“Core Disciple Shen!”
Seeing this, Zhao Zhiqian's expression changed drastically, and he cried out anxiously, “My Longxiang Army is united, and the Zhenyue General has always been protective of his own. If you kill me, you will be inviting trouble, no—”
“Whoosh!”
Before he could finish, Shen Xiuhan raised his hand, and a cold star shot through the air!
At the same time, he moved his feet, his figure exploding forward like an arrow released from a bowstring, swift as a startled swan!
Zhao Zhiqian's face paled. He thrust his long saber forward, narrowly deflecting the flying needle.
“Clang!”
Sparks flew!
He hadn't even had time to withdraw his saber when a suffocating pressure assailed him!
Shen Xiuhan had already arrived before him!
“So fast!”
Zhao Zhiqian's pupils contracted. It was too late to retrieve his saber.
In his horror, he frantically pushed out his left palm!
The palm was inky black, faintly emitting a foul, putrid scent.
『Heart-Shattering Palm』!
Shen Xiuhan's eyes flashed with an icy glint, swift as lightning.
He brought the five fingers of his right hand together, True Qi surging, carrying an overbearingly fierce force, and chopped down at Zhao Zhiqian's wrist!
“Crack!!”
The clash of forces was accompanied by the crisp, ear-splitting sound of bones breaking!
“Ahhh!!”
Zhao Zhiqian let out a series of miserable shrieks!
His left wrist had been shattered and his tendons torn by Shen Xiuhan's palm strike. His entire hand hung limply, connected only by skin and flesh!
“Thump! Thump! Thump!”
In intense pain, Zhao Zhiqian's features twisted into a knot. He held his long saber defensively in front of him, staggering backward repeatedly.
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Shen Xiuhan, having gained the advantage, showed no mercy. He raised his hand and scattered a handful of copper coin darts, cold stars filling the sky like a sudden downpour.
At the same time, his footwork changed again, his figure shadowing Zhao Zhiqian as he surged forward!
“Clink, clank, clatter!”
Zhao Zhiqian gritted his teeth, wielding his long saber into a fierce curtain of blades.
Most of the copper coin darts were deflected and scattered.
But several still pierced through gaps in his blade curtain, burying themselves deep into his shoulder and ribs with a few muffled thuds.
The next instant!
A strange, icy coldness, like a bone-deep parasitic growth, spread from the wounds.
When the cold qi encountered his meridians and acupoints, it was like dry wood meeting fire, instantly raging wildly and irresistibly!
Zhao Zhiqian's entire body felt stiff, his once smoothly circulating True Qi seemingly frozen into heavy, sluggish lead and mercury, making every movement difficult.
Terrified out of his wits, he roared hoarsely, “What in the hell is this?!”
The only response he received was a palm strike descending from above!
Shen Xiuhan swooped down from the air, the force in his palm surging like waves, carrying mountain-splitting power, and slammed it into Zhao Zhiqian's exposed chest!
『Heavenly Eagle Wind-Tearing Hand: Heavenly Eagle Path-Finder』
“Damn it!”
Zhao Zhiqian was scared out of his mind and desperately tried to block with his saber.
“Boom!”
First, a muffled explosion, like thunder erupting.
Zhao Zhiqian, man and saber, was sent flying backward!
His sternum collapsed, a sweet taste filled his throat, and fresh blood spurted out as his body crashed back seven or eight zhang, kicking up a cloud of dust!
“Cough, cough…”
Zhao Zhiqian lay sprawled on the ground, coughing up large mouthfuls of blood, his chest heaving violently. He tried to turn over and get up, but fell back down repeatedly, like a fish out of water.
All of this happened incredibly fast.
Shen Xiuhan's strikes were clean and decisive, ruthless and resolute, without the slightest hesitation.
All around, there was a deathly silence.
Feng Zhilan and Kong You watched the scene with horrified eyes.
Their gaze first went to Shen Xiuhan, clad in blue robes, his face as calm as still water, then to the heavily injured, dying Zhao Zhiqian in the distance…
Both of them gasped almost simultaneously!
“Hiss! Senior Brother Shen's strength… is truly unfathomable!”
“We never fought those Nether Yellow Springs Four Demons, so it's fine that we don't know their true depth. But Zhao Zhiqian, we know him very well. With his ability, he would be among the core disciples even in our Chiming Academy!”
“Indeed, yet such a figure couldn't even last three exchanges against Senior Brother Shen…”
As the two marveled, Shen Xiuhan had already turned around.
His gaze fell on Feng Zhilan, and he pointed a finger at the distant Zhao Zhiqian, who was breathing more out than in.
“You go, finish him.”
Feng Zhilan was startled at first.
Then, a hint of joy welled up in her eyes!
Senior Brother Shen was letting her personally settle this grudge!?
She flew without hesitation to Zhao Zhiqian's side, and under his desperate gaze…
A flash of gleaming sword light stabbed down without mercy.
“How satisfying!”
Feng Zhilan's chest heaved rapidly as she returned to Shen Xiuhan's side, holding her blood-stained longsword.
Her pretty face showed the lingering thrill of the battle.
