Chapter 455: A Single Breath of Sword Qi, Hundreds and Thousands

On the small path.

Two people, one horse.

The man in black holds the beauty, the beauty holds a white cat.

Yu Youwei gradually recovered from her previous shock, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Was that old man earlier really Huang Sanjia, Huang Longshi?"

"Genuine and authentic." Yu Liancheng nodded, leaned out, and kissed the face of the Flower Queen: "Why, you don't believe it?"

Yu Youwei shook her head and hesitated: "Although I am but a weak woman, I have heard of Huang Longshi's methods. By offending him like this, are you not afraid of his retaliation?"

Yu Liancheng chuckled: "He is a smart man; he knows what to do. Even if he truly wants to retaliate, whatever methods he has, he can just bring them out. But he had better not let me catch him by the tail. Otherwise, it won't be as simple as just a sound thrashing." Although it was a joke, by the end, it carried a faint trace of killing intent.

Yu Youwei bit her lip slightly, her brows furrowed. After a long while, she finally made up her mind: "No, that is not what I meant. I meant that since you have offended him, then, then you must cut the weeds and dig up the roots to prevent future trouble."

"Haha, I never expected Beauty Yu to be so decisive in killing." Yu Liancheng pinched Yu Youwei's cheek.

"I, I am worried about you, and you still have the heart to joke." Yu Xuanji's pretty face flushed, and she slapped away Yu Liancheng's restless hand.

Beauty Yu was indeed considering things for Yu Liancheng, though, of course, she had her own selfish motives to some extent.

It was precisely this Huang Longshi whose three-inch tongue stirred up the Spring and Autumn wars, leaving countless people displaced; she was one of the victims. If that old fellow died, she would naturally clap and cheer.

"Although that guy has quite a few wicked hobbies, in reality, he pushed the development and unification of the Central Plains. Moreover, that old monster is a genuine God-like figure, having attained sainthood through Confucianism; compared to the realm that Xuanyuan Jingcheng forcibly piled up with his life, the difference is like heaven and earth. He is not so easy to kill; it is too much trouble."

Yu Liancheng chuckled, then suddenly turned his head, his expression solemn: "Someone is coming. Such intense Sword Intent; there are very few such sword masters in the world."

"Sui Xiegu returns the sword, Murong Tonghuang, receive the sword."

Just at this moment, a voice that was hoarse and unpleasant, yet as loud as a bell, rang out.

Accompanied by a "humming" dragon's roar, or rather, a sword's chime.

The sword sound trembled like a dragon's roar.

A beam of sword light came from the distant horizon, moving from far to near.

The sword light was like a startled swan or a lightning bolt in a clear sky, its speed unimaginably fast.

The cold, clear sword light spilled out, turning the world white; the area within a hundred feet was rendered by the sword light, as if one were in a world of ice and snow, a place carved from white silver.

And wherever the Duoqing Sword passed, the airflow was swept to both sides. Along the way, whether trees or rocks, they were shattered and crumbled one after another.

Since learning the sword dance passed down by Yu Liancheng, Yu Youwei could be considered a master.

But at this moment, she only felt enveloped by a chilling Sword Intent, as if someone had poured a bucket of ice water over her head; her limbs were cold, and the Qi circulating within her body could not flow smoothly. It was as if she had been frozen, and she could only wait to be captured.

"With me here, there is no need to worry."

Yu Liancheng held Yu Youwei and channeled his True Qi.

Immediately, wisps of heat surged into the Flower Queen's cold body, allowing her to circulate her Qi smoothly again and regain her freedom, yet she still felt lingering fear. She did not want to experience that feeling of being at someone's mercy a second time.

Following that, Yu Liancheng shook his arms, and his person seemed to float up slowly like a dark cloud. His figure turned in mid-air, and with a tap of his toes, he landed on the incoming Duoqing Sword.

The sword light suddenly dissipated.

The Duoqing Sword immediately tilted downward, and with a "chi" sound, the tip of the sword along with half the blade plunged into the ground, the hilt facing upward, still shaking incessantly.

And Yu Liancheng's figure floated down slowly, his toes resting on the hilt, standing with his hands behind his back, as if weightless; he also seemed to drift with the Duoqing Sword, standing tall like an immortal.

"Heh, good lad, you do have some methods."

The one-armed, white-browed "Eating Sword Ancestor" Sui Xiegu appeared out of nowhere and chuckled: "You borrowed a sword from my disciple Huang Zhentu, and I return a sword to you; I wonder if you are satisfied?"

"Satisfied, naturally satisfied." Yu Liancheng stood on the hilt, nodding with a smile, a look of sudden realization appearing on his face.

That previous sword strike was not only a test but also contained Sui Xiegu's insights into Sword Dao, especially the method of eating swords and condensing Sword Qi, which even Yu Liancheng found highly beneficial.

He couldn't help but think of the "Jiao Tie Da Fa" in the Gu-style Edo, which was one of the ten great divine arts of the Demon Sect; one could swallow gold and iron like tofu. Da Huanxi Nu Pusa had practiced it, though it seemed to have no other use besides being scary.

