92: Chapter 92 Warning: "Do not easily contact people who live in 'seclusion'"

Section 1: The Blood-Colored Warning in the Faded Envelope

The morning light in the training hall had just washed over the bluestone slabs when a faded kraft paper envelope suddenly fell from the eaves. There was no postmark, no signature, only a twisted symbol drawn in dark red ink at the seal—resembling a snake coiled around a sword, identical to the pattern on a bronze fragment in Grandpa Wang's camphor wood chest.

Just as Chen Wu's fingertips touched the envelope, the peace lock suddenly emitted a piercing buzz. A cyan-gold light condensed into a barrier in his palm. The dark red symbol on the envelope's surface suddenly came to life, twisting and struggling against the barrier as if trying to break through the restraints and burrow into his Meridians. "Don't touch it!" Grandpa Wang's tobacco pipe suddenly struck the envelope. The moment the pipe bowl made contact with the paper, the dark red symbol let out a "sizzling" sound and dissipated into a wisp of black smoke. "This is the 'Soul-Entwining Talisman' of the 'Hidden World'. Once it touches Qi Energy, it will entwine around the Meridians, and death is certain within three years!"

Lin Mo's tactical tablet suddenly popped up with emergency scan results. On the virtual screen, tiny particles of black Qi Energy were hidden within the paper fibers of the envelope, similar in composition to Grey Shadow's "Spirit-Devourer Powder," but with an added, never-before-seen "Yin-Cold Energy." The System database showed that this type of energy had only appeared in the records of the "Hidden World Chaos" in 1943, when seven Tomb Guardians went into a Qi Energy rampage after contacting people from the Hidden World. "The letter paper inside is made of human skin!" The boy's voice trembled as the tablet suddenly zoomed in on the edge of the paper, where tiny pores were faintly visible. "The Technical Department detected Qi Energy residues from three people on it, all belonging to the 'Qijue Sect' of the 'Hidden World'!"

The armored vehicle of the Special Incident Response Department screeched to a halt at the mouth of the alley. The Chief of the Execution Division rushed in holding a metal detector. When the device approached the envelope, the alarm was loud enough to make eardrums ache. "This is a 'Communication Talisman' from the 'Hidden World', containing the 'Life-Terminating Energy' of the 'Qijue Sect'." She suddenly inserted the detector into the envelope, and a set of blood-red text popped up on the screen: "'The Mount Song Martial Arts Tournament is a trap. The Hidden World has already colluded with Grey Shadow. Do not trust the ancient martial Families, and do not touch the Secret Treasure of the Underground Palace'—this is both a warning and a threat!" The Section Chief's tablet showed that three black sedans with "Hidden World" license plates appeared near Mount Song last night, and the Qi Energy fluctuations inside the cars were identical to the Yin-Cold Energy in the envelope.

In the Flower Girl's basket, the leaves of the inheritance grass suddenly turned black and withered. Dewdrops rolled on the leaf surfaces, reflecting the contents of the letter inside the envelope—besides the warning text, there was also a hand-drawn map marking the locations of the "Seven Desolations Formation" beneath the Mount Song martial arts arena, with each Formation eye labeled with the word "Death." The young girl mixed snow lotus with cinnabar. When a drop of pale gold "Evil-Expelling Dew" fell on the leaf, the blackened patterns suddenly receded by half an inch. "Elder Zhou said this is the 'Seven Desolations Energy' of the 'Hidden World'." Her fingertip lightly touched a dewdrop. "It's ten times more powerful than Grey Shadow's toxins. It can devour Qi Energy imperceptibly, like a venomous snake hiding in the shadows."

Officer Zhang's law enforcement recorder was pointed at the symbol on the envelope. The old policeman pulled up the files of the 1943 "Hidden World Chaos." In the black-and-white photos, the Tomb Guardians ensnared by the "Soul-Entwining Talisman" were black all over, their Meridians protruding from their skin like withered branches, strikingly similar to the current withered state of the inheritance grass. "Back then, the 'Hidden World' used this trick to incite internal strife among the ancient martial Families." The recorder suddenly switched to slow-motion mode. The portrait of the Qijue Sect Leader in the archives bore a subtle resemblance to the photo of the mysterious person at Grey Shadow headquarters. "They want to use the Mount Song tournament to eliminate the ancient martial Families and you at the same time, keeping the 'Muscle Tendon Change Classic' for themselves!" The recorder's playback function suddenly activated, and footage of Chen Qingshan secretly contacting the "Hidden World" last night flickered on the screen. In the wooden box they exchanged was the same "Soul-Entwining Talisman" as the one in the envelope.

