Chapter 43: Treasure Hunting on Min River

  I just bought two catties of tangerines back. Ah, in this weather, is there anything more enjoyable than drinking hot tea and eating tangerines at the same time?

  I wish everyone happiness and vote for me

  The underwater dragon escorted the Sui army's warship away, and then turned back north. However, it circled around the confluence of the Min River, Dadu River, and Qingyi River several times before entering the Lingyun Mountains again. Near the Stack Xiaofeng under the riverbank, the river suddenly surged with a row of towering giant waves, crashing against the steep cliff face. The turbulent water poured into a dark cave in the middle of the mountain, and then only a strange, long howl was heard from inside the cave. The sound was like a dragon's roar and a tiger's growl, shaking the heavens and earth. Upon closer listening, it was clear that the sound contained an unspeakable brutal and violent intent. Tang You, although skilled and brave, couldn't help but shudder at the sudden chill, his body hair standing on end. Before the howling sound had even faded away, another long cry echoed from the mountain wall, this time softer in tone and with a lighter hint of brutality. The thing that had let out the previous roar seemed to have calmed down after hearing it. It made a few more gurgling sounds before falling silent.

  Tangmen's four instruments, "killing, sword, dark, and poison", are all profound and subtle ultimate arts. Tang You, although the master of the sect, cannot cultivate all four instruments at once, and only cultivated two: the sword and the dark instrument. Those who practice the dark instrument must have extremely sharp eyesight as their top priority. Therefore, even though they were separated by a great distance, Tang You could still see the scene on the mountain opposite him clearly. That dark cave was actually a rocky cavern.

  It is said that the phoenix does not land in a place without treasure. The black shadow under the Min River, whether it's true or not that it was transformed by a hidden dragon, looks like there might be some kind of treasure hidden in this Lingyun Mountain. Thinking back to the soaring red light from earlier, it seems to resemble the strange phenomenon recorded in the Tang family's classics, over 200 years ago, before the Tiger Soul Sword reappeared on Mount Tai. The similarity is quite striking. As soon as he thought of this, Tang You's heart was filled with greed. He thought that even if it wasn't a heavenly sword, there must be some kind of rare and exotic creature here. If he could capture and kill it, its internal elixir would be priceless.

  Tang You had never encountered an opponent in the ten years since he took over as the master of the Tang Gate. However, what he was facing now wasn't some martial arts expert, but a rare and strange beast. Although his skills were high and his courage great, he still didn't dare to be careless. He turned around and took down the sword case from his back, taking out a longsword with a pale blue color and an unremarkable shape.

  The Tang Sect has stood for hundreds of years, with a deep foundation. A weapon worthy of being used by the sect leader is naturally not an ordinary product. This sword is called "Chang Ge", it looks ordinary, but in fact, it is one of the two great divine soldiers that govern the Tang Sect, along with another precious sword "Yin Sheng". Each has its unique power. It has been treasured and preserved by successive sect leaders, passed down from generation to generation, and will not be easily used.

  〖Long Song〗 in hand, suddenly "hum~" dragon chant shook violently. Tang You's spirit was stirred, and he felt that nothing in the world could not be done, and there was no place that could not be gone. At this time, he took a deep breath, lightened his body, and rushed along the river like a flying bird, running three or four miles away. The river water turned a small bend here, and the river channel also narrowed accordingly. Tang You swung his sword to cut down branches, using force to throw them into the heart of the river, stepping on them to borrow strength, crossing the river and entering Lingyun Mountain.

  Lingyun Mountain is high and dense with trees, rarely visited by people. Tang You, although a native of Bashu, had never been here before. As soon as he entered the mountainous area, he felt that the towering trees blocked out the sky and daylight, and the spiritual energy in the air was overwhelming, making the scenery incredibly beautiful. However, his mind was preoccupied with the whereabouts of the treasure, so he didn't have the heart to appreciate the view. He simply confirmed the direction and headed towards Xiqiaofeng Peak, which had already disappeared from sight.

  Although the road in the mountains was rugged, for a martial arts master like Tang You, it was nothing to worry about. He walked calmly and leisurely. After walking for only half a mile, suddenly, a "whooshing" sound came from the grass, followed by a loud thud. Tang You heard it clearly and dodged in time. Immediately, an arrow shot past him, narrowly missing his body, and deeply embedded itself into the trunk of a nearby tree.

