Beneath the Mask

As for the remaining one percent that she's unsure about, she either avoids the topic or uses tactful language to steer the conversation away from it, thus creating the impression that she can perfectly read minds.

"So that's how it is..."

Si Ming looked at Yu Shuying. Although she didn't admit it, judging from her reaction, what the other party said was probably true.

How did you know all this?

Contrary to her usual behavior, Yu Shuying, who had remained silent despite verbal attacks, finally spoke up.

Wei Chunxi smiled, bowed, and said, "The leader of the Remote Heaven Society, 'Fushi Qingcang,' asked me to convey his greetings to you. Are you getting used to the abilities bestowed upon you?"

Since meeting Si Ming, Yu Shuying had never shown any expression other than a cold smile, but at this moment, her rage was as fierce as a thunderbolt.

Where is Fushi Qingcang?!

As she spoke, Yu Shuying flicked her wrist, and the whip, like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, instantly transformed into seven or eight whip shadows, converging towards Wei Chunxi as if to capture him alive. At a glance, it was impossible to distinguish which one was the real whip and which one was an illusion. Each one seemed real, yet all of them appeared to be illusions, dazzling and mesmerizing, making it difficult to extricate oneself.

"How can a wise man be so easily provoked by his opponent?"

Wei Chunxi chuckled, his soft sword flashing out to meet the attack head-on. Layer upon layer of sword shadows appeared, overlapping and dense like a whirlwind, even surpassing the whip shadows in number. For a moment, silver light danced wildly, and the wind swept away the clouds. After blocking all of Yu Shuying's attacks, he still had the strength to counterattack. Before the swords even arrived, their sharp aura burst forth, piercing the skin and sending chills down one's spine.

"The people of the Remote Heaven Society deserve to die!"

Instead of retreating, Yu Shuying advanced, pushing off with both feet and soaring into the sky to avoid her opponent's sword shadows. Then, from her high vantage point, she lashed out with her whip in mid-air. The whip suddenly became as straight as a spear, piercing the air with a hissing sound like arrows cutting through the air, and shot down from mid-air.

Whip techniques are primarily based on striking, coiling, and wrapping, but this whip strike, delivered from mid-air, was as sharp and fierce as Swordsmanship.

Seeing this, Wei Chunxi flicked his soft sword, producing a metallic crackling sound as the blade coiled upwards, binding Yu Shuying's whip like a python constricting its prey.

Those who use whips employ Swordsmanship, while those who use swords employ whip techniques.

Yu Shuying urged her to increase her strength, wanting to pierce her opponent's chest in one go, but a shock force emanated from the soft sword, surging up along the whip in waves, one after another, like rolling tides, becoming stronger and stronger.

The whip, straight as a spear, suddenly trembled, emitting a continuous trembling sound. It could no longer maintain its rigid state. Yu Shuying's hand trembled slightly, and her body was thrown back as if struck by a heavy blow.

On the other side, Lin Qingtong also engaged in battle with the others. The heavy Collapse Sword was wielded by her with lightness as a feather and speed as lightning, showing no clumsiness and demonstrating extraordinary skill in handling heavy objects with ease.

The heavy sword, combined with the "Wenlin Formless Art" technique, generated a fierce wind like a beast's roar. Its strength was no less than that of Sword Qi, and Sword Qi could never achieve such thickness and coverage. It was as if Lin Qingtong was protected by a sword wind. Anyone who wanted to attack her would first have to break through this nearly two-meter-thick "Wind King Barrier".

With Lin Qingxiang's cultivation level, he was forced to stay away from the enemy. If he forced his way in, he would be injured before he even touched the enemy. Zhu Hao was also seriously injured and lost the ability to fight head-on. Only Si Ming, with his Jade-Clad Dharma Body, ignored the sword wind and rushed in to start a close-quarters battle.

Ding ding ding ding!

Each clash of fists and swords produced a loud, resonant tremor. The two fought with brute force, yet Si Ming found himself at a disadvantage, forced to retreat step by step. This was the first time since he had cultivated the Jade-Clad Dharma Body that he had lost to his opponent in terms of strength.

"Tch! They lost because of their weapons. If I also had a heavy weapon, the outcome would be uncertain."

