Chapter 331: Chapter 330: A Celestial Beauty under the Moonlight (Part 2)
"So, have you made your decision?"
Zhuo Yang asked, smiling slightly.
He believed that Shi Xiaole was a smart man who would make the right choice.
Wang Yuwei and the others were also watching Shi Xiaole, secretly channeling their strength, ready for a desperate fight at any moment.
If the opponent chose to surrender, they would naturally be spared. However, their own fate would be uncertain.
"I am used to living freely and don’t fancy joining any powers. Instead, would you be interested in taking a position if I start my own sect in the future?"
Shi Xiaole replied.
"If you insist on courting death, I will grant your wish."
Without a smile, Zhuo Yang’s face was serious as he drew a knife from his belt and aimed at Shi Xiaole. With a wave of the knife, its golden aura magnified tenfold, seemingly cutting the black void in half.
"Retreat quickly!"
The masters of Heavenly Wood Fortress quickly pulled back their young masters and misses.
As a Level 6 Spiritual-Passage Realm practitioner, the mere pressure from his knife technique presented a sense of despair. As the primary target, what kind of pressure was Shi Xiaole enduring, could he block it?
Before the crowd’s doubts had a chance to rise, they saw Shi Xiaole extend his hand, a sword from the ground dropped into his palm. With a swing of his arm, it rose to meet the golden radiance of Zhuo Yang’s knife.
The explosive sword intent left every swordsman present shocked.
"The Sword Heart! He has actually comprehended the Sword Heart!"
Wang Yuwei exclaimed, her hands holding the sword trembling uncontrollably, as if having to bow down in salute before a king.
In Redbud State, understanding the Sword Heart before the age of 35 marked one as a once-in-a-lifetime sword genius. Even Senior Sister Xia Yunxi, who grasped 95% of the Sword Heart at the age of 24, had a reputation in the Martial World.
How old was this scholar in green, where did this monster come from?
Clang!
The confrontation of blade and sword released surging energy, so powerful that the ship’s deck scraped off a thick layer. It was fortunate that the ship was large, and people were far enough away, otherwise, they would have been seriously injured by the aftermath.
"Impressive. However, my strike used only 30% of my strength. I hope you can take a few more hits and show the final brilliance of your life."
Hiding his astonishment, Zhuo Yang’s eyes filled with murderous intent. Talented individuals, who couldn’t be utilized by the Three Talents Association, needed to be eliminated as soon as possible. He was very glad that he had come out tonight.
"The gold and iron horses don’t come back."
Mustering up to 70% of his power, Zhuo Yang’s momentum was terrifyingly strong. Centered around him in a radius of three yards, was a golden aura, with the sound of knives and swords clashing continuously.
On the third ring, a thick blade shadow rushed out, cutting across horizontally. Its target was precisely where Shi Xiaole stood.
Meeting the incoming golden blade shadow, countless densely packed Sword Qi of the Death Claiming flowed out with Shi Xiaole’s wave. Like locusts crossing borders, like overturned waves, the bow of the ship was completely whitened, flickering non-stop.
Indeed, it was the Death Claiming Thirteen Swords.
Swish, swish.
The blade glow and sword Qi were cutting against each other, like two giant beasts gnawing at each other. Before they could truly explode, Zhuo Yang and Shi Xiaole had vacated their positions, meeting each other in combat.
Clang, clang, clang...
More frequent sounds of water gushing against banana leaves filled the air, making their blood boil with the sound.
To people’s horror, Shi Xiaole didn’t seem to be losing. How was that possible?
"His battle tactics are so advanced?"
Zhuo Yang’s face changed.
Without close combat with Shi Xiaole, he couldn’t fully understand his terror.
Even though he had the upper hand in terms of cultivation, Zhuo Yang felt as if all his moves had been anticipated by Shi Xiaole, like a bug flying into a spider’s web, being controlled by someone else.
Those who understood the Sword Heart, naturally had strong swordsmanship and combat abilities but Shi Xiaole’s abilities far exceeded Zhuo Yang’s expectation.
"This man must die."
With murder in his eyes, Zhuo Yang suddenly raised his power to its full extent, shouting, "The mountains and rivers will be destroyed eventually!"
The dazzling knife light changed again, numerous fragments condensed into one, attached to Zhuo Yang’s knife, giving it a palpable piercing power. Within three inches of the knife, there was a continuous hissing sound, as if countless small knives were chiseling the air.
The next moment, the knife light became brighter, enveloping Shi Xiaole’s body. All of the sword power that came in contact with the knife light was obliterated, not a trace was left behind.
"He is going to lose."
Thoughts flashed through Lv Tao’s mind as he looked at Shi Xiaole, his eyes filled with deep regret.
To be able to fight a Level 6 Spiritual-Passage Realm master to this point with a Level 9 Xuan Qi cultivation level was already quite remarkable. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, Lv Tao would not have believed it.
But even the most astonishing genius would be nothing but bones when dead. Of course, everyone would probably die tonight.
Many others were completely blank in their minds. In the face of the intense blade light, they couldn’t even think straight.
"Indeed worthy of a Level 6 Spiritual-Passage Realm master."
Shi Xiaole’s advantage in close combat using the Death Claiming Thirteen Swords didn’t bring him any joy.
With his mental and spiritual power, he could easily predict the opponent’s next move. However, with such a large cultivation gap, it was difficult to fully utilize this advantage.
In the end, while sharpness of mind and spirit could enable a warrior to fight above their level, their true power lay in their hard skills and strength.
