Tao Tao's expression turned solemn:
"That Li Wudang was decisive in killing. After capturing the two of them, he immediately beheaded them at the town entrance. Fat and Thin Kongos' hardened bodies..."
"Instead made their deaths even more painful."
"Li Wudang wielded an Embroidered Spring Blade and hacked four or five times before cutting off both their heads."
"Their screams and curses never ceased throughout it all. The scene was bloody and brutal enough to make quite a few people faint on the spot."
Tao Tao paused slowly and stared fixedly at Shen Yi:
"Now, they're coming for you..."
"What about you?"
"What are you going to do?"
Shen Yi remained silent.
His brows were tightly furrowed, never relaxing.
"As Blade Catchers, they lived with their heads in their hands to begin with."
A strange glint flickered in Tao Tao's eyes.
She nodded:
"That's right."
Shen Yi added:
"If you hadn't intervened."
"They should have died by my hand as well."
Tao Tao's voice was calm:
"That's right."
Shen Yi rubbed the hilt of his blade with his fingers, sounding somewhat rueful:
"Perhaps Heaven was in a hurry to take their lives."
"That was why it had them run into those pieces of trash again."
Tao Tao caught the change in Shen Yi's tone. A flash of brilliance passed through her eyes as she asked instinctively:
"Are you leaving?"
Shen Yi turned slightly. A cold gleam flashed in his eyes, and an aura as sharp as a blade suddenly erupted from him:
"Where are those Black Guard?"
"Doesn't Heaven like claiming lives?"
"I'll throw in a few more for it!"
Tao Tao answered at top speed:
"They probably entered the mountains from Xiaoqing Town and followed the Blade Catchers' trail all the way here. They should be in that direction."
She pointed southeast.
Shen Yi turned and strode toward the southeast without looking back, quickly vanishing into the forest.
The setting sun gradually sank behind the mountain peaks.
The autumn wind was bleak, and the night grew cold.
Yet Tao Tao looked somewhat exhilarated, because she had sensed a blaze within Shen Yi.
Tonight, the entire forest was destined to be set ablaze!
Late at night.
Three figures sped through the forest.
They wore black garments and Embroidered Spring Blades at their waists. Their auras were stern, like beasts prowling the night.
No predator in the mountains was blind enough to seek trouble with them.
"Trial Commander, the road is difficult at night."
"That Shen Yi has surely not noticed our pursuit yet. Should we find a place to rest first?"
A Black Guard's voice rang through the dark forest, loud and clear, even echoing among the trees.
Li Wudang barked in a low voice:
"Idiot!"
"Precisely because the road is difficult at night, this is our best chance to catch up with Shen Yi. Otherwise, where and when will we ever catch him?"
The Black Guard who had spoken hurriedly said:
"This subordinate knows his mistake."
Li Wudang snorted coldly and said no more.
Suddenly, the distant forest rustled, as though some bird had flapped its wings or a wild beast was racing past.
Li Wudang waved a hand:
"Stop!"
"Stay alert!"
The two Black Guard beside him reacted half a beat too slowly. They had pulled two or three paces apart, front to back, and in that instant...
A cyan shadow suddenly pounced from the forest.
With the force of a tiger or leopard!
Clang!
The thick-backed saber suddenly left its sheath.
A flash of snow-bright blade light appeared, condensing into a dazzling, narrow silver thread like a rainbow in the deep night as it swept past.
A round head rolled onto the ground with a thud.
A banner captain of the Pacification Office.
A First-Class Realm Black Guard expert.
Shen Yi had taken his head in a single exchange, with a single slash!
Killed a First-Class Realm martial artist. Obtained four years and two months of secluded cultivation time. Remaining secluded cultivation time: 6 years.
"Shen Yi!"
Li Wudang reacted at once.
With a furious roar, he drew his own long blade. The Embroidered Spring Blade traced a perfect arc through the air.
Blade radiance flashed.
In almost an instant, it hacked toward Shen Yi's neck!
This was the outstanding talent of Dong Commandery's Pacification Office, ranked sixty-seventh on the Qilin Rankings!
