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Chapter 700: The Sage's Emergence
Chapter 700: The Sage's Emergence
"Hmph!"
This sudden and inexplicable misstep was indeed startling, but Hu Ma, with his exceptional skills, reacted swiftly.
The moment he felt the unusual force beneath his feet, he swiftly adjusted his entire body's momentum and forcefully stomped down, piercing through the rabbit hole. Then, with a single stride, he kicked up a large patch of mud and sand, aiming it towards the face of the black shadow ahead.
As for the Punishment Official's Saber in his hand, it was even more cautious, not daring to truly touch his body. The blade trembled, missing its target, and then he swung it in a flourish, still aiming at the black shadow's body with solid force, his attack becoming even more fierce.
Usually, when fighting against anyone, he would first try to gauge their abilities.
But this time, not knowing whom he was dealing with, he could only rely on his Year Guardian skills, using speed against speed.
"Oh no..."
The black shadow, evidently, had not anticipated Hu Ma's swift change of tactics and was already startled: "It's just a small New Year's Guardian entering the mansion, why is he so fierce?"
In the midst of his exclamation, the tattered sheepskin coat, almost entirely black, that he wore was swiftly removed with a flip of his hand. He shook it towards the fire pit, causing firewood and sparks to fly towards Hu Ma.
Simultaneously, he draped the black sheepskin coat over himself.
Hu Ma paid no heed to the sparks, as the gust of wind generated by his body blew them away. But as his vision blurred, he swung his blade downward, only to feel a soft resistance. Beneath the sheepskin coat, it was empty, without even a shadow of a person.
"Which sect's skill is this?"
Hu Ma was slightly surprised, finding his opponent extremely peculiar.
"Oh no, have we encountered someone from the Robber Disaster Sect?"
Just as this question arose in his mind, a voice suddenly spoke up—it was the Bottle Master.
"Robber Disaster?"
Hu Ma had already suspected this, and now with their reminder, he scanned his surroundings while silently asking: "How do I defeat them?"
"Run!"
The Bottle Master said, "Those from the Robber Disaster Sect are jinxed; when you encounter them, you must run. If you run fast enough, you won't be afflicted by bad luck!"
Hu Ma anxiously observed his surroundings, muttering, "I'm asking how to kill them!"
"Easy to kill!"
The Bottle Master replied in Hu Ma's mind, "The Robber Disaster Sect doesn't have any extraordinary skills. A single slash to the neck will surely kill them."
"Do I need you to teach me this?"
Hu Ma was momentarily annoyed, then he heard the Bottle Master, as if transformed, urgently saying, "When dealing with the Robber Disaster Sect, you must act swiftly. The longer you engage with them, the more challenging it becomes to defeat them."
"There's also a taboo—you must not speak to members of the Robber Disaster Sect. They excel in sealing heart acupoints. If you speak, you might fall for their tricks and allow their evil energy to enter your heart, leading to control."
"Of course, if someone from another sect falls for their tricks, they're as good as dead, and even the most skilled healer can't save them. But we, the New Year Guardian Sect, can replace hearts and still have a chance."
Another voice chimed in, "Ah, our New Year Guardian skills are indeed formidable."
"..."
"..."
"It's not the time for nonsense..."
Hu Ma's thoughts raced, and in an instant, he dodged an object with a swift movement.
When he looked closely, he was startled to see countless eerie branches reaching out from all directions, as if this place was a Demon Forest that devoured people. These branches lacked sufficient spiritual awareness, but upon sensing living beings, they stretched out to grasp them.
Countless and endless, they were like ghostly hands grabbing at his body. Looking around, the dark forest was filled with an eerie atmosphere, concealing unknown dangers.
Layer upon layer, they surged towards his face.
Hu Ma's heart was filled with foreboding, and without hesitation, he thrust the Punishment Official's Saber into the ground, braced his ribs, and let out a deep shout.
With the Five Thunder Golden Toad Roar, his five viscera shook, and a surge of masculine energy dispersed, instantly scattering the encroaching branches. He even heard a series of mournful cries.
Even the bodies of those demon trees were injured by this masculine energy, but their movement made it more challenging for Hu Ma to locate his target.
After several years of wandering the jianghu, Hu Ma had gained extensive knowledge and witnessed the skills of various sects. However, the Robber Disaster Sect was an exception; they rarely appeared in the jianghu, and he had never encountered anyone who had mastered their skills, leaving him completely inexperienced in this regard.
Although the Bottle Master answered all his questions, this time, besides offering reminders, he couldn't provide any effective strategies.
On the contrary, upon witnessing Hu Ma's Five Thunder Golden Toad Roar, they all spoke up: "This technique is not refined enough; we'll improve it for you."
"Brother Hu Ma, I've caught him..."
Just then, a crisp voice suddenly rang out.
Hu Ma turned abruptly and saw Little Hong Tang emerging from the shadows, holding onto someone's leg and pulling him towards her. It was the black shadow who had taken the opportunity to hide, and he seemed startled, struggling desperately.
"It's indeed Sister Hong Tang!"
Hu Ma was delighted and immediately clasped his fists, performing the Four Ghost Salutation, unleashing a swirling dark wind as he charged forward.
