Chapter 1 The Beginning

Jiangchun has a famous mountain called Wu Mountain, with green hills, clear waters, and misty rain.

Ninety years ago, Shangren Baihe founded the Wu Mountain Sect here, widely accepting disciples and passing on his martial arts.

After decades of development, the Wu Mountain Sect has become one of the eight major sects in the martial world. Its martial arts system has gradually improved, specializing in swordsmanship and qinggong (light body technique), and its kung fu is known for its dense, soft, and ingenious qualities, displaying a free and elegant style.

Excluding servants, the Wu Mountain Sect currently has hundreds of members, mainly based in the Jiangchun area, with many branch halls and villas, and properties in several prefectural cities.

Not long ago, Sect Leader Shen Sanqiu failed in his campaign against Chen Feng and disappeared without a trace. The Wu Mountain Sect was caught off guard and sent a large number of disciples to search for Shen Sanqiu's whereabouts in the martial world, while the backbone of the sect and the leaders of various branch halls rushed back to the sect to discuss matters.

At this moment, in the main hall of the Wu Mountain Sect, the high-level members of the sect gathered together, the atmosphere heavy and solemn.

"The disciples have inquired, and the Sect Leader did not die at the hands of Chen Feng. He escaped by chance, but later there was no news of him. We still don't know what happened to him, and we cannot confirm the Sect Leader's life or death."

One of the elders spoke solemnly, explaining the situation.

The expressions of the others varied, and they nodded silently.

Those present were the core members of the Wu Mountain Sect, roughly divided into four categories: elders of the sect, martial uncles of the same generation as the Sect Leader, leaders of various branches, and many personal disciples of the Sect Leader.

"Master's martial arts are superb, he will surely turn danger into safety, and he may not have suffered misfortune. Perhaps he is just delayed by something."

One of the middle-aged men said in a deep voice. This man was Qi Zhiyu, the Sect Leader's first disciple.

As the senior brother in the sect, he had inherited the true teachings of his master's martial arts and had already made a name for himself in the martial world. His status in the sect was not low, and he was quite popular among the disciples.

At this moment, a martial uncle named Ding Shixiong suddenly sneered:

"Superb martial arts? No matter how superb, didn't he still lose to Chen Feng?"

Qi Zhiyu turned his head to look at him, frowning and said, "What does Martial Uncle Ding mean by this?"

"Hmph, the Sect Leader didn't discuss it with us and went to deal with Chen Feng on his own, needlessly provoking such a powerful enemy for the sect. He was too arrogant, which is why he is in this predicament."

Ding Shixiong snorted coldly.

Qi Zhiyu was dissatisfied and said, "Martial Uncle, you are wrong! You also know that Master was invited by the great figures of Ning Tian Prefecture, and you didn't jump out to object at the time. It's rich to say these sarcastic remarks now, I don't know what Martial Uncle is thinking."

Ding Shixiong's face turned angry: "You have no respect for elders, is that what your master taught you?"

"Enough, is this a place to quarrel?"

An elder in the sect could not stand it any longer and stopped the two.

After the hall quieted down, the elder looked at the Sect Leader's wife in the main seat and asked, "I wonder if Madam Shen has anything to say?"

Shen Sanqiu's wife was originally the daughter of a wealthy merchant and did not know martial arts. Since learning of her husband's disappearance, she had been weeping all day long. At this time, she sobbed and said:

"I hope you will all help me with all your strength to find my husband..."

"Don't worry, Martial Sister-in-law, we will definitely find the Sect Leader." Another martial uncle comforted.

After a moment of silence, an elder suddenly coughed and said:

"The Sect Leader is missing. It's not a solution to drag on like this. The sect is currently without a leader and needs someone to take charge."

Hearing this, Ding Shixiong immediately echoed, "That's right, Madam Shen has always been uninvolved in sect affairs. We need to find another capable person to take the lead and temporarily assume the position of Sect Leader."

