Watching this scene, Jiang Shuo's heart stirred. A bold guess came to mind, and the panic in his eyes gave way to resolve.
Jiang Shuo didn't retreat any farther. The enemy stood still, looking somewhat wary. After a brief standoff, the enemy finally lost patience and struck first.
The disciple named Rong Yan let out a shout, drew the long saber at his waist, and slashed at Jiang Shuo. Perhaps influenced by his master's unease, what should have been a fearsome blow lacked a little force.
Jiang Shuo stood at the edge of the ancient well, silently channeling True Qi into his palm. As Rong Yan's saber came down, Jiang Shuo bent at the waist and moved forward instead of back, slipping past the blade as it skimmed over his head. In the same instant, he broke through Rong Yan's center line and came right up to him.
Jiang Shuo's sudden burst of speed took Rong Yan by surprise. Rong Yan was horrified to realize that he'd let his guard down and left his center open. He was likely about to suffer a grievous injury. He hurriedly flooded his body with True Qi, but Jiang Shuo suddenly wrapped both arms around Rong Yan's waist like a street brawler, leaving his own back completely exposed.
Rong Yan was so taken aback that he froze for a moment. Then he understood, and thought contemptuously, So he's just some third-rate nobody. He doesn't even know the most basic fist-and-foot techniques. He must have rushed over and grabbed me in a panic because he was afraid to die. I was worrying over nothing.
Having wasted his perfect chance to attack, Rong Yan had already decided Jiang Shuo's skill was worthless. He raised his hand and twisted his wrist, turning his saber around as its hard hilt rose high. If he brought this blow down, he could snap Jiang Shuo's spine and cripple him for good.
Suddenly, Jiang Shuo's palm pressed against Rong Yan's back.
A moment later, an immense suction force welled up from Jiang Shuo's palm. The True Qi protecting Rong Yan's body crumbled on contact, and a steady stream of it poured out from his back.
At its first trial, the divine art's strange suction force swept onward without resistance, coursing through Rong Yan's extraordinary meridians before plunging straight into his Dantian.
It was as if a water bucket had sprung a leak in its base. The True Qi in Rong Yan's Dantian drained away at a terrifying rate.
"What... what's happening?!" Rong Yan had never encountered anything so bizarre. He froze on the spot, forgetting even to resist.
By the time he realized Jiang Shuo was behind it and tried to break free, there was barely any True Qi left in his body. He was already too weak to fight back.
Rong Yan was like an emptied-out sack. His saber hilt came crashing down, but it landed feebly, without the strength to do Jiang Shuo the slightest harm.
His weakened True Qi could no longer restrain his blood. Rong Yan felt the blood in his body boiling and his internal organs turning upside down, as though he were about to be burned to ashes.
As Rong Yan weakened, Jiang Shuo grew stronger. Rong Yan tried to shove him away by brute force, but Jiang Shuo didn't budge. It was like an ant trying to shake a tree, or a mantis raising its arms to stop a chariot. That was when Rong Yan realized how weak he'd become.
Desperate, Rong Yan tried to call for help. The moment he opened his mouth, Jiang Shuo clamped a hand over it, having anticipated the move. Then Jiang Shuo hooked a leg behind Rong Yan's, yanked him hard with his arms, and sent him toppling forward. Rong Yan's head struck the stone slabs with a heavy thud. Blood poured from his split scalp, and moments later, he stopped breathing. He had been thrown to death.
Blood from Rong Yan's wound ran over his wide-open eyes. He died with his eyes still staring.
Whether during the chase or their fight, there was no doubt that Jiang Shuo had been weaker than Rong Yan. Even that strange technique might not have caught Rong Yan off guard if he'd been on guard. Given how thoroughly he'd had the advantage, being killed like this was a cruel injustice.
The disciples who had chased after them froze at the sight of Rong Yan's corpse.
For Rong Yan, the whole ordeal had been a long torment. To the others, it had happened in the blink of an eye.
When Rong Yan raised his saber, almost everyone had thought Jiang Shuo would die beneath that blow. Then, in the space of a flash, the situation abruptly reversed.
Everyone had been certain that Rong Yan would kill Jiang Shuo. By the time they realized something was wrong, it was too late to intervene.
Someone had indeed died, but that someone was Rong Yan.
"What... what kind of demonic art is this?" Even Shen Biao, the most skilled among them, couldn't see through its mysteries.
Jiang Shuo stood beside the ancient well, his face expressionless. The corpse at his feet made him seem unfathomably mysterious.
For a moment, the Mad Saber Sect disciples looked at one another, none daring to approach.
Shen Biao remained where he was, his expression shifting as he considered the situation. If Jiang Shuo were truly skilled, he wouldn't have run earlier. As long as I don't let him discover that secret, I can definitely take him down.
"Get him! Cut him to pieces!" Fearing that the situation might change if they delayed, Shen Biao ordered them to surround Jiang Shuo. Four disciples charged forward at once.
Saber light flashed as the four disciples surged toward Jiang Shuo, murderous intent in their eyes.
At the sight of them, Jiang Shuo seemed to falter. He actually jumped back, leaping over the stone slabs covering the ancient well and landing behind it.
The Mad Saber Sect disciples thought he was trying to escape, and their confidence soared. They all leaped after him, intent on cutting him down.
But Jiang Shuo didn't flee after landing behind the well. He bent down and planted both hands on the stone slabs. Just as the enemy were suspended in midair, Jiang Shuo heaved the slabs open, revealing the well's deep, dark shaft. Then he shouted, "Senior Mo!"
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