Only Lake and Mountains Remain in Sight

Whether it's the Demonic Saber Technique or the Death-Claiming Sword Technique, to demonstrate sufficient effectiveness, both rely on the Sword Intent of the Saber Intent and the power of internal energy as their foundation.

Most of the internal energy of the Flowing Cloud Manor Master was converted into the effects of sword techniques.

This is what gives it the miraculous effect of almost separating a person from their body, causing their thoughts to rapidly shift and rush towards the end of their life.

But now, the effect of the sword technique has been broken.

The remaining power of the Flowing Cloud Manor Master was simply insufficient to withstand the thirteen waves of internal energy from Chu Tianshu.

The Sword Qi in his hand shattered like glass, and the flesh and blood of his arm turned into dust and scattered, revealing the white bones.

The horrifying scene stretched from his finger down to his shoulder and face.

"Ah!!"

Even in his dying moments, he let out a furious roar filled with murderous intent.

Just as his entire body shattered, a grayish-white venomous dragon flew out from his body.

In that scene, the Flowing Cloud Manor Master didn't seem to be dead at all.

It was as if it had broken free of its shell and emerged from its cocoon, transforming into this venomous dragon.

Thump!!!

Chu Tianshu's figure fell from mid-air, and a rock beneath his feet was deeply dented and covered with cracks.

The surrounding water crashed and roared, sending waves soaring into the air.

Within that shimmering white water curtain, everyone could see the venomous dragon coiled around his body.

The dragon shadow, several meters long, was sharp and stubborn, yet it exuded an aura that caused everything else to decay.

After the dragon's body coiled around the man's body, its ferocious head lunged down at Chu Tianshu's face.

However, whether it is Spirit Body or a physical body, it is no different from a physical body to the body of the Martial Stove God of the Kitchen.

Chu Tianshu raised his right hand high and grabbed the poisonous dragon by the neck.

The dragon claws gripped his forearm, causing his skin to begin to wither.

"Your henchmen aren't powerful enough!"

When the water collapses and the violent waves spread out.

Chu Tianshu clenched his teeth, gripped the base of the dragon's forepaw with his left hand, and strained with all his might, exhaling and tearing.

The force from his back surged fiercely into his arms, and the clothes on his upper body, without the support of internal energy, exploded directly.

At the same time, the poisonous dragon also broke off.

It was clearly Spirit Body, yet it sprayed out large amounts of green blood, splattering among the waves and rocks.

The venomous dragon, severed in two, struggled and roared, its body trembling wildly, but it could not escape those two palms.

The effects of the Fifteen Death-Claiming Swords had worn off, but everyone on the ship remained frozen in place.

They came to watch a duel between martial artists.

I never imagined I would witness such legendary scenes.

The venomous dragon let out a final, painful groan, gradually fading and disappearing in Chu Tianshu's hand.

The fresh dragon blood on the reef turned into wisps of white smoke.

The ripples that spread earlier have now been replaced by an even bigger wave surging back.

With a whoosh, the waves crashed down, shattering into countless handfuls of jade-like snowflakes on the rocks.

Chu Tianshu stood firm amidst the waves.

The lake water washed over his body, causing white steam to rise from his head. The bloodshot color in his eyes lessened slightly, but they remained a cold, jade- Ruyu.

Ye Zongsheng's hands trembled slightly.

The death of the prefectural lord greatly shocked this hall master Ye, giving him the urge to charge forward in an instant.

However, those crimson eyes suddenly fixed on Ye Zongsheng.

In that instant, Ye Zongsheng didn't know whether he felt like he was in an ice cellar or surrounded by raging fire.

My hands and feet seem ice-cold, yet my insides feel like they're on fire.

"Walk!!"

Ye Zongsheng let out a sharp cry and leaped off the bow of the boat, veering to the side and repeatedly touching the water's surface with his toes.

A large ship is desirable, but getting started is difficult.

He needed to seize the small boat and use his internal energy to accelerate it so he could leave Poyang Lake as quickly as possible.

The experts from the Flowing Cloud Manor on the ship seemed to awaken from a dream, and they all leaped down.

In their panic, some people forgot that their lightness skill was not good enough to jump from the high deck of the boat onto the water and still be able to walk on the water.

These people jumped in and immediately fell into the water.

They simply relied on their internal strength to swim underwater while holding their breath, and they were as fast as great white sharks.

