Chapter 234: Xie Xiaofeng

Outside the small town lies a patch of woodland.

Xie Xiaofeng has already arrived within this woodland.

After a night of adjustment, both his spirit and his body have been completely relaxed and restored.

Perhaps this is not his peak state, but if he only dared to fight others when he had reached his peak, then he would not be Xie Xiaofeng.

From the moment he was born, he seemed to carry all the blessings and glory of the gods in heaven; he was brilliant and talented, and the world looked on in awe.

He began learning the sword at five, deciphered sword manuals at six, and by his teens, he had already defeated the number one swordsman under the Huashan Sect, Hua Shaokun, known as the "Youlong Swordsman."

By the time he was seventeen or eighteen, the number of swordsmen who had been defeated by his hand in the pugilistic world was countless.

And by the time he was twenty-three or twenty-four, he could find almost no opponents; even those who could last ten moves against him were few and far between. He was already worthy of the golden plaque of the "Number One Sword Under Heaven" belonging to the Xie Family.

Perhaps the only person who could be called an opponent was the most famous assassin in the pugilistic world—Yan Shisan.

Although the two peerless swordsmen had made a death pact, Xie Xiaofeng was already completely exhausted; he had had enough of the shackles of being "Xie Xiaofeng," and he was determined to cast off the burden brought by his reputation.

Thus, he became the useless A Ji.

And now, the useless A Ji has once again become the peerless Third Young Master, the Third Young Master who has never known defeat.

Although he killed Tie Tou A Yong, it was only for the sake of better rest and adjustment.

Therefore, he is still wearing thin clothes, made of the cheapest coarse cloth. Yet, worn on him, it seems as if even the most magnificent robes in the world cannot compare.

His spine is straight, like a sword.

His gaze is even sharper than a sword, calm and confident.

But Xie Xiaofeng does not have a sword.

Today was supposed to be a sword duel with another peerless master, yet he did not bring a sword.

Because he knows that Yu Liancheng has already prepared a sword for him.

……

Then, Xie Xiaofeng saw a sword.

A sword still in its scabbard, thrust into the bluestone.

Xie Xiaofeng's eyes lit up.

The pitch-black, aged scabbard, the elegantly styled crossguard, and that apricot-yellow sword tassel—this is so familiar, as if it has been carved into his soul, into his marrow.

He will never be able to forget it.

——Xie Family Divine Sword

Xie Xiaofeng cannot help but reach out his hand; his hand, which was trembling with excitement, immediately regains its steadiness the moment it grips the hilt.

He looks at this sword, his gaze gentle and agitated, just like a passionate youth gazing at his first love.

"The sword is but common iron, made divine by the person," a clear, resonant voice rings out: "Although the Xie Family Divine Sword is famous throughout the world, in the hands of others, it is merely a slightly sharper Sword."

Accompanying this voice is a compelling killing intent.

The sword in Xie Xiaofeng's hand is gripped even tighter; he does not need to turn his head, for he already knows that the person he is waiting for has arrived.

This person is, of course, Yu Liancheng.

The morning sun has just risen, but shining on a person, it does not make one feel any warmth.

Because the world is already filled with killing intent, a killing intent that chills one to the marrow.

Within the woods, a person dressed in black has slowly appeared: "But once this sword reaches your hands, it seems to come alive, and immediately possesses an astonishing killing intent."

Xie Xiaofeng also looks at Yu Liancheng: "You..."

"I have come," Yu Liancheng interrupts sharply, as if he already knew what he was going to say.

Xie Xiaofeng is silent for a long while.

Suddenly, he sees the sword in Yu Liancheng's palm, a long sword with a black fish-skin scabbard, a gold-swallowing mouth, and thirteen pearl-sized bright pearls inlaid upon it.

Perhaps many people no longer recognize this sword.

But seven years ago, the owner of this sword was world-renowned, known to all, and was the only peerless swordsman capable of standing on equal footing with the Third Young Master.

"I recognize this sword," a bright light flashes in Xie Xiaofeng's eyes.

Yu Liancheng says: "Oh?"

Xie Xiaofeng says in a deep voice: "If I am not mistaken, this long sword is Yan Shisan's personal sword."

"Correct, this is indeed Yan Shisan's personal sword. I can also tell you a secret: the pearls on the sword are fake; they were sold by Yan Shisan long ago. He did not have as illustrious a family background as you, nor is he as unscrupulous as I am."

Yu Liancheng says indifferently: "Back then, you and Yan Shisan made a death pact to meet, but you faked your death and left. Yan Shisan felt there were no more opponents in the world, so he carved a mark on his boat and sank his sword, disappearing from then on. When I went to Shenjian Shanzhuang, I took this sword along the way."

Xie Xiaofeng's gaze sinks: "In this matter, I have indeed wronged him."

"Therefore, today I will use this sword to complete that unfinished appointment," Yu Liancheng says indifferently: "By the way, Yan Shisan is not dead. He is deducing the final two variations of the Life-Taking Thirteen Swords, and he is already close to deducing the Fifteenth Sword."

Xie Xiaofeng's expression turns solemn, and a look of reverence even appears on his face, as if an old manor lord facing the Xie Family Divine Sword: "Among the Life-Taking Thirteen Swords, the first thirteen swords are the roots and stems, the Fourteenth Sword is the branches and leaves, and only the Fifteenth Sword is the flower that finally blooms. And this sword must be the 'God' among swords; once created, I fear it will be unprecedented and unrepeatable."

There is a murderous intent in Yu Liancheng's voice: "Not only unprecedented and unrepeatable, but also intolerable to heaven and earth, because that sword already possesses a 'God'—it is a poisonous dragon of death. Therefore, once this sword is unleashed, Yan Shisan will also die."

Xie Xiaofeng's eyes flash with sharpness as he says: "But such sword art, even if it means death, is something that all martial artists in the world, especially those who study the sword, would want to see."

"Correct," Yu Liancheng nods: "After Yan Shisan completes the Fifteenth Sword, he will inevitably have someone test this sword of his. He will certainly come looking for you, so I want to defeat you, because I also want to see the Fifteenth Sword."

Xie Xiaofeng says: "It seems a battle between you and me is inevitable."

Yu Liancheng says: "Since it is inevitable, why have you not yet drawn your sword?"

Xie Xiaofeng says: "Why have you not drawn your sword?"

Yu Liancheng says: "You have already witnessed my methods in the narrow alley, so for the sake of fairness, this time you should strike first."

"Good."

The divine light in Xie Xiaofeng's eyes flares, his entire body radiating a sharp aura; the sword lets out a dragon's roar, and the Xie Family Divine Sword suddenly leaves its scabbard, a bolt of thunder and lightning exploding within the woods.

What exploded was, of course, not thunder and lightning, but sword light more terrifying than thunder and lightning.

This sword light is even filled with an indescribable, marvelous spirituality and change, and this change is vaguely similar to the "Indeterminate" in the "Three Unblemished Styles."

The sword art of Xie Xiaofeng is a kind of sword art like the wind, a sword art like flowing water.

In the blink of an eye, the Sword Qi was already pressing against the eyelashes.

Clang!

The Sword in Yu Liancheng's palm had also been unsheathed, and his sword also seemed to have turned into wind, a void and ethereal, unfathomable wind.

Ding, ding, ding.

The swords had clashed.

Sword light filled the sky.