Chapter 273: The Sword Beneath the Crimson Sky
The Sword Beneath the Crimson Sky
Selena said coldly, "Get lost if you don’t want to die..."
Her voice was calm, yet it carried a chilling sharpness that cut through the air more cleanly than any blade.
The blood-red sea below churned endlessly beneath the dark heavens.
Crimson waves crashed against jagged black rocks, splashing scarlet foam into the air. Above them, thick black clouds rolled across the sky like an army of ancient demons. Occasional flashes of red lightning illuminated the world for a brief moment before darkness swallowed everything once more.
The atmosphere inside the Martial Emperor Tomb felt oppressive.
Ancient.
Dangerous.
Yet Selena stood amidst it all with an expression as cold as ice.
Her silver-white hair fluttered behind her.
The pale blue sash around her waist danced in the wind.
Her blue eyes remained fixed on the man before her.
The Green Robed Man’s smile froze.
A vein bulged visibly on his temple.
The hand holding his fan tightened unconsciously.
For a long moment, he simply stared at her.
Disbelief.
Confusion.
Humiliation.
Several emotions flashed across his face.
As the saint of the Open Mountain Sect, he had never experienced such treatment.
Women admired him.
Young geniuses respected him.
Even powerful elders praised him.
Wherever he went, people greeted him with smiles.
Yet today, after merely speaking a few words, this woman had attacked him with a sword and then told him to get lost.
The more he thought about it, the more wronged he felt.
Never mind that he had been the one who launched the sneak attack first.
In his mind, none of that mattered.
The blood-red wind howled across the sea.
The Green Robed Man’s jaw tightened as he stared at Selena.
For years, he had enjoyed the admiration of countless people. Wherever he went, others treated him with respect. Yet today, a woman he had never met looked at him as though he were nothing more than a nuisance.
That indifferent gaze stung far more than any injury.
His pride felt like it had been stabbed by an invisible blade.
The smile he had carefully maintained finally disappeared.
Darkness gathered in his eyes.
The crimson waves crashed violently beneath them while black clouds rolled overhead.
The atmosphere grew heavier by the second.
Then, unable to suppress his anger any longer, the Green Robed Man spoke through clenched teeth.
Green Robed Man was furious.
"Woman, you’re very good at making people angry. You’ve successfully angered me. Today, I want to see how capable you are."
The moment those words left his mouth, a powerful surge of Mana burst from his body.
Boom!
The surrounding space trembled.
Scarlet waves rose from the blood sea below, crashing toward the sky like giant walls of water.
The Green Robed Man stood proudly amidst the storm of energy, his robes whipping wildly in the wind.
As the Saint of the Open Mountain Sect, he had always considered himself among the elite of his generation.
His academy was located deep within the northern territories of the Blue Empire, far from the Drake Empire and its major powers.
Because of that distance, he knew little about the younger generation gathered here.
Names, backgrounds, reputations—none of it interested him.
In his eyes, Selena was simply another genius standing in his way.
Unfortunately for him, he had no idea who he was provoking.
He didn’t know Selena.
Nor did he know that she was Leon’s student.
If he had known, perhaps he would have been more cautious.
Unfortunately, ignorance often led people toward disaster.
At this moment, only one thought existed in his mind.
Anyone who embarrassed him must pay the price.
A cruel smile slowly appeared on his face.
"Since you refuse to appreciate my kindness, don’t blame me for being ruthless."
The killing intent in his voice became obvious.
However—
Selena merely looked at him as if she were looking at an idiot.
There wasn’t a trace of fear in her eyes.
Not even concern.
Only impatience.
"Heh, idiot, can’t you change your words?"
Her reply was simple.
Yet it struck harder than any sword.
The Green Robed Man almost choked on his own breath.
His face instantly turned red.
Then purple.
Then black.
The veins on his forehead throbbed violently.
Selena wasn’t trying to provoke him intentionally.
She genuinely meant what she said.
Over the years, she had heard similar threats countless times.
Every arrogant genius seemed convinced they were destined to dominate the world.