Without any hesitation, Shi Xiaole utilized his Minor Sword Heart, the sword intention coalesced in front of him in an instant, forming a barrier that slightly slowed the speed of the incoming blade light.
Taking this opportunity, Shi Xiaole unleashed the fourteenth move of Death Claiming sword.
Its exquisite essence, bloomed like a flower at the tip of his sword, carrying endless intention of death amidst its beauty, and pierced the hole in the blade light.
Boom!
The blade Qi exploded in midair, the tiles on the cabin roof scattered in all directions, and many people on the deck spat out blood, screaming as they fell to the ground.
The sword in Shi Xiaole’s hand shattered into eight pieces as he retreated five steps, his face turned slightly pale.
Despite his current strength, facing a sixth level Spiritual-Passage Realm expert was still a bit too much, difficult to defeat.
"Blocked?"
Zhuo Yang couldn’t believe it, his face grim.
His Golden Iron Sword Technique only had three moves, and he had used almost eighty percent of his power in the second move. Yet, he still couldn’t defeat Shi Xiaole?
"Young Master, you should escape on your own, don’t worry about us."
Xia Yunxi suddenly shouted from behind, her voice filled with anxiety.
She could clearly see that even if Shi Xiaole was not as good as Zhuo Yang, the difference was not far off. To escape alone, it would be no difficulty for him. The only reason he held back was for their sake.
But, how could they act so selfishly?
Once Xia Yunxi uttered those words, the others also reacted, their faces full of complexity.
Especially those young masters, they were ashamed and had nowhere to hide.
The young man they had unanimously ’opposed’ didn’t abandon them in this crucial moment of life and death!
In the moonlit night, the battered deck, the endless darkness of the sea, all these became a backdrop for Shi Xiaole. His unbending figure stood tall like a mountain, his black hair slightly fluttering. Even though his face wasn’t visible, he still left them in awe.
"You better escape obediently."
Zhuo Yang said arrogantly.
Shi Xiaole smirked, "Such low-level provocation is useless to me, and not to mention, if I don’t kill you, I won’t be able to escape very far."
The fact that Zhuo Yang could lead his men to catch up so quickly meant that the Three Talents Association had considerable power in this sea area. Shi Xiaole was certain that as soon as he retreads, they would summon others to hunt him down.
By then, he would be drifting on the sea with only death awaiting him.
A light covered Shi Xiaole’s body and the Redfire Sword appeared in his hand. By the time the light faded, everyone assumed he had drawn the sword from his waist.
The aura of the Redfire Sword made Zhuo Yang feel uneasy. He raised his arm subconsciously and immediately executed the third move of the Golden Iron Sword Technique, an attack meant to sever the heavens and earth, sun, moon, and stars.
Even before the attack was unleashed, the intimidating sword intention was like a raging whirlwind, causing everyone to feel as if they’d plunged into an ice cave, their hearts aching painfully. However much power they exerted, they could not dispel it.
"Die!"
Zhuo Yang regained his confidence and broke out into raucous laughter.
However, just as his laughter fell, he suddenly saw two small crescent moons appear in Shi Xiaole’s pupils. They were reflected clearly into his heart like a mirrored image.
"No good!"
Zhuo Yang’s scalp tingled as he forcefully shook off the captivating sight of the moons, his reaction couldn’t be said to be slow, but his actions were still half a beat late.
Shi Xiaole had not been idle for the past six months.
Apart from his cultivation, the Enchanted Moon Intent Realm, which had been stagnant for a long time, finally made a breakthrough and reached sixty percent. Combined with the fusion of Soul Transfer Great Method and Pupil Skill of the Captivating Heart Skill, even when faced against high-ranked Spiritual-Passage Realm martial artists, it could still catch them off guard.
As the Pupil Skill was displayed, Shi Xiaole’s sword move was not slow in the slightest. Under the urge of sixty percent Fierce Kill Intent Realm and the Minor Sword Heart, his entire being was like an unparalleled sharp sword, brandishing the sharpest point of his life.
Death Claiming Fifteenth Sword.
Boom!
The rough black and red sword Qi crushed the void, colliding fiercely with the late, not fully powered blade light. The impact’s residual force exploded, causing Zhuo Yang to vomit several mouthfuls of blood and leaving a long trail of blood on the ship’s deck after he’s knocked back.
In contrast, Shi Xiaole, used the force to retreat while swinging the Redfire sword to counter the repulsive force. When he finally landed on the mast, he was not injured at all.
"You actually possess a low-grade spiritual sword. I’ll remember you."
Zhuo Yang was both shocked and resentful, his eyes were blood-red. Before Shi Xiaole could make a move, he threw ten Wind Thunder Bombs and jumped into the sea, disappearing from sight.
After safely stowing away ten Wind Thunder Bombs, Shi Xiaole sighed regretfully.
The residual force was too strong, his arms were still somewhat numb, and the distance between them was too great. Even if he wanted to pursue Zhuo Yang, he couldn’t.
After all, his cultivation level was still too low!
"When I break through to the Spiritual-Passage Realm, dealing with experts like this should not require much effort."
Shi Xiaole murmured.
Just then, the moonlight shone on him, a sea breeze from the distance blew his hair, making his already extraordinary face appear more mysterious. That touch of loneliness and regret seemed like an invisible hand, shaking everyone’s heartstrings.
This scene engraved itself permanently in everyone’s hearts.
Many years later, when Shi Xiaole had already made a name for himself, they would still recall from time to time, the thrilling events of this night and this man, who was like an immortal.
