A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 435 Twin Swords
Liao Rushen's expression changed slightly. Looking at Gu Xu's mysterious smile, his heart sank.

"This Daoist Gu Xu is so cunning; he intends to use the power of the Frost Sword to destroy me."

Thinking of this, Liao Rushen's face became even more grim. He sensed that the stinging pain outside his body was getting stronger and stronger. He shouted and held the Frost Sword horizontally in front of his chest. He then drew his fingers and the Wind God Dharma Image reappeared behind him. Golden light and blue light appeared in a mixed light. With Liao Rushen's heavy slash, the shattered blade tornado was actually split open. The internal and external energy collided. In an instant, the tornado paused for a moment. Liao Rushen saw that the opportunity was not to be missed. His figure moved instantly and he transformed into a stream of light and rushed towards the crack.

Seeing this, Gu Xu remained unmoved. He pointed forward and sketched a few lines in the air. Then, a beam of five-colored light shot from his fingertips and flew into the sky. It then landed in mid-air, sealing the surrounding area within a five-colored light shield. Liao Rushen had just broken through the Shattered Blade Tornado and immediately stepped into the Five-Colored Heavenly Dragon Formation that Gu Xu had prepared for him. As soon as he entered, beams of light in five colors—blue, red, yellow, white, and black—were shot at him continuously. Liao Rushen realized that these beams were quite powerful and dared not confront them directly. He could only move and dodge, while creating several phantoms in an attempt to attract the beams' attention. However, this move was ineffective. Moreover, as he continued to defend against the beams, Liao Rushen unknowingly stepped into a place shrouded in white mist. The white mist swirled and covered the sky. Looking up, all he could see was a vast expanse of white.

"No matter what tricks you use, I will shatter them with a single sword." Liao Rushen could not sense any movement outside the white mist, but he was not one to sit idly by and wait for death. He made a hand seal with one hand and chanted incantations. Half a breath later, a bright red light suddenly appeared on Liao Rushen's body. He opened his eyes, leaped into the air, and quickly unleashed thirty-two palm strikes with both hands. The palm energy was extremely hot, evaporating all the white mist along its path. In an instant, the white mist vanished completely, but what he saw shocked Liao Rushen.

Not far ahead, a kind old man with white hair and black hairpins, dressed in a yin-yang robe, was holding a compass and was looking at him with a serious expression. Upon seeing the old man's face, the man exclaimed in surprise, "Master!"

"The villain!"

"Tianjizi" roared angrily, and Liao Rushen was startled, his body trembling uncontrollably.

"You have betrayed your sect, a crime against heaven and earth. Now you have committed many more misdeeds. You will surely die a gruesome death one day!"

"Tianjizi" pointed at Rushen with a pained expression. Upon seeing this, the latter hurriedly ran over, shouting as he ran, "Master, I was wrong. It's all my fault. If I hadn't poisoned you, you wouldn't have fallen into demonic possession and died, and the Tianji Sect wouldn't have fallen apart. I know my sins are grave, so I wanted to do my best to make amends. Master, with the Ling Shuang Sword, we can rebuild the Tianji Sect. Master, everything will be alright."

Liao Rushen, weeping bitterly, grabbed Tianjizi's sleeve. Tianjizi, however, remained unmoved, brushed away Rushen's arm with his sleeve, and looked at him with disgust, saying, "It's too late. When you did this, the will of Heaven was already set. This is your fate. If you still have a trace of remorse, then commit suicide. This will lessen some of your sins."

"Tianjizi" sighed, looked at Rushen's appearance, shook his head, and reached out to fiddle with the black and white chess pieces on the Longitude and Weft Heavenly Plate. A stream of light flashed and shone on Rushen. The latter's head was lowered and his expression was unreadable, but his slightly trembling body showed that he was restless. At this moment, "Tianjizi" was surprised to find that Rushen had straightened up and slowly withdrew the Ling Shuang Sword in his hand. The tearful appearance was gone and replaced by a fierce and vicious look.

"Don't even mention an illusion. Even if an old geezer actually appeared here, I would still kill him without hesitation. You are too biased. I begged you to teach me the martial arts of the Dreamlike Limitless, but you refused time and time again. If you weren't so ignorant, I wouldn't have poisoned you. You think a mere illusion can shake my mind? Daoist Gu Xu, you underestimate me too much."

With a flick of his sleeve, "Tianjizi's" figure shattered, and the scattered light fragments fell to the ground, transforming into a broken jade tablet.

At the same time, Liao Rushen felt a sudden light in his eyes. He looked around and found that he had returned to the Sword Refining Pool. Guan Yutian and the others were watching him intently from afar.

