Everyone followed the sound and looked over. A man and a woman were approaching—it was none other than Wu Tong and Ling Xian'er.
Ling Xian'er called out loudly,"Elder Xuanwu, since the battle at Mount Tianshan, your martial skills have improved greatly. Congratulations!"
Elder Xuanwu Shen Er was momentarily startled. Seeing Wu Tong and Ling Xian'er approaching, he thought to himself,"Today I have already made quite a name for myself. But to flaunt my skills before true masters would be overestimating my abilities."To show off further would only be like displaying an axe before Lu Ban, a sign of ignorance.
Shen Er quickly stepped forward, clasped his fists respectfully, and said,"This is all thanks to Madam Wu Tong's guidance that day. I am deeply grateful."
Ling Xian'er was slightly surprised upon hearing this, and her tone softened.
"In my opinion, although your martial arts have indeed improved, it is still not enough to defeat Elder Tiger Wang Tao. I suggest you stop while you're ahead. What do you think?"
Shen Er thought about it and realized she was right. Today he had merely tested his skills. To fight the famous Elder Tiger Wang Tao to a draw was already more than satisfying.
Thus he replied,"Madam Wu Tong speaks wisely. I shall take my leave."
With that, he leapt into the air and disappeared in a flash.
On the other side, the Left and Right Envoys of Heaven and Earth from Nine Heavens Palace, Li Han and Ling Yun, looked completely stunned.
The situation had originally been very favorable for them. Yet the moment Wu Tong and Ling Xian'er appeared, before even exchanging a single move, they simply spoke a few words—and Shen Er turned around and left.
Today Shen Er's three signature moves had displayed extraordinary power. Just when he was performing brilliantly, Wu Tong suddenly appeared and changed everything.
Wu Tong's gaze swept across the crowd. His eyes shone with authority. Even before he spoke, the entire scene fell silent.
Elder Dragon Qin Wei hurried forward and cupped his fists.
"Master Wu arrived just in time. Today Gu Yi, leader of the Mighty Wind Gang, and Xiao Xiong, leader of the Four Directions Gang, had arranged a duel. But secretly they set a trap to murder Xiao Xiong. Our Heavenly Way Alliance happened to witness it and intervened to stop them."
Upon hearing this, Li Han, the Left Envoy of Nine Heavens Palace, shouted urgently,
"What are the intentions behind True God Palace forming this Heavenly Way Alliance? I don't need to elaborate. The situation is simple—the Mighty Wind Gang was being bullied by the Four Directions Gang. Recently, Leader Gu Yi sought help from our Nine Heavens Palace, and we rushed here to rescue him."
Elder Tiger Wang Tao sneered.
"Li Han, you dare say such things! You claim to act with chivalry and righteousness, yet why not mention how you and Gu Yi just threatened to eliminate the witness—Shi Tian, the chief escort of the Dragon-Tiger Escort Agency? Not to mention you personally injured Xiao Xiong!"
Both sides were telling versions of the truth. Naturally, each tried to win the support of Wu Tong, the Master of Zhongyi Hall, whose reputation in the martial world was extremely high—and who also represented the imperial court.
Wu Tong slowly spoke in a deep voice:
"My friends, allow me to offer a word of advice. Let this matter end here. After all, the leaders of both factions are preparing to duel at Huangshan Palace soon to determine the victor. What do you say?"
After hearing Wu Tong's words, Elder Dragon Qin Wei quickly agreed.
"Master Wu speaks wisely. The grudges between True God Palace and Nine Heavens Palace need not be settled today."
Although Shen Er had already left, the two sides were now evenly matched. Continuing the fight would serve no purpose.
Li Han snorted and said,
"Very well. Today we only sent Elder Xuanwu, and he already gave True God Palace a good beating. You've witnessed our strength—be careful in the coming battle."
Hearing this provocation, Wang Tao could not hold back his anger.
"If Master Wu had not intervened today, Shen Er would have paid dearly!"
At once, Ling Yun, the Right Envoy, stared coldly at Wang Tao and replied disdainfully,
"Oh really? Then who was it just now that used the life-saving move 'Tiger Escapes the Mouth'?"
These words enraged Wang Tao instantly.
"Ling Yun! Don't think so highly of yourself! If you truly had ability, you wouldn't have sent Shen Er to fight!"
The atmosphere instantly became tense again. Both sides were once more on the verge of drawing swords.
Seeing the danger of another clash, Ling Xian'er hurriedly shouted,
"Enough arguing! If you two insist, why don't you fight again right now!"
Her words were like a bucket of cold water poured over everyone.
Both sides froze momentarily, speechless.
Wu Tong laughed and said,
"My friends, the sun is setting. Look at how beautiful the scenery is! Stop fighting—it's time to wrap things up. Look, even the spectators have left. If you fight now, no one will be there to watch."
Everyone looked around. Indeed, the crowd had dispersed.
The distant sky was dyed deep crimson.Mountains in the distance seemed to smile beneath the setting sun.The glow of dusk and brilliant clouds painted the earth in breathtaking colors.
Seizing the opportunity, both sides quietly withdrew.
If Shen Er had not displayed his newly mastered divine skills today, the two sides might never have fought. But once Shen Er defeated the Four Envoys, the balance began to shift. When he challenged Elder Tiger Wang Tao, their duel ended in a draw.
Had Wu Tong not appeared suddenly, True God Palace might not have been destroyed—but they would certainly have suffered great humiliation.
Fortunately, Wu Tong and Ling Xian'er arrived in time to prevent the conflict from escalating.
By now night had fallen.
The two mounted their horses and rode toward a nearby inn.
Wu Tong said,
"I never expected Elder Xuanwu Shen Er's martial arts to improve so dramatically."
Ling Xian'er said somewhat embarrassed,
"It's actually my fault. That day I couldn't stand seeing him use Senior Chen Tao's Seven-Ultimate Palm so carelessly, so I couldn't help revealing the secret formulas of the moves. I never imagined he would memorize them."
Wu Tong laughed.
"To help others is a source of happiness. Besides, Shen Er seems like a man of true character. When he saw you, he greeted you with great respect. When you told him to leave, he obeyed without hesitation. He's a real man."
Ling Xian'er wondered aloud,
"I only taught him three moves. How did he become like a completely different person?"
Wu Tong replied with a smile,
"In this world nothing is impossible—so long as one has determination. Even the founding marshal Cheng Yaojin relied on only three axe strikes. As the saying goes, mastery matters more than quantity."
Ling Xian'er laughed as she recalled the famous three strikes.
"That's right. Sometimes martial arts don't need many moves—just the right ones."
Cheng Yaojin's three famous techniques were:Split the Skull, Pick the Teeth of the Ghost, and Clean the Ears.
As the old saying goes:
"Soldiers must be elite, not many;Generals must rely on strategy, not brute courage."
Meanwhile, the Huangshan Palace duel between the two factions was drawing near, and both sides were already making their own calculations.