Why do I have so many masters?

She didn't know where the problem lay, but the sense of unease grew heavier, her heartbeat gradually turning low and deep, almost like war drums. This unease persisted until a sharp, faint sound came from beside her, and she instinctively turned to look.

The teahouse owner uneasily grabbed the boiling copper teapot, scorching her palm. The teahouse inn, which should have been damaged by the vigorous qi, remained intact. The thirty-year-old woman with a plump body saw her glance over, and with some fear, her hand holding the teapot trembled slightly.

The stove outside the teahouse still burned quietly, steadily breathing red-tinged flames. A drop of tea fell, the flames flickered, then leaped up suddenly.

The sense of unease finally expanded to the limit.

Crash!

A light sound suddenly rang out.

Xiao Runlin's expression slightly changed.

The girl's eyes suddenly became sharp as she turned to look forward.

A hand stretched out from the air current, along with a slightly drooping sleeve that paused for a moment, then casually swept across. As lightning flowed and fire scattered, the so-called sword qi and blade light were reduced to sleeve dust, shattering inch by inch.

Facing the enormous qi mechanism that even a Fourth Rank Martial Artist dared not take head-on, the sleeve remained spotless. As it passed, it rolled like a tide, the folds of the sleeve revealing delicate light patterns, like a discreet mountain forest.

The airwaves, refusing to dissipate due to the overwhelming spiritual rhyme mechanism, easily dispersed with that single sleeve.

The young man, wearing a dark blue front-closing long coat over his vigorous attire, still stood in place. The ground around him had been shaved several feet deep, yet the three-foot radius he occupied remained untouched, vibrant grass perhaps fresh as new beneath the hem, teeming with life.

The young man lightly pinched the helmet with his left hand, slightly pressing it down, while his right hand retracted and stood upright before his chest. The dark blue sleeve fell, and an archaic string of Buddha Beads hanging from his wrist swayed gently in the wind as he said softly:

"Amitabha..."

Xiao Runlin's sharp gaze looked downward, Wang Anfeng's feet still exactly where they had been, not moved a fraction. This action was like a mountain, casting a shadow in the hearts of everyone from Sword Forging Valley.

So what if there are many people?

So what if there is divine weapon qi mechanism?

Could it possibly make me move even a single step?

The words spoken lightly before resounded anew in their hearts.

This road,

is blocked.

This behavior, in the most peaceful, most domineering, and most direct manner, imprinted itself like a scorching brand into the hearts of all the disciples of Sword Forging Valley. Some retreated, some were terrified, and some were furious as if mad.

Xiao Runlin's expression changed, then fell silent. His right hand extended, drawing out a spear from the side of the mount under him, crimson like flames. The girl behind suddenly strummed a lute, the sound clear, abruptly exploding. At the same time, an unknown number of silver lights erupted forth, shooting out in all directions like stars in the sky.

The sound of the lute changed, and all the launched hidden weapons altered their course, aiming at Wang Anfeng. If Wang Anfeng didn't want to be shot full of holes, he would have to move his feet, and simultaneously, Xiao Runlin urged his mount forward, the spear in his hand spinning and thrusting.

Both moves carried the genuine divine weapon qi mechanism, vast as the sea.

The hidden weapons came first, constantly changing with the melody of the lute, like silver threads slicing through the surrounding space's view. In terms of the changes of hidden weapons, among the martial artists Wang Anfeng had seen, none surpassed this.

Not even he himself could.

He excelled in various martial arts, and with any weapon in hand, he could consistently exhibit the strength of a Fifth Rank Martial Artist, but it was all just techniques, with only his swordsmanship and fist technique showing some promise.

The fundamental mastery was due to his exceptional talent, all meridians interconnected, later enhanced by the baptism of Blood Ginseng, resulting in boundless inner strength.

Wang Anfeng's expression was calm, his pupils reflecting the brilliant and intricate changes of the silver lights, like stars. Each seemed to hold a thousand subsequent changes, combining to produce even more breathtaking turns, a hidden weapon technique not seen even in Copper Man Lane.

Admiration and acknowledgment rose in his heart, then he lifted his right hand and pressed down lightly.

All the hidden weapons suddenly halted, and all changes became mere illusions.

In just another breath, hundreds of hidden weapons fell completely to the ground, clinking softly. The woman on horseback turned pale, struggling to endure, spat out fresh blood as a thought surged in her heart. She wanted to speak, but that mouthful of blood blocked her throat, delaying her.

