Chapter 287: Though Ten Thousand Oppose Me, I Shall Go
The autumn wind swept across the sky, and in the night sky, clouds began to gather, like mountains surging upwards.
Qiu Qianchi, Old Man Hundred Herbs, and Huang Rong, three figures, circled Baoshu.
Qiu Qianchi, despite possessing the Iron Palm Skill and the martial arts of the Valley of Unfeeling, still had a clear gap in realm compared to Baoshu, the eldest disciple of Huo Gong Toutuo. Within ten moves, she was already in a precarious situation.
This was still because Baoshu was mindful of Qiu Qianchi’s identity as the sister of the Iron Palm Sect Leader and did not deliver a killing blow.
Old Man Hundred Herbs saw the situation was not good and pounced forward, followed by Huang Rong.
The four figures sparred like a revolving lantern, with gusts of wind and flying sand and stones. Yet, Baoshu still appeared to be at ease. He advanced and retreated with order, moving freely, displaying a realm of cultivation that was a notch above Baoxian and Baoshou.
Huang Yaoshi, in between his fight with Ouyang Feng, cast a sidelong glance at the situation, feeling anxious.
Zhou Botong’s cultivation had reached a state of exquisite perfection, but it was impossible for him to defeat Qiu Qianren within a hundred moves. His own injuries were beginning to affect his performance. Apart from Zhou Botong, none of the other battlefronts had a clear advantage. He could have sustained a serious injury and escaped with Rong’er, but Zhou Yan had saved his life earlier, so how could he abandon the several people who had come with him?
Yang Kang surveyed the situation, a hint of joy flickering in his eyes.
Zhou Yan was no match for the Masters of the Vajra Sect, and Huang Yaoshi was certainly suffering from internal injuries, thus he was no match for Ouyang Feng, whose spear wounds were nearly healed. Helian Chuncheng and Yin Kexi, along with more than ten others who had not yet made a move, were present. There would be no more variables in this contest.
It would be truly gratifying to eliminate Huang Yaoshi and Zhou Yan. As he thought this, a smile appeared on his face, but it froze as a figure, swift as a wisp of smoke, swept towards him.
Zhou Yan, like a great roc spreading its wings, swept across the bamboo forest and landed on the periphery of the fighting crowd.
Baoshu was greatly surprised to see Zhou Yan arrive and quickly asked, “Where is my Master?”
“Go and see, and you’ll know.”
Baoshu was horrified, his hands like claws churning the clouds, forcing Qiu Qianchi and the other two back with several powerful attacks, and then he rushed towards the stone house.
The pressure from all directions suddenly dissipated. Huang Rong swept to Zhou Yan’s side, “Did you kill Huo Gong Toutuo?”
“No, it’s hard to say if Huo Gong Toutuo is alive or dead. To be safe, let’s leave the Valley of Unfeeling first.”
“You saved my father’s life.”
“Island Lord Huang has saved me several times. We shouldn’t fight for too long, let’s go.”
“Mm.” Huang Rong nodded and turned to sweep towards Huang Yaoshi.
From amidst the dust and smoke, the Old Valley Master of the Valley of Unfeeling, Gongsun Li, emerged. He walked slowly and said, “Head Escort Zhou has repeatedly trespassed into the Valley of Unfeeling. This is unbearable. I shall have the honor of your high moves.”
“It was Valley Master Gongsun and others who captured my friend and brought him to the valley. Old Valley Master, do not twist the facts.” As Zhou Yan’s voice fell, he had already arrived near Yanbo Diaosou, who was fighting Ni Mo Xing.
“Brother Diaosou, let’s go.”
Yanbo Diaosou had a strange temper, but he was by no means someone who couldn’t discern the situation. He laughed and said to Ni Mo Xing, “Your martial arts are quite formidable, you scoundrel. Old man will find you again next time.”
“If you have the guts, don’t leave.”
Zhou Yan’s figure, like an eagle, pounced towards Ni Mo Xing.
Ni Mo Xing’s expression changed. The iron snake short whip in his hand danced up and down, firmly guarding his defenses, and he continuously retreated.
“Presumptuous! You are in the Valley of Unfeeling, and I am your host. How can I allow you to be so arrogant?” Gongsun Li took a treasure saber handed to him by a disciple of the valley, his body flashing as he intercepted Zhou Yan. From the swirling dust, a soft whip, like a poisonous snake, coiled around Zhou Yan’s ankle, and the sound of a gunshot instantly escalated from a low hum to a thunderous roar. Yin Kexi and Helian Chuncheng attacked together.
Yanbo Diaosou and Huang Rong stopped in unison, intending to rush to their aid. Zhou Yan’s deep, powerful voice rang out.
“All of you go, do not linger.”
Yanbo Diaosou said nothing, turned, and rushed to Liu Qingzhou’s side, smashing his fishing rod directly at Gongsun Zhi. Gongsun Zhi, seeing the urgency, dared not meet the blow and floated back a zhang.
