Slaughter

"Kill!!!"

At Shen Yutang's command, more than twenty guards in close-fitting clothes immediately charged forward, their blades flashing as they closed around the three of them.

Pei Qingyan, who had been quiet until now, struck first. His thumb pressed against the hilt and nudged it forward.

"Clang—!"

A faint ring of steel sounded across the field.

The long saber, Frost Scar, finally left its sheath!

A bone-chilling streak of white flashed past. The three guards at the very front suddenly stiffened, their expressions freezing in place.

In the next instant, fine red lines appeared across all three of their throats.

"Pfft!"

Blood burst forth like fountains! Three heads tumbled to the ground. Only then did their headless bodies sway twice before collapsing.

One slash, three lives!

Qin Jue's gaze sharpened as he looked at the long saber in Pei Qingyan's hand.

Its blade was black, but a faint layer of white frost clung to its edge, radiating a piercing chill. The three wounds were smooth as mirrors; even the blood had frozen for an instant before spurting out.

"Fine blade," he praised inwardly. "At least a mid-grade Mundane Artifact."

"Holy crap! Old Pei, that was way too fast! Leave some for me!"

Tang Xiaoman yelped from the side. His usual grin vanished, replaced by a fierce expression. He stamped the ground with the seemingly ordinary black leather boots on his feet.

"Thud!"

Mountain Stomping Leg—Shocking Mountain!

The earth seemed to tremble beneath that one stomp. The ground cracked at once, sending a ring of dust into the air. Drawing on the terrifying rebound force, Tang Xiaoman shot forward like a ghost. His body twisted impossibly in midair, and his legs lashed out like a storm!

The three guards charging at him felt their feet go numb. Before they could steady themselves, countless leg-shadows swept over them.

"Get down, you bastards!"

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Bones snapped. The three guards' chests caved in, and they flew backward, dead before they hit the ground.

At almost the same moment, Qin Jue moved too.

Facing the six blades attacking from either side, he remained composed. He didn't even draw his Cold Iron Sword; he simply swept it outward, scabbard and all, his wrist flicking like a swimming fish.

Tide Rising Sword Technique—Tide Rising Stance!

This move was originally the opening stance of the sword technique, supple and unbroken. In Qin Jue's hands, however, it became an invisible wall of water. The six blades struck the scabbard, and a strange vibrating force instantly deflected their strength, turning them involuntarily to either side.

The instant their defenses opened—

"Vmm—"

Qin Jue drew his sword half an inch, then sheathed it again.

Cicada Wing—Flap Wings!

A cloud of blood burst from the throats of all six guards almost simultaneously, and they toppled to the ground in perfect unison.

In less than three breaths,

half of the more than twenty guards who had charged in so ferociously already lay on the ground!

The remaining guards were shaken by that thunderous slaughter, and their movements faltered.

But the brief silence was soon shattered by a roar.

"Die!"

Murder flashed in Liu San's eyes. His saber swept up a fierce gust of wind as he brought it down, and before the blade even reached Pei Qingyan, its Bone Penetrating Force had already locked onto his head.

"Clang—"

A streak of saber-light flashed through the air and vanished.

It wasn't dazzling, but it was unbelievably fast!

Stream Breaking Saber, first stance—Intercept the Current!

With a soft sound, Liu San's sure-to-hit strike suddenly halted in midair, as if an invisible force had cut it off. It couldn't advance another inch.

Liu San's pupils contracted. Before he could react, the streak of cold light had already changed direction, turning defense into offense!

Second stance—Break the Current!

Liu San's eyes widened. He stared at the saber-wielder in front of him, horrified, and tried to say something—but his body no longer obeyed him.

He lowered his head with difficulty. A deep saber wound, the bone showing, ran from his left shoulder to his right abdomen. Its edges were smooth, and a layer of white frost covered it. The chill had invaded his body, freezing his organs into lumps of ice.

"Ugh..."

Liu San opened his mouth, but what came out was a mist of blood mixed with ice crystals. The light of life quickly faded from his eyes. At last, he fell stiffly to the ground with a thud. Even as he died, he never understood how he had been killed.

"Hundred Refinements Sixth Layer... peak Jade Bone!"

Liu Yun stared fixedly at the silent, scarred man.

Holding his saber, Pei Qingyan walked toward Liu Yun one step at a time, his gaze cold. "What, scared?"

Under those eyes, which looked at him as though he were already dead, Liu Yun felt a chill rise from his back.

Shame and fear surged through him, twisting his face until it became one of madness.

"Scared? What a joke!"

He, Liu Yun, was a scion of the Ning Family's collateral branch, a man accustomed to throwing his weight around. To be frightened now by some country bumpkin who had come from who knew where was a terrible humiliation!