  Tang You's anger flared up, and he shouted: "Who is it that shoots arrows from the shadows to harm people?"

  In the dense forest, two figures emerged immediately. Both had high noses and deep eyes, and they didn't look like Han people from the Central Plains. The first one held a black long knife in his hand, while the second one, who was slightly behind him, carried a quiver on his back and grasped a strong bow. Both of them walked steadily, with their temples bulging high, indicating that their cultivation was extremely deep. The two stopped three zhang away from Tang You's body, and the one holding the bow and arrow spoke: "The front is a forbidden area, unrelated people are not allowed to proceed." The tone of his words was somewhat stiff, as if he hadn't spoken to strangers for many years.

  Since Tang Yu took over as the master of the Tang Gate, wherever he went wasn't he treated as a honored guest? At this moment, hearing the other party's tone was cold and hard, in his chest immediately arose several points of anger. In a low voice, he shouted: "Who are you two, why won't you let others pass?"

  That swordsman seemed much more worldly than his companion. He bowed to Tang Yu and said, "My brother here isn't very good at talking, please don't mind him. Friend, the Lingyun Mountain ahead is my master's property. My master has a reclusive personality and doesn't like meeting outsiders. If you don't have any urgent business, I'd advise you to turn back."

  "Is Lingyun Mountain the property of your master?" Tang You furrowed his brow and said, "I'm a local from Bashu, how come I've never heard of this? Who is your master anyway?"

  The guest shook his head and said, "Before we get permission, we don't dare mention the name of our superior. As for the ownership of Lingyun Mountain's property, you can go to the Nan'an County government office to investigate. If you have no other questions, then please leave."

  Tang You listened to the other party's words, which seemed plausible, and he believed them a bit. However, he was preoccupied with the treasure in the Qixia Peak cave, and his greed was burning brighter than ever. He sneered coldly: "You've been living in Shu, don't you know about the Tang Sect? I am Tang You, the sect leader of the Tang Sect. In this land of Ba and Shu, is there any place where I, the sect leader, cannot go? Get out of my way!"

  The two men exchanged a glance, and the archer spoke in a cold voice: "Tangmen? I don't know. Leave quickly." Before he had even finished speaking, he had already drawn his bow and nocked an arrow, taking aim at Tang You from afar. With this stance, he truly seemed like a majestic mountain, with a hint of the aura of a grandmaster. Although the arrow had not yet been released, the sharpness of its energy was already palpable, as if it were a physical entity enveloping all four directions. If someone were to say that he might actually miss his mark, it would truly be a joke of epic proportions. Clearly, with that previous arrow, he had only intended to warn and had not used his true skills.

  But what kind of person is Tang You? As the master of the Tang Gate, his status within the gate is extremely noble and has always been revered by thousands of disciples as if he were a god. His words are law, and who dares not to obey him? Seeing that the other party was being rude, his anger grew even more intense. He shouted: "Who dares to block my way?" Long Song Ling Kong suddenly slashed two inches into the air, and in an instant, the sword energy accompanied by the sound of a dragon's roar surged violently, forming an invisible copper wall and iron wall around him. The knife guests and archers were forced back three steps by his sword energy, their feet not yet steady. Suddenly, they saw a flash before their eyes, and Tang You wielded his sword to display his light skill, flying up onto a large tree, wanting to bypass the two road-blocking stones and rush inside.

  The archer was duty-bound to defend his territory, and without hesitation, he released the arrow from his right hand. The "whooshing" sound of the arrow piercing the air rose again, and the wolf-toothed arrow seemed to have come alive, shooting straight at Tang You's back as he hovered in mid-air. The speed was even faster than before, more than twice as fast as the previous warning shot. With his life on the line, Tang You had no choice but to turn his sword around and counterattack. Under the Long Song divine blade, the wolf-toothed arrow was split in two, but Tang You himself stumbled back due to the internal force of the arrow. His true energy was depleted, and he immediately fell towards the ground. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he heard a whistling sound by his ear. The archer had fired nine arrows in rapid succession, striking at Tang You's vital points from all directions.