Her eyes, as they shifted, were filled with gratitude, reverence, and a hint of admiration…
She took a deep breath, cupped two storage bags in her hands, and said in a clear, bell-like voice, “Zhilan thanks Senior Brother Shen for your watchful assistance!”
“The ancient cultivator's storage bag from the island's thatched hut, and Zhao Zhiqian's storage bag, all shall be decided by Senior Brother Shen.”
Upon hearing this, a trace of surprise flashed in Shen Xiuhan's eyes.
This girl was quite clever!
Knowing he wouldn't hog everything, she simply offered both storage bags together, letting him distribute them.
It was a beautiful gesture, and it showed proper etiquette.
Shen Xiuhan didn't stand on ceremony. He took them casually, his gaze sweeping through them.
Zhao Zhiqian was a pauper.
Besides the high-grade precious saber in his hand, his storage bag only contained a spare low-grade precious saber.
And a few bottles of qi-restoring and healing pills.
Other than that, it was empty, not even a banknote.
The ancient cultivator's storage bag, however, contained many things, though none were particularly precious.
Several cultivation technique manuals, mostly Anjin Rank and Huajin Rank.
A dozen or so Tier Two and Tier Three precious herbs, which was a decent harvest.
There was also a high-grade precious artifact long spear, its tip still gleaming coldly, indicating its original owner was a skilled spearman.
Shen Xiuhan took half of the precious herbs and the long spear, then casually asked, “The items in this ancient cultivator's bag are complete. Did its original owner die in meditation?”
“No!”
Feng Zhilan shook her head, a trace of lingering fear in her eyes, and lowered her voice. “He… he was killed. The killer left in such a hurry that he didn't even bother to take this storage bag before leaving.”
“Oh?”
Shen Xiuhan's gaze sharpened, and he pondered inwardly.
A Diaohai Pavilion disciple killed within their own Blessed Land? What did that imply?
Could an external force have broken through the Blessed Land's grand array?
Yet, the island had been peaceful and calm all along, the spirit fields orderly, the vegetation lush, with no trace of a struggle. By all appearances, it didn't look like an enemy invasion.
Unable to find a clue for a moment, he stopped thinking about it.
He tossed the two storage bags back to Feng Zhilan and said, “You two can divide the remaining items. I have things to do, so I'll be leaving first.”
Before his words finished, his figure flickered, and with a flutter of his robes, he had already moved several zhang away.
Feng Zhilan was startled and quickly called out on tiptoe, “Senior Brother Shen! There are still many precious herbs to share in the spirit fields outside the thatched hut!”
The blue-robed figure didn't stop, only a distant sentence carried on the wind: “You keep them for me. Just give them to me after we leave the Blessed Land.”
Feng Zhilan stood frozen, gazing at the retreating figure, wondering what she was thinking.
Clutching the two storage bags, a blush suddenly appeared on her fair cheeks, and she lowered her head, muttering softly, “Zhilan… understands.”
...
At sea.
Shen Xiuhan walked alone upon the blue waves, his toes lightly tapping the water's surface. Before the ripples could dissipate, he had already drifted several zhang away.
The sea breeze brushed his face, but his heart surged like a tide, his thoughts churning ceaselessly.
His actions this time, while partly driven by the desire to help fellow disciples of the Four Sects, were more deeply intended to offer the Feng Clan a step down.
Months ago, he had sought to join Mount Bixia, only to be rejected by both the Qi and Sword Lineages.
The Qi Lineage was fine; at most, it would lead to idle talk of “poor judgment of character.”
But the Sword Lineage had not spared him cold mockery.
Feng Buting's single-minded ambition to elevate the Sword Immortal family, the Feng Clan, was well-known.
He had not taken a disciple for many years, waiting for an unparalleled prodigy who could comprehend sword-glow.
What was the result?
Shen Xiuhan, a prodigy who had comprehended sword-glow, was personally rejected by him and personally sent to the Star-Plucking Sect.
As a result, the Feng family endured ten times the ridicule of the Yue family.
Feng Buting's old face was probably still burning with embarrassment.
Shen Xiuhan saving Feng Zhilan this time was an attempt to build a bridge over this awkward relationship.
The matter of Yue Lingsong and Linghu Su colluding with demons was of great importance.
No matter how he acted, he couldn't bypass the Feng family.
It was better to use this opportunity to see if he could resolve their grievances and earn some gratitude.
What's more!
Shen Xiuhan's eyes flickered as he mused, 'The Feng family must know the details of the Qingyang Sword Immortal's legacy grand array, and there might even be experts guarding it.'
'By myself, even if I could break through the sword-yuan in a short time, I wouldn't be able to enter and investigate thoroughly.'
'And the Feng family also doesn't have a genius who can comprehend sword-yuan to retrieve the treasures within the grand array.'
'At least, not yet.'
'Therefore…'
'I have a great opportunity for cooperation with the Feng family!'
Shen Xiuhan's eyes glinted, and his plan gradually became clear.
Just then, he suddenly looked up!
In the distance.
A majestic giant island vaguely spanned the sea and sky.
At the heart of the island.
A towering peak rose from the ground, pointing like a sword to the heavens, its summit hidden in the clouds, presenting a grand and awe-inspiring sight.
One of the Four Great Direct Lineage Legacies of Diaohai Blessed Land!
Divine General Peak!
He had arrived!
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