The handsome young man's sudden outburst surprised everyone, leaving Chuan behind.
The sect leader actually took action directly. Is he crazy, or just stupid?
Even Li Wei frowned.
Why did this person kill Ximen Xuan so ruthlessly? Could it be...?
Task?
Ximen Xuan, as expected of a renowned figure, did not dodge upon seeing the red lines. Instead, he extended his eagle-claw-like hand and drew his sword with lightning speed. The sword seemed to possess a spirit, flying up and down to deflect the incoming red lines.
Surprisingly, when the red line touched the sword, it sparked and produced a crisp metallic clang.
Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that each red thread had an embroidery needle tied to its end, though it hadn't been noticed at first due to its size.
This was the first time anyone present had ever seen someone use embroidery needles as weapons. What surprised them even more was what happened next: after Ximen Xuan parried the embroidery needles with his sword, he actually took a step back.
One step is all it takes to differentiate them; the difference is immediately apparent!
The Heavenly Sword Sect Master, Ximen Xuan, was actually at a disadvantage against a young man from the East who was at least 20 years old.
This is absolutely a bombshell.
It's important to know that Ximen Xuan, Jiang Tianxiong, and Guan Changhong were known as the Three Heroes of Luoyang, and this reputation was well-deserved. In their youth, they were all chivalrous young men who could behead someone with a single word and seek revenge with gusto. As they grew older, their martial arts skills improved even more, and even the most talented young people rarely surpassed them.
Especially Ximen Xuan, who came from a prestigious family. Decades ago, his Sword and Saber Sect and saber skills were unparalleled in the martial arts world. Even after the family split up and he established the Heavenly Sword Sect, he was still a first-rate master. Now, he was forced to take a step back by a young man.
Instantly, Ximen Xuan became furious. He had originally wanted to find out about this person's background first. But the other party was completely unmoved. Fine, since you want to die, then I'll grant your wish.
With a roar, Ximen Xuan unleashed his unique internal energy, wielding his sword in one hand and drawing a visible streak of light in the air. Then, like a phantom, he instantly appeared before the young man, raising his hand to strike with his sword.
It was Ximen Xuan's signature sword technique, "Feast Shadow Divine Sword".
The sword was as fast as lightning, unstoppable, and its fierce wind could be felt from a distance. Just as it was about to pierce through Shangguan Ren, the young man chuckled and clamped his hands together in the air, actually using his internal force to block the sword's momentum.
This isn't a movie; it's a real duel between masters.
The exaggerated scene of using internal force to seal physical objects appeared before everyone's eyes. Li Wei knew that Ximen Xuan's sword was sharp and could not be touched directly with the hands; it could only be blocked with a weapon. Shangguan Ren had no weapon, so he could only defend himself with the internal force behind his back.
At this moment, Shangguan Ren's hands seemed to be covered by layers of energy waves, making it difficult for his long sword to move. Seeing this, Ximen Xuan increased his strength, determined to kill the man with one strike.
And so the two remained locked in a stalemate.
All that's been said, but in reality, it all happened in the blink of an eye. Li Wei thought to himself, "When is the time to act if not now?"
He acted on his thought. Ordinary people couldn't even get close to these two at this moment because their cultivation was insufficient, and they would be pushed away by the powerful energy. If Li Wei went up directly, although he could achieve an instant effect, he would also expose his identity.
We need to find a way to resolve this.
Li Wei secretly activated the "True Qi-Controlling Formula". With a flick of his fingers, a stone appeared in his hand, which Li Wei had picked up on the way here. He first adjusted his true qi to a viscous state and wrapped it around the surface of the stone. Then, he unleashed all his power in his right thumb and forefinger and flicked the stone towards Shangguan Ren's dantian.
Li Wei's move was so sudden that even he himself hadn't expected such an opportunity. Enveloped in powerful true energy, the stone wasn't shattered by Li Wei; instead, it pierced through Shangguan Ren's true energy defense like a bullet and struck his lower abdomen.
Anyone caught off guard by a sneak attack on the lower abdomen during the energy cultivation phase would be startled, especially since the lower abdomen is a vital area for the dantian. With a blow like that from the stone, one-third of Shangguan Ren's true energy was immediately dispersed.
This attack wouldn't cause him any harm at all. Of course, that wasn't what Li Wei was considering. His goal was to distract his opponent. As long as Shangguan Ren was distracted, he would achieve his objective.
Because, at this moment, it was Ximen Xuan who was in charge of the main work!
Once the true energy was disrupted, the energy shield defending against Ximen Xuan's longsword could no longer be maintained. Although it only dissipated for a moment, it was enough for Ximen Xuan.
In that instant, Shangguan Ren's face turned deathly pale, and then Ximen Xuan's longsword pierced through his chest and emerged from his back.
With a spurt of blood, Shangguan Ren staggered back a few steps and leaned against the hotel door, his face filled with disbelief.
The sword of the Heavenly Sword Sect Master is no ordinary weapon. It can pierce even the strongest walls, let alone flesh and blood. Moreover, Shangguan Ren does not possess any external martial arts skills.
Life force was flowing out of his body with the continuous flow of blood. The once powerful Shangguan Ren now stared at the group of the Heavenly Sword Sect disciples opposite him with eyes that were gradually losing their luster.
He saw a pair of eyes, a pair of cold eyes.
In an instant, he thought of someone—the ordinary guy who drank with Ximen Feng. It could be him! Why would he do this?
