Such Surging Sword Intent

Everything had happened far too suddenly, and the scene was far too chaotic.

Lu Qingqiu, Lou Siyi, and Sun Zhiqiao could not yet make sense of what had happened, but they had already drawn their swords and slashed at the evil spawn, intending to save their two companions first.

But what the three had not expected was that someone else was hidden within the night.

The instant they drew their swords, a swordsman swept his blade sideways. Amid thunderous force, the chilling edge thrust straight toward Lu Qingqiu's throat.

This sudden swordsman was not at a higher realm than Lu Qingqiu, but his advantage lay in how utterly unexpected his arrival had been.

At that moment, the young lady of Yun Province truly felt death closing in.

In that brush with life and death, Lu Qingqiu felt pain in her shoulder and was violently yanked away. With her eyes wide open, she saw Ji You flash over and take her place.

Then a thunderous punch shot straight at the swordsman's chest, carrying the force of an iron fist.

The swordsman immediately withdrew his sword to counterattack, only to find that his opponent had seemingly anticipated it. Ji You instantly shifted his angle, and only then did his fist force fully erupt, splitting the wind as it came down and smashing the wrist that was drawing back the sword.

"A... feint?"

"How did he know how I would withdraw my sword?"

Before the swordsman could recover his senses, the Mountain Shaking Fist shed its overwhelming force and slammed across his chest, sending his entire body flying backward as blood spilled from his mouth.

Ji You led Lou Siyi and Sun Qiaozhi back to their original position. His blood and qi surged wildly, crashing incessantly through his body.

He had previously discussed with Instructor Wang how to deal with being outnumbered.

The best solution was a surprise attack: take out one or two of the enemy's fighters first, then tip the scales of the battlefield back.

Though that swordsman's realm was not high, he had clearly killed countless people and understood this principle well.

After emerging, the target of his sword had not been the three women, but one of them. He had wanted to take a life first.

Ji You had thus used Lu Qingqiu's position as cover and launched a surprise attack just like him, forcing the other party to withdraw his sword in defense.

As for how he knew the angle at which the sword would be withdrawn, allowing his fist force to snap the man's wrist so precisely, that was thanks to his countless sparring sessions with Instructor Wang.

Otherwise, Instructor Wang would not have been tired like an old dog, yet refused even a tael of silver.

This was an iron fist worth a tael of silver!

At this moment, Lu Qingqiu, Lou Siyi, and Sun Qiaozhi sat sprawled on the ground. Looking at the man before them, covered in spiritual radiance with fist intent arcing like a rainbow, they could not help but stare in astonishment.

Because just moments ago, they had been saying martial arts were ultimately only a minor path. Yet now, it was as though they had seen a god descend.

Meanwhile, atop the city walls and along the empty streets, quite a few cultivators traveling beyond their sects had begun gathering here.

They had originally been drawn by the earlier thunderstorm, but now they widened their eyes because of that single punch that had defeated an enemy.

"How was his reaction speed so fast? He even judged how the opponent would withdraw his sword?"

"He cultivates both martial arts and the Dao..."

The traveling disciple from Spirit Sword Mountain was a woman named Bai Xi, and she herself was a sword cultivator.

Hearing a confused question from a Chen Clan Immortal Family disciple beside her, she answered in a low voice.

However, most of the traveling cultivators gathered here were only in the lower three realms. After all, those in the upper five realms were devoted to cultivating the Dao and would not wander the streets every day.

Seeing a Dao Integration Realm expert, even if they had kind intentions, they did not dare step forward to help.

Ji You paid no attention to the others and raised his eyes to assess the situation.

That Dao Integration Realm expert attacked viciously, his fists and kicks moving like dragons and tigers, but that was not the most fatal point.

Ban Yangshu and Ji Qirui had both entered the upper five realms. They could observe the wind and dance around it, and their speed in evading attacks was not slow. But what was fatal was the Lightning Law constantly interwoven with the fists and kicks, its speed and destructive power both terrifyingly high.

If the other party had not deliberately concealed techniques that could reveal his identity and only used Lightning Law, the two of them might not have lasted until now.

