The Strongest

Are you alright?

A solemn voice came from beneath the sealed iron armor. Huron set Aurenli down from his arms, looking at the wounds on her neck and face, his tone tinged with guilt. "Would you like me to use holy magic to heal you?"

"It's alright, he controlled his strength."

Aurenli smiled slightly, patted Huron's broad shoulder to signal him to put her down, and looked at the two brothers who were talking on their tongues. "After all, it seems he wants to use me as a test for his brother."

Stepping back off the surface of the paddy field, her amethyst boots created ripples on the water. Aurenli gazed at the man in blue not far away and asked softly:

"Xides, did you use your full strength just now?"

"."

Huron paused for a moment in response to this question, but offered no excuses, only saying in a low voice:

"Your subordinate is incompetent."

That man in blue robes from the Great Yan was very strong, so strong that Huron was certain he would be no match for him in a head-on confrontation.

However, the opponent chose to engage in a blasphemous duel, defiling an opponent with a different stance, and suppressing his cultivation level to fight him.

As a knight, Huron felt he should be indignant and condemn the other party's blasphemous act, but his concern for his lord's safety made him suppress the thought, and he even felt a shameful sense of relief for it.

This was Huron's only chance of defeating the man in blue robes from the Great Yan.

He needs to create an opportunity when the opponent is suppressing their cultivation level, and then use a killing move to severely injure or even kill them.

And the result was that he failed.

Before he could create an opportunity, the other party had already arrived before the lord he was protecting and humiliated him in a rude manner, the third princess of the empire.

When negligence occurs, any explanation is merely a pretext for one's incompetence.

Aurenli glanced sideways at her guardian knight, then slightly raised her hand, her slender, white fingertips gently tracing her swollen, aching cheek, and said softly, seemingly unconcerned:

"Don't blame yourself. Among people of equal strength, I've only ever seen one achieve this level of success—that monster, the Crown Prince. I'm not surprised you failed."

"."

Words were like knives. Huron's shame made him instinctively tighten his grip on the five-foot-long sword in his hand. Accompanied by a heavy metallic scraping sound, his voice became solemn:

"Your Highness, please escape immediately! I will fight to the death to hold them off for you."

"Escape?"

Aurenli turned slightly, her slender figure shifting, her long index finger touching Huron's breastplate. A smile, as crimson as a blood-red rose in a winter night, curved her lips. "Why should I run?"

Upon hearing this, Huron's usually calm and composed voice became urgent for the first time:

"Your Highness, the situation is urgent. Please do not act impulsively."

"Shut up."

Aurenli's smiling, azure eyes held a hint of coldness.

"Xides, since he wants to use me as a whetstone for his brother, then he must bear the consequences of that overconfidence."

"No matter what method you use, please help me stall him for fifteen minutes, okay?"

"."

The silvery-white snowflakes fell silently over the boundless fields.

Huron's sword drooped slightly, its blade touching the surface of the paddy field and creating a tiny ripple. He placed his right hand on his chest in a knightly salute.

"Your heart's desire, my sword will follow, Your Highness."

"Is this considered the end of the discussion?"

Xu Yuan's gentle, smiling voice came at just the right moment, "To remain calm and composed even now, I acknowledge the dignity of your Xien royal family."

"Here's what we'll do: once you're captured, if you're willing to voluntarily reveal the information we want to know, I can promise to give you a decent living."

Aurenli turned her gaze, backlit by the moonlight, her azure eyes as deep as an abyss:

"Changtian Master Changtian, eavesdropping on a lady's private conversation is not the behavior of a gentleman."

The Willowwood Ghost Blade trailed in the water as Xu Yuan waded through it, laughing as he walked.

"Did I ever say I was a gentleman? And I think the information you've gathered should also include my reputation within the Great Yan territory, right?"

Upon hearing this, Aurenli lowered her head and smiled.

"That's true, a villain can't possibly be a gentleman."

"Xides!"

"Bang!"

As soon as she finished speaking, a large splash of water erupted behind Aurenli, and the towering knight standing behind her had vanished.

Xu Yuan made no unnecessary movements and continued walking forward at a leisurely pace.

Since Xu Changge said he would handle this princess from Xien, he wouldn't let anyone else bother him.

And just as he thought,

After Huron disappeared, a sudden roar exploded between him and Aurenli.

As Huron lunged at Xu Yuan, Xu Changge almost instantly blocked his path.

With the suppression of cultivation levels gone, the tide of their next confrontation had completely turned.

