San Jin Province is a great martial arts province, home to the Hengshan Sect, Ten Thousand Beasts Villa, Mount Wutai, and the Xing Yi Men that Ma Hong belongs to.
Xing Yi Quan, originally known as Xin Yi Liu He Quan, meaning the union of heart and intent, intent and qi, qi and strength, shoulder and hip, elbow and knee, hand and foot.
Later, Xing Yi Quan underwent several developments and reforms, gradually becoming richer. Among them, the San Ti Shi stance, the Five Elements Fists, and the Twelve Animal Forms are the essence of Xing Yi Quan.
San Ti Shi is a unique fundamental and internal training method of Xing Yi Quan, known as "all techniques originate from San Ti Shi."
The Five Elements Fists integrate the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, which are Pao Quan (metal), Zuan Quan (water), Beng Quan (wood), Pao Quan (fire), and Heng Quan (earth).
The Twelve Animal Forms are practical techniques created by imitating the movements of twelve animals: dragon, tiger, bear, snake, lynx, monkey, horse, chicken, swallow, alligator, hawk, and eagle.
Each form represents a different martial intent, completely distinct from the others. Therefore, each martial intent must be cultivated from scratch. Very few people can truly master all twelve animal forms.
In Xing Yi Men, mastering the Twelve Animal Forms earns one the title of Grandmaster.
Ma Hong is a Grandmaster, and the only Grandmaster of Xing Yi Quan!
Earlier, when Ma Hong made his move, he used only Tiger Form and Snake Form, almost taking Yan Shouyi's life. Although Yan Shouyi is a Celestial Fiend Corpse Puppet, recovering from such a fatal injury would not be easy.
If it weren't for the intervention of the old man with white eyebrows behind him, Yan Shouyi probably wouldn't have been able to participate in the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony.
At this moment, Ma Hong turned around, facing the old man with white eyebrows, his expression extremely solemn.
"Old Heavenly Master, I trust you are well."
This person was none other than the Old Heavenly Master of Longhu Mountain, Zhang Yin, whom Long Feicheng called "the strongest human on Earth"!
The Old Heavenly Master calmly put away his whisk, revealing a benevolent smile, "Is Xing Yi Men also coming to participate in the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony this time? Why haven't I seen any younger generation from your Xing Yi Men?"
The Old Heavenly Master was questioning Ma Hong: if you're not participating in the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony, why are you here at Longhu Mountain?
Facing the Old Heavenly Master, Ma Hong showed the respect due to him. He cupped his fists and said,
"I am merely here to settle a personal grievance. I would appreciate it if the Old Heavenly Master would grant me this favor. I will pay my respects at your doorstep another day."
Yan Shouyi, with his hands now crippled, felt a pang of fear. Others might not know, but he knew clearly that the Old Heavenly Master was his father's sworn enemy.
The legendary leader of the Anti-Yan Alliance group!
Although the Old Heavenly Master appeared kind and amiable at the moment, one couldn't predict his temperament; he might turn violent and kill someone in the next second.
After all, who at his age still watches female streamers dance...
Despite the internal monologue, Yan Shouyi couldn't help but size up this Old Heavenly Master who had lived for over a hundred years. The Old Heavenly Master's hair, eyebrows, and beard were as white as snow, devoid of any dirt. His eyes were exceptionally clear and penetrating, unlike those of an elderly person, but rather like those of a newborn infant.
An old person's eyes are often clouded because they have seen too much of the world's vicissitudes, their vision filled with memories, their gaze unable to be as clear as a child's.
Yet, the Old Heavenly Master's eyes were so pure, not only earning admiration for his state of being but also showing that it was truly rare to maintain one's original heart at such an age.
No wonder he watched female streamers dance at his age. A man remains a boy until death; it seems even the strongest human on Earth cannot escape this principle!
The Old Heavenly Master was also observing Yan Shouyi. It was only when Ma Hong reminded him that he snapped back to attention.
The Old Heavenly Master then said, "Killing is not permitted within the domain of my Longhu Mountain. You know this rule, don't you, Ma Hong?"
