Chapter 178: Turning The Tide Single-handedly
Whoosh!
Fierce wind swept through the forest.
Tian Ming only felt his vision blur; the old man’s figure not far away suddenly vanished from the spot, leaving only a few blades of grass swept away by the wind.
At the same time, he felt a heaviness on his head, pain in his neck, and numbness in his scalp, as if a thousand-jin heavy object was crushing down.
It seemed something was stepping on his head.
“Chen Mou hasn’t stepped on a person’s head for a long time; it’s truly nostalgic…”
Chen Shun’an rooted his feet, firmly stepping on Tian Ming’s head, then suddenly twisted his body in rotation, driving the long sword in his hand—point, collapse, stir, press… transforming into flowing shadows, stirring the air with whistling sounds.
Although Chen Shun’an had not specifically practiced sword technique, at his current martial dao realm, by analogy, he could wield all kinds of weapons not quite effortlessly, but no less than an old veteran immersed in the technique for over ten years.
With a ‘bang’, the sword body collided with Tian Ming’s arms, emitting a dull roar.
Tian Ming felt a force not much inferior to his own transmit from the sword body, shaking his qi and blood into turmoil.
Especially since this sword was actually a high-grade precious sword, truly cutting iron like mud and indestructible; in just a few clashes, it severed both his arms at the root.
Blood sprayed three feet high, splattering dark red spots on the withered branches.
Before he could even scream, his whole body sank sharply, actually pressed alive into the mud by Chen Shun’an, mouth and nose filled with muddy water, leaving only a pair of eyes exposed outside.
“Careful!”
“Where do you think you’re escaping?”
A woman’s stern shout came from behind.
Then a plump woman appeared, her eyes hazy like swirling clouds and mist; she stepped over the treetops as if treading on ethereal water clouds, covering dozens of zhang in the blink of an eye.
The two who had just fled from the underground palace, though their strength was not top-tier, were both True Intent Realm experts who had slaying one bandit.
Either the ones rumored to have suffered qi deviation and should have died long ago.
Or martial world elders, masters in both technique and experience.
But upon seeing the scene before her, Yun Ruo couldn’t help but raise her willow brows slightly, somewhat surprised.
She saw an ordinary-looking old man holding a long sword standing amid the grass piles, wisps of white mist rising from his body; his figure was not tall, but at his feet, Tian Ming was entirely buried in the mud, both arms broken, his face full of grievance and anger.
“If not for my injury, how could I be humiliated like this by you, a mere second-rate martial artist, an old man?! Damn it, damn it! Let me go, and I’ll fight you for three hundred more rounds!”
Tian Ming raged impotently.
Tian Ming actually capsized in the gutter and fell here?
This person actually only had second-rate realm?
Yun Ruo tapped her foot and floated in front of Tian Ming; her two fingers slender like spring onions yet carrying sharp force, flicked and poked right into Tian Ming’s heart.
Tian Ming’s throat gurgled, blood water overflowed from the corner of his mouth, his body shuddered violently, limbs twitched twice, and then he was gone.
His eyes wide open, still filled with unwillingness.
“《Meat Flying Immortal》… you are Chen Shun’an?”
Yun Ruo turned around, leisurely sizing up Chen Shun’an, curiosity in her eyes.
Chen Shun’an cupped his hands neither humbly nor arrogantly and said,
“That’s me.”
Yun Ruo nodded in realization.
That made sense.
Chen Shun’an had a three refinements martial body, at peak state, excelling in movement technique; it was barely explainable that he could force the heavily injured Tian Ming to this extent.
Yun Ruo said, “Do you know who I am?”
“Of course, one of the Five Monsters, Four Uniques, Three Leaders, ‘Chasing Cloud Divine Assistance’ Yun Ruo… your name is renowned; Chen Mou has long heard of it.”
Chen Shun’an appropriately squeezed some admiration and awe onto his face.
Yun Ruo looked at Chen Shun’an with suspicious eyes.
She wasn’t sure if it was her illusion, but she detected no sincerity in Chen Shun’an’s words.
It was just like hypocritical flattery.
Ordinary martial artists, even True Intent masters, would fawn and flatter her enthusiastically upon meeting.
“Don’t worry.”
Yun Ruo shook her head and said, “I don’t want to rob your merit. If not for your blocking him, I wouldn’t have killed him so easily… this merit is yours, at least a third-class great merit.”
Hearing this, Chen Shun’an immediately beamed with joy, cupped his fists even lower, and said repeatedly,
“Many thanks, Fairy Yun! You’re too kind, too kind… but I won’t stand on ceremony.”
“You!”
Yun Ruo’s mouth twitched slightly; she instantly knew Chen Shun’an was a stingy, slick fellow.
Boom!!
Several consecutive shockwaves resounded through the dense forest.
For a moment, they even drowned out the roaring waves, startling flocks of egrets.
Ahead of the mourning hall already reduced to ruins, several figures fought fiercely, locked in an inseparable battle.
Though Zhao Guanghui was only at the slaying three bandits realm, relying on the wonder of immortal fate, he shed his living flesh, turning into a walking corpse; with every move, not only corpse qi and yin energy followed, but his bones were also indestructible.
Even when Lu Jing unleashed full palm force striking his chest, it only produced a crisp metallic clash, leaving a shallow white mark.
