Murong Xuan, wielding a longsword shimmering with runes, fought against Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er. His swordsmanship was unpredictable and ever-changing, each move containing an eerie power; wherever his sword struck, the surrounding air seemed to be distorted.
Xiao Yichen's "Sky-Piercing Sword Technique" was fierce and ruthless, his sword piercing towards Murong Xuan like a shooting star chasing the moon. However, Murong Xuan easily dodged this sharp attack; his figure flashed like a ghost, elusive and unpredictable. Lin Wan'er's "Flying Flowers Chasing the Moon Sword," attacking from the side, was also skillfully neutralized by Murong Xuan; with a gentle flick of his longsword, he deflected Lin Wan'er's flower-like sword shadows.
"You think you can defeat me easily? You're too naive." Murong Xuan sneered, his eyes revealing disdain. He suddenly increased his speed, his longsword transforming into streaks of black light that swept towards Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er. This attack was as fast as lightning; Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er felt only sword shadows before their eyes, and the pressure increased sharply.
Xiao Yichen concentrated, raising his inner strength to its limit, attempting to see through Murong Xuan's swordplay. He discovered that Murong Xuan's swordsmanship, seemingly chaotic, actually followed a certain pattern; the black shadows always revolved around a few specific angles and directions. Seizing the opportunity, Xiao Yichen shouted and thrust his sword fiercely in one of those directions. This strike precisely hit a weakness in Murong Xuan's swordplay, and a portion of the black shadows immediately dissipated.
Lin Wan'er seized the opportunity, using her lightness skill to leap high into the air and thrust her sword down towards Murong Xuan's head. Sensing the threat above him, Murong Xuan had no choice but to parry. Lin Wan'er's sword clashed with Murong Xuan's, producing a crisp sound. Using the momentum, Lin Wan'er somersaulted in mid-air and landed steadily on the ground.
"Hmph, you've got some skill," Murong Xuan said, his eyes growing even more sinister. He launched another attack, this time, black smoke billowing from his sword. Within the smoke, some blurry figures seemed to struggle, emitting shrill screams. This black smoke spread towards Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er, dimming the luster of the gems on the ground wherever it passed.
Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er knew there was something strange about the black smoke. They held their breath and circulated their inner energy to form a protective barrier around their bodies. However, the black smoke continued to assault their barrier, as if countless hands were trying to tear it apart.
"This smoke has a corrosive effect on internal energy; we can't let it get close," Xiao Yichen shouted.
They launched a preemptive attack, charging towards Murong Xuan in an attempt to break his assault. Xiao Yichen brandished his sword, dispersing the approaching black smoke. Lin Wan'er assisted him, using her sword to clear a path through the smoke for Xiao Yichen. Through their combined efforts, they finally broke through the black smoke's encirclement and faced Murong Xuan once more.
Murong Xuan saw them break through the smoke, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by coldness. "It seems you have some skill, but this is just the beginning." As he spoke, he plunged his longsword into the ground and muttered incantations.
As he chanted his incantation, the underground palace began to tremble violently. Large amounts of black smoke billowed from the pool, gathering above the palace to form a massive black cloud. Lightning flashed and thunder roared within the cloud, and streaks of black lightning struck towards Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er.
Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er hurriedly dodged, as black lightning struck the ground, blasting out large craters. The palace walls were also affected, some gems were knocked off, and the entire palace became precariously unstable.
“We need to find a way to break his spell,” Lin Wan’er said.
They began searching for a solution. Xiao Yichen noticed a peculiar energy fluctuation around Murong Xuan's body when he cast his spell. He guessed that this energy fluctuation was key to maintaining the spell, and if they could interrupt it, they might be able to break the spell.
"Wan'er, you distract him, I'll destroy the core of his spell," Xiao Yichen said.
Lin Wan'er nodded and charged towards Murong Xuan, unleashing various sword techniques in an attempt to attack him. Murong Xuan was drawn to Lin Wan'er's attacks and began to fight her, failing to notice Xiao Yichen's actions.
Seizing the opportunity, Xiao Yichen used his lightness skill to fly towards Murong Xuan's back. As he approached Murong Xuan, he sensed a powerful energy fluctuation. He gathered his inner strength into his sword and thrust it towards the source of the energy fluctuation. The sword struck its target, and the energy fluctuation instantly became chaotic.
