Something was wrong.
Gu Yin circled his palms, unleashing the Four-Domain Suppression Palm. It was grand and upright, surging like rivers and seas.
The foundational cultivation method he practiced was called the Purple Sash Azure Charter. This method had only one defining trait: stability.
As long as one was willing to circulate one's cultivation through seventy-two cycles every day, without a single mishap for seventy-two consecutive days, then repeat those seventy-two days seventy-two times over—
After nearly fifteen years of water-dripping-through-stone effort, one could attain the cultivation realm of Sixth Grade.
The prerequisite was that nothing went wrong.
Not many within White Deer Grotto Academy practiced this cultivation method.
Gu Yin was one of them.
From the day he entered the academy, he had never slackened for a single day, earning him his current Seventh Grade cultivation.
No matter what cultivation method one practiced, reaching the Seventh Grade meant standing at the pinnacle of the mundane world, enough to establish one's own name in the martial world.
One step further, and one would become an immortal or a Buddha.
Yet Gu Yin now discovered that the palm force he had released had not struck Su Che or that demon at all.
Clearly, every target he had struck was merely a shadow conjured by his opponents.
For the other side to possess such illusion arts, she was certainly no ordinary demon. Her background must run deep.
Gu Yin's brows knitted tightly. For Su Che to collude with such a well-connected demon right beneath his nose—given time, how much destruction would this scoundrel wreak upon the world?
The Purple Sash Azure Charter slowly circulated once through his body. Gu Yin shut his eyes and countered with the Confucian School's divination art, Wind-Corner Divination.
"Be careful. Though this person has yet to reach Sixth Grade, he should have studied the divination arts from the Confucian School's Five Classics..."
Wind-Corner Divination used the movements and colors of the wind to distinguish fortune from misfortune and illuminate Karmic Cause and Effect.
"Found you."
Gu Yin's right index finger chopped straight across his left wrist. With sheer force, he cleaved open a wound, and rich crimson blood sprayed forth in a sweeping scatter.
Within that blood, the righteous true intent of the Confucian School condensed like countless tiny thunderclaps, seeping into Qingqiu's soul body hidden within the night.
"Ah..."
Qingqiu cried out in pain, revealing her whereabouts. Her deathly pale soul body trembled without cease.
"Excellent. Using the essence blood of utmost yang and steel to break the manifestation of a Yin Spirit." Su Che's figure emerged from the darkness. "Mr. Gu's planning is truly admirable."
"No need to praise me in such a hurry. You'll be next." The corner of Gu Yin's mouth lifted. "A Sword Cultivator who has only just entered the path, and you dare contend against me?"
"Miss Qing." Su Che lowered his head and said, "Please aid me with your illusion arts. I need to get within five paces of him."
A Seventh Grade Innate Realm master of the Confucian School possessed vast and vigorous true qi. It was not easy to approach him; to get close, Su Che could only rely on Qingqiu's illusion arts.
"What are you thinking?" Qingqiu's voice trembled. "That strand of my Yin Spirit was wounded by him. My Innate Spirit is leaking away without stop. You should pray for your own luck."
Hadn't she just said, "If I get serious, Sixth Grade is nothing to me"? How had a Seventh Grade opponent broken her so easily in three moves or two?
"It's fine. You can speak even louder."
Gu Yin's face was deathly pale. Forcing out that wave of blood had clearly not left him feeling well either.
"Miss Qing, listen to Young Master Su. He says his killing move requires getting within five paces of me, but perhaps he can launch it from fifteen paces away. A man's mouth is never to be trusted. Rest assured, I will absolutely not let either of you come within thirty paces of me."
If Su Che were a Seventh Grade Sword Cultivator at the Sword-Forged Thread realm, Gu Yin might not have been so confident. After all, a Sword Cultivator's Sword Qi was supreme in slaughter.
Unfortunately, Su Che was not.
So long as Gu Yin wielded the Four-Domain Suppression Palm, beneath layer upon layer of palm winds and protective qi, Su Che would have no chance of coming within thirty paces of him.
High in the sky, dark clouds blotted out the moon.
