Chapter 1 An Unfathomable Answer

Faced with this person's inexplicable answer, Zhao Yun and Jian Jun Shi Er Hen both found it difficult to respond.

Jiao's reaction was actually...to immediately deactivate his Musou Awakening state and take a large step backward. "Damn it... consider yourselves lucky today! I'll settle this debt sooner or later!" After uttering those harsh words, he turned and sprinted away, fleeing into the distance.

Jiao was also a rather intelligent person. Right now, all the demon soldiers he led had been wiped out by Zhao Yun, and he was fighting three against one (he didn't even consider Xiao Tan a threat, so he wasn't counted), which was obviously unfavorable. It was better to retreat quickly before he got injured, otherwise... if he continued to fight like this for a while, he might not even be able to leave.

"Are we just going to let him go?" Xiao Tan seemed to want to chase after him, because he felt... that eliminating this person was essential to prevent future troubles.

"Valiant one, as the saying goes, don't pursue a cornered enemy..." Zhao Yun replied. "Let him go."

General Zhao was very good at speaking, saying "Let him go" as if they were letting Jiao off the hook. But in reality... given the current situation, they had no choice but to let him go.

Not to mention that Jian Jun's hands had not fully recovered, Zhao Yun himself... had sustained some damage in the battle with the demon soldiers.

If Jiao retreated while fighting, entangling and wrestling with them, they wouldn't gain any advantage either.

"Uh... okay." Upon hearing this, Xiao Tan didn't say much more. Among the four present, he was clearly the weakest; he had hardly played any positive role in the battle just now; under these circumstances, he was too embarrassed to clamor about chasing after him.

"By the way, I am Zhao Zilong from Changshan..." Zhao Yun then looked at the man who had scared Jiao away. "May I ask for your name..."

"Are you okay?" Unexpectedly, that person completely ignored Zhao Yun, walked straight to Jian Jun Shi Er Hen, maintained that smug, punchable look, and said with his eyes closed, "Are you okay? Miss. Alright! Don't ask me... you better not ask me! You must never fall in love with me, because a wanderer doesn't need women, wanderers are very lonely..."

The moment Jian Jun heard the address "Miss," he was stunned. He really didn't know what expression to use in response... He wanted to say something, but the other party was talking to himself, not giving him a chance to interrupt.

"Okay... goodbye, Miss." That person continued, "Eh? Do you seem to want to say something? If not, I'm leaving... I know what you're thinking, but we are people from different worlds... we are impossible. Just think of me as a cloud passing through your heart... just remember that..." With those words, he turned around, his long robe fluttering in the wind, leaving behind a figure that concealed his achievements and fame. "Alas... another girl is going to cry for me, I am truly an amazing man! Wahahahaha..."

He hadn't gone far when this guy let out a goofy laugh, which made his forced coolness from a few seconds ago seem even more low-class...

"Jian Jun... aren't you going to say something?" Zhao Yun moved two steps sideways and came to Jian Jun Shi Er Hen's side, asking in a low voice.

"No need..." Jian Jun replied softly with a pained expression. "Since he's already gone... just let him go..."

Jian Jun was indeed a disciple of Confucianism, his behavior was extraordinary. In this situation, if he were to say, "Brother, I am a man," the scene would definitely become extremely awkward. It was better to remain silent and let the other party leave...

As the saying goes, a moment of patience brings calm and tranquility, a step back keeps you away from cringiness.

"However... come to think of it..." Zhao Yun continued, "Jian Jun, your hairstyle..."

"It's easy to cause misunderstandings, isn't it..." Jian Jun replied.

"Yes..." Zhao Yun nodded.

"You two!" At this moment, Xiao Tan jogged up to the two of them. "Thank you both for your help."

"Valiant one, you're too polite." Zhao Yun replied. "All enemies of Orochi are my friends."

"May I ask..." On the other side, Jian Jun looked at Xiao Tan, wanting to ask his name.

"I am Wang Tanzhi," Xiao Tan also looked at Jian Jun. "May I know your honorable name, great hero?"