As soon as the words fell, everyone exchanged glances, each with their own thoughts.

"Hmph, is Martial Uncle Ding planning to recommend himself?" Qi Zhiyu snorted lightly.

Ding Shixiong stroked his beard proudly: "Why not? Over the years, I have handled all the large and small sect affairs. Which one am I not familiar with? If I temporarily take over as Sect Leader, the sect will not be in chaos."

"That's right, Martial Uncle has been coveting the position of Sect Leader all these years, and the entire sect knows it." Qi Zhiyu sneered.

"Hmph, so what? Have I ever done anything to harm the interests of the sect? On the contrary, my senior brother has provoked a vicious person like Chen Feng for the sect, plunging us into dire straits!"

Ding Shixiong's tone was dissatisfied.

An elder nodded: "Indeed, temporarily taking over as Sect Leader is quite risky. If Chen Feng comes to the door to question us, the acting Sect Leader will bear the brunt..."

Ding Shixiong immediately interjected: "That's right, I am wholeheartedly for the sect and am willing to take this risk. It's all out of good intentions."

Everyone looked at each other.

"It sounds nice, but you're just seeing that Chen Feng has no intention of coming to the door, that's why you want to compete for the position of Sect Leader. These days, that vicious person has not troubled any of the martial world figures who intercepted him, so where is the risk..."

A disciple in the crowd muttered in a low voice, unimpressed.

"Who's spouting nonsense?!"

Ding Shixiong glared at the disciples.

Although he did think so, he did not allow others to question him like this... The possibility of Chen Feng coming to question them was a good reason to scare away other competitors, and it could also reflect his loyalty to the sect.

At this moment, a young woman behind the Sect Leader's wife stepped forward a few steps and said anxiously:

"Uncles and elders, my father's life or death is unknown now. Isn't this the time to say these things? We should look for him first."

She was Shen Yue, Shen Sanqiu's daughter. She knew some martial arts, but she was mostly raised as a lady of the house and was not a true martial world person.

Ding Shixiong frowned: "Little girl, don't open your mouth indiscriminately if you don't understand."

"But my father..."

An elder shook his head and said, "Cough, Yue'er, you are still young and have been betrothed to someone. You should not interfere in sect affairs."

Ding Shixiong nodded in agreement: "Finding the Sect Leader is certainly important, but if we can't find him in a day, does that mean the sect won't do anything else in a day? We can't just stop all these things."

Martial world sects mostly do not emphasize bloodline succession, so everyone does not pay much attention to the Sect Leader's daughter.

The sect is where everyone's interests are linked, and it is rarely a family property. In the eyes of many core members, the survival and development of the Wu Mountain Sect are far more important than the life and death of a Sect Leader.

Shen Yue was bitter, but she could not do anything to the others.

Although her father was the Sect Leader, the sect was not a one-man show. Moreover, Shen Sanqiu's whereabouts were unknown at this time, and she, a girl with superficial martial arts, could not command these elders and martial uncles at all.

"In that case, I will temporarily take over as Sect Leader. Does anyone have any objections?"

Ding Shixiong did not want to beat around the bush any longer. He patted the chair and spoke directly.

"I think this is feasible. Shixiong has devoted himself to the sect and can take on this important task."

Several elders discussed it and nodded in unison.

Seeing this, the disciples led by Qi Zhiyu could not object any further and could only accept it in silence.

"Good! Then I will temporarily take over as Sect Leader of the Wu Mountain Sect. This is a matter of urgency. If we can find my senior brother, I will return the position to him."

Ding Shixiong suppressed the joy in his heart and declared loudly.

He looked around at everyone, cleared his throat, and said solemnly:

"There are three things that need to be resolved urgently. The first is to find the Sect Leader's whereabouts, dead or alive. The second is to observe Chen Feng's attitude. Although the Sect Leader was defeated by this person, it was the result of acting arbitrarily. Our sect really has no need to provoke this person again, but we must also be more vigilant. As the acting Sect Leader, I will set an example. If this person comes to question us, I will come forward to negotiate..."

