Chapter 237 A Deadly Situation? Turning the Tide!
Li Quan's face turned ashen, his whole body trembled, and his lunging attack abruptly stopped. He cried out, "Ouch, I was too reckless! My life is over!" His heart was filled with despair, his limbs were cold, and he knew he was unlikely to survive. But he was unwilling to accept his fate. Desperate, he unleashed the "Thousand-Pound Drop" technique.
His body emitted a burst of dark light, then plummeted downwards, crashing to the ground. The flowers and grasses surrounding him, ten feet long, were crushed to dust, their roots reduced to dirt. His feet sank deep into the earth, reaching his knees.
"You idiot, you've fallen for their trap!" Su Qiuwu cursed.
Seeing that he was unharmed, Li Quan realized he had been tricked and was furious. Hearing Su Qiuwu call him a fool, he lashed out at him, "Su Qiuwu, if you're not afraid, go ahead and use your 'Three Steps of Ethereal Journey' to chase after him!"
Li Xian stepped into the air again. By this time, he was more than five zhang high, and had already used two of the seven steps. However, the seven Qi clusters in his body—Huangting, Niwan, Tanzhong, Mingmen, Jiaji, Baihui, and Weilu—are the key to gathering the "lightness" of the Seven Star Steps.
Like a light boat on a lake, hollow inside, it can float on the water by gathering light energy. If it is filled with water, it will immediately sink. The so-called "lightness skill" is similar in principle. The body is like a light boat, surrounded by "water". The energy ball in the body is the source of "lightness". Every time Li Xian breaks through a part of the energy ball, although he can step on it in the air and leap up a step, his lightness is reduced by one part.
For example, when leisurely cruising on a lake, one might cut down the boat halfway and use it as oars. Once the boat is broken and pierced, it will naturally sink into the lake.
The two energy clusters at the coccyx and Baihui point have both been broken open.
Li Xian focused his mind and stepped forward again. The energy ball between his spine broke open, and he stomped through the air, reaching a height of seven zhang. With nowhere else to draw momentum, he leaped into the air; this strength was already quite impressive.
Su Qiuwu said, "What kind of trick is this kid up to? Does he think he can fly over the cliff? With such a leap, he'll eventually fall back down. Wouldn't all his efforts be in vain?"
He was suspicious, but then he thought, "That's true. He has no way to escape, and in his death throes, it wouldn't be surprising if he made some foolish move." He calmed down.
Zhao Zhiyuan said, "Hehe, who cares?" With a flick of his longsword, he killed a disciple of the Taixin Sect. With a slight flick of his wrist, he silently circulated the "Yellow Sand Heart Sutra," draining the disciple dry until he was shriveled up and turned into a withered corpse. With another flick of his wrist, he sent the withered corpse flying.
Li Quan threw a punch. Zhao Zhiyuan parried with his sword, angrily shouting, "What are you doing!" Li Quan replied, "Why did you kill my sect's disciple!"
Zhao Zhiyuan said, "He was the closest just now. I didn't notice which sect he belonged to, so I just killed him."
Li Quan snorted coldly, deciding not to pursue the matter. The withered corpse slammed towards Li Xian with tremendous force, and contained extremely strong internal energy.
Wen Caishang said, "Use the alternation of sun and moon technique." The first level of the Remnant Sun and Decaying Blood Sword has a move called "alternation of sun and moon," which is possessed by both the Yin and Yang swords.
His swordplay is gentle, demonstrating a deep understanding of the principles of Yin and Yang.
Li Xian did as instructed, thrusting the sword at the withered corpse. The sword slowly swirled, evolving to its ultimate form, its surroundings shifting between darkness and sudden light. With a final kick, the corpse was sent flying.
Zhao Zhiyuan frowned, deeply impressed. Within that withered corpse lay extremely powerful internal energy. When Li Xianruo cleaved it open, the internal energy immediately exploded, and the corpse's "bones" transformed into countless sharp spikes, piercing into his flesh.
This move, called "Sacrificing Oneself for Benevolence," is an extremely sinister technique used by Huang Shamen. It is often employed in situations where one makes a move to test the waters and quickly establish authority upon first meeting.
Li Xian's "Sun and Moon Alternation" technique, enveloped in gentle Qi, stabilized the internal Qi of the corpse, then dissolved it layer by layer. With a combination of attack and defense, it neutralized the killing intent, preventing any further harm. This demonstrates Wen Caishang's accurate martial arts knowledge, quick judgment, strong skills, and ingenious response.
Zhao Zhiyuan was immediately wary: "What a formidable woman. This move of mine is always effective, and few people can see through it. She is so weak that she can hardly move, yet she subtly points out the trick with her words. If I were to fight her, I would have no chance of winning."
