Chapter 282: Chapter 281: Death Claiming 15 Swords (Yan DaXia asking for subscriptions)
Cloud Triangle, Feiyan City.
A large group of masters stormed into the Golden Phoenix Tower, besieging the entire place, not even a fly could get in. The suffocating and oppressive atmosphere kept the local warriors terrified, afraid to approach.
"East side, nothing."
"West side, nothing."
"..."
With each returning search troop, the figure at the helm was grim.
Damn thief, he must have guessed that the seven major sects would retaliate in a big way, thus notifying the people here in advance and leading them on a wild goose chase. But how could they move so fast?
"Hmph, as long as they are in Qingxue State, there is no one the seven major sects cannot find, let alone a group."
The leader sneered coldly, immediately ordering his subordinates to inform the temporary alliance formed by the seven major sects to initiate a manhunt for Su Yanru, while also purchasing information from intelligence agencies, simultaneously attacking from both sides.
"Overnight, the people of Golden Phoenix Tower vanished, where on earth did they go?"
"Besides Shi Xiaole, no one knows. But I’m afraid they can’t hide for long. After all, the martial world of Qingxue State has been held by the top sects for many years."
Watching the departing figures, the martial artists of Feiyan City groaned with regret.
A flurry of rumors spread across the martial world.
The alliance formed by the Divine Fist Clan, Guan Family, Bali Family, Nangong Aristocratic Family, Asura Mansion, Twin Absolute Palace, and Spring Garden is undoubtedly powerful. Almost the same afternoon, posters of the senior figures of the Golden Phoenix Tower were displayed in every major city, promising that whoever could report their whereabouts would receive a substantial reward.
Both first-tier and second-tier forces were also mobilized. Every moment, crowds of martial artists were searching in cities, official roads, and mountains, not even sparing the most remote teahouses in the outskirts.
Some people even noticed that the Government also dispatched a large number of forces to coordinate actions with the seven major sects.
Overnight, Shi Xiaole and the Golden Phoenix Tower, once rising stars in the martial world, became the rat crossing the street that everyone shouted to hit. This is the consequence of offending the top sects.
"I hope he’s already fled from Qingxue State, otherwise the situation looks grim."
"That’s hard. The Yunfeng Domain is in the central part of Qingxue State. On the day of the incident, the seven major sects sent out their elite forces, quickly blocking the only exit at Iron Pass Town. Now, Qingxue State is like an iron bucket, you can only enter, not leave."
Unlike other states, Qingxue State was surrounded by a ring of waterways. Many years ago, an meteorite fell from the sky and hit the water, causing the water to become infested with evil energy, and anything that touched it would perish.
Later, several great masters emerged and used their divine power to find the fragments of the meteorite in the water, blend them into ordinary soil, and built the only official road to the outside states, which is located in Iron Pass Town.
Beyond this official road is a dense misty forest where even the martial arts masters could only rely on the compass to determine their direction.
In other words, if Shi Xiaole wants to leave Qingxue State, he must pass through Iron Pass Town, and once he enters the Mist Forest, he can completely shake off the seven major sects.
The question is, how can he break through the Iron Pass Town defended by the seven major sects with his own strength?
In addition, the Golden Phoenix Tower’s account at the bank was also seized, and there were a large number of people monitoring the inside and outside of the Dark Alley in each city. Once Shi Xiaole broke into the Dark Alley, they would wait for his money to run out, and he would walk out by himself.
As for the mysterious bamboo forest and other areas, they were heavily watched. In short, they were absolutely not going to give Shi Xiaole any chance to exploit.
After really experiencing the power of the top sects, almost no one thought highly of Shi Xiaole anymore. Perhaps with his talent, he could face anything fearlessly in twenty years, but now, he had risen to prominence too early.
However, things always take unexpected turns.
For an entire half a month, not to mention Shi Xiaole, even the important figures of the Golden Phoenix Tower were like evaporated from the world, nowhere to be seen.
Some said that they were sheltered by the remaining top forces. The Asura Mansion and others had even specifically sought out the Revenge Gathering, the Queen City and other forces. Over this issue, both sides almost had a martial world brawl that hadn’t happened in a century!
At a critical moment, the Carefree Master, ranked first on the Feng Chen List, appeared to mediate, proving the innocence of the Queen City and other forces, thus calming the matter.
So, where are Shi Xiaole and the others?
Shi Xiaole sat beside a green lake, with his palms facing the sky. He cycled his internal power through his meridians 365 times before opening his eyes.
