Chapter 44 044[VIP]

He was slow.

Memories of the past suddenly flooded back, nearly making him forget that his primary goal today was to disrupt the alliance between the Mitian League, Fengyu Tower, and the Divine Marquisate, and to assist Fu Zongshu in replacing the Emperor, not to reminisce with an "old friend."

Meanwhile, his flawed practice of the Mountain Scripture was fully exposed alongside his distorted memories.

Within this Bodhi Temple, he saw and heard not only the Five Finger Secret Technique but also the calligraphy of a venerable monk on each prayer flag.

The inscribed texts penetrated his mind, clashing fiercely with his own inverted Qi.

It was at this moment that the White Jade Guanyin's Celestial Immortal Sword struck down.

The brilliant sword light, illuminated by the moonlight, sliced from his right forehead to his left chin, tearing through the scar that had been scarred by age.

This strike was meant to shatter yet another of Yuan Xian's defenses. Beyond her meticulous planning, she had poured all her inner strength into it.

With just this one strike,

the golden glow on Yuan Shisanxian's face dimmed.

Instead, his scar violently ripped through his flesh, and blood gushed out in an instant, leaving

a deep scar.

The strike even grazed his eye, leaving him momentarily unsure whether the eye, suddenly blinded by the blood, had been obscured by the sight or destroyed by the blow itself.

"Ah—" Yuan Xian let out a cry of pain, like a beast.

But his next move wasn't to cover his face or eyes. Instead, he raised his bow like a staff, blocking a line of attack. Then, abruptly transforming his stance into a sword, he lunged at the person before him.

"You're not her!"

If you're not her, how could you pretend to be her?

Yuan Shisanxian launched a furious blow, splattering blood as it aimed directly at the face of the White Jade Guanyin.

It was as if a second dream shattered, echoing before his eyes.

It wasn't the face of the person before him that was shattered, but merely a mask and a unique disguise.

This specially crafted mask, expertly crafted by Sikong Zhaixing, had been placed on the face of the Master's wife, the Holy Master of the Misty Heaven Alliance.

Due to her exceptional internal energy, she was practically undetectable unless she channeled her inner energy, creating the illusion of the White Jade Guanyin, seemingly inanimate yet capable of voice.

However, the sound she had previously emitted was different from Xiaojing's, and now it only reinforced Yuanxian's realization that the person had long since perished under his heartbreaking arrow, and there was no way they would ever return.

There was only one enemy intent on his demise.

However, his mind was already distracted, and Shi Qingruo had struck him hard. Not only did he fail to kill the culprit, but another sword, arriving at just the right moment, blocked her path.

Shi Qingruo had already swiftly retreated, shaking off the restraints.

Yuan Shisanxian's staff was used for defense. Qi

Shaoshang's sword, however, was used for offense.

One side had only hastily counterattacked, the other had come prepared, and with the clang of swords, they had achieved a decisive battle.

Meanwhile, Yuan Shisanxian noticed another startling change taking place within the Bodhi Temple.

In what seemed like a fleeting moment, everything from the main hall he was in, to the outer walls, the ground, and even the dome, was shrouded in a veil of mist.

Yuan Shisanxian had been a fellow disciple of Tianyi Jushi, so how could he not have noticed such a change?

It was—

someone had activated the massive formation pre-installed there.

Fighting Qi Shaoshang, he retreated to the door, not having time to repair his facial injuries before he was forced to pay attention to this new trap.

He could have ignored it, but once he did, his fury welled up.

Shi Qingruo's disguise as the White Jade Guanyin almost made him mistake her for Xiao Jing's immortal form. The slowly rising Five Elements Prison seemed like another old friend, slashing at his face.

He forced Qi Shaoshang back with an arrow and angrily shouted, "You promised me you would never leave Whitebeard Garden, yet why did you break your promise and help Zhuge?"

However, the response wasn't a familiar voice either, but a young woman's chuckle. "Old Senior, don't blame me for reminding you. Your Second Senior Brother is still in Whitebeard Garden and hasn't left. I was merely entrusted by his disciples to deploy the Jiyue Tongliang formation here." "

As a sign of sincerity, I've also incorporated the Five Elements formation from Peach Blossom Island in the East China Sea. I beg for your guidance." Huang Rong,

unconcerned with romance

, fled, not staying any longer than Shi Qingruo had instructed.

