Meeting that indifferent gaze, Situ Shuang'er felt a sudden tremor in her heart.
That look in his eyes was so unfamiliar.
Gone were the jokes of the past, gone were the concessions of the Azure Mystic Sect; only a chilling indifference and contempt remained.
In Chu Yunfei's eyes, she now seemed no different from a corpse lying on the ground.
This realization caused Situ Shuang'er, who had always been arrogant and fawned over by the entire Heavenly Sword Sect, to feel a tightness in her chest, with grievances and anger surging up at the same time.
" Chu Yunfei, do you know what you're doing?"
Situ Shuang'er gritted her teeth, holding the Ice Soul Sword horizontally in front of her chest, her clear, cold voice carrying a hint of barely suppressed urgency:
"You've already killed Yue Chenzhou, destroyed Yin Hanmei, and even Nangong Wuhen died at your hands."
"The holy sons and daughters of the three top sects perished in the secret realm. The sect leaders and patriarchs outside have already gone mad. Once the gates of the secret realm open, you will face a joint attack from the three sects!"
Her chest heaved violently as she stared intently at the young man in black before her.
"Regarding Nangong Wuhen's matter, out of respect for Uncle Chu from back then, I can return to the Heavenly Sword Sect to mediate and suppress it for you."
"But if you kill Qin Hao again... the Cangyun Sect will never let this go. Even if the Pill Pavilion wants to protect you, it won't be able to withstand the wrath of the two powerful sects!"
Situ Shuang'er took a deep breath, her tone softening slightly, even carrying a hint of admonition that she herself didn't realize:
"Release him, leave some face for the Cangyun Sect, and there's still room for maneuver. I'm standing here for you, not for Qin Hao."
After saying the last sentence, Situ Shuang'er herself was stunned for a moment.
for you.
She hadn't originally intended to say those words so directly.
But seeing the unwavering killing intent in Chu Yunfei's eyes, she finally spoke up.
The surrounding cultivators were deeply disturbed by what they heard.
It seems that Situ Shuang'er and Chu Yunfei had a past relationship.
Zhao Manshan nodded inwardly. Although this Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sword Sect seemed to be protecting Qin Hao, her words clearly indicated that she was considering Chu Yunfei's future.
If it were an ordinary cultivator, they would probably have backed down long ago.
Qin Hao, sprawled on the ground, nodded frantically, his voice trembling as he echoed, "Yes, yes, Chu Yunfei, let me go! I will not pursue this matter today. When I return, I will definitely plead with the sect leader and ensure that the Cangyun Sect will not cause you any trouble!"
His anxious demeanor made it seem as if he wasn't the one who had ordered the attack on Chu Yunfei.
Chu Yunfei chuckled after hearing this.
The smile was faint, and cold.
"Months have passed, and you're still so naive."
Situ Shuang'er's expression darkened slightly.
Chu Yunfei raised the Abyss-Devouring Sword, its tip pointing at Qin Hao behind her.
"You think the Cangyun Sect will let me go if I don't kill Qin Hao?"
"Even if I let Qin Hao go now, the Cangyun Sect will still attack me the moment I leave the secret realm."
Chu Yunfei's voice grew colder and colder.
"Since the outcome won't change, why should I keep an enemy alive?"
Situ Shuang'er did not answer immediately.
She knew that the Cangyun Sect wouldn't simply erase today's events just because Qin Hao was alive.
But in her view, holding someone accountable is ultimately different from a fight to the death.
If Qin Hao is alive, the Cangyun Sect still has a way to save face; if Qin Hao dies, there will be no room for maneuver between the two sides.
"At least, we can spare his life for now."
Situ Shuang'er bit her lip, her voice turning cold again.
"As long as Qin Hao is alive, the Cangyun Sect still has a chance to negotiate."
"If you kill him, you will be cutting off your last escape route."
"Negotiation?"
Chu Yunfei looked at her, a hint of mockery in his eyes.
