Chapter 134: Palace Master and Sword Master

"Where is your sword?" the Palace Master asked.

"I don't need a sword." the Sword Master replied.

The Palace Master didn't ask further, but the Sword Master still answered her doubt, "Back then, everyone in the martial world knew that although I am the Sword Master, I never touch a sword."

Verdant green mountains, murmuring flowing water, lively bird songs, bright flowers and grasses.

The Palace Master and the Sword Master stood on the water surface, their feet not touching a single drop.

This blessed spot was chosen by the Sword Master.

"How is the environment here?"

"It's enough as your burial ground." the Palace Master replied coldly, seeing on the other's face something similar to herself—eyes, nose, ears, mouth, and so on, all quite alike.

Actually their personalities are also somewhat similar; it's just that the Sword Master is talkative today. "Do you really want me dead? We don't even know each other."

The Palace Master today still wears a bright red long dress; her slender figure is fully revealed, the three red dots on her brow are bewitchingly vivid—like her mother, she is a fiery rose, a thorned rose.

A dot of red amidst a myriad of flowers.

The Palace Master pulled out a black-red token from her sleeve and showed it to the Sword Master.

"Heh heh, the Absolute Killing Order of the Five Absolutes Palace—how terrifying! I never expected to receive such a great gift from the Palace Master in my lifetime! Well, well, even if it means death, it's worth it!" the Sword Master laughed helplessly; the Absolute Killing Order was all too familiar to him, having known it well for many years, even before the Palace Master existed.

The Palace Master threw the Absolute Killing Order toward the Sword Master, then struck with a palm! Unleashing the full force of thunder and lightning, it surged along the water straight at the Sword Master.

The Sword Master seemed unmoved, but had already moved; when he seized the Absolute Killing Order, the afterimage he left behind was instantly shattered by the electricity.

Holding the Absolute Killing Order, the Sword Master floated down, his white robes swirling as he landed; he came down behind the Palace Master, his feet still on the water, he tilted his head, placing the Absolute Killing Order before his face, covering half of it, looking rather comical.

"Hahaha! Still a bit off! Hahaha..."

Before the Sword Master's laughter faded, he sensed something amiss; the Palace Master had somehow appeared behind him, and he realized the Palace Master before him was merely an afterimage.

The Palace Master swept with a palm.

The Sword Master bent low in place, lightly dodging the palm and easily dispelling the Palace Master's palm force, "Such fine scenery, ruined by a strike—what a pity."

"Silver-tongued." the Palace Master focused entirely on the fight; against an opponent like the Sword Master, she had to muster a hundred and twenty percent of her spirit, otherwise she had no chance to win.

Along the way, the Palace Master never figured out why the Palace Master sent her to kill such a person; even usually confident, she had less than full confidence—actually, not even twenty percent.

But she firmly believed her mother would not have her do something meaningless.

One could see that in the ensuing battle, the Sword Master always kept a reserve, even avoiding everywhere, never engaging head-on.

The Palace Master sensed not a trace of sword qi from the Sword Master, thinking, "If so, why is he called Sword Master?" But she merely thought, she would not ask such a question, for she never asks the dead.

In the Palace Master's eyes, the Sword Master was already a corpse.

The Sword Master is handsome in appearance, graceful in demeanor; although white hair has crept up his temples, the years cannot erase his detached, contented character.

Such people are precisely what the Palace Master most admires; alas, she must be his enemy.

The Palace Master unleashed dozens of palms, all dodged by the Sword Master. Each time barely missed, each time narrowly avoided by the Sword Master! At the same time, her silver needles never ceased, always striking unexpectedly, yet unable to harm the Sword Master in the slightest.

The Sword Master leaned back, dodging the silver needles the Palace Master thrust toward him head-on.

The silver needles whooshed out, blasting the trees by the water into splinters! The trees fell one after another into the water, creating ripples upon ripples; the reason no waves arose is because the Sword Master was trembling there.

The Palace Master is not good-tempered; the Sword Master's constant evasion without attacking is like teasing a monkey, making her spin around, never able to grasp his edge, gradually she grew impatient.

She leapt high, channeling her inner power; countless silver needles shot from her sleeves, covering sky and earth! The entire water surface lay within her range; she must force the opponent to unleash a technique.

Each silver needle evenly contains the Palace Master's inner power.

The Sword Master gave a faint smile, slightly shook his head, knowing he could not dodge; only seen, he shifted his body, flicked his sleeve, and a sword light emerged.

"Ooo..." a long, low sound, unknown who made it; upon careful listening, it came from the sword light itself.

The sword light blocked above the Sword Master's head, deflecting all the silver needles! They reflected into the water; upon landing, they fell like raindrops, pattering on the surface, drip-drop.

Looking again, the Sword Master now had an extra weapon in his hand.

That weapon, if not examined closely, looks like a long iron rod—no hilt, no blades on either sides, entirely black and ugly; it's hard to imagine that someone as elegant as the Sword Master would wield such a sword.

In the Sword-Leaning Pavilion lie countless treasured swords; which one taken out wouldn't be better than this?

"Show your true strength, Sword Master!" the Palace Master said to the Sword Master, her arms opening lightly, landing back on the water like a white crane spreading its wings.

The Five Absolutes Palace possesses the Five Absolutes: first, thunder and lightning power; second, qi; third, fist; fourth, palm; fifth, leg. Any one of them mastered to the extreme makes one a top expert in the martial world, and each generation's Palace Master requires the Five Absolutes to be cultivated in parallel, each to the utmost.

When the Five Absolutes merge, the power they can unleash is immeasurable.

The Palace Master is no exception; she raised her right leg, stepped down on the water, a surge rose from the surface and rushed toward the Sword Master, while she pursued the surge.

A leg move, a palm move, a fist move—thunder and lightning power intertwined with true qi, everywhere are killing techniques; furthermore, as the moves constantly change, the paths of those killing techniques naturally shift as well. The opponent may not only be dazzled, even the most basic response must be thought up hastily and urgently.

Thunder and lightning power and true qi are the foundations of the Five Absolutes.

The Sword Master could only muster the "long iron rod" in his hand to oppose the Five Absolutes, otherwise he truly couldn't withstand it. He too was finally moved; he found the Palace Master's power unbelievable, for he knew that to wield the Five Absolutes at will meant reaching a terrifying realm!

And the Palace Master, not yet twenty years old—how long remains her road ahead?

"I finally understand why the Palace Master sent you to kill me."