Rumble-
The rain had eased without anyone noticing, but in its place came the deafening crashes of fists and feet charged with true qi.
In the desert strewn with corpses, two figures fought fiercely beneath the night sky, trading blows like immortals descended from the heavens, formidable auras swirling around them.
Bang-
Another dull crash erupted. The red-robed figure was blasted backward by a palm strike from the white-robed youth holding a folding fan. Yet even as he hurtled back, something whistled out of his sleeve. The white-robed youth could not dodge in time and was struck by a tiny concealed weapon. With a muffled groan, he staggered backward as well.
Blood seeped from the corner of Zhang Wuji's mouth. The moment he steadied himself, he tapped his chest twice to contain his injuries. For now, however, he had no time to force out the fine needle that had lodged inside him and sealed one of his meridians.
Taking advantage of the brief respite, he glared angrily at the long-haired, red-robed figure opposite him, whose handsome features were as beautiful as a woman's.
"Dongfang Bubai, look behind you! The imperial court is slaughtering disciples of both my Bright Moon Cult and your Sun Moon Holy Cult! Instead of fighting the court, you keep hounding me. What exactly do you want?!"
Dongfang Bubai's expression was cold, but his jewel-like eyes held incomparable resolve and domineering confidence. Ignoring his own injuries, he said icily:
"I told you. Hand over the Nine Yang Divine Skill, and I will let you leave!"
"Damn you!"
Zhang Wuji's gaze turned icy. "Do you really think I'm afraid of you?!"
The Nine Yang Divine Skill was the foundation of his standing in the martial world. It was what had brought him his present status. How could he simply hand it over to someone else?
"Then I will kill you and search your body myself!"
Dongfang Bubai's expression did not change. Clearly, he had never expected Zhang Wuji to surrender the Nine Yang Divine Skill so easily. As his words fell, he flickered and sprang into the air once more. A flash of red, and he vanished.
Zhang Wuji's pupils contracted slightly. Not daring to be careless, he immediately circulated the Nine Yang Divine Skill to protect himself while thrusting both palms forward. A terrifying force, seemingly gentle yet immensely powerful, burst forth.
Boom-
The air exploded, and the red-robed figure was redirected sideways through empty space. But before Zhang Wuji could catch his breath, that accursed whistling came again.
This time, he dared neither let down his guard nor block it with true qi. He immediately darted aside.
The next instant-
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Beneath the moonlight, a short blade lay quietly on a sand dune. Several fine needles now protruded from the broken blade, gleaming with cold silver light in its reflection.
Zhang Wuji's expression darkened. He had never imagined that the illustrious leader of the Sun Moon Holy Cult, Dongfang Bubai, whose very name struck terror into both righteous and demonic factions, would wield such vicious concealed weapons rather than the swords and sabers common in the martial world.
Worst of all, he had no idea how Dongfang Bubai had trained, but those silver needles could pierce his body-protecting astral energy and enter his flesh directly. They were almost impossible to guard against.
"Heaven and Earth Shift?"
Just then, a disdainful snort came from behind him, followed by a terrifying aura closing in at tremendous speed.
Zhang Wuji's face was icy as he turned to defend himself. This time, rather than redirecting the attack with Heaven and Earth Shift, he met it head-on. True qi gathered in both fists, and he punched out fiercely.
Bang-
Two mighty forces of utmost yang and unyielding power exploded in midair.
Zhang Wuji was hurled backward. The moment he steadied himself, he felt a searing pain in his fists, as though flames were burning them. His expression shifted slightly.
"The Sunflower Manual?"
Not daring to take any chances, Zhang Wuji immediately calmed his mind and circulated the Nine Yang Divine Skill, using yang to counter yang and dispel the extreme yang true qi that had penetrated his body.
But just then, a chill swept through him, and a sudden sense of dread gripped his heart. There was no time to think. Instinctively, he shifted sideways.
Shhk-
A sharp blade sliced into flesh.
Zhang Wuji grunted and looked down. A savage sword wound had opened across his left shoulder. Had that sudden warning not prompted him to shift an inch to the right, the wound would have been in his heart instead.
Looking back, he saw a tall, slender figure standing ahead in the darkness, also clad in white, sword in hand. The young man's robes fluttered, and a hint of regret seemed to linger on his fair, handsome face.
"Yu Huatian!"
Zhang Wuji clenched his teeth and stared fixedly at the white-robed figure, murderous intent filling his eyes.
"How does the Heavenly Sword feel?"
"They say Zhou Zhiruo stabbed you with this very sword back then, setting you on the path to becoming the renowned leader of the Bright Moon Cult. As for her, she severed all love and affection because of it, swearing to remain at the Emei Sect forever and never leave the mountain. I wonder whether that rumor is true?"
Yu Huatian spoke lightly, his voice steady and resonant.
