Water Ink Panel: Starting with Bow Technique to Hunt the Sun and Patrol the Skies

In the days following the breaking of that thin barrier of awkwardness, interactions between Shen Qing and Shao Hongling became much more frequent, as they sparred and trained together every few days.

For some reason, Shao Hongling always ended up returning defeated.

She couldn't comprehend how Shen Qing, who seemed so gentle and refined, could have such a myriad of techniques, some of which were simply unimaginable.

If she hadn't been practicing martial arts since childhood, possessing sufficient flexibility, she might not have been able to cope.

Time flew by, and a month passed in the blink of an eye.

During this period, Shen Qing did not just stay in the room, ignoring the world outside.

He often sent Shang Jin and others to gather information.

He himself would also, relying on his movement technique, conceal himself to observe the battle situation.

Overall, the martial masters of the Jing Luan Assembly and the Huang Tian Sect in Dan Zhou fought fiercely enough to lose all sense, with corpses lying all over the countryside and the soil stained a dark red with blood.

The city gates were repeatedly contested by both sides, with neither gaining the upper hand.

Additionally, the sect members of the Huang Tian Sect infiltrated the mountains and forests, conducting assassinations from time to time, causing significant losses to the martial masters.

Judging by this, it's uncertain whether the tens of thousands of martial masters here will eventually get wiped out in Dan Zhou.

Shen Qing also did not know why the Huang Tian Sect valued Dan Zhou so much, refusing to yield an inch.

Even the main stronghold of the Huang Tian Sect kept sending strong reinforcements continually, with significant figures arriving one after another.

Conversely, it seemed that Great General Xue Zhao was also preparing to muster a great army to surge toward Dan Zhou with great momentum.

...

In a camp outside Dan Zhou.

Deputy General He Xiao sat in the main seat, his face full of gloom.

Up to this moment, the Yongzhou Chief he had been tracking seemed to have vanished from the Jing Luan Assembly, even after ordering the supervision team to search thoroughly, still without any trace.

Whether alive or dead, he had no idea at all.

He had no idea how to explain this.

So many days had passed, and Great General Xue Zhao had already learned about his beloved son's murder, now enraged to the extreme.

He was very pessimistic about his situation afterwards.

Just as he was pondering, a small soldier rushed into the large tent and reported, "General He, people from the Qintian Bureau and the Mountain Sea Department have arrived."

"The Qintian Bureau and the Mountain Sea Department? What are they doing here during the siege?" Deputy General He Xiao was somewhat puzzled.

But these two government offices were direct to the heavens, so he couldn't afford to be careless, provoking trouble for himself.

Deputy General He Xiao instructed, "Quickly invite them in."

"Yes, General."

Moments later, under the guidance of soldiers, a young man in a white robe and a man wearing mountain sea embroidered clothes walked into the large tent one after another.

The leading man in white first cupped his fist to greet, "I am Xie Rui from the Qintian Bureau, greetings to General He."

The other, a man dressed in mountain sea embroidered clothes, followed up saying, "I am Li Wenze from the Mountain Sea Department, greetings to General He."

Deputy General He Xiao's gaze flickered, scanning over each of them before asking, "With the frontlines so tense, I wonder what brings you here at this moment?"

Xie Rui of the Qintian Bureau stepped forward and said, "General, frankly speaking, Director observed celestial phenomena and detected potential changes here in Dan Zhou, thus personally ordered us to investigate."

"Oh, changes? What kind of changes?" Deputy General He Xiao was puzzled.

"It should be related to Spirit Essence."
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"Spirit Essence?"

"Indeed, our Mountain Sea Department recently discovered demonic movements in the surroundings, vaguely sensing some demons secretly arriving here," Li Wenze from the Mountain Sea Department said gravely. "I suppose the Huang Tian Sect is aware of something, thus refusing to yield Dan Zhou, and our lord is uneasy, so he dispatched me here to investigate."

After listening to their account, Deputy General He Xiao raised an eyebrow, never expecting such a change to intrude into the Jing Luan Assembly.

"I heard Your Majesty is collecting Spirit Essence everywhere; with a significant change here, surely His Majesty wouldn't want to miss out. I wonder if you're here under His Majesty's orders?"

Li Wenze from the Mountain Sea Department shook his head and said, "It's the order of the Supreme Emperor Ancestor."

"Ji Family Ancestor?"

Deputy General He Xiao was surprised, not expecting such esteemed attention here.

The Ji Family Ancestor is the world-renowned first martial master, with unfathomable cultivation.

Since establishing a century-long stable Zhou Country, he chose to abdicate, passing the throne to his descendants, dedicating himself to martial arts cultivation, ignoring worldly affairs for many years.

Unexpectedly, such a great figure is concerned with this matter!

Just as he was about to inquire further, a sudden loud bang resonated through heaven and earth, causing tremors.

"Boom!"

They exchanged glances inside the large tent.

"What happened?"

They hurriedly rushed out of the tent and witnessed an unbelievable scene in the distance.

In the distance, among the towering mountains, a vast glow burst forth, dyeing the entire sky a boundless yellow.

A corner of an ancient sect relic emerged quietly, gradually manifesting from the mountains.

There, shrouded in mist, an ancient palace faintly appeared in the void.

"Spirit Essence, Spirit Essence. Our Director calculated correctly, it is indeed here," Xie Rui from the Qintian Bureau said excitedly, taking out a pure jade-crafted compass and made several hand seals.

He cast a spell that landed on the compass.

Suddenly, the compass emitted dazzling light, with symbols floating on it.

Xie Rui calculated repeatedly, saying, "This is an ancient relic sealed here by human hands. Within it may lie inheritances from the ancient times that could help us solve the reasons for the decline of sects thousands of years ago."

"Not good, demons have already detected this beforehand and are lurking nearby, taking action. The Huang Tian Sect is also moving. Damn it!"

Xie Rui from the Qintian Bureau couldn't remain calm any longer, ignoring He Xiao and others behind him, and rushed out directly.

At the location of the distant relic, various creatures seeking opportunity were gathering.

Deputy General He Xiao knew the situation was urgent, hurriedly ordering, "Order the soldiers of the supervision team to follow me to the relic's location, kill anyone who approaches without mercy."

"As ordered."

After giving orders, he and Li Wenze from the Mountain Sea Department didn't delay, quickly pursuing Xie Rui.

Upon approaching, they discovered the relic was extraordinary.

The hall in front of the building was carved from pure white jade, inscribed with complex, indecipherable symbols, with colorful spirit light flowing, seemingly containing supreme vitality, with immense spiritual power surging within.

As He Xiao and others neared, they felt unprecedented pressure.

The next moment, from the depths of the ancient sect relic, a deafening roar erupted, with radiant spirit light shooting skyward, like an ancient volcano suddenly awakening, endless spiritual power like raging waves swept all around.

Numerous martial masters nearby were flung like fallen leaves in the wind, easily lifted by this force, some caught were instantly torn into nothingness by an invisible power.