At this moment, the battle in the arena had lasted for no less than an hour, with Xu Cuo primarily on the offensive and Fu Yuqing passively defending.
Though Xu Cuo’s face remained relaxed and free from any hint of urgency, he clearly understood that he’d been forced into a position where he couldn’t step down gracefully.
Despite the ferocity of his seven flying sabers, they failed to break through Fu Yuqing’s defenses. Fu Yuqing, having endured prolonged suppression, had been silently gathering strength. If Xu Cuo’s momentum weakened even slightly, Fu Yuqing’s counterattack would likely arrive like a deluge that engulfed all.
Nevertheless, Xu Cuo had more tricks up his sleeve. The little finger of his left hand twitched slightly, and a trace of cunning flashed in his eyes.
A pitch-black blade silently manifested behind Fu Yuqing, aiming at an unguarded side of his back, and slashed down.
This was the Li Yuan Yin Blade.
The Yang Blade of the Li Yuan Yin-Yang Flying Daggers followed the Right Path, while the Yin Blade took a deceitful route—combining orthodox and unorthodox styles, much like military strategy. However, without achieving Elixir Formation, it was impossible to reverse the Yin-Yang cycle for mutual exchange and transformation, leaving certain variations unattainable. Yet, for the average cultivator, such an attack was usually insurmountable.
As the silent blade descended, Fu Yuqing seemed entirely oblivious, continuing to use the Xuan Guang Hand to fend off the relentless strikes of the seven Yang Blades directly ahead.
Just as it seemed he would perish under the blade, a sharp cry rang out. A mystical crane, standing nearly two zhang tall, appeared at his side. With a sweep of its wings, it shattered the black blade into strands of black mist, dispersing it into the air.
Fu Yuqing’s lips subtly tightened. Ever since he had refined the "Xuanhuang Dragon Capturing Hand," he had been nearly invincible during direct confrontations. Yet he discovered through battle that his side guard remained a critical weakness. He knew that if he didn’t address it, failure was inevitable someday.
To remedy this, he ventured into many desolate areas. Not long ago, at the cost of losing an arm, he managed to capture this mystical crane specifically to guard his exposed flank. As a result, his Xuan Guang Realm cultivation now revealed no flaws. Though he had yet to fully command the crane, he believed that when the day came that he completely subdued it, he’d be able to attack and defend effortlessly, achieving a power unlike anything in the past. This gave him the confidence to stand against Shen Minggu.
Fu Yuqing’s expression remained impassive as he steadily dismantled each move, responding with precision. He clearly understood that he didn’t need to seek a fast victory; holding firm and waiting until Xu Cuo’s Qi power was exhausted would be the moment for retaliation.
After another hundred saber strikes had been blocked, Xu Cuo grew increasingly frustrated as he failed to overwhelm his opponent. He muttered to himself, "This Fu Yuqing truly has some skill. If he manages to free himself and counterattack, I’ll undoubtedly lose. To settle the fight, I’ll need to use that artifact! But with the others here... none of them can be left alive!"
He snickered coldly and leaped out of the combat zone. Retrieving a wooden box from his hand, he flicked the cover open with his thumb. From within, an ink-black mist surged outward. He pointed downwards, sending the black mist directly toward Fu Yuqing.
Fu Yuqing, seeing Xu Cuo’s movements, was already on guard. Calm and unhurried, he tossed out the Demon-suppressing Circle. A long cry followed as a grey-feathered eagle appeared beneath him. The eagle, being a unique species, accelerated and swept him dozens of zhang away in an instant with a flap of its wings.
However, the black mist pursued relentlessly, akin to an unshakeable Yin Soul, following him wherever he went and refusing to dissipate.
Xu Cuo, observing this scene, felt a twitch in his eyelids. It was his first time witnessing someone managing to escape from such a Dharma Treasure. Watching Fu Yuqing flee wildly with the mist trailing behind, Xu Cuo maneuvered the Li Yuan Flying Knife to intercept and block, but the distance proved too great for effective control. Frustrated, he nearly ground his teeth in anger, wishing to tear him apart.
Though Fu Yuqing was a disciple personally trained by True Master Tao Zhenhong, the Spirit Bird under his feet was specifically acquired to counter the swift sword escape techniques of Sword Cultivators. How could Xu Cuo’s flying sabers match the speed of this bird?
Suddenly, Xu Cuo’s eyes gleamed with a scheme. He shouted, "Fu Yuqing, keep running all you like! Let’s see how many of your comrades can escape my flying daggers!"
With that, he flicked his fingers, and the saber light flashed. Blood splattered as Dai Huan’s head was instantly severed. Then, seven gleaming white sabers shot forth, targeting three others.
Senior Sister Wei and the others, all with weaker cultivation, knew they stood no chance. Quickly transforming into tunneling light, they fled directly toward the Central Treasure Pavilion, hoping its protective prohibitions would shield them from the flying daggers.
Seeing Dai Huan die before his eyes, Fu Yuqing’s face contorted in rage. He roared furiously, but in his grief and fury, his control over the Spiritual Eagle faltered for just a moment. In that instant, the black mist enveloped his face, clouding his mind. Unsteady, he fell from the eagle’s back to the ground.
Xu Cuo, ecstatic at the sight, abandoned his pursuit of Senior Sister Wei and the others. Maneuvering his flying daggers, he rushed to claim Fu Yuqing’s head.
But at that critical moment, seven dazzling sword lights suddenly shot out from the side, each striking the flying daggers with flawless precision, turning them into mere strands of essence Qi on impact.
The sudden change caught Xu Cuo completely off guard. As he prepared a spell to regroup the flying daggers, another sword light surged toward him, causing his expression to darken. He hurriedly raised a black flag to block. Though the sword light was briefly repelled, it shuddered mid-air and split into another light, aiming once again for him without respite.
In the moment of crisis, Xu Cuo let out a roar. The Li Yuan Yin Blade suddenly appeared and intercepted the incoming sword light.
To his terror, the Sword Ball trembled subtly before producing another sword light which struck again. Not sparing a thought for anything else, Xu Cuo barely managed to use the wooden box in his hand as a shield.
With a crisp, cracking sound, the wooden box containing the black mist was cleaved into two. The sword force did not relent, slicing downward with a sharp "swish," carving a deep gash from his shoulder to his chest. Blood gushed forth like a fountain as Xu Cuo screamed in agony and fell.
A tunneling light flashed and enveloped him, swiftly bringing him to the Treasure Pavilion. Zhang Yan appeared, tossing the half-dead Xu Cuo to the ground. With a flick of his sleeve, several radiant golden talismans flew out, attaching themselves to Xu Cuo’s crown, limbs, and navel, sealing his Qi Sea and weak points completely.
Standing tall, Zhang Yan swept his sleeves and looked down at the fallen Xu Cuo with a faint smile. "With you in hand, there’s no need to go further. Waiting for Shen Minggu to come to us should suffice."
...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)