I Can Replicate Martial Arts

’Could these people be from the Great Shang?’

Zhao Rui’s brows furrowed. He remained silent, waiting for the group to leave before using the Charming Maiden Formless Celestial Demon Great Method to conceal his presence and slowly follow them.

After descending from Tianshan, the group headed straight for the border, bypassing multiple checkpoints to enter Central Asia.

’There’s definitely something wrong with that Mr. Zeng the Elder.’

Zhao Rui stopped at the border and followed them no further.

The Great Shang had occupied Central Asia for many years, turning it into an impenetrable fortress. They not only had numerous Martial Dao experts, but also no shortage of modern technology.

Unless absolutely necessary, he would not venture in there alone.

Leaping high into the air, he gazed into the distance, and the landscape of the Great Shang’s domain lay before him in full view.

In the distance, several giant cities rose from the ground. All sorts of advanced machinery moved back and forth ceaselessly; the entire region was under construction.

’Beneath this calm facade, are both the Great Shang and the authorities waiting for the right moment?’

After a long moment of silence, Zhao Rui turned and returned to the prearranged meeting spot in the Tianshan Mountain Range where he was to meet The Three Uglies.

The peaks of Tianshan were capped with white snow, a vision of extreme cold, while down below, the vast plains were lush with green trees, bursting with life.

It was, all in all, a scenic place, perfect for cultivation and pursuing the Dao.

After several hours of waiting, The Three Uglies suddenly appeared in the distance, each hauling a person as they ran over at top speed, their faces beaming with delight.

"Venerable Lord, we caught some interesting people."

Da Chou, as if trying to claim credit, threw the person he was holding to the ground and unsealed his acupoints.

"Spare my life, brave sirs! Spare my life!"

The man wore a thick down jacket, and his face was a bit stiff. He was clearly no Martial Dao expert.

"Talk. Tell us everything you know," Da Chou threatened in a harsh voice. "If you do, we’ll spare your life."

"Yes, yes! I’m just a hiker... That place... bodies were strewn everywhere. The blood had stained the entire mountaintop red... I don’t know who those people were. I was so scared I just ran away immediately."

"Oh, and later, there was an avalanche. It buried everything."

Having recounted what he knew with a quavering voice, the man curled up on the ground, his face taut with fear.

"Venerable Lord, heh, the one I caught is even more interesting. He claims to be from the Celestial Mountain Sect."

Er Chou woke the man he held with a slap, a wide grin on his face. "Your granddaddy here is feeling merciful," he said in a cold voice. "Answer my questions honestly, or I’ll let you feel the agony of a Gu-worm burrowing into your heart again."

"Who... Who are you people?"

The man wasn’t old, maybe in his early twenties. He was strikingly handsome, blessed with fine features, but his clothes were in tatters, making him look like a vagrant.

"You know the martial arts of the Celestial Mountain Sect. Why aren’t you on the mountain? Why are you reduced to living on the streets, skulking around and hiding?" Er Chou demanded with a cold snort.

"I... The people on the mountain aren’t the Celestial Mountain Sect! The Celestial Mountain Sect is gone!"

The man glanced around in terror, his body trembling slightly.

"The Celestial Mountain Sect is gone?" Zhao Rui was taken aback.

"Gone, they’re all gone! My senior brothers are gone, my junior sisters are gone, even my master is gone! There’s no one left to manage things, no one to even ask..."

His lips trembled and his voice shook as if he had witnessed something horrific.

His mind was starting to become unhinged.

"Which Celestial Mountain Sect are you talking about? Who is its Sect Leader?"

"I don’t know! I don’t know!"

Waving his hands frantically, the man shot off with a WHOOSH, running down the mountain.

His speed was incredible; he was clearly using a Supreme Lightness Skill.

"That’s the Celestial Mountain Sect’s style, all right," Da Chou remarked with a frown. As he spoke, Er Chou had already dashed forward and, with a few swift moves, captured the man and dragged him back.

"Could it be Sect Leader Zhang’s Celestial Mountain Sect?" Da Chou wondered aloud.

"Heh heh, Venerable Lord, that’s where my captive comes in," the third of the Uglies chimed in with a chuckle. He dragged the person next to him forward—an old man with a white beard.

He was dressed like a common villager in thick, cheap clothing.

"This old man is a direct disciple of that Sect Leader Zhang. Their sect disbanded long ago. Many disciples were absorbed into the new group, while those like him who didn’t want to stay were allowed to leave the mountain."

"They were treated quite courteously, all things considered."

"Is that the truth?"

"Heh heh, I used a few little tricks."

"So, the sect that was annihilated wasn’t Sect Leader Zhang’s Celestial Mountain Sect! It was the true Celestial Mountain Sect, the one that returned from Gui Xu."

"Exactly!"

"You’ve done well."

Zhao Rui nodded in satisfaction. ’That’s the one good thing about having Evil Dao masters work for you,’ he thought. ’They are completely unscrupulous and have no reservations.’

’To have found so many clues this quickly, the three of them must have really put in the effort.’

A faint black light flickered in Zhao Rui’s eyes as he glanced at the three captives. He activated the Heavenly Demon Illusionary Sound Technique, instantly erasing their recent memories.

Seeing Zhao Rui like this, The Three Uglies wore strange expressions. At times, it was truly difficult to tell whether their Venerable Lord was righteous or demonic.

His Righteous Martial Arts were at the pinnacle of mastery, yet his Demonic Techniques were overwhelmingly powerful, like a raging Demon Flame.

In all their decades of roaming Gui Xu, they had never encountered such a figure.

Fortunately, they had submitted to Zhao Rui, not the Qingcheng Sect. Whether their Venerable Lord was righteous or evil was none of their concern.

They only needed to follow his orders.

After sealing the three captives’ acupoints, Da Chou’s gaze hardened, and he glanced worriedly toward the distant peak of Tianshan.

"To be able to annihilate the entire Celestial Mountain Sect... and to have a supreme master like Mr. Zeng the Elder on their side... The enemy’s strength is truly terrifying."

"If they weren’t holding back for some reason, I doubt we would have made it off Tianshan alive."

They had just come down from that very place, and thinking back on it now, even masters of their caliber felt a chill run down their spines.

"Venerable Lord, what should we do next?" Da Chou asked.

Zhao Rui pondered for a moment before replying, "Go back and deliver a message. Tell Sect Leader Weichen and Sect Leader Yu what has happened. Afterward, post yourselves in a hidden spot at the foot of the mountain and stand guard. Protect the sect’s entrance."