Chapter 86: Reactions from All Sides

“He didn’t say.” Zuo Lengchan took a deep breath, pondering how to resolve the matter of the Evil-Resisting Sword Manual. If this wasn’t handled properly, the entire sect would fracture and collapse.

“How does the power of the Frost Fist compare to that of the Evil-Resisting Sword Manual?” Fei Bin, the Great Hand of Songyang, went straight to the point.

“The Frost Fist is extremely strong—very strong. To use that traitor Lao Denuo’s words, it’s a supreme art on the verge of the mystical. In the short term, training with the Evil-Resisting Sword Manual grants power quickly, but because it’s too sinister and a shortcut, in the long run, Frost Fist is still superior.” As a grandmaster, Zuo Lengchan could easily discern the truth.

“I suppose you, Master, have already made your decision,” Fei Bin said.

“Here’s my decree: all disciples of the Songshan Sect may choose for themselves whether to practice the Evil-Resisting Sword Manual. However, their choice must be reported to the sect, or they will be punished according to our rules.” Zuo Lengchan, a man of vision, understood that it was better to channel the flow than to block it. He decided to let things take their course. As long as he cultivated the Frost Fist himself and maintained superiority in martial strength, he could suppress any unrest among the disciples.

After issuing his command, Zuo Lengchan dismissed the assembly and immediately secluded himself to focus on cultivating the Frost Fist.

The Thirteen Protectors of Songshan exchanged glances, each harboring their own schemes, and soon dispersed.

Contrary to causing division, Zuo Lengchan’s approach won him acclaim for his wisdom and, in fact, reinforced unity within the sect.

At Mount Heng, the masters of the Three Meditations, upon receiving the Evil-Resisting Sword Manual that seemed to fall from the sky, felt that the martial world was on the brink of chaos. With troubled hearts, they immediately declared the mountain sealed and sent urgent messages by carrier pigeon to the Five Mountain Sword Sects, announcing their decision.

As for the Evil-Resisting Sword Manual, the Mount Heng Sect simply burned it as firewood. They had their own heritage and believed martial arts were for self-defense; for them, spiritual cultivation took precedence. Moreover, the sect consisted entirely of female disciples, making self-castration an impossibility. After confirming with the Three Meditations that women could not practice the manual, they decided to close the mountain.

Meanwhile, at Mount Hua, Yang Xin was busy spreading warmth in the night. But instead of scattering the Evil-Resisting Sword Manual across the entire mountain, he targeted the Cliff of Reflection. He did this deliberately to irritate Feng Qingyang, curious as to what the old man would do.

Feng Qingyang was utterly dumbfounded, never having witnessed such audacity. There was nothing he could do but secretly observe whether any disciples of this generation tried to practice the manual. Upon discovering that only the Cliff of Reflection was affected, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But it was only a brief respite. When he learned that all the major sects had received the Evil-Resisting Sword Manual, he jumped up as if sitting on needles. Unable to remain in seclusion, he hurried down the Cliff of Reflection to consult with Yue Buqun on how to handle the situation.

Although Feng Qingyang looked down upon Yue Buqun’s character, seeing him as cunning and ruthless, he had to admit the man’s intelligence. Without such wisdom, the young Yue Buqun wouldn’t have been able to outwit the Demon Sect and the Sword Sect’s experts, nor defeat his contemporaries such as Feng Buping, Cheng Buyou, and Cong Buqi to become the sect leader.

But Yue Buqun was not there—he was enjoying tea at the Fortune Escort Agency. In fact, Yue Buqun was quite at ease, for Yang Xin, worried about his slow progress in cultivation, had bestowed upon him the Vortex bloodline with a touch of immortal power, granted him a massive reserve of chakra, and taught him the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique. Now, each day, forty clones practiced the Frost Fist, Cloud-Dispelling Palm, Wind God Kick, and the Threefold Primordial Energy.

