In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 329 Killing the God with one strike

Faced with the sudden change in Gu Shaoan's sword strike, Yagyu Tajima-no-kami shuddered and instantly raised his left hand.

The moment the short sword was drawn, a condensed, almost tangible, azure blade energy covered its entire surface, transforming it into a sharp beam that tore through the air, directly slashing at the incoming sword light in Gu Shaoan's hand.

Gu Shaoan narrowed his eyes as he took in the sword energy and light that Yagyu Tajima-no-kami had gathered in that instant.

"That speed... the 'Sword Drawing Technique'?"

Having been in the martial arts world for many years, this was the first time Gu Shaoan had encountered someone who possessed a martial art like the "Sword Drawing Technique".

Moreover, judging from the speed at which Yagyu Tajima-no-kami drew his sword and the sword energy that instantly gathered, Yagyu Tajima-no-kami must have been immersed in the art of sword drawing for more than twenty years.

The next instant, the blade and the sword tip collided.

The moment they made contact, the condensed vital energy covering the blade clashed violently with the profound energy contained in the Heaven-Slaying Sword.

It was not a simple clang of metal, but a deep, resonant sound of surging energy.

The cyan blade energy and the invisible sword energy violently eroded and wore each other between the blade edges, bursting out in circles of chaotic energy visible to the naked eye, emitting a sharp "hissing" sound like cloth being continuously torn apart.

This process happened in the blink of an eye. Yagyu Tajima-no-kami's sword aura dimmed and dissipated at a visible speed, but it also neutralized most of the initial sharp sword energy on the Heaven-Slaying Sword.

Just as the sword's energy was about to dissipate and the sword's momentum seemed to be blocked, Yagyu Tajima-no-kami's expression suddenly changed.

He was astonished to discover that, after the sword energy had been worn away layer by layer, a primal and terrifyingly powerful force was still emanating from the physical blade of the Heaven-Slaying Sword without any diminishing effect.

The force was as heavy as a torrent of water pouring down.

In an instant, the remaining blade energy shattered completely. A torrent of pure power crashed down along the blade.

Yagyu Tajima-no-kami's blocking stance was completely destroyed by this enormous force, and his body was uncontrollably thrown off the ground and rapidly flung backward.

After his body spun several times in the air and landed, Yagyu Tajima-no-kami still took three steps back before barely managing to steady himself.

The internal energy and blood were shaken violently, and the internal energy in the meridians became disordered.

Even his left hand, which was holding the knife, was split open at the base of his thumb, with blood seeping out, and his five fingers and forearm were sore, numb and painful from the shock.

After quickly circulating his internal energy to calm his blood and qi, Yagyu Tajima-no-kami immediately sheathed the sword in his left hand and drew out the longer Japanese sword with his right hand, looking at Gu Shaoan with extreme vigilance.

At the very moment that Yagyu Tajima-no-kami drew his Japanese sword, the Tengu Guards who had been standing still in the courtyard suddenly fell to the ground one after another.

Fresh blood quickly gushed from the wounds on these Heavenly Guards.

In the blink of an eye, besides Gu Shaoan standing a few feet away, only he and a Tiangang Guard with a red ribbon tied to his left arm were standing in the courtyard.

The sudden turn of events caused Yagyu Tajima-no-kami's heart to pause for a moment.

The Heavenly Guard with the red ribbon tied to his left arm was so frightened that he took a step back. When he looked at the corpses of the Heavenly Guards around him, his eyes behind the mask were filled with terror.

On the rooftop, witnessing the result of Gu Shaoan's sword strike, apart from Mei Jiangxue, Song Yuanqiao, Yu Daiyan, and Zhang Songxi all couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.

They were clearly astonished by the result of Gu Shaoan's sword strike.

Based on the sensations felt by Song Yuanqiao and the other two, and the fluctuations emanating from the masked Heavenly Guards in the courtyard, they were at least at the level of Returning to the Innate Realm in terms of internal energy cultivation.

With so many people united, Song Yuanqiao knew that even if he and his two fellow disciples joined forces, their chances of survival were slim.

But in front of Gu Shaoan, they were all dealt with with a single sword strike.

By now, Yagyu Tajima-no-kami knew perfectly well that Gu Shaoan's sword strike was not primarily aimed at him, but at the other thirty-six Heavenly Guards in the courtyard.

"How can he be so strong?"

With a single sword strike, he killed thirty-five people; the remaining power was enough to repel him.

Such strength has exceeded Yagyu Tajima-no-kami's expectations.

If there was any fighting spirit rising in Yagyu Tajima-no-kami's heart when he first sensed that Gu Shaoan was about to make a move.

They wanted to see the strength of Gu Shaoan, this newly promoted top-tier expert.

So now.

After witnessing the fall of the thirty-five Heavenly Guards and personally experiencing the power of Gu Shaoan's sword, the fighting spirit that had risen in Yagyu Tajima Morihito's heart was instantly extinguished like a flame doused with a bucket of cold water.

