Chapter 148 (1/2)
An intense pressure weighed down on the whole mountain, making it increasingly difficult for everyone to breath. This was the Heaven-slaying Sword, the most potent magic combat magic of the Skygale Sect. It was created thousands of years ago by the founder of the Sect, and since then, it has remained the cornerstone of the Sect’s identity in the Violet Manor.
Yunya Zi swung the magically-constructed sword of gold, slashing down callously at his foe, the stroke sending a shudder across the mountain. Xiao Chen gazed up at the incoming strike. He recognized the aura of the crushing tension bearing down on him. This was the same technique that Tiangu Zi had once used; the one that had almost reduce Li Muxue into cinders!
“Is this the best you can do? Show me what you can!” His voice thundered, the Devil Qi emanating from his self churning wildly. The Blood Lotus Demon Blade materialized in his grasp. His sabre began to gleam scarlet-red as if it was bathed in blood, ringing like a monstrous beast’s howl as Xiao Chen unleashed the Dragon Slay technique. He swung his blade, and a dark crimson gash streaked through the air, striking at the Heaven-slaying Sword now falling on him.
The blows from both sword and sabre met and exploded, creating a large rip in the continuum of space and time. The explosion of the two blows imploded, sending forth an overwhelming shockwave and billowing waves of dust while many in the square were thrown off their feet by the force.
Winds continued thrashing wildly around them as if the weather itself was unsettled by the magnitude of the battle. Yunya Zi glided down to the ground gently. Xiao Chen, maimed and bloodied, spat a mouthful of blood down his tattered clothing. He staggered unstably, struggling to maintain his balance by using his sword to keep himself up.
“Big Brother!” Murong Xian’er screamed from a distance. She was about to leap into the air to come to him, but Xiao Chen raised an arm quickly to stop her. “Don’t come here!” He yelled, before another gulp of blood spewed from his mouth. The Dragon Slay technique was still paler in comparison to the sheer might of a warrior nearing the Nascent Soul Realm.
Yunya Zi marched toward Xiao Chen proudly. “On this day,” he declared coolly, “You shall die! And your blood I’d offer to the souls of my dead student!” He raised a hand, readying himself to deliver the final coup de grace but a loud voice called suddenly, “Stay your hand please, Senior Yunya!”
Yu Yifeng flew over to help, but Yunya Zi spat, “Not even your teacher will be able to save him now! Leave!” His stroke veered abruptly away from Xiao Chen, instead, striking straight at Yu Yifeng.
The stroke hit him cleanly. Being struck by a force so powerful whilst in mid-air, Yu Yifeng was thrown backward, crashing to the ground. “Brother Yifeng!” Xiao Chen cried, and shot a scathing glare at Yunya Zi.
But he was badly wounded by the stroke from the Heaven-slaying Sword. In his present state, he was no match for Yunya Zi. But they were interrupted by the notice of another four approaching auras. Four shafts of light shot through the sky and onto the ground, turning into another four elderly men, the Four Elders of the Skygale Sect.
Their arrival seemed sudden, for Yunya Zi was surprised to see them. “Why are you here?” He asked them, and the Elder of the East Chamber, the leader of the four, bowed and reported themselves, “We’re here at the Leader’s behest, Honored Immortal.”
“I see,” Yunya Zi muttered, his head nodding faintly, “Tianyun Zi is worried about me. Never mind.” He motioned toward Murong Xian’er, who was standing not far away. “Take the girl first and go back,” he instructed the four before returning his attention to Xiao Chen. “I must finish him today,” he eyed hatefully at Xiao Chen, “Lest he becomes a powerful enemy of the Skygale Sect in the future!”
Unlike Zhang Qinglian and some others of insidious character, Yunya Zi at least maintained the decency of voicing his thoughts aloud instead of trying to justifying his motives with falsehoods.
Then it dawned upon Xiao Chen: the Skygale Sect were here for Xian’er! She embodied a strange but rich spiritual energy which made her the perfect energy source for the Skygale Sect to erect the Blood Soul Formation for their founder’s resurrection! They had been unable to secure an Earth Spiritual Meridian like the Wuwang Wind Cloud City, hence they had to set their sights on Xian’er.
With the orders of their former leader, the four Elders immediately flew toward Murong Xian’er. Being cultivators of the Core Forming Realm, it took but merely a blink of an eye for them to reach her. Xiao Chen lunged over and swung his blade at the Elder of the West Chamber who was at the rear of the group. The older man retaliated with a blow from his fists only to be knocked back and wounded by his greater strength. The Elder stared at his foe with disbelief, finally understanding why Yunya Zi wished Xiao Chen dead.
He had not expected that with strengths to be able to survive Yunya Zi’s blow, Xiao Chen would at least possessed powers nearing the Nascent Soul Realm.
Xiao Chen’s second stroke was about to fall when Yunya Zi bolted over to help. With his bare hands, Yunya Zi caught hold of the blade of Xiao Chen’s sabre and delivered a flurry of punches and blows, hitting Xiao Chen squarely in the chest, causing more blood to spew from the latter’s mouth.
“Just bring her back!” Yunya Zi barked at the four Elders, “I’ll handle him myself!” As he spoke, he channeled his powers, preparing to unleash a second barrage of the onslaught on Xiao Chen. The latter struggled to his feet, wiping off the blood from the edges of his lips. “You’ll never leave with her! Not in a thousand years!” Xiao Chen spat adamantly. He summoned another rush of True Energy and disgorged another torrent of Devil Qi that fanned out toward all directions around him.
“First Diabolic Shift! My blood as fists!”
From every wound and gash on Xiao Chen’s battered self, blood began seeping out and accumulated into a large dark-crimson floating blob hovering before him. The gigantic globule of blood morphed into the shape of a huge palm, pulsing with a scary and terrible power within. “NO! Big Brother Xiao Chen! No!” Murong Xian’er screamed again, her expression aghast with panic.
Yunya Zi stared intently with his unblinking eyes at the palm-shaped mass of blood, realizing its danger. He summoned another burst of True Energy and smote hard, sending an auric projectile at the bloody mass. His blow contained so much power that it threw up scuds of winds and dust in its wake. But before it reached near the bloody palm-shaped mass, it disappeared! Yunya Zi’s eyes widened with shock! His energy projectile was dissipated completely merely by the sheer force radiating from the mass of blood! But before he could evade, the gigantic palm charged toward him at break-neck speed!
With a deafening bang, the bloody mass slammed into Yunya Zi, throwing him off his feet. Yunya Zi crashed into the ground and spat blood from his mouth. The four Elders, having apprehended Murong Xian’er, were about to leave when they witnessed the scene and immediately turned back.
“The girl has abundant spiritual energy! Go with haste!” Yunya Zi shouted hoarsely, “I’ll handle this myself!” He summoned every ounce of True Energy, readying himself but Xiao Chen had released the Second Diabolic Shift.