When Grandpa Wang pressed the bronze fragment onto the envelope, the camphor wood chest vibrated violently. The "Secret Records of the Hidden World" at the bottom of the chest automatically flipped to the 1943 page. On the yellowed pages, the rules of the "Qijue Sect" were recorded: "Anyone who contacts Martial Artists from the outside world shall be killed without mercy; anyone who leaks the secrets of the Hidden World shall have their Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering." The old man's pipe bowl pointed to the illustration in the book. The Formation eyes of the "Seven Desolations Formation" in the drawing perfectly matched the map's markings, except for a "Tomb-Suppressing Stone" label at the center. "Your Great-grandfather relied on the Tomb-Suppressing Stone to break the Seven Desolations Formation back then." The pipe bowl suddenly tapped the envelope. "But now that the Hidden World is colluding with Grey Shadow, they must have added 'Anti-Yijin Agent' to the Formation eyes, making it ten times more dangerous than before!"

Section 2: The Hidden World Conspiracy in the Holographic Projection

When the holographic projections of the eight great ancient martial Families unfolded in the training hall again, the bluestone slabs suddenly took on an unnatural black tint. Around the edges of the Chen Family's "Taiji Dragon" totem, wisps of black Qi Energy were faintly entwined, identical to the "Seven Desolations Energy" in the envelope. Chen Qingshan's smile appeared exceptionally stiff in the projection. When he held up half of the "Taiji Secret Key," a flash of black appeared in the dark patterns on his sleeve, perfectly matching the patterns on the uniforms of Grey Shadow technicians.

"Don't believe them!" Officer Zhang's law enforcement recorder suddenly aimed at the projection. The old policeman pulled up the surveillance footage from last night, clearly showing Chen Qingshan exchanging a wooden box with a messenger from the "Hidden World." "They colluded with the Hidden World long ago. The 'Seven Desolations Formation' at the martial arts arena was set up by them together!" The recorder suddenly switched to thermal imaging mode. At the position of Chen Qingshan's Dantian, a mass of black Qi Energy was slowly spreading. He was clearly afflicted by the "Heart-Devouring Energy" of the "Qijue Sect"—a poisonous energy that would make the heart explode if one did not obey.

Chen Wu's peace lock suddenly resonated with the bronze fragment. Dark-gold Yijin Energy spread along the fragment, forming a barrier in front of the holographic projection. The black Qi Energy at the edge of the Chen Family's totem struggled violently, turning into the shape of a small snake. The bullet comments of the global live stream suddenly exploded; the golden word "Beware" sent by 180 billion viewers simultaneously formed a wall of light in the virtual space. "This is the 'Snake-Shaped Energy' of the 'Qijue Sect'!" Grandpa Wang's pipe fell to the ground. The old man pulled out the supplement to the "Secret Records of the Hidden World." According to the 1927 records, this type of energy could crawl through projections into a person's Meridians. "That's how your Great-grandfather's Junior Brother was controlled back then, eventually killing his own Disciple with his own hands!"

In the Flower Girl's basket, all the leaves of the inheritance grass suddenly pointed toward the projection. Dewdrops rolled on the leaf surfaces, reflecting real-time images of the "Seven Desolations Formation"—Disciples of the Hidden World were placing "Anti-Yijin Agent" beneath the martial arts arena. Black Qi Energy entwined the Tomb-Suppressing Stone like a spider web, and a short sword engraved with the "Qijue Sect" symbol was stabbed into every Formation eye. The young girl tossed "Evil-Expelling Dew" into the air. The pale gold light fused with Chen Wu's Qi Energy, forming a massive character for "Break" in the virtual space. "Elder Zhou said this is the 'Formation-Breaking Light'." Her fingertip lightly touched a dewdrop. "It can reverse the effect of the Anti-Yijin Agent, turning it into a 'Yijin Energy Amplifier', but it requires someone to inject Vitality Energy into the Formation eyes!"