Do you think I still need to negotiate with the Cangyun Sect?
Just one short sentence.
Situ Shuang'er's grip on the sword tightened suddenly.
Looking at the young man in black in front of her, she suddenly remembered the words she had once said.
Back in the Azure Mystic Sect, she arrogantly told Chu Yunfei that the gap between them would only widen.
She said he could never catch up with her in his entire life, and that his status as the Holy Son of the Heavenly Sword Sect was an insurmountable barrier for him.
But now, Chu Yunfei stands amidst pools of blood, able to shatter even the attacks of the Dao Mysterious Realm expert head-on.
She could only stand in front of Qin Hao, trying to use the threat of the sect to force him to stop.
A hint of annoyance rose in Situ Shuang'er's heart.
She didn't know if her anger stemmed from Chu Yunfei's mockery or from the fact that everything she had once firmly believed in was crumbling.
Do you really think you're invincible?
Three beams of spiritual light rose from her body once more, crisscrossing and flowing along the sword's edge.
" Chu Yunfei, I admit you're very strong now."
"But don't forget, I'm still here."
She raised her sword to block the way, her white sword robe fluttering in the tri-colored waves of energy.
"If you absolutely must kill Qin Hao, then you'll have to get past me first."
The atmosphere inside the underground palace became extremely tense.
Xiao Yihan's gaze darkened, and his hand once again rested on the sword hilt.
Si Yunshu sighed softly.
Now that things have come to this point, this battle is unavoidable.
Wu Changge frowned but did not intervene.
In his view, Situ Shuang'er's concerns might have some merit, but since she chose to block his path with her sword, she should let the sword speak for itself.
Chu Yunfei slowly tightened his five fingers.
The Abyss-Devouring Sword hummed softly, and dark golden spiritual light flowed along its blade like water.
" Situ Shuang'er, I don't want to fight you."
He looked at that once-familiar face, his tone devoid of anger, only coldness.
"Get out of the way now."
I can pretend I never said those words.
Situ Shuang'er did not retreat.
The Ice Soul Sword's sharpness was firmly locked onto Chu Yunfei.
What if I don't allow it?
Chu Yunfei chuckled softly.
The laughter wasn't loud, but it carried an endless chill.
He raised the Abyss-Devouring Sword, its blade facing the Ice Soul Sword from a distance.
"Then I'll let you see it for yourself..."
Do you even have the right to stand in my way?
Situ Shuang'er's heart skipped a beat.
The next moment, lightning suddenly erupted beneath Chu Yunfei's feet.
The Abyss-Devouring Sword emitted a deep sword cry, and its dark golden sword aura swept out like a tidal wave.
" Sea-Overturning Ninefold Sword."
"Fifth move!"
The five layers of sword energy stacked up one after another, and before the sword light could actually strike, large cracks had already appeared on the stone slabs of the underground palace.
Situ Shuang'er's pupils suddenly contracted.
She had just witnessed Chu Yunfei unleash the eighth sword strike and was well aware of its power.
However, the fifth sword in Chu Yunfei's hands was still far superior to ordinary Heaven-level martial arts.
This sword strike must not be taken head-on!
White frost spread beneath Situ Shuang'er's feet as she leaped backward, her Ice Soul Sword held horizontally in front of her.
The three-colored spiritual energy quickly condensed into a sword and shield.
The dark gold sword light crashed down.
The sword and shield held out for only a moment before crumbling under the crushing weight of the five sword strikes.
Situ Shuang'er's face paled slightly. Using the force of the recoil, she was pushed back dozens of feet, the tip of her sword leaving a deep mark on the ground.
The surrounding cultivators' expressions changed drastically.
With just one sword strike, Situ Shuang'er was forced back.
She is the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sword Sect who just killed Divine Sea Realm Seventh Level Ancient Ape in a direct confrontation!
The hope on Qin Hao's face quickly froze.
Chu Yunfei actually made a move against Situ Shuang'er.
