The river breeze is cold, the moon is bright, and the flames glow like blood.
The crimson flames that lit up the river surface cast dappled light and shadow through the dense canopy of trees in the dim poplar grove.
Two figures, each wielding a weapon, darted into the depths of the dense forest with lightning speed. As they gradually shook off their pursuers, the atmosphere in the forest turned into one of lurking danger.
Snap snap snap...
Ye Xingge a bamboo hat and dragging a nine-foot crescent blade, Ye Xingge sped through the forest, the crimson blade kicking up dust as he cut through the fallen leaves, his momentum like that of a tiger darting through the woods.
High above the treetops, Hongyu, holding a telescope, kept a close watch on the figures moving through the woods.
"Thirty paces to your left, behind a tree trunk, someone there seems to be significantly more skilled than you, but their identity is unknown. Don't be careless..."
Upon hearing the call, Ye Xingge's gaze immediately locked onto the massive tree trunk to his left. His sprinting momentum only intensified, his nine-foot crescent blade dragging across the ground, whipping up layers of dead leaves, before he stomped down heavily.
"Drink--!"
With a loud shout, Ye Xingge gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands, spinning around the ground with his body as the center, instantly transforming the crimson sword light into a nine-foot arc that tore through the forest!
The scorching wind swept away the fallen leaves, revealing the black mud below.
Meanwhile, the crimson blade of the Dragon Devouring the Moon was pushed to its limit by the spinning motion, even revealing a crimson light under the cold moon, and cleaved the trunk of the poplar tree as thick as a person's embrace with the force of a whirlwind!
Boom--
Behind the tree trunk.
Li Wangchao had already drawn his ' Butterfly Twin Sabers ' from under his cloak, intending to ambush Ye Xingge as he rushed over, but he really didn't expect that this guy wouldn't even bother to act, and directly locked his head through the wall!
Seeing the powerful and heavy blade wind coming, Li Wangchao was obviously stunned for a moment. Instead of being reckless and trying to catch it head-on, he lowered his body and flipped out from the side of the tree trunk.
Snap--
In the next instant, the thick poplar trunk was cleaved in two by a blood-red blade, the giant tree cracking and collapsing with a loud crash, its branches and leaves falling in a flurry.
As Li Wangchao rolled over under the flashing blades, he felt the hot, scorching wind brushing against his face, and even his qi and blood were slightly disturbed.
" The Great Nine Yang?!"
As the head of the Clear River Manor, Li Wangchao was naturally familiar with the world's top-tier cultivation techniques. A sense of unease flashed through his mind, but he acted without hesitation.
sough--
After Ye Xingge's slash missed, he noticed the cloaked figure emerge from under the tree canopy and suddenly dart out, sweeping his lower leg with an extremely ornate double sword strike. Ye Xingge immediately flew backward, the following information flashing through his mind in an instant:
Butterfly Twin Sabers, Crouching Crow...
Clear River Eight-Slash Saber...
Li Wangchao, the master of the punishment hall at the Clear River Manor, ranked 267th in the Third Rank Wind-Turned Waves...
Upon realizing the true identity of the man in black, Ye Xingge's heart sank, and he immediately distanced himself from the fight.
Regardless of his background or ranking, Li Wangchao's ' Butterfly Twin Sabers ' are quite unique.
This sword is incredibly effective [ Freedom to Withdraw and Release ], similar to the ' Butterfly Twin Daggers ' of the River-Spanning Pavilion. It can help martial artists to control their strength and change their moves when they exert too much force.
In short, it significantly improves fault tolerance, allowing for the recovery of mistakes even if they occur.
This knife is useless to a seasoned expert with zero mistakes, but even a novice can achieve zero mistakes with it.
Ye Xingge was already at a disadvantage in terms of skill, and his opponent was unlikely to make any mistakes. At present, he could only try to use his strengths to attack his weaknesses.