Even so, after several collisions, both were already covered in wounds.

On the other side, the thing called an "evil spawn" had not fled. Instead, it stared at him with blood-red eyes, its gaze brimming with killing intent.

In an instant, Ji You recalled the posture it had used when lunging to grab someone. He realized its first target had not actually been Lu Qingqiu, but himself, standing beside her.

"Everyone, lend me your swords."

"Use mine!"

The three women who had just withdrawn from the battlefield immediately rose and offered their swords.

Because they all moved from the same angle, the sword hilts collided with one another, making the three women flush slightly.

But what they had not expected was that Ji You made no choice at all. With a sweep of his hand, the three swords rang out and flew from their sheaths at once.

Lu Qingqiu's high-grade spirit sword landed in his hand, while the other two were lifted by spiritual energy and hovered three feet above his head, trembling with clear sword cries like phoenix calls.

At the sight, baffled cries rose through the street. Even Bai Xi of Spirit Sword Mountain wore a face full of confusion.

Though she was a sword cultivator, she had never seen anyone wield a sword like this.

The next instant, the white-clothed bandit wielding a sword charged out like a ghost. Explosions of qi burst beneath his feet like thunder, shattering the stone bricks into fragments as he rushed at the evil spawn.

Bai Rulong and Qian Yunxiao had already had their throats crushed in its grip. Their faces were deathly pale, and just as they thought they were about to die, they were thrown to the ground.

When they looked up again, they saw sword light rolling before them like layered waves.

Clang!

Ji You flooded the sword with spiritual energy, slashing, thrusting, wiping, and cutting. The evil spawn met him with both claws, producing a series of metallic crashes as sparks flew in every direction.

Then, amid a wild surge of Killing Intent, a pitch-black hand tore through the wind. Ji You blocked it with his sword, then spiritual energy roared beneath his feet as his body spun violently and his sword traced a circle.

He did not know what an evil spawn was, but he could sense that it was immensely strong—even stronger than himself, who practiced martial techniques every day.

Strong and swift, the two grew more frenzied the longer they fought.

Ji You poured overwhelming spiritual energy into his sword and swept it horizontally. Gradually, he broke free of the sword forms carved into his mind. His sword moved with his heart; lifting, snapping, intercepting, slashing, and wiping all flowed as naturally as clouds and water.

"His sword intent is rising!"

"What surging sword intent..."

"How could this man be a disciple of the Celestial Academy? He should join our Spirit Sword Mountain! Once his five-year term is over, I am willing to petition the sect to invite him into Spirit Sword Mountain!"

"Uh... he seems to be Ji You."

"Ji You?"

"The one who stepped on Chu He and viewed the Heavenly Book some time ago. Yes, it must be him. He's the only one who cultivates both martial arts and the Dao..."

As discussions continued beneath the night sky, a piercing scraping sound suddenly rang out from the battlefield. Everyone looked over and froze in horror.

The evil spawn extended its long nails and, amid the frenzy of sword light, actually locked Ji You's blade tightly in place.

This was bad!

With the blade locked, he could only contend with his body. But given the strength of this evil spawn's fleshly body, Ji You held no advantage at all.

"Indestructible Diamond Body?"

"Is it only in its arms?"

Ji You suddenly reached up and plucked down the second sword hovering three feet above his head. Driving it with spiritual energy, he sent it slashing across toward the creature's shoulder!

The evil spawn let out a shriek, terror blooming in its eyes. It immediately leaped backward to flee, while the sword it had locked shot straight across toward its head!

At that very moment, the white-clothed bandit wreathed in spiritual radiance drifted in, his iron fist driving straight into its chest.

Bai Xi, standing in the street, abruptly widened her eyes. Looking around, she found everyone else equally dumbstruck.

So this was how the sword three feet above one's head was used. In a moment too swift to cover one's ears, it suddenly moved—a deadly surprise attack!

But where was the third sword?

(Writing this stuff was really exhausting. No wonder Dedication Mistake was wrong. Please vote with monthly passes, please keep reading... orz)