Chapter 255 The Appearance of Double Pupils, a Shocking Event Throughout History!
Li Xian's heart sank; encountering disciples of the Wuji Blade Sect and Sword Rain Pavilion here was definitely not a good thing. Seeing that the two were alone, he crouched down in the shadows.
Seizing the opportunity, he suddenly launched an attack. With a sweeping kick, he knocked the two men to the ground. Then, he grabbed a handful of mud and sand and threw it into their mouths.
The internal energy, carrying mud and sand, instantly blocked their throats. Terrified, they coughed but couldn't speak, choking and tears streaming down their faces.
Li Xian carried the "Silkworm Jade Rope" with him at all times. His [Masterful Hands] skill was on full display as he bound the two men and dragged them into the shadows.
He lit torches, revealing his face. The two men recognized Li Xian, trembling with fear and sorrow. Li Xian said coldly, "I'll ask you a question, and you'll answer it. Any hesitation will result in my immediate death!"
The disciple of the Wuji Blade Sect said, "Great...Great hero, please...please ask!"
Li Xian asked, "How did you discover this tomb?" He questioned her carefully, his eyes sharp and discerning.
The disciple truthfully recounted that the Sword-Slaying Alliance had been utterly routed upon entering Tiger Cry Ridge, suffering heavy casualties. To date, they had lost ninety percent of their forces.
However, Su Qiuwu, Shen Pingping, and the others were all highly learned. After overcoming numerous dangers and obstacles, they finally encountered a grove of trees where they could rest. They deduced that there might be a tomb nearby.
But searching for the tomb in the vast forest was like finding a needle in a haystack. So he gathered everyone together, took off their clothes, and pulled them into threads.
They then connected with each other, providing mutual support. A thorough search was conducted in all directions. After more than ten days, they gradually made their way to the tomb.
They suffered heavy losses, with ninety percent of their men killed. However, there were still dozens of them left. Despite lacking Wen Caishang's extensive knowledge and expertise in geomancy, they managed to find the entrance to the tomb by relying solely on manpower and resources.
So they all went down into the tomb.
However, he was ambushed along the way and ended up in a very sorry state. Su Qiuwu, Zhao Zhiyuan, Li Quan, Qi Beidao, and Shen Pingping were all severely injured.
Li Xian continued questioning.
They heard that they had already discovered Wen Caishang's whereabouts and were now searching everywhere!
Li Xian thought to himself, "I had just succeeded in my great mission, but this calamity has befallen me. Ah, the tomb is dark and cramped, why don't I change my clothes and sneak closer!"
He sized up the two men, thinking to himself, "Su Qiuwu is very familiar with Jianyu Tower, but he must not be familiar with Wuji Blade Sect. Although they have many people, they must be disorganized. It would be perfect for me to take advantage of their weakness."
Li Xian said, "Excuse me!" He killed the two men, stripped off their clothes, and disposed of them in a dark river. He quickly changed into Wuji Blade Sect robes, messed up his hair, and smeared blood on his face.
He listened to the wind along the way and explored little by little. He was deliberately searching and guessed that Su Qiuwu and the others had not gone deep into the tomb and were probably in the outer area.
He then searched outside and soon found disciples of the Wuji Blade Sect, the Sword Rain Pavilion, and the Taixin Sect. Li Xian went to meet them, telling some lies to deceive them.
The tomb was pitch black, and everyone was tense. Seeing their colleagues only brought excitement; no one noticed Li Xian's unusual behavior.
Li Xian asked, "Why are we staying here, neither going in nor out?" The Sword Rain Pavilion disciple replied, "We've been ordered to block this important passage!"
Having received instruction from Wen Caishang, Li Xian was already familiar with the layout of the tomb. Upon careful consideration, he realized this was indeed a crucial passage. It seemed that someone within the Sword-Slaying Alliance was extremely skilled in tomb geomancy.
Li Xian's prediction was correct.
Shen Pingping of Shiluo Village is extremely skilled at dealing with corpses and tombs. Wen Caishang is very knowledgeable, but she may not be as proficient as him in the field of "corpses and tombs".
Li Xian frowned, deep in thought. Suddenly, he heard footsteps in the distance and said, "Quick, come quickly! We've found that demoness!" It was a disciple of the Taixin Sect.
He simply told everyone that Wen Caishang had been surrounded in a certain place. They were to return quickly to provide support.
However, the tomb passage is winding and complex. At each crucial point, a "winding passage" breaks up the formation.
Therefore, while sending messages is easy, providing support is difficult.
As Li Xian walked, he became separated from the others. He remained calm, considering all possibilities. He knew that Wen Caishang was extremely skilled in tomb passage geomancy and, with the help of the tomb passage's mechanisms, would be very difficult to catch.
