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Chapter 234 - A Fist and a Sword
Ning Sihua and Shen Jiusong could tell what Le Zheng was getting at.
Le Zheng was worried that the two of them would get involved, but he still didn’t want to give up on acting against Su Yi.
Their expressions turned a bit strange. This guy…. Really is looking to get himself killed…
Su Yi laughed too. “I guarantee that they won’t intervene.”
Le Zheng didn’t quite seem to believe him. He glanced at Ning Sihua and Shen Jiusong. “And what do you two say?”
Ning Sihua’s gaze was pitying. “Today at sunrise, the Great Zhou had eighteen non-Zhou marquises. I’m afraid it’ll be seventeen before the day is through.”
Shen Jiusong flashed him an insincere smile. “You seem intent on throwing your life away. Why should we stop you? Go right ahead.”
“Wait!” Wang Chundu’s expression shifted. He wanted to stop this right away; he was increasingly certain that something wasn’t right here. “Huaiyang Marquis, listen to me. Let’s let this end here, or else….”
Le Zheng coldly cut him off. “This is an opportunity to discipline this unworthy, unfilial descendant on my lord’s behalf. How could I possibly give up now? Brother Wang, you needn’t try and persuade me any further!”
Wang Chundu forced his words back down.
But then something happened that left him even more flabbergasted. Xuan Youlong, who’d been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up. “Before you fight, I’d like to confirm something with Young Lord Su.”
Everyone looked over.
“What do you want to know?” asked Su Yi.
“Are you the one who slew the governor of Cloudriver Prefecture, Qin Wenyuan?” Xuan Youlong’s gaze crackled with electricity as he stared intently at Su Yi.
Qin Wenyuan!
Wang Chundu’s expression shifted slightly.
As the palace master of Luyang Academy, he naturally knew that Qin Wenyuan had spent much of his youth cultivating at Luyang Academy, and that his relationship with Xuan Youlong was excellent; they were almost like brothers.
Not long ago, when Xuan Youlong received word of Qin Wenyuan’s death, he briefly lost control and entered a mad frenzy. He swore to avenge Qin Wenyuan’s death.
Wang Chundu naturally knew about this too. However, he wouldn’t have guessed that Qin Wenyuan’s killer was most likely Su Yi!
“That’s right.” Su Yi nodded and admitted it, but he seemed a bit surprised. “What, do you plan to avenge him?”
“Of course!” Xuan Youlong’s gaze was now dreadful to the extreme, and his aura surged out of him like a tidal wave.
Earlier, this gaunt, broad-shouldered but narrow-waisted man wasn’t the least bit eye-catching.
Yet now, he was like a long-dormant volcano suddenly erupting. His eyes flashed with lightning, and his power and momentum were terrifying.
Ning Sihua and Shen Jiusong were both surprised; they hadn’t even considered the possibility that the vice palace master of Luyang Academy might see Su Yi as his enemy.
“Nonsense!” Wang Chundu’s expression darkened. “Xuan Youlong, you’re the lofty and esteemed vice palace master of Luyang Academy. How can you be willful at a time like this?”
“The one who killed Junior Apprentice Brother Qin stands before me. How can I possibly remain unmoved?” Xuan Youlong took a deep breath. “Brother Wang, this is a private grudge between him and me. I absolutely won’t drag Luyang Academy into this.”
“You….” How lofty was Wang Chundu? Yet now, his aged features contorted with fury.
Le Zheng’s stubbornness had already given him a headache. This was just perfect. Now, even Xuan Youlong had stepped forth, and he was dead set on fighting Su Yi.
He was both angry and frantic, and he didn’t know what to do.
“Fellow Daoist Wang, since things have already reached this stage, there’s no longer any need to persuade them,” Ning Sihua said softly.
Wang Chundu sighed, then suddenly asked, “Palace Master Ning, aren’t you worried on your young friend’s behalf?”
A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “All I can say is that I guarantee I won’t get involved.”
Wang Chundu’s expression shifted with uncertainty. He was increasingly convinced that something wasn’t right here.
