Hongchen Swordplay

After the aftermath had passed, the Ice Fire Poison Horn Deer stood there in a sorry state, the patterns on its body constantly flickering. Unfortunately, its recovery could not keep up with the rate at which it was being injured.

Seeing this, Meng Hongchen threw out another ten tokens, and the Fixed Soul Tool Cannons began charging again.

Seeing this, the Ice Fire Poison Horned Beast could no longer care about its injuries and charged toward Meng Hongchen. It could not let those iron lumps fire another shot.

Meng Hongchen advanced instead of retreating. As the Ice Fire Poison Horn Deer drew closer and closer to her, Yue grew increasingly frantic.

Calling Xiao Ka out for help was not realistic either. She now shared Soul Power and spiritual power with him, and even if she came out, she would have no ability to fight.

Yue Hongchen struggled to stand. He recalled the Hongchen Swordplay that was just one step away from perfection.

At once, memories of Meng flashed before his eyes like scenes from a revolving lantern. The first thing she had said was to call him brother. No matter where he went, she had always followed behind him. When Grandpa punished him, she would stand in front of him. In front of him, she had always been obedient. When she was tired, she would call him brother; when she was hungry, she would call him brother; when she was sleepy, she would call him brother; when she was bored, she would tease him... His panicked heart gradually calmed.

"That's right. How could I have forgotten? At the beginning, all I wanted was to live out this life safely and peacefully with her.

"When did this thought change? Was it when I first displayed my talent with Soul Tools? Or when I told Grandpa the thoughts in my mind and received his praise? Or perhaps..."

He looked at the sword in his hand. "It was when my Martial Soul Awakening gave me the desire to fight for a place."

"But at the beginning, I only hoped that the person who followed me whether there was something to do or not, and who stood by my side no matter what, could live on safely."

A red aura flew through the air and sank into his body.

"Get lost!"

Yue Hongchen raised his sword and stomped hard. In the blink of an eye, he stood in front of Meng.

"Brother..." Seeing Yue's battered body, Meng's nose stung, and tears streamed uncontrollably from her eyes.

"I'm here. I won't let anyone hurt you. Just wait here." Yue Hongchen spoke gently.

Meng obediently nodded, but the Fixed Soul Tool Cannons in the air continued charging, ready to fire at the Ice Fire Poison Horned Beast at any moment.

When Yue looked at the Ice Fire Poison Horned Beast again, the emotions in his eyes vanished in an instant.

The Indomitable Fate Crown in his hand changed once more, and a scarlet sword appeared in his grasp.

Yue Hongchen raised his sword and swung it. The Hongchen Sword collided with the poison horn, producing a crisp ring.

The Ice Fire Poison Horned Beast snorted disdainfully, then its eyes widened in terror.

The aura from the Hongchen Sword grew stronger and stronger. Then its enormous body was sent flying, dragging a bloody trail across the ground in its miserable fall.

After the Ice Fire Poison Horned Beast got back to its feet, it panted heavily and glared furiously at Yue Hongchen. The Soul Power within its body surged toward its poison horn with all its strength.

It knew it could not survive. Even in death, it would drag the two people before it down with it.

The ice-fire patterns on its body seemed to ignite. A vortex of ice and fire, far more powerful than before, gathered between its brows.

Its enormous head moved, and two dragon shadows flew out of the vortex.

Yue Hongchen walked forward unhurriedly. Looking at the blue and red dragon shadows, he casually swung the sword in his hand. The instant two red sword qi struck the twin dragons, they transformed into the purest energy and returned to the world.

Seeing this, the ice-fire vortex merged into the poison horn atop its head, dyeing the horn blue and red.

It charged toward Yue Hongchen at full speed, the poison horn on its head repeatedly colliding with the Hongchen Sword. Under the fierce impacts, the hard poison horn gradually filled with cracks.

