Xu Ziling stepped forward, drew an even larger circle, and launched a palm strike. This palm strike had a calm and gentle quality, like still water.
Kou Zhong followed closely behind. Once Xu Ziling disrupted the rising momentum of the stone dragon, he would deliver a devastating blow!
ha!
With a muffled groan, the three began to fight.
"Okay, okay!"
As he spoke, Shi Long swayed slightly. Then, he withdrew his fist. He was genuinely happy that his two disciples had become successful. As their master, he was naturally overjoyed.
"With your current strength, even if I'm gone, you can guarantee your safety," Shi Long said happily. With that, he pulled the two men into the house.
The two dragons had been quite somber throughout the journey. Finally, Kou Zhong couldn't help but speak up.
"Master Shi, is it really that dangerous this time? Aren't you already a Grandmaster? Why are you still in mortal danger? Could it be that the Demonic Sect is really that powerful?"
Upon hearing this, Shi Long couldn't help but smile wryly. These two disciples were people he had carefully taught several years ago. Back then, his understanding of the martial world wasn't much better than theirs. And now, after learning some inside information, he felt even more keenly the treacherous nature of the martial world!
“That’s right. The one besieging Yangzhou City this time is ostensibly Xiao Xian, but in reality, it’s the Demonic Sect. To be precise, it’s the Yin Kui Sect of the Demonic Sect!” Shi Long explained.
"I know about the Yin Kui Sect. Last time, Xiao Ling and I were almost killed by the demoness Wan!" Kou Zhong said with some vigilance.
Since their debut, thanks to their exceptionally good luck and their fearless, single-minded spirit, Shuanglong, despite their mediocre martial arts skills, has rarely faced real life-threatening danger.
The most dangerous time was when they faced the vixen Wanwan. Even Shen Luoyan, at most, only wanted to capture the two of them as hostages to negotiate with Shi Long.
However, only Wanwan, that vixen, truly wanted to kill them! And she actually did it. Only, she failed.
What's even more frustrating is that the two dragons discovered that even when they joined forces, they were no match for Wan Yaonu, which was quite disappointing.
Upon hearing this, Shi Long couldn't help but smile wryly, "Hey, let alone the two of you. Even I almost fell for her trick just now. If I hadn't been studying the secret manual that Young Master gave me these past few years, I might have been finished today!"
Then, Shi Long began to tell Shuang Long many secrets he had never known before. These included the origins of the Demonic Sect, the origins of Cihang Jingzhai, the current state of Buddhism, some schools of Taoism, the four great clans, and some martial arts common sense that Shi A had told him back then.
"This time, the situation is truly critical. If it were just the Demonic Sect alone, I wouldn't be afraid. Because, at worst, I could just defect to them. When the Demonic Sect unifies the world, I'll surely get a duke's or marquis's title," Shi Long said with a wry smile.
His expression was quite bitter as he spoke, conveying a sense of regret and helplessness.
Upon hearing this, the two dragons exchanged a glance. Kou Zhong asked, "Why? Logically speaking, now that the eminent monks of Buddhism have arrived, they should help resist the demonic sect."
"The current state of affairs is clear. The Demonic Sect is determined to conquer me. Unless the Buddhist Sect is determined to engage in a decisive battle with the Demonic Sect right now, with all the experts from the two sects and six paths of the Demonic Sect coming out, I, a mere Grandmaster, will only face certain death."
“And precisely because of the situation, the Buddhist sect will not sit idly by and watch me defect to the demonic sect. Because, in that case, Xiao Xian’s advantage would be too great,” Shi Long said coldly.
Upon hearing this, Xu Ziling's eyes widened instantly, and then, while Kou Zhong was at a loss, he asked directly, "Could it be that those people, those people want to kill Master Shi?"
The logic is simple: since we can't stop Shi Long from joining us, we should kill him. Then, we'll divide the forces in Yangzhou, and finally, we'll lure Du Fuwei into Yangzhou. This will keep Xiao Xian's forces firmly tied down here.
Upon hearing this, Kou Zhong's face turned pale instantly. He wasn't stupid, nor was he unintelligent; on the contrary, he was quite intelligent.
In the past, I simply hadn't thought about it this way. I never doubted those seemingly benevolent Buddhist masters. But now, thinking about it again, many things naturally bring new perspectives.
Then, seeing the two men's faces gradually turning pale, Shi Long smiled and said, "There's no need to worry so much. The situation isn't that dire yet. Their direct attack on me is just a last resort."
"You all know the origin of Yangzhou. It was just an alliance formed around various gangs. Since it's an alliance, it's not a case of one gang dominating."
"Of these 100,000 troops, my Shilong Taoist Temple directly controls 40,000. It indirectly influences 20,000. And the remaining 40,000 are completely beyond my control."
“Now, these 40,000 people are facing coercion and enticement from the righteous path and the demonic sect every day. Moreover, under their influence, the 20,000 people I indirectly control are also experiencing panic.”
"In other words, even in the best-case scenario, the Yangzhou forces will be dispersed. And as the former leader, my fate will naturally not be good. Of course, if I am pragmatic and abandon everything I have now, perhaps I will be fine," Shi Long said somewhat dejectedly.
The influence of the Demonic Sect and the Buddhist Sect, along with their various contingency plans, is truly formidable. It's even possible that many of their agents are among my 40,000 men.
Therefore, at this time, Yangzhou City was only barely defensible on its own, but if it wanted to go out into the open for battle, well, that was a different story.
As Shi Long continued speaking, the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly heavy. Even Kou Zhong, who was usually quite composed, didn't know what to say at this moment.
However, just then, the butler rushed in, shouting, "Master, Master!"
"What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry? Has Xiao Xian started attacking the city, or is there a rebellion within the city?" Shi Long asked subconsciously.
"No, no, it's not that. It's just that the young masters have returned," the steward quickly explained. After all, a few years ago, he was one of the few people who had seen Lin Yang and his two companions.
"The young masters have returned?" As he spoke, Shi Long's eyes lit up automatically. If that were the case, then none of this would be a problem.
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Chapter 77: Even with a thousand calamities befalling him, has his will ever change? Even with axes and halberds at his side, has his heart ever wavered?
The young masters have returned
Suddenly, Shi Long's memories returned to a few years ago, when Lin Yang and the other two had just appeared. At that time, he was only at the peak of the Innate Realm.
In terms of martial arts, he's nothing more than a mountain-pushing hand. He's only good for getting by in Yangzhou. Once he gets to the north, many masters can easily teach him a lesson.
Later, he even encountered Yuwen Huaji. If he hadn't timely sought refuge with those young masters and hadn't happened to break through to the Grandmaster level, he might already be dead. How could he possibly have achieved his current status?
Therefore, deep down, Shi Long was still very grateful to Lin Yang and the other two. In fact, he even held them in great awe.
Moreover, Shi Long had learned a bit about the extraterrestrial visitors over the years. In his view, these extraterrestrial visitors and blessed lands were actually no different. Since they were both in the upper realm, he should cling tightly to whichever one it was.
Therefore, upon hearing this, they quickly headed to the reception room. Seeing this, the two dragons exchanged a glance and followed.
The two men were quite interested in these young masters. After all, according to them, this so-called Longevity Technique belonged to their sect. Moreover, they believed that these men had played a significant role in their achievements.
"Young Master, you're finally back!" Shi Long said happily upon seeing Lin Yang. He also secretly sensed Lin Yang's martial arts skills and discovered that he was stronger than himself, roughly on par with those grandmasters.