Xu Changge, holding the unsheathed Mingyuan Sword, used the hilt to parry Huron's powerful sword strike. The force of the sword struck the ground, instantly creating a deep crater several meters deep in the paddy field, and causing Huron to momentarily lose his balance and lean forward.

For people of Xu Changge's and Huron's caliber, such a fleeting opening is deadly enough.

However, Xu Changge did not use his sword; he chose to use his legs instead.

A lightning-fast whip kick lashed out at Huron's neck armor!

"Boom!"

The strong wind whipped Xu Yuan's long, unbound hair and Aurenli's purple dress, which looked like it was adorned with stars.

When the dust settled at the center of the collision, Xu Yuan witnessed a scene that surprised him somewhat.

This time, Huron was not kicked away by Xu Changge as he had been when they first met.

The muddy water swept away by the blast wave in the paddy field gurgled back into the large pit that had been damaged.

At the center of the pit, the two remained standing.

Xu Changge's whip kick landed on Huron's side of the neck, his narrow eyes filled with contemplation as he looked down at the burly armored warrior who was almost kneeling before him.

Huron tilted his neck, his tall and straight figure, like a banyan tree, swayed forward under the force, his legs slightly bent, and he still stood, supporting himself on his hand armor.

After a moment of silence, a faint glow gradually appeared on Huron's heavy iron armor.

After a few breaths of silence,

Huron moved slowly, his burly figure, half-bent over, slowly lifting Xu Changge's leg, which had struck his neck, to his feet.

The struggle between the two caused the surrounding air to tremble, and the silent force caused the muddy water that had flowed back into the bottom of the pit to flow backward up the slope.

Seeing this scene, Xu Yuan guessed that this was probably the light membrane that Li Yunqing had mentioned before, the one that could remain unmoved even under the killing moves of Grandmaster.

Thinking this, Xu Yuan continued walking towards Aurenli without stopping.

He wanted to see how this older brother would handle the situation.

He said he'd let his third brother fight Aurenli one-on-one, but he couldn't even clear the area, could he?

If that's the case, then the sophisticated image he just created has become a complete joke.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan unconsciously curled up a wicked smile.

To be honest, he actually really wanted to see this arrogant guy get his comeuppance.

Unfortunately, Xu Yuan's expectations were soon dashed.

Xu Changge looked down at the burly man before her, her voice soft and gentle:

"This technique is good; it has many merits, but..."

"."

Huron ignored Xu Changge, his indifferent gaze shooting out from his armor as he silently reached out to grab the ankle that Xu Changge had slashed at his shoulder and neck.

"Not enough."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Yuan, who was using his Spirit Sight to scan his surroundings, suddenly shivered. His hand, holding the Willowwood Ghost Blade, trembled due to a sudden surge of fear.

This is a familiar type of PTSD.

After a moment's thought, Xu Yuan realized where this familiarity came from.

His maternal uncle was the Sword Feng Jiuxuan.

Xu Changge is currently emanating a kind of Qi similar to Feng Jiuxuan's, which is the same Qi he emitted that day.

Huron, who was at the center of the Qi mechanism, seemed to sense something as well, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

The next moment,

"Buzz--"

A resounding sword cry echoed through the silent sky.

The Prime Minister's Mansion, northwest, top floor of the Sword Pavilion.

The large room appeared somewhat empty at first glance, devoid of any decoration or furniture. Instead, the floors and walls were covered with various sword marks.

In the center of these sword marks, a middle-aged man dressed in pure white sat cross-legged with his eyes closed.

Suddenly, the silence in the room was broken, and a sword mark appeared on the stone wall in front of the man without any warning.

Slowly opening his eyes, Feng Jiuxuan glanced towards the inner courtyard, then frowned:

"Changtian has gone out, and Changge isn't in the manor either?"

With a soft murmur, Feng Jiuxuan propped himself up and walked to the only window in the room, a smile playing on his lips:

"He's walking his own path of swordsmanship, and he still has the leisure to master what I taught him back then. But what is Changge doing tonight?"

"Xu Yinhe has been busy with other things lately. Changge's use of it Di'an City must be related to that brat Changtian."

While muttering to himself, Feng Jiuxuan's gaze drifted in a certain direction:

"Hmm, that troublesome kid, should we go check on him?"

Watching Xu Changge place the Cloud-Treading Boots back onto the ground, Xu Yuan glanced again at the sword marks that spread from his feet to the horizon, and subconsciously swallowed.

