Su Changqing watched the menacing Ye Tian and suddenly chuckled.
"I, Su Changqing, stormed Mount Zhenwu alone and slaughtered one hundred and twenty-four bandits from Tianfeng Village. Yet some villain leaked my whereabouts to the Western Depot, nearly getting me killed!"
At those words, everyone froze. Behind them, Ye Ronghuo's body trembled.
He was the one who had leaked the news.
The current Su Changqing was someone he could no longer afford to provoke. If Su Changqing could cut down Jiang Tianfeng, he could kill him with a single slash as well.
Jin Yichuan narrowed his eyes slightly at the two of them but said nothing.
"How ridiculous! You're arrogant and have offended countless people. First my brother, then Chen Mo, then Iron Claw Flying Eagle—who in the entire Suppression Bureau doesn't know?" Ye Tian sneered.
"Since you know I have offended so many people, what difference does adding you, Ye Tian, make?" Su Changqing said indifferently.
His voice was firm and resounding, echoing thunderously through the great hall.
Su Changqing simply did not care.
There was first the matter of Ye Ronghuo between him and Ye Tian, then the grudge of stolen opportunity.
The two could not be reconciled. It was something fated in the unseen.
Nor did Su Changqing have any intention of easing relations with him.
He wanted to see who that eunuch was.
But he wanted even more to kill Ye Tian!
Then there would be no future trouble.
"Iron Claw Flying Eagle has not appeared since he left the Suppression Commissioner's hall ten days ago. You are cruel by nature—perhaps you were the one who killed him!"
Ye Tian spoke coldly, stomping his foot hard enough to nearly shatter the bluestone floor beneath him.
The Spring Embroidered Saber left its sheath. His innate true qi condensed into Blade Aura, shrieking through the air as it slashed toward Su Changqing.
"Good!" Su Changqing laughed.
He stamped one foot, sending the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade beside him flying into the air before it dropped neatly into his hand.
Holding the great blade crosswise, he chopped down at the leaping Ye Tian with crushing force.
This slash could uproot mountains, its momentum piercing the nine heavens.
Profound Heaven True Qi attacked without defending, tyrannical beyond compare!
Ye Tian's face changed. If he took that blow head-on, even his Spring Embroidered Saber would likely be cleaved in two.
"Damn dog!"
He hurriedly leaped up toward one of the massive pillars in the hall.
The Azure Dragon Crescent Blade merely brushed against the Spring Embroidered Saber, yet Blade Aura scattered in every direction.
Like a hunting falcon ready to seize its prey, he hung upside down from the giant pillar, his cold, sharp eyes fixed firmly on Su Changqing.
"Why won't you draw the Frost Snow Saber? Does the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade think it can bully me because my blade is shorter?"
"If I wish to kill you, why would I need Frost Snow?" Su Changqing chuckled.
Using the Four Seasons Cloud Falling Steps, he rushed after Ye Tian. The great blade danced in his hands, its Blade Aura overwhelming, making him seem like a god of war.
An inch longer, an inch stronger.
On Mount Zhenwu, he had repeatedly fallen into a disadvantage while fighting Jiang Tianfeng because of this very reason.
Had the Purple Blood Soft Sword not wrapped around the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade and tricked Jiang Tianfeng into fighting at close quarters, the outcome would have been uncertain.
But now, he had the longer weapon!
Using length to bully a shorter weapon felt truly satisfying.
Su Changqing's black hair flew loose as he attacked fiercely. Three consecutive slashes cleaved through the massive pillar, cutting it in half and shaking the entire hall.
Ye Tian gritted his teeth and retreated again and again. Su Changqing's Profound Heaven True Qi was simply too tyrannical; he could not take it head-on at all.
Everyone in the hall stared in shock, nearly rooted to the spot like clay statues.
"Commander Ye has been famous for so long, yet Commander Su can actually force him into such a state?"
"Ye Tian is strong, but Su Changqing is even stronger! His true qi is a mutated true qi. Though he has yet to condense a Phenomenon, it is enough to gain the upper hand against opponents of the same realm." Zhou Chu drew a deep breath.
"Both of them are prodigies under my command." Jin Yichuan narrowed his eyes and gently stroked his beard.
"Su Changqing, do you dare fight me at close quarters?" Cold sweat poured down Ye Tian's forehead as he roared.
"Why wouldn't I?" Su Changqing laughed, lowering the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade and planting it at his side.