With the consistent power and prestige of the Flowing Cloud Manor.

These elite soldiers, all bearing the insignia of the Flowing Cloud Manor in their hair ornaments and clothing, are a force to be reckoned with whenever they are mobilized.

Even if their enemies were on the lake, at least most of them would instinctively give up their boats.

However, when a skilled fighter from the Flowing Cloud Manor surfaced beside the small boat...

A click.

A steel knife was embedded right in the center of his forehead.

The person who was stabbed looked shocked, and the person who stabbed him also looked panicked.

However, around Kangshan Island, on the surface of Poyang Lake, a great deal of loud fighting sounds had already rang out, from the old and the young, men and women.

"Don't let those treacherous dogs from the Flowing Cloud Manor escape!"

"That man in silver is Ye Zongsheng!"

"Heavens have opened their eyes! Revenge! Revenge!"

For a moment, it seemed as if the sounds of fighting were everywhere, with swords clashing and small boats being broken and interrupted from time to time.

Just as Ye Zongsheng had seized a small boat, a swordsman's figure suddenly appeared at the stern of the boat.

As soon as he moved, he and his sword pierced through the cabin, the tip of the sword radiating multicolored energy.

Ye Zongsheng swung his knife back, and the two-foot-long dagger, as thin as a cicada's wing, easily sliced through the sword tip.

"Five Colors Hall?"

Ye Zongsheng was startled and said urgently, "Those who killed you were members of the Demonic Sect from beyond the Great Wall! It has nothing to do with me!"

The swordsman said angrily, "Do you think I don't know who plotted to hinder Commander Wan's reinforcements?"

Ye Zongsheng vaguely remembered that the prefect had personally visited the vicinity of Shanhai Pass that year.

But it's just a mere Five Colors Hall. Even if the Lord of the Manor takes action himself, what's the big deal? There's no need to hide it.

Since it's rumored that the Demonic Sect Cult was responsible, then it truly is the Demonic Sect.

Ye Zongsheng had always thought this way, but he was too lazy to investigate the details.

In the heat of the moment, he was blocked by the people of the Five Colors Hall, and he didn't know how to argue back.

"You're asking for it."

Ye Zongsheng's voice turned cold, and the blade flashed like wings, rising and falling in an instant.

The short knife had barely left the tip of the sword when it slashed back, as if the entire long sword had been split in two.

At that moment, a powerful force pressed down from the side, and the wing-like blade of light quickly deflected.

With a clang, sparks flew everywhere.

The oars were made of high-quality steel and coated with a wood-colored lacquer.

Ye Zongsheng felt as if a huge halberd had shaken his entire body, and the small boat beneath his feet seemed to sink.

An elderly disabled man stood on another small boat to the side, as if riding a horse and brandishing a sword.

Ye Zongsheng was shocked. Back then, he had defeated this old man in a one-on-one fight, but he hadn't realized then how powerful and decisive the man's blade was.

He certainly didn't know that back then, the Luoyang Escort Agency had many escorts and hundreds of families.

The Luoyang Escort Agency is now practically deserted.

Nothing can hold back this Spring and Autumn Annals Great Saber.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Miaogao and Miaoji laughed heartily and leaped over.

"Chief Escort Yu, we're here to support you. Let him experience what it's like to have someone backing him up."

Chu Tianshu, who was on the reef, noticed this scene and smiled slightly.

Both sides instinctively avoided the reef and dared not approach it.

Only Lu Shuangyan flew over, sensing the lingering aura around her, her expression showing a hint of admiration.

"So, that Fifteenth Sword that caused people to lose control was like this."

Lu Shuangyan looked at Chu Tianshu, "You can even break a sword like that!"

Chu Tianshu thought about it and felt a little scared.

Amidst so many racing thoughts, he managed to grasp a single correct idea, and that was the hardest part.

"Should I thank those nightmares? Forget it, I'll thank the part of myself that held on through those nightmares. Even as a small Laozi, I'm still pretty brave."

Chu Tianshu chuckled, then said seriously, "The Dharma Spirit was completely drawn into the Human World by Flowing Cloud Manor Master, and then killed by me."

"You shouldn't feel that bewitched anymore, right?"

Lu Shuangyan pondered the words carefully and nodded.

The Dharma Spirit of that Fifteenth Sword possesses an inherent, uncontrollable, and pernicious tendency.