The strength of a person is also greatly related to their weight. Si Ming was unarmed, while Lin Qingtong was wielding a large sword weighing over a hundred pounds. It would be difficult for Si Ming not to suffer a loss.

Zhu Hao looked around, picked up a heavy object, and tossed it through the air.

"Then, we'll have to make do with this!"

Si Ming reached out and took it, feeling its considerable weight. Looking down, he saw it was a large bench vise.

Isn't this thing for men's pleasure? Can it be used in combat?

He gave a wry smile, knowing that these were the only tools available in the factory, and there was no room for complaint; he would have to make do with what he had.

"Heavy Hammer Sparks!"

Si Ming used the large vise as a hammer, smashing it against the Collapse Sword. The powerful force reverberated outwards, sparks flew everywhere, and echoes reverberated. He and Lin Qingtong were both knocked back three steps.

"Evenly matched? No, your body isn't as durable as mine!"

They were roughly equal in strength, but Lin Qingtong only had one arm that was metal, while the rest of her body was still "flesh and blood." When she was hit by the recoil force, her Qi and Blood would inevitably churn, and she would need time to recover, while Si Ming did not.

His body is much stronger and can withstand more impact. Ultimately, the "Jade-Clad Dharma Body" mainly enhances defensive capabilities, while strength is merely a secondary benefit, which is also increased due to the improvement in physical attributes.

Si Ming recovered first and rushed forward, unleashing the "Nine Earth-Shattering Hammers" technique. He wielded the vise with great force, constantly clashing with Lin Qingtong's Collapse Sword, creating bursts of sparks.

Relying on his physical advantages, he ignored the counterattacks and launched a continuous offensive, keeping Lin Qingtong firmly under control while he pondered how to break the deadlock.

"I'll keep her occupied; you guys deal with Wei Chunxi first."

Although Lin Qingxiang really wanted to subdue his sister himself, the battle between the two was too violent, it was like an ancient battle between fierce generals, like Lü Bu fighting Li Yuanba, they were incredibly fierce, the force of the wind alone destroyed the surrounding machinery to pieces, at first glance, everyone's style was different.

If he were to get involved with his frail physique, he would likely be seriously injured and cough up blood in no time. Therefore, he could only change his target and help Yu Shuying deal with Wei Chunxi.

Chapter 255 Under the Mask

Lin Qingxiang wanted to join forces with Yu Shuying to quickly take down Wei Chunxi, and then turn around and help Si Ming deal with Er Mei. This tactic was not wrong, but it encountered difficulties in actual execution.

Wei Chunxi was not as easy to deal with as imagined. His offensive skills were only third-rate, but his defensive skills were first-rate. His cultivation was also stronger than expected, and his Internal Cultivation had reached level eleven. His eleven-level internal strength was protected by a soft sword that moved erratically, like hundreds of silver ribbons dancing, blocking Yu Shuying's whip and Lin Qingxiang's Xiaolian at least half a zhang away.

Lin Qingxiang unleashed the Illusory Moth Sword Art, his sword moving like a whirlwind, a dragon, a snake, or lightning, thrusting upwards towards the Big Dipper and diagonally towards Orion, yet he still struggled to break through his opponent's defense.

The best way to overcome such a defense would be to use Lin Qingtong's heavy sword to directly break through it head-on, regardless of whether the defense was impenetrable or not, and forcefully smash through the defense. However, Lin Qingxiang did not possess such power.

The three fought back and forth for half an hour. Lin Qingxiang felt his internal True Qi draining away like quicksand. He knew he couldn't suppress the poison and that if he continued fighting, he would soon run out of energy. He had to take advantage of the remaining strength to defeat his opponent.

He forcefully unleashed a Sword Qi, forcing Wei Chunxi to retreat. At the same time, he circulated his internal energy, pouring all his essence, qi, and spirit into the sword, condensing a soaring and fierce Sword Intent.

"Illusory Moth Sword Tribulation!"

Just as One Sword strike powerful enough to injure Spirit Transformation Grandmaster was about to unleash, Wei Chunxi revealed an expression of long-awaited anticipation. He casually struck Yu Shuying with a palm, then lightly tapped the sword, producing Anomalies ringing sound.

"The Sick Sword Elegy!"