"So what if you're at the peak of the Jade Bone Realm!" Liu Yun's expression darkened, arrogance and murderous intent flashing in his eyes. "Do you know that there are vast differences between cultivation methods and martial techniques? Today, I, Liu Yun, will open your eyes, you frog in a well, and show you what a great family's foundation looks like! What's so hard about killing you across a realm?"

"Pfft!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Tang Xiaoman couldn't help laughing from nearby. He kicked a guard flying, slapped his thigh with exaggerated gusto, then pointed at Liu Yun and called to Pei Qingyan, "Old Pei, did you hear that? This idiot says he's going to kill you across a realm! Hey, are you scared? Hahahaha!"

Qin Jue stood to one side, watching it all calmly.

"So this is the arrogance of a great-family scion..." he thought. "Still, the difference between cultivation methods and martial techniques really does exist. I wonder if Liu Yun's confidence is real or just bluster."

His gaze shifted to Pei Qingyan, and a hint of approval appeared in his eyes.

"This man's saber style is simple, and it's ruthless. Every move is meant to kill; there's no flashy nonsense. This is a skill honed between life and death, and these scions really can't compare."

Tang Xiaoman's taunts finally enraged Liu Yun. He roared, and his aura erupted.

"Today, I'll show you what a great family's foundation looks like!"

Liu Yun flicked his wrist. His long sword instantly blossomed into a skyful of sword-flowers, shifting like flowing clouds, impossible to distinguish from one another.

Cloud Piercing Sword, Cloud Concealing Mist Wrapping.

There was real skill behind this strike. The sword-light was impossible to tell apart, enveloping Pei Qingyan's vital points so completely that no one could tell which sword was real and which was false.

Faced with this flashy sword move, Pei Qingyan frowned slightly and spat out two words:

"Showy."

Pei Qingyan gripped his saber in both hands. He couldn't be bothered to distinguish the real sword from the illusions; he simply slashed at Liu Yun as he charged!

The black saber swept forward with a fierce, tragic force, cleaving through the skyful of sword-shadows.

"Clang!" A tremendous crash rang out. Liu Yun felt a surge of force strike him, numbing his palm and sending him stumbling backward. His previously airtight sword formation was shattered in an instant.

At the same time, Shen Yutang was already furious at the heavy losses among his men.

"A piece of trash at the Fifth Layer of Hundred Refinements dares to act so arrogantly in front of me!"

With two of his guard captains, he formed a three-point formation around Tang Xiaoman.

"Trash? Who are you calling trash? Your whole family's the real trash!"

Tang Xiaoman cursed more viciously than anyone, but he moved as slickly as an eel. He used a strange footwork to circle them continuously, refusing to meet the three head-on.

Suddenly, he seized an opening and stamped down hard.

Mountain Stomping Leg, first stance—Shocking Mountain!

"Boom!"

The ground exploded, sending stones and dust flying into the air and instantly blocking the three men's view.

"Coward!" Shen Yutang shouted, furious and startled. He hurriedly swung his saber to protect himself.

But from within the dust, a shadow shot out from below at an extremely tricky angle, aiming straight for his crotch.

Tang Xiaoman's Cloud Treading Boots had concealed blades three inches long, blue and gleaming, that had somehow sprung from the toes.

"Shameless!"

Shen Yutang's face turned pale with fear. Forgetting all dignity, he leaped backward in a panic, narrowly avoiding a kick that would have ended his line. Even so, the hidden blade carved a deep gash into his inner thigh, and blood instantly stained his fine trousers red.

"Heh heh, I'm shameless and underhanded. What are you going to do about it?"

After landing his attack, Tang Xiaoman was even less willing to let Shen Yutang get the last word. As he mocked him, he spun around, power stacking in his legs, and lashed a fierce whip-kick at the waist of one of the guard captains.

Mountain Stomping Leg, second stance—Mountain Collapse!

"Crack!"

The guard captain didn't even have time to scream before every rib was kicked in. He spat blood and flew backward!

"You're asking to die!"

Furious at the sight, Shen Yutang brought his long saber down hard at Tang Xiaoman's back, its blade howling through the air!

But right then—

"Vmm—"

Alarm bells rang in Shen Yutang's heart. He tried to turn and block, but it was already too late!

Qin Jue had appeared at his side without anyone noticing. A thread of sword-light flashed across Shen Yutang's throat!

Cicada Wing, second stance—Thousand Threads!

"Ugh..."

Shen Yutang's eyes widened, and the saber in his hand drooped limply. He clutched his bleeding throat, wanting to say something, but all he could make was a gurgling sound.

"Thud!"

He staggered two steps, then toppled helplessly to the ground. He never moved again.

"Thanks, Brother Qin!" Tang Xiaoman glanced back and grinned.

By now, Liu Yun had lost all the arrogance he'd shown earlier.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

A relentless chorus of clashing metal rang out.

The soft sword in Liu Yun's hand had been forced fully open, becoming a series of silver Light Screens that guarded his entire body.

Pei Qingyan's assault, by contrast, was brutally simple.

