Chapter 1402

Hu Xiaotian heard that faint sound of breaking air and already sensed something amiss; he moved his feet, Teng! Teng! Teng! his body technique shifted rapidly, forming successive afterimages before Su Yujin's eyes; the ice needles Su Yujin shot didn't hit him at all.

After Su Yujin's attack, seeing Hu Xiaotian already hidden behind that cold jade pillar, her white brows furrowed; his martial skill truly exceeded imagination.

Hu Xiaotian leaned against the cold jade pillar, took two breaths, slowly opened his eyes, still feeling a bit dizzy, but much better than before. Hu Buwei indeed did not exaggerate; Su Yujin's martial skill is truly formidable, even compared to Ji Feihua at her peak, she is not lacking.

Su Yujin did not rush to launch an attack, speaking softly: "So you came for the Skull; even if you don't say it, I can guess who sent you."

From behind the cold jade pillar came Hu Xiaotian's loud laugh: "Deceiving me? They say monastics don't tell lies; you're a Daoist nun, also considered monastic—how can you utter such a lowly lie? Then tell me, who sent me here?"

Su Yujin heard his abundant inner energy, secretly marveling; she didn't expect that in this short time he had already recovered his vigor, the depth of this person's internal force is truly rare in a lifetime.

At this moment Hu Xiaotian emerged from behind the cold jade pillar, now holding a soft sword; this soft sword he happened upon in Fragrant Mist City, though not a divine weapon, it is considerably stronger than his former sword, suitable for executing the Spirit Snake Nine Swords, and when not in use it can serve as a belt for easy concealment; he originally also brought a light sword, but he lent the light sword to Ji Feihua for self-defense, so he can only use this soft sword.

Su Yujin said: "You actually came out?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "I never thought the master of the Qingxuan Observatory, so esteemed, would do nothing but petty thievery; that Skull belongs to the Dakang royal household, you'd better obediently return it to me. Otherwise……"

"Otherwise how?" Su Yujin spoke as she launched an attack, like a silver flash of lightning, suddenly closing in on Hu Xiaotian's face.

At this moment Hu Xiaotian had fully recovered normalcy; he shook his soft sword, a soft xiu! sound, drawing an arc. Midway the arc swiftly straightened, its trajectory shifting like a spirit snake; the technique he used was precisely the Spirit Snake Nine Swords transmitted to him by Xumi Tian.

Su Yujin's right hand spread, a puff! a mass of cold mist spread out; before her body even touched Hu Xiaotian, she already flew backward, her speed truly unprecedented for Hu Xiaotian. Although his thrust was profound and mysterious, by the time he struck, his target had already vanished.

Su Yujin's body stood firm in the distance, her white brows knotted together: "Spirit Snake Nine Swords!"

Hu Xiaotian's heart was greatly shocked; it seemed his martial arts truly had no secrets left. The Dog-Dodging Eighteen Steps could be recognized by the Xu family, the God-Demon Annihilation Fist by the Beggars' Sect, the Slay Heaven Seven Swords by the Sword Palace looked familiar; now he employed what he thought few knew the origin of—the Spirit Snake Nine Swords. He had barely executed one move, and they already called out its name. Xumi Tian, Xumi Tian, after all we are de facto husband and wife, how could you deceive me too? Wasn't it said this sword technique was your unique creation? Why does this Su Yujin know it?

Su Yujin nodded, then suddenly spread her hands and muttered an incantation.

Hu Xiaotian thought she was just playing mysterious. As he prepared to attack again, he heard a rustling all around; looking up, he instantly felt a chill, only to see tens of thousands of white-furred rats surging like a tide from all directions.

These were not the lab's little white mice; each was about a foot long, eyes glowing green, rushing to encircle Hu Xiaotian at astonishing speed.

Seeing the scene before him, Hu Xiaotian without hesitation leapt into the air and landed on the platform atop the cold jade pillar where Su Yujin had just been practicing.

From the cracks in the surrounding caves burst a great swath of snow-white bats, covering sky and earth as they swooped down on Hu Xiaotian; he inwardly cursed, having thought Su Yujin merely a martial arts master, little expecting she also had beast‑commanding ability—Hu Buwei had never mentioned it—Hu Xiaotian's soft sword flew up and down, wrapping himself in a wind‑and‑rain‑proof barrier; bats were occasionally struck down, blood spraying, and what astonished Hu Xiaotian further was that the blood was blue.

At this moment those white rats had completely encircled the cold jade pillar, pressing and writhing against each other; just looking at it made one feel nauseous.

Su Yujin stood there, watching with interest as Hu Xiaotian was completely encircled; she slowly shook her head, reached out, and the snow eagle that had flown away earlier returned, carrying that blue‑transparent skull, preparing to deliver it back into her hand.

Just then a black‑clad figure flashed overhead, struck the snow eagle's neck with a palm, and firmly seized the blue skull in hand.

Su Yujin had thought victory was certain, but unexpectedly another complication arose; seeing the blue skull fall into the opponent's hand, she couldn't help but be terrified, she let out a sharp scream, and the white hair at the back of her head rose strand by strand. The white bats, hearing the scream, immediately changed their attack direction, turning to surround that black‑clad person.

