Chapter 17: Dugu Yihe and Ximen Chuixue

The night was deep.

An aura of grim slaughter permeated the entire courtyard, making one's whole body feel cold.

Dugu Yihe looked at the man in white and said, "Ximen Chuixue?" Although it was a question, his tone was very certain.

The man in white said coldly, "Yes."

Dugu Yihe said, "You killed Su Shaoying?"

Ximen Chuixue said, "I killed Su Shaoying, but the one who deserves to die is Yan Duhe."

Dugu Yihe said, "There is no longer a Yan Duhe in this world, but there is a Dugu Yihe."

Ximen Chuixue said, "Regardless of whether you are Yan Duhe or Dugu Yihe, I must kill you."

Dugu Yihe sneered, "Regardless of whether you want to kill Yan Duhe or Dugu Yihe, it is already time to draw your Sword."

Ximen Chuixue said, "Very good, excellent."

The end of the road is the edge of the world; the end of words is the Sword.

The Sword was already in hand, already about to be unsheathed.

Dugu Yihe's expression was grave; he was facing one of the two most famous swordsmen in the world today, and no one could be completely certain of defeating Ximen Chuixue, let alone when he only had half of his Internal Force remaining.

But the pride of being the Emei Sect leader and a swordsman would never allow him to bow his head.

And when Ximen Chuixue forced someone to make a move, he would not give them much opportunity to speak.

Clang!

Clang!

Amidst two dragon-like hums, Sword Qi soared into the sky, and the sword light intertwined, instantly painting a heart-stopping picture.

After losing to Yu Liancheng once, Ximen Chuixue's sword technique had actually reached a higher level; the grim, slaughterous aura was overwhelming, and the sword light was like a gale, like a terrifying wave, like an aurora—shocking to the extreme.

The Sword in Dugu Yihe's palm had already struck in a continuous series; his Sword was thicker than an ordinary sword, and the blade was also exceptionally long and wide.

An extraordinary sword technique naturally requires an extraordinary Sword to match it.

Dugu Yihe's sword technique was elegant, yet it seemed to carry the rigid, fierce momentum of saber techniques, complementing this Sword perfectly.

He was using his very own "Seven-Seven Forty-Nine Blade and Sword Dual-Kill Style"; when he joined the Emei Sect, his saber technique already possessed deep Internal Force, and after thirty years of bitter cultivation, he had actually fused the rigidity and power of the saber technique into the spiritual, elegant sword technique of Emei.

These seventy-nine ultimate moves of his could be used with a saber or a sword; it was truly a unique skill under heaven.

Ximen Chuixue was already breaking out in a cold sweat; he had once crossed swords with Dugu Yihe's disciple, Su Shaoying. When Su Shaoying executed the twenty-first move, he had already seen three flaws.

He believed he had three opportunities to kill Dugu Yihe.

Usually, one opportunity is already enough.

But not until he crossed swords with Dugu Yihe did he realize he was completely wrong.

Although Dugu Yihe's sword technique had flaws, he himself knew where those flaws were, and he could even patch those flaws.

Ximen Chuixue struck three times, and three times he was blocked.

If a sword technique meant for killing cannot kill, then it is surely doomed.

But after thirty moves, Dugu Yihe's sword technique became chaotic.

His heart was not chaotic, but his Internal Force was insufficient.

The Seven-Seven Forty-Nine Blade and Sword Dual-Kill Style was inherently a martial art that consumed extreme amounts of Internal Force; when dueling Ximen Chuixue, one could not be the slightest bit careless, but he had already had half of his Internal Force drained by Huo Tianqing before the fight.

And Ximen Chuixue had already discovered this situation, but his Sword could no longer stop. His Sword never left a way out for others, and it never left a way out for himself.

Such a Sword, once unsheathed, is a poisonous dragon that only returns after tasting blood.

It could be someone else's, or it could be his own.

Just as the long Sword was about to pierce Dugu Yihe's chest, a streak of black light suddenly struck, hitting the blade with pinpoint accuracy. The long Sword tilted slightly, piercing a long gash under Dugu Yihe's ribs; blood dripped, but he had managed to save his life.

"Who!?"

Ximen Chuixue's gaze narrowed; to be able to deflect a long Sword with a single pebble required not only astonishing force contained within the pebble but also a deep attainment in sword technique.

Dugu Yihe clutched his wound, panting heavily, feeling the luck of having survived a disaster.

It is mostly young people who commit suicide; the older people get, the more they fear death, and even this Emei leader was no exception.

His gaze followed the direction from which the pebble was thrown, wanting to know who had saved his life.

"Ximen, it has been several days; your sword technique is a step further than it was at Wanmei Villa. Congratulations." A shadow walked out from the Darkness; he wore a smile, dressed in black clothes thicker than the night, carrying an unremarkable black long sword in his hand, his whole person seeming to melt completely into the night.

"It's you." Ximen Chuixue's pupils shrank, and the wound on his chest suddenly flared with a stinging pain.

"Many thanks for your life-saving grace, sir? May I ask your noble name? Dugu Yihe will surely repay this in the future." Dugu Yihe was originally a very arrogant person, but suddenly he was very polite.

"There is no need; that pebble just now can be considered my tuition fee," Yu Liancheng laughed.

"Tuition fee?"

"Indeed." Yu Liancheng slowly drew the "Duoqing Sword" and looked toward Ximen Chuixue; his handsome face became serious: "Ximen, I have gained something from watching the battle; please, First Grade."

Ximen Chuixue did not speak, only pointing his sword tip diagonally at the ground, his expression grave.

Divine light flared in Yu Liancheng's eyes; he stepped forward several paces, sword light surging, Sword Qi overflowing. This sword was filled with a majestic momentum, and even more so, a sense of ferocity.

Ximen Chuixue flicked his wrist; the sword light was ethereal and swift, the sword momentum continuous. It swept out, piercing the air, transforming into a lethal move that was dangerous to the world, meeting the attack head-on.

Two streaks of sword light intertwined, sword radiance flickering, spitting out Sword Qi. The long swords collided, the sound of thunderous claps like beating heavenly drums. In the blink of an eye, they had clashed dozens of times.

Dugu Yihe was surprised to discover that in Yu Liancheng's sword technique, there were actually shadows of the Seven-Seven Forty-Nine Blade and Sword Dual-Kill Style. And it was even more domineering when rigid, and even more ethereal when light and agile.

"He is so young, yet he has such terrifying Internal Force? Or perhaps, he has already brought his external martial arts to the realm of perfection?"

Dugu Yihe suddenly felt a bit wistful.

The three young people who had appeared in succession today were all top-tier experts of the world, and each one had the strength to contend with him.

Time spares no one; perhaps old men like them really should retire, so they might still preserve their reputations from falling.

The two engaged in a fierce battle; although Ximen Chuixue was at a disadvantage, he was not defeated. For an expert like him, even if he could not win, he would not be defeated too easily.

Clang!

The sound of long swords clashing rang out, a flash of sword light swept upward, and a black shadow soared out like a Flood Dragon, tapping in mid-air to land five or six zhang away.

Yu Liancheng turned his hand back, and the Duoqing Sword slid into its scabbard.

"Your battle with Dugu Yihe has depleted both your physical strength and Internal Force; if you continue to fight, you will certainly die," Yu Liancheng said by way of greeting, his figure already vanishing into the dark night, "We shall fight another day."

Ximen Chuixue stood still for a long time before his figure swept away, and he too completely disappeared.

Dugu Yihe let out a long sigh, and the old man, who usually always appeared with a straight back and a glowing complexion, seemed to grow even more aged.

……