The Ice Fire Poison Horned Beast's roar shook the surrounding trees. Its cracked poison horn carried the power of the Ice-Fire Extremes and collided with the Hongchen Sword once more, exploding into ice shards and sparks that flew everywhere. It completely ignored the frenzied consumption of Soul Power within its body. Its four hooves struck the earth, raising a vast cloud of dust, while its enormous body, like an uncontrolled mountain, crushed toward Yue Hongchen without the slightest fear of death.

Yue Hongchen's feet were firmly planted on the ground. Scarlet Hongchen Qi swirled around him, and every slash of his blade brought with it a searing red glow.

Fierce light surged in the Ice Fire Poison Horned Beast's eyes. The ice-fire patterns around its body suddenly blazed with dazzling radiance. They seemed to come alive as they traveled along its body, finally converging completely in the poison horn atop its head. The cracked horn abruptly erupted with blinding blue-and-red flames, and a terrifying pressure far beyond what had come before spread with a boom.

"Roar!"

The giant beast let out an agonized roar and voluntarily detonated the remaining source of Soul Power within its body. In an instant, the poison horn shattered inch by inch. The fragments carried the annihilating power of the Ice-Fire Extremes and transformed into countless sharp streaks of light that shot toward Yue Hongchen from every direction.

"Now is not the time for you to die." Yue Hongchen watched it coldly as the aura of the Hongchen Sword in his hand suddenly rose.

"Hongchen Swordplay, First Form—Ask the Heart."

Yue Hongchen merely swung the sword simply, and a gentle sword intent entered the Ice Fire Poison Horned Beast's body. At the same time, Hongchen Qi formed a shield around Yue Hongchen. Yue hurriedly retreated to Meng's side and held her tightly in his arms, shielding her.

At once, its raging Soul Power was soothed, and with no Soul Power feeding the poison horn fragments, their power suddenly plummeted.

"Clang, clang, clang!"

The crisp impacts of the fragments against the shield came down like dense rainfall. The scarlet shield trembled violently, yet the Ice Fire Poison Horned Beast's desperate strike did not pose the slightest threat to Yue.

After being struck by Ask the Heart, the Ice Fire Poison Horned Beast had already sunk deeply into its memories, returning to the day buried deepest in its mind—the day it least wanted to face.

The First Form of Hongchen Swordplay, Ask the Heart. If one's conscience was clear, this sword posed no threat at all. But as long as one was alive, there would be something hidden deep within the heart that one was unwilling to face.

"Go." Yue released Meng from his arms. The Ice Fire Poison Horned Beast could not hold on much longer. If she did not act now, there would be no Soul Ring left.

Meng nodded and quickly walked up to the Ice Fire Poison Horned Beast.

As for the Ice Fire Poison Horned Beast, it was already at the end of its strength. Its huge body swayed, and the poison horn atop its head completely turned to ashes. The ice-fire patterns around its body rapidly dimmed. The ferocity had vanished from its eyes, but it remained tormented by Ask the Heart.

Meng Hongchen finished it off cleanly. Perhaps she had been venting her anger, because even Yue Hongchen found her method somewhat cruel. However, he said nothing. The strong preyed on the weak; this was simply the law of survival in this world.

A black Soul Ring emerged. Meng sat cross-legged on the spot, and her Soul Power drew the Soul Ring toward her.

Seeing Meng begin absorbing the Soul Ring, Yue sat down beside her and began treating his internal injuries while remaining alert to his surroundings.

The disturbance just now had been so great that it would definitely attract quite a few Soul Beasts.

The ten Fixed Soul Tool Cannons were still there. At the same time, Yue took out ten Level Seven Fixed Soul Tool Cannons. Just as he was about to activate them, a terrifying aura came from the distance, accompanied by a streak of red light shooting into the sky.

"Looks like there's no need." Yue smiled and put away the Fixed Soul Tool Cannons. At the same time, he canceled the charging of the Level Six Fixed Soul Tool Cannons. The unfinished ones could not be canceled, but these were not unfinished.