"Great hero is too much, Jian Jun Shi Er Hen... just a man who asks about the sword." Jian Jun replied.

"So you're Brother Jian Jun, my respects..." Although Xiao Tan didn't recognize Jian Jun, judging from the art style, he knew that the other party should be a character from *Pili Puppet Show*; and from his appearance, demeanor, and poem, he could roughly guess what kind of person he was.

"By the way, do you two... know how to get to Demon City?" After exchanging pleasantries, Xiao Tan asked a more practical question.

"Demon City?" Zhao Yun looked doubtful.

"Uh... it's the place where the martial arts tournament is held," Wang Tanzhi added.

"Oh~ you mean Gu Zhi Castle." Zhao Yun replied.

"Ah, yes, yes, yes, Gu Zhi Castle." Xiao Tan hurriedly responded. He had been a bit too casual in saying "Demon City." After Zhao Yun reminded him, Xiao Tan realized that the city should be called "Gu Zhi Castle."

"Brother Wang, you're going to Gu Zhi Castle... could it be that you're also going to participate in that 'Musou Martial Arts Tournament'?" Jian Jun asked.

"Yes, I'm going." Xiao Tan nodded very firmly.

Upon hearing this, Jian Jun immediately turned his head and exchanged glances with Zhao Yun. Although they didn't speak, their expressions made everything clear—they both thought Xiao Tan was going to his death.

"Alas... forgive me for speaking frankly..." Jian Jun thought for a moment, deciding that he should be the one to say the unpleasant words. "Brother, I don't doubt your determination to challenge Orochi, but... do you have the confidence to pass the threshold of that martial arts tournament?"

"Huh?" Xiao Tan was also quite honest. "Threshold?"

"So you didn't know? No wonder..." Zhao Yun revealed a look of sudden realization. "Valiant one... to participate in the martial arts tournament, you need to pass a test."

"Oh?" Xiao Tan immediately asked. "What test?"

...

At the same moment, outside Gu Zhi Castle, Musou Plain.

This place originally had no name, because it was a piece of land that appeared after Orochi twisted space-time.

No one knew when, but people had already started calling it that...

In the gloomy clouds, a demonic castle floated in the air. Below the castle... was yellow earth, withered rocks, bleak winds, and broken bones...

Rivers of magma crisscrossed this wasteland, and bridges made of huge chains and iron bars spanned the fiery rivers, forming transportation hubs.

Broken weapons, the wreckage of vehicles and supplies, dried-up skeletons, and so on... decorated this desolate land.

"Beneath the serpent demon's castle lies the graveyard of peerless heroes."

Musou Plain had witnessed too many earth-shattering and moving battles, too much death and separation...

On this day, a solitary and cold figure appeared before a fiery river suspension bridge.

This bridge was one of the four paths leading to the "Musou Martial Arts Tournament Arena" beneath Gu Zhi Castle. The bridgehead was heavily guarded... In addition to more than five hundred demon soldiers and five garrison captains, there were also three demon generals: Bai Bai Mu Gui, Niu Gui, and Tie Shu.

The names of these three were all taken from Japanese monster legends, and their prototypes had all appeared in the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons. However, as generic demon generals, their designs obviously followed the forms of the *Musou Orochi* game.

First, let's look at Bai Bai Mu Gui. Although his name is "Bai Bai Mu Gui" (Hundred-Eyed Demon), he actually only has one eye on his face.

His head... looks very much like EVA Unit-01 from a distance, but there are still some differences... His skin and armor are gray, while EVA is purple; also, EVA's head armor is embedded in the head, while he wears a detachable unicorn helmet; in addition... Bai Bai Mu Gui's helmet has a brim that extends in a fan shape all the way to the back of his head, and there is a leather-made hem under the brim.