However, before he could speak…
Clang! Clang!
Xuan Youlong drew his twin swords, holding one in each hand. “Su Yi, do you dare fight me?”
His tone was icy and shockingly murderous.
However, Le Zheng was somewhat displeased. “Brother Xuan, Su Yi is my lord’s son. Even if there’s going to be fighting, it’s not your place to get involved! Besides, only my lord can determine Su Yi’s life and death!”
Xuan Youlong’s expression darkened. “And if I don’t agree?”
Le Zheng said coldly, “Brother Xuan, I certainly don’t wish for us to become enemies over Su Yi.”
His tone was firm; he wasn’t backing down at all.
Ning Sihua and Shen Jiusong watched this play out. They were flabbergasted, but they also found it rather funny. They’re actually arguing over who gets to fight first? Do they really see Su Yi as a lamb to the slaughter?
Su Yi found it rather funny too. “How about you two attack together? I’ll send you both on your way, and you can look out for each other on your way to the yellow springs.
“You’re seeking death!” Xuan Youlong bellowed, waved his swords, and charged.
Boom!
His aura arced through the air, sending the nearby sand and rocks flying and throwing the surrounding air into turmoil. His fourth-level Grandmaster cultivation was on full display.
His twin swords lit up with dazzling light as he swung violently at Su Yi, the attacks forceful and heavy, yet swift and despotic.
This was a force that could cleave mountains and sever rivers!
“Xuan Youlong, out of my way!” When Le Zheng saw this, he didn’t hesitate to shake his spear and stab it through the air in an attempt to block Xuan Youlong’s attack.
But it was then that Su Yi snapped his fingers.
Clang!
Le Zheng’s spear shook. When Su Yi snapped his fingers, the sharp resulting force shifted its course.
At almost the same time, Su Yi’s sleeves fluttered as he swept his arm through the air.
Bang! Bang!
Two muffled bangs followed. It was just a light, airy swing, yet it shook Xuan Youlong’s twin swords so badly, they almost flew from his grasp. The force of his attack immediately dispersed.
One snap of the fingers and one wave of the arm. All of it happened in the blink of an eye.
Yet Xuan Youlong and Le Zheng’s attacks had both disintegrated as if they were made of rotten wood!
Everyone fell silent.
Wang Chundu’s pupils constricted until they were the size of needles. His heart shook, and he finally understood why Ning Sihua and Shen Jiusong were so calm.
Those two casual, understated attacks were enough to make even a Xiantian Martial Ancestor like Wang Chundu realize that although Su Yi was a young man in the Qi Accumulation Realm, he was actually an extremely terrifying character.
With mere Qi Accumulation Realm cultivation, he’d effortlessly broken through the attacks of two fourth-level Grandmasters. What could you call that except “terrifying”?
At the same time, both Xuan Youlong and Le Zheng’s expressions shifted. Both of their gazes landed on Su Yi, and both of them were suddenly solemn and bewildered.
The gap between a Qi Accumulation Realm martial artist and a fourth-level Grandmaster wasn’t at all small!
Yet just now, Su Yi’s casual display of power was enough to shock them both. This was simply unbelievable!
“I said I’d let you attack together. Why fight amongst yourselves? Do you really think I’m just a fish lying on the chopping block, just waiting for you to slaughter me?” Su Yi said flatly, “You two had best use your full power. Otherwise, I guarantee you’ll die quickly.”
His words were casual, yet deeply arrogant; it seemed he didn’t take either of his opponents the least bit seriously.
Ning Sihua and Shen Jiusong’s expressions didn’t waver; they’d long since grown accustomed to this.
However, Wang Chundu couldn’t help but arch his brow. This kid…. He really isn’t at all modest!
“As you wish!” Xuan Youlong took a deep breath, and his aura expanded. Four-colored Astral Force - red, blue, gold, and black - surged around his lean frame.
This was a display of the power of a fourth-level Grandmaster. He’d refined four of his major organs, and when he circulated his full power, his true essence Astral Force appeared with four distinct elemental presences.
