Chu Yang smiled triumphantly.
He was joking; his current body's toughness, while not yet invulnerable to blades, spears, water, or fire, certainly wasn't something that could be bitten through with Kiba.
Huang Rong was furious, baring her Kiba and pouncing on Chu Yang, opening her mouth to bite, her little tiger Kiba gleaming coldly.
Chu Yang grabbed her mouth and warned, "If you keep making a fuss, you'll end up chipping your Kiba."
Thinking that her Kiba might actually be chipped by the flesh on Chu Yang's body, Huang Rong immediately gave up the idea of biting him, glaring at Chu Yang indignantly.
"From now on, when Miss Mu isn't around, you'll have to drive the carriage."
Chu Yang said, handing the reins to Huang Rong.
Although Huang Rong was very angry, she still obediently took the reins, because she was afraid that Chu Yang would really leave her there.
However, after handing over the reins, Chu Yang didn't return to the carriage compartment but sat down, closing his eyes to rest, muttering, "Don't be lazy, I'm watching."
Strangely, Huang Rong no longer sulked; instead, a faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared on her face.
After the two left, Mu Nianci first stayed with Li Ping for a night, then bid farewell the next day and embarked on her journey alone into the Jianghu.
Having roamed the Jianghu with her adoptive father, Yang Tiexin, for eighteen years, she had learned everything she needed to, so Mu Nianci didn't feel any fear.
Furthermore, she had also learned the Nine Yin Manual from Chu Yang, and even though it wasn't the complete volume, she had made significant progress in martial arts.
It was absolutely impossible for any first-rate master from the various dynasties to defeat her in a one-on-one fight.
Unless a Grandmaster made a move.
This was also why Chu Yang readily agreed to let her travel alone.
Mu Nianci bid farewell to Li Ping, and as soon as she stepped out of the yurt, she saw a very young monk standing outside, seemingly having waited for a long time.
The young monk wore plain white robes, his face was clean, his body spotless, and he always carried a benevolent smile, giving off a sense of compassion beyond his years.
Seeing the monk gazing at her with a beaming smile, Mu Nianci softly asked, "May I ask, Master, are you…?"
"This humble monk is Sangye Zholma, a practitioner of Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism. In my youth, I used the Dharma name Yun Shen. You may call me that, benefactor."
Yun Shen, dressed in plain white monk robes, nodded and smiled in greeting, his words and actions giving off a polite impression.
"Hello, Master Yun Shen. My name is Mu Nianci. I see that Master seems to be waiting for me? Is there something I can help you with?"
Mu Nianci clasped her hands together and bowed respectfully.
"May I ask if the supremely powerful expert from last night is a friend of Miss Mu?"
This Master Yun Shen was the Esoteric Buddhist practitioner who had engaged in a magical duel with Chu Yang.
Upon hearing the monk in front of her mention Chu Yang, Mu Nianci immediately became vigilant, silently reaching for the whip wrapped around her waist, remaining silent.
"Miss Mu, please rest assured. In last night's duel, I was no match for that expert. He spared my life, which is why I am able to speak with Miss Mu now."
Master Yun Shen spoke of his crushing defeat without any reservation, his face showing no trace of resentment.
Seeing that he had no intention of seeking revenge, Mu Nianci asked curiously, "Then why is Master looking for Chu Yang?"
"To seek the Dao."
Master Yun Shen replied straightforwardly.
As the most talented practitioner of Esoteric Buddhism, he had entered the Dao through Buddhist teachings and martial arts. Although he appeared young, he was over a hundred years old, and by now, his path had reached its end, with no further progress possible.
Chu Yang's power was something he had never seen before; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him an earthly immortal.
After his magical duel with Chu Yang, Master Yun Shen experienced an epiphany, and his bottleneck loosened somewhat, which led him to the idea of seeking the Dao from the other party.
Mu Nianci didn't understand the specific meaning of seeking the Dao, but she could sense that the other party had been convinced by Chu Yang, so her hostility dissipated.
"Master Yun Shen, you've come too late. Chu Yang and the others already left last night. I'm not traveling with them, and I don't know their whereabouts."
Mu Nianci said apologetically.
"It is my insufficient karma; I cannot blame the benefactor."
Yun Shen couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
Seeing his appearance, Mu Nianci felt a pang of sympathy and softly said, "I know where Chu Yang lives, but I don't know when he'll return home. If Master doesn't mind, I can tell you."
Yun Shen looked at this kind young woman, surrounded by threads of the mortal world, one of which connected to a small town in the Southern Song.
This was a Buddhist divine ability Yun Shen had awakened after a hundred years of cultivation—the "Destiny Eye."
Yun Shen's Destiny Eye was rudimentary; he could briefly glimpse a person's future, but generally couldn't see specific details, and it was very vague, like a dream.
The reason Mu Nianci's was so clear was because her destiny was intertwined with Chu Yang's.
"Miss Mu will still go there in the future. If you don't mind, may this humble monk travel with Miss Mu?"
...
Xiao Hongma (Little Red Horse) galloped across the grassland for over a month before Chu Yang and Huang Rong finally returned to the territory of Great Ming.
They had seen enough scenery and suffered no less.
As they were about to leave, Huang Rong even grumbled that she would never come again.
According to the plan, Chu Yang still needed to go to Wudang Mountain to see Zhang Zhenren.
Through his battle with the Esoteric Buddhist monk, Chu Yang could be certain that Zhang Sanfeng in this world was definitely a cultivator of immortals.