Fear began to spring up from the bottom of my heart like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, running up my spine and straight to the top of my head, and I immediately had the urge to retreat.

Looking at Gu Shaoan standing opposite him with his sword, Yagyu Tajima-no-kami raised his left hand and gripped the hilt of his sword just like his right hand.

Yagyu Tajima-no-kami gripped the hilt of his sword tightly with both hands, holding the short sword upright in front of him. His aura suddenly became cold and viscous, as if even the light in the courtyard had dimmed.

The next moment, an invisible aura began to gather and compress wildly around him.

The air groaned under the weight of the storm, and the fine sand and gravel on the ground began to tremble and roll, gathering in his direction.

Visible white energy emanated from his body and the blade, like a dense fog that appeared out of nowhere, filling a three-zhang radius around Yagyu Tajima-no-kami.

Immediately afterwards, white mist surged towards Gu Shaoan like a tide, instantly enveloping him.

In an instant, Gu Shaoan felt as if he were in the dead of winter before sunrise, surrounded by a thick white fog.

Visibility was also obstructed by the white fog.

In Gu Shaoan's perception, the surrounding white mist was clearly filled with a special kind of energy.

It was clearly formed by combining Yagyu Tajima-no-kami's own momentum with martial arts techniques.

"The God of Slaughter Slashes"

As a deep voice echoed from the white mist, a surging wave of air, like an invisible wall, swept towards Gu Shaoan first.

Wherever the shockwave passed, it plowed a clear trench in the ground, and the corpses of the Heavenly Guards and the original family members on the ground were all blown away by the shockwave.

Immediately afterwards, the dense, shimmering white aura in front of Gu Shaoan suddenly exploded, transforming into countless flying blade shadows.

Each blade shadow was entwined with a misty, ethereal aura, numbering in the hundreds and thousands, a blend of reality and illusion, like countless stars suddenly exploding in the night sky, or like a blizzard sweeping across the heavens in the dead of winter.

At first glance, it seemed as if countless knives were attacking from all directions, up, down, left, and right, their paths difficult to discern, their true nature unpredictable.

Faced with these blades and shadows imbued with a resolute killing intent that could cleave everything in its path,
This scene reminded Gu Shaoan of the ambush they encountered on their way from Bright Peak to Wudang after the Ming Cult incident.

Although the swordsman who was holding the Japanese sword was not as skilled as Yagyu Tajima no Kami in front of him, the swordsmanship he was using at that moment was of the same origin.

Thinking of this, Gu Shaoan narrowed his eyes. After circulating his internal energy along a special route, the Yitian Sword moved with him. The longsword in his hand transformed into a golden light screen that was almost invisible to the naked eye, flexible and swift. The sword light was like thousands of willow branches sprouting in early spring, or like layers of ripples stirred up by a gale, with golden sword energy spewing out.

"Ding Ding Ding"

In an instant, the sound of metal objects clashing together, like raindrops hitting banana leaves, rang out from the white mist, with sparks occasionally flying.

Gu Shaoan's sword light appeared gentle and slow, but in reality, it was extremely dense.

The golden sword light, like fine silk threads, intertwined densely, transforming into a seemingly gentle yet indestructible light curtain in front of Gu Shaoan.

The countless gleaming white blade shadows slashed into this patch of "willow branches," but it was as if the sharp slashing force had been deflected, diverted, and neutralized by layers upon layers of endless, supple sword energy.

The dense, rain-like clanging sounds blended together, and the sparks that flew out flickered in the thick fog, yet not a single blade could penetrate the barrier of golden, soft light.

Just as all the sword shadows and energy were blocked by Gu Shaoan's sword moves, Gu Shaoan flipped his left wrist, and a dragon's roar accompanied by terrifying energy burst forth from Gu Shaoan's body.

Within this surge of energy, the white mist surrounding Gu Shaoan, which was filled with special energy, was instantly shaken apart. The white mist, which had just been condensed, became thinner and thinner under the energy bursting from Gu Shaoan's body.

Revealing himself was Yagyu Tajima-no-kami, who was hidden in the white mist, holding a sword in both hands and maintaining a forward slashing posture.

Their eyes met, and Yagyu Tajima-no-kami was startled. He pushed off with his feet and tried to retreat quickly, disappearing back into the shimmering white mist that had not yet completely dissipated and provided shelter and concealment.

At the very moment that Yagyu Tajima-no-kami shifted his weight and moved slightly backward, Gu Shaoan moved as well.

The bluestone slab beneath his feet silently turned to dust, his body seemed to lose its weight, or as if it had broken through the limitations of space. One moment he was still in the same place, and the next he was soaring into the air like a ghost, shooting straight into the swirling and closing white mist.

As they rushed into the white mist, the moment their gaze fell upon Yagyu Tajima-no-kami once more, Gu Shaoan lightly raised the Heaven-Slaying Sword in his hand.

The flow of the mist seemed to slow down at that moment.