Moreover, he immediately put her at a disadvantage.
Situ Shuang'er was even more shaken.
She had already expended a lot of spiritual energy when she killed the Crimson-Armored Ancient Ape, but she was still confident that she could face off against Divine Sea Realm Sixth Layer expert.
However, Chu Yunfei's fifth sword strike was enough to leave her almost defenseless.
What kind of monster is this?
She looked up at the figure in black in the distance.
Chu Yunfei did not continue the pursuit, but simply watched her calmly.
"Get out of the way now, it's not too late."
Situ Shuang'er gritted her teeth.
The surging blood and qi in his chest gradually calmed down, and the three-colored spiritual energy re-condensed within his body.
She did not answer.
The light emanating from the Ice Soul Sword became even more dazzling.
Chu Yunfei's gaze darkened.
"Very good."
"Since you're unwilling to back out, don't blame me for being impolite!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the dark gold sword light once again swept across the underground palace.
Situ Shuang'er did not back down.
She raised her sword to meet the attack.
The two sword lights collided violently in the center of the underground palace.
boom!
The violent aftershocks spread outwards, causing nearby stone pillars to crumble one after another.
Everyone retreated again.
Xiao Yihan stared solemnly at the two combatants, his heart pounding with shock.
One Divine Sea Realm Sixth Layer, and the other Divine Sea Realm Second Layer.
Situ Shuang'er's three-colored spiritual power was extremely strong, and her swordsmanship was also mysterious and fierce.
But Chu Yunfei's swordplay was too powerful, as if each strike carried endless strength, giving her no chance to breathe.
As Si Yunshu watched Situ Shuang'er retreat, her heart grew increasingly complicated.
She knew that Situ Shuang'er was giving it her all.
But she also knew that the outcome of this battle was predetermined from the very beginning.
Chu Yunfei wasn't serious at all.
He didn't even use the eighth move that shattered the Dao Mysterious Realm's attack.
He was only suppressing his cultivation level, using the fourth and fifth sword strikes to constantly pressure Situ Shuang'er.
It was as if it were reminding her.
They were no longer on the same level.
At the heart of the battle, Situ Shuang'er gradually realized this as well.
Her sword moved faster and faster, and her three-colored spiritual energy erupted continuously.
But Chu Yunfei maintained a firm grip on her.
With each clash of swords, she could feel an irresistible force flowing into her body through the blade.
Her arm began to go numb, and her breathing gradually became erratic.
What she found even harder to accept was that she could hear every word of the surrounding cultivators' discussions.
"It seems that Saintess Situ is about to collapse."
"Didn't she just kill Divine Sea Realm Seventh Level demon beast with a single sword strike? How come she was completely overwhelmed and powerless against Chu Yunfei?"
"That Chu Yunfei is simply a monster. Even though they are both at the Divine Sea Realm, Saintess Situ is no match for him."
Every word was like a sharp thorn, piercing Situ Shuang'er's heart.
She couldn't accept it.
She couldn't accept that she was being beaten in front of everyone by the person she had once considered a good-for-nothing.
A faint blue aura suddenly emerged from the depths of her body.
Beyond the three-colored spiritual power, a fourth power is slowly awakening.
Situ Shuang'er's gaze suddenly turned cold.
" Chu Yunfei, the outcome will be decided after this sword strike!"
She gripped the Ice Soul Sword tightly with both hands, and the primal power within her body surged to a boiling point.
A magnificent phoenix cry suddenly resounded throughout the underground palace.
Chu Yunfei looked up, his gaze becoming truly serious for the first time.
Flames surged behind Situ Shuang'er.
A phantom image of a celestial phoenix, obscuring the sky and the sun, slowly opened its eyes.
Those fiery eyes looked down upon all living beings, carrying an almost divine aura of power.
Situ Shuang'er gripped her sword and stepped forward, her clear, cold voice echoing through the underground palace:
" Heavenly Phoenix Heaven-Burning!"