But at those words, Zhang Wuji's expression changed instantly. His eyes turned bloodshot, and fury consumed him.
Zhou Zhiruo was an eternal ache in his heart!
"You're courting death!"
With a furious roar, scorching true qi surged around Zhang Wuji. He abruptly became a blur and swept toward Yu Huatian.
Yu Huatian remained calm. The Heavenly Sword left its sheath once more, true qi flowing onto the blade and transforming into sword qi as he slashed forward through the air.
But Zhang Wuji's strength was far beyond anything Abbess Miejue or Li Zhenzhen could match. Powerful though the Heavenly Sword's sword qi was, killing him with it was clearly unrealistic.
Bang-
With a thunderous crash, Zhang Wuji shattered the sword qi with a single punch. Without slowing, he drove his fist, wreathed in Nine Yang true qi, straight toward Yu Huatian.
A flicker of surprise crossed Yu Huatian's eyes, but he showed no panic. Tightening his grip on the Heavenly Sword, he prepared to strike.
Whoosh-
Before Yu Huatian could swing his sword, a red blur suddenly darted in from the flank. A palm charged with fierce, unyielding true qi slammed into Zhang Wuji's lower back from the side.
"Pfft!"
Zhang Wuji shuddered. His internal organs were injured, his true qi instantly dispersed, and a mouthful of blood gushed from his lips as the palm strike sent him flying.
"Dongfang Bubai!"
The cry rang through the night, brimming with boundless murderous hatred.
Zhang Wuji crashed heavily to the ground. Before he could rise, he felt heat surge through his abdomen and spat out two more jets of blood, his face turning deathly pale.
Dongfang Bubai remained impassive. Ignoring Yu Huatian beside him and paying no heed to Zhang Wuji's venomous glare, he walked slowly forward.
"Hand over the Nine Yang Divine Skill!"
Tap, tap-
Zhang Wuji tapped his chest twice again, sealing his acupoints and suppressing his injuries. Rising, he stared fixedly at the two figures opposite him, one red and one white, his breathing heavy and his fists clenched tight.
Since entering the martial world, he had never suffered such a crushing loss!
"Yu Huatian, director of the West Depot! And you, Dongfang Bubai! I, Zhang Wuji, will remember what happened today!"
Zhang Wuji spoke through gritted teeth.
"Hmm? Trying to leave!"
Dongfang Bubai's expression shifted slightly. Immediately realizing that Zhang Wuji intended to flee, he accelerated toward him.
But with retreat already on his mind, how could Zhang Wuji have failed to prepare?
Before Dongfang Bubai could draw close, a scorching wave of fist force drove him back. Then the surrounding sand erupted, blotting out the sky.
The next instant, Zhang Wuji's grim voice rang through the night.
"Disciples of the Bright Moon Cult, withdraw!"
Hearing Zhang Wuji's voice, the Bright Moon Cult disciples fighting on the battlefield exchanged glances and swiftly gathered together. With no time even to count their casualties, they immediately began waving their flags, then retreated toward the edge of the battlefield in good order. Soon, they vanished into the depths of the desert.
Dongfang Bubai steadied himself and looked up. The night remained unchanged, but Zhang Wuji was nowhere to be seen.
It had to be said that the leader of the Bright Moon Cult was first-rate at escaping, too.
Beside him, Yu Huatian also felt some regret, sighing inwardly. What a shame.
He had not expected Zhang Wuji to snatch life from the jaws of death and escape the battlefield despite such severe injuries.
In that fleeting instant, even he had been unable to move in time.
They were both at peak grandmaster level, and both had cultivated two supreme arts. Yet Zhang Wuji's martial prowess was probably greater than his own.
In a one-on-one fight, even Yu Huatian might not be Zhang Wuji's match!
"As expected of a child of destiny who has cultivated both the Nine Yang Divine Skill and Heaven and Earth Shift to perfection..."
Yu Huatian murmured to himself.
Linghu Chong was also a child of destiny, yet Yu Huatian had casually killed him in an instant. He was not even worthy of carrying Zhang Wuji's shoes.
The gulf between them was immense!
Shaking his head, Yu Huatian turned toward the red-robed figure beside him, a trace of gravity flashing through his eyes.
Zhang Wuji was strong, but Dongfang Bubai was certainly no weakling either!
Earlier that night, he had single-handedly fought seven grandmasters from the various Righteous Path sects, then battled Zhang Wuji for so long without either gaining the upper hand.
They both cultivated the Sunflower Manual, and Dongfang Bubai's version was even incomplete. Why, then, was he so powerful?
Could I be cultivating it the wrong way?
But that's impossible. My Sunflower Manual was instilled by the system. How could there be a mistake?
Yu Huatian's eyes filled with bewilderment.
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(End of chapter)
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