Chapter 261: Probing for Truth Through Exchanges of Moves

Hanyang was instantly alerted. He followed the direction from which the Demon Blade had flown and saw a person emerge from the shadows, face covered by a black cloth, their entire body reeking of baleful energy.

The newcomer did not speak, simply walking over and pulling the Demon Blade, which was deeply embedded in the tree trunk, out. The movement was so deft that it seemed as if they were pulling it not from wood, but from a mass of minced meat, requiring no effort at all.

Just then, the monsters outside the array seemed to have discovered the commotion here and began to swarm toward this spot, but the masked person merely raised a hand, and the monsters obediently went back to attacking the Dharma Array.

It seemed this person intended to deal with him alone.

Hanyang could not help but knit his brows, focusing all his energy.

This person was brimming with killing intent, yet had been able to hide in the forest without being detected by him; clearly, they possessed some cultivation. One could tell just by the way they drew the blade, and the fact that the monsters obeyed them indicated that this person held some status, but...

But this person had no demonic energy on them. Could it be that they were a human? Yet how could a human command monsters?

Hanyang stared fixedly at the person opposite, not daring to act rashly, while that person also watched him without moving, as if they were observing him as well.

In a standoff, when the depth of the opponent's cultivation is unknown, the one who strikes first is often more likely to reveal a flaw.

But just watching like this wouldn't reveal any secrets either!

Perhaps realizing this, or perhaps because the newcomer had grown impatient, the figure in black moved first.

They kicked off the ground and soared toward Hanyang. As they did, they swung the Demon Blade, and bursts of sword Qi, like a force splitting bamboo, slashed through the gravel on the ground as they flew rapidly toward Hanyang.

To be able to slash out sword Qi from thin air—regardless of the person's cultivation level, their Martial Dao internal strength was not to be underestimated!

Hanyang frowned but did not move. He simply pinched his fingers to form a seal, and instantly, Spirit Qi enveloped his body; it was the Bolan Buqing Jue.

Indeed, Hanyang possessed the Water-Fire Inverse Spiritual Root, so it was no surprise he could utilize a Water Art like Bolan Buqing.

One after another, the sword Qi struck the shield phase of the Bolan Buqing, only to be instantly neutralized, while the shield formed by the Spirit Qi remained Wuyang.

Compared to Lingxiang, Hanyang's cultivation was higher, and his Spirit Power was more refined, so naturally, it would not be shattered as easily as Lingxiang's Bolan Buqing Jue.

The blade collided with the shield phase, as if a red-hot iron block had been plunged into water, stirring up bursts of water mist.

The water mist billowed like thick smoke, obscuring the surroundings in an instant. Just then, the figure in black suddenly darted out from the mist, leaping down with the Demon Blade held high, slashing toward Hanyang.

No sooner said than done; just as the water mist swirled like smoke, Hanyang dropped into a lunge and drew the long sword at his waist with lightning speed.

"Clang!"

In an instant, sparks flew, and the Demon Blade was but a sword's length away from Hanyang; the two of them saw each other clearly, face to face.

Looking at the pair of eyes mere inches away, a chill rose in Hanyang's heart. Those eyes were incredibly fierce, the bloodshot veins countable, as if every single one were killing intent, yet there was a certain emptiness in them—they were completely devoid of life.

What had created such terrifying eyes!

Just as Hanyang was stunned, he saw the person's free hand flip, drawing another Demon Blade from their waist, and with a swing of their long arm, it struck directly toward Hanyang's chest.

Seeing the cold air of the Demon Blade right before him, Hanyang hurriedly pressed his knee to the ground and used his waist to force himself to fall backward; the Demon Blade slashed past, nearly grazing his nose.

Hanyang hurriedly channeled his Spirit Power and struck a palm toward the person's chest, but the blow hit nothing but air.

The person bent their elbow, and in one fluid motion of dropping and rising, used Hanyang's own force to spring themselves away.

Hanyang felt a heaviness on his sword, then saw the person retreat seven or eight zhang with a few backflips.

What a masterful use of borrowed force!

Hanyang couldn't help but praise, though it also made him even more cautious.

Judging by their Body Movement alone, this person was extremely formidable, and their strength was not to be underestimated. Having just received that blade strike, the web between his thumb and index finger was still tingling, showing the depth of their Martial Dao cultivation.

Furthermore, he had only just raised his hand to gather Spirit Qi—it had all happened in the blink of an eye—yet the person had used his force to spring away. To be able to discern the power of that palm strike showed they were not merely a simple martial cultivator.

That palm strike was his own secret technique, the Ice-Sun Palm!

Not to mention whether this person knew the technique, the mere fact that they could detect danger with such speed was not to be underestimated. Moreover, after two exchanges, this person still appeared relaxed.

When experts clash, the truth is revealed within two moves; this person was definitely more than they appeared on the surface!

In a moment, Hanyang thought it through, adjusted his grip on his sword, and frowned even more deeply.

During the two exchanges just now, the person had intentionally exposed a flaw, appearing to be beaten back by him, but in reality, they were testing him. Although he hadn't used his full strength either, compared to the opponent's effortless demeanor, he was somewhat at a disadvantage.

This person was not easy to deal with!

While he pondered, the figure in black rose into the air again, the twin blades merging to become a single long blade.

The blade was wrapped in demonic energy that stirred up strange winds, blowing away the surrounding water vapor. The person dropped into a lunge, closed their eyes, and held the blade beside their ear, as if listening to the language of the blade.

Zen Intent Iai!

Hanyang was greatly alarmed; this was the Eastern Ocean Sword Art!

Iai was originally the Eastern Ocean Draw-Slash—the draw is the slash, and if not drawn, there is no slash. Seeing through the momentary opportunity while waiting was the true essence of Iai, and it was said that when it slashed, nothing could withstand it!

After this sword art was introduced to the Central Plains, some cultivators learned it and combined it with local cultivation methods, evolving a new move: this Zen Intent Iai.

It was said that when using this sword art, the user detached their divine sense and surrendered themselves entirely to the blade in their hand, which was why they held the blade by their ear, looking as if they were listening to it.

Lingxiang had told him about this sword art after returning from a journey. According to Lingxiang, this sword art looked very imposing, but in reality, it was extremely underhanded.

"I have never seen such an underhanded sword art!" Lingxiang had said with a face full of disgust.

"Oh? How is it underhanded?" Hanyang had laughed.

"If you don't move, they don't move. If you move, they seize the opportunity to find a flaw and slash you down. By the time you react, you'll likely be decapitated."

"Then wouldn't it be fine to break it from a distance with Witchcraft?" Hanyang had pondered, rubbing his chin.

"It's not that simple!" Lingxiang had exclaimed. "Even though they aren't moving, they are on high alert. If you try to subdue them with Witchcraft, they can neutralize it with a few swings—it's incredibly troublesome. If it were ordinary Iai, that would be one thing, but the trouble with Zen Intent Iai is that their blade is connected to a blade spirit! If they get impatient and strike first, they can hit you even from far away!"

Hanyang stared fixedly at the person, not moving, fearing that if they grew impatient, they would swing the blade down. But standing still forever wasn't a solution either!

After thinking it over, he actually sheathed his sword.

Rather than sit and wait for death, it was better to test them. After all, he had never witnessed this sword art before, and Lingxiang always liked to embellish when telling stories; while it was mostly accurate, it wasn't entirely reliable.

Thinking this, Hanyang pinched a Bolan Buqing seal with one hand for emergencies, and with the other, pulled a Yellow Talisman from his robes, flicking it toward the person with a snap of his fingers.