Both were in the Acquired Realm.
Yet Li Wudang was as different from Qin Jianghe, Fang Yu, and the like as clouds were from mud!
With one slash, he forced Shen Yi into a disadvantage.
Clang!
Shen Yi withdrew his blade and blocked!
He did not exert force through his arm. Instead, he borrowed the shock of Li Wudang's blade force, tapped the ground, and retreated at high speed.
Trying to dart back into the forest!
Yet Li Wudang was equally experienced. He gave a soft sneer:
"You killed my man and still want to leave?"
"Isn't that a little too naive?"
His body turned into a black shadow, his legs moving like phantoms.
One step carried him several zhang, as though he had teleported, appearing at Shen Yi's side.
The Embroidered Spring Blade followed like a shadow!
Shen Yi's gaze sharpened. What swift movement technique!
His Grass Treading Flight was completely suppressed before Li Wudang. Pressed closer with every step, he had no chance to circle around and harry his opponent.
He could only fight at close quarters!
Shen Yi's thoughts raced.
The thick-backed saber whistled as it moved, angling toward Li Wudang's blade shadow. The blade rose like thunder exploding from level ground!
The two blades collided!
A crisp ring burst forth!
Li Wudang's fighting spirit surged ever higher. His Acquired Realm perfected Array Breaker Art flowed mightily, gathering into incomparable blade force that roiled upon the edge.
Shen Yi, meanwhile, cultivated both internally and externally.
Within, the Nameless Heart Sutra circulated through its heavenly cycle, surging like tidal waves. Without, his qi and blood coursed, blazing like lava.
The tremendous strength condensed by the Vajra Esoteric Art merged with the profound inner force of the Nameless Heart Sutra.
Only then could he barely match Li Wudang's blade force!
"Good brat!"
"Everyone underestimated you!"
Li Wudang was startled. He poured even more inner force into his hand, producing a short, explosive crack.
Bang!
Shen Yi had already met the attack in haste. Now, this tremendous force immediately sent him flying backward.
Li Wudang stepped upon mysterious footwork and pursued again!
This was called pressing the advantage!
The movement technique he used was the accompanying technique of the Array Breaker Art, perfectly suited to the Array Breaker Art.
Whenever it moved, it carried the momentum of thousands upon thousands of soldiers charging forth, like a thousand cavalry sweeping across the plains, swallowing ten thousand miles like a tiger!
Li Wudang moved with extreme speed.
His feet struck the earth with heavy thuds, like war drums pounding, dragging Shen Yi into the endless cruel battlefield of the northern frontier!
Layer upon layer of Embroidered Spring Blade shadows!
They clashed again and again against Shen Yi's thick-backed saber, which danced wildly like a cloak flapping in the wind, creating rapid and dense impacts.
Sparks scattered through the dark forest!
As the two pursued and fled, sharp blade force spilled in every direction, reducing the bushes to dust.
On the trunks of towering trees.
Dense blade marks had been carved everywhere.
Amid the intertwining light and shadows.
A flash of crimson streaked past, splashing across the forest leaves.
It was Shen Yi's blood!
In terms of cultivation, Shen Yi had already been a step inferior.
Earlier, in order to swiftly kill one man, he had forfeited the initiative in battle. Li Wudang had therefore seized the timing with utmost precision, relentlessly pressing his attack and making Shen Yi's defeat all the more apparent!
Had it not been for the Vajra Esoteric Art's reinforcement.
Li Wudang's blade force entering Shen Yi's wounds would have severely affected both his arms and legs.
But Shen Yi did not regret swiftly killing one man.
First, it prevented him from falling into an encirclement by all three. Second, it drew Li Wudang into pursuit and widened the distance between him and the remaining Black Guard.
The third reason was the most important.
Swiftly killing one man allowed him to seize a large amount of secluded cultivation time, to prepare for any unforeseen need!
Although Shen Yi was being forced back step by step.
He remained calm. All he needed to do now was fight with everything he had for one instant of time!
One instant was already enough!
Before you continue