In the tactical center of the Special Incident Response Department, the Minister was giving orders before a holographic sand table. SWAT teams had already set up three defensive lines around Mount Song. Thermal imagers showed that mercenaries from the Hidden World were disguised as Disciples of the ancient martial Families, hiding in various corners of the martial arts arena. "After the tournament begins, we will cover you with 'Qi Energy Shielding Devices'." The Section Chief's holographic image cut in with static. She pulled up an action plan. "Zhang Hao and Love will be responsible for pinning down the Chen Family Disciples. You take the opportunity to destroy the eyes of the Seven Desolations Formation, and I will go save the controlled Chen Qingshan!" The tablet showed that Li Cangsong had already secretly contacted the Special Department. His Xingyi Fist Energy could temporarily suppress the "Heart-Devouring Energy," and he was willing to act as an inside agent to cooperate with the mission.

When Chen Qingshan invited Chen Wu to Mount Song again in the projection, Chen Wu's "Yijin Energy" suddenly transformed into a streak of dark-gold flowing light. The moment the energy passed through the projection, Chen Qingshan's body jerked violently, and the black Qi Energy at his Dantian was instantly exposed. The slow-motion replay of the live broadcast showed that the "Heart-Devouring Energy" of the "Qijue Sect" was circulating through his body; as soon as Chen Wu agreed to go, the poisonous energy would be triggered. "I... I was also forced!" Chen Qingshan's voice was filled with pain. He suddenly held up the wooden box. "The Hidden World threatened me with the lives of my entire clan. The core of the Seven Desolations Formation is at..." Before he could finish, his projection suddenly went dark, replaced by a masked messenger from the Hidden World, whose voice sounded like sandpaper rubbing together: "Chen Wu, if you want to save the Chen Family, come to the Mount Song Underground Palace alone, otherwise..."

Section 3: The Choice of Life and Death at the Foot of Mount Song

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As the Special Incident Response Department helicopter carried everyone closer to Mount Song, Lin Mo's tablet suddenly flashed an emergency alert.

The "Qijue Formation" around the Martial Arts Platform had been activated, and black Qi Energy, like a massive dark cloud, shrouded the entire Mount Song, instantly devouring any Qi Energy that approached.

"They activated the Formation early!" The youth's fingertips danced across the virtual keyboard, beads of sweat from his forehead dripping onto the touchpad. "The Technical Department detected that the concentration of Anti-Yijin Agent at the Formation core is three times higher than predicted; Yijin Energy will be suppressed upon approach!"

The tablet suddenly displayed the entrance to the underground palace, showing Chen Qingshan bound at the center of the "Qijue Formation," wrapped in black Qi Energy; if the Formation core were triggered, he would be instantly killed by the poisonous energy.

Grandpa Wang's dry tobacco pipe tapped a dull sound against the helicopter window.

The old man pulled out the "Formation Breaking Records" left by his grandfather. The yellowed pages recorded the flaws of the "Qijue Formation": "The short sword at each Formation core has a 'live catch'," he said, pointing the pipe bowl at the illustration in the book, "Using the 'Elbow Strike' of Baji Fist can knock the sword down, and injecting Vitality Energy can then temporarily suppress the Anti-Yijin Agent."

Three copper coins suddenly flew out of the camphor wood chest, landing at Chen Wu's feet to form the character "Break." Dark golden Qi Energy spread along the coins, drawing a route map to the Formation core on the ground. "But someone needs to distract the Hidden World; this is a task with nine deaths and one life!"

In the Flower Girl's basket, the leaves of the inheritance grass suddenly bloomed with black flowers.

The petals formed a miniature "Qijue Formation," and as dew rolled within the stamens, it reflected a real-time image of the Hidden World envoys—they were hiding behind the Formation core, holding "Life-Taking Talismans," ready to launch them the moment Chen Wu approached.

The young girl mixed the "Exorcism Dew" with the juice of the golden thread lotus. When the pale golden "Tracking Dew" dripped onto the leaves, the black flowers suddenly lit up with red light. "Elder Zhou said this is 'Enemy-Seeking Dew'," she said, her fingertips lightly touching the dew, "It can expose the Hidden World practitioners' Qi Energy on thermal imaging cameras, just like installing a searchlight in the dark night."

The Special Incident Response Department's SWAT team suddenly went on high alert.

