by EkkoTheDemon
"An enemy!"
Li Qingqiu immediately got up, grabbed the Empyrean Rainbow Sword beside him, and rushed out of the room.
In the courtyard, Jiang Zhaoxia had already stepped out first, holding a wooden sword and looking into the distance. Following his gaze, a figure stood atop the sect gate, their back to the bright moon. Dressed in white robes fluttering in the wind and wearing a bamboo hat, they held a saber in both hands.
From that posture alone, the person was clearly an expert!
Zhang Yuchun and Wu Man’er also emerged from their rooms. Li Sifeng peered out from his windowsill.
Li Dongyue and Li Sijin were also huddled by their own window, looking outside nervously.
This was the first crisis Li Qingqiu had faced since becoming Sect Leader. He was still a bit nervous, but he also had a certain level of confidence; after all, every member of the Clear Firmament Sect had entered the Essence Nurturing Realm and possessed some combat capability.
Yang Jueding leapt onto the roof behind Li Qingqiu, staring at the white-robed saber artist from a distance.
"Luo Lie! You've chased me for a thousand li; are you still unwilling to let it go?"
Yang Jueding asked, his voice loud and his tone filled with resentment.
The white-robed saber artist called Luo Lie stood on the sect gate, separated from Yang Jueding by several dozen meters. He let the cold wind blow over him without moving a muscle, his head bowed so his hat obscured his face. His voice followed:
"Let it go? You offended the Azure Cult; do you still think you can walk away in one piece? Hand over that manual, and I'll give you a swift death."
Accompanied by the sharp sound of a blade leaving its scabbard, Luo Lie drew his saber and leaped, flying toward Yang Jueding like a startling swan.
Li Qingqiu narrowed his eyes; he could see a certain type of energy pushing behind Luo Lie, making him appear as if he were flying.
'Is this light-body technique?'
As he passed the eaves of the roof, Luo Lie’s toes tapped lightly like a dragonfly skimming water. His movements were very fast; had Li Qingqiu not entered the Essence Nurturing Realm, he would have found it difficult to see.
'Good!'
'It's not as supernatural as it looks. He needs to borrow leverage, which means his martial arts aren't that outrageous.'
Facing the aggressively approaching Luo Lie, Yang Jueding immediately dropped into a horse stance. He pushed his right palm up from his waist, then flipped it down before striking out at Luo Lie.
BOOM!
Accompanied by a roar like a clap of thunder, Li Qingqiu, Jiang Zhaoxia, and Zhang Yuchun saw Yang Jueding strike out with a massive wave of energy, blocking the mid-air Luo Lie like a tide. Luo Lie was blown back, but with a mid-air spin, he landed steadily within the courtyard.
Luo Lie looked up, his hat tilting back to reveal a weathered face filled with shock and fear.
"Your power... how is it possible? You were clearly afflicted by a lethal poison. Could it be you've already mastered that divine technique?"
By the end, Luo Lie’s expression had turned predatory.
Yang Jueding jumped down from the roof and landed on the ground. He curled his lip in a contemptuous smile, "I've traveled the world for so many years; how could I be undone by your underhanded tricks? As for that divine technique you mentioned—that thing is a fake. It's impossible to master!"
Luo Lie snorted coldly and charged toward Yang Jueding with his saber.
The two were separated by a dozen paces, but in an instant, Luo Lie was before Yang Jueding. His blade was sharp and his figure as fast as a ghost. Yang Jueding lifted his palm to block, facing the saber without fear.
The two figures intertwined as they fought in the courtyard, matching move for move. Energy flew everywhere, causing the snow on the ground to rise as a mist of vapor.
Zhang Yuchun looked at Li Qingqiu, asking with his eyes.
Li Qingqiu shook his head slightly, signaling him not to act rashly.
This was a good opportunity to observe the strength of martial arts experts.
It had to be said that Yang Jueding and Luo Lie were indeed powerful; based on their reaction speed and strength, they already far surpassed ordinary men. A first-level Essence Nurturing practitioner might not necessarily be able to take them down.
Of course, Li Qingqiu was referring to "child" practitioners like Li Sifeng or Li Sijin.
If it were him, he was confident he could kill both of them in an instant.
Though their moves were flashy, Li Qingqiu could release his Spirit Essence much faster. As soon as the fight began, he could end them in a split second.
Furthermore, Li Qingqiu discovered that the gap between internal energy and Spirit Essence was immense. While Yang Jueding’s energy was thick and powerful, scattering snow everywhere, if he were to face Spirit Essence, his internal energy would be pierced in a single strike.
It seemed that even if Jiang Zhaoxia hadn't broken through to the second level, Luo Lie would not have posed any real threat.
The only variable was if they were careless and not decisive enough.
Zhang Yuchun watched for a while and his expression also relaxed.
As for Jiang Zhaoxia, a contemptuous smile remained on his face from beginning to end; he didn't take Luo Lie seriously at all.
After thirty rounds of combat, Luo Lie struck out with a palm; his internal energy was so intense his hand turned a burning red. Yang Jueding did not dodge, raising his own palm to meet the blow.
BOOM!
The two powerful energies collided, causing the roof tiles on all sides of the courtyard to tremble and the windows to creak.
Luo Lie’s hat was blown off, and his hair became disheveled as he gritted his teeth to contest his energy against Yang Jueding's. Yang Jueding wore a defiant smile, looking as if he had Luo Lie right where he wanted him.
However, Li Qingqiu could tell that Yang Jueding was forcing it; the man's injuries were not yet fully healed, and his internal energy had not returned to its peak.
After three breaths of stalemate, Yang Jueding threw his arms out and blasted Luo Lie back. Luo Lie stumbled a dozen steps before steadying himself, then knelt on the ground and spat a mouthful of blood onto the earth.