In terms of physique, Bai Bai Mu Gui is much "slimmer" than Jiao. He has a slender ninja physique, with long legs and a thin waist, his posture is enchanting, basically a famine version of Fuma Kotaro. His equipment is also relatively light. Apart from the large metal pauldron on his right shoulder, he has almost no particularly thick armor, mainly cloth and bandages. There is also a tattered crimson belt around his waist that flutters in the wind, which is quite stylish.

Next, let's look at Niu Gui.

He is also a "mismatched" guy, because his head is completely a huge wild boar head... If you have to say what relationship he has with a cow, it is that the tusks on both sides of his mouth are different from normal wild boar tusks, and they grow upwards like cow horns.

His physique is very simple to describe, four words—"broad shoulders and thick waist." This guy is a typical power-type demon general, tall as a giant, estimated to be over three meters tall, with thick upper limbs comparable to tree trunks, holding a wolf fang club thicker than a person. Apart from two gauntlets with sharp teeth and a chain around his waist, he has nothing that can be called armor. Obviously... with his skin as thick as a city wall, he doesn't need any armor to protect him.

Finally, let's look at Tie Shu.

He... looks exactly like Jiao.

There's no helping it, he's a generic character... As mentioned earlier, the character models are not unique, and even the voice actors are the same person. If they didn't announce their names, it is estimated that only people within the demon army would know how to distinguish them...

Okay, now that we've introduced the demon generals, let's take a look at the person who's trying to cross the bridge...

A neat and fitting outfit, an ancient longsword at her waist, a lithe and graceful figure, and a chilling murderous aura like ice and snow.

A horizontal wind swept past, raising a faint dust, and the person seemed to walk out of the mist, but her aura... made it impossible to look away.

"Who goes there?" As she approached, a garrison captain standing at the bridgehead held up his shield (garrison captains are equipped with shields, while soldiers usually only carry weapons) and shouted loudly.

"I want to participate in the martial arts tournament." Ruo Yu did not answer the other party's question, but instead stated her purpose.

Her tone was cold, and her eyes were also cold. For a moment, the garrison captain felt at a loss, not knowing how to respond.

"Another one is here..." At this time, Tie Shu's voice sounded, and he slowly walked over from the bridge. "Let me see..." He sized Ruo Yu up and down as he walked, "I don't recognize you."

"So what?" Ruo Yu replied.

"Lord Orochi has already given the order..." Tie Shu's attitude was also quite calm. "The one-on-one combat strength of those who come to participate in the martial arts tournament must not be too bad, otherwise it will be too anticlimactic... So, we have to be responsible for keeping those miscellaneous fish out." He paused for a moment. "If I knew you and had some understanding of your strength, I could naturally immediately decide whether or not to let you cross the bridge. Unfortunately... I don't know you..." He turned his head and glanced at Bai Bai Mu Gui and Niu Gui in the distance. "Brothers, have you seen this guy before?"

Neither of them spoke, but silently shook their heads.

"Well..." Tie Shu looked at Ruo Yu again and said, "Then there's no way... you have to prove your strength first before you can pass."

"Is cutting you down a form of proof?" Ruo Yu asked this question in a calm tone, without thinking.

"Hehe..." Tie Shu sneered. "Don't worry... I haven't finished speaking yet..." He raised his hand and pointed behind him. "You can choose one of us as your opponent. As long as you can fight ten moves with any of us without being defeated, you can cross the bridge." As he said this, he still looked very relaxed. "Of course... if you can really cut me down, that would be even better. No one else will make things difficult for you, and they will immediately let you cross the bridge. Because... Lord Orochi likes the strong the most."

The demon generals under Orochi are not afraid of death. As long as Orochi is still alive, they can be resurrected by the power of the Demon King, so they all have a bit of a "seeing death as going home" attitude.

"Then I'll choose you." After listening to the other party's words, Ruo Yu replied in a rather impatient tone. "Can I cut you now?"

"Hehe... good choice, I'm the weakest of the three of us." Tie Shu laughed and raised the spear in his hand, adopting a fighting stance.

*Chi Ying—*

What responded to him was the sound of a sword cry.

The soul intent moved, and the sword's edge arrived.