Ma Hong's face stiffened. Then he pointed to a boundary monument behind the Old Heavenly Master and said, "Strictly speaking, they haven't entered the territory of Longhu Mountain yet."
Everyone turned to look and saw a boundary monument of Longhu Mountain not far from the Old Heavenly Master's feet. Beyond the monument was Longhu Mountain's territory, and before it...
Yan Shouyi and his companions were still about ten meters away from the monument.
Everyone thought the Old Heavenly Master would be embarrassed by this. Unexpectedly, the Old Heavenly Master calmly walked to the side of the boundary monument and kicked it sideways for over ten meters, stopping precisely behind Yan Shouyi.
"There, Longhu Mountain's territory has just expanded. Yan Shouyi is now within Longhu Mountain's domain," the Old Heavenly Master stated earnestly.
Everyone was dumbfounded. You can play it like this?!
Old Heavenly Master, you're being a bit too mischievous, aren't you?!
If you keep expanding like this, Longhu Mountain will reach Siberia next year!
"You old scoundrel..."
Curses echoed through the forest.
If Yan Shouyi heard this, he would probably sigh and remark, "It seems the Old Heavenly Master's popularity isn't much better than my dad's!"
Ma Hong, looking at the boundary monument kicked behind him, turned green with anger.
The lesser henchmen were even more bewildered.
Ma Hong gritted his teeth and said, "Old Heavenly Master, you are protecting Yan Shouyi then?"
"I never said that!" The Old Heavenly Master quickly distanced himself from Yan Shouyi. "It's just that Longhu Mountain has its rules, and no one can break them—of course, if you are confident enough in your strength, you are welcome to challenge Longhu Mountain. I wouldn't mind sending you to see the Patriarch myself."
Everyone fell silent.
Who would dare oppose the Old Heavenly Master? That would be pure suicide.
Even Ma Hong suppressed his anger and said, "Yan Chou and I have an irreconcilable feud. I will kill his son. You can protect him for a while, but can you protect him for a lifetime? If you have the guts, tell that brat never to leave Longhu Mountain. As long as he steps half a step outside Longhu Mountain, I will take his life!"
"Suit yourself." The Old Heavenly Master did not take Ma Hong's threat to heart at all.
Ma Hong snorted and said with his hands behind his back, "Let's go!"
The lesser henchmen, as if granted amnesty, quickly followed Ma Hong, preparing to leave.
Just then, Long Feicheng, unable to stomach Ma Hong's earlier behavior, couldn't help but jump out and yell, "Hey old scoundrel, stand right there! You ganged up on us, bullied the young, and then had the audacity to make threats. How can you be so shameless? If you have the guts, why don't you go after Yan Ge's father!"
Ma Hong hadn't expected anyone to provoke him after he had already given up on killing Yan Shouyi. He turned around and, upon seeing the shameless Long Feicheng, was so enraged that he felt like spitting blood.
"You brat, do you think I wouldn't dare to kill you?"
Long Feicheng flinched, then turned to ask the Old Heavenly Master, "Old Heavenly Master, you just said that killing is not allowed in Longhu Mountain, so you will protect me too, right?"
The Old Heavenly Master smiled and nodded.
With the Old Heavenly Master's backing, Long Feicheng was completely reassured. He grinned and said to Ma Hong,
"I'll bet you don't dare kill me. So what? You're old and still picking on us youngsters. The phrase 'petty-minded' couldn't describe you better. If you really had the guts, you should go after Yan Ge's father. Why aren't you? Oh! I see... you're scared!"
"Nonsense! I am a Grandmaster of martial arts. Killing Yan Chou is like killing a chicken. Would I not dare to find him? It's just that his whereabouts are unknown, and I can't find him!" Ma Hong yelled out, his voice hoarse.
Long Feicheng burst into laughter, "Come on, anyone can brag!"
"You..."
If you let Long Feicheng do the shouting, he would definitely anger a few people to death. Fortunately, Ma Hong was a martial artist with a good physique, otherwise, he would have suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and collapsed by now.
Even the Old Heavenly Master beside them couldn't stand it. He whispered in Long Feicheng's ear, "I said killing is not allowed in Longhu Mountain, but I didn't say fighting is not allowed. As long as no one dies, I won't intervene."