Yang Jueding withdrew his hands, looking every bit like a martial arts grandmaster. He pointed at Luo Lie and said, "Begone. Go back and tell those of the Azure Cult that if they come again, I will not show mercy."
Luo Lie looked up, one hand gripping his saber and the other wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. He laughed coldly, "You're letting me go? It seems you aren't quite as strong as you appear on the surface."
Yang Jueding's face turned cold, "You insist on me beating you to death?"
As soon as he finished speaking, his expression changed drastically. He looked down and saw a red rash erupting in his right palm, quickly forming blisters as if he had been scalded.
"You'd dare to take any palm strike, Dragon-Subduing Hero? You didn't even think about why your palm power is so famous!" Luo Lie stood up and laughed mockingly.
Yang Jueding knew things had gone wrong; he had only wanted to scare Luo Lie off quickly so he could take Li Qingqiu and the others and flee. He had been negligent during the fight.
He quickly used his left hand to tap the pressure points on his right arm, circulating his power to drive out the poison.
Luo Lie raised his saber and walked toward Yang Jueding, about to speak.
SHING—
A sound of breaking air rang out. Luo Lie’s eyes instinctively widened, and his expression froze instantly. Yang Jueding, facing him, felt a sharp gust of energy whistle past his cheek, stinging him.
Yang Jueding looked closely and saw a bloody hole in Luo Lie’s forehead.
With a thud, Luo Lie collapsed straight down. Yang Jueding then saw Jiang Zhaoxia’s figure; the boy still held his hand in a raised position.
"You talk too much!"
Jiang Zhaoxia snorted coldly.
Zhang Yuchun, along with Li Dongyue, Li Sifeng, and Li Sijin inside the rooms, were all terrified. They had seen Jiang Zhaoxia's Spirit Essence; they hadn't expected Jiang Zhaoxia would actually dare to kill someone.
"You..."
Yang Jueding looked at Jiang Zhaoxia in total shock, his words failing him.
Jiang Zhaoxia glanced at Zhang Yuchun and said, "Second Brother, bury him."
Zhang Yuchun snapped back to his senses and nodded hurriedly, instinctively walking toward Luo Lie’s corpse.
"Wait, check him for belongings first."
Li Qingqiu followed Zhang Yuchun’s steps. He wasn't too surprised; instead, he was satisfied with Jiang Zhaoxia’s ruthlessness.
If Luo Lie had descended the mountain tonight, the Clear Firmament Sect would have been in danger. Eliminating the threat here was the best outcome.
Yang Jueding recovered and looked at Jiang Zhaoxia, unable to help but ask, "Why did you kill him? Aren't you afraid of the Azure Cult's retaliation?"
Jiang Zhaoxia said with disdain, "If we didn't kill him, would the Azure Cult have let us go? Besides, since you are already a disciple of the Clear Firmament Sect, him coming for you is coming for us."
He was only fifteen, yet when he said these words, he sounded so domineering that Yang Jueding was momentarily dazed.
"What exactly is your background?" Yang Jueding asked blankly.
Jiang Zhaoxia turned toward his room and said without looking back, "Vice Sect Leader of the Clear Firmament Sect."
Li Qingqiu, who was stripping Luo Lie's clothes, looked up and said, "Did I agree to that? Since when can you just appoint yourself?"
'This kid is really good at posturing!'
Jiang Zhaoxia did not answer and quickly returned to his room. Just as he entered, Li Sifeng came out, and even Li Dongyue and Li Sijin emerged from the female disciples' room.
Li Qingqiu sighed secretly.
It was clearly Jiang Zhaoxia’s first time killing someone; he was just maintaining a flawless facade. When he had entered the door, Li Qingqiu noticed the hand he had used to kill Luo Lie was trembling.
After searching for a while, Li Qingqiu only found some hidden weapons, dry rations, and an identification token on Luo Lie, which left him very dissatisfied. He then arranged for three junior brothers to go and bury him.
He stood up and walked toward Yang Jueding, who was still trying to force out the poison. Yang Jueding was still in a daze, having not yet processed everything.
"What is that manual he spoke of? Hand it over to me; treat it as repayment for saving your life tonight," Li Qingqiu said, staring at Yang Jueding.
Yang Jueding said helplessly, "That manual is a fake; it doesn't work at all."
"Hand it over."
"Fine."
Yang Jueding stopped his internal circulation, took off his shoe, and pulled a thin skin from the sole. When unfolded, it was the size of a human face.
Li Qingqiu took the object with disgust and tossed it to Li Dongyue, telling her to go wash it.
Li Dongyue gave him a resentful look, pulled a cloth from her robes, wrapped the skin, and walked toward the well.
"Does this person have any companions?" Li Qingqiu asked Yang Jueding.
Yang Jueding shook his head, "He was the only one chasing me. He ambushed me while I was heavily injured after a duel; he's utterly despicable."
Hearing this, Li Qingqiu felt relieved.
He let Yang Jueding nurse his wounds and walked to Li Dongyue’s side. Once she had washed it, he took the thin skin back to his room.
The skin was as thin as a cicada's wing and felt very cold to the touch. It was covered in tiny characters; he seriously suspected it was a piece of human skin.
Back in his room, he did not close the door to prevent any outside accidents from catching him off guard. He sat at the table, lit a candle, and inspected it carefully.
"Huh?"
Li Qingqiu raised an eyebrow in surprise.
No wonder Yang Jueding thought the manual was fake; this was actually a cultivation spell.
This spell didn't record how to refine essence; it directly described how to circulate it. Some of the pressure points were different from those in martial arts, so in Yang Jueding's eyes, it was complete nonsense.
It wasn't until the very end that Li Qingqiu finally learned the name of this spell.
The Supreme Absolute Sword Art!