Chapter 384: 215, fought with Song Knife, got badly screwed_4
「One quarter of an hour later.」
Burial Halberd Elder gradually became exhausted, and his Demonic God Avatar could no longer be maintained. It was broken by a single blow from Song Knife, leaving him with severe injuries and hovering on the verge of death.
However, Nan Lu and Song Knife were not faring well either. Both had sustained considerable injuries, and most of the techniques at their disposal had been exhausted.
"Old bastard, you deserve to die," Nan Lu sneered, spitting out a Ghost Fire that began to burn Burial Halberd Elder’s body. "To think you’d be so ruthless toward me."
In just the blink of an eye, the Ghost Fire burned Burial Halberd Elder alive.
"Let’s go back to Huge Mastiff Island first and put Yan Sheng’s matter aside for now," Song Knife suggested. Both were injured from this encounter, so returning to Huge Mastiff Island to recuperate was paramount.
However, before he could even finish speaking, he sensed a looming crisis from behind. His scalp tingled, and he immediately used Blood Escape to flee forward without the slightest hesitation.
"Watch out! Retreat quickly!" In that split second, he had no time to take Nan Lu with him, only managing to shout a warning.
But it was clearly too late.
"No!" Nan Lu cried, not having time to retreat. She looked back in horror.
She saw a Grey Feather rushing towards her at extreme speed. In her pupils, the Grey Feather multiplied—one became two, two became three, and three became countless manifestations, a dense swarm resembling innumerable sword gleams.
She couldn’t even muster the will to resist. It seemed this Grey Feather could affect one’s emotions.
The Grey Feather touched her.
Dantian, Purple Mansion, Yellow Court...
A series of obstacles were pierced through, finally reaching her Dao Pill.
CRACK!
The dazzling, gold Dao Pill instantly turned to dust, and her Divine Soul, hidden within it, was also crushed into powder.
...
「Under the darkness.」
The sea surface, previously stirred by massive waves, gradually returned to calm. Only the endless expanse of blood water on the sea surface testified to the danger that had just transpired here.
"True Lord Song, long time no see." Xu Xing ripped the storage bag from Nan Ling’s waist, then smiled at Song Knife in the distance, whose white clothes were stained with blood.
"You are... Yan Sheng?" Song Knife frowned. Concealed by a black cloak, he could not see Xu Xing’s face clearly, but he remembered Xu Xing’s voice distinctly.
"TSK, TSK..." Xu Xing glanced at Burial Halberd Elder’s corpse and shook his head. "Such fine words, Brother Song. A member of a famous righteous sect, willing to help me send the Substitute Puppet to Lang Huan Pavilion. Yet, who would have thought Brother Song was the real villain, crying ’stop thief!’ while intending to commit murder and robbery himself. Fortunately, I was wary enough to invite Burial Halberd Elder to assist me, offering him a precious treasure. That’s how I resolved the crisis... and avoided falling into the clutches of a scoundrel," he mocked.
"Sir, you’ve been hiding nearby for quite some time. If it’s merely to ridicule me, there’s hardly any need for that." Song Knife gave Xu Xing a deep look, wondering what he was truly up to.
Luring Burial Halberd Elder into action to resolve his own crisis, then watching idly as the old man died—this Yan Sheng was utterly black-hearted... definitely no benevolent soul. His current victor’s stance couldn’t be solely for mocking me. He must have another purpose.
"Burial Halberd Elder was killed by you and Nan Lu," Xu Xing stated slowly. "Nan Lu was assassinated by me. I believe we share a common interest: keeping this secret and seeking mutual benefits..."
Nan Lu and Song Knife weren’t close; Song Knife wouldn’t feel any grief over her death. His only concern would be retaliation from the Mingquan Sect.
"It seems you’re not as innocent as you appear, Brother Yan." Hearing this, Song Knife’s expression softened slightly. He put away his Lingxiao Sword and collected Burial Halberd Elder’s belongings. "This time, we’ve both benefited, and now we have leverage over each other. Like it or not, we’re allies."
"In Three Years, I will host a banquet at the Cloud and Flower building," Xu Xing smiled. "I wonder if Brother Song would do me the honor?"
Song Knife nodded and clasped his hands. "I’d be happy to oblige."