That's what he said, but these words were just to show the disciples.

It had been so long since the martial world figures had intercepted him, and Chen Feng had not made any indication, so Ding Shixiong did not think that this vicious person would really come to the door.

"The last thing... is to find the *Liuyun Xiyu Gong* (Flowing Cloud, Fine Rain Skill) manual."

As soon as the words fell, everyone's faces changed slightly.

Ding Shixiong paused and continued shamelessly:

"This is the Wu Mountain Sect's unique skill for suppressing the sect. The ancestral instructions stipulate that only the Sect Leaders of each generation can practice it. It has always been kept by my senior brother. Now that he is missing, this manual needs to be found to avoid the loss of this skill... In my opinion, even if my senior brother carries the manual with him, he will definitely make a copy and hide it somewhere in the sect..."

He had been coveting this unique skill for more than a day or two. As soon as he became the acting Sect Leader, he could not wait to exercise his reasonable rights and wanted to practice this skill.

In this way, even if Shen Sanqiu was not dead and wanted to regain control of the sect, he could not change the fact that he had practiced the Sect Leader's unique skill, and he would have the capital to compete.

Just as Ding Shixiong was making his wishful thinking, a disciple suddenly stumbled into the hall, his face full of horror.

"It's not good! That Yama Chen Feng has come to the mountain!"

"What? This guy really came?!"

As soon as the words fell, everyone was shocked.

"How could this be!" Ding Shixiong stood up abruptly, his face changed drastically.

Did he really come to question them?

Damn it, why didn't he come sooner or later, and instead came when I just became the Sect Leader!

This guy is deliberately trying to make things difficult for me!

"...Disciples, follow me out to meet the enemy."

Ding Shixiong gritted his teeth. Although he was panicked, he forced himself to calm down and strode out of the hall.

With a powerful enemy coming to the door, the others could not care about anything else and followed along.

...

The crowd moved quickly and soon arrived at the mountain gate archway.

They saw two groups of people facing each other, surrounded by hundreds of Wu Mountain Sect disciples, blocking the gate, each holding a long sword, pointing directly at a group of burly men opposite them, but no one dared to strike first.

Ding Shixiong looked over and saw Chen Feng, the leader of this group of people, at a glance. His burly muscles were too eye-catching.

He composed himself and tentatively asked:

"Are you Chen Feng?"

"That's right, who's in charge here?"

Zhou Jing propped up his spear, ignoring the more than one hundred people in front of him, and shouted.

Ding Shixiong bit the bullet and cupped his fist and said, "I am Ding Shixiong, currently the acting Sect Leader of the Wu Mountain Sect. May I know why the hero has come to our mountain?"

"Hmph, you are hypocritical, asking a question you already know the answer to!"

Zhou Jing glared and shouted:

"A few days ago, a group of martial world experts came to intercept me, and your Wu Mountain Sect Leader was among them. That Shen escaped from my spear, but unfortunately, he met my brother and was killed! But this matter is not over. He is the Sect Leader, so what he does is the sect's business. I happen to have some free time recently, so I'm here to settle the score with you!"

With Chen Feng's Star Realm Apostle personality, he probably disdained to hide the news of Shen Sanqiu's death and took the opportunity to cause trouble. Therefore, Zhou Jing simply reported it, but there was no need to make it clear who did it.

As soon as the words fell.

The Sect Leader's wife fainted upon hearing the news of her husband's death.

"You actually dared to kill my father?!"

Shen Yue screamed, emotionally agitated, and drew her long sword, wanting to rush up and fight to the death.

Seeing this, the disciples next to her quickly grabbed her, not wanting her to go up and die.

"He was killed, so what? Is he allowed to kill others, but others are not allowed to kill him? If you want revenge, I'm always here. If you can wipe my neck, that's your ability."

Zhou Jing's expression did not change.