The Section Chief held up the "Qi Energy Shield" and ordered, "I'll lead a team to draw fire from the front, while Zhang Hao and Love provide flanking support." She suddenly shoved a button-sized detector into Chen Wu's hand. "This is the 'Formation Breaker.' Inserting it into the Formation core will temporarily shut down the Anti-Yijin Agent. Remember, you only have three minutes!"

The tablet showed that Li Cangsong had gathered the Disciples of the Xingyi Sect at the foot of Mount Song; their Xingyi Fist Energy could temporarily withstand the "Qijue Energy," buying time for Chen Wu.

As Chen Wu's "Yijin Energy" was injected into the "Formation Breaker," the helicopter suddenly dove downward.

The moment he jumped out of the cabin, the Hidden World's "Snake Form Energy" struck like a rainstorm, but it was blocked by a barrier formed by Zhang Hao's Iron Arm Power and Love's Taiji Power.

"Go find the Formation core, quickly!" Zhang Hao's roar carried ripples of Qi Energy. Although his alloy arm had been removed, his Iron Arm Fist energy was purer than before; every punch could repel the Hidden World Disciples. "We will hold this position!"

Chen Wu's footsteps sprinted across the bluestone slabs of the Martial Arts Platform.

The red light of the "Enemy-Seeking Dew" flickered before his eyes, making the positions of the Hidden World practitioners clearly visible.

As he approached the first Formation core, the short sword suddenly unsheathed itself, and black Qi Energy transformed into a snake, lunging at his face—Chen Wu's "Yijin Energy" suddenly turned into a dark golden shield, while he simultaneously used the Baji Fist's "Elbow Strike" to strike the sword hilt. With a "clang," the short sword fell to the ground, and he immediately inserted the "Formation Breaker" into the Formation core, causing the black Qi Energy to instantly dissipate.

"Two minutes left!" Lin Mo's voice came through the headset.

The tablet showed the Hidden World practitioner at the second Formation core waiting with a "Life-Taking Talisman." Chen Wu's "Yijin Energy" suddenly accelerated, transforming into a spiral drill at the moment of contact, which not only evaded the "Life-Taking Talisman" attack but also struck the Hidden World practitioner's Dantian with the linear energy of the Crushing Fist, causing the black Qi Energy to recede like the tide.

When the "Formation Breaker" was inserted into the second Formation core, the black Qi Energy on Chen Qingshan's body visibly weakened. His eyes suddenly opened, and he shouted to Chen Wu, "Watch out for the third Formation core; it contains the core of the 'Anti-Yijin Agent'!"

The Light of Legacy at the Moment of Breaking the Formation

As Chen Wu rushed toward the third Formation core, the Hidden World envoy suddenly removed his mask.

It was a face that was seventy percent similar to Chen Wu's Great-grandfather, holding a bronze sword engraved with the characters "Zhenling"—completely matching the fragment in Grandpa Wang's camphor wood chest.

"Your Great-grandfather betrayed the Hidden World back then," the envoy's voice carried a chilling coldness. "Today, I will make you pay his debt. Use your Yijin Energy to activate the Qijue Formation and let all the ancient martial arts Families be buried with you!"

The bronze sword suddenly erupted with black Qi Energy, resonating with the Anti-Yijin Agent at the Formation core. Chen Wu's Yijin Energy suddenly became sluggish, and the light of the peace lock dimmed slightly.

"You're lying!" Chen Wu's roar carried cyan-golden Qi Energy.

He suddenly pulled up the holographic projection of the "Hidden World Secret Records." The 1943 records showed that it was the "Qijue Sect" that colluded with tomb raiders, and that his Great-grandfather had united the ancient martial arts Families to suppress them. "It was you who betrayed the mission of the Tomb Guardian, and now you want to shift the blame!"

Yijin Energy suddenly erupted, and the dark golden light collided with the black Qi Energy of the bronze sword, forming a rotating taiji diagram in mid-air—the global live stream's barrage of comments suddenly paused, and ten seconds later, waves of golden "Go for it" messages bloomed like a tide.

Grandpa Wang's dry tobacco pipe was suddenly thrown down from the helicopter.

The moment the pipe bowl made contact with the bronze sword, the patterns on the fragment suddenly lit up, and the black Qi Energy of the bronze sword instantly dissipated. "This is your Great-grandfather's 'Zhenling Sword'," the old man's voice came through the Qi Energy. "Back then, he left the sword in the Hidden World to protect the ancient martial arts Families; I never expected them to use it for evil!"