"The pills from the Heavenly Treasure Ruins indeed come in handy, my cultivation has finally reached the late stage of the third layer of Xuan Qi."
Almost twenty days had passed since the battle.
Outside, the world was in turmoil, but as the instigator, Shi Xiaole lived an exceptionally calm life.
Immediately after the incident occurred, he rode Qingfeng back to the Golden Phoenix Tower and Huajian Sect, dismissed his followers, took only a few people including Su Yanru and Yu Fangge, and, using the cover of the boundless mountains, entered Hidden Lake Villa, far away from the hustle and bustle.
Hidden Lake Villa, where the Sword Marquis spent his later years in seclusion, was recorded on the first page of the Primordial Life Heart Sutra, which also detailed how to enter.
People without knowledge, even if they ransack the place, will never find it.
At midnight, the crescent moon shone brightly above, reflecting in the lake.
Shi Xiaole was directing his sword with his finger, constantly waving, an invisible sword intent spreading around him, filling his surroundings with a terrifying aura.
This kind of terror was not cold, not murderous intent, but a kind of despair that made people see death and be powerless to resist.
"Death Claiming Fifteen Swords, indeed formidable."
Pausing his movements, Shi Xiaole was full of admiration.
After he had arranged for Su Yanru and others, he wrote down the Primordial Life Heart Sutra and Retaining Life Sword Technique and immediately exchanged both of them for the system.
Since it was an exchange for the same level, of course, it wouldn’t leave a blank.
The result was that the Primordial Life Heart Sutra was exchanged for a second-tier top Cane Technique, the Cloak Cane Technique. The Retaining Life Sword Technique was exchanged for a second-tier top Internal Power technique, Day Changing Great Method.
The Cloak Cane Technique from You Chu Hong, the top master of the Dugu Clan, was her own unique technique created when she gave up the sword and used the cane at the age of sixty. Because the circulation of internal power of this technique is contrary to ordinary martial arts, You Chu Hong fell into the devil’s path and suffered from severe asthma.
But the Cloak Cane Technique was indeed abnormal. The more opponents, the stronger it becomes, not fearing group fights. When You Granny was eighty years old, she defeated Shuanglong, who were in the middle and later period, with one stroke. This showed the strength of her skills and the subtlety of her cane technique.
Day Changing Great Method was obtained by Yue Shan, the Dominant Blade, from an Indian monk in exchange for the Seventy-Two Marquis Blade Method. It has the miraculous effect of reinvigorating after breaking down.
Ba Fenghan was injured by Bi Xuan’s Yang strength technique, it was Xu Zilin’s Day Changing Great Method that helped him recover his power, attain a higher level, and create the Heaven Stealing Technique.
Whether it is the Cloak Cane Technique or the Day Changing Great Method, both are enough to make any martial arts expert covet them in the Martial World. Their value is comparable to the martial arts created by the Heavenly Treasure Sword Marquis.
If the above two are tempting, then winning Death Claiming Fifteen Swords from a free drawing truly made Shi Xiaole overwhelmingly joyful.
This technique was created by Yan Shisan, a unique swordsman, from his family’s unparalleled skill, the Death Claiming Thirteen Swords. Just with the first thirteen swords, numerous swordsmen in the Martial World have been killed.
The fourteenth sword was broken by Xie Xiaofeng, the third young master of the Divine Sword Villa, the emperor among the swords.
However, the fifteenth sword broke free of control, transforming into a bloodthirsty devil-like sword technique resembling a venomous dragon. Even Xie Xiaofeng could only close his eyes and await death.
But Xie Xiaofeng did not die.
Because at the last moment, Yan Shisan used this sword to kill himself. This sword technique is not of this world, it only brings disaster and death.
Yan Shisan, in the end, did not let his obsession blind him. Under the blood-red sunset and red maple leaves, he fell standing up. Since then, the world did not witness Death Claiming Fifteen Swords anymore.
This battle became one of the most widespread and pinnacle duels of swordsmen in the Martial World’s history.
Yan Shisan died, Xie Xiaofeng lost.
In Shi Xiaole’s view, given more time, Yan Shisan would have been able to fully master the fifteenth sword. Regrettably, there are no ifs.
In the past half a month, apart from eating and sleeping, Shi Xiaole was constantly practicing. He dared not waste a second, yet he had barely reached the beginning level of Death Claiming Fifteen Swords. The difficulty stunned him as it was still far away from reaching a small level of success.
