Chapter 434 - 262: Engagement (Part 2)

Chapter 434: Chapter 262: Engagement (Part 2)

Now,

Li Ye had found a worthy opponent.

With this thought, Li Ye’s entire body shot toward Su Xing. Their two swords, streaking like twin beams of white light, slammed into each other, letting out a crisp, metallic CLANG.

Although Li Ye was consistently on the losing end, he skillfully employed his own techniques to hold his ground against Su Xing, managing a thirty-seventy split. While victory was still out of reach, he showed no signs of being defeated. But amid this intense battle, Li Ye noticed something strange.

There was something odd about Su Xing’s sword. Or rather, it seemed to have a spirit of its own. Often, when Su Xing countered his Sword Techniques, his own movements wouldn’t change, but the sword in his hand would. A single, subtle motion would instantly shift the advantage between them.

Yes,

this was the work of the Black Sword Spirit.

As the Sword Spirit of the blade, its mastery of swordsmanship seemed innate. It required no learning or growth, and in fact, its consciousness was still as undeveloped as a young child’s.

This had indeed exceeded Su Xing’s expectations. Although the Black Sword Spirit couldn’t fight independently yet, it could assist him in battle. What Li Ye had noticed was just one of its minor functions.

Most importantly,

the Black Sword could now produce the "Defense" effect of Source Quality without having to shatter. Though this effect only applied to the sword and not to Su Xing, the Sword Master, it was still formidable enough.

Li Ye’s perception was the sharpest. He could clearly feel that Su Xing’s sword strikes were growing fiercer with each exchange, and he was faintly beginning to feel that he couldn’t withstand them. He gritted his teeth and glanced over at Tong Yinyin.

However, the battlefield on Tong Yinyin’s side was, in contrast to Li Ye’s struggle, practically a leisurely affair. From time to time, one could even hear Tong Yinyin’s pleasant laughter, mixed with the strained but still threatening shouts of the group from the Cyan Cloud Sect.

"How dull."

Tong Yinyin flicked her finger, and a Shadow Needle shot out instantly. The air around the tiny silver needle exploded, and a glaring spatial rift tore open, spreading along the needle’s path.

The Cyan Cloud Sword Array seemed to have been pierced right through its core. The entire Array disintegrated in an instant, and all the Elders except Gu Che fell unconscious. Of course, this didn’t actually include Elder Ling, because he had been holding back. When the Array’s backlash struck, he felt nothing at all and was just pretending to be knocked out.

As for Gu Che,

Tong Yinyin had deliberately held back, not letting him fall unconscious with the others. They needed someone of sufficient stature to witness the scene of Su Xing being captured for it to have any effect.

"..."

Gu Che scrambled to his feet, looking disheveled. He realized that Tong Yinyin and Li Ye must have planned this in advance. Otherwise, how could she have known the location of the Cyan Cloud Sword Array’s core? But even if she knew the core’s location, Gu Che now understood just how powerful this woman was.

His strength was comparable to Ao Lin’s, but compared to Tong Yinyin, the gap was like the one between a seventh-rank cultivator and them. The difference was simply far, far too great.

"What in the world are you trying to do?!"

Gu Che roared at Tong Yinyin. He could accept defeat, but he couldn’t accept waiting for death like a lamb to the slaughter. However, just as his words fell, Li Ye, who was off to the side, spoke at the same time.

"To be able to neutralize my Cyan Cloud Swordsmanship... not even Li Linxuan could necessarily do that. Su Xing, you’re not a simple character, are you."

"Your swordsmanship is elegant and ethereal, truly a rare sight in my lifetime," Su Xing said. "But with such cultivation, why are you content to be a thief?"

"You can’t see the true face of Lushan Mountain when you’re on it."

"But if you’re not on Lushan Mountain, how can you know its face at all?"

"Master, I recall that before I left, you had already passed the Sect’s Swordsmanship to Elder Ling Zhongxing. Why does Elder Lu know it now?"

Li Ye asked, full of curiosity.

"..."

"Who I choose to teach is none of your business, you traitor!"

Gu Che was momentarily at a loss for words.