Every arrogant genius believed they were special.
And almost all of them said the same things before a fight.
You have angered me.
You’re courting death.
You’ll regret this.
At first, such words had frightened her.
Back when she was weaker, those threats carried weight.
But after following Leon...
After witnessing countless powerful figures...
After meeting monsters like Rex Vine...
She slowly realized something.
The truly dangerous people rarely wasted time talking.
People who could genuinely kill you didn’t need to announce it.
Compared to those individuals, the Green Robed Man looked almost laughable.
"You’re courting death!"
Finally unable to endure the humiliation any longer, he exploded.
His roar shook the surrounding coastline.
A black-and-white compass suddenly appeared in his left hand.
Ancient runes illuminated its surface.
Yin and Yang energies revolved endlessly around it.
At the same time, his right palm shot forward.
A gigantic palm imprint condensed in midair.
Boom!
The attack tore through the sky.
The blood-red clouds above twisted violently.
The sea beneath them erupted into massive waves.
The power behind the strike was enough to instantly crush ordinary cultivators of the same realm.
Yet Selena remained calm.
Her breathing never changed.
Her heartbeat never accelerated.
Even her expression remained cold.
Clang!
The Amethyst Mist Sword left its sheath.
A beautiful sword cry echoed across heaven and earth.
The next second—
Sword intent exploded.
The surrounding temperature plummeted instantly.
Frost appeared on nearby rocks.
Even the blood-colored seawater began freezing.
The Green Robed Man’s pupils shrank.
Danger.
An overwhelming sense of danger flooded his body.
Before his palm strike could even reach Selena, a dazzling sword light already descended.
Too fast.
Far too fast.
He hurriedly abandoned his attack and retreated.
Boom!
The sword strike slammed into the sea.
A massive canyon appeared across the blood-red water.
Countless waves exploded into the sky.
The Green Robed Man’s scalp tingled.
What kind of sword power was this?
Before he could recover—
Another sword arrived.
Then another.
Then another.
Selena advanced relentlessly.
Each step she took produced another devastating strike.
The battle rhythm instantly fell under her control.
The Green Robed Man found himself retreating continuously.
His earlier confidence began to crumble.
"Damn it!"
He activated the Yin-Yang compass.
Black and white lights filled the sky.
Ancient symbols flew toward Selena.
Yet every symbol was shattered by sword energy before reaching her.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Explosions continuously echoed throughout the coastline.
The black clouds overhead trembled.
The crimson sea roared below.
The battle became increasingly intense.
However, the more they fought, the more shocked the Green Robed Man became.
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
They were in the same realm.
Yet he felt completely suppressed.
Every exchange pushed him backward.
Every collision made his blood churn.
His arms had already gone numb from blocking sword strikes.
Sweat slowly appeared on his forehead.
For the first time, doubt emerged.
Who exactly was this woman?
Her swordsmanship was terrifying.
Her combat experience was terrifying.
Even her Mana reserves seemed endless.
No matter what technique he used, she always responded perfectly.
As the battle continued, his confidence gradually transformed into fear.
Meanwhile, Selena’s eyes remained calm.
She could already tell.
This opponent wasn’t weak.
But compared to the geniuses Leon had prepared her to face...
He wasn’t enough.
Not even close.
Leon had personally taught her countless Sacred Arts.
Leon had personally corrected her swordsmanship.
Leon had personally helped her build a foundation that surpassed ordinary prodigies.
Against opponents of the same realm, she had never tasted defeat.
Today would be no exception.
Another exchange erupted.
Boom!
The Green Robed Man was blasted backward.
His robes became disheveled.
His breathing turned heavy.
The hand holding the compass trembled slightly.
At this moment, he finally understood a reality he didn’t want to admit.
He was losing.
No.
He had been losing from the very beginning.
The realization struck him harder than any attack.
His eyes widened.
Disbelief filled his face.
As he stared at the cold woman standing beneath the crimson heavens, a question escaped his mouth almost involuntarily.
"Who... are you?"
