Chapter 1116

Gai Nie actually lost!

Miss Xiao Li and Zhu Jia could not help but be utterly bewildered!

After all, the contest between Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang was a pure clash of the realm of the Sword Dao.

By all reason, Gai Nie was devoted to the Sword Dao, his talent stood out from the crowd, and he was the Chief Sword Guest of the Great Qin court.

Theoretically speaking, his realm of the Sword Dao should have been above Wei Zhuang's.

Then why did he lose?

"Why do you know the 'Hundred-Step Flying Sword'?"

Gai Nie spat out a mouthful of black blood, his face deathly pale, yet he still raised his head, ignoring the Shark Tooth Sword before him, and instead questioned Wei Zhuang.

The reason Gai Nie had lost in the clash of Sword Dao wills was, in truth, because at the final critical moment, Wei Zhuang had suddenly unleashed the Hundred-Step Flying Sword!

This move was the ultimate killing stroke of the Vertical Sword Art.

Since the current Guiguzi, Wang Xu, died at Mount Wudang, logically only Gai Nie should have known it.

Who would have thought that Wei Zhuang, a successor of the Horizontal Sword Art, would actually know the ultimate killing stroke of the Vertical Sword Art.

How could Gai Nie possibly not lose?

"Look at what this is?"

Wei Zhuang did not answer, but instead asked back, suddenly cocking up the thumb of his left hand.

On that thumb was worn an iron ring.

On the iron ring were some patterns, among them the ancient seal-script characters for "Vertical" and "Horizontal."

"The Sect Master's Iron Ring? Why do you have this ring?"

Gai Nie was even more utterly bewildered at the sight.

The current Guigu Sect Master, that is, Guiguzi Wang Xu, had not long ago died in the battle at Mount Wudang?

After his death, the Sect Master's Iron Ring had long since vanished without a trace.

Even though Ying Zheng had dispatched the Black Ice Terrace and the Net to search for it, in the end they found nothing.

Even Fusu, when he was atop Qinglong Peak, had asked the people of the Qinglong Society, and none of them had ever seen this iron ring.

Gai Nie had also assumed that this iron ring, symbolizing the current Guiguzi, had perished along with the Five Dragon Heads' single sword strike to the ends of the earth.

Who would have thought that Wei Zhuang would actually produce the Sect Master's Iron Ring!

"Seeing the Sect Master's Iron Ring, and this is your attitude?"

Wei Zhuang raised an eyebrow and asked coldly.

"Xiao Zhuang, if you want to kill me, then kill me! Only by killing me can you become Guiguzi.

So long as I live, you will never be Guiguzi!"

Gai Nie, however, paid no heed to Wei Zhuang's words, and instead replied.

In truth, there was always only one Guiguzi in the Guigu Sect.

Of the Vertical and Horizontal pair, the victor becomes Guiguzi, and the loser meets with death!

Even though he was curious why the Sect Master's Iron Ring had appeared on Wei Zhuang's hand, Gai Nie still would not submit.

"You..."

Wei Zhuang flew into a rage, and the demon sword Shark Tooth immediately began to quiver and wail without cease.

"Don't..."

Miss Xiao Li was greatly alarmed; Gai Nie had just risked his life to save her, and she truly could not bear to watch Gai Nie die a wretched death before her eyes.

But Miss Xiao Li herself was in no position to be safe at this moment—how could she possibly save Gai Nie?

"Since you are so stubbornly obstinate, then go and die!"

Wei Zhuang furiously swung the Shark Tooth Sword, preparing to slay Gai Nie with a single strike.

"Hold!"

Just at this moment, the man wearing the Great Qin dragon robe spoke lightly.

899 How could the Clay Bodhisattva be following this person?

This shout, however, was not loud.

Yet Wei Zhuang, who was not far away, actually stopped the Shark Tooth Sword on the spot.

"Master..."

Not only did he stop the action of killing Gai Nie, Wei Zhuang even bowed and saluted this person.