Her words were enough to deal another heavy blow to Yuan Xian.

You see, his senior brother had kept his promise and hadn't sided with him. However, someone from the younger generation who were his enemies had brought the great formation as a weapon against him.

And it was a sharp weapon.

The moment the formation materialized, a thin, blood-red blade also emerged from the mist.

Previously intimidated by the White Jade Guanyin, Yuan Shisanxian had almost forgotten that he had initially come to pursue the wound inflicted by the Sad Little Arrow.

But now, he was trapped within the formation, and the master of the Golden Wind and Drizzle Tower, already struck by the arrow, had returned.

The moon and the moon mingled, the five elements reversed.

Su Mengzhen's blade strike was caught in this trap.

His already unpredictable, swift blade swept, chopped, slashed, and sliced with unwavering consistency, increasingly unlike the wielding of a wounded man.

Only the pallor on his face betrayed the pain of his blade swings.

Yet, in this swift and fierce exchange, it was Yuan Xian who retreated first.

With this retreat, he retreated into the next prison in the formation.

The knife disappeared in front of him, and it seemed that a fatal blow could be launched from another place at any time.

Only the boundless murderous aura revealed the true purpose of this trap.

Yuan Shisanxian let out another angry howl.

"I heard that the senior is called the wolf in the Zizai Sect. Now it seems that it is true." Shi Qingruo's voice no longer needed to be hidden in the disguise of the white jade Guanyin. Just like the words about sending him a coffin, it was as demanding as a beating.

Unfortunately, he could not quickly capture Shi Qingruo's position. Instead, the sharp sword and the sharp knife left several scars on his body.

The wound on his face seemed to be opened a little wider, as if it was going to split his head in half.

Oh no, if he wanted to fight back, he had to break the formation first.

But how could he break it!

Shi Qingruo's words "the thumb points to the sky, the head points to the wind, the middle finger points to the fire, the nameless finger points to the water, and the little finger points to the earth" had made him doubt his own understanding of the five elements. Huang Rong was also extremely clever and made a lot of changes to the Ji Yue Tong Liang formation that Yuan Shisanxian was familiar with.

Even Huang Yaoshi, who had accompanied Huang Rong to Taihu Lake and protected her from the shadows, had to admit in the face of her display that this exceptionally intelligent girl was showing signs of surpassing her master.

His attempt to break the formation by breaking the Jiyue Tongliang would only plunge him deeper into confusion.

Had he maintained a clear mind, perhaps he could have broken it directly.

His mind was in turmoil, only making it worse.

For a moment, the swords, the Buddha statues, and the ruined temple before him transformed into a swirling, chaotic scene that threatened to engulf him.

Yuan Shisanxian finally realized, belatedly, that every corner of this Bodhi Temple was a trap for him.

He took a step back toward the door and saw the couplet on it again.

"Cup the moon in the water, and fill your clothes with the fragrance of flowers..."

It was the Buddhist sutra of freedom from attachment and delusion. But—but why!

"You want me to give up my Shan Zi Jing martial arts and allow myself to be slaughtered by you? You simply can't!" Yuan Shisanxian's voice intensified.

The wounds on his face were still bleeding, and the sword and knife wounds had long since obscured the blood on Su Mengzhen's body. Combined with his disheveled hair, he looked like a trapped beast, a wounded lone wolf.

A trapped beast still fights, its wolf nature unwavering, let alone Yuan Shisanxian, who aspired to dominate the martial arts world and challenge Zhuge Shenhou!

He lacked the right weapon to break the Five Elements formation, yet he crashed headfirst into one of its core points.

"A clay Buddha cannot cross water, a wooden Buddha cannot cross fire, a golden Buddha cannot cross a furnace. Why should I become a Buddha?"

Even if his Shan Zi Jing had long since departed from its Buddhist roots, so what? It had simply become Yuan Shisanxian's Shan Zi Jing.

Being able to kill with this skill was enough; why worry about anything else? He

simply wanted to sacrifice Buddhahood to become a human, and then from human to god.

