Ji Wushi, the Tongbai Twin Wonders

The Righteous Qi Sword now possessed the Golden Saber's domineering grandeur.

As the Golden Saber Sect's Fundamental Law, the Golden Saber Secret Art was not inherently inferior to the Nurturing My Sword Style or Xiyi Swordplay. It could only be said that those who practiced the saber lacked the aptitude to cultivate the Golden Saber Secret Art to perfection.

Once perfected, saber qi would arise on its own, capable of cleaving gold and severing jade, unstoppable against all.

Ji Shu closed his eyes, turned his gaze inward upon the Righteous Qi Sword, and began creating a new art once more.

Whenever an art reached perfection, he would use his Supreme Comprehension to observe the Righteous Qi Sword in his Dantian and create new techniques.

This time was no exception.

Before long, the Righteous Qi Sword Art had fused the essence of the Golden Saber Secret Art into itself, becoming more versatile, with a higher ceiling.

Even the essence of the Turtle Breath Technique began to be fused into the Righteous Qi Sword Art.

This made the Righteous Qi Sword Art even more concealed.

When he drew his sword, it could suppress the sound of its ring and take an enemy's life in utter silence.

"Supreme Comprehension. Truly extraordinary. Fusing essences and creating new arts—it's actually this simple."

Ji Shu let out a long breath, feeling even greater anticipation for the future.

Once this Five Peaks Alliance Assembly ended,

he would go out and see this martial world for himself.

He wanted to obtain more secret manuals of swordplay, saber arts, fist arts, and the like, become a true supreme master, sweep across the world, and ascend to the very pinnacle!

With two Supreme Talents, Ji Shu's courage and ambition grew by geometric leaps. As a hot-blooded man, who did not dream of becoming a great hero of the martial world?

Ji Shu fell asleep.

In his dreams,

he instinctively used the Turtle Breath Technique, sleeping through Inner Breathing.

It was a lingering effect from the previous attack.

He feared someone might poison him. His vigilance was cranked to the limit!

And the facts proved

that he had not been wrong.

In the dead of night.

Ji Shu suddenly heard people speaking.

He woke at once and pricked up his ears. He heard someone say:

"Ji Wushi. Are you sure your poison gas will work?"

"My poison was certified by the killer-physician Ping Yizhi. Colorless and odorless, it only takes a moment to make someone collapse, unconscious and insensible! Just now, we used the gale to pour all that poison gas into this Inn. Wherever the poison gas passes, even savage beasts cannot withstand it and will collapse unconscious—let alone people?"

"If so, let's move faster. Find Ji Shu first, kill him, cut off his head, and claim credit from Zuo Lengchan."

"I'm not killing Ji Shu for Zuo Lengchan. It's only because I owe a Player a favor. Besides, Ji Shu kills without restraint in broad daylight. He is a great demon. If we do not kill him now and leave him for the future, I fear even more people will die."

Ji Shu sprang up, his toes touching the ground. His Lightness Skill and Turtle Breath Technique activated at once, and he drifted silently to the window like a breeze.

Through the crack in the window, he saw more than a dozen people standing outside the Inn. Their appearances and temperaments differed, but without exception, they were all martial arts experts!

The leader had refined features and a scholarly bearing. Holding a Folding Fan, he looked like a noble young master. Judging by his voice, he should be Ji Wushi.

Beside Ji Wushi stood several others.

One was blind in his left eye and wielded a golden crutch: Zhou Gutong. Another was blind in his right eye and also used a golden crutch: Wu Baiying. These two were the Tongbai Twin Wonders.

Besides them, there was also a familiar face: Cong Buqi, inheritor of the Sword Sect.

With a sharp sword in hand, he seemed somewhat impatient.

"I think the time is about right. We should be able to make our move."

"Mm."

Ji Wushi waved his Folding Fan and chuckled.

"You go ahead. I'll keep watch here."

Cong Buqi gave it no further thought and rushed straight into the Inn.