Aside from a few dangerous spots with no way out, Li Xian thought, "If Madam is trapped, she must be in one of those dangerous spots. I'll go and investigate them one by one first."
They rushed towards the dangerous area.
Soon, they arrived at the perilous "Four Saints Cave." Here stood four statues of gods, with blue faces and fangs, baring their claws and brandishing their teeth. During the Nanyang period, the "Four Saints Cave" was a standard feature of tombs, and it was said to be able to ward off evil spirits, serving as guardians within the tombs.
Before Li Xian even got close, he heard some noise.
Someone cursed, "Where are they? Weren't we told to send word to gather them quickly? Why haven't they come yet!"
Judging from his voice, it was indeed Zhao Zhiyuan.
Li Xian understood: "The tomb is complex. After they entered the tomb passage, they all got separated. Among the Sword-Seeking Alliance, there is someone, such as Su Qiuwu, who has a deep understanding of the tomb. But this 'Zhao Zhiyuan' knows nothing about it."
"He encountered the lady and pursued her relentlessly. He cornered her here, but ultimately feared her, so he only surrounded her without attacking. He called for reinforcements... Little did he know, reinforcements did arrive, but they never returned, and instead, he lost men!"
...
Li Xian, perceptive as ever, guessed that Zhao Zhiyuan was almost certainly right. Upon reaching the cave entrance, he indeed saw Zhao Zhiyuan standing guard with his sword drawn.
Wen Caishang was waiting outside the inn when she heard strange footsteps and saw Su Qiuwu and the others arrive. She lamented her bad luck and cleverly used the inn to avoid them.
Her mind was in turmoil, and she wandered aimlessly through her troubled thoughts. However, this scattered the Sword-Slaying Alliance, sending them in all directions. Yet, the enemy outnumbered them, and even scattered and wandering aimlessly, there was still a chance of encountering each other.
Wen Caishang's whereabouts were exposed. Everyone was searching for her, and she used the tomb as a cover to avoid detection for several days. However, she lacked internal energy and her luck was not on her side.
Feeling increasingly desperate and exhausted, he finally encountered Zhao Zhiyuan. Knowing he had little chance of survival, he decided to use the tomb as a refuge, hoping to buy himself some time. Suo Xing then voluntarily entered the "Four Saints Cave".
She skillfully avoided activating the traps in the cave. She waited for Zhao Zhiyuan to enter before using the traps to fight him. Her mind was made up; she held her sword behind her back, her long dress flowing, utterly composed.
Her calm demeanor panicked Zhao Zhiyuan. He sent several disciples he encountered to call for help, but no one arrived for a long time.
Li Xian lowered his voice and called out, "Senior, we have come to your aid!"
Upon closer inspection, Zhao Zhiyuan was in a sorry state, missing an arm, and breathing heavily. It turned out that Tiger Cry Ridge and the mysterious mountain range were extremely dangerous, and had tormented him terribly.
The worst time was when he ate a poisonous fruit and was severely poisoned. It nearly killed him, and although he survived, his legs were weak and numb.
"Just you alone!?" Zhao Zhiyuan said.
Li Xian truthfully replied, "I...I don't know either. I heard someone say something, so I went with them. But as I ran...I was all alone. Then I heard you calling me, so I came over!"
Zhao Zhiyuan cursed, "Damn it! Damn it! This damn place is infuriating, it's infuriating!"
When Li Xian first met him, he still retained the demeanor and bearing of a third-realm martial artist. His words were calm and composed, but now he revealed his true colors.
Li Xian thought to herself, "The concept of demeanor is truly innate. No matter how well one disguises oneself in ordinary times, one's true colors will be revealed at crucial moments. Zhao Zhiyuan's demeanor is far inferior to Wen Caishang's."
Silent and withdrawn.
Zhao Zhiyuan said, "You! Go and catch that woman!" Li Xian was stunned and asked, "Huh? Me?"
Zhao Zhiyuan said, "Of course it's you! She has no internal energy left and is seriously injured. What is there to be afraid of? With such a cowardly attitude, the Wuji Blade Sect will not be able to get rid of you. I might as well help them clean up their own sect and chop you up!"
Li Xian said, "Alright...alright! I'll go right now!" He unsheathed the large sword on his back and entered the Four Saints Cave.
The four statues, each several tens of feet tall, stand in the four directions. The cave entrance is decorated with gold and jade, emitting a purple light, specifically designed to lure the greedy into the cave.
As soon as Li Xianfang entered the cave, he triggered a mechanism. Sharp spikes emerged from the ground. He tiptoed and narrowly avoided danger.