"You are satisfied, but I am not yet. Since you claim the title 'One Sword Brightens the Heavens', I am too lazy to engage in a war of words with you. Just look at my ten thousand Sword Qi."

Sui Xiegu laughed toward the sky, his snow-white eyebrows flying, his romantic and heroic spirit fully revealed.

He opened his mouth and suddenly exhaled a long breath.

He spat out the thousands of Sword Qi he had swallowed over the past hundred years.

Each strand of Sword Qi represented a sharp Sword in the world.

The Sword Qi was vast and mighty, filling the space between heaven and earth, stirring the firmament, without beginning or end.

Almost every sword had a glorious past, having been famous for a time and having killed countless people. Yet in the end, they were all swallowed into his belly, leaving only the most refined Sword Qi, polished to be ever sharper.

"Go!"

Sui Xiegu pointed his fingers like a sword toward Yu Liancheng.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!

In an instant, thousands of strands of Sword Qi were triggered by Sui Xiegu's finger, turning into shadows that blotted out the sky, piercing through space, causing the airflow to boil, and rushing toward Yu Liancheng with the force of mercury pouring onto the ground.

Yu Liancheng's expression remained unchanged.

He still stood on the hilt, his figure trembling slightly.

His Qi and Blood surged, his True Qi circulated, and the blood energy, vast as a torrent, merged with the unimaginably powerful True Qi, transforming into an invisible protective shield that expanded with a "hum," instantly enveloping Yu Liancheng and Yu Youwei.

Countless strands of Sword Qi scrambled to strike the shield, instantly setting off countless air explosions, and the broken Sword Qi poured out like a tide.

Outside the shield, the ground was shaved away layer by layer by the wild Sword Qi, and large patches of soil surged like waves.

Yu Youwei on the horse's back turned pale; she could hardly imagine that if not for the protective shield of Murong Tonghuang, she would likely have been cut and shredded by the Sword Qi in an instant, turning into a pulp of flesh.

Yu Liancheng stood with his hands behind his back, letting the Sword Qi bombard him like a violent storm, remaining as immovable as a mountain.

Suddenly, he tapped his toes on the hilt of the Duoqing Sword, and the Duoqing Sword immediately sank into the ground, while Yu Liancheng floated down to the ground.

A muffled sound came from the ground, which seemed to shake slightly, as if there were an earthquake.

Cracks spread across the ground, and broken Sword Qi spilled out from the fissures.

A moment later.

The Duoqing Sword drilled out from the ground again, and the Sword Qi in the cracks had vanished.

It turned out that there was Sword Qi hidden, passing through the underground, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Originally, Sui Xiegu intended to catch Yu Liancheng off guard, but he was easily seen through.

Seeing the magnificent Sword Qi return without success and the sneak attack fail, Sui Xiegu's eyes shot out brilliant rays of light, reflecting the Sword Qi filling the sky.

"Merge."

He turned his sword fingers.

Streaks of Sword Qi blended and converged.

They condensed into a sharp blade of Sword Qi that had almost become tangible.

Sui Xiegu gripped the Sword Qi with his single arm and stepped forward, thud, thud, thud. With every step, there was an unstoppable momentum. His arm raised, the sword of Sword Qi pointed straight at Yu Liancheng's chest, as if it would never stop unless it pierced his heart.

When the sword of Sword Qi collided with the invisible Qi barrier, the previously unstoppable momentum seemed to pause for a moment.

But in the next instant, following the activation of Sui Xiegu's Qi, the sword of Sword Qi pushed forward again, inch by inch piercing into the invisible Qi barrier.

As Sui Xiegu advanced, the entire Qi barrier continuously buckled and deformed inward.

Finally, the Qi barrier collapsed with a boom, and the surging Qi flooded out.

Sui Xiegu's eyes lit up.

He turned his wrist, his speed suddenly increased, and the sword of Sword Qi thrust toward Yu Liancheng's heart.

With Sui Xiegu's strength, combined with such a close distance, it could be said to be mere inches away; there was absolutely no reason for this sword to miss.

However, Yu Liancheng suddenly tapped his toes on the ground, and his figure drifted backward abruptly. At the same time, he reached out with a backhand, and the Duoqing Sword appeared in his palm.

He probed his arm forward and thrust the Duoqing Sword out; a sharp glint flashed in mid-air, looking like lightning and yet like an aurora piercing the dark night.

Clang!

The tangible sword and the sword of Sword Qi clashed in the void. As the tips of the swords struck, violent energy flew, and it actually emitted a crisp sound like weapons clashing.

"If you want to see my sword technique, I will let you see enough of it."

Yu Liancheng curled his lips, revealing a set of grim white teeth.

Swish!!

As his wrist turned, the sword light flourished, carrying lightning and thunder, sweeping wantonly.

The long sword danced wildly, and the sword light flickered.

There were no Flying Swords, no sword formations... none of those flashy things, but every sword strike was pushed to the extreme in its variations, and when struck, they carried the might of lightning and thunder.

No one could describe the variations and speed of this sword, nor could anyone describe the heart-stopping thrill when this sword was thrust out.