Taking advantage of this brief respite, Li Xian successively broke through the three energy centers at the Mingmen, Tanzhong, and Niwan points. His figure was already nearly eleven zhang away when he broke through the colorful mist.
Seeing that his momentum was about to stop, everyone wondered what tricks he was up to. Wen Caishang was also completely confused.
Li Xian turned around, head touching the ground and feet touching the sky, sheathed his sword and took out his bow and arrows. He nocked two arrows and aimed at Su Qiuwu and Zhao Zhiyuan. But just as the arrows were about to leave the bowstring, their direction completely changed, shooting towards the distant cliff.
"This is..." Su Qiuwu was taken aback, his heart tightening, and he shouted, "Stop him!"
Li Xian's lips curled into a smile as he tightened the bowstring and released the two arrows. The arrows were imbued with intense energy, flying out together with a force that seemed to pierce the sky; incredibly fine silk threads were attached to the tips of the arrows. Li Xian, already in an upside-down position with his head down and feet up, used his toes to hook onto the silk threads in the middle.
Unleashing the "Secret of Lightness," he flew out with the arrow, galloping swiftly. Wen Caishang was greatly surprised: "So that's how you planned it! Your body flies with the arrow. What skill! What ingenuity! What strategy!"
Ordinary people, even with similar ideas, find it extremely difficult to replicate. An arrow, once released from the bow, travels with incredible speed. Ordinary martial artists would find it extremely difficult to catch up. Even if they did, the arrow's momentum would be diminished the moment it touched the bow, making it impossible to carry the person away. Even if they did manage to carry them, they would only cover a few dozen feet.
But Li Xian's plan was ingenious. When he shot the arrow, he was already hanging upside down with his head down and feet up. His hands shot the arrow, and his toes hooked the silkworm silk. His posture and movements were all carefully considered.
Moreover, his archery skills were exquisite, reaching the pinnacle of mastery! The more perilous the situation, the more spirited he became. Li Xian's brows were full of confidence; though he didn't speak, he was saying: No matter how many heroes emerge, what can they do to me?
The arrows shot were powerful and vigorous, and also full of spirit.
He immediately unleashed the "secret of lightness," making his body light and agile.
Even so, despite all the elaborate plans, the arrows' momentum was significantly reduced after flying several feet because of the two people hanging from them. Escaping with just two arrows was still a pipe dream.
Wen Caishang was already amazed, and it was difficult to escape the predicament. It was all fate. She thought to herself, "That's it. He has done his best. How can he reverse this situation on his own?" Her heart sank slightly.
Su Qiuwu was filled with fear. Seeing the unexpected turn of events, he dared not sit idly by and await his death. He leaped into the air, making several leaps, intending to strike. Li Xian laughed, "Old fool, you've finally come to meet your end."
Su Qiuwu cursed, "Hmph, you dare to speak to me?" He put his hands behind his back, his toes barely touching the ground, his movements incredibly ethereal. This was the "Three Steps of Ethereal Movement," extremely powerful in dodging, but slightly weaker in leaping.
However, those at the third realm possessed bodies as vast as heaven and earth, capable of evolving martial arts. This was far beyond Li Xian's reach. Seeing the rapid approach, with no way to dodge, Li Xian remained calm, sheathing his bow and drawing his sword, unleashing the "Yang Yuan Sword Qi" in an instant. Blazing Yang fire surged forth.
Su Qiuwu dodged, about to sneer. Suddenly, he felt a scorching wave of heat, which grew even more intense. When he turned around, he saw a shocking scene.
The Yang Yuan sword energy struck the colorful mist. The colorful mist was formed from "pollen," densely distributed like countless tiny dust particles. Because it was so minute, it ignited upon contact with fire. Once a spark appeared, it spread like wildfire, instantly unleashing boundless killing power.
An explosion occurred.
The Yang Yuan Sword Qi was fierce and raging.
With a deafening roar, the force of the explosion was immense. Ordinary disciples of Huangshamen, Jianyulou, and Taixinzong were instantly burned and killed. Even the composed and confident Su Qiuwu, Zhao Zhiyuan, Xi Kairen, and others were caught in the blast wave and blown away, their hair, skin, and clothes instantly destroyed.
Su Qiuwu focused intently on dealing with Wen Caishang, but by the time he realized what was happening, it was too late. He was immediately caught in the blast, thrown out, and crashed into a boulder. He was deeply embedded, and his clothes caught fire.
Li Xian practiced swordsmanship, and Sheng Yanghua. His Yang Yuan sword energy blazed fiercely, with waves of heat rolling in.