He was inspired by his swordsmanship and ideas, which gave birth to a freakish idea.

After the Dharma Spirit was slain, a certain trend within the Yanxia was naturally thwarted.

Even if someone else were to take the path of the out-of-control Fifteenth Sword in the future, it wouldn't be so quick for a powerful Evil Spirit to emerge.

Moreover, this is evidenced by the evil sword.

Lu Shuangyan is confident that he will create his own Fifteenth Sword.

Chu Tianshu closed his eyes, savoring the feeling of resisting that sword strike.

With his strength and physique, even if his internal energy is exhausted and his physical strength is only one percent, he can still easily support his weight.

But he really feels very tired right now and wants to find somewhere to sit down.

Because his head is now burning hot.

Actively recalling that sword strike actually made him feel like he was cooling down faster.

"I originally thought that a sword was just a tool, not as dexterous as a human hand."

"It's just that in the early stages of martial arts training, the sword is harder than the hand, and the attack range is slightly longer, giving it that slight advantage..."

When human hands become harder and sharper than most common weapons, the need for swords and knives decreases further.

If you have good materials, it's easier to forge a belt than a sword when crafting a ritual implement.

But after stripping away the outward appearances of the Flowing Cloud Manor Master's iron flute and poison dragon in today's battle, what impressed him most was a unique artistic conception belonging to the sword.

When you feel that fundamental artistic conception, the first thing that comes to mind is a sword.

It wouldn't be hands, guns, or anything else.

This is also a result of cultural accumulation.

The culture of swords and knives, and the symbolic meaning they bring, naturally create a distinct characteristic that is completely different from that of physical combat.

Chu Tianshu was suddenly interrupted by a shout and looked up.

Xiahou was seen chasing a small boat.

The people on the boat repeatedly shouted, "Nephew, have you misunderstood?"

Xiahou Feishan drew his sword intently, shouting something like, "I'm going to kill you, you traitor!"

Chu Tianshu stared intently, not recognizing the group of people being chased, and couldn't help but ask, "Who are they?"

Lu Shuangyan also glanced in that direction.

"Oh, people from the Murong Lineage."

Lu Shuangyan focused most of her energy on studying the sword techniques of the Flowing Cloud Manor Master, and casually commented a few words.

"The Murong Lineage's Hidden Phenomena Sword Art is very famous, said to contain all its myriad aspects within its sheath, and it does indeed possess some ingenious features."

"Therefore, the Murong Family head's sword is most intimidating when it's not drawn, and it can even block Xiahou's attacks."

"By the time he truly needs to draw his sword, he will most likely be killed by Xiahou on his second strike."

Upon hearing the name Murong Lineage, Chu Tianshu recalled the whole story.

At that time, during the investigation of the generals and officers in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang region who had killed innocent people and claimed credit for their crimes, a group of people who were actually colluding with Japanese pirates were discovered.

Some of the letters even came from the Murong Lineage.

Xiahou Feishan asked him at the time whether these experts who colluded with the real Japanese could be considered as real Japanese.

Chu Tianshu replied, "The traitors are even more hateful; killing them would be a meritorious act."

This patriarch, having both allied himself with the Flowing Cloud Manor and colluded with Chen Zuqi, and also managed to cultivate relationships with the government, was truly a master of all trades.

Unfortunately, all of these forces have now been dealt a heavy blow.

Chu Tianshu glanced at it a few more times, then shook his head and said, "The Murong Family's swordsmanship is all talk and no action, it's boring."

"I'm going up the mountain to take a nap. Wake me up when you're done fighting."

He turned around, and with a few leaps, he climbed up the low cliff.

Not far up the cliff, there is a temple.

The statues inside are not of Buddha, but of many generals, with weapon racks on both sides, conveying a sense of war and battle.

Chu Tianshu yawned, leaned against the red pillar, used the weapons as a pillow, and fell asleep to the sound of the waves.

Although the temple was filled with the atmosphere of war, a few lines of poetry were engraved on the large incense burner on the altar.

Some of the characters are blurred and not fully legible.

Clouds surge and waves rise in mid-air, I lean against a lone boat to admire the magnificent view...

The plains seem poised to swallow up the entire land of Wu, yet all the rivers flow away from the sea gate.

Where are the warships that fought a hundred battles now?

Only the lake and mountains are in sight.

(End of this chapter)