Upon hearing this, Long Feicheng froze.
He cautiously observed Ma Hong's expression. He noticed that Ma Hong seemed not to have heard what the Old Heavenly Master had just said. Feeling fortunate, he quickly waved his hand and said,
"Ah, I can't be bothered to argue with you. You guys wait outside Longhu Mountain. When we come out, we'll call you out for a good fight!"
Ma Hong was also straightforward and didn't think much of it. He left another threat, "I've memorized your appearance. The next time I see you, I will disembowel you, pull out your intestines, wrap them around your neck, and strangle you to death."
Long Feicheng: "..."
I admit I was a bit rude just now.
Is it still too late to apologize?
After leaving the threat, Ma Hong walked into the forest and disappeared. The henchmen also quickly scurried into the forest, not daring to linger.
The Old Heavenly Master glanced at Yan Shouyi, flicked his whisk, and said,
"Get in the car. When we reach Longhu Mountain, come to the Heavenly Master's Hall to see me."
"Yes."
Yan Shouyi dared not slight the Old Heavenly Master. He endured the pain and stood up. When he looked up again, the Old Heavenly Master had already vanished.
As expected of the Old Heavenly Master, appearing and disappearing like a divine dragon.
"Shouyi, are you badly injured? Let me see!" Nun Guan Yun walked over with concern, intending to examine Yan Shouyi's injuries.
Yan Shouyi shook his head. "Auntie, I am a Celestial Fiend Corpse Puppet. These superficial wounds mean nothing to me. I will recover once we get up the mountain."
Nun Guan Yun clearly had some knowledge of Yan Shouyi, so she didn't dwell on the matter.
Fortunately, no one else was injured.
"That guy just now was truly terrifying," Wang Jiwang couldn't help but say. "It's only you. If it were me, I probably couldn't even withstand one of his punches."
The others were also lingering in fear. Ma Hong had clearly left a significant psychological shadow on them.
Nun Guan Yun comforted them, "He is a Grandmaster of martial arts. His fists and kicks are his lethal weapons. It's natural for him to be powerful, but you are too discouraged. Martial arts have a ceiling, but you don't. When you reach the same height as Ma Hong, he will no longer be your match."
Hearing Nun Guan Yun's words, everyone felt a bit better and regained their confidence.
Yan Shouyi said, "Let's get in the car. I want to reach Longhu Mountain as soon as possible."
Thinking of the Old Heavenly Master's parting words, Yan Shouyi couldn't help but feel curious and eager to ascend Longhu Mountain to meet the Old Heavenly Master.
The Old Heavenly Master's personal appearance at the foot of the mountain was clearly no coincidence; he might even be here for me.
But why did the Old Heavenly Master not only spare me but even come to my rescue, and even protect me?
This is too strange.
With many questions in his mind, Yan Shouyi and the others got back into the car, bypassed the fallen tree blocking the road, and continued their journey towards Longhu Mountain.
Meanwhile, Ma Hong retreated dejectedly into the forest. This time, he didn't need to hide in the shadows. Instead, he openly shouted into the darkness,
"That was a perfect opportunity. I was the only one who acted. If you had joined me, Yan Shouyi would have been dead by now."
Then, someone from the forest replied, "How do you know Zhang Yin wasn't already lurking nearby?"
Ma Hong was stunned. "Is that old scoundrel really that idle?"
"I don't think so. Zhang Yin was clearly targeting Yan Shouyi... Alas, it seems we won't be able to kill him on Longhu Mountain!"
Everyone expressed regret. Yan Shouyi was right in front of them, yet they couldn't kill him. This feeling was like scratching an itch through a sock, causing frustration.
Someone reminded him, "Ma Hong, the rule Zhang Yin set is that killing is not allowed within Longhu Mountain, but he didn't say fighting is not allowed."
Ma Hong didn't understand what this person meant. "So?"
"So why didn't you attack that foul-mouthed brat just now?"
Ma Hong fell silent for about ten seconds after hearing this.
Finally, he punched a nearby large tree, snapping it in half. Several innocent submerged group members fell from the tree.
"Damn it!"