"You're quite the expert. It seems you've gained a lot from the Frost Sword. In the past, you wouldn't have been able to break this formation within half an hour. I'm becoming more and more interested in the Frost Sword. If you hand it over, I can spare your life. What do you say?"

Liao Rushen looked at Gu Xu descending from the sky, his fear growing even stronger. When that voice came just now, he had searched all around but could not find where he was. This person seemed to have appeared out of thin air. If he were to suddenly make such a move during the fight, he would be caught off guard and unable to defend himself.

"Daoist Master already possesses a divine sword. To seize the Frost-Slaying Sword would be a bit greedy. Daoists have always valued contentment and tranquility. Aren't you afraid that such attachments will hinder your cultivation?"

Liao Rusheng echoed, while on guard and thinking of countermeasures. He had now become the target of everyone's attacks. Not only would the people of Sword Casting City not let him go, but Guan Yutian and Helian Ba ​​would not give up the Frost Sword. He might face an attack from three forces in a short time.

“I cultivate myself and comprehend the will of Heaven. This Frost Sword is my obsession. If I can obtain this sword, my obsession will be gone. I can be freed from my shackles and become carefree and divine. Hand over this sword and I can guarantee your safety.”

Gu Xu's casual remark caused Guan Yutian and Helian Ba ​​to change color simultaneously. The two exchanged a glance, their eyes meeting, and instantly devised a plan.

“Alright, I can hand over the Frost Sword, and I believe the Daoist's promise, but those two…”

After much deliberation, Liao Rushen knew that if he did not hand over the divine sword, his fate would be dire. He had already gained immense benefits. As long as he cultivated in seclusion for a period of time, he could solidify his supreme cultivation. When the day of Mars guarding the heart and the opening of the Chess King Cave arrived, he might be able to get a share of the treasure of the Chess of Life and Death. After weighing the pros and cons, Liao Rushen quickly made his decision.

"I am only in charge of matters within the Sword Forging City; other matters are none of my concern."

Upon hearing this, Liao Rushen immediately understood and, without further hesitation, casually tossed the Ling Shuang Sword into the air. Just as everyone's attention was drawn to it, Liao Rushen's figure flashed, a gust of wind swept by, and his figure disappeared into the sword-refining pool.

"Quickly seize the sword!"

Guan Yutian, Helian Ba, and the Sword Master shouted in unison, then soared into the air and reached out to grab the Ling Shuang Sword. Gu Xu remained motionless, his gaze fixed on the Ling Shuang Sword. He saw two spiritual lights, one red and one blue, gradually disperse and converge within the sword. The moment Guan Yutian grabbed the sword, the red and blue sword lights had already condensed, and the golden light on the sword had also subsided.

Seeing that Guan Yutian had obtained the Frost Sword, Sword Master and Helian Ba ​​attacked him simultaneously. Guan Yutian, who was fighting two against one, was immediately at a disadvantage. He loosened his grip, and the Frost Sword was knocked into the air again. This time, the three of them restrained each other and none of them made a move. However, since the three of them did not make a move, the others had an opportunity.

Jianyang reacted the fastest, using his lightness skill to leap straight upwards. Just as he was about to grab the Ling Shuang Sword, he heard a fierce wind coming from behind. He quickly dodged and turned around to see Changyangzi. Changyangzi had a withered wooden staff in his hand and hooked it forward. A ball of silk thread had already wrapped around the Ling Shuang Sword. But before he could rejoice, a flying blade with the sound of a zither instantly cut through the silk thread. Under the impact of the two forces, the Ling Shuang Sword was violently shaken off and fell towards the group of juniors.

Seeing this, Guan Yutian shouted at Ren Qianxing to seize the sword, and then used this opportunity to entangle the Sword Master and Helian Ba.

Upon hearing his master's voice and seeing the Ling Shuang Sword being thrown at him, Ren Qianxing's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He leaped into the air, getting within half a foot of the sword. However, at that moment, Jian Xiong and Yan Cangfeng arrived. With a single strike of their swords, they blocked Ren Qianxing. Meanwhile, Bai Yu'er and Lian Chixue were stopped by Xiaoyao Lang and Liu Yiyi. For a moment, no one dared to contest the Ling Shuang Sword.

"Jianxiong, I'll hold off Ren Qianxing. You quickly draw your sword."