The black clouds above the palace began to dissipate, and the black lightning ceased its attack. Murong Xuan sensed the disruption of his spell and angrily turned to attack Xiao Yichen. His attacks became even more frenzied, each sword strike carrying a deadly intent.
Xiao Yichen fought back with all his might, his sword clashing repeatedly with Murong Xuan's longsword, sparks flying everywhere. In the fierce battle, Xiao Yichen discovered that although Murong Xuan's swordsmanship was formidable, his swordplay began to show some subtle flaws in his anger.
"He's lost his composure, we have a chance," Xiao Yichen shouted.
Hearing Xiao Yichen's words, Lin Wan'er also noticed Murong Xuan's weakness. They began to attack more aggressively, exploiting Murong Xuan's flaws and relentlessly striking him. Under their attacks, Murong Xuan gradually developed wounds, from which black blood flowed.
"You... will pay the price," Murong Xuan said through gritted teeth. He suddenly stopped attacking and took out a black bead from his robes. The bead exuded a powerful, evil aura, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze.
"This is..." Xiao Yichen was startled, sensing that the bead contained immense danger.
Murong Xuan tossed the black bead into the air, then pointed it at with his sword. The bead instantly released a powerful black light, enveloping the entire palace. Within the light, Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er felt their inner strength begin to spiral out of control, as if it were being drained away by this force.
"Oh no, this is the Star-Absorbing Evil Pearl! We have to find a way to break its power!" Lin Wan'er said anxiously.
They tried to resist the power of the black light, but the light grew stronger, and their inner strength was constantly draining away. Xiao Yichen knew that if this continued, they would soon lose their fighting ability. He remembered seeing a record about the Star-Absorbing Evil Pearl in an ancient book, which mentioned that only the power formed by pure inner strength and a righteous heart could fight against the Star-Absorbing Evil Pearl.
"Wan'er, let's gather our inner strength with a heart full of justice and fight against it together," Xiao Yichen said.
They closed their eyes, recalling their mission and those whom Murong Xuan had harmed. Their hearts burned with righteous fury, and their inner strength began to coalesce, fueled by this conviction. A white light emanated from their bodies, clashing with the black light.
Under the impact of the white light, the black light began to weaken. Murong Xuan's expression turned extremely grim upon seeing this. He increased his control over the black bead, attempting to amplify the power of the black light. However, the righteous power of Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er was too strong, and the black light was ultimately suppressed by the white light.
The Star-Absorbing Evil Pearl was impacted and fell from the sky. Murong Xuan rushed to catch it, but Xiao Yichen seized the opportunity, used his lightness skill, and grabbed the Star-Absorbing Evil Pearl first.
"Give it back to me!" Murong Xuan roared as he attacked Xiao Yichen.
Xiao Yichen held the Star-Absorbing Evil Pearl, knowing it couldn't remain in Murong Xuan's hands. He tucked it into his robes and then, together with Lin Wan'er, faced Murong Xuan. By now, they had gained a significant advantage; Murong Xuan's momentum had greatly diminished due to the loss of the Star-Absorbing Evil Pearl.
During the battle, Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er coordinated perfectly, relentlessly attacking Murong Xuan. Murong Xuan's wounds multiplied, and his movements began to slow. But he remained unwilling to accept defeat, his eyes flashing with a crazed light.
"I won't let you ruin my plans, you will all die!" Murong Xuan roared, ignoring his injuries, and launched another fierce attack. This time, he used his ultimate move, his sword strikes imbued with all his evil power, sweeping towards Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er.
Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er sensed the immense power of this attack and dared not be careless. They raised their inner strength to its limit, preparing to meet Murong Xuan's ultimate move. This battle had entered its most critical moment; whether they could withstand Murong Xuan's attack would determine the fate of the entire martial arts world.
Just as Murong Xuan's ultimate attack was about to strike them, Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er attacked simultaneously. Their swords intertwined, forming a powerful light barrier. The light barrier collided with Murong Xuan's ultimate attack, producing a deafening roar. The entire underground palace trembled violently under the impact of this force; more cracks appeared on the walls, and gems fell from the sky, as if the end of the world had arrived.