The Bottle Master noticed and shouted, "What a crude technique! It's not refined enough; we'll improve it for you!"
"Shut up!"
Initially, Hu Ma had wanted to keep the Bottle Master around because of his usefulness, hoping to learn more skills for self-defense.
Now, it was truly a bit bothersome, thinking that it was time to deal with them?
After this deep bow, the person whose leg was held by Little Hong Tang was thoroughly blown by the chilling wind, causing him to shiver uncontrollably, his face turning ashen.
But he held on to a burst of energy, clearly still wanting to run, yet Little Hong Tang had grabbed his leg, making it feel as heavy as a ten thousand catties, unable to escape or shake free.
In his heart, he was filled with indescribable terror: "What kind of little ghost is this?"
During this delay, Hu Ma had also taken the opportunity to draw his sword and rushed forward, while the man, with a determined heart, raised his hands high and forcefully clapped them together.
When Hu Ma's sword reached him, he also braced himself and bowed to Hu Ma, knocking his head to the ground:
"I was wrong!"
"Please spare my life, great sir..."
"..."
"Hmm?"
This reaction truly caught Hu Ma off guard, but the Punishment Official's saber continued its strike, and with a sideways movement, the blade struck his head.
"Bang!"
Half of the man's head was directly smashed into the pit by Hu Ma, and without a sound, he completely fainted.
...
...
At the moment when the shadow in the forest was knocked unconscious by Hu Ma, in the current Great Sheep Village, Iron Fist Peng, with his dazed expression, and several of his disciples, suddenly felt a jolt in their bodies, waking up in a daze, and their eyes filled with infinite terror:
"Oh no, how did we get bewitched?"
"..."
But at this moment, no one had the leisure to pay attention to them; everyone was staring blankly at the fire pit.
They saw that Second Master's lower body was already enveloped in flames, making his legs indistinguishable. His entire body was illuminated by the firelight, and his expression was indescribably mysterious.
As he walked forward, the fire in the pit grew so intense that even those nearby couldn't help but take a step back. However, Second Master's expression remained calm, and the fire and smoke around him converged, faintly revealing a vague shadow.
The shadow was shrouded in mystery, with intermittent golden light, as if it carried a sense of sacredness that inspired innate reverence. Just a glance into its eyes evoked a sense of respect from within, as if some ancient aura washed over one's soul.
And this shadow was now supporting Second Master, step by step, as they walked across the fire pit, directly towards Iron Fist Peng.
"That is... that is..."
The shock of what the onlookers witnessed was beyond words. Some even suddenly realized that the incense brought from the ancient fire pit had burned into a curved shape, indicating that the ancestors in the pond were bowing.
"Has the Heaven Lord manifested?"
Amidst the astonishment, the elder patriarch, after a long, long time, finally snapped out of his daze.
Two streams of old tears instantly flowed from his eyes, and he knelt down on the ground with a thud.
Following his lead, the clan members from various villages also knelt down one after another. This kneeling was not directed at Second Master, but towards the shadow that had appeared.
"Brother Yang, we should also pay our respects."
Even the nearby Elder Sun and the others, amidst their shock, suddenly regained their senses and hastily followed the clan members from the village, hurriedly bowing and trembling slightly.
Having learned a great deal and witnessed countless marvels in the jianghu, it was in this remote village that they encountered the most awe-inspiring sight.
As everyone bowed, Second Master slowly stepped over the ten-zhang-long fire pit.
When he emerged from the fire pit and stood before Iron Fist Peng, the latter immediately collapsed to the ground, his eyes straining to stay open as he tried to look up at Second Master, but somehow unable to face him directly.
Everyone looked on, and it was clear to see that Second Master's bare feet had not a trace of burns, cuts, or even on the rolled-up trouser cuffs and coarse cloth clothing—no signs of scorching whatsoever.
A divine sign!
So many eyes were watching, clear and certain, that Second Master had not relied on any sect's techniques nor employed any deceitful tricks. He was just an ordinary old man who, through his virtue, had walked across the fire pit.
"Divine protection, walking barefoot through fire..."
The most shaken were some of the village elders, their faces now tearful as they exclaimed, "A sage has emerged in our village..."
In the villages, there was not much advanced knowledge, and rarely did such heaven-defying individuals appear. But those who accomplished divine feats, like walking through fire, were revered as sages in the eyes of the people.
As Second Master walked over, he seemed somewhat dazed, slowly turning back to look at the fire pit, as if gazing into a dream.
When he regained his senses, he realized that everyone around him was bowing to him.
Previously, they had also bowed to him out of respect for Hu Ma and his master.
But now, they were bowing to him.
For a moment, his thoughts were in turmoil, and he struggled to speak. Suddenly, he turned and knelt towards the pit full of flames.
In his heart, it was as if this act of walking through fire had suddenly enlightened him. His eyes were slightly red and swollen, as if the grievances in his heart had suddenly surfaced. He spoke softly, "Mountain Lord, you've been watching over us all along..."
"Villagers, it's time for the mountain worship ceremony..."
(End of Chapter)
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