In an instant, the situation changed completely. Using the momentum of the arrows, Li Xian soared high into the air, and the two long arrows became embedded in the middle of the cliff. Li Xian was now hanging upside down in the cliff.
This place is dozens of feet above the ground and dozens of feet above the top, neither high nor low. Wen Caishang's beautiful eyes widened in surprise, then she suddenly realized: "So that's how it is, so that's how it is... He asked me about the pollen yesterday, and that's when he started preparing for this. He used the characteristics of the pollen mist to set off an explosion, luring them inside, and then setting it on fire. We could then use the momentum of the fire and the arrows to create distance between us. This boy is cunning and far-sighted. That's normal, but... his thinking is unrestrained and boundless, and every plan he devises is sure to elicit applause and amazement... It's truly remarkable."
"Li Xian...you not only deceived me so badly, but you also played others so badly."
Putting herself in Li Xian's shoes, Wen Caishang felt hopeless. But Li Xian had found a different path, carving out a way to survive. For a moment, Wen Caishang was filled with admiration and even felt a sense of reverence for him.
The sea of flowers turned into a sea of fire, burning fiercely. Screams and cries of agony filled the air, a scene of utter devastation. Zhao Zhiyuan, Su Qiuwu, and the others were all wounded, their bodies blackened, utterly disheveled.
Enraged, Su Qiuwu looked into the distance and saw Li Xian hanging upside down on the cliff face, neither up nor down. He roared, "Go after him! There's still a chance!"
Li Xian laughed loudly, "Old man, isn't my sea of flowers beautiful?" Su Qiuwu, who considered himself a master strategist and highly intelligent, looked down on Li Xian. Little did he know that his first major loss would come from Li Xian himself.
Su Qiuwu said, "You little rascal, you won't live much longer!"
Li Xian said coldly, "Is that so?" His feet hooked onto silken threads, he hung upside down from the cliff, his bow fully drawn like a round moon. Wen Caishang's eyes flashed brightly as she said, "Shoot the Qi-Hu acupoint!"
Li Xian narrowed his eyes slightly, revealing his double pupils, and stared intently at his opponent. He released the bowstring, the Yellow Dao Bow displaying its full killing intent, the arrow gleaming yellow. Su Qiuwu raised his hand to grab it, feeling the sharpness and intent of the arrow, and was quite surprised.
Wen Caishang said, "Lingxu Cave, Tianquan Cave, Shimen Cave..." Li Xian followed her instructions and shot, each arrow accurate, revealing boundless spirit in his hidden box.
Su Qiuwu dealt with several arrows with ease, but the more he caught, the colder he felt, and he gradually sensed the "sword intent" in the arrows!
Wen Caishang sneered: "Your skills are lacking, you're making a fool of yourself. Shoot him in the Huagai acupoint."
With the arrow flying, Su Qiuwu was rendered helpless, unable to use any of his martial arts skills. His attacks were all shattered by a single sword strike, and defeat was inevitable. In a desperate plea, he cried out, "Help me!"
Qian Jinghao, wielding a large whip, stepped forward to help. Wen Caishang said, "What use are there to have so many useless people?"
Wen Caishang pointed out acupoints, and Li Xian accurately struck them. A tacit understanding arose between them, their hearts in perfect harmony, and their fighting brought them increasing, unspoken joy. Wen Caishang, plagued by misfortune and suffering repeated setbacks, was filled with frustration. Now, releasing all her pent-up emotions brought her immense relief.
Su Qiuwu, Qian Jinghao, Li Quan, Zhao Zhiyuan, and the others suffered a great loss, were pushed back in distance, and grew increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed. They first sensed the strength of Wen Caishang's martial arts; no matter how fast the arrow was, there would always be a time lag between its release and its approach.
However, everyone had the illusion that they were actually exchanging sword blows. This indicated that Wen Caishang's martial arts prowess far surpassed theirs. She anticipated her opponent's moves, perhaps even more. The difference in skill was immense!
They were also impressed by Li Xian's archery skills; his arrows possessed endless power, unparalleled precision, and unmatched spirit. Every arrow was flawless, astonishing the world.
Finally…their perfect teamwork was astonishing. After several rounds of fighting, the arrows suddenly stopped. The five men huddled together, none daring to separate.
If they miss, they will be shot dead.
A moment later, more arrows came flying. The five men fought back-to-back, looking utterly pathetic. The sea of flowers wailed endlessly, the fire raged, black smoke billowed, and most of the disciples they had led were already dead.
Then came another surprise attack.
Troublesome! Extremely troublesome!
Amazing! Absolutely amazing!
(End of this chapter)
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