Yan Zangfeng transmitted a message to Jian Xiong, and his attacks became even more intense. Ren Qianxing was unable to break free for a moment. Jian Xiong also did not hesitate. He nodded to Yan Zangfeng, tapped his toes, and his figure flew up to the Ling Shuang Sword floating in mid-air. Just when everyone thought that the Ling Shuang Sword was about to fall into the hands of the Sword Casting City, Guan Yutian shouted and his powerful palm force directly forced back the Sword Venerable and Helian Ba. At the same time, a Qi arrow suddenly shot straight at them. Before Jian Xiong's palm touched the sword, the Ling Shuang Sword was hooked back by the Qi arrow.

"Don't think about it!"

Enraged, Jian Xiong swung his sword, but the invisible energy string that struck him caused him to stagger. He managed to dissipate the force, land on his feet, and his sword tip pointed straight into the air.

The arrow, hooked with the Ling Shuang sword, passed through the three of them, and in the blink of an eye arrived in front of Ren Qianxing and Yan Cangfeng. The two swords clashed for a moment and then shook off at the same time. Upon discovering the Ling Shuang sword, the two reached out and grabbed the hilt of the sword.

Just as the two of them gripped the sword hilts at the same time, a barely perceptible flash of crimson and blue sword light flickered for a moment. Apart from Gu Xu, no one else noticed it. Seeing this, Gu Xu felt reassured, flicked his finger, and transformed his finger force into a blade, directly severing the arrow's string.

"Let go!" Ren Qianxing and Yan Cangfeng gripped the sword hilts tightly, neither giving way. The others stopped what they were doing and went to their respective camps. In an instant, Ren Qianxing and Yan Cangfeng became the focus of attention.

"I cannot give you the Frost Sword."

Yan Zangfeng glanced at Ren Qianxing indifferently, and the latter snorted coldly, increasing the strength in his hand. Yan Zangfeng followed suit, and the two immediately engaged in a contest of internal energy. As their internal energy continued to collide, the cloth bag that wrapped the Ling Shuang Sword turned to ashes, revealing the sword. However, Guan Yutian and the others were all astonished because the Ling Shuang Sword had lost its golden light, with only red and blue light flashing intermittently. Just as they were wondering about this, a clear and melodious sword cry resounded through the sky, and then two beams of red and blue light were grasped in the hands of Ren Qianxing and Yan Zangfeng.

"This is?"

Sword Master exclaimed in surprise, and Guan Yutian and Helian Ba ​​also looked over. After the crimson and blue beams of light subsided, everyone was astonished to find that Ren Qianxing and Yan Cangfeng each held a Ling Shuang sword, which was identical except for the color of the blade.

"go!"

Guan Yutian looked at the two Frost Swords and suddenly thought of something. He moved in an instant, grabbed Ren Qianxing, and ran towards the outside before anyone could react. Just as the Sword Master was about to stop him, a rain of arrows came flying. Everyone tried to defend themselves, but when the rain of arrows cleared, they found that Helian Ba ​​and the other two had also disappeared, leaving only an embarrassed Changyangzi. Seeing the unfriendly look from the Sword Master, Changyangzi immediately ran outside.

"killed."

Sword Master spoke calmly, and Sword Yang and Sword Xiong attacked simultaneously. Their figures flashed, and their two longswords, gleaming with crimson light, swept straight towards Changyangzi. The latter sensed the sword energy coming from behind and hurriedly turned around, sweeping his staff. With two clangs, two powerful forces struck the withered wooden staff directly. It was unknown what material the withered wooden staff was made of, but the steel longsword left two white marks on it and sparks flew out.

Changyangzi was jolted by the force of the rush, causing his blood and qi to surge. After forcibly suppressing it, he used the force to propel himself forward at an even faster speed. However, after traveling only a few feet, he saw three old men in front of him, each holding a long sword, staring at him with cold expressions. At the same time, Jianyang and Jianxiong from behind caught up and blocked his path.

"I'm going to die anyway, so even if I die, I'll take someone down with me!"

Knowing he had no chance of survival this time, Changyangzi immediately abandoned any thought of living, took out a Golden Blood Pill, glanced at it reluctantly, and swallowed it immediately. As soon as the pill entered his mouth, a warm current filled his dantian, and his depleted true qi was replenished. Not only that, but his injuries were also suppressed, as if he had returned to his peak condition in an instant.

"Changyangzi's aura is a bit off. There's something wrong with that pill. Be careful."

Jianyang gave Changyangzi a deep look, gave an order to Jianxiong, and then drew his longsword, a cold light came to Changyangzi's side. As soon as Jianyang moved, the three elders in front of him also drew their swords at the same time. The three longswords flashed coldly and formed a dense sword net, attacking Changyangzi.

