Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Great Progress in Draw Sword Skill (Seeking recommendations, seeking favorites!)
A few miles away from Invisible Gorge, a carriage stood parked, around which a scanty group of barely a dozen men gathered.
Today’s battle saw nearly a hundred of the Zhang Family’s protectors perish, with only five or six survivors remaining. Apart from the top ten guards, the Zhang Family was essentially annihilated.
Helplessness and sorrow was written all over Zhang Yuanshan’s face, while Miss Zhang, despite her pretty features, had tears in her eyes.
"We should all leave. The strength of the Cave Mountain Bandits is far too great. Unless we have assistance from a master in the Qi Absorption Realm, we simply cannot make it through," stated a woman in red, already considering retreat after the day’s battle.
The rest of the survivors exchanged looks, their thoughts aligning with hers.
"Esteemed heroes, I beseech you, please don’t leave. If you go, my daughter will be finished," Zhang Yuanshan pleaded in desperation.
Miss Zhang of the Zhang Family, a beauty in her prime, now appeared wan, with vacant eyes, drastically weakened by her illness.
"Hmph, is your daughter’s life of more worth than ours?" Sun Ting stood up, voicing his indignation.
Zhang Yuanshan was quick to deny, clearly not wanting to offend these Martial World grandees at such a critical time. But before he could finish, the unmistakable sound of arrows hurtling through the air from afar interrupted him.
"Damn it, the Cave Mountain Bandits have taken the initiative to attack," Dong Chengwu sprang up as he saw the surrounding bandits beginning to close in, instantly drawing his sword and charging towards them.
The remaining few also reacted swiftly, fanning out to meet the attackers.
"Hahaha, not even masters of the Qi Absorption Realm dare to come to Invisible Gorge, you blockheads! Have you grown a bear’s heart and a leopard’s gall?" The two deputy chiefs leading the bandits maintained their distance, continuously instructing their troops to shoot arrows.
The sky was filled with a ceaseless spray of arrows. Despite the resilient hoe-carrying man’s endurance, he fell victim to three arrows, his lifeless body slumping to the ground, not due to his lack of skill, but his poorly suited weapon.
Following his fall were an old man with white hair, a middle-aged man, and an old woman, all mercilessly slain just a few meters away from the bandits.
"Mountain Opening Sword Technique!" yelled Dong Chengwu, his blade cleaving through the air like a rainbow, he finally made it to the frontline and slayed three bandits with a single swipe. But, before he could capitalize on his victory, one of the deputy chiefs had already closed in on him.
Simultaneously, Wang Yangming brandished his Wish-fulfilling Golden Spear and with each swinging movement of his arm, his spear danced and spun, casting out streaks of golden light and killing several bandits.
The woman in red fought valiantly with her twin-blades, a deadly image of a female demon. But after killing a few enemies, an arrow found its way into her leg.
Seeing the bodies of the hoe-carrying man and others, the woman in red squinted her eyes. After taking out a few more opponents, she disappeared into the forest, leaving alone to save herself.
"Hmph, it’s clear we are heading into a death trap. Only a fool would stay. Sun Ting is leaving too," added Sun Ting. With the woman in red taking the lead, he no longer had any reservations, leaping over the heads of the crowd to escape.
As several masters departed one after the other, the strength of the Zhang Family side plunged once again. Yet Shi Xiaole remained unfazed, certain that he would not flee until the last moment was upon him.
The Hundred Battles Blade swung with increasing intensity, his blade smeared with an ever-deepening shade of red; his clear mind fused with his violent intent, his strike more terrifying than Dong Chengwu’s.
It wasn’t the power of his sword technique that was more fearsome than Dong Chengwu’s, but the momentum of living by facing death, the aura of a hundred battles won, which sent shivers down the spine.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
After Shi Xiaole had killed more than a dozen men, his strength began to deplete. But his aura only grew stronger. At this moment, he stood firm like a matchless blade, an unmatched blade.
At the same time, after Dong Chengwu had injured one of the deputy chiefs, far from being pleased, he appeared utterly disheartened. Looking at the few remaining people trapped in desperation, he slowly shook his head and leapt into the forest.
"Only three left, kill them all!" The two deputy chiefs were furious, especially the injured one. Unable to beat Dong Chengwu, he vented his ire on the remaining few, his savage nature on full display.
"Amitabha Buddha, this humble monk is about to give in," chanted the lone monk, putting up one final struggle.
Even the perennially brash and defiant Wang Yangming had inadvertently nurtured a notion to retreat at this point. He glanced at Shi Xiaole, his eyes widening in disbelief at what he saw.
Because even though Shi Xiaole had clearly created an opportunity to escape, instead of running, he charged towards the location where most of the deputy chiefs were.
What is this kid up to?
"Brother, step aside, let me cleave this suicidal lad," the injured deputy chief, still bristling with rage, saw Shi Xiaole’s smugness as flaunting, took it as a blatant disregard for him and, grim-faced, advanced with his sword.
"Third brother, make it quick," the other deputy chief reminded him, without wanting to waste any more time.
"Meet your end, lad!" The injured deputy chief, wielding the power of the Eighth Tier Hidden Qi, attacked with his sword. As it swung down, it sliced through the air as if it were severed in half. The terrifying sword light sent a chill down their spines, quashing any ideas of resistance.
Someone shook their head in the dark; it was Dong Chengwu.
For some unexplained reason, he wanted to see what would become of the remaining three.
"You’re the one who’s going to die." Just as the long sword was about to fall on him, Shi Xiaole merely smirked, casually unleashing a swipe with his Hundred Battles Blade.