Upon hearing this news, Ding Shixiong was shocked and angry, but also instinctively a little secretly happy. He quickly stabilized his mind, put on an angry expression, and shouted:

"You killed our Sect Leader, what else do you want? Are you here to show off your power and bully our Wu Mountain Sect that there is no one?!"

Hearing this, many disciples also shared the same hatred and glared at Zhou Jing.

Zhou Jing did not care and said to himself:

"Your Sect Leader was willing to be a running dog of the imperial court and intercepted my brother. The Wu Mountain Sect is also responsible. But he is already dead, and I don't want to start a massacre today. It just so happens that my brothers are quite interested in your Wu Mountain Sect's martial arts. How about this, you hand over all the martial arts in your sect, and I will spare you."

"What? Absolutely impossible!"

Ding Shixiong was shocked and refused decisively.

Martial arts are the foundation of a martial world sect. Giving all the martial arts in the sect to outsiders would ruin the sect's reputation and face!

The many sect members and disciples present were also shocked by Zhou Jing's request, and then they became excited and scolded him.

"You are simply bullying us too much!"

"Absurd! Do you think our Wu Mountain Sect is easy to bully?"

"We are not those villagers who don't know martial arts. If you dare to come to our door, do you believe that we will let you come and not return!"

The Wu Mountain Sect people scolded more and more vigorously, and some were even eager to try, wanting to take down Zhou Jing and his party who had come to provoke them, and eliminate a scourge for the world!

At this moment, Zhou Jing snorted and suddenly raised his hand and threw his spear.

Like a crossbow arrow, the Black Iron Dragon Spear went straight to the Wu Mountain Sect's mountain gate archway above everyone's heads.

Rumble!!

The mountain gate exploded!

Whirring – gravel fell like rain, causing the disciples to panic and avoid it.

The solid mountain gate archway was directly shattered by a single spear.

The scene that had just been clamoring fell silent in an instant.

The disciples' anger was instantly extinguished, and they were all frightened, their faces full of horror, and they were as silent as cicadas in winter.

The power of a spear was so great?

Chen Feng's divine power is even more terrifying than the rumors!

"Don't agree? That's fine too. As long as someone can take three moves from me, I will retreat."

Zhou Jing twisted his neck and then pointed to Ding Shixiong:

"Aren't you the new Sect Leader? Come and take three moves from me. If you can survive, your martial arts will be preserved."

"No, no... I'm not the Sect Leader, just a temporary replacement..."

Ding Shixiong woke up as if from a dream, shuddered, and shrank back in fright.

With this kind of power, there was no need for three moves, half a move would leave him without a whole body!

He was originally very happy to have won the position of Sect Leader, but at this time he only felt that this position was a hot potato, and he was full of regret.

"Heh, he doesn't have the guts, so will you come?"

Zhou Jing then pointed to an elder.

This person's whole body shook, and he shook his head repeatedly.

Zhou Jing glanced around, and wherever his eyes reached, everyone panicked and avoided his gaze.

"Hmph, if you don't dare to take the moves, then be sensible and do as I say, otherwise... today, I will remove your Wu Mountain Sect from the martial world!"

Speaking of the last sentence, he suddenly roared and released his baleful aura wantonly.

Whoosh –

In a trance, everyone seemed to see a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, and a strong bloody smell hit them.

Thump thump...

Many Wu Mountain Sect disciples were so frightened that they fell to the ground.

As the number of kills increased, Chen Feng's innate baleful aura became heavier and heavier.

Those who were slightly timid would even lose control of their bowels and bladder from his roar.

After saying this, Zhou Jing did not say anything more and directly led his brothers forward.

The Wu Mountain Sect disciples quickly dodged, and the crowd seemed to be split waves.

The fear in the disciples' hearts overwhelmed their anger. Their bodies were stiff, and they did not dare to make any movements. They were stuck in place, watching Zhou Jing and his group walk into their sect.

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