A second-rate superior sword technique is nothing to scoff at. Shi Xiaole suspected that even if he had not greatly increased his comprehension and had not grasped 95% of the Sword Heart, it would take two or three months to even grasp the basics.
For an average person with insufficient comprehension, it would be useless even after several years.
Collecting his thoughts, Shi Xiaole finished the food and wine brought by his aunt and continued to comprehend.
He decided to stay here and only go out after he has mastered Death Claiming Fifteen Swords.
As for Sword Marquis’s Retaining Life Sword Technique of the Heavenly Treasure, the entire technique was about keeping a thread of life, and had to be practiced with the Primordial Life Heart Sutra. This meant that Shi Xiaole would not be able to delve into it. He would simply absorb the essence of it.
The sun rises and sets.
There was a great tumult in the Martial World, and the seven major sects were frantic in their search for someone.
However, the lakeside was exceptionally calm, occasionally enlivened by birds fluttering by, disturbing the surface of the water into ripples.
A month later.
The silent and still Shi Xiaole suddenly drew the long sword by his side and swung it out.
The soul-constricting Sword Qi struck the lake, yet leaving no trace, only a concave point kept shrinking, like raindrops falling into the lake, incapable of attracting anyone’s attention.
Lan Ning happened to come by, and her heart throbbed intensely.
This was the intuition born from a swordsman. She felt there was something different about Shi Xiaole’s sword this time. It appeared insignificant, yet it was incredibly dangerous and terrifying.
Had his swordsmanship advanced again?
"I finally achieved a small success."
The shrinking point disappeared, and Shi Xiaole revealed a faint smile.
Although the practice was very boring, the result was undoubtedly pleasing.
The Death Claiming Fifteen Swords, which had achieved a small success, was as powerful as the complete Meteor from the Sky and Eclipse Eight Forms, only slightly inferior to Precipitous Peak that had incorporated 60% of the treacherous intent.
Of course, the so-called small success does not mean that all fifteen swords have achieved a small level of success. Apart from the first thirteen swords, the fourteenth sword only achieved 20% of its potential.
As for the fifteenth sword, even Yan Shisan had not fully mastered. Shi Xiaole hadn’t begun to practice it.
Taking a deep breath, Shi Xiaole closed his eyes.
The originally intending to greet him Lan Ning stopped in her tracks, thinking, no wonder his achievements were so incredible. Outsiders only knew his extraordinary talent, but they had no idea how hard he worked.
Inexplicably, Lan Ning seemed to be inspired. She gritted her teeth and left.
In a blink of an eye, two months passed.
The painstaking cultivation had finally given Shi Xiaole a rich reward.
All of his Death Claiming Thirteen Swords had reached 50% of their potential, making its damaging power more shocking than Precipitous Peak. The fourteenth sword had reached 35% of its potential, surpassing the first thirteen swords.
Moreover, long-term research into the essence of Death Claiming Fifteen Swords dramatically increased Shi Xiaole’s understanding of swordsmanship. Accordingly, his Sword Heart Realm also increased from ninety-five percent to ninety-seven percent.
It could be said that Shi Xiaole’s strength had surged significantly in these three months, far more powerful than before.
"A second-rate superior sword technique is indeed much more profound than a second-rate middle-ranked sword technique."
Standing tall, Shi Xiaole felt joyful and somewhat emotional.
When he was practicing the Eclipse Eight Forms before, it took him three months to perfect it. Judging by his progress now, it would be an infinite amount of time before he perfected the Death Claiming Fifteen Swords.
However, from another point of view, this also proved how powerful Death Claiming Fifteen Swords was. Once he had trained it to perfection, his swordsmanship would undoubtedly reach another level.
Shi Xiaole moved quickly into a house above the water in the distance. Not long after, he plunged into the lake.
The Hidden Lake Villa had two entrances: one that passed through the mountains and one that entered from the bottom of the lake. Both exits were shrouded in complex array systems, so ordinary people couldn’t find them.
Swimming to the bottom of the lake, following the method introduced on the first page of the Primordial Life Heart Sutra, Shi Xiaole passed through heavy arrays. A few days later, he surfaced in a lake abundant with duckweed.
He was very careful, making sure no one was there before he went ashore and left.
Of course, even if he were discovered, it would not matter because without knowing the method, no one could find the array points at the bottom of the lake. Besides, the positions of the array points were constantly changing. It was necessary to understand the regularization behind it.