The "Formation Breaking Records" in the camphor wood chest suddenly turned pages on its own, and the last line read: "To break the Qijue Formation with the Zhenling Sword, one must use Yijin Energy to activate the righteous energy within the sword." Chen Wu's Yijin Energy flowed through the pipe bowl into the bronze sword, and the sword body suddenly erupted in blinding golden light, causing the black Qi Energy to melt away like ice and snow.

When Chen Wu used the bronze sword to cleave open the third Formation core, the core of the Anti-Yijin Agent was suddenly exposed.

He immediately inserted the "Formation Breaker" while using Yijin Energy to activate the righteous energy of the Zhenling Sword, and the black Qi Energy turned into specks of light filling the sky amidst the golden radiance.

The "Heart-Devouring Energy" on Chen Qingshan's body completely dissipated. He suddenly broke free from his restraints and used Taiji Power to repel the surrounding Hidden World Disciples. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been threatened," he said, handing half of the "Taiji Secret Key" to Chen Wu. "The middle volume of the 'Muscle Tendon Change Classic' in the underground palace requires both the Zhenling Sword and the Secret Key to open!"

The Special Incident Response Department's SWAT team seized the opportunity to launch a full-scale attack.

The Hidden World Disciples lost their ability to resist in the golden light, and Grey Shadow's mercenaries were also subdued by Zhang Hao and Love. The Disciples of the eight great ancient martial arts Families turned against them one after another, joining the SWAT team to clear the battlefield.

Lin Mo's tablet showed that the number of online viewers for the global live stream had exceeded 20 billion, and the barrage of comments was filled with uniform messages of "traditional martial arts is invincible." A defector from the Hidden World left a message: "The Qijue Sect has long since abandoned its original intention; we are willing to surrender and guard the Legacy together!"

In the Flower Girl's basket, the leaves of the inheritance grass suddenly returned to a vibrant green.

Dew rolled on the leaf surface, reflecting the image of the underground palace entrance—the Zhenling Sword and the Taiji Secret Key were inserted into the stone gate simultaneously, and dark golden light spread along the patterns. The stone gate slowly opened, and a holographic projection of the middle volume of the "Muscle Tendon Change Classic" flickered inside.

The young girl sprinkled the last drop of "Exorcism Dew" into the air. The pale golden light fused with Chen Wu's Qi Energy, forming a huge character for "Harmony" on the ground. "Elder Zhou said this is 'Guardian Light'," she said, her fingertips lightly touching the dew, "It makes all evil energy afraid to approach, just like installing a protective shield for the Legacy."

As Chen Wu and Chen Qingshan walked side by side into the underground palace, the setting sun stretched their shadows out long.

The golden light of the Zhenling Sword and the dark gold of the Yijin Energy intertwined, forming a complete character for "Martial" on the ground—the final frame of the global live stream froze at the moment the middle volume of the "Muscle Tendon Change Classic" unfolded; the text on the pages turned into specks of light filling the sky, landing in the palms of every Martial Artist.

As the final notification from the System popped up, the Special Incident Response Department's helicopter slowly rose into the sunset.

The Section Chief's tablet showed that the Hidden World's "Qijue Sect" had been completely destroyed, and the remaining Disciples were willing to join the ancient martial arts Families to jointly guard the traditional martial arts Legacy.

Chen Wu suddenly understood that the warning from the "Hidden World" was not a source of fear, but a mirror that allowed him to see the truth—the real danger was never the unknown forces, but the compromise of abandoning one's original intention when threatened.

In the barrage of comments on the global live stream, a line of uniform text suddenly appeared: "Guard your original intention, what is there to fear from the Hidden World."

This message was simultaneously lit up by 20 billion viewers, like a river of light crossing the darkness, flowing forever above the underground palace, illuminating the new journey of protecting traditional martial arts.

As moonlight washed over Mount Song, on the bluestone slabs of the Martial Arts Platform, the patterns of the Zhenling Sword and the Taiji Secret Key were slowly merging, forming a brand-new character for "Guard," as if telling an eternal truth: the true Legacy is never about avoiding danger, but about choosing to protect the light while facing the darkness.