Li Wangchao's actions had already revealed his true strength; he was now holding nothing back, his momentum as swift as thunder and as ferocious as a tiger.
Ding ding ding--
The instant Ye Xingge was forced back, Li Wangchao leaped forward, wielding his twin swords and unleashing three swift slashes.
Ye Xingge, wielding a long weapon against a short sword, exchanged three blows but felt his tiger's mouth go numb.
He tried to slip through the gap and thrust his knife through the center gate, but was first locked by the cross-shaped sealing blade, and then the butterfly knife guard jammed the blade, causing his right hand to slide the knife directly down the hilt of the crescent blade to his five fingers!
Sizzle--
Amidst the exploding sparks, Ye Xingge released one hand and realized that the sword, like Wandering Butterfly, could not slip through any openings. He stopped fighting and instead dragged the sword away at full speed, activating the Wind-Traveling Talisman halfway through.
Li Wangchao lived up to his nickname " Wind-Turned Waves," his cloak billowing as he moved through the forest, his two swords like waves in the wind, each strike relentlessly pursuing his figure.
Hongyu, observing from afar in the shadows, saw that Ye Xingge was completely outmatched and said in a deep voice:
"Just delay them. When they retreat, we advance; when they run, we chase. There's no need for a direct confrontation."
But Ye Xingge had no intention of engaging in any tug-of-war; he simply dragged his blade and sped away at full speed, switching his Fate-Robbing Saber to a more agile three-foot-long short sword.
Li Wangchao was at a disadvantage in chasing others, and Ye Xingge's speed was too outrageous. Even though he was running at full speed, after a few cuts, he was still pulled two zhang away.
Seeing that he couldn't catch up with Wind-Traveling Talisman, Li Wangchao knew that a protracted fight was pointless and wanted to retreat.
But to his surprise, Ye Xingge headlong ahead, suddenly turned and swung his left hand violently.
Sa--
Knowing that Ye Xingge came from a very wealthy family, Li Wangchao immediately raised his knife in a guarded manner.
But the cold iron grappling hook shot out, its target not him, but a poplar tree a few feet to the side.
Swoosh~
The iron claws hooked onto the tree trunk, Ye Xingge activated the Immortal Rope again, pulling him sharply towards the treetop at an angle.
Hey?
Li Wangchao understood the characteristics of the Immortal Rope: it could only extend and shorten, and once one's body was pulled into the air, unless it was pulled back and hooked to another place, it was impossible to change direction in mid-air.
Seeing that this boy actually wanted to use this object to create distance, he did not hesitate to stomp his feet on the ground, his figure shooting diagonally through the sky, heading towards the boy's inevitable path.
But the next instant, his eyes turned to horror!
With the Fate-Robbing Saber clenched in his mouth, Ye Xingge threw out the Immortal Rope with his left hand, pulling his body towards the treetop diagonally upwards. At the same time, he swung out a two-zhang-long dark gold whip with his right hand, which wrapped around the tree trunk in the opposite direction.
Sa--
Just as Li Wangchao leaped into the air, nearly two zhang high, he noticed Ye Xingge, who was ascending diagonally, had released the Immortal Rope and suddenly leaped in the opposite direction, his robes almost grazing his blade.
Even with his profound skill, Li Wangchao was clearly not at the level of walking on air. He failed to catch up with the boy with a sweeping slash and could only watch him disappear into the distance, already sensing that something was wrong.
Ye Xingge used the dark gold whip to pull himself toward the tree trunk. While still in mid-air, he Filth-Severing Whip, gripped the Fate-Robbing Saber with his right hand, raised the Ravine-Leaping Tiger with his left, and stomped heavily on the tree trunk with slightly bent knees.
Boom--
Sa--
The tree trunks shook violently, a flash of silver light streaked through the poplar grove, and in an instant, three steps were taken as if they were inches apart!