Chop! Slash! Lift!

He repeated the same few saber moves, yet in his hands, they seemed to possess the power to turn the rotten into the miraculous. Every slash came down with immense force, and every one landed precisely on the weak points in Liu Yun's swordplay!

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

Liu Yun was so frustrated he could have spat blood.

His Cloud Piercing Sword was supposed to be exquisite and unpredictable, but against this stone-faced man, it was like a technique meeting its natural enemy!

No matter how he changed his moves, his opponent always brought down another slash. That unreasonable force numbed his palm, weakened his arms, and nearly knocked the soft sword from his hand several times.

"So much for your great family's foundation?"

Pei Qingyan's voice was as calm as ever, without the slightest hint of mockery—yet it wounded more deeply than any taunt.

"If that's all you can do, you can die now."

As the words fell, Pei Qingyan's aura changed again.

The frost that had formed on his long saber, Frost Scar, suddenly burst apart, turning into a cloud of white mist.

At the same time, the deep reserves of blood and qi within him suddenly surged!

Stream Breaking Saber, third stance—Absolute Stream!

This was the strongest killing move Pei Qingyan had mastered so far!

He poured all his blood and qi into one strike, leaving himself no way back and seeking only a killing blow!

"Not good!"

Feeling the terrifying killing intent contained in that strike, Liu Yun's face instantly turned deathly pale. For the first time, the shadow of death loomed so clearly over him.

He could smell death!

"Bastard! You think you're worthy of killing me?!"

At the brink of life and death, a hint of madness flashed through Liu Yun's eyes. He bit through the tip of his tongue and spat blood onto his soft sword. At the same time, his left hand reached into his robes, pulled out a red pill, and shoved it into his mouth.

His aura, which had already begun to weaken, surged in an instant!

"Get out of my way!"

Liu Yun roared. The soft sword in his hand seemed to come alive, its blade turning blood-red in an instant as it met the descending slash, trailing a nauseating stench of blood!

This was Liu Yun's life-saving secret art—Blood Burning Sword!

He sacrificed his essence blood for a brief burst of strength!

Clang—!

Saber and sword collided!

A tremendous crash erupted through the Chaos Stone Forest. A shock wave swept outward from the two men, whipping up dust that blotted out the sky!

Broken stones flew in every direction, and currents of force blasted outward!

Qin Jue narrowed his eyes, staring intently into the center of the dust cloud.

He could feel that the clash had reached the absolute limit of what the Jade Bone Realm could achieve!

"Cough, cough..."

The dust cleared.

A figure swayed backward, each step leaving a deep crater in the ground. A thread of blood ran from the corner of his mouth.

It was Pei Qingyan.

The hand gripping his saber trembled slightly, and blood welled from the web of his thumb. But his eyes remained as sharp as blades, fixed on the person in front of him.

Across from him,

Liu Yun still stood frozen in his sword-thrusting pose, motionless.

The fine-steel soft sword in his hand had been reduced to half its length.

"Heh... hehehe..."

A strange sound came from Liu Yun's throat. He lowered his gaze to his empty left shoulder, his eyes filled with confusion and fear.

The arm that should have been attached there—along with half his shoulder—was gone.

The severed edge was smooth as a mirror, frozen by the cold. Not even a drop of blood had spilled.

" Aaaaaaaagh—!!!"

The agony finally hit. Liu Yun let out a shrill scream, collapsed to the ground, and writhed in pain.

Defeated!

A young member of the Ning Family of Skywind Martial City had actually had his arm chopped off by a nobody, a rogue cultivator with no backing!

"Whoa, Old Pei, that was one vicious slash!"

Not far away, Tang Xiaoman was cleaning up the mess. He let out a yelp, then clicked his tongue at Liu Yun on the ground. "Tsk, tsk. Young Master Liu's become a one-armed hero. How's he supposed to pose with his fan now?"

Though he teased him, his gaze as he looked at Pei Qingyan was full of wariness.

He knew Pei Qingyan too well.

Pei Qingyan had truly meant to kill with that slash. If Liu Yun hadn't used some kind of secret technique to forcefully block it at the last moment, it wouldn't have been his arm that was cut off now, but his head!

"He's not dead yet."

Pei Qingyan took a deep breath, steadying the churning qi and blood within him. Holding his blade, he walked step by step toward Liu Yun. "To pull out the weeds, you have to dig up the roots."

"D-don't... don't kill me!"

Watching Pei Qingyan approach like the god of death, Liu Yun finally broke down.

Ignoring the agony of his severed arm, he desperately shuffled backward across the ground, snot and tears streaming down his face. He was nothing like the arrogant man he'd been before.

Pei Qingyan slowly raised his long blade. Cold light flickered along its edge. "In your next life, keep your eyes open."

Just as the blade was about to fall—

"Stop!!!"

A furious shout exploded in the distance like a crack of thunder!