Chapter 72: Crimson Sky

Shen Qing's voice caught everyone off guard.

Jiang Guo abruptly turned his head, looking toward Shen Qing atop the attic.

"Who are you? Where's Zhou Hu?"

Shen Qing shifted his gaze to Jiang Guo, who was gripping a red long blade.

This red long blade is about two inches longer than Green River, its body slender and flashing a faint red light, obviously made of excellent material, and its hilt is carved from the heartwood of a black tree over five hundred years old.

"What a beautiful blade, truly a work of art." Shen Qing sighed from the heart.

Although Jiang Guo didn't hear clearly what Shen Qing was saying, he could feel that Shen Qing's gaze wasn't on him, as if it were on his own blade?

Jiang Guo furrowed his brow and hid the blade behind his back.

"What the hell are you looking at, kid?!!"

At that moment, Qin Chuan forced Liu Chong back with his hammer and asked anxiously.

"Shen Qing, you've finally arrived—have you seen Lu Tong?"

"I saw him; he was badly beaten, but he's fine."

Qin Chuan let out a breath of relief: "As long as he's okay, we'll have to rely on you to save the day again—another favor owed."

Shen Qing lifted Green River, pointing it at Jiang Guo, and smiled.

"Whether it's a favor or not doesn't matter—hand this person over to me, you don't mind, do you?"

Qin Chuan laughed loudly: "Objections? You know I've never had any opinions of my own!"

"If you want it, then take it!"

An angry voice came: "Are you guys not treating me like a person?"

"A mere second-level Grandmaster Realm—what gives you the nerve to talk big? Come on, let me see what your nerve really is."

It was Jiang Guo; his face darkened a bit, and in just a few short words he felt like a commodity being traded away?

After all, he's an eighth-level Grandmaster Realm—shouldn't he have some dignity?

Shen Qing turned his head: "Noisy thing."

Before his words even faded, Shen Qing turned into a phantom, a silver silhouette streaked with lightning flashing toward Jiang Guo at breakneck speed.

Jiang Guo's expression shifted, his true Qi surging through his body, and the red long blade in his hand also glowed with a faint red light.

But it was already too late; he had underestimated Shen Qing, thinking that a distance of several tens of meters was perfectly safe—never mind lacking protective true Qi, even his red long blade was left behind his back.

Yet his reaction was also quick; in an instant, Jiang Guo abandoned the idea of a head‑on clash and desperately darted to the side.

But it was still too late.

A hiss.

An arm flew high into the air, while Jiang Guo collapsed in a sorry heap on the ground, his left arm cleanly severed at the elbow.

"Don't you want to know what my nerve is? This is my nerve."

Shen Qing's silver robe billowed as he held the blade with one hand, side‑eyeing the wretched Jiang Guo.

Jiang Guo quickly rose to his feet, his face grim.

"Nine Lightning Blades?"

"You, a Grandmaster Realm, actually learned it? I really underestimated you."

But the very next instant, Shen Qing's voice and the thunder's roar sounded together.

"Still not learning after I just sliced you?"

"Where's your protective true Qi?"

Jiang Guo startled, not that he's really that stupid for not mobilizing his protective true Qi.

He had simply used his true Qi first to treat his internal injuries; Shen Qing's slash that cut off his left arm was minor, but the shock to his meridians was serious—if left untreated it would greatly affect the fight.

And him speaking to Shen Qing was also to buy time, letting him tend to his wounds.

But he never imagined Shen Qing would launch a continuous zero‑frame attack, not even bothering to talk.

In the next instant, three blade‑lights flashed consecutively in the air; Jiang Guo hastily parried with his long blade, his whole body shaken and flung several meters back, a sweet‑sour taste rising in his throat.

"Shen Qing, you're despicable!"

Shen Qing's figure appeared again, his Green River delivering a downward slash aimed at the face.

"Despicable? We're in a life‑and‑death battle—do you think we're playing house?"