The final showdown between good and evil has reached a fever pitch at this critical juncture, and the outcome will soon be revealed amidst the dust and light.
Amidst the earth-shattering roar, the energy generated by the collision between the light barrier and Murong Xuan's ultimate move spread outwards like surging waves. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er felt as if a mountain was pressing down on them; their arms trembled slightly from the immense pressure, but their eyes showed no sign of retreat.
Murong Xuan's ultimate move was blocked by the light barrier, but the sword technique formed by the evil power continued to crash against the light barrier like a black dragon, trying to break through this last line of defense. His eyes were bloodshot with anger and madness, and black blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, but he ignored his own injuries and only wanted to kill Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er.
"You can't escape, today is your death day!" Murong Xuan roared, increasing the output of his inner force once again. His black dragon-like sword moves became even more ferocious, and the light became even more dazzling. Each impact caused cracks to appear on the light screen.
Xiao Yichen knew he couldn't let Murong Xuan break through his defenses. He gritted his teeth and poured the remaining internal energy into the light barrier. "Wan'er, we can't give up, we must hold on!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the violently trembling underground palace.
Lin Wan'er nodded. Although her face was pale from the depletion of her inner strength, her eyes remained as firm as a rock. "Together, for justice!" she replied, pouring all her power into the light screen.
With their combined efforts, the light barrier temporarily stabilized. However, Murong Xuan's attacks did not cease; he seemed to possess inexhaustible inner strength, unleashing wave after wave of attacks like a tidal wave. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er felt their inner strength rapidly draining away, their bodies growing increasingly exhausted, but their unwavering belief burned like a flame, sustaining them to continue fighting.
“This can’t go on; we have to fight back,” Xiao Yichen said, his eyes fixed on Murong Xuan, trying to find a weakness in the storm of attacks.
Lin Wan'er was also observing Murong Xuan's movements. Suddenly, she noticed that Murong Xuan would pause briefly after each attack. "Yi Chen, look, he pauses for a moment after each attack. We can take advantage of this opportunity."
Xiao Yichen looked in the direction Lin Wan'er pointed and indeed found the flaw. "Alright, we'll make our move together the next time he pauses."
Just then, Murong Xuan launched another attack, the black dragon crashing into the light barrier once more. This time, the impact was immense, cracks spreading rapidly across the barrier, almost shattering it. But in the instant after the impact, Murong Xuan's body paused briefly.
"Now!" Xiao Yichen shouted, and he and Lin Wan'er simultaneously withdrew the power of the light barrier and charged towards Murong Xuan. Xiao Yichen's sword pierced towards Murong Xuan's throat like lightning, while Lin Wan'er's sword attacked towards Murong Xuan's heart.
Murong Xuan was caught off guard by their sudden counterattack. A flicker of panic crossed his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. He hastily dodged to the side, Xiao Yichen's sword grazing his neck, leaving a shallow wound, while Lin Wan'er's sword pierced his shoulder.
"Damn it!" Murong Xuan roared, swinging his longsword backhand at Lin Wan'er. Lin Wan'er had no time to dodge and could only use her sword to block. But Murong Xuan's strength was too great; she was thrown backward and crashed heavily to the ground.
"Wan'er!" Xiao Yichen's heart tightened when he saw Lin Wan'er injured. He rushed towards Murong Xuan without hesitation, his heart filled with rage. His swordplay became even more ferocious, each strike carrying the hatred he felt for Murong Xuan.
Murong Xuan and Xiao Yichen clashed once more, their swordplay exchanging blows at incredible speed, leaving only flashes of light visible within the palace. Xiao Yichen, at this moment, had only one thought in his mind: to avenge Lin Wan'er. Driven by rage, his inner strength seemed to have increased even further.
Murong Xuan also sensed Xiao Yichen's change and knew he couldn't let Xiao Yichen continue his reckless behavior. He deliberately created openings, trying to lure Xiao Yichen into a trap. Xiao Yichen, focused solely on defeating Murong Xuan, didn't realize it was a trap. Seeing Murong Xuan's weakness, he attacked without hesitation.
Just as Xiao Yichen's sword was about to pierce Murong Xuan, Murong Xuan suddenly changed his swordplay, thrusting his longsword towards Xiao Yichen's abdomen. Only then did Xiao Yichen realize he had fallen into a trap, but it was too late to dodge.
