Chapter 142: The Great Battle in the Five Absolutes Hall

"Is this what you're looking for?" the red-clad woman asked, holding in her hand exactly the legendary thousand-year ginseng.

"Thousand-year ginseng?" Yan Shanhai immediately tossed aside the empty wooden box in his hand, turned to look at the red-clad woman, and asked, "Who are you?"

"Young Palace Master of the Five Absolutes Palace."

Actually, Yan Shanhai had roughly guessed the newcomer's identity.

"Heh, it seems there's no chance to settle this peacefully today; hand over the thousand-year ginseng obediently, and I might spare your life." Yan Shanhai was still young then, able to speak so recklessly in a place like the Five Absolutes Palace.

His recklessness stemmed not from a momentary hot-headedness but from his belief in his own strength, which gave him the daring to defy his father's orders and storm the Five Absolutes Palace alone.

Even if the Palace Master discovered him, she would not act against such a junior, for doing so would break the martial world's rules.

But Yan Shanhai never expected the Palace Master to send the Young Palace Master to fight him; doing so, he even felt a secret delight, thinking, "I, Yan Shanhai, am invincible among my peers—how could I fear a girl younger than I? No matter how legendary your Five Absolutes Palace is, it surely can't reach that heaven-defying level! I see it now: I will surely get this thousand-year ginseng today. Mother, wait for your son!"

"Then do you know what this is?" the Young Palace Master asked, holding a black-red token in her other hand.

"The Deadly Killing Order..." Yan Shanhai didn't recognize the Young Palace Master, but he recognized the Deadly Killing Order, solely because of its fame in the martial world.

Once the Deadly Killing Order appears, it demands a life; no one has ever escaped the Five Absolutes Palace's Deadly Killing Order.

At the moment he saw the Deadly Killing Order, Yan Shanhai felt a pang of guilt, but it was only brief; he quickly adjusted, and now was not the time to panic.

He gritted his teeth, thinking the die was cast, today he was riding a tiger he couldn't dismount; better to fight than await death. "The thousand-year ginseng—I will have it."

"Then come try." The Young Palace Master placed the thousand-year ginseng into her crimson sleeve. Every frown and smile was charming, almost bewitchingly beautiful, leaving every man unable to resist. "You cannot take it."

Yan Shanhai said no more, fearing that further delay would draw him into the Young Palace Master's beauty, from which he could not escape. "Kill!"

Yan Shanhai's "Mount Song Sword Technique" flowed like clouds and water; the sword art appeared proper and upright, yet it harbored hidden viciousness, which he displayed to the fullest in his hands!

Every move concealed a killing technique; every move placed the opponent in mortal danger.

But his opponent was the Young Palace Master.

"Clang!" The Young Palace Master's long leg, extending from her skirt, struck the blade of the Mount Song Sword, producing a clear sound.

She kicked repeatedly, dozens of times!

The sound echoed endlessly within the closed Five Absolutes Hall.

Yan Shanhai changed his sword form, each thrust aimed at the Young Palace Master's face, having thought her strength lay in her legs, so he attacked from an angle.

Each strike was fierce and extremely swift, appearing open and aboveboard, yet it concealed various petty sword techniques meant to smash the face with the sword.

How could Yan Shanhai know that even when aiming for the face, the Young Palace Master's leg could still reach his sword, and she then followed up with a palm—how could the Five Absolutes be limited to just the leg?

The Young Palace Master's agility had nearly reached an unsurpassable level; Yan Shanhai could do nothing against her.

She was such a cold woman, yet when she fought she became wildly fierce! Her snow-white thighs and slender arms were displayed to the fullest in the battle, beautiful beyond description.

The Young Palace Master hadn't even counterattacked yet; perhaps she wanted to see what else Yan Shanhai was capable of.

As for the Young Palace Master, the Five Absolutes were perfected; her attacks were Palm Absolute and Leg Absolute. No matter how Yan Shanhai's sword thrust or pierced, she could steadily block or kick it away. Logically speaking, whether in the Five Peaks or in the martial world, the Mount Song Sword Technique is among the few sword styles rarely seen through by opponents!

But the Young Palace Master had clearly seen through it.

There was only one point: Yan Shanhai's strength and the Young Palace Master's were not on the same level.

The Young Palace Master seized the moment, kicked the Mount Song Sword aside, and struck Yan Shanhai's left shoulder with a palm.

"Bang!" Yan Shanhai flew backward, crashing hard into the platform, shattering it into pieces. Fortunately, the Young Palace Master did not strike with full force; otherwise Yan Shanhai would at least have broken an arm.

Yan Shanhai had not intended to go all out, but after thirty moves he changed his mind; if this continued, not only would his mother's life be at risk, but even his own could not be saved!

He struck the ground with his sword, hearing only a loud "clang," then charged again at the Young Palace Master with his sword.

This time, his sword qi was several times stronger than before, emanating from him through the blade and thrusting toward the Young Palace Master.

The mighty sword qi was unstoppable; within the closed Five Absolutes Hall, a wind arose from nowhere.

The Young Palace Master dared not be careless; her slender arms bared from her sleeves, her palms gathered lightning power, matching her Palm Absolute as she blasted toward the incoming Yan Shanhai.

The sword qi and lightning power collided, surging back and forth in the Five Absolutes Hall, shattering the scattered candles and the broken platform into dust.

The heavy wooden door was shaved by the two forces, sending wood chips flying!

Yan Shanhai rose to fame at a young age, having emerged from Mount Song; he was the top youth among the Five Peaks, and in the martial world he earned the favor of many elders, who all said he would surely achieve greatness.

Yet unexpectedly, Yan Shanhai, who had never lost to his peers, was defeated today by the Young Palace Master's hand. Defeat itself is not frightening; what is feared is the shattering of his arrogant, unruly heart.

Yan Shanhai's entire body went numb from the electricity; he knew the Young Palace Master had held back, otherwise he would have died instantly just then.

"Heh, I told you, you can't get it." the Young Palace Master said coldly; her smile, though veiled by red gauze, could be imagined as utterly beautiful.

"Cough..." Yan Shanhai coughed up a mouthful of blood, he covered his chest and said defiantly, "Kill or cut, do as you wish."

At that moment, a burst of loud laughter came from outside the Five Absolutes Hall.

"Hahaha! Hahaha..." the laughter was wanton yet melodious.

The heavily damaged wooden door was slowly pushed open by two disciples, and a red-clad woman walked toward them.

No need to guess; this red-clad woman was naturally the Palace Master of the Five Absolutes Palace.

"Mother." the Young Palace Master respectfully approached the Palace Master and lowered her head.

"Well done." the Palace Master said coldly. She didn't even glance at the Young Palace Master; her gaze remained fixed on Yan Shanhai from start to finish.

By then Yan Shanhai had already risen to his feet, but his surroundings were surrounded by disciples of the Five Absolutes Palace, with no way forward or back; however, the composure he had cultivated since youth did not make him overly panicked.

Either way, it's just death—who in the martial world avoids a blade?

But what Yan Shanhai could not accept most was that he had actually lost, and the gap between him and the Young Palace Master was like a chasm.