After the black‑clad person seized the blue skull, seeing the flock of bats flying toward him, he immediately tossed the blue skull to Hu Xiaotian on the cold jade platform; Hu Xiaotian caught it firmly in one hand.

Su Yujin stamped her feet and shot upward; no matter what, she wanted to reclaim the skull. The white bats indeed took the skull as their target, realizing it was in Hu Xiaotian's hand, they immediately shifted direction to fly toward him. Hu Xiaotian already knew the newcomer was Ji Feihua; he didn't know why she had also come here, and in this situation there was certainly no time to ask details—he tossed the skull again to Ji Feihua, then dove down from the cold jade pillar, launching a straight punch at Su Yujin's crown, the most overpowering strike of the God‑Demon Annihilation Fist; at this moment he didn't care how broad Su Yujin's knowledge was, whether she recognized it or not—first he would repel her, then talk.

Although Su Yujin was formidable, she dared not clash head‑on with Hu Xiaotian; she shook her hands, and countless golden specks flew from her body—golden blood‑shadow insects. Hu Xiaotian was no stranger to them; back in the Dakang imperial palace he had nearly fallen to Xumi Tian's scheming because of these very insects, which had sparked their inextricable karmic bond. However these golden blood‑shadow insects did not fly toward Hu Xiaotian; instead they chose to avoid him, and Hu Xiaotian immediately realized this was entirely because he had taken the inner core of the Five‑Colored Spider King, rendering him nearly immune to all poisons.

By the time Su Yujin realized the golden blood‑shadow insects were useless against Hu Xiaotian, it was already too late; his fist was before her, she could only choose to block, but because she acted too hastily she couldn't fully neutralize his force, she grunted and her body plummeted straight to the ground.

Hu Xiaotian, however, used the rebound force to soar upward again; he dared not land on the ground, for if those tide‑like surging white‑furred rats all rushed up at once, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Ji Feihua used hands and feet together, shaking off the bats near him; just then she saw Hu Xiaotian rise, grabbed him, and both landed together on the cold jade pillar.

The white bats at this moment eased their assault, re‑forming their ranks; Hu Xiaotian and Ji Feihua stood back‑to‑back on the cold jade pillar, gazing at the white bats filling the sky. Hu Xiaotian sucked in a cold breath and sighed, "Just who is this woman?" As he knew, Su Yujin in the Kingdom of Tianxiang held the status of a national preceptor, highly respected and trusted by the Empress Dowager Long Xuanjiao; yet he hadn't expected Su Yujin to possess not only formidable martial skill but also a constant stream of scheming tactics—her moves bore no resemblance to those of a cultivator, rather they resembled the nefarious methods of the Wuxian Sect and the Banlan Gate.

Su Yujin said: "You two, obediently return the Skull to me, and I'll let you live; otherwise I'll see to it that you die without a whole corpse."

Ji Feihua snorted coldly: "That depends on whether you have the ability."

Hu Xiaotian said: "No more talk with her! Su Yujin, you must immediately call off these monsters, or I'll smash this skull to pieces—we'll part ways, and none of you will get anything!" He held the blue‑transparent skull aloft, ready to smash it.

Su Yujin, wary of damaging the skull, gazed at the skull in Hu Xiaotian's hand, biting her lip hard; her heart began to waver—although she thought he wouldn't dare smash something so important, she still didn't dare go all‑out.

Ji Feihua sent a mental transmission to Hu Xiaotian: "She should be intimidated by you; guard the skull, I'll subdue her." Without waiting for Hu Xiaotian's consent, Ji Feihua launched herself downward, and while still midair she unleashed seven successive palms—known as the Seven‑Layered Palm—each swift strike leaving a lingering afterimage in the air; all the palm prints stacked atop one another, resembling a blooming white lotus, imprinting onto Su Yujin's chest.

Su Yujin couldn't help but inwardly curse; the Qingxuan Observatory had never before experienced an outsider infiltrating, yet tonight not only had someone sneaked in, but two had arrived at once, both formidable opponents whose martial skill was not inferior to hers; Su Yujin fixed her gaze on Ji Feihua, and a blue light flashed in her eyes.

Hu Xiaotian kept close watch on her every move, anxiously warning: "Never meet her gaze." Just a moment ago his carelessness had nearly cost him dearly, and even now his head still felt hazy.

Hu Xiaotian's shout seemed to alert Su Yujin; she let out a sharp whistle, her fingers hooked as she moved to meet Ji Feihua's Seven‑Layered Palm. Their gazes met across the space, the blue light in their eyes suddenly blazing; Hu Xiaotian, though far away, dared not keep looking and hastily turned his head—at this moment the white bats circling overhead resumed their attack.

Unlike Hu Xiaotian's experience, Ji Feihua showed no reaction to Su Yujin's blue gaze; the Seven‑Layered Palm had already reached her opponent's front, Su Yujin's right hand, before contacting the opponent's palm, suddenly contracted, changing from claw to fist, a layer of clear, crystalline ice armor forming over her knuckles—puff! fist and palm collided, earth shaking, mountains trembling, the Seven‑Layered Palm's seven phantom images dispersed, the ice armor on Su Yujin's right fist shattered by Ji Feihua's thick palm into fine ice mist, enveloping both bodies in the frost. (to be continued~^~)