From the very beginning, Ruo Yu used the advanced application of [Limit Efficiency]—[Restricted Burst], releasing her right hand.

This sword was fast, accurate, and heavy.

The sword's edge fell from a perfect angle, simple and direct, with great skill appearing simple.

There were no superfluous techniques, nor external sword qi. All the power was concentrated in the sword body.

*Paang—*

With a metallic clang, the spear rose, and the demonic figure retreated.

After one move, Tie Shu's expression changed drastically, and he retreated several feet. His trembling hands and the cold sweat on his forehead were all proclaiming the power of the sword just now.

Bai Bai Mu Gui and Niu Gui, who had been uninterested in the distance, also instantly perked up and looked warily at the woman holding the sword.

"Just what is this guy..." Tie Shu thought to himself in shock, still in shock after regaining his posture. "If I hadn't instinctively blocked it with my spear, that sword just now... would have cut me in two..."

In this script, the demon generals under Orochi are mostly knowledgeable. They have fought against many experts from different universes and planes, and have died at the hands of those people more than once. The demon generals would have an impression of any slightly powerful character. Therefore, after receiving a move from Ruo Yu, Tie Shu was particularly surprised... This female swordsman was at least a quasi-first-rate expert, how could he not recognize her?

"I see..." Ruo Yu's voice interrupted Tie Shu's thoughts. "Stronger than I imagined... I might not be able to cut you down within ten moves."

"You... don't get carried away!" Ruo Yu's attitude made Tie Shu feel a nameless fire rise in his heart. "I was just careless just now, as long as I get serious..."

"Don't be stubborn~" Suddenly, another voice joined their conversation, and said playfully, "Even I can see that you're scared to death~"

"Who is it?" The voice came from Tie Shu's side, and Tie Shu at this moment was like a frightened bird, and the slightest disturbance made him extremely nervous.

"Ningning Ninpō!" But upon hearing a delicate cry, two cold glints were brought out.

Tie Shu's reaction was also not slow, and he immediately waved his spear continuously, knocking down the two shurikens that were shot at him.

"Tch... an annoying guy came." When the figure of the other party flashed out of the shadows, Tie Shu already knew the identity of the other party.

In the next second, a female ninja wearing a white, tight-fitting short shirt with silk nets on her hands and feet appeared in front of everyone. She opened her mouth and said to Ruo Yu, "Yo~ this girl, your skills are really good, how about we travel together?"

Her tone sounded very charming, with a strong older sister vibe, but her appearance looked like a maiden; clear short hair, a fiery figure, and even her voice was delicate. It was hard to imagine that such a "cute" woman was set to be a cold ninja.

Ruo Yu looked at the other party, considered it for two seconds, and then... "Okay." gave a concise reply.

"Hehe... this child doesn't seem to like talking much." Ningning said with a smile.

After saying this, she turned her head and looked at Tie Shu again: "Hey, you annoying ghost over there, can you let us pass? Our strength should be enough to participate in the martial arts tournament, right?"

What she said was right, but... Tie Shu was already angered by them, and he had to save face.

"Hmph... you're very confident." Tie Shu said coldly, "Just a spy, it's okay to do assassinations and eavesdropping, the martial arts tournament is a direct contest of strength... what are you doing here?"

"What's it to you?" Ningning replied. "Are you going to let us pass or not?"

"What if I don't?" As Tie Shu said this, he waved his hand back. The hundreds of demon soldiers understood and took the opportunity to spread out their formation and forced their way over...

"What? Are you going to disobey your king's orders?" Ningning asked.

"Ha..." Tie Shu laughed, and he imitated the other party's older sister tone and replied, "What's it to you?"

"You..." Although Ningning was angry, she didn't dare to fight against so many demon soldiers.

Just as she was considering whether to call Ruo Yu to retreat together... A poem came from the horizon...

"Raising my head, I see a thousand distant hills, whistling and proud among the winds; where can I find an opponent to discuss swords with, the higher one climbs, the colder it gets."