Liu Qingzhou broke free, and the two of them sprinted away. In another direction, Qiu Qianchi and Old Man Hundred Herbs helped Yang Miaozhen repel Ouyang Ke and broke out.
…
The former Young Master of the Changfeng Escort Agency was actually a very diligent martial arts practitioner.
Yang Kang was now surrounded by many experts. In his leisure time, they sparred with each other. Whether it was Helian Chuncheng, Ni Mo Xing, Sha Tongtian, or Monk Lingzhi, their martial arts had improved significantly.
Helian Chuncheng advanced with his spear held in both hands. His hands remained still, but the spear shaft vibrated with the elasticity of the steel. His body was like an arrow, closing the distance in an instant. The fine iron great spear, like a snake flicking its tongue, stabbed forward.
On the other side, Gongsun Li, wielding a treasure saber, unleashed a streak-like saber technique towards Zhou Yan. Beside the Old Valley Master, Fan Yi Weng’s steel staff swept with immense power, like an army being swept away.
It was a joint attack that Zhou Yan was very familiar with, just like the battle at Shaoshi Mountain. However, Gongsun Li had replaced Gongsun Zhi, and Fan Yi Weng had been added, thus the power of the joint attack had also increased significantly.
The sword light that bloomed from Zhou Yan’s hand was like a huge ball of light shattering, scattering uneven rays outwards. The sword light, like mist and rain, swirled and twisted rapidly. The sound of metal clashing rang out like popping beans. The stern spear momentum that Helian Chuncheng thrust was almost immediately deflected from its center by the Qingfeng Sword. Zhou Yan’s body retreated several feet, avoiding Yin Kexi’s whip attack towards his lower body, and then his entire body moved with incredible speed, dodging Gongsun Li’s saber strike from behind him by a hair’s breadth.
Zhou Yan’s right elbow, holding the sword, struck backward, hitting Gongsun Li’s chest with a boom.
“Ah!” A hysterical scream, along with the sound of breaking chest bones, erupted simultaneously. The Old Valley Master of the Valley of Unfeeling spat blood and staggered backward.
“Watch the staff!”
Fan Yi Weng’s long beard flew, and his steel staff swept ferociously towards Zhou Yan’s waist. Zhou Yan’s body, at that instant, followed the force of the powerful steel staff and flipped onto the ground. He rolled and tumbled, incredibly agile, like a snake or a cat.
Helian Chuncheng thrust his great spear, Yin Kexi wielded his long whip rapidly, and Fan Yi Weng poked with his steel staff. But how could they touch Zhou Yan, who was using the “Snake Form and Cat Flip” agility from the Nine Yin Manual?
Suddenly, a clear, bright sword light, more radiant than moonlight spilling from between clouds, surged and flew low to the ground, as if to wash away and devour everything in front of it.
Blood splattered, and broken grass stirred by the sword light fell. Ni Mo Xing, who had been kicking at Zhou Yan, suddenly felt his body become strangely light.
Before his consciousness could grasp what this strange feeling meant, his eyes had already caught sight of a leg dancing in the air as Zhou Yan rolled out.
“That boot looks like mine.”
“Ah!” Ni Mo Xing collapsed entirely.
As he kicked Zhou Yan, his supporting left leg was severed by Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan leaped up and, from below, parried Helian Chuncheng’s Middle Flat Spear thrust with his sword. The Qingfeng Sword, following his agile advance, pressed against the spear shaft inch by inch, reaching the hands holding the spear in an instant.
Helian Chuncheng cried out, retreating rapidly. Zhou Yan’s Qingfeng Sword flashed with a cold radiance like a pool of autumn water, its tip piercing the opponent’s heart.
With a “clang,” the sword tip was blocked.
This kid had hidden an iron plate in his body. Zhou Yan chuckled, not surprised. Escorts often carried iron wristbands, had iron strips on their arms, and hid iron plates in their chests as normal defensive measures.
Zhou Yan swiftly retracted his sword, leaped into the air, and his left and right feet landed on the opponent with two “bang” sounds.
Helian Chuncheng’s burly body flew out with a crash and landed on the ground, sliding several zhang.
Zhou Yan landed and attacked Ouyang Ke, who was rushing to his aid.
Ouyang Ke, timid, shouted, “Valley Master Gongsun, join me!”
“Take your life!”
Zhou Yan’s momentum was like a fierce tiger. The Qingfeng Sword, following his body’s movement, unleashed sword light as solid as streaks of light, slashing down at Ouyang Ke.
With Fan Yi Weng, Yin Kexi, Gongsun Zhi, the injured Gongsun Li, and Helian Chuncheng not yet surrounding him, Ouyang Ke dared not face Zhou Yan’s frenzied onslaught alone. He used his “Instant Thousand Li” lightness skill to sidestep several zhang. Zhou Yan’s figure swept past. He ignored Huang Yaoshi and the Old Urchin and pursued Yang Miaozhen, Huang Rong, Yanbo Diaosou, and the others directly.