“Perhaps we should call him Vortex Buqun from now on; let’s hope he doesn’t end up as foolish as Naruto Uzumaki,” Yang Xin murmured.

Yue Buqun’s true self, meanwhile, was responsible for teaching Yang Xin the intricacies of acupoints and meridians. Yang Xin, a quick study, rapidly absorbed the fundamentals of internal energy cultivation and soon began practicing the Frost Fist, Cloud-Dispelling Palm, Wind God Kick, and Threefold Primordial Energy himself.

Convinced he was cheating at life, Yang Xin found his progress in these arts astonishingly fast—beyond any description of meteoric improvement.

While Yue Buqun was at ease, Feng Qingyang was deeply troubled. Unable to find Yue Buqun, he turned to Ning Zhongze. She was delighted to see him, but Feng Qingyang could not tarry on pleasantries and immediately told her of the Evil-Resisting Sword Manual. Ning Zhongze, despite her reputation as Lady Heroine Ning, was flustered, for she was but a woman and not suited to handle such affairs.

They discussed it at length but could reach no solution. Unable to involve their disciples, they reluctantly decided to seal the mountain and await Yue Buqun’s return.

At Mount Heng (the other Hengshan Sect), Master Mo Da was running about, while Liu Zhengfeng was engrossed in musical duets with Qu Yang, paying no mind to the Evil-Resisting Sword Manual. His disciples, Mi Weiyi and Xiang Danian, repeatedly raised the issue, but Liu Zhengfeng dismissed it.

In the end, Liu Zhengfeng issued a command identical to Zuo Lengchan’s: “Do as you wish—practice it if you want, or stick to our own techniques if you prefer; after all, what is martial arts compared to the allure of music?” Though the command was the same, the motivation was different. Liu Zhengfeng had essentially given up on martial matters, wholly possessed by the magic of music and devoted to it. Should this continue, perhaps he and Qu Yang would truly become grandmasters of music. Zuo Lengchan, on the other hand, was a schemer, always striving to strengthen the Songshan Sect—the two could not be compared.

On Mount Tai, Master Tianmen strictly forbade the disciples from learning this sinister art. However, his fiery temper and rigid disposition left him unable to adapt. He didn’t understand the wisdom of loosening the reins, had no effective means of enforcement, and was further hampered by an insubordinate elder, Jade Jizi.

As a result, Tianmen found himself unwittingly sidelined. Outwardly, he remained head of the sect, and his disciples appeared obedient, even collecting the manuals to burn. Yet those who wished to cultivate the art had quietly kept a copy for themselves. On the surface, all was calm at Mount Tai; underneath, dangerous currents flowed.

Elsewhere, things were even more chaotic. Prestigious sects like Diancang and Kunlun kept up appearances and maintained harmony in public, while secretly some practiced the forbidden art. At least they preserved their dignity.

Among the smaller sects, many had already taken the blade to themselves.

To strike first is to seize the initiative!

Take action before others, or be subject to their actions.

Who among them had not suffered injustice or humiliation? In the past, there was no hope for retribution. Now, with the Evil-Resisting Sword Manual falling from the heavens, those who had been wronged or harbored ambitions took up their blades.

Within the Sun and Moon Divine Sect, the giant of the demonic path, bloody storms had already erupted. Fortunately, the turmoil affected only themselves, causing no great upheaval within the sect.

After all, who among the Sun and Moon Divine Sect wasn’t ruthless and ambitious? Upon seeing the Evil-Resisting Sword Manual, they pounced like rabid dogs on a bone, all eager to learn it. Yet, even as some succeeded in their cultivation, there was no major disorder, for above them loomed an unshakable mountain—Dongfang Invincible.

“The sun rises in the east; none can defeat me.” The world’s greatest swordsman did not earn his title through bluster, but through rivers of blood. Unless one mastered the art to perfection, none in the sect dared rebel.

And so, the martial world was swept by a storm of blood and violence.