Having made their respective concessions, neither dared to linger on the Battlefield. They left one after the other, hurrying in a direction leading away from Huge Mastiff Island. Both Burial Halberd Elder and Nan Lu were figures with sensitive identities. Lingering where they died could lead to unforeseen complications.
However, after Xu Xing and Song Knife had traveled several thousand miles and reached an unfamiliar Sea Area, array techniques suddenly erupted beneath their feet. Layer upon layer of dazzling, multi-colored array techniques enveloped them.
Song Knife tried to retreat hastily, but a Green Wooden Sword abruptly appeared, blocking his path.
"A Talisman Treasure?" Song Knife exclaimed. "A Talisman Treasure from the Giant Sword Lineage? You are Xu Xing?"
Upon seeing this signature Life-bound Magical Treasure, Song Knife was aghast, instantly understanding everything.
No wonder "Yan Sheng" was willing to pay a premium rather than let me buy the Substitute Puppet. No one would willingly aid their enemy. What he couldn’t understand was how Xu Xing had predicted they would take this route to this unfamiliar Sea Area and lay down array techniques in advance.
"The array technique is merely to trap you temporarily, True Lord Song," Xu Xing said, as if guessing Song Knife’s thoughts. He smiled faintly and revealed this information without any concern. "My Cultivation is far superior to yours... I’ve been setting up array techniques in the Outer Sea of the Wangchuan Sea for quite some time now, ever since I began my inter-state trading. To evade potential pursuit and assassination should my dealings be exposed, I had laid array techniques along most of the viable escape routes near Huge Mastiff Island. This time, I deliberately lured you to this sea route, making it almost impossible for you to avoid stepping into the array technique."
Of course, array techniques alone couldn’t restrain a True Monarch. That was why Song Knife had initially followed him without apprehension. The brief delay before an array technique fully activates is enough for a True Monarch to escape its encirclement.
Xu Xing had forced Song Knife to stop with the help of the Talisman Treasure left to him by Giant Sword Daoist Monarch. There were five such Talisman Treasures in total. He had used one before, instantly killing a Dao Pill Daoist and several Returning Core Lords from the Mingquan Sect, a testament to its power.
"Damn it!" Song Knife’s expression shifted slightly as he produced his Lingxiao Sword Talisman Treasure to counter Xu Xing’s Giant Sword Talisman.
"Now that you’ve used your Talisman Treasure, what do you have left to fight me with..." Xu Xing formed a hand seal and unleashed another Talisman Treasure, sending it slashing toward Song Knife.
While alive, Lingxiao Dao Lord had some degree of friendship with Giant Sword Daoist Monarch. Therefore, Giant Sword Daoist Monarch could largely guess what measures Lingxiao Dao Lord had left for Song Knife after his death. Even if he couldn’t, all of Song Knife’s secrets had been exposed during his imprisonment in the Black Fire Prison. Before Song Knife entered the Black Fire Prison, everything he possessed had been stripped away by his Sect.
Once crucial information about a Cultivator is known by an enemy of comparable strength, while not rendering them completely defenseless, defeat becomes practically guaranteed.
"You..." Seeing this, Song Knife’s face was filled with anger. If Xu Xing had fought him fairly, he wouldn’t have been so enraged. But Xu Xing had played his trump cards from the very beginning.
How am I supposed to fight this? I only have one Talisman Treasure left by a Dao Lord, while Xu Xing seems to have an unknown number more! Dao Pill Fourth Stage... He’s at the middle stage of Dao Pill, a notch higher than my own Cultivation. With Talisman Treasures aiding him, I can’t match him in a direct confrontation. My other techniques were depleted fighting Burial Halberd Elder...
Song Knife shot Xu Xing a look filled with hidden resentment. No longer hesitating, he slapped his abdomen sharply, spat out his Dragon and Tiger Daoism Pill, and infused it into the Lingxiao Sword.
"BREAK! BREAK! BREAK!" Song Knife roared, spitting mouthful after mouthful of Essence Blood onto the Lingxiao Sword.
Empowered by the Essence Blood, the Lingxiao Sword instantly pierced through the layers of array techniques and fled towards the Inner Sea of the Wangchuan Sea.