"Not good!" Shi Qingruo's face changed.

She suddenly realized that Yuan Xian, who could dominate the martial arts world with his thirteen unique skills, while certainly not as good as Zhuge Shenhou, was a true prodigy.

He might be driven to despair by the series of unpredictable blows, but he could also be pushed to the other extreme.

Shi Qingruo's Ziwei Soft Sword, just as she was about to pierce the formation, trembled, its tip caught in a bloodied hand.

Had she not let go quickly, the fist striking at her simultaneously would not only have sent her flying, but would have pierced her chest.

Su Mengzhen's brow furrowed even lower, his blade strikes growing more fierce.

With a single blow, he deflected Yuan Shisanxian's hand, attempting to retract its grip on the Ziwei Soft Sword, and a surreal volley of blades clashed.

Behind him, Shi Qingruo's figure smashed a Buddha statue before finally stopping, falling to the ground and vomiting blood. The wound on his chest from the Extreme Revenge Fist seemed to be spreading.

Extreme Revenge Fist, Extreme Hatred Palm...

For Yuan Shisanxian, orthodox martial arts were no longer important; hatred alone was his lifeblood.

He no longer cared about the people and the formation around him, and launched another bold punch.

Seeing the mastermind who had set him up severely injured, he threw back his head and laughed heartily.

But just as Shi Qingruo had shattered the hollow Buddha statue, a golden light suddenly emanated. Just as Yuan Xian's attention was diverted, it struck him in the face with the force of a meteor chasing the moon!

The golden light flashed like lightning, breaking through thunder.

Almost instinctively, Yuan Shisanxian fired a small, heartbreaking arrow to counter the impact.

He had done the same thing during his previous clash with Fang Geyin.

But back then, his vision was intact. Unlike now, the mingled blood and excruciating pain caused the arrow, fired instinctively, to miss.

No, to be more precise, it wasn't that he missed, but rather that the small golden arrow effortlessly spun in the air for a moment, unfailingly sprinting through Yuan Shisanxian's already injured eye.

"I'll return this arrow to you on behalf of Fang Juxia!"

Yuan Shisanxian unhesitatingly pulled the arrow out and crushed it in his fist.

This Blood River Sect secret treasure, the Flying Blade Arrow, had been destroyed instantly by Fang Geyin's Sorrowful Little Arrow during the ambush that day. The remaining arrow, blocked by Gongzi Yu, remained intact, having been retrieved by members of the Misty Heaven Alliance while searching for Fang Geyin's body and delivered to Shi Qingruo.

Now, Lu Xiaofeng unleashed it with all his strength, preempting Yuan Xian's pride at his success and delivering a remarkably devastating blow!

He said it was a way of repaying Yuan Xian for Fang Geyin, and he was right.

The Flying Blade Arrow wasn't poisonous, but it narrowly missed Yuan Shisanxian's head, further exacerbating the wound on his face. His newly cleared mind receded into a state of confusion.

Gritting his teeth, he kicked away Qi Shaoshang's upward thrust, only to feel his wounds tear open further.

Su Mengzhen's Red Sleeve Blade, like a relentless downpour, clung to him once more.

However, his seething internal energy had not yet completely escaped the influence of the Mountain Scripture's essence, as he had declared.

His comprehension was far from reaching the point where he could instantly shatter the void!

Shi Qingruo gritted her teeth, rolled flat on the ground, and reclaimed the Ziwei Soft Sword that Su Mengzhen had snatched back, but she did not immediately charge forward.

Yuan Shisanxian's frantic behavior at this moment signaled a single point:

he must quickly eliminate one of the enemy to free himself. Qi

Shaoshang's swordsmanship grew stronger with each battle, needless to say.

Su Mengzhen was wounded, his back stained with blood from the intense fighting, but his undeniable awareness was sufficient to maintain the flow of his Red Sleeve Blade.

Lu Xiaofeng, having launched his Wandering Blade Arrow, was at his peak.

With the coordinated efforts of these three, Yuan Shisanxian's struggles and counterattacks were temporarily limited.

She could act as a sneak attack, but she must not rashly join in.