Only Liu Qingyi’s spear thrust like a dragon, cold gleam bursting; every stab carried a sharp whistle,
landing on Zhao Guanghui, poking a hole oozing black blood.
Zhao Guanghui made gurgling strange sounds from his throat, but his attention was constantly on Zhao Guangxi.
Precisely, on the 【Chengping Temple Well Sword】 hanging at Zhao Guangxi’s waist.
……
The group leaped and flashed, sometimes roaming high ground crashing mountains and shaking ridges, sometimes shuttling through dense woods splintering trees and shattering stones, nearly leveling the surrounding few li into pits and hollows.
Force swept outward, mud mixed with melting snow and blood water, flowing into turbid streams.
Terrifying shockwaves like a steamer turned the ground snow into mist, even obscuring the moon and stars.
Even stranger, as their intents stirred, the air shimmered with spots of iridescent light, vaguely like immortals descending to alter heaven and earth.
Not to mention ordinary people; even slaying three bandits experts could hardly approach.
A mere aftershock would make their internal organs churn, temples throb, faces pale, retreating in panic.
They could only stand far off, watching the battle there uncertainly.
They couldn’t even look for long.
Eyes stung, tears streaming, a sense of conscious spirit exhaustion.
“Is this Leader Lu’s strength? I don’t even qualify to look longer.” A martial artist gripped a broken sword hilt, knuckles white, voice trembling.
“Liu Qingyi is the mainstay of this battle; with slaying five thieves strength, Zhao Guanghui can only struggle under him; without that treasure, he’d be deader than dead.”
“Yeah… slaying five thieves, one step from True Intent perfection, slaying all six thieves, touching the martial dao grandmaster threshold—truly enviable.”
Someone’s eyes were full of envy.
“Did you see that underground palace? Zhao Guangxi wasn’t lying; it’s indeed a filthy corpse-refining place!”
“Zhao Guanghui deserves to die!”
The martial artists discussed animatedly.
Yun Ruo stood in place, looking toward the mist depths with slight worry.
Delay breeds change.
No one knew how many variations that unknown immortal fate held, how profound its wonders.
If Lu Jing and the others were truly confident, they would have executed Zhao Guanghui with overwhelming, thunderous force long ago.
No need for such a spectacle.
Swoosh!
A wind-breaking sound rang out; Shi Yanzhi’s burly frame swept over like an iron pagoda.
In his hand, he dragged a figure also clad in thick cotton clothes, reeking heavily of blood.
With a ‘plop’, Shi Yanzhi casually tossed the man to the ground.
“Plop!”
The figure slammed hard onto the frozen earth; black blood from the hem of his cotton clothes splattered, head lolling, but still clinging to life—likely for interrogation back at base.
Shi Yanzhi glanced coldly at Chen Shun’an, then lingered briefly on Tian Ming’s corpse.
Then he walked straight to Yun Ruo’s side and said,
“Got the man.”
“Same here… well, with this Brother Chen’s help.” Yun Ruo stepped aside slightly, gesturing to Chen Shun’an.
“Chen… Chen Shun’an?”
Shi Yanzhi was stunned, turning to look at Chen Shun’an.
Now, his gaze warmed a bit; he nodded and said,
“I’m Shi Yanzhi, Caobang Branch Incense Master. I’ve long heard of Brother Chen’s fame; today is our first meeting.”
Given Chen Shun’an’s current status and three refinements martial body, he was indeed worth Shi Yanzhi’s regard, even brotherly address.
So-called propriety, justice, shame, and etiquette, polite goodwill—all built on strength.
Caobang people?
Chen Shun’an raised a brow and said,
“So it’s Brother Shi; I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Oh? Brother Chen has heard of me?”
Shi Yanzhi’s eyes lit up, a smile on his face; he leaned closer and pressed.
Chen Shun’an fell silent.
Wasn’t it just polite talk?
Why take it seriously.
Chen Shun’an gave a dry laugh, not responding.
Seeing his reaction, the joy faded from Shi Yanzhi’s face; he turned to Yun Ruo and said,
“Should we join in?”
“Can you even get involved?” Yun Ruo glanced at him, tone flat.
“True.” Shi Yanzhi scratched his head, saying no more.
The two stood quietly in place.
If even Liu Qingyi and the others lost, their resistance would be futile.
Don’t think the many martial artists here, plus Shi Yanzhi and others as True Intent masters, meant much.
Bluntly put, this battle’s outcome hinged on those few not far away, even…
On Liu Qingyi alone.
Slaying five thieves, True Intent near perfection, conscious spirit on the verge of destruction; plus Liu Qingyi in his prime, not yet suffering ‘yin dregs exhausted, corpse qi extinguished’.
He was Wuqing County’s top martial dao force.
On the earthen altar slope.
No moonlight, no starlight, only thick, impenetrable night.
And on distant ridges around, clusters of light points moved.
Like stars cupping the moon, guarding Liu Qingyi and the others’ battle at the center.
Everyone stood silently, breaths held low, eyes unblinking, straining toward the mist depths.
No one spoke; only the cold wind whistling over withered branches.
“You two, I’m worried about the brothers at the well; I want to go find them—please excuse me first.”
Suddenly, Chen Shun’an said softly.
“Go ahead, but be careful; don’t go there. Fists and feet are blind—watch out for friendly fire.”
Perhaps due to shared lightness skill martial arts, a mutual appreciation; Yun Ruo did advise Chen Shun’an a bit.