Zhao Zhiyuan nodded and said, "This kid from the Arctic Blade Sect is indeed more powerful than my Yellow Sand Sect. Strange indeed... why is no one coming to our aid?"
Wen Caishang sneered, "Even though I have no internal energy, killing a villain like you is extremely easy!"
The Four Saints Cave is a dead end. With nowhere to retreat, Wen Caishang's presence here demonstrates her unwavering resolve; she has given up all hope of survival.
But she was extremely unwilling to replace just one thief. Therefore, she did not activate the mechanism and decided to deal with it herself. Wen Caishang thought to herself, "There is little chance of survival today, but... but I don't know... where is Li Lang? If I could talk to him again and hear his annoying words, it would... would make me a little happier."
The tomb was cold and desolate; after many days apart, my thoughts grew increasingly heavy.
Li Xian, his hair disheveled, shouted, "Take this!" and slashed horizontally with his sword. This strike was a pinnacle of swordsmanship!
Li Xian was proficient in both sword and saber techniques, and had reached the pinnacle in both. Although Zhao Zhiyuan possessed a rich understanding of martial arts, his limited perspective prevented him from discerning the truth.
Wen Caishang snorted coldly and attacked with her soft sword. But in an instant, she suddenly sensed something was wrong and realized that this move was the "Stealing the Sky and Changing the Sun" move of the "Setting Sun and Decaying Blood Sword".
Wen Caishang thought to herself, "Ah! It's Li Lang!" Her heart softened instantly. Knowing that she was about to die, she was already extremely satisfied to be able to see Li Xian.
Li Xian already had a plan in mind. His sword strikes became even more ferocious, and the moment their swords clashed, they were already in perfect harmony. Li Xian reversed his blade, changing it to a vertical slash.
Both were extremely intelligent and immediately understood the intention.
Wen Caishang thought to herself, "Li Lang told me to show no mercy and hurt him as much as possible, to lure Zhao Zhiyuan into the cave, and then seize the opportunity to join forces to kill him. Only in this way can we have a chance to survive!"
With a flick of her wrist, Wen Caishang's soft sword spun diagonally, instantly carving a deep gash into Li Xian's chest. She had stabbed Li Xian countless times, but this time she felt a deep pang of pain.
Li Xian slashed several times, but his attacks were skillfully dodged. His skin was lacerated, and he was covered in blood. In his final struggle, Li Xian unleashed the "Setting Sun and Defeated Moon" technique.
This move is a "mutually injuring sword technique." The pain of love is inextricable; the Yin-Yang Immortal Couple Sword, which tempers emotions, knows that love between men and women is never purely about pleasure. Therefore, this sword technique was created to make both parties experience pain.
Li Xian thought this "setting sun and waning moon" was just a flirtatious game between the young couple and rarely took it to heart. But at this moment, it was the perfect opportunity.
Wen Caishang thrust her sword forward, piercing Li Xian's chest. Li Xian slapped her shoulder with his palm. Wen Caishang's pretty face paled, her eyes welled with tears, and she withdrew her sword and retreated. Seeing Li Xian lying in a pool of blood, a flood of emotions overwhelmed her: tenderness, love, fear, sadness, sweetness…
He recalled the sword strike that had pierced his chest. A dull ache throbbed in his heart, and he was oblivious to the injury to his shoulder.
Her current situation perfectly embodies the essence of this sword technique: "The setting sun and the waning moon."
Seeing this, and realizing that Wen Caishang had actually been struck by the servant's palm, he was truly at his wit's end. Zhao Zhiyuan said, "Hahaha, why bother with reinforcements? You vixen, I'll take you!"
Using his light-footed skills, he leaped forward to attack.
Wen Caishang was furious with Zhao Zhiyuan, thinking, "If it weren't for you, why would I have hurt Li Lang?" Her eyes were icy cold.
Zhao Zhiyuan said, "Hmph! I'll let you try this move again!" He thrust his sword at Li Xian, intending to test him with the move 'Sacrifice for the Cause'.
Li Xian suddenly rose up, revealing his full strength, and faced a life-or-death situation in an instant.
The double pupils opened completely for the first time to face the enemy.
In an instant, an unparalleled aura swept over. The power of double pupils lies in three aspects: aura, strength, and insight.
Li Xian manifested his double pupils. He had intentionally concealed his power, but now it was fully unleashed, like a thunderclap. Zhao Zhiyuan met his gaze, his scalp tingling, utterly terrified and speechless, trembling with fear:
"Heavy…"
"Double pupils!"
(I'll be completely free from the pursuit tomorrow! After a while, I should have more free time, and maybe I can update a little more frequently~ Please vote for me~)
(End of this chapter)
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