Those clear, dark eyes reflected the moon, already at its zenith, and the four figures engaged in an increasingly ferocious battle. Red, black, and soap all blended into a single mass.

Shi Qingruo's gaze held no trace of confusion, only a growing radiance of determination.

She suddenly swallowed the bloody energy in her throat. The purple light from her Ziwei soft sword radiated upon the wind, and the figure engulfed in the sword light stepped forward with the footwork of the Taixuan Sutra.

Almost simultaneously, Yuan Shisanxian drew three arrows from his quiver, intending to fire them simultaneously to break his opponent's combined attack.

This didn't seem like the most opportune moment to attack, at least not for the three men engaged in direct combat with Yuanxian.

But for Shi Qingruo, the brief respite she had experienced allowed her to see many things more clearly.

For example, Yuan Shisanxian had temporarily broken free from the influence of orthodox Buddhist texts on his Mountain Sutra, preferring to create a uniquely his own demonic sutra, which had indeed led him to find his true path. However, since his hidden dangers were not limited to this one, the situation became one of increasing strength while the other diminished.

The backlash from his violation of the Zizai Sect's rules was already looming on him.

His previous indifference was simply because his body could still hold on and he happened to have a clear mind.

But now…

Zhao Huasi's death had freed his Danqing Leg, but it had also left his hands covered in seemingly unnoticed scars.

His mind, preoccupied with defeating a formidable foe, hadn't noticed the change. Even then, he drew his bow. The

arrow, on the string, instantly slipped from his hand.

Yuan Xian could even sense that the movement of these three small, heartbreaking arrows had become increasingly effective thanks to his mastery of the Mountain Sutra.

However, before he could withdraw his forward hand, a sharp sword darted out from the side and slashed down at him.

Su Mengzhen and the others' movements were unaffected by Shi Qingruo's actions, so Yuan Xian hadn't noticed her strike at all.

By the time he reacted and tried to block it with his hand, he felt a strange stagnation, from his arm to his fingertips.

The sword light had already wrapped around him like a snake, seizing his wrist.

"How dare you!" Yuan Shisanxian turned and roared.

With that shout, the divine power unleashed, Shi Qingruo felt as if a massive hammer had smashed into her head, the smell of blood she had just suppressed rising to her throat once again.

In Yuan Shisanxian's lone remaining eye, a faint light flickered, suddenly taking on a terrifying, infectious power.

It was as if he were saying—

in this world, it's too easy to fall, too difficult to improve, so he's just drifting along to where he is today. So why was she fighting so hard?

With her delay, Zhuge Shenhou had most likely already achieved his goal. Then, what was left but the internal affairs of the Zizai Sect? What did she have to do with him?

But Shi Qingruo's pause was only a moment; perhaps even Su Mengzhen, Lu Xiaofeng, and the others present didn't even notice the momentary stiffness.

The swiftly advancing Ziwei soft sword, once undefeated in Dugu Qiubai's battles across the lands, now gleamed with a cold gleam, its blade sharpened to the point of bloodshed. With a single tug of Shi Qingruo's sword, it severed Yuan Shisanxian's hand, wrist included.

Yuan Xian cried out in agony.

But Shi Qingruo's sword had already taken the lead, slicing the severed hand behind the other men.

Her raised face was a shimmer of pain and intense concentration. Cold sweat stained her temples, mingling with the splattered blood and unwiped paint, obliterating her natural beauty. Only her eyes, as if dunked in cold water, shone with a sharp edge.

"Attack!"

This is the sword that will strike.

These two resolute words seemed to be Yuan Xian's response.

If everyone in the world shared his thoughts, then the darkness following the fall of the Hubei Changkong Gang would become the norm. Even if she lived in seclusion in the mountains, ignoring worldly affairs, she would eventually be buried one day.

Even if, as the story goes, she "did her duty and left, concealing her achievements and fame," there would still be a time when the Snow Sword would be unsheathed.

Moreover, even if it wasn't for victory on all fronts tonight, then for the future of the Misty Sky Alliance, she had to swing that sword!

...

Yuan Shisan was running frantically.

Perhaps it would be more accurate to say he was escaping.

If anyone had seen from afar in the suburbs of Bianjing, they would have seen that the figure, enveloped in a pale golden aura, was radiating blood from the inside out.