The crimson spear had pierced the air, spinning forward, its blade aimed directly at Wang Anfeng's heart. Its might was tremendous, but like those hidden weapons, it halted in front of him.

Xiao Runlin let out a long cry as he attacked, the spear in his hand transforming into a blaze of fire. His renowned horse neighed thunderously. Accompanied by a faint crisp sound, the spear's tip thrust out, breaking through a wall of qi.

The suppressed Divine Weapon energy was triggered in this instant, like flowing fire.

This single thrust was enough to pierce through an entire mountain peak.

Yet it could not part the falling black veil; a hand gripped the spear shaft behind the blade, halting it three inches before Wang Anfeng, unable to advance further.

Xiao Runlin's eyes held a hint of joy. Holding the spear in his right hand, he slapped the spear handle with his left.

With a piercing, fierce roar, the vast and ferocious Divine Weapon energy surged forward along this superior named spear.

Divine Weapons are among the most aggressive types of qi in the world. Xiao Runlin waited for this thrust to succeed, but his cold smile lasted only a brief moment before it disappeared.

The hand gripping the spear remained steady, the Buddha Beads swayed slightly, as the Divine Weapon energy seemed to pour into the sea, leaking outwards. Xiao Runlin sensed something amiss and tried to retreat rapidly, but the power coming from the spear tip was unimaginably enormous. No matter how much he and his horse exerted their full strength, no matter how they maneuvered their qi mechanism, no matter how they neighed like thunder, they could not move.

Behind him came the sound of a startled girl.

"Watch out!"

Then came the second sentence.

"He's a Grandmaster!"

In Xiao Runlin's eyes, disbelief appeared.

In Sword Forging Valley, 'Grandmaster' has two meanings, and at this moment the presence of the Qilin represented the second kind, a top martial artist of the Jianghu wielding Divine Weapon energy, equivalent to Great Qin's Pillar of the State.

Xiao Runlin had no time to struggle. Wang Anfeng grabbed the spear, his palm quivering slightly, and both man and horse were slammed to the ground. The sound of the dragon horse's neighing was mournful and panicked as Xiao Runlin used his movement technique, landing on his feet, immediately noticing the enormous force slowly pressing down from the spear shaft, almost unbearable, causing him to half-kneel on the ground, the surface cracking in large sections.

Wang Anfeng raised his hand again, sending both man and spear flying backward, caught by several disciples of Sword Forging Valley behind him, once more unable to resist coughing out a mouthful of fresh blood. Struggling free from the support of those behind him, he staggered forward, half-kneeling on the ground, head bowed, clasping his hands to salute:

"Thank you, senior, for sparing my life."

Behind him, the disciples of Sword Forging Valley dared not slacken, all dismounting and bowing.

Wang Anfeng had no intention of killing these people. Seeing this, he withdrew his right hand, turned, and walked into the tea house. No one blocked his way in front, going straight to his previous spot, as the wine seller momentarily froze and then reacted.

He uttered an "ah" and bent down, rummaging through his pole for items.

Only with difficulty did he find a black wine jug a few sizes larger than the usual one. Opening it, the aroma of wine rose, mixed with a light floral scent, but when pouring wine, he trembled so much he couldn't hold the tool.

The words 'Grandmaster,' he naturally did not hear, but he clearly saw the changes just now.

His mind was a whirlpool now, preventing any thought.

Thinking of that lightning and thunder, his wrist couldn't help but tremble, and the wine jug almost fell to the ground. Wang Anfeng helped him up with one hand, then took the large ladle for pouring wine, the clear wine flowing into the jug, filling it entirely, hanging the jug at his waist, slightly bending to express thanks.

The wine seller seemed bewildered and confused. Wang Anfeng smiled and said:

"Thank you for the warning earlier."

"Ahead lies a long road; take care yourself and head home early today for the Double Ninth Festival."

Then, he turned and walked out, adjusting his straw hat, not glancing at the eleven men kneeling on the ground, walking toward the distance. Around him, the electric and thunder fire dissipated, the ground charred, yet there was a lush clump of wild grass, his dark blue tunic slightly moving, his pace serene as he walked away.

A restrained air encapsulated him, for some reason, not dissipating but gradually thickening.

PS: presenting today's double feature...