However, while Zhao Tianyang's divine sense avatar was occupied dealing with the Misty Sword Embryo, his connection to the Whale-Beard Sword's Primordial Spirit suddenly snapped. Looking again, he saw a golden sword in the previously empty sword case. It had returned inside.
Lu Xiaotian breathed a sigh of relief and raised a hand to retrieve the Hidden Sword Case. Zhao Tianyang's Primordial Spirit was no weakling; capturing the flying sword had nearly exhausted the divine sense stored within the case. Still, taking the fellow's Whale-Beard Sword had been worth it.
With his opponent deprived of his flying sword, Lu Xiaotian used the Misty Sword Embryo to force Zhao Tianyang back. He had no intention of getting tangled up with him or kicking him while he was down. Instead, he summoned the Bat King's Dharma Wings again, recalled the Misty Sword Embryo with a wave, and sped off through the air. Though he had caught Zhao Tianyang by surprise and gained some advantage, his opponent was still an unparalleled powerhouse who had grasped the true essence of metal. Lu Xiaotian had only struck while Zhao Tianyang was unprepared, relying as well on the Hidden Sword Case's strange abilities.
If they kept fighting in earnest, defeating a powerhouse of this caliber would be no easy task, even if he controlled the true essence of metal less adeptly than Xiang Kuang had. Staying would be far too dangerous. Besides, Zhao Tianyang was the only one who had appeared so far. The other Nascent Soul powerhouses of the Zhao Clan—or the people Xiang Yihang had recruited—could show up at any moment.
"I never would've guessed you had a treasure that could take flying swords, too. Fine. Let's see just how long you can hold out." Despite losing the Whale-Beard Sword, Zhao Tianyang remained unfazed.