The stench of blood, the disheveled hair, the broken hand, and the blind eye made him look nothing like a martial arts master. He looked more like a crippled lone wolf, desperately relying on instinct.

If he hadn't forcibly repelled Su Mengzhen's red-sleeved knife with a flesh-and-blood arrow just as it was about to strike, and hadn't exploited a gap in Qi Shaoshang's defense to escape, he likely wouldn't have had a chance of survival.

He never imagined he would one day find himself in such a precarious position! And he

'd been forced step by step into this situation by a few juniors.

Even more terrifying to him wasn't the wounds inflicted by Shi Qingruo and the others, but his self-proclaimed god of war and his disdain for the Zizai Sect's rules...

Finally, when he looked like a sick cat, they dealt him a fatal blow.

If someone could have unbuttoned his clothes at that moment, they would have seen that the scars on his body weren't entirely caused by swords.

They looked more like a dilapidated carriage, shattered from the inside after a collision.

In the blink of an eye, a new wound appeared on his arm.

He was able to temporarily stop the bleeding from his broken wrist, but he couldn't stop the blood from pouring out from the gaping wound.

Fortunately... fortunately, there's still a chance to salvage things.

His gaze, looking ahead, seemed frozen in the moonlight.

Four figures were approaching him. They were the disciples who had heard his wolf-howl and were drawing near.

Aside from Yan Tiesan, who had gone to Bianjing to report the news, and the deceased Zhao Huasi, the remaining four members of the Liuhe Azure Dragon were already there.

They had previously failed to keep up with their master and been left behind, so now it seemed only natural that they would help him, didn't they?

As if sensing something, Lu Shuyi suddenly paused.

The running figures ahead seemed more and more unsettling to him. The breath carried by the summer breeze carried a strange, stench. He couldn't believe that his master had returned to reunite with them.

Instead, it seemed more like...

He almost instinctively shielded his book against his chest.

The still-blurred figure simultaneously drew his bow and drew his arrow.

His bow, having lost one hand, was no longer able to be held, having been abandoned in the Bodhi Temple.

His quiver was empty.

But he had memorized the key to the Sad Little Arrow by heart, allowing him to easily control its force with his Qi.

As he bent his bow and drew his arrow, an invisible arrow shot out, darting towards his four disciples at breakneck speed.

Had Lu Shuyi not raised the book quickly, the arrow would not have simply pierced the thick volume, striking him in the chest amidst a scattering of paper, causing him to stumble.

Instead, it would have torn a hole directly through his heart.

But that delay was only a momentary one.

The arrow shot out, and the figure arrived. Before

Lu Shuyi could even begin to marvel at his master's tragic state, a powerful fist smashed his head in.

In his remaining vision, his severely wounded master's expression seemed to have softened, and the wound on his arm had visibly healed slightly.

It was as if... the energy of his disciple had been replenished in his own body.

The move he then used to strike the second disciple was the same one he had taught Lu Shuyi: the Great Stele-Smashing Palm!

"How did you get into such a mess?"

Yuan Shisanxian had just grabbed Yan Shier's neck when he heard someone suddenly ask in the direction where five or six disciples were fleeing.

He glanced over there with his remaining eyes and saw a man in black clothes and white hair. He

wore a bronze mask, but his posture, hands behind his back, revealed a hint of amusement.

Previously, Yuan Shisanxian wouldn't have been happy to see him.

This young man's martial arts were too strange and dangerous, and he didn't seem like someone to be easily dealt with.

But in this precarious situation, he was incredibly glad to see him.

He had once teamed up with Gongzi Yu to kill Fang Geyin and Sang Xiao'e, and knowing his stance, it wouldn't hurt to join forces again against them.

But just as he strangled Yan Shier's neck, he witnessed a scene that infuriated him immensely.

Gongzi Yu's hands formed claws, snatched up his two surviving disciples, and flung them back several feet.

The two men had no time to react, not even realizing when their acupoints were blocked, and landed on the ground in a horrible state.

But no matter how hard Gongzi Yu hit him, there was at least one thing that Yuan Xian absolutely did not want to see.

The two of them were not dead yet, and were also protected by Gongzi Yu.