With no foothold for support within a few feet, Li Wangchao sensed danger out of the corner of his eye and desperately thrust his right-hand knife to the side, attempting to block the Ravine-Leaping Tiger's path.
But in the next instant, a silver light flashed four feet behind him, and a crimson blade, like a demonic edge, swept towards the back of his neck with the momentum of Ravine-Leaping Tiger.
puff--
A dark red blade swept through the air, leaving behind flying heads and pillars of blood shooting into the sky.
Ye Xingge landed with the momentum of the impact and carefully scanned his surroundings.
The severed head and the corpse crashed into the deciduous forest with a dull thud, and the poplar grove, which had been swirling in the crosswind, fell silent.
After confirming there were no ambushes or spies, Ye Xingge lightly twisted his wrist, twirling the blade and splashing blood onto the edge.
"How is it? Handsome or not?"
Hongyu, watching from a distance, was truly stunned to see Ye Xingge able to use a bunch of divine weapons to manually teleport and change positions, sneaking up on her from the front and back.
"Hey~ Aren't you bullying an honest person?"
"Hehe, give me a kiss, muah~"
"Tch~"
Ye Xingge shook his head and smiled, then quickly gathered up all the famous and divine weapons scattered around and stored them in his Mountains and Rivers Pouch, before chasing after the Great Beauty Luo...
A brisk river breeze swept across the land, and two figures could be vaguely seen standing in a stone pavilion on the riverbank.
Luo Xuanqing, dressed in a black dress, swept her gaze across the surging river, carrying an official's sword.
Wen Zhuohua, the head of the Mysterious Armament Pavilion, was still wearing a casual dress. The aura of the Fire Phoenix Sweeps Across the Plains had subsided, and she looked like a wealthy lady in charge of the household, with a faint worry between her brows.
" Horn Wood Flood Dragon possesses a renowned water-escape weapon, and his strength has clearly reached the Second Rank. He is highly likely to be a leader among the Eight Great Sects of the Cang River."
There are a total of one hundred people in the Second Rank, Eight Great Sects of the Cang River combined only have about twenty people, each with a name and surname.
Adding to the fact that the water-escape expert is a renowned soldier and their approximate strength, it shouldn't be difficult to estimate the target's range. However, Wen Zhuohua has no concrete evidence, so it's best not to speculate.
Luo Xuanqing, however, having come from the northern martial arts world and holding a position in the imperial court, was unconcerned and replied:
"Skilled in water-based concealment, he's most likely from Dongyuan Lake. Jiang Jinjiang of Black Dragon Island, Zhao Jintang of the River-Spanning Pavilion, Tong Qisheng of Shangshui Sword Cottage, and Qin Yue Jiang'an Escort Agency are most likely among these four."
Wen Zhuohua actually suspected it was Jiang Jinjiang, the " Rotten Crotch " Jiang Jinjiang.
This person ranked nineteenth in the Second Rank. He would definitely run away if he saw her. Moreover, he has an old grudge against Ye Xingge. People from the Return to Origin Cult also appeared on Black Dragon Island the day before yesterday. Jiang Jinjiang got nothing!
The dignified leader of Black Dragon Island couldn't even capture Ye Xingge, let alone stop a mere pawn of the Return to Origin Cult. Surely he can't be a complete incompetent fool?
However, without verifying his identity, falsely accusing Jiang Jinjiang of being a public enemy of the underworld could easily cause trouble. Thinking it over, he simply said:
"Until Heaven-Observing Pavilion has investigated thoroughly, I, Wen, cannot draw a conclusion. As for Neck Metal Dragon's identity, does Lord Luo have any deductions?"
Luo Xuanqing was about to analyze and discuss the matter when he heard the sound of wind breaking from behind him.
Whew...
Wen Zhuohua turned his head and saw the silver moon shining on the vast river and fields, and he could also see the afterglow of the lights in the direction of the Mysterious Armament Pavilion in the distance.
