Chapter 1649: Sinking Water, No Fragrance (Part 1)

Named Sinking Water, the Sinking Water Sword is scentless; it pursues life and severs affection. No one knows how many enemies' vengeful spirits have perished beneath this sword. But today this sword did not claim an enemy's life—it claimed the life of one's own disciple. The old man's visage was dark and fearsome; he channeled his inner power into the sword, and where it had been broken, a white sword radiance unexpectedly extended one inch. Condensing qi into a sword, few in the Sword Palace can attain this state; apart from the Sword Palace Sect Master Qiu Xian Guang, only three elders can reach this level. The old man before them is Elder Xie Changliu, one of the Sword Palace's Three Great Elders.

Xie Changliu, Qi Changguang, and He Changsheng are the three oldest senior elders still existing in the Sword Palace. Because of their advanced age, they have long ceased to concern themselves with worldly affairs; even the Sword Palace's junior disciples rarely know their identities. However, this does not mean their abilities are lacking. Since Qiu Xian Guang took charge, these three elders have retreated behind the scenes—some chose to wander the clouds, some chose closed-door cultivation, some chose to remain obscure among the masses. Xie Changliu, for instance, transformed into an inconspicuous menial worker of the Sword Palace. Apart from Qiu Xian Guang and a few others who know his identity, no one would guess that this silent, taciturn old man is actually a venerable elder of the Sword Palace.

A chilling killing intent radiated from Xie Changliu as its center, spreading in all directions like an invisible great net that enveloped the entire Wisdom Sword Hall. Inside the Wisdom Sword Hall, no other Sword Palace disciples remained; only Ji Feihua stood there silently. Her eyes were deep as the sea, she stood tall and proud, hands clasped behind her back, gazing at the Sinking Water Sword in Xie Changliu's hand. A faint smile touched the corner of her lips—no mockery, yet no trace of fear.

Although Ji Feihua had broken the blade's edge, the sword aura generated by his inner power caused the sword to radiate brilliance, and the Sinking Water Sword burst forth with unprecedented splendor.

Xie Changliu's sword draw was extremely slow, yet the Sinking Water Sword in his hand was light as nothing. At a distance of five feet from Ji Feihua, the sword aura blossomed like flower petals, layer upon layer, transforming into hundreds of dazzling lights and shadows that enveloped her form. In an instant, its speed increased dozens of times, and each sword aura, in its high-speed motion, turned into a straight, icy trace.

Ji Feihua let out a light sigh, then extended her right hand, actually reaching into that soul‑chasing, life‑taking sword aura. After her move, the myriad rays instantly converged into a single line, still two fingers gripping the Sinking Water Sword. Her body spun like a top, and before Xie Changliu could retrieve the Sinking Water Sword, she slammed her shoulder hard into his chest.

Xie Changliu could no longer hold onto the Sinking Water Sword in his hand; his chest felt as if struck by a heavy hammer, he let out a muffled groan, and his body flew backward. Xie Changliu reacted with astonishing speed—when Ji Feihua struck his chest, he had already inhaled, sinking his entire chest to buffer her tremendous impact. Even so, he was still a step behind, marveling at her speed: how could someone so young possess such formidable power?

After being knocked airborne, Xie Changliu continuously shifted his form in midair—first to buffer Ji Feihua's impact, second to avoid making a disgraceful fall before the gathered Sword Palace disciples. Outside, the Sword Palace disciples had already set up their sword formation, but seeing Xie Changliu emerge from within, they panicked and scattered to the sides, instantly disrupting the formation they had just arranged.

Just as his body had not yet landed, Ji Feihua grasped the Sinking Water Sword she had just seized and pursued him, slashing a blade toward Xie Changliu's throat.

Before Xie Changliu could react, the icy blade sliced his throat, cleaving his head from his body. Ji Feihua kicked his corpse away, then raised the Sinking Water Sword and struck his skull; the head flew like a meteor into the crowd, striking a Sword Palace disciple who couldn't dodge in time, shattering his brains and killing him instantly.

Ji Feihua regarded the lives of these unrelated people as mere weeds, feeling no sorrow for their deaths. At that moment she heard Hu Xiaotian's mighty roar, her gaze turning toward the Grind Sword Platform ahead. Below, hundreds of Sword Palace disciples raised their longswords, quickly forming ranks. A cold smile curled Ji Feihua's lips; she shook the Sinking Water Sword, releasing a chilling, invisible sword qi that swept through the crowd—flesh flew, screams rose and fell. She said coldly, 'Those who block me die!' She planted her right foot on a disciple's head and leapt into the air once more.

At that moment a fierce shout rang out from ahead: 'Ten Thousand Swords, Fire as One!'

The Sword Palace disciples who had been terrified into losing their wits by Ji Feihua heard the call and instantly calmed. Fifty Sword Palace disciples raised their crossbows, which were loaded not with bolts but with dozens of gleaming thin swords. These thin swords were oddly shaped—no hilt, just the blade's tail fitted with feathers. Three light, sharp feather swords were stacked together; pulling the trigger released three swords at once, sending 150 feather swords soaring through the air. The disciples responsible for firing the feather swords were well‑trained and coordinated, their shots coming from every angle to cut off Ji Feihua's retreat.