Changyangzi was immersed in the joy of perfecting his skill when he sensed the approaching attack. He immediately countered, his withered wooden staff waving out clusters of black light. He first blocked Jianyang's soaring sword energy, and then flicked the staff, causing it to collide with the three longswords. The force of the impact caused the three elders to pause, but they quickly recovered. The three of them, who had been attacking in turn, instantly changed to two attacking and one defending. Although their sword strikes were less sharp, their coordination became even smoother.

As the three changed their formation, Changyangzi felt the same way and sighed inwardly. If the three of them had continued their all-out attack, he was 80% confident that he could defeat them within ten moves. If he was lucky, he could even kill them when they were off guard. But he did not expect the three of them to react so quickly, which made his plan fall through.

Seeing that Changyangzi was being held back, Jianyang's eyes lit up. He naturally knew the key to the Three Talents Ruyi Formation. In the instant the formation connected, Jianyang gathered his strength and thrust his sword straight at Changyangzi's chest. This move was perfectly timed, just when Changyangzi's old strength had dissipated and new strength had not yet been generated. At the same time, the three elders changed their formation again. The three longswords hummed and actually stuck together. With a flash of white light, they swiftly thrust forward.

Changyangzi sensed the approaching double-edged sword attacks. He knew that hastily attacking now would not only be ineffective but would also expose a greater vulnerability. His mind raced, and as the attacks were about to strike, Changyangzi let out a deep shout, planted his withered wooden staff in front of him, embraced Yin and Yang with both hands, and a crimson aura appeared around him, attempting to block the attack from both sides.

With two hissing sounds, Changyangzi's protective aura couldn't even hold for half a breath before being torn apart by the sword light. Two sword lights struck his body simultaneously, leaving two deep wounds that exposed bone. Blood spurted out, instantly staining the ground red.

"careful!"

Seeing his third brother thrust out his sword and witnessing Changyangzi's fierce appearance, Jianyang hurriedly cried out in alarm. But at that moment, Jianyu's longsword had already pierced Changyangzi's chest with a "thud," but unexpectedly, Changyangzi grabbed it and snapped it hard. With a crack, the broken blade shot towards Jianyu with a whoosh.

The other two rushed forward to rescue them, while Changyangzi let out a few sinister laughs. His aura surged, like an ever-expanding airbag, and with a bang, it burst open. The rolling air waves forced Jianyang and Jianxiong back several feet. After landing, Jianyang's expression changed drastically. He rushed forward, swept his sleeve, and the dust dissipated, leaving only a pile of broken flesh.

"Third brother, fourth brother, fifth brother!"

Jianyang looked at the three shattered swords and was overcome with grief. But just then, he heard a few muffled groans. He stopped crying and looked around. Finally, he found the three people lying in a pile of rubble.

"Third brother, fourth brother, fifth brother!"

Jianyang rushed over and found that the three of them had very weak auras. He quickly gave them pills to take and helped them refine the medicinal power. Only then did their auras gradually return to normal.

"Fortunately, the Taoist priest gave us a protective jade pendant, otherwise the three of us would have died under the Blood Demon Disintegration Technique of the old Taoist Changyang."

Jian Yu exhaled a breath of turbid air, feeling lingering fear. At the same time, he regretted being too greedy and reckless. Otherwise, Changyangzi would not have seized the opportunity. Now, he had lost a divine artifact that could have saved his life, and the thought of it pained him.

"People safe is good."

Although Jianyang felt a little sorry for the protective pendant, he ultimately saved the lives of the three of them, so it wasn't a complete loss.

“Young City Lord, although the body of this old Taoist Changyang is in a terrible state, his Blood Demon Disintegration Technique is extremely vicious. It must be cleaned carefully, otherwise it will cause a lot of trouble if it gets on your body.”

Upon hearing this, Jianxiong nodded, pondered for a moment, and then said to Jianyang, "Elder, please have someone guard this place and prevent others from approaching. I will go and consult the Daoist Master; perhaps he has a solution."

After speaking, Jianxiong bowed to Jianyang and the others, then turned and left.

Yan Zangfeng was carefully examining the Ling Shuang Sword in his hand. After observing it for a moment, he handed the divine sword to the Sword Master, who shook his head and pushed the Ling Shuang Sword back. Looking at Yan Zangfeng, he said, "The divine sword has a spirit. Since this sword has fallen into your hands, it is your destiny. The Sword Forging City cannot interfere. However, you should know that if things go as expected, the sword in Ren Qianxing's hand and this sword are two sides of the same coin. In the future, the two of you will inevitably face each other again. Zangfeng, are you willing to fight for the common people?"

(End of this chapter)