Could it be that he is also...?
As he considered a certain possibility, a blush appeared on Shangguan Ren's face.
"You, you?!" Trying to get up, she discovered that the person dressed in the Heavenly Sword Sect's attire had broken through the crowd.
What is he going to do?
Shangguan Ren was scared. He was really scared. He thought this mission was just a simple assassination, because the task given to him on the Yellow Paper was to "kill the Three Heroes of Luoyang within seven days".
He knew who the Three Heroes of Luoyang were, and he was absolutely confident that he could complete this difficult task because he had obtained the top-level martial arts manual "Cai Hua Treasure Manual" by chance from the "Legend of Jin Yong Heroes" dungeon.
It was with the help of this top-tier martial arts manual that he successfully transformed from a newbie ranked outside the fourth tier of the martial arts world into a powerful veteran, the only price being "self-castration".
Shangguan Ren knew very well what self-castration meant for a man.
He hesitated, but the desire to become an unparalleled expert still led him to deliver that unforgettable blow.
And so, he evolved; in Shangguan Ren's words, he was reborn from that rainy night.
The Sunflower Manual truly lives up to its reputation as a top-tier martial arts manual. Even after cultivating it to the first level, he was already invincible in missions. In one such mission, he even killed a fourth-ranked reincarnator.
Thus, he took over the other person's identity, merged their number, and completed the transformation from a newcomer to a veteran.
The reward for this mission to kill the Three Heroes of Luoyang is one "Marrow-Cleansing Pill" plus 2 points.
He didn't lack points; what he lacked was the support to continue his cultivation. Although he possessed a top-tier martial arts manual, Shangguan Ren's aptitude was truly lacking, a fact he himself was aware of. Therefore, upon seeing that the reward was a "small Marrow-Cleansing Pill," he immediately realized that this was an opportunity.
"The Marrow-Cleansing Pill. He had heard of it before. It was a pill that could cleanse the marrow and transform the body. Once he took it, his physique would undergo a tremendous change, and he would have the opportunity to learn more advanced martial arts."
Now, as long as he completes this task, he can obtain the "Marrow-Cleansing Pill" that can enhance his strength. That's why he decided to rely on Ximen Feng to lure out one of his targets, Ximen Xuan. However, he didn't expect that at the last moment, he would fail.
Seeing the Heavenly Sword Sect disciple charging towards him, Shangguan Ren instinctively tried to dodge, but the long sword in his chest left him powerless. The last thing he saw was that eerie smile on that person's lips, and then he felt a chill on his neck before plunging into eternal darkness.
Shangguan Ren is dead!
His head was cut off by the second brother of the Heavenly Sword Sect with an iron sword.
Anyone who offends my sect will be killed!
Li Wei looked at the human head rolling on the ground, then at the line of text on the Yellow Paper indicating that the mission was complete, and a happy smile appeared on his lips. He then shouted loudly.
Perhaps it was Ximen Xuan's domineering sword strike, or Li Wei's instigation, that caused the disciples to become excited. They all raised their swords and shouted, "Those who offend our sect will be killed!"
"Those who offend my sect shall be killed."
The shouts of dozens of people echoed throughout Luoyang City. The belated police officers from the yamen only conducted a brief investigation of the scene. After confirming with Fang Yunhua that the dead man was not Wudang disciple, they immediately announced that this man had overestimated himself, offended a prestigious sect in the city, and challenged to a duel, only to be mistakenly killed during the duel.
And so, the farce came to an end.
No one knew that the dead man was a master several times stronger than Ximen Xuan. If Li Wei hadn't launched a sneak attack, Ximen Xuan would have only been able to exchange a dozen or so blows with that man before he met his end.
Unfortunately, no one knows any of this.
The only five people who knew the inside story were currently sitting in Li Wei's small house. Liu Piaopiao and the other two were looking at Li Wei with excitement, because Li Wei had said that he would give them some rewards tonight.
Li Wei has already collected the French horn Guardian left behind by Shangguan Ren after his death, along with the martial arts treasure "Cai Hua Manual".
There were five people, and the other one was a slave that Shangguan Ren had taken in before. Now, because his master was dead, the brand on his arm had also disappeared without a trace.
However, the man seemed to have been quite frightened, as he remained trembling with fear. Li Wei still wanted to get some information out of him, so he decided to keep him around for the time being.
Li Wei wouldn't easily hand over the Caihua Manual to anyone; it's a top-tier martial art. Although he wouldn't practice it himself, it's best to keep it for now.
Besides the Caihua Manual, the Guardian of the Switching Accounts' storage space also contained quite a few good things. Shangguan Ren must be a martial arts fanatic, since it's full of martial arts manuals.
However, most of them were low-level martial arts. Only two high-level martial arts were somewhat understood: the "Taiyue's Three Green Peaks Sword Technique" and the "Falling Blossoms Divine Sword Palm Technique". Li Wei gave the palm technique to Liu Piaopiao because she had good qi sense and fist and foot kung fu was mainly based on internal force, so this was the most suitable for her to practice.
The right-hand technique was given to Blood Wolf. Ever since he overheard Li Wei and An Hei's conversation, this man had been taciturn. After receiving the manual, he simply nodded and retreated.
As for Zheng Chenglong, researching the Gale Sword Technique was already enough to keep him busy.
At this moment, Li Wei saw Blood Wolf make a hand gesture to him. Li Wei's face darkened, and he followed Blood Wolf out of the room.