Ji Feihua's sword brows furrowed slightly; the Sinking Water Sword in her hand resembled a flood dragon, tracing a silver chain around her body. The chain spun, forming a silver vortex that drew the feather swords toward it, pulling them in and changing their direction. Suddenly, light blazed forth as over a hundred feather swords, having altered their course, erupted from the vortex like a heavenly rain of flowers falling onto the sword formation just assembled below.

'Ready!' the Sword Palace disciples below had already completed their formation in a short time. Over a hundred disciples waved their longswords, blocking wind and rain, the light swirling like a canopy of umbrellas that held back the heavenly rain of flowers. Yet despite this, more than a dozen disciples failed to dodge in time and were struck down on the spot by the reflected feather swords.

One volley of feather swords spent, a second round of feather arrows shot again toward Ji Feihua.

Ji Feihua's martial prowess, though high,

But faced with the opponent's successive attacks, she had no choice but to slow her steps, sending the feather swords back. Her feet lightly touched the ground, and the nearly five‑hundred‑person sword formation was now complete. Sword Palace Sect Master Qiu Xian Guang stood firmly at the heavenly pivot, gripping an ancient sword, his gloomy gaze enveloping Ji Feihua as he said in a deep voice, 'What formidable skill! Try my Sword Palace's Sword Net Heavenly Net Formation!'

The Sword Net Heavenly Net Formation is the Sword Palace's premier formation, comprising 540 individuals: the inner layer 36, the second layer 72, the third layer 144, and the outer layer 288. From inside out they are called sun, moon, star, and celestial. This formation is the Sword Palace's most numerous and most powerful. Since Qiu Xian Guang became sect master, his progress in swordsmanship has been ordinary, and because the Sword Palace no longer possesses the Seven Slaying Heaven Swords, he has devoted the most effort to formation tactics. The Sword Palace's present might owes much to its intricate and complex sword formations.

Ji Feihua gazed at the surrounding blades rising and falling like waves, a surge of heroic fervor welled in her heart; facing the challenge, her long‑dormant fighting spirit began to stir awake.

Ren Tianqing watched Hu Xiaotian's fist come forth like a thunderbolt, a mysterious smile on his face, standing still without dodging or evading. Hu Xiaotian's punch tore the air; surrounding snowflakes scattered with the rushing air. Its momentum was terrifying—this blow could split mountains and shatter stone, could dry up rivers. Hu Xiaotian's fist was still two feet from Ren Tianqing when the invisible force arrived first; his fist never touched Ren Tianqing, yet Ren Tianqing rose like a light feather, drifting upward.

Hu Xiaotian's force fell short, striking empty space behind Ren Tianqing, where it swiftly dissipated.

From the start, Hu Xiaotian knew that Ren Tianqing was surrounded by an invisible protective aura. He had expected his punch to clash head‑on with that aura, producing a earth‑shaking commotion, but he did not anticipate that the moment his force touched Ren Tianqing's outer aura, he would drift away like a feather, exerting no power at all. Hu Xiaotian stepped forward, planted his right foot heavily on the blue‑stone ground, bent his knees slightly, and used the ground's rebound to launch himself upward, soaring four zhang high. Then, like a swift falcon, he plunged downward, breaking through wind and snow, and aimed a punch at Ren Tianqing's head.

The previous situation recurred: his force could not penetrate Ren Tianqing's protective aura. This time he resembled a fully inflated ball, plummeting at high speed toward the ground, landing and then instantly rebounding upward. Hu Xiaotian watched helplessly as Ren Tianqing rose above him; while he braced for a counterattack, he saw Ren Tianqing execute a graceful turn in midair, gliding southward like a great bird.

Hu Xiaotian shouted, 'Where are you going?' Actually he didn't need to raise his voice that much; his aim was to let Ji Feihua know his position. He tapped the tip of his foot on the Grind Sword Platform, employed the Art of Soaring, and pursued Ren Tianqing's gliding path.

Ji Feihua heard Hu Xiaotian's loud shout, but her attention was on the sword formation ahead. Suddenly, rows of sword light rose up like waves on a calm sea, the wall of light formed by the swords reaching three zhang high and rolling toward Ji Feihua.

Layer upon layer of sword light presented a shocking, grand offensive; Sword Palace Sect Master Qiu Xian Guang bellowed, 'Stars Shift, Dipper Turns!'

'Stars Shift, Dipper Turns,' 'Seas turn to mulberry fields'—often in the blink of a thought—and Qiu Xian Guang sought to slay Ji Feihua in the shortest possible time.

Ji Feihua, however, focused intently on the rolling sword formation before her; the Sword Palace's Sword Net Heavenly Net Formation truly lived up to its name, spreading across sky and earth like a raging torrent, advancing with the force to crush the dry and break the rot. Compared to the massive sword formation, Ji Feihua was but a lone leaf‑boat. The wave of sword light opened its monstrous maw, intent on tearing that tiny craft to shreds. (To be continued~^~.)

When the sword-light giant wave rose to its highest point and came crashing down, Ji Feihua's footsteps finally began……(To be continued~^~.)