Chapter 190 - 189: One Versus Two
In the hall, the atmosphere suddenly became oppressive,
The faces of those from the Lingxi Sword Sect and the Lu Family alike turned grim.
Despite the anger, Ding Jianxiao forced a smile and said, "Lord Gu, surely you jest!"
The Supreme Elder, Zhang Xuanche, spoke too, "Gu Qianhu is an official of the Court, appointed by both the Court and Canglan City, his actions naturally follow protocol, it’s merely a jest!"
The Lu Family Grand Elder calmly said, "Lord Gu, the matter concerning collusion with the Mang Mountain Thieves can be put to rest, the culprits have been found, and the Lingxi Sword Sect must take responsibility for failing to supervise, there’s no denying it. However, the primary focus now should be the pursuit of the Mang Mountain Thieves.
These devious scoundrels dare roam the Martial World beneath the bright heavens and commit heinous crimes. We mustn’t show leniency, and we of the Righteous Dao Martial Arts cannot tolerate this. Today, I speak on behalf of the Lu Family, as long as we trace the Mang Mountain Thieves, eliminating the Demon Dao is our duty!"
"Indeed," Ding Jianxiao declared loudly, "The wicked Demon Dao is exceedingly daring, and we must not show leniency. Although the Lingxi Sword Sect’s supervision was insufficient and allowed collusion with the Demon Dao, we are willing to follow Lord Gu’s direction to investigate the whereabouts of the Mang Mountain Thieves."
Gu Zhan looked around at everyone and then kicked a corpse, speaking slowly, "But, this corpse tells me that the Lingxi Sword Sect colluded with the Mang Mountain Thieves and planned to kill me!"
In an instant, the atmosphere in the hall froze again,
Everyone’s expressions turned solemn.
Gu Zhan suddenly chuckled lightly, "Just a joke, surely you wouldn’t believe it?"
Ding Jianxiao took a silent deep breath, restrained his anger, and lightly laughed, "How could we believe it."
"But, I believed it!"
At that instant, Gu Zhan suddenly drew his saber from its sheath, the sharp whistling was the sound of slicing through the air, turbulence preceding a blade,
The entire hall brightened instantly,
The terrifying saber light unfolded like a massive net directly enveloping Ding Jianxiao.
Ding Jianxiao was also a Great Cultivator,
His reaction speed naturally not inferior to an ordinary person, the sword at his waist instantly unsheathed, a bright crisp sound accompanied by a powerful air wave splashed, blocking Horizontal Saber, the terrifying air wave rippled outward from between the saber edge and sword tip,
Causing the tiles on the roof to incessantly tremble and fall.
Ding Jianxiao was shaken back, his arm aching,
Yet, Gu Zhan’s saber twirled in the wind, hissing as it charged at Ding Jianxiao again, faster even than before,
The terrifying saber edge made Ding Jianxiao dare not meet it head-on,
Just after their engagement,
He understood why Chen Ranfeng was so easily killed by Gu Zhan before,
Though both were First Realm Great Cultivators,
Their levels were entirely different,
Just like Innate Ninth Layer and Innate Peak, the same realm, but with power worlds apart,
He was now the same,
Both were First Realm Great Cultivators,
Yet he knew immediately upon receiving Gu Zhan’s saber that he wasn’t a match, not even a worthy opponent.
However,
Gu Zhan’s saber was too fast and ruthless,
This saber followed the rules of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, unavoidable, unblockable; he could only brace himself to meet it head-on.
Nonetheless,
In a critical moment,
A thin sword suddenly appeared, extremely thin, transparent, as if it were the misty ice over a lake in early winter,
Despite the dense winds, the seemingly delicate thin sword wasn’t blown away by the fierce air current but directly positioned itself between Gu Zhan and Ding Jianxiao, across Gu Zhan’s saber edge,
No violent buzzing,
Nor the clang of blade meeting sword,
The thin sword appeared just naturally before Horizontal Saber’s blade edge,
An invisible force guided the thin sword, gently rotating, the tip directed towards Gu Zhan’s brow.
Gu Zhan hastily withdrew his saber to block,
The tip of the thin sword struck the blade,
Directly piercing through Horizontal Saber forged from the finest Profound Iron through a thousand hammerings,
The thin sword pierced Horizontal Saber,
Rushed forward swiftly,
Generating a fiery string of sparks through the Profound Iron blade edge,
Gu Zhan forcibly swung the saber,
Yet the formidable force continued pushing him backward relentlessly,
Gu Zhan grasped the saber hilt with both hands, positioning it vertically in front, the long sword pierced through Horizontal Saber, lightly brushing past his face, severing a strand of hair.
Zhang Xuanche, seated, smiled with his silver hair fluttering, performing a spell, threads of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi swirling around him, guiding the thin sword’s retreat,
In that instant,
The thin sword split into five, rapidly shooting forth, weaving in the air, forming a dense sword net that instantly enveloped Gu Zhan, streams of swift flowing light visible but no sword form discernible.
Zhang Xuanche softly said, "Lord Gu, let us end this here, continuing will do no good for anyone."
On another side, Ding Jianxiao finally breathed a sigh of relief, only moments ago, he truly felt ensnared by death when Gu Zhan’s saber approached.
Nonetheless, seeing Zhang Xuanche completely suppress Gu Zhan, his pending heart settled down,
Yet, at that instant, things took a dramatic turn,
A loud roaring sound filled the hall, akin to turbulent waves. Some even saw in their eyes a vision: thunderous power with a deep night sky, beneath shrouded darkness a sea ran wild and tumultuous,
Four Seas Unification Blade Technique,
The saber edge revealed, born for kill!
At that moment,
Gu Mo’s presence caused the dense sword net surrounding and suppressing Gu Zhan to begin fracturing,
The boundless sea composed of Saber Qi,
The sea soared heavenward, the saber light slicing the night apart, radiating and dazzling, disheveling Heaven and Earth, the dark night shattering,
In that instant, the sword net shattered,
Leaving only a thin sword slicing through the night, rushing into the sea,
However,
The thin sword, as if unopposed, shattered upon collision with the sea-imbued saber.
"Pfft"
Simultaneously, seated Zhang Xuanche spewed forth a mouthful of blood essense, his entire presence instantly withered, the air of immortality extinguished and exhausted, his eyes brimming with shock and disbelief,
Yet, Gu Zhan’s saber wouldn’t halt despite his severe wounds,
Moving like a specter, delivering a slash,
Only then did Zhang Xuanche realize that Gu Zhan hadn’t used full force against Ding Jianxiao, that his target had always been him, intending to lull him before striking.
In the hall, tables and chairs shattered with the force,
A slash searing into Zhang Xuanche’s shoulder and neck,
Blood spattered, Zhang Xuanche’s face twisted with ferocity, hands stretched boldly to grasp Gu Zhan’s saber, halting him briefly, he bellowed, "Strike, kill him..."
At that moment, the astonished Ding Jianxiao fiercely thrust a sword, aiming directly at Gu Zhan’s back.
The Lu Family Grand Elder, seated elsewhere, boldly extended a palm, and a monstrous air wave transformed into a gigantic Palm Seal.