The Confucian School disciple, his clothes torn and his hair disheveled, steadily advanced toward Su Che, who was concealed in the shadows.
Thunder boomed. Soybean-sized raindrops fell from the heavens, soaking the ground and the clothes of both men.
Gu Yin moved like startling thunder. The righteous qi he had cultivated for years transformed layer by layer into endless palm force. Countless palm shadows swept forth, and even the falling raindrops were driven sideways by his power.
Such overwhelming palm force across empty space had already reached the pinnacle of mortal martial arts.
Pressing forward step by step, there was no longer any path among men.
There was only the sword.
Su Che slipped his right hand into his left sleeve and drew out an ancient bronze sword no longer than two feet. Seven diamond-shaped patterns linked together along its blade, while the cold gleam on its edge seemed to have crossed several centuries of time.
Sword intent surged at his brow, and Sword Qi leaped from the cold blade.
Mirage-Shadow Origin Sword: Hidden Bow, Shooting Shadow.
The instant the sword form moved, the Sword Qi that had long been gathering split rivers and cleaved waves, boring straight through the layers of palm shadows toward the central gate.
Gu Yin drew back his palms to defend, yet a faint bloody mark still appeared between his brows.
"You actually subdued the ancient sword within the case?"
Gu Yin cried out.
Even a Ninth Grade Sword Cultivator who had only just entered the path could not be underestimated if he possessed a divine weapon or spirit sword. It was like the difference between Abbess Miejue with or without the Heaven-Reliant Sword in hand.
Gu Yin had never imagined that the ancient sword in the case would acknowledge Su Che as its master. For a moment, he was thrown into complete confusion.
"Impossible. The former owner of that ancient sword was the great hero Jiang Qin, whose fame shook Southern Heaven. He acted with unwavering integrity all his life. How could his sword recognize you as its master? Impossible. Absolutely impossible."
"Perhaps that great hero Jiang was not as upright and impartial as you imagined. Or perhaps I am not as worthless as you think."
Jiang Qin was naturally the name of the former owner of all Su Che's Sword Cases. He had slain demons and eradicated devils throughout his life, roaming the world unhindered, and was honored by all as the "Great Hero of Jiangnan."
Su Che held his sword horizontally before his chest.
That sword strike just now was like pouring a jug of aged wine over the blockages in his chest. The pent-up gloom of the past several months had eased all at once.
The bronze shortsword in his palm clearly pulsed without stop, as though it too was excited to finally leave the case and test its cold edge once more.
The Heaven-Supporting Jun Sword circulated at full force, and the bronze shortsword in his hand let out another ringing cry.
Su Che moved like a ghost, sword in hand, charging forward through layer upon layer of palm shadows and pressing directly toward Gu Yin.
"Good!"
Gu Yin's face was the color of gold paper. The layers of palm shadows gradually converged between his hands, and the sound of scriptures being chanted seemed to rise around him.
He had condensed the Four-Domain Suppression Palm to its utmost limit. Even he did not dare underestimate the sword Su Che had sent forth.
The palms moved.
The sword sang.
A vast and ancient Sword Qi pierced through his body. Su Che's sword struck Gu Yin's left shoulder squarely and steadily.
And Gu Yin's palms had likewise struck Su Che's chest and abdomen.
Pfft.
A line of blood sprayed from Third Young Master Su's mouth, splattering across Gu Yin's face.
"You must be wondering: since it was clearly a feint, why did I not evade that sword just now? Why did I allow you to come within three paces of me?"
Gu Yin looked at the wound from which blood would not stop flowing. He gave a low chuckle and gritted his teeth as he pulled the blade from the wound inch by inch.
"We disciples of White Deer Grotto are always prepared to sacrifice ourselves for all living beings beneath heaven." Gu Yin toyed with the bronze shortsword in his hand. "If I can trade my one life for yours, then nothing could be more desirable. Nothing could be more desirable."
He laughed with great generosity. Raindrops rolled down his face; among the tears that fell with them, who knew how much was regret and how much was satisfaction.
Sword Qi continued to ravage the cultivation foundation he had forged through years of bitter training. After tonight's battle, the Purple Sash Azure Charter he had cultivated for so many years would likely be ruined.