Chapter 14: Black Eats Black!

A flash of sword light, a roar of thunder.

In an instant, Zhao Xuhe's head was severed by the sword light, yet before it could hit the ground, his body suddenly exploded, turning into a field of bones.

"I wonder which fellow sect member awaits Zhao here?"

After the bones shattered, a wisp of yin energy shot out, finally reforming Zhao Xuhe's figure a hundred meters away, his face still bearing traces of terror.

But before his voice could fade, the sword light followed like a shadow.

Swish—!

The next second, Zhao Xuhe's head flew skyward once more, only to turn again into a cloud of bones; the yin energy retreated another hundred meters, manifesting his form once more.

"I—"

Boom!

"You—"

Crack!

"Enough!"

Dozens of sword lights filled the space; only after slashing Zhao Xuhe down more than ten times did he finally regroup, seizing a chance to dodge the blades.

Though it lasted but a fleeting instant, Zhao Xuhe grasped it precisely; he flung his wide sleeve, sending a sky-full of bloody mist churning out to shield his entire body, then swiftly swallowed several elixirs to recover from his injuries and restore his true qi, before finally dividing his attention to scan in all directions.

"Lu Yang, it's you!"

Zhao Xuhe's gaze was sharp as torchlight; he recognized at once that the sword light which had slain him over a dozen times belonged to the Divine霄 Sword-Control True Art, immediately exposing Lu Yang's identity.

Even so, shock beyond words churned in his heart.

For he had personally experienced the power carried on that sword light; it was not something achievable at the Early Stage of Qi Condensation. In just a few short days, Lu Yang had actually reached the Mid Stage of Qi Condensation.

"This person must possess a great opportunity!"

Thinking thus, Zhao Xuhe reined in his fury, 喜 surging inexplicably in his heart: "Good, good, good! Today truly brings double joy; I shall claim this opportunity!"

Outside the Maze Array, Lu Yang's expression was grave.

"Truly troublesome."

He felt he had struck ruthlessly enough, yet Zhao Xuhe had still seized a sliver of survival, preventing a single combo from killing him outright.

He had even seen through his identity.

However, with the Maze Array confusing all directions, his true body hid in the shadows, attacking only remotely with his flying sword; in a prolonged fight, the odds still favored him slightly.

At the same time, Zhao Xuhe detected the Maze Array surrounding him; though it was merely a crude trapping formation that he could easily break given time to deduce its workings, with Lu Yang interfering and his true qi currently below half its peak, he found himself momentarily powerless against it.

Thinking thus, Zhao Xuhe's eyes darted, and he suddenly spoke:

"Brother Lu, speaking plainly, there is no real hatred between us..."

"Go!"

Strike while the enemy is ill and take their life; Lu Yang would naturally not reminisce with Zhao Xuhe or give him a chance to heal and recover, so he immediately formed a sword seal and continued his assault.

"Tsk! Refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit!"

Seeing this, Zhao Xuhe's gaze turned cold; he abandoned the notion of stalling, instead forming a hand seal and sacrificing a golden-metal seal into the midair.

This item was named the "Yuan Ci Golden Seal"; it could attract and capture all things of metal throughout the world, specifically countering flying swords. It was Zhao Xuhe's trump-card secret treasure, intended for use against disciples of the Yushujiange on the future battlefield between the Righteous and Demonic factions, yet now he brought it out early to suppress Lu Yang's sword light.

"Hold!"

Zhao Xuhe activated the precious seal, precisely catching a slashing sword light; as the seal slammed down, it instantly subdued that blade, rendering it unable to move or shift.

Lu Yang, however, remained calm.

He was still at his peak, while Zhao Xuhe was at his lowest; this kind of true qi-draining war of attrition actually favored him, so he felt no panic.

"My greatest advantage right now is hiding in the shadows, concealed by the array; Zhao Xuhe cannot locate my position. Thus, even if he possesses some means to turn defeat into victory, as long as I do not reveal myself, they will be useless. If I continue to drag this out, the victor will surely be me."

Therefore, Lu Yang made up his mind: I will not reveal myself.

Flying sword? I don't need it!

Anyway, you won't be able to refine my flying sword anytime soon, and you'll have to expend true qi to suppress it; that suits me perfectly. Let's see how long you can last!

"Rumble-rumble-rumble!"

Standing outside the array, Lu Yang circulated his true qi; a swirl of white vapor drifted from the crown of his head, forming a hand seal several zhang in size that slammed down into the array from midair.

This move held no special cleverness; it was purely overwhelming force.

Seeing this, Zhao Xuhe's face instantly darkened; he knew Lu Yang had seen through his scheme.

"You dog!"

Zhao Xuhe cursed furiously in his heart; though they were both at the Mid Stage of Qi Condensation, why was this fellow so cautious? How could he possibly turn the tide?