"Mr. Gai Nie, greetings!"

That man waved his hand, flickered lightly, and had already arrived beside Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang.

He was seen personally bending down and helping Gai Nie to his feet.

Wei Zhuang, upon seeing this, could not help but show anger on his face, yet he did not dare make the slightest unusual move.

"Greetings!"

Gai Nie was at a loss; he could sense that the strength of the man before him was far above his own.

Even if he had not been poisoned by the Despair Grass, he feared he would still not be this man's match.

Coupled with the fact that both Wei Zhuang and the masked man took orders from him, it was evident that this man's background was no small matter.

"I know that you, sir, were once the Chief Sword Guest of the Great Qin court. Discontented with that tyrant Ying Zheng, you have now withdrawn from Great Qin and have instead become Great Qin's number one wanted criminal."

This man, it seemed, knew Gai Nie rather well, and spoke directly,

"Ying Zheng is a man of narrow mind, stubborn and self-opinionated; he cannot make use of your talents, sir, but I can.

So long as you, sir, are willing to enter my Despair Shanzhuang, I will not only receive you with the courtesy due a Guest Minister.

I further pledge to you, sir, that I will surely help you break through to the Supreme Mythical Realm and be listed on the Heavenly Dao Combat Power Apex List. How about it?"

These words were extremely tempting!

The reason Hearing Gai Nie "defected" from the Qin Palace was precisely because he wanted to break through.

He merely carried the title of Chief Swordsman of the Great Qin Court, yet his strength was grossly mismatched.

Now this person, in order to win Hearing Gai Nie over, not only promised Hearing Gai Nie generous treatment, but even dared to guarantee the supreme Mythical Realm.

One must know that every supreme Mythical Realm expert is not only a top-tier powerhouse under heaven, but also a person upon whom fortune has converged.

Without the gathering of heavenly timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony, one absolutely could not reach the supreme Mythical Realm.

Yet this person could actually make such a promise — judging by his tone, he was clearly very confident.

For a moment, Hearing Gai Nie could not help but feel a little tempted.

But on second thought, this person's words clearly showed extreme disdain for Great Qin, and were even filled with hostility — to say nothing of it.

More critically, this person hid his head and showed his tail, and set up this trap of the Great Zhou treasure to lure people in.

He truly was a person of sinister intent — not the conduct of the orthodox ways of the jianghu.

The sword Dao Hearing Gai Nie cultivated was both the Dao of the Unrestrained Sword and a sword Dao that upheld the public righteousness of the jianghu.

To cultivate the sword is to cultivate the heart; to cultivate the heart is likewise to cultivate the sword!

If he were to follow this sinister-intent person and do the underhanded deeds of petty men,

Hearing Gai Nie would also be betraying his original heart.

By that time, not only would his sword heart shatter, unable to advance a single step further,

he feared even his current cultivation would be unable to be preserved!

Moreover, Hearing Gai Nie was never in the first place a person who submitted to others.

At present Hearing Gai Nie cupped his hands and said,

"Many thanks for your favor, Esteemed Sir. Gai is but a wandering swordsman of the jianghu.

Previously serving in the Great Qin Court had long made it difficult for Gai to cope.

Therefore I borrowed a pretext and fled into the jianghu, preparing to retire into the mountains and forests.

This time I mistakenly entered your honored place because I was seeking a Fire Monkey to save a dear lady friend of mine.

For any offense given, I ask your magnanimous forgiveness.

But as for what you said about entering the Despair Shanzhuang and the like, please forgive Gai for being but an idle man, unfit to intrude."

Hearing Gai Nie directly stated his purpose for coming, right there before everyone.

Miss Xiao Li, hearing this, could not help but stare in astonishment.

Only now did she understand — the reason Hearing Gai Nie had appeared here was because he had somehow overheard what she had said about the Fire Monkey.

Then was his saving her also for the sake of the Fire Monkey?