If not for the fact that the person before him was one of the few great Grandmasters in Sword Dao today, he would likely have been defeated long ago.

Sui Xiegu's expression was solemn; he had pushed his sword momentum to the limit.

In front of Yu Liancheng, no one could hold back, and he, this ancestor who eats swords, was no exception.

Unknowingly, this Sword Dao Grandmaster who had once exchanged an arm with Li Chungang was already drenched in cold sweat.

He had nearly a hundred years of bitter cultivation in Sword Dao; besides his thousand-fold Sword Qi, he possessed layers of profound Sword Techniques and sword formations. Yet, in Yu Liancheng's continuous, relentless offensive, he could only use the most basic sword techniques to parry.

Only until this moment did Sui Xiegu realize that simple thrusts, chops, flicks, and slashes could exert such power.

In a flash, Yu Liancheng thrust out five more swords.

Although they were just five simple swords, to Sui Xiegu, they were more terrifying and frightening than the fifty or five hundred swords of ordinary sword technique experts.

That speed, which almost surpassed everything in the world, was simply incredible.

Furthermore, the exquisite sword principles contained within this sword technique were even more unimaginable. With three swords thrust out, there were countless continuous follow-up moves, one linked to another.

Sui Xiegu flew backward; at the same time, he flicked his wrist, and the sword of Sword Qi in his hand scattered again into hundreds and thousands of Sword Qi, which surged mightily, covering the sky and earth to meet those five swords.

"Good lad, I have learned a lesson today; I will come to seek your advice another day."

Ignoring the hissing Sword Qi behind him, Sui Xiegu tapped his toes, and his person had already flown far away into the sky.

After thrusting out the five swords, Yu Liancheng waved his arm, carving out a magnificent sword light that dispersed most of the Sword Qi before him.

He laughed heartily: "Haha, no need to rush off; I have also learned a Flying Sword Technique, please offer your guidance."

He brought two fingers together and chanted, "Go."

A faint streak of sword light flashed suddenly.

In an instant, all the brilliance in the heavens and on earth seemed to dim, and all the light condensed upon this single, faint streak of sword light.

The sharpness of the edge, the surging of the Qi, and the swiftness of the speed—even Sui Xiegu, who was nearly a hundred years old and accustomed to the storms of the Edo, felt a sense of heart-chilling fear.

The old man who eats swords turned around, opened his mouth, and spat again; the invisible Sword Qi turned into substance, condensing into a small sword, and collided with the incoming "Red Flail."

However, as soon as the two swords made contact, the small sword of Sword Qi immediately collapsed.

But it also bought the old man who eats swords some time; Sui Xiegu turned his body slightly, and the "Red Flail" cut a slight wound on his shoulder before returning.

"Haha, Li Chungang is about to come out of the mountains; next time, go exchange another arm with him."

Yu Liancheng flicked his sleeves, and the Red Flail disappeared. He turned his head and smiled brilliantly at Yu Youwei, whose face was slightly pale on her horse.

"Let's go, continue to Shangyin Academy."

Shangyin Academy.

The scholars of the academy came from all corners of the land; they did not value status or wealth. As long as they passed the academy's triennial examination, they could become Shangyin scholars. These scholars who leaped over the Longmen were also known as Jixia Xueshi.

Following the conclusion of the Spring and Autumn War, the scene of a hundred schools of thought contending was no more, but the ethos that all scholars were equal and that academics had no hierarchy still lived on.

In the exquisitely magnificent Shangyin Academy, except for the Gongdelin, which only the libationer could enter, all other places could be visited, and all books could be read.

Of course, there were certain places in the academy that ordinary scholars could not enter.

For example, Dayi Lake.

The lake was planted with countless green lotuses; the water was not deep, only the depth of two people, and one could clearly see the bottom, with the branches and roots of each green lotus visible. Boating on the lake felt more like floating in the sky, resembling a fairyland.

There were two reasons why ordinary academy scholars dared not come to Dayi Lake to boat and admire the green lotuses: first, this was the place where Huang Sanjia, also known as Huang Longshi, became famous; second, a woman lived in a pavilion by the lake.

"Junior brother, let it go. At worst, we just lose fifty taels of silver. If you really go to Senior Sister Xu's side, you will lose your life."

"This isn't about fifty taels of silver, but about dignity. In Shangyin Academy, except for Gongdelin, where can we not go? Are we supposed to be afraid of a woman?"

"You arrived late and don't know, but I have truly seen Senior Sister Xu kill someone."

"That was because others provoked her. Besides, this... this... my Sword Technique is actually quite good too."

"Sigh, it is hard to persuade a ghost bent on Reincarnation with kind words. Go ahead then."

"Wait, my calves are cramping a bit, let me rest for a moment."

On the edge of the lake, two people were skulking behind a green lotus emerging from the water, whispering to each other; both were Jixia Xueshi.

One had delicate features, while the other had a sunken nose bridge and exposed gums, a short-lived appearance destined for an early death and Reincarnation.

"Wait, look, there is a boat."

"There is a man and a woman on the boat, it's not the senior sister, they are going to be unlucky."