Muddy water surged in, backflowing like sword marks; the water flowed gurglingly, and all was silent.

During the struggle, Xu Changge's downward kick seemed to transform into a sword, cleaving the entire field in two.

Standing alone in the pit,

Xu Changge glanced back at Xu Yuan, whose face was grave, and smiled gently:

"Changtian, what are your thoughts?"

Xu Yuan licked his lips and chuckled softly:

"Hmm, let me think... Big brother, your swordsmanship is very strong."

"No, you should be wondering if you could defeat me if you were at the same cultivation level as me."

Xu Changge seemed to see through Xu Yuan's thoughts, gently shook his head, and whispered:

"This is my uncle's sword, the purest form of swordsmanship. If you want to learn, your uncle can teach you."

Having said that,

Xu Changge turned his gaze to Aurenli and Huron, who were standing not far away, and said:

"You should know what I want to do. I hope you will cooperate. This is the final warning."

His voice was soft, but it left no room for refusal.

A somber atmosphere gradually spread between the two envoys from Xien.

Huron stood beside Aurenli, his armor hanging low.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, if you hadn't used your spatial magic ring to pull me away, I'd probably be dead by now."

Aurenli stood on the water's surface, a dark, intricate array of patterns floating above her raised palm, shimmering with a profound light.

After staring at Xu Changge for a few moments, she slowly turned her gaze to her guardian knight, her azure eyes devoid of any emotion.

"Xides, just use that one, otherwise you won't last a minute against him."

"Yes."

Without any hesitation, Huron softly replied, "The incompetent are willing to atone for your sins with his life."

Upon hearing this, Aurenli stopped looking at Huron, stared at Xu Changge, sighed softly, and smiled helplessly:

"Changge Master Changge is indeed so powerful, I suppose there's no room for him to refuse. But I wonder if your brother is as powerful as you?"

"."

Xu Changge didn't look at Aurenli, nor did he answer her question. He glanced at the armored soldier, then leaped away and disappeared from the spot.

Seeing this, Huron had no intention of taking advantage of Xu Changge's absence to launch a sneak attack on Xu Yuan. Instead, he stomped his foot and sped off in the direction Xu Changge had gone.

The sword marks remain, and in the empty fields, apart from the sound of the wind, there is only the faint sound of flowing water.

Aurenli sighed softly, rubbing her temples, and complained to Xu Yuan:

"Changtian, your elder brother's character is truly wicked. Is there no one in your Great Yan who can deal with him?"

Xu Yuan glanced in the direction Xu Changge had left and smiled:

"You don't need to test me. I can tell you directly that my brother was the strongest person of his era."

"Is that really the case?"

Hearing this, Aurenli smiled gently, looking at the sword mark that pierced the field, and said with a slight sigh, "He's really strong. I wonder who's stronger, him or that monster, the Crown Prince."

"The Crown Prince? Is that the one you mentioned in your telepathic message before?" Xu Yuan asked with slight interest.

"Yes."

Aurenli responded softly, her slender figure rising into the air without any fluctuation of Qi: "The first in line to the throne of the Xien Empire, a terrifying monster."

Xu Yuan stroked his chin, the Blood Origin Heart-Fall Technique began to circulate, and he said with a smile:

"Since he is the crown prince, then he is your brother. Is it really appropriate to describe him as a monster?"

Aurenli raised a slender hand and brushed it across the air in front of her. Rings of various colors gradually formed in the air, their eerie light reflecting on her cheeks, giving her eyes a somewhat strange look.

"If you have the chance to meet him, you'll naturally know whether my description was accurate."

Blood-red and golden light flashed in Xu Yuan's narrow eyes:

"If I have the chance, I'd like to meet him, but I'll still invite Xu Changge along."

Aurenli looked up at the moonlit sky, her arms outstretched, her elaborate gown billowing in the air, her beautiful eyes holding a profound meaning:

"Is that so? I'd also like to see who wins between those two monsters, but unfortunately you won't have that chance. I'll subdue you before he returns and then take you away."

Xu Yuan's body slightly lowered, and the blade of the Willowwood Ghost Blade was held horizontally:

"Oh? You're so confident you can beat me?"

The moonlight was like a waterfall, and thirteen radiant magic rings gathered and floated behind her. Aurenli's figure rose into the air like a deity.

She looked down at him from her superior position.

"Because I am the strongest of my generation."

Xu Yuan laughed upon hearing this, and then uttered five words:

"What a coincidence, me too."