"Yichen!" Upon seeing this, Lin Wan'er disregarded her injuries, struggled to her feet, and ran towards Xiao Yichen.
Just as Murong Xuan's sword was about to pierce Xiao Yichen, Xiao Yichen suddenly felt a powerful force surge from within him. It turned out that in this life-or-death moment, he had unleashed his body's potential. He abruptly turned to the side, avoiding Murong Xuan's fatal blow, but was still slashed in the abdomen, bleeding profusely.
"Hmph, do you think you can dodge my attack like this?" Murong Xuan sneered, raising his longsword again, preparing to launch a new attack.
However, Xiao Yichen had entered a strange state. He felt his senses become sharper, and everything around him seemed to slow down. He could clearly see Murong Xuan's every movement and every subtle expression.
"Murong Xuan, today is your death day!" Xiao Yichen roared, his sword flashing once more. This time, his swordsmanship was even more exquisite, each strike aimed precisely at Murong Xuan's vital points. Murong Xuan was surprised to find that he was finding it difficult to withstand Xiao Yichen's attacks.
Lin Wan'er also arrived at Xiao Yichen's side, and she fought alongside him. Their teamwork reached a perfect level once more, their attacks sweeping towards Murong Xuan like a storm. Under their combined assault, Murong Xuan began to retreat steadily, his wounds multiplying, and black blood soaking through his clothes.
"No, I cannot fail!" Murong Xuan roared, his eyes filled with despair and resentment. He used his last strength, gathering all his inner power together, preparing to launch a suicidal attack.
"You will all die with me!" Murong Xuan shouted as he charged toward Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er. The long sword in his hand emitted a dazzling black light, a light that contained the power to destroy everything.
Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er sensed the terrifying power of Murong Xuan's attack, but they did not back down. They gripped each other's hands tightly, merging their inner strength to form a massive white shield. The white shield shone brightly before them, radiating a righteous light that contrasted sharply with Murong Xuan's malevolent black aura.
"We will not let you succeed! Justice will surely prevail over evil!" Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er shouted in unison.
At this critical moment of life-or-death struggle, the light from both the righteous and the evil clashed like two shooting stars, engulfing the entire underground palace in its dazzling brilliance. This light contained the beliefs, power, and life-or-death choices of both sides, and the outcome of this battle would determine the future of the martial world—whether it would plunge into endless darkness or return to the light.
In the dazzling light, as intense as an exploding sun, Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er's white shields clashed fiercely with Murong Xuan's black light. Ripples of energy surged outwards like a raging tsunami, wave after wave. The walls of the underground palace groaned in pain under this force, more stones fell from the top, and the entire space trembled violently, as if it were about to collapse at any moment.
Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er clung tightly to each other, their hands trembling slightly from the effort, yet their eyes held no fear. They poured all their faith and inner strength into the white shield, which emitted an ever-brighter light of justice, like a beacon in the darkness, steadfastly resisting Murong Xuan's black light, which was filled with destructive energy.
Murong Xuan's face was contorted with rage and madness, his features twisted and bloodshot like a spiderweb. He had sold his soul to evil forces, desperately trying to break through the white shield and drag Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er down into the abyss of death. However, he gradually discovered that his once invincible evil power was becoming increasingly powerless before the light of justice.
"You... how could this be..." Murong Xuan roared through gritted teeth. He tried to increase the output of his internal energy again, but his body was already showing signs of collapse due to overuse of power. His meridians were burning with pain as if they were being scorched by raging fire. Every mobilization of his internal energy felt like it was tearing his soul apart, but he was unwilling to fail like this and was still making a last-ditch effort.
Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er sensed Murong Xuan's waning power, and a flame of hope ignited in their hearts. "Hold on, Wan'er, victory is just around the corner!" Xiao Yichen shouted, his voice filled with determination and strength, giving Lin Wan'er immense encouragement.
Lin Wan'er nodded slightly, her forehead covered in sweat, but her eyes grew even sharper. "We can definitely do it!" she replied, simultaneously channeling her remaining inner strength into the shield without reservation.