The Tongbai Twin Wonders and the others followed in quick succession.

Ji Shu turned, gently opened his door, and, bolstered by his inner power and the Turtle Breath Technique, moved as nimbly as a swift cat. Silently, he reached the entrance to the second-floor corridor. When Cong Buqi's group charged onto the second floor, he suddenly struck. His sword was like Death's scythe, like a shooting star in the night. Amid swishing sounds, the throats of Cong Buqi, the Tongbai Twin Wonders, and the others were swiftly slit.

They died too quickly. The man at the very back only had time to let out a cry of alarm before his neck was cut open.

Hearing the cry outside, Ji Wushi instinctively sensed something was wrong and turned to flee.

But Ji Shu had already reached the first floor and pursued him with the speed of a gale sweeping the earth.

"How is this possible?!"

Ji Wushi glanced back and saw Ji Shu. His eyes widened, his face full of disbelief. So long as one inhaled a single breath of that poison gas, one would faint unconscious. To knock out Ji Shu, he had deliberately used several times the usual amount. Forget just a few people like Ji Shu—even an entire army could have been knocked unconscious! Yet Ji Shu was still alive and kicking?!

Whoosh!

Ji Shu was incredibly fast. One moment, he was still inside the Inn; the next, he was less than twenty zhang from Ji Wushi. Seeing that he was about to be caught, Ji Wushi suddenly scattered a handful of poison powder toward Ji Shu. Blown by the wind, it drifted down in a great cloud, covering Ji Shu's path.

Ji Shu held his breath and leaped several times, evading it.

At the same time, without a second thought,

he flicked his wrist and activated the Fairy Scattering Flowers secret technique. A Dart shot forth like a Cloud-Piercing Arrow, cutting through the poison powder with a sharp whoosh and streaking straight toward Ji Wushi's back!

Ji Wushi could not evade in time. The Dart struck his back. With a muffled grunt, his entire body flew forward against his will, before crashing heavily onto the ground with a bang.

"A hidden weapon?!"

A burst of agonizing pain rushed to Ji Wushi's head, making him suck in a sharp breath. From so far away, that hidden weapon still possessed such terrifying force. After striking him, it had even sent him flying uncontrollably. How profound was this inner power?

"Such powerful inner cultivation!"

Ji Wushi tried to rise, but the inner force contained within the hidden weapon was devastating. In an instant, it burrowed into his five viscera and six bowels, churning them until his head spun. Unable to hold back, he spat—Pfft! A spray of blood shot from his mouth.

Swish!

By then, Ji Shu had already avoided the poison powder and arrived a short distance before him.

"Ji Wushi? Which Player sent you to kill me?"

His question struck straight at the heart of the matter.

Ji Wushi understood.

"Y-you overheard our conversation?! You weren't poisoned! Th-this is impossible!"

His face turned deathly pale, unable to believe it.

Ji Shu asked again.

Ji Wushi still stared at Ji Shu in a daze.

But Ji Shu's eyesight was exceptionally keen. By the hazy moonlight, he saw Ji Wushi's hand moving toward his chest. Did he intend to pull something else out and launch a sneak attack?

Ji Shu frowned, spun his wrist, and threw toward Ji Wushi's neck. The Mount Hua Sword traced an arc through the air—Pfft! It plunged straight into Ji Wushi's throat, pinning him dead to the ground.

Ji Wushi's hand froze. Eyes wide, he stared fixedly at Ji Shu. Resentment, unwillingness, vexation, regret, attachment, confusion, shock... the emotions in his eyes were complex beyond measure!

The richness of his emotions before death was plain to see.

Ji Shu could not be bothered with what he was thinking. Only after confirming that he was thoroughly dead did he step forward, grip the hilt, and pull the sword free.

Pfft!

Blood spurted out.

Ji Shu dodged aside and used Mount Heng Swordplay. With several swift slashes, he cut open Ji Wushi's clothes, causing several bottles and jars, gold and silver, and a booklet to fall out.