Shen Minggu thought to himself, "The Yin Slaughter Saber refuses to kill this person—there must be something peculiar about him. But even if I don’t use this saber, could I possibly be afraid of him?"
He stood up, leaped into the air, and shouted loudly. From the top of his head, a beam of brilliance shot forth, carrying twelve Li Yuan Yang Sabers above and twelve Li Yuan Yin Blades below. All were as swift as Qi and as sharp as lights, flickering and revolving in the brilliance, their glow alternately appearing and fading.
With a flick of his sleeve, as if he were marshaling troops, the twenty-four Li Yuan Yin-Yang Flying Daggers immediately grouped into clusters of four, dividing into six formations in front and behind, arranged across thirty zhang up, down, left, and right. He then cast a spell and sent them slashing downwards.
Having obtained the spell for the Li Yuan Yin-Yang Flying Daggers, Zhang Yan had not yet practiced it but understood much of the transformations of their saber force. Additionally, after observing Xu Cuo’s techniques during previous exchanges, he already had a solid grasp of their workings. At this moment, he laughed loudly, swept his sleeve, and unleashed his sword light, transforming into seven streams of flowing radiance surging upward.
Shen Minggu fought several rounds with Zhang Yan but suddenly sensed something wrong.
Earlier, during his observations, he had clearly seen that Zhang Yan’s sword path was one of steady defense. Therefore, he’d devised a thorough counterstrategy in his mind.
But now, Zhang Yan’s sword path had abruptly transformed into one of unparalleled sharpness, vastly different from before. Shen Minggu felt that each strike from Zhang Yan seemed to target vulnerable points, exploiting gaps and flaws to land in the most discomforting spots. From the very start, he was forced into a tight corner, unable to unleash his saber techniques.
Zhang Yan, however, pressed his advantage relentlessly. Seeing his sword force reach its peak, with seven streams of sword light aggressively attacking, he did not give his opponent a moment’s respite.
Shen Minggu misjudged and lost his opportunity, falling into a disadvantage. Initially, he could exchange blows with Zhang Yan, but as the saber light was gradually compressed to within a few zhang, he was barely able to maintain semblance of order. Yet the spectators could already determine that it was only a matter of time before he would be defeated.
This scene left everyone present in shock. Shen Minggu was a well-known figure on the East Sea, and not even Chongyue True Temple’s Zeng Han could claim guaranteed victory against him. Who would have expected Zhang Yan to push Shen Minggu to such a humiliating state in mere moments, leaving him with only the ability to defend?
But Shen Minggu couldn’t help feeling bitter; it wasn’t that he was truly much weaker than Zhang Yan. In fights among experts like them, even a slight flaw, once seized upon by the opponent, could spiral into an irrecoverable disadvantage unless a Dharma Treasure was used.
Having taken elixir pills, Zeng Han rested on his treasure cushion, breathing several times to recover, healing his wounds and realigning his Qi Mechanism before standing up again.
He looked up and saw Shen Minggu clenching his teeth to hold on, seemingly on the verge of defeat. His eyes narrowed into slits, and his lips curled into a sly smile. With a flick of a finger, a Flying Needle shot towards Zhang Yan’s back.
This move wasn’t intended to help Shen Minggu. With his keen eye, Zeng Han could naturally discern the real reason Shen Minggu was being suppressed. He merely intended to briefly distract Zhang Yan so that Shen Minggu could recover. Once Shen Minggu regained his footing, the battle would become far fiercer, allowing Zeng Han to reap the benefits of their rivalry.
To his surprise, Zhang Yan reacted as if he did not notice, maintaining the same sword force without interruption and fully engaging the God Contract Mysterious Skill. He allowed the Flying Needle to strike him directly, but the needle met an impenetrable resistance and failed to pierce through.
Zeng Han had a considerable shock, quickly retrieving the Flying Needle, only to find no trace of blood or injury on its tip. His heart filled with both surprise and doubt as he thought to himself, "Does Zhang Yan have treasure clothes protecting him?"
His gaze flickered, and he pondered, "I’ve already offended this person today. If I don’t deal with him now, he’ll surely become a major threat in the future."
Being decisive, he hesitated no longer. Letting out a shout, he leaped back into the fray and controlled his Flying Needle to attack Zhang Yan again.
Shen Minggu couldn’t help but feel delighted, though he didn’t understand why Zeng Han was helping him. At this point, he was already close to being completely cornered, and without using a Dharma Treasure, he wouldn’t last.
But Zhang Yan’s attacks came like waves, leaving no time for Shen Minggu to summon his treasure.
At moments of such peril, the distinction between spiritual treasures with True Recognition and ordinary Dharma Treasures became evident. Once sensing their master’s life was at risk, treasures with True Recognition would autonomously emerge to protect their master.
Shen Minggu, with the Yin Slaughter Saber at his side, should have felt no fear. However, inexplicably, the saber remained inert, leaving him with the ominous feeling that he might not survive this day.
Now that Zeng Han had joined the battle, it gave him a ray of hope. If they exerted their full effort, they might even have a chance to join forces and take Zhang Yan down.
Thinking this, he immediately reinvigorated his spirit, ready to summon forth his saber force once more.
But to his dismay, Zhang Yan merely pointed with his finger. The seven streams of sword light trembled and suddenly split into seven additional radiances, moving to block Zeng Han’s approach. Meanwhile, Shen Minggu, who had just started to counterattack, was swiftly suppressed again.
"This Zhang Yan—he can split into fourteen swords with just one Qi?"
At this moment, not only the onlookers but also Zeng Han and Shen Minggu were filled with astonishment.
Having briefly fought Zeng Han before, Zhang Yan was already familiar with his tactics. Now, with no need to hold back, he drove his heart and spirit to the maximum, brilliantly maneuvering the fourteen streams of sword light. Within moments, he had Zeng Han drenched with sweat and gasping for breath.
Realizing Zhang Yan was able to fend off two opponents while firmly holding the upper hand, Zeng Han grew increasingly apprehensive towards him.
Glancing around, Zeng Han noticed that the disciples from Wudang Spirit Hall and Nanhua Sect surrounded them, numbering at least a hundred, while the Loose Cultivators from overseas and other sects spectating numbered in their thousands. Inspired by an idea, he shouted loudly, "Fellow cultivators, why remain idle as spectators? This man possesses the Immortal Palace Token—whoever captures him will gain access to the Immortal Mansion!"
Chu Jiu and Qiu Ju exchanged glances and instantly leaped into the battlefield. The disciples of Wudang Spirit Hall and Nanhua Sect also snapped to attention and joined the fray.
With someone leading the charge, the other cultivators who had been spectating saw an opportunity and immediately unleashed their Dharma Treasures and Flying Swords, flooding into the fight.
Zhang Yan observed the myriad flashes of light over the sea, Spiritual Energy surging like waves, bearing down on him with immense force, causing his robes to flutter violently.
Rather than feeling intimidated, Zhang Yan’s battle lust flared. He let out a resounding, cloud-piercing cry, tossing the sword ball into the air. In an instant, sixteen brilliant streams of sword light soared skyward!
...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)