A figure in a greyish-white robe darted along the riverbank like an arrow. Having not yet learned lightness skill, he relied entirely on his Wind-Traveling Talisman for full-speed sprinting, even kicking up a trail of dust behind him, making him look like... well...
Sing from Kung Fu Hustle?
Two Second Rank tier, watched a trail of dust as they ran across the riverbank, their eyes filled with a strange light.
Wen Zhuohua inquired, "This is Ye Xingge? Hmm... his foundation is indeed solid, but his knowledge is rather superficial..."
Luo Xuanqing noticed that Ye Xingge had gone too far and stepped forward to call out:
" Ye Xingge!"
Splash...
Upon hearing the Ye Xingge, Ye Xingge glided to a stop on the grassy riverbank, turned towards the stone pavilion, and looked at the two imposing older women inside. He then cupped his hands in greeting, sword in hand.
" Lord Luo and Sect Leader Wen are really fast..."
As he spoke, he continued to search around, his eyes filled with longing.
Luo Xuanqing and Wen Zhuohua had just met here, and he wasn't surprised to see Ye Xingge running over in an instant.
"If you can't catch them, so be it. The Return to Origin Cult is always cunning. Once you figure out their identities, they'll be easier to capture. Do you know who that person was just now?"
Wen Zhuohua also gave him an inquiring look.
Ye Xingge, on the other hand, seemed somewhat bewildered. After a moment's thought, he planted the Fate-Robbing Saber in the ground and drew out the golden Butterfly Twin Sabers from his waist.
" Li Wangchao of the Clear River Manor, his Eight-Slash Saber is incredibly powerful, he almost killed me. Where are Horn Wood Flood Dragon and Neck Metal Dragon?"
"?"
Chirp chirp chirp...
The riverbank was completely silent.
Wen Zhuohua, who had been calm and collected, visibly bulged in his clothes, his eyes changed, and his lips moved slightly as if he was preparing his words.
Luo Xuanqing's expression also stiffened slightly, and he said incredulously:
"In the blink of an eye, you killed Li Wangchao?"
"Otherwise what?"
Ye Xingge spread his hands slightly. "Not only did he not run, but he also dared to ambush me. With the Fate-Robbing Saber in my right hand and the Ravine-Leaping Tiger in my left..."
"Okay!"
Luo Xuanqing knew that this young man came from a wealthy family and possessed formidable fighting skills, but he only guessed that Ye Xingge would not be injured. He truly did not expect that Ye Xingge could kill him in an instant.
Since neither of them had gained anything, Luo Xuanqing, the female boss, was clearly starting to lose her composure. After thinking for a moment, she said:
" Horn Wood Flood Dragon is Second Rank hero, likely from a wealthy family in the south. He disappeared without a trace after entering the water. Sect Leader Wen is skilled in fire magic, but he lacks the advantage of terrain..."
"Oh..."
Ye Xingge nodded slightly, understanding.
But he risked his life to run over there, just to follow behind those two big trucks and maybe pick up a head or something. He then looked around again:
"That Neck Metal Dragon..."
Luo Xuanqing coughed lightly:
"I was ambushed by Mantanghong, and my martial arts skills have been diminished. Neck Metal Dragon's background is not simple either..."
"Oh..."
Ye Xingge nodded gently again, understanding the meaning:
He was standing by, passionately hacking and slashing, and these two older sisters were there purely to cheer him on!
So, that Deathwing thing was just a prank to scare me?
I just wanted to leave him with a breath, but you didn't need to leave him this much...
However, noticing that the two large trucks were somewhat embarrassed, Ye Xingge, being quite shrewd, stepped forward and sighed softly:
" The Return to Origin Cult members are indeed extraordinary. If Li Wangchao hadn't underestimated me and tried to ambush me, I wouldn't have even been able to touch his clothes, even if I risked my life (raising my voice)! I almost killed him with three blows just now..."
It describes a state of utter fear, lingering dread, and lingering unease...