"What are you doing!" Yuan Shisanxian shouted angrily.

Gongzi Yu smiled lightly, "At the foot of the capital, there must be a reason for killing people. If you want to clean up your family, you must give an explanation, especially to the Prime Minister."

Yuan Shisanxian's voice seemed to be squeezed out, "I taught them martial arts, and now I want to take them back. It's that simple, get out of my way!"

Now is not the time for him to talk nonsense with Gongzi Yu, and he doesn't want to answer such unreasonable questions at all.

The pursuers behind him are relentless and may bring a fatal blow at any time. He can't afford to delay.

But what he saw was the increasingly cold look in those cold gray eyes. "Then let's settle another account."

"What..." Yuan Shisanxian asked in surprise.

The words barely escaped his lips when Gongzi Yu slapped him, cutting him off instantly: "Let's settle the score for injuring her!"

Yuan Shisanxian fled swiftly, and the men he'd forced back were just as quick.

Not to mention, the men chasing him weren't as seriously injured.

Even as Gongzi Yu blocked his path, he spotted the figure that had caused his earlier act of treason.

Seeing her swiftly approach with her light

martial arts skills, Gongzi Yu breathed a faint sigh of relief. But seeing her now in such a state of disgrace, his rage flared up again.

He'd never seen Zi Jin in such a state!

As the culprit, Yuan Shisanxian must pay.

For his part, he considered Gongzi Yu insane.

With his missing finger, but still there, he quickly grabbed Yan Shier's sword and blocked Gongzi Yu's palm wind.

The sword was a prestigious item, but in this confrontation, it immediately gave off a sound of strain.

Mixed in with this was Yuan Shisanxian's question: "Are you mad? You and I are supposed to be of the same blood, serving the Prime Minister. What's the point of attacking me?"

"Prime Minister?" Gongzi Yu sneered. "Your Prime Minister has been captured by the current Emperor and Zhuge Shenhou. How can you realize your grand ambitions? There's no such thing as an alliance between you and me!"

Yuan Shisanxian's eyes trembled.

Perhaps he had already suspected this possibility as he fled in panic, but it wasn't until Gongzi Yu's words were spoken that it woke him up like a wake-up call.

He didn't need to ask why Gongzi Yu, seeing this, didn't help the Prime Minister escape, but instead came here. The Azure Dragon Society's initial agreement was merely to help hold off the Misty Heaven Alliance and Fengyu Tower in the Jianghu conflict, not to involve larger issues.

His withdrawal was simply a matter of following the trend.

But he really shouldn't have—shouldn't have kicked someone when they were down!

Yuan Shisanxian shouted fiercely, and the sword in his hand snapped, shattering into a shower of fragments. Some seemed to still retain sword intent, wielding the Flying Star Transmitting Hate sword he had taught Yan Shier, aimed at Gongzi Yu before him. Others, like arrows controlled by him, launched several at extremely close range.

No, not just at him.

Several pursuers from behind also faced an "arrow."

Yuan Shisanxian didn't even bother checking if his arrows had landed. Like an increasingly ferocious beast, he pounced on his two immobilized disciples.

But what arrived first was a sword move called "Single Mind" that fell from the sky.

Yuan Shisanxian's already swirling thoughts meant that even though he had regained his swordsmanship, he was still inferior to Qi Shaoshang's strike.

But as a beast, he naturally possessed its own characteristics.

Unfazed by the pain, he resolutely charged into Qi Shaoshang's sword.

With terrifying strength, he dragged the sword several feet until he reached Qi Wenliu, where he launched a flying kick into the disciple's heart.

Even though Qi Shaoshang's sword nearly sliced off half of his shoulder, he stubbornly used himself as a bow and the dead Qi Wenliu as an arrow, flinging him fiercely towards the fifth disciple.

Qi Shaoshang gasped. He no longer had to doubt the fate of these two men.

The surge of momentum within Yuan Shisanxian made it impossible for Qi Shaoshang to maintain his grip on the sword. He decisively dropped it and retreated at top speed. Instead, Gongzi Yu used his palm as a sword, withstanding several of Yuan Xian's attacks. He also witnessed firsthand the deepening crimson in Yuan Xian's eyes.