Although he still had strength left for a desperate gamble, even if he killed Lu Yang, he himself would hardly survive; having好不容易 obtained this opportunity, how could Zhao Xuhe accept that?

As his true qi consumption mounted, Zhao Xuhe finally could not hold back and shouted loudly: "... rother Lu, do you know what opportunity I obtained here on Panlong Island? A Third Grade True Art that points directly to the Golden Core Great Dao! If Brother Lu stops now, Zhao is willing to share this technique with you!"

"A Third Grade True Art?"

Outside the Maze Array, Lu Yang suddenly rose upon hearing this; true qi had nine grades and thirty-six stages, and below Seventh Grade there was no path to Foundation Establishment, while below Third Grade there was no gate to the Golden Core.

And now, Zhao Xuhe had dangled a technique capable of refining Third Grade true qi, offering hope for a future Golden Core!

What a tremendous opportunity!

"No, wait..."

Lu Yang took a deep breath, suppressed his greed, and sat back down: "He offers great profit, yet still seeks to lure me out; if I step out, I fall into his trap."

"How about it, Brother Lu? Can we reconcile?"

Inside the Maze Array, Zhao Xuhe continued trying to persuade, when suddenly a voice came from all directions: "Foolish! Kill you, and the technique becomes mine anyway!"

"Brother Lu speaks wrongly." Zhao Xuhe shook his head, smiling: "As the saying goes, opportunities are destined by Heaven; this Third Grade True Art is an opportunity Zhao earned through merit after bitter cultivation across three lifetimes. It has no fate with you, Brother Lu; even if you kill me, the technique will only fly away and never be obtained by you."

"What?"

Hearing this, Lu Yang froze for a moment, then his expression turned uncertain; destined by Heaven, no fate with the technique, and it would automatically fly away even if obtained?

But very quickly Lu Yang recovered, sneering: "In that case, why should I reconcile with you for the sake of this technique?"

Zhao Xuhe hurriedly explained: "Brother Lu originally had no fate with the technique, but if I voluntarily share it with you, then 'no fate' becomes 'having fate'."

"... ery well."

After a moment of silence, Lu Yang said: "Copy the technique for me, and I will let you out."

"So be it." Zhao Xuhe agreed without hesitation; he then took out a jade box, opened it voluntarily, revealing two volumes of Daoist scriptures inside, an upper and a lower册.

"The upper volume, 'Nine Transformations Dragon Art,' is a Qi Condensation Realm technique capable of refining a 'True Dragon Fiend,' making one's combat power outstanding within the same realm. The lower volume, 'Ten Thousand Chariots Dragon-Control Ascension Treasure Scroll,' is a Foundation Establishment Realm technique capable of refining the 'Ten Thousand Chariots Dragon-Control' Dao Foundation, offering hope for the Golden Core Great Dao in the future."

After introducing the techniques, Zhao Xuhe suddenly changed the subject:

"However, Brother Lu, I am currently injured and my true qi is weak; if I simply hand over the technique to you now and you go back on your word, destroying our agreement, what then?"

"... hat's simple."

Lu Yang's eyes darted, and he proactively suggested: "You can give me the 'Ten Thousand Chariots Dragon-Control Ascension Treasure Scroll' first, while you keep the 'Nine Transformations Dragon Art' for yourself."

"I am currently only at the Qi Condensation Realm; even with a Foundation Establishment technique, I cannot cultivate it. You need not worry that I will break my promise and harm your life." Speaking thus, Lu Yang's face was filled with sincerity: "After I let you out, you can then give me the 'Nine Transformations Dragon Art.' How about that?"

Zhao Xuhe thought it over and felt Lu Yang made excellent sense.

"It's a deal!"

Zhao Xuhe took the 'Ten Thousand Chariots Dragon-Control Ascension Treasure Scroll' from the jade box, while Lu Yang still did not reveal himself, instead condensing a large hand of true qi to grab it from across the distance.

Seeing this, Zhao Xuhe could only sigh inwardly, suppressing his last shred of hope, and obediently handed over the technique to Lu Yang.

Lu Yang received the technique, memorizing every word and sentence firmly in his heart, then grinned broadly.

"Farewell!"

The next second, Lu Yang sank his qi to his dantian, directly activated the Life-Taking Curse, and explosively self-detonated!

Boom!

Moments later, the sky-full of dust and smoke dissipated, revealing Zhao Xuhe's face, written entirely with bewilderment.

"My technique... it's gone?"

Why self-detonate?

Self-detonation aside, why explode neither early nor late, but wait until after obtaining the technique to do so? I haven't even had time to read the technique myself!

"Lu Yang..."

Zhao Xuhe stood in the wind, gazing at the 'Ten Thousand Chariots Dragon-Control Ascension Treasure Scroll' which had turned to ash, chanting Lu Yang's name, his expression gradually twisting:

"You beast!"

(End of Chapter)