now I say it again. Do you understand?"

Zeng Youwang looked desperately around, realizing he had fallen into a hopeless situation today.

His gaze involuntarily turned to Ren Xiongfei.

Ren Xiongfei, too, furrowed his brow and let out a slow breath:

"Just get out of here!"

Before Zeng Youwang could nod, Wei Qixiong let out a booming laugh:

"Escape?

"Why escape!?

"Just kill them all, and the Alliance will still be mine to command."

As he spoke, he suddenly looked up at Wei Ziyi:

"Besides, eliminating them is hardly a challenge."

With those words, he spun on his heel and made a beeline for Wei Ziyi!

If he could capture Wei Ziyi, Hua Qianyu and Wei Ruhan would think twice.

This stalemate could still be broken, he thought!