As time passed, the white shield gradually gained the upper hand. The black light, suppressed by the power of justice, slowly receded like a tide. Murong Xuan felt his power constantly draining away, and an unprecedented fear surged within him. He had never imagined he would be defeated in this life-or-death struggle, and he couldn't accept that his ambitions had been completely shattered by these two young men.
"No! I won't lose!" Murong Xuan roared in despair. Ignoring the limits of his body's endurance, he forcibly drew out the last bit of internal energy in an attempt to put up a final stand. This action caused a huge backlash to his body; blood began to seep from his seven orifices, and he looked like a demon crawling out of hell.
Even so, Murong Xuan's final attack still carried astonishing power. The black light, like a dying beast, launched a final charge towards the white shield. This impact caused the white shield to shake violently, and Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er felt as if a mountain had pressed down on them. Their legs began to bend under the immense pressure, and they almost collapsed to their knees.
"We cannot give up!" Xiao Yichen roared, summoning every last bit of strength within his body and channeling it all into the shield. Lin Wan'er did the same, closing her eyes tightly, concentrating her mind, and merging her will and inner strength into one. In this life-or-death moment, their belief transformed into an unbreakable force, the white shield stabilized once more, and began to slowly advance.
Under the pressure of the white shield, the black light gradually dimmed. Murong Xuan's attack was finally completely thwarted. His body flew backward like a broken puppet, crashing heavily to the ground. The longsword in his hand also slipped from his grasp and fell to the side, the runes that had once shimmered with an eerie light now completely devoid of luster.
Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er lowered their shields, panting heavily. They exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with the relief of surviving a calamity and the joy of victory. But they knew the battle wasn't over yet; although Murong Xuan had been defeated, his men were likely still nearby.
They approached Murong Xuan, who was now on the verge of death. His eyes were filled with resentment and unwillingness, but his body could no longer move. "You... think this is the end? My plan... will not stop because of my failure..." Murong Xuan said weakly, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth.
"Your conspiracy has been thwarted by us. You can no longer wreak havoc on the martial world," Xiao Yichen said coldly, raising his sword to deliver the final blow to Murong Xuan.
Just then, a slight ripple came from the surrounding air. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er immediately became alert, thinking it was Murong Xuan's men coming to ambush them. However, what emerged from the shadows were some familiar figures—the martial arts practitioners and commoners who had been persecuted by Murong Xuan. Hearing that Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er were fighting Murong Xuan here, they rushed to help.
"It's so good that you're all alright!" an old man said excitedly. He was the village chief of a nearby village and had witnessed Murong Xuan's atrocities firsthand.
"Thanks to you all, we were able to defeat Murong Xuan," Lin Wan'er replied with a smile.
The arrival of everyone warmed Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er's hearts. They knew that the power of justice was boundless, and it was because of the support of these people that they had been able to get to where they were today.
After confirming that Murong Xuan was no longer capable of resisting, Xiao Yichen handed him over to the arriving martial arts heroes. They began searching the underground palace to see if any other dangers lurked. During the search, they discovered some documents and items left behind by Murong Xuan, which revealed more of his conspiracies and plans.
"It seems he's plotting something even bigger. We must thoroughly investigate his forces," Xiao Yichen said.
They carefully examined the documents and discovered that Murong Xuan had hidden strongholds and subordinates throughout the martial arts world. These strongholds were widely distributed, involving various sects and regions, and if they were not eliminated in time, the martial arts world would once again fall into chaos.
"We need to inform all the sects of this news and unite our strength to completely eradicate Murong Xuan's remaining forces," Lin Wan'er suggested.
So, carrying this crucial information, they left the underground palace. The moment they stepped out, sunlight bathed them, as if draping them in golden light. They knew many difficulties awaited them, but they were no longer afraid, for they were messengers of justice, and they would bring peace and tranquility to the martial world.
In the days that followed, Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er traveled throughout the martial world, informing various sects of Murong Xuan's conspiracy. Martial artists responded enthusiastically, uniting to form a powerful force that began systematically eliminating Murong Xuan's strongholds. With each stronghold cleared, the martial world moved one step closer to peace, and the names of Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er became symbols of justice and courage, inspiring countless young heroes to fight for righteousness.
In this long struggle against evil, they finally saw the dawn of victory, a dawn that, like a beacon, illuminated the future of the entire martial arts world and the Rong Kingdom.
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