It wasn't the blood that stained his face, but rather the sign of his complete demonic possession.

It wasn't until Ah Fei's swift sword loomed before Yuan Shisanxian that Gongzi Yu was able to sidestep and retreat a distance, right next to... Shi Qingruo.

"Why are you retreating?" Shi Qingruo rolled her eyes. "Isn't your acupuncture and physics technique the perfect nemesis for his sad little arrow?"

Gongzi Yu snorted coldly, but didn't reply.

But the next moment, he had snatched the Ziwei soft sword from Shi Qingruo's hand and attacked Yuan Shisanxian again.

For a mad beast, aside from instinctively killing his own disciple to stem the backlash of the sect's rules, he couldn't even recognize the attacker.

Just like now, he couldn't tell the difference between Ah Fei's swift sword and Qi Shaoshang's obsessive sword. He only felt that Ah Fei had become stronger, and his opponent's swordsmanship was even faster than before.

But when that flash of flowing purple light passed before his eyes, like a red cloth thrown before a mad bull, it instantly captured his attention.

He hadn't forgotten that it was the owner of that purple light who had driven him to this precarious state. Without his years of martial arts training, he would have been utterly defeated.

Now that the Prime Minister had failed, he could no longer legitimately stand before the court and challenge Zhuge Shenhou. So, why not use his remaining life to kill a few more people?

Especially the owner of that purple light.

In all his years in the martial arts world, Ah Fei had never encountered such a formidable foe.

The short staff, so wieldy against enemies, was now no longer a sharp sword. Instead, Yuan Xian clamped it between his broken arm and torso. With another flying kick, he leaped from the ground, charging towards Gongzi Yu.

Though it was only a fleeting moment, for Yuan Shisanxian, everything seemed to slow down.

As he snatched Ah Fei's weapon, he twisted his waist and launched the short staff diagonally. With the power of a single-strand staff, he blocked the blows of Qi Shaoshang and Su Mengzhen, even striking Su Mengzhen in the chest, right where his back had been severely wounded.

The small arrow, which hadn't been able to be drawn earlier, was instantly deflected, sending a streak of blood and turning Su Mengzhen's face pale.

And that very arrow, drawn by the pale golden-red energies, hurtled towards Gongzi Yu.

There was no escape; no one could dodge such a blow. The sound of the arrow piercing his body brought a hearty laugh.

However, to his astonishment, the person struck by the arrow seemed not to have been hit in any vital area at all. He swept down with an impenetrable sword force, forcibly blocking Yuan Shisanxian's next move.

Gongzi Yu raised his eyes slightly, not only seeing the stunned and ferocious face, but also clearly observing the actions of another person.

They had once studied together, and their tacit understanding far surpassed that of ordinary people.

He knew that they might have become strangers, but that didn't mean she would ignore his actions at such a critical moment, after she had spoken those words. As

Su Mengzhen, Qi Shaoshang, and Ah Fei were successively beaten back, he was not the only one to rush forward; another person clamped down on Yuan Shisanxian's severed arm.

Another blood-stained black shadow tumbled down from the sky, like a feather drifting in the night wind, reflected in Gongzi Yu's pupils.

He saw a dagger thrown at her.

The crimson dagger, undeflected by Su Mengzhen's nearly uncontrollable cough, was grasped with pinpoint accuracy in Shi Qingruo's hand.

After all, of the weapons present, besides the Ziwei Soft Sword, only the Red Sleeve Knife possessed such power.

And only this knife...

Shi Qingruo could clearly sense the depletion in her meridians, but the moment the knife rested in her hand, the remaining warmth seemed to transmit its abundant vitality to her palm.

She made no sound, yet a silent, sharp blade slashed fiercely from behind, piercing Yuan Shisanxian's heart. With her remaining strength, it exploded his still-beating heart.

With a thud

...

the world seemed to suddenly fall silent.

The humanoid beast before her also stopped moving.

Shi Qingruo stared blankly at her hands, feeling an unprecedented exhaustion wash over her, suffocating her breath and making her eyes heavy.

Her legs were completely unable to support her weight, and she fell to the ground.

"Master's Wife!"

"Zi Jin——"