  At this juncture, even drawing his sword to parry was already too late. In the blink of an eye, Tang You's left arm contracted and extended, followed by his five fingers snapping open, several hidden projectiles shooting out like meteors, transforming into a dark glow that flashed and danced, neither deviating nor inclining, separately meeting each of the wolf-tooth arrows. "Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom!" Nine explosive sounds rang out one after another, as wooden splinters flew everywhere, scattering and falling. Although the arrowheads were heavy and the shafts light, Tang You had infused his thick internal energy into them, and was actually able to shatter all of the incoming arrows.

  Arrow Hand and Knife Guest were brothers of different surnames, with a deep understanding between them. Arrow Hand had repeatedly attacked from afar without success, and the two already knew that the person in front of them was highly skilled in martial arts, only slightly inferior to their own master. If they didn't join forces against the enemy, it would be difficult to gain the upper hand. Arrow Hand retreated temporarily to catch his breath, and Knife Guest immediately stepped forward to fill the gap, his black long knife gleaming with a cold light as he made a simple and direct slash downwards.

  The sharp blade had not yet touched his body, but the fierce knife wind had already cut through the air, causing a stinging pain. Tang You was startled and quickly retreated backwards, avoiding the attack by a hair's breadth. The black long knife chopped down with incredible force, creating a deep gash in the ground. If Tang You had hesitated for even half a second, he would have been disembowelled. The master of the Tang Gate turned red with rage and shouted: "You don't know when to die!" A blue lightning bolt shot out from Chang Ge's body, striking back at the knife-wielding assassin with equal ferocity. The two blades clashed, producing a deafening crash that shook the air. The force of the impact sent both parties flying backwards.

  The swordsman's strength came from his inner power, but he didn't expect a head-on confrontation. He had already used 90% of his true strength, yet he still couldn't gain the upper hand. Becoming even more cautious and careful, he opened up his stance and wielded his sword in a circular motion. The fierce sword energy rapidly rotated and surged, continuously layering and increasing its momentum, waiting to be unleashed. Tang You's heart was urgent to pass through the gate, only wanting a quick battle and swift resolution, so he immediately rushed forward with a burst of speed. A torrent of sword light had already been unleashed, using one of the three absolute swords of the Tang Sect: "A Single Red Point in a Sea of Green".

  Tangmen's Three Absolute Swords, a ghostly and divine move! The flashing sword light crisscrossed the surrounding space, instantly weaving a massive sword net that sealed off all living things. The net continuously tightened, wanting to chop up its prey into pieces. However, the knife guest's martial arts were strong, and his eyesight was extremely keen. He had already seen through the sword net, which although looked intimidating, actually had weak points. The force on the swords was much weaker than the previous heavy blow. With a fierce turn of the knife wheel, he gathered all his energy, focused his spirit, let out a loud roar, and swung his knife in a horizontal slash.

  The black long knife shone brightly, carrying the mighty internal energy of the Tang family to sweep across thousands of troops, leaving none standing. The dense sword net of "Chang Ge" was instantly swept away, scattered and defeated. However, could the Three Absolute Swords of the Tang Sect be just a mere name, unable to withstand even one blow? Just as the sword net had dispersed, the knife-wielding guest's old strength had faded and new strength had not yet emerged, suddenly breaking through the wind with a swift whistle, Tang You's body technique unfolded, quickly leaping behind the enemy to reassemble his attack, still having energy to spare, with moves hidden within moves, swords beyond swords.

  The knife guest was shocked and lost his color, and in the twinkling of an eye, he used all his strength to return the knife to protect his back door. However, he heard the clear and crisp sound of "ding ding ding" ringing out in a row, and in an instant, the long knife was unknowingly pierced by the sword tip thousands of times. Every time it was pierced, the true power of the sword would penetrate through the black long knife and fiercely pierce into the body of the knife guest, like a giant hammer attacking the city, unstoppable. The knife guest, who had been suppressed by the wind, could only rely on his pure and unparalleled internal energy to protect his heart and blood vessels, and he could only defend himself without any strength to fight back. Moreover, under the push of the sword wave, he involuntarily rushed forward. And the black long knife was made of refined steel, although it was not an ordinary product, but it was still no match for the divine soldier "Long Song". After repeated impacts, it could not withstand and burst into cracks, and if this continued, it would definitely be destroyed, and the person would die!