"Still want to draw up formations, count down three‑two‑one, then start again?"

Shen Qing snorted, condensed a Splitting Mountain Fist in his left hand, unleashed the sound of a collapsing mountain, and a single punch sent Jiang Guo staggering backward.

"Besides, do you think I can't see you're healing your wounds?"

Before his words even faded, Shen Qing swung his blade forward again, giving Jiang Guo no chance to catch his breath.

After all, a creed has long been etched into Shen Qing's heart.

"Strike while you're sick—take your life!"

Moreover, Jiang Guo's cultivation is genuinely six levels higher than Shen Qing's; speaking of blade skill, Jiang Guo, having lived over a hundred years and reached the eighth level of Grandmaster Realm, certainly isn't lacking, and the blade he holds is even better than Green River.

In this situation, with Jiang Guo's left arm severed, his meridians damaged, and even his protective true Qi hard to gather, this is Shen Qing's greatest advantage.

So Shen Qing immediately settled on his tactic—a snowball effect, using an airtight assault to leave him breathless.

Over several dozen rounds, Jiang Guo was beaten back repeatedly, his internal wounds worsening.

At that moment.

Shen Qing bellowed: "Nine Lightning Blades, third form—Startling Thunder!"

Startling thunder rose from the flat ground; in the pitch‑black night, a azure light wrapped in lightning streaked straight toward Jiang Guo.

Jiang Guo hastily raised his long blade to block, only to hear a deafening boom; he was blown backward, blood pouring uncontrollably from his mouth.

His expression was grim, his mind in turmoil; by now, Shen Qing's relentless attacks had thrown his meridians into chaotic disarray, his left‑arm wound unstoppable, bleeding continuously.

One misstep leads to another; if he hadn't been so careless at the start and lost a hand, things wouldn't be like this.

Even at his peak he couldn't match Shen Qing head-on, but he shouldn't be so overwhelmed that he can't even speak.

Jiang Guo's eyes narrowed; he couldn't go on like this, couldn't die so stifled—even in death he'd give a final struggle!

He raised his crimson long saber, and bloody true qi circulated.

Nine Linked Crimson Blood!

This is his famed absolute technique, Crimson Blood Blade; after this strike, whether or not he can touch Shen Qing, it's a dead end.

Shen Qing also saw Jiang Guo's intent and knew he was at his last breath; his overbearing true qi surged wildly, and Azure River constantly flashed with azure light.

Falling Thunder Nine Blades, Fifth Form, Wind and Thunder Fall!

As his words fell, both rushed out simultaneously—one side with thunder erupting everywhere, the other with heavy blood qi.

In the blink of an eye, they brushed past each other.

In that instant, even the air on the clearing ceased to move; the silence was terrifying.

Jiang Guo slowly lowered his gaze to see a blood line slowly appearing at his waist, blood slowly seeping out—he had been cleaved at the waist by Shen Qing's blade.

With a crack, Jiang Guo fell to the ground, split into two halves, yet he strained with all his might to lift his head and look at Shen Qing.

All that could be seen was Shen Qing standing with his back turned, completely unharmed, not a single hair broken.

The only difference was that the Azure River in Shen Qing's hand slowly showed a crack.

Jiang Guo smiled in relief: "No regrets in death."

Shen Qing carefully sheathed the Azure River that had accompanied him for so long, then glanced back at Jiang Guo with a white eye.

What are you muttering about?

"I've used Azure River since the Acquired Realm; just now it couldn't withstand my Grand Master Realm true qi, resulting in only a slight crack."

"What does that have to do with you?"

"Don't gild your own face!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Guo's Dao heart shattered completely, his voice trembling: "You mean... you killed me with a blade meant for the Acquired Realm?"

Shen Qing ignored him, walked over, and picked up Jiang Guo's red long saber.

He brushed off the dust on the blade, a gleam appeared, and the characters 'Crimson Sky' were engraved on the body.

Fine blade!