The sword's edge swept across the sky, its light no longer a soft, continuous flow, but rather like the last ray of afterglow on the horizon before the darkness completely descends at the moment of the sun and moon's transition.

It is no longer fiery, but carries the grandeur, tranquility, and twilight of a setting sun, yet it also possesses a dazzling brilliance and resolute descent that transcends thought.

Gazing at Gu Shaoan's sword strike, Yagyu Tajima-no-kami's eyes flashed, as if he were amazed by the dazzling sword light.

But after the initial amazement, what filled Yagyu Tajima-no-kami's eyes was a rapidly escalating sense of fear and panic.

Sword 5: Afterglow

Gu Shaoan's sword strike was too decisive and too swift.

Faced with the rapidly enlarging golden afterglow in his eyes, Yagyu Tajima-no-kami didn't even have time to parry before feeling a slight chill on his neck, as if the last breeze of the winter night was gently brushing against it.

Immediately, Yagyu Tajima-no-kami's vision began to tilt and tumble.

After a dizzying spin, his head hit the ground, and a headless corpse holding a Japanese sword in both hands came into his view.

At the same time, what caught his eye was Gu Shaoan standing beside the corpse, his long sword held horizontally in front of him.

Gu Shaoan channeled his inner energy into the Yitian Sword, shaking off the few remaining drops of blood on its blade before sheathing the sword.

Noticing Gu Shaoan's actions, Song Yuanqiao and the others jumped down from the roof.

Standing beside Gu Shaoan, Mei Jiangxue looked warily at the last remaining Tiangang Guard in the courtyard: "Senior brother, what should we do with this person?"

Upon hearing Mei Jiangxue's words, Song Yuanqiao, Yu Daiyan, and Zhang Songxi all looked at the Heavenly Guard.

Meeting the gazes of the group, the Heavenly Guard trembled slightly, but dared not make any move.

In response, Gu Shaoan said, "If I'm not mistaken, the massacre at Wuzheng Manor today was also caused by him leaking the information; he wasn't the enemy."

As soon as Gu Shaoan finished speaking, the Tiangang Guard with a red ribbon tied around his arm quickly bowed.

"I've met Mr. Gu."

Gu Shaoan waved his hand and said, "Thank you for reminding me."

"It's my duty, Young Master Gu, you're too kind."

After carefully responding to Gu Shaoan's call, the Heavenly Guard said softly, "Does Young Master Gu have any further instructions?"

Understanding the other party's meaning, Gu Shaoan thought for a moment and asked, "I wonder if the others obtained information about Bat Island from within Wuzheng Manor?"

Tian Gangwei shook his head and said, "Yuan Dongli is very stubborn. He only revealed before he committed suicide that there were still many people in Wuzheng Manor staying on Bat Island. He didn't reveal any other information about Bat Island."

Upon hearing this, Gu Shaoan did not ask any further questions and said, "In that case, I have no further questions. Please proceed."

"I'll take my leave, villain."

After saying that, the Heavenly Guard used his lightness skill to leap up and quickly blend into the vast night.

After the Heavenly Guards left, Mei Jiangxue looked at the corpse of Yagyu Tajima-no-kami on the ground and said, "Senior brother, this man used a Japanese sword. Could he be from the island nation of Japan?"

Gu Shaoan replied, "This person is named Yagyu Tajima-no-kami, and he is the number one martial artist in the Japanese island nation."

Mei Jiangxue exclaimed in astonishment, "The number one expert? So weak?"

Hearing Mei Jiangxue's words, Gu Shaoan couldn't help but chuckle.

"His strength, even among top-tier experts, should be considered above average."

Although Yagyu Tajima-no-kami's "God of Slaughter One-Slash" was slightly weaker, the combination of his own momentum and the white mist formed by the condensation of his Qi made it difficult to defend against.

If Gu Shaoan hadn't completely overwhelmed Yagyu Tajima-no-kami in every aspect and hadn't mastered martial arts like the "Emei Sword Manual," it might have taken him ten moves to kill Yagyu Tajima-no-kami.

This clearly shows that Yagyu Tajima-no-kami is quite strong, much stronger than Ri Chimei, whom Gu Shaoan encountered back then.

Gu Shaoan walked up to one of the male corpses of the Yuan family.

With a flick of his fingertips, several bursts of energy sliced ​​through the clothes on the male corpse's back.

"This wound, is it from the Emei Sect's 'Willow Catkin Sword Technique'?"

Gu Shaoan nodded: "If you're going to frame someone, you naturally need to leave some evidence. What evidence could be more convincing than the martial arts of a sect?"

As he spoke, he turned to Yu Daiyan and said, "When I came here earlier, I asked Yu Sanxia to go to Taiyuan Prefecture and ask the officials and soldiers of Taiyuan Prefecture to come here."

Upon hearing what Gu Shaoan said, Yu Daiyan immediately understood Gu Shaoan's meaning. He indeed wanted the government officials to arrive at the scene and testify as witnesses about the massacre of the Wuzheng Manor today.

(End of this chapter)