Fifth-level Grandmasters like Qin Changshan had refined all five major organs, unifying the five elements into one. Their Astral Force’s disparate elemental affinities naturally merged too. That was what it meant to achieve great success in the Grandmaster Realm.
One such Grandmaster had already fallen beneath Su Yi’s sword.
“Kill!” Xuan Youlong bellowed, then pressed off against the ground and shot into the air. He swung both swords and slashed through the air.
Boom!
The skies split like canvas along a perfectly straight line. The sword qi was so abundant that it looked like a bolt of lightning streaking through the skies.
The Mountain-Cleaving Slash!
This attack represented the pinnacle of Xuan Youlong’s lifetime of attainments in the Martial Dao. This one attack could cleave mountains and sever hills!
At almost the same time—
Le Zheng took action too. He shook his spear, which bloomed with countless blood-red lights. They danced and flickered through the air, blotting out the skies like blood-colored rain.
The Rain of Blood Slaughtering Demonic Spear.
This was an upper-level, heaven-grade martial art. Su Hongli had taught it to him. It was a true slaughtering art designed for the battlefield. When practiced to mastery, one stab of the spear could stave off ten thousand men!
And now, Le Zheng called upon the entirety of his fourth-level Grandmaster cultivation to display his ultimate ability. He’d created a storm of bloody rain, complete with the howling and wailing of ghosts. It was forceful to the extreme.
There was no doubt about it; at this moment, neither Xuan Youlong nor Le Zheng held anything back. Both struck with full force and full intent to kill!
When Shen Jiusong saw this, he couldn’t help but gasp. In Su Yi’s shoes, I’m afraid I wouldn’t dare take such force head-on. I’d have no choice but to avoid it.
Wang Chundu stared intently at Su Yi. He wanted to see just how Qi Accumulation Realm youth planned to deal with the full-force attacks of two fourth-level Grandmasters.
Su Yi shook his head slightly; he felt a bit disappointed.
Both of his opponents were a big step down from Qin Changshan in terms of strength. He couldn’t be bothered to hold anything back; he decided to just get this over with.
Boom!
As Xuan Youlong’s twin sword strikes drew near, Su Yi suddenly clenched his right hand into a fist and swung into the air.
He’d called upon his full power, and his entire cultivation fused into this fist, perfectly and completely, without the slightest flaw.
Bang! Bang!
Clear, transparent fist force carrying streaks of the inscrutable, profound charm of the Dao struck with unblockable sharpness. It struck the swords with such force that they wailed and trembled, unable to endure the burden. Both swords flew directly from Xuan Youlong’s hands.
But the fist’s remaining force didn’t dissipate. Instead, it continued toward Xuan Youlong, slamming right into him.
He was a mighty fourth-level Grandmaster, yet this fist was enough to send him flying like a kite with its strings cut. He slammed into the ground over a hundred feet away.
Part of his chest had caved in, leaving a fist-shaped imprint, and blood dripped from his mouth and lips. Even his organs were severely damaged.
How could the force of a single punch be so terrifying?
It wasn’t over, either.
Because at the same time this fist landed, Le Zheng’s spear drew near. It was enveloped in sharp, destructive, blood-colored rain that blotted out the heavens; it was utterly terrifying.
But all they saw was Su Yi pressing the fingers of his left hand together into a “sword”, which he slashed through the air.
A hundred-foot-long streak of sword qi slashed down, like a twisting, imposing dragon, carrying the misty and ethereal profound charm of the Dao.
It landed gently, yet the vast swathe of blood-colored spear shadows burst and shattered like bubbles.
Clang!
And when this sword struck Le Zheng’s spear, the fully spiritual long spear suffered a devastating shock; it actually bent into an enormous arc, cracked, then broke.
In the face of this forceful, despotic attack, Le Zheng immediately chose to dodge, but the sword qi nevertheless slashed into his shoulder, severing his right arm, the one clutching his spear.
Blood instantly sprayed out like a waterfall.