The complete Cyan Cloud Swordsmanship was typically only taught to two types of people in the Cyan Cloud Sect. The first were those with exceptionally high talent, who could often become the sect’s protectors and were thus qualified to study it. The second was the next Sect Leader.

Without a doubt, Li Ye had been one of the exceptionally talented. Ling Zhongxing had been allowed to cultivate the Cyan Cloud Swordsmanship because he was supposed to be the next Sect Leader. However, due to Li Ye’s betrayal, Ling Zhongxing, who had been Li Ye’s guide, was sidelined by Gu Che. Gu Che was from the Sword Sect faction and was biased towards them, so Ling Zhongxing, being from the Qi faction, was pushed to the margins.

"Heh heh..."

"Isn’t the reason obvious?"

Li Ye sneered, "Sect Leader Gu, are you not even going to bother making up an excuse?"

"Li Ye, since you’ve already betrayed the sect, why do you care about the affairs of my Cyan Cloud Sect? You and Tong Yinyin didn’t cause all this ruckus in my sect just to talk about this, did you?"

"Kill us or torture us, do as you please!"

Gu Che shouted, his voice so loud that the entire Cyan Cloud Sect could hear. This caused the disciples with lower cultivation, who were not strong enough to participate in the battle, to look at each other in dismay.

"Cough..."

Elder Lu suddenly let out a cough.

This surprised Tong Yinyin. Besides Ling Zhongxing, who was faking it, she hadn’t expected someone to actually wake up so quickly. He also raised his head and muttered:

"S-Sect Leader Gu... is right. Kill us or torture us, do as you please. We only ask that you two don’t involve the innocent disciples."

"As I said before, I came to the Cyan Cloud Sect this time to seek revenge for Tong Yinyin. We only want your head."

Li Ye stared at Elder Lu and said coldly.

"..."

Elder Lu thought back on his life. While he had done wrong, he was certain he had never wronged Tong Yinyin. At this thought, he drew a deep breath from his core, forced himself back to his feet, and roared with a voice like a great bell:

"Hmph!"

"If you want to kill me, just say so!"

"Don’t try to frame me with those filthy accusations! My head is right here on my neck. If you have the skill, then come and take it!!!"

The Spiritual Qi around Elder Lu erupted. Without a doubt, if he managed to survive this battle, his realm would advance, and the Cyan Cloud Sect would have a second eighth-rank expert. This was because Elder Lu had reflected on himself and finally saw through to his true heart, allowing him to take that final step.

"Elder Lu, such valor makes me, the Sect Leader, feel ashamed. Since we are here today in the Cyan Cloud Sect, how could I possibly let you face these two vicious dogs alone?"

"This is all my fault for being a poor judge of character, for letting a wolf into the house and teaching our sect’s secret techniques to such a person! Today, I will clean house for the Cyan Cloud Sect and eradicate this evil!"

Gu Che stood beside Elder Lu, also shouting loudly, as if speaking with such volume could grant his disadvantaged self some small measure of courage.

"Brother Ye, I just remembered. This young man from Cang City seems to be the very same Su Xing who caused such a stir in Desperate Gorge, right?"

Tong Yinyin said with a smile.

"Indeed. I also had a brief encounter with him in Desperate Gorge. No wonder he’s so skilled."

Li Ye nodded as well, a look of approval on his face.

"Heh heh... What do you say we kidnap him? Wouldn’t that be interesting?"

"If you two want to fight, then fight! What’s all this chirping and whispering about!"

Elder Lu bellowed.

"Heh heh, is Elder Lu itching for another beating?"

"You’ve already had a taste of my Silent Extinction Demon Skill and my puppet sequence, haven’t you? Do you really want to become one of my puppets?"

Tong Yinyin’s words sent a chill down Elder Lu’s spine. But what made him even colder was the hum of a sword from the side. An unbelievably powerful force had suddenly erupted from Li Ye.

If that sword were to strike, Elder Lu had no doubt he would be sliced in two. Only Gu Che’s eyes showed a trace of disbelief, because he recognized the power flowing from Li Ye.

It was... Source Quality.