The sudden burst of power accelerated the Hundred Battles Blade, streaking through the air like a captivating meteor.
This is the Draw Sword Skill.
However, at this moment, after undergoing a fierce battle, Shi Xiaole could evidently unleash greater power than before without the need to consciously draw his sword.
In fact, during this period, Shi Xiaole had never given up on his practice of the Draw Sword Skill. It was through this persistent effort and his breakthrough today that he was finally able to reach a higher realm.
With a clang, a piece of the blade tumbled down, followed by a spray of fresh blood.
The one who died wasn’t Shi Xiaole but the deputy head of the gang with the cultivation level of the Hidden Qi eight tier.
Delirious in his final moments, he couldn’t believe that someone could deliver such a blow.
"You...you..."
"What kind of sword technique is this?"
Dong Chengwu, who was hiding in the shadows, widened his eyes, a strange glint flickering within them.
"Third brother!"
The other deputy head could not believe what he was seeing. Seeing Shi Xiaole looking at him, he suppressed his raging hatred and immediately turned to flee. He carefully contemplated the blade strike, realizing that he would likely not have been able to block it either.
"Brother Wang, master, if we want to pass through the Invisible Gorge, we mustn’t let him escape."
Shi Xiaole’s booming shout brought Wang Yangming and the monk back to their senses. Though the two didn’t understand his intentions, upon hearing his words, they somehow found themselves instinctively pursuing the fleeing deputy head.
"The Eighteen Stances of the Wish-fulfilling Golden Spear."
Wang Yangming was the closest to the deputy head. As soon as they engaged in battle, he utilized the ultimate skill that he had developed over his lifetime. With every thrust of his spear, he targeted eighteen vital points on the deputy head’s body.
"Get out of my way!"
The deputy head knew he couldn’t afford to waste time and immediately unleashed his own blade technique.
The spear and blade clashed, causing Wang Yangming to step back three paces, his face flushed.
The deputy head, on the other hand, simply shrugged his shoulders. But before he could fully recover, the chant of a Buddhist mantra filled the air, and the monk arrived, continuously striking with his Buddhist Palm, leaving the deputy head no time to adjust.
Meanwhile, Shi Xiaole found himself surrounded by bandits.
However, he had already transcended into a state of selflessness, and with each continuous swing of his Hundred Battles Blade, another life fell at his feet. The intense aura of death sent chills down the spines of the bandits.
Of course, Shi Xiaole didn’t escape unscathed. However, his blood-soaked presence only served to make him more ferocious, and with every slash of his blade, a corpse would inevitably fall. In the end, despite the relentless assault by the dozens of bandits, he managed to carve a bloody path to freedom.
"Die!"
Gathering his momentum, Shi Xiaole seized the moment, raised his blade with both hands and, like a thunderbolt from the heavens, fiercely cleaved towards the deputy head.
Clang!
The deputy head, consumed with terror, exerted all his might. Tendons bulged violently in his arms, and under the pressure of the formidable force, his own blade was forced into his shoulder.
This scene was deeply etched into the eyes of everyone present, stunning them into a daze.
Could this really be a strike delivered by a youth with only a fifth tier Qi Absorption level?
"Such a powerful blade technique, if I could only obtain it ..."
Dong Chengwu’s whole body shook.
As an independent cultivator, he fully understood the significance of mastering a powerful martial technique. It represented not only an elevation in battle power but also a means of survival. It was an important stepping stone to riches and honor!
"No, this can’t be, ah..."
All the while, the deputy head screamed disbelievingly and desperately tried to counterattack Shi Xiaole, wielding his blade with the last of his strength. But Shi Xiaole bit down hard and pushed his sword down with all his might.
The gazes of both men were like those of wild beasts or gamblers, nearly bloodthirsty.
The only difference was that while the deputy head was cornered and betting with his life, Shi Xiaole was risking his life to cling on to the faith in his heart.
He believed he could defeat any opponent.
This was not only a clash of power but a contest of will. Whoever yielded to the pain first and let go of their breath would be the ultimate loser.
As the tide of battle turned, the bandits rushed in from all sides. Seeing this, Wang Yangming and the monk exchanged a glance, opting to ward off the bandits and buy as much time as possible for Shi Xiaole, without saying a word.
"I will lead our forces to break through the Invisible Gorge and defeat the Cave Mountain Bandits."
Shi Xiaole’s voice was soft, yet resolute.
All at once, the deputy head’s concentration faltered, letting go of a breath of relief involuntarily. The sound of a whoosh, and Shi Xiaole’s Hundred Battles Blade, driving the deputy head’s own weapon further into him, plunged deeply into his body.
He groaned twice, shock, regret, and remorse coloring his last moments before he collapsed, lifeless.
Seeing the second deputy head also fallen, the remaining bandits were horror-stricken. Seeing a triumphant Shi Xiaole, bloodied blade in hand, striding towards them, they panicked and fled without a word.
Their average cultivation levels were around the fourth or fifth tier of Hidden Qi. Perhaps they could whittle down these three by sheer numbers, but who would be willing to risk their lives?
"You...you truly are full of surprises."
Once the bandits had fled, Wang Yangming was left looking complicatedly at Shi Xiaole.
Even now, he felt a surreal sensation. Despite the two deputy heads coming after them with a gang and all their allies having fled, they had managed to fight back and kill their opponents.
Wang Yangming knew that the decisive factor behind all this was none other than Shi Xiaole.
Recalling their first meeting at the Zhang Mansion, he had not thought much of Shi Xiaole then.
"Young master Shi has a steadfast will and exceptional talent. You’re bound to achieve great things."
The monk walked over with his hands clasped, unable to resist commenting.