Ye Tian's eyes narrowed at once. He leaped down, his black saber hurtling toward Su Changqing's forehead.
Blade Aura blazed brightly, shrieking as it tore through the air.
Su Changqing's eyes sharpened. He extended one hand, and a faint golden glow covered his fair palm.
Indestructible Vajra Divine Art!
He actually grabbed the Spring Embroidered Saber. A clang rang out, and blood sprayed from Su Changqing's palm where it had been slashed.
Ye Tian's face immediately changed. Su Changqing's body was actually this powerful?
He had wanted to split Su Changqing's skull, but he had not even managed to sever his palm?
What was that faint golden light?
Ye Tian tried to pull his blade back and retreat, but Su Changqing gripped it tightly.
"Didn't you say we would fight at close quarters?" Su Changqing looked at him.
The Frost Snow Saber left its sheath, ice crystals blooming one after another as the temperature throughout the hall suddenly dropped.
Tyrant Blade! Death God Slash!
Su Changqing brought his blade down. Blade Aura tore through the sky and surged straight toward Ye Tian.
Ye Tian's face went pale with fright. He no longer cared about the Spring Embroidered Saber, releasing it as he hurriedly retreated.
If he held on any longer, he would die!
The slash grazed past his shoulder, but its Blade Aura tore open his Flying Fish Robe. Blood splashed into the air.
The hall floor was split into pieces by that Blade Aura, displaying the tyrannical might of Profound Heaven True Qi.
Ye Tian looked back, his face deathly pale and touched by fear.
He was actually no match for Su Changqing in even a single exchange.
What secret did Mount Zhenwu hold? That should have been his!
Unfortunately, Su Changqing would not tell him.
Ye Tian threw back his head and roared before fleeing for his life.
"Where do you think you're going?" Su Changqing laughed, but did not pursue him.
Instead, he held Ye Tian's Spring Embroidered Saber horizontally in one hand and hurled it out.
The Blade Aura was dazzling and horrifying!
Again—Tyrant Blade, Death God Slash!
With this strike, Ye Tian would undoubtedly die!
At the critical moment, Jin Yichuan finally acted. He would not stand by and watch one of the Deputy Thousand Households he had just appointed die.
His strength was extraordinary. His long saber left its sheath and collided with the deadly flying blade.
The Spring Embroidered Saber streaked through the air and plunged deeply into the ceiling of the hall, hanging from a beam with a piercing hum.
"Thank you, Commander Jin."
Ye Tian took a deep breath, stopped where he was, covered the bone-deep wound on his chest, and cupped his hands.
"Su Changqing, once I recover from my injuries, I will fight you again!"
This battle thoroughly woke Ye Tian up. He possessed the Seven Orifices Exquisite Body and had been born with the Nine-Orifice Snake Phenomenon.
Su Changqing's movement technique was slightly inferior to his, but Su Changqing had fought Jiang Tianfeng, Scarlet Blood Scholar, and other powerful opponents in blade combat. Battle-hardened through countless fights, Su Changqing far surpassed him.
Whether in weaponry or close-quarters combat, he had lost utterly.
He could still cultivate the Nine-Orifice Snake Phenomenon.
In the future, he could crush all opponents at the same realm and kill Su Changqing with ease.
Su Changqing's gaze tightened as he watched him. He said nothing and merely cupped his hands slightly toward Jin Yichuan.
"Commander Jin, this man nearly got me killed by those eunuch dogs. I acted only in self-defense."
Jin Yichuan nodded slightly and smiled. "You are both prodigies of my Suppression Bureau. Losing either one would be a great loss. What is Iron Claw Flying Eagle? His death is of no consequence. But if one of you dies, Commander Zuo will likely fight me to the death when he returns."
Su Changqing cupped his hands slightly, turned, and left, sighing inwardly.
What a pity. He had failed to kill Ye Tian this time.
He had no intention of revealing the Indestructible Vajra Divine Art before everyone. He had merely condensed a layer of golden light over his palm to seize Ye Tian's Spring Embroidered Saber.
There were many similar martial arts techniques. Upon reaching the third transformation of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill, golden light would gather around both hands, making them indestructible and immensely powerful.
Tiedan and Gu Santong had a grudge over a wife.
He could reveal his Profound Heaven True Qi. If the moment became critical, he could reveal the Black Tortoise Phenomenon as well.
But no matter what, he could not expose the Indestructible Vajra Divine Art...
Before you continue