Chapter 417 - 225: The Prodigies Join Forces in a First Display of Might

Chapter 417: Chapter 225: The Prodigies Join Forces in a First Display of Might

Yao Yilong’s face darkened. He drew a breath and said coldly,

"You naive juniors. Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. What do you think you can change?"

He raised his sword, and in a flash, he appeared before Xie Yuan, his long sword thrusting out with deceptive ease.

’So fast!’

’He’s too fast!’

The three were shaken to the core. They weren’t disciples from some minor sect who had never seen a Grandmaster before. But only now, facing one as a true enemy, could they feel the sheer pressure.

Xie Yuan was prepared. He brought up his long sword in an instinctive block. His wondrous Sword Heart allowed him to see the trajectory of Yao Yilong’s swordsmanship, but unlike before, he couldn’t find a way to counter it.

How could a Grandmaster’s swordsmanship have so many openings? And even if he saw a counter, Xie Yuan’s speed and strength simply couldn’t keep up. It was useless.

But just seeing the lightning-fast strike was an accomplishment in itself. Xie Yuan managed a light parry with his long sword. His entire body felt as if it had been struck by a thunderbolt, nearly collapsing from the force, but he had managed to divert the blade by a hair’s breadth.

SHK—

The long sword grazed past Xie Yuan’s arm, kicking up a spray of blood.

Yao Yilong was somewhat surprised. He studied Xie Yuan’s expression—his handsome face was grave, serious, focused, and calm. There wasn’t a trace of panic. There was even... a hint of excitement and a thrill of battle.

’This kid...’ Yao Yilong’s expression darkened. Just as he was about to capture him once and for all, he realized it was the last he would see of Xie Yuan.

The next moment, the young man vanished right before his eyes.

’What?’

’What just happened? Where did he go?’

Yao Yilong was stunned. ’What kind of Cultivation Technique is this?’

A Grandmaster’s perception and techniques were extraordinary. Never mind a junior in the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm; even a peer would find it difficult to suddenly vanish without him noticing.

He was momentarily thrown into confusion. This completely defied all logic.

But a Grandmaster was a Grandmaster, after all. An instant later, he sensed something was wrong and seemed to spot a blurry figure next to him.

As long as he wasn’t being focused on, Xie Yuan could evade a Grandmaster’s perception.

But he had already been locked onto by Yao Yilong’s aura. To evade it completely, his Celestial Concealment Skill would likely need to advance another level.

Even so, Xie Yuan had bought himself a sliver of hope. And though Yao Yilong had noticed something was amiss, his perception was hazy. He wasn’t even sure he could land a blow on Xie Yuan if he were to strike now.

He frowned deeply, an uncomfortable feeling that things were slipping from his control welling up inside him. He resolved to capture Xie Yuan quickly to prevent any more complications.

Just as Yao Yilong was about to strike at the blur, a massive, golden-glowing fist appeared before him.

He froze, then slapped the fist away with his palm. The blow sent Huie Jue, his monk robes strained to their limit, flying backward. Yao Yilong’s own palm went slightly numb.

He shot a surprised glance at Huie Jue, whose physique was extraordinary, like that of a Vajra. A chill ran through his heart. ’If this monk were at the Third Transformation Realm,’ he thought, ’he might actually pose a threat.’

’But as he is now...’ The thought flashed through his mind. He was about to pursue Xie Yuan again when a column of Clear Qi soaring skyward next to him drew his attention.

Zhang Junyi held his Peach Wood Sword high overhead, muttering an incantation. Clear Qi swirled around him, and sparks of lightning flickered on the wooden blade, giving it an awe-inspiring presence that made Yao Yilong’s eyes narrow.

Seeing the dark clouds gathering faintly overhead, Yao Yilong looked surprised for a moment, then snorted coldly and thrust his sword toward the young Daoist.

Seeing this, Zhang Junyi had no choice but to unleash his attack prematurely. He swung the Peach Wood Sword, and a bolt of lightning shot toward Yao Yilong, only to be instantly dispersed by his Sword Qi.

Smelling the scent of burnt fabric from his sleeve, Yao Yilong’s face turned black.

He was a dignified Grandmaster, yet facing three Martial Artists of the Qi and Blood Second Transformation Realm, he had failed to land two consecutive attacks. Not only had he failed to capture his target, he had been punched, grazed by a sword, and had his robes singed!

If word of this got out, how could he ever show his face again?

But these three were proving to be incredibly tenacious, even causing Yao Yilong a degree of trouble.

He didn’t dare to strike these two with lethal force, yet if he didn’t, they were genuinely affecting him. Their attacks couldn’t be completely ignored, either!

It was unheard of for the techniques of a Qi and Blood Second Transformation Realm practitioner to pose a threat to a Grandmaster.

’Then again,’ he mused, ’the first rumor that made Xie Yuan famous was that he could injure a Grandmaster even during his External Training... Wait, where is he now?’

Yao Yilong suddenly realized that in the distraction caused by the other two, his perception had completely lost Xie Yuan’s trail!

His gaze shot like lightning across the area. He glanced down the long street, wondering if Xie Yuan had escaped in that direction, when a sudden chill ran down his spine. He spun around.

Behind him stood Xie Yuan. His body flickered with golden light, muscles bulging, his Blood Qi surging so powerfully it was as if he too had manifested a Vajra’s body.

Yao Yilong paid no mind to that, however. His eyes were fixed on the large axe that had appeared in Xie Yuan’s hands. A sinister black light was gathered upon it, compressed to its absolute limit, coalescing into a single, terrifying point on the axe’s edge. The attack was ready.

Yao Yilong’s expression changed drastically. For the first time, a look of tension appeared on his face. As he watched Xie Yuan let out a sharp exhalation and swing the axe down at him, he viciously swept his long sword upward, unleashing a turbulent torrent of energy.

The ferocious energy from this single sword strike kicked up a tornado on the street, powerful enough to blow away the dark clouds in the sky!

The great axe and the long sword crashed together. The ear-splitting screech was enough to startle the whole of Jinling awake.

BOOM—

The tornado of energy blasted Xie Yuan away. He coughed up a mouthful of blood in mid-air, his vitality instantly draining away.

Although Xie Yuan had seized the initiative, the Grandmaster’s reflexes were quick enough to pour sixty to seventy percent of his power into the strike. Taking a heavy blow from the Grandmaster one-on-one, Xie Yuan was instantly and severely injured.

But Yao Yilong was not unscathed.

Though he had stopped the axe, he himself was forced back three steps, his sword-wielding right hand trembling uncontrollably.

He lifted his hand to look. A deep gash had been torn in the web of his hand. Traces of black energy were still corrupting the wound, but his own Blood Qi extinguished it moments later.

Nevertheless, pain throbbed from the gash, and blood flowed freely, instantly dyeing the sword hilt red.

Yao Yilong silently switched the long sword to his left hand. He stared at Xie Yuan, his face expressionless, but his eyes could not hide his profound shock.

He was injured.

He, a Grandmaster, had exchanged a single, one-on-one blow with Xie Yuan, a man in the Qi and Blood Second Transformation Realm. And he was the one who got injured.

And if he hadn’t reacted in time, he wouldn’t have gotten off with a mere injury.

That axe strike... had the power to kill a Grandmaster.