The illusion techniques probably wouldn't work on Zhang Sanfeng, so the best method was to force him to make a move.
Entering a small border town, Chu Yang took Huang Rong to an inn to rest. As the two went upstairs to order food, they heard a storyteller discussing recent major events in the Jianghu.
In just over a month, the Jianghu had been turbulent.
"Everyone heard about the Ancient Tomb Sect incident a while ago, didn't they?"
"Rumor has it that the Nine Yin Manual, the number one miraculous book in the martial arts world, is hidden within the small Ancient Tomb Sect at the foot of Zhongnan Mountain!"
"An innocent man is guilty because of his treasure!"
"After the news spread like wildfire, numerous Jianghu sects and martial arts experts went to Zhongnan Mountain to compete for the Nine Yin Manual."
"What they thought was simple: they couldn't provoke Wang Chongyang's Quanzhen Sect, but surely they could provoke the obscure Ancient Tomb Sect, right?"
"And so, the Ancient Tomb Sect suffered a great calamity. The sect was occupied, and the only two remaining disciples within the sect barely escaped with their lives, thanks to an old servant who fought to the death."
"Speaking of which, that old servant was truly loyal; he endured all sorts of torment but didn't reveal the slightest whereabouts of the two disciples."
"Smash!"
A porcelain bowl shattered on the ground, breaking into pieces. Huang Rong looked at Chu Yang with fear and unease.
Chu Yang's face darkened. The Ancient Tomb Sect had always been reclusive and did not interact with outsiders. He never expected the news of the Nine Yin Manual to leak out.
"Little Chu, those two are now…"
Thinking of that adorable baby girl possibly suffering a terrible fate, Huang Rong couldn't help but shed tears, which splattered on the tabletop with a pattering sound.
"Don't cry yet, the storyteller hasn't finished."
In the main hall, the diners nervously stared at the storyteller. After he finished a sip of hot tea and let out a long sigh, they finally heard the rest.
"What I am about to say next are some unconfirmed rumors. Please listen with an open mind, take it as entertainment, and don't take it too seriously."
"It is said that after those two Ancient Tomb Sect disciples escaped, they somehow came towards our region and happened to get caught up in the conflict between the Demonic Cult and the Six Major Sects. They were abducted by members of the Demonic Cult and taken to Guangming Peak."
"The Six Major Sects had long-standing grievances with them, and coupled with this incident, they simply decided to join forces and besiege Guangming Peak this time."
The storyteller was speaking excitedly when suddenly, a young man who looked like a scholar appeared before him, and his voice abruptly stopped.
The scholar cupped his hands and said, "Excuse me, storyteller, I would like to ask, why did those two Ancient Tomb Sect disciples come to Great Ming?"
The storyteller scratched his head and smiled, then after a moment of hesitation, said, "I heard they actually wanted to go to Mongolia, but they were intercepted halfway by people from the Six Major Sects."
The scholar closed his eyes, his face expressionless, and a chill spread throughout the hall.
The storyteller, having traveled widely, was quite experienced. Sensing that this scholar was not to be trifled with, he silently retreated a few steps, wanting to quietly leave.
Just then, the scholar suddenly opened his eyes, cupped his hands to the storyteller with a smile, and then waved to the accompanying girl to leave.
The girl's face was filled with murderous intent.
After the two left, all the porcelain in the restaurant shattered with a crash!
Chu Yang returned to the stable, led out the carriage, and then instructed Huang Rong, "I'll go to Guangming Peak first. You drive the carriage and follow later. Be careful."
Huang Rong nodded obediently.
With that, Chu Yang no longer bothered to conceal himself, directly soaring into the sky and disappearing into the horizon.
Guangming Peak is located on the border of the Great Ming country, built upon a continuous mountain range. Due to the harsh geographical environment, it is basically uninhabited.
But this time, the Six Major Sects traveled thousands of miles to besiege Guangming Peak, creating a considerable stir. Chu Yang could see a long stream of people from high in the sky, stretching for a thousand li.
Following the direction of the crowd, Chu Yang quickly found Guangming Peak atop the mountains.
The battle seemed to have been raging for some time.
The entire Guangming Peak was a river of blood.
Perhaps due to some changes in the plot, Chu Yang did not see Zhang Wuji fighting the Six Major Sects alone.
All there was was a frenzied slaughter between two opposing armies.
Blood flowed like a river.
Chu Yang stood in the void, indifferently watching these people fight. He didn't care about their lives or deaths; he only wanted to find Little Dragon Girl and Li Mochou.
Soon, someone discovered Chu Yang's presence and instinctively cried out in alarm, "Look, everyone, there's someone in the sky!"
The person had barely finished shouting when he was cut down by a blade, his eyes still fixed on the sky as he died.
Everyone on Guangming Peak was consumed by bloodlust; who would pay attention to what he said?
In the chaos, Chu Yang landed beside the unfortunate man, looked down at him, then stomped on his throat, ending his lingering pain.
Chu Yang slowly walked forward through the blood. Those who tried to kill him all inexplicably collapsed into the blood, lifeless.
No one noticed how Chu Yang killed people, but imperceptibly, so many died that a vacuum formed around him.
Chu Yang casually grabbed a still-breathing Ming Cult disciple and asked, "Where are the two disciples of the Ancient Tomb Sect?"
The Ming Cult disciple did not answer; instead, he spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva.
An invisible wave of energy blocked the saliva. Chu Yang frowned, dragged the Ming Cult disciple into an illusionary space, and began to interrogate him. After learning the answer, a look of surprise appeared on his face.