Chapter 158 - 110: The Three-Move Pact: Zhang Su vs. Embracing Pill

"Hm?"

Zhang Su looked up.

At some point, an old man with a full head of white hair and a white beard had appeared in the crowd.

The old man stood at the edge of the Martial Arts Arena, his hands clasped behind his back. He wasn’t tall and was slightly stooped, his grayish-white robe faded from countless washings.

But despite this decrepit appearance, Zhang Su felt a sudden, inexplicable palpitation in his heart.

His senses were far sharper than those of the other Martial Artists.

Thus, he could faintly perceive that within the old man’s seemingly withered frame lay a terrifyingly immense power. On the surface, it was calm as still water, but if it were to erupt, it would be absolutely monstrous.

Zhang Su’s expression grew serious.

Upon seeing the old man, many of the Hidden Sword Manor Martial Artists in the Martial Arts Arena hurriedly knelt and paid their respects.

"Greetings, Clan Elder!"

Even Ouyang Chuan, the Manor Master of Hidden Sword Manor, immediately bowed and asked respectfully, "Clan Elder, what has disturbed you?"

The old man didn’t answer right away. Instead, he walked slowly to the center of the arena, his gaze sweeping over Ouyang Chuan with a hint of coldness.

"If I hadn’t come, the reputation of Hidden Sword Manor would have been trampled into the dust."

His words were incredibly harsh.

Ouyang Chuan’s lips moved, but he didn’t dare utter a single word in his defense.

The old man’s gaze then fell upon Ouyang Pu’s corpse on the ground.

In that instant, a flicker of profound grief flashed through his cloudy, aged eyes.

Ouyang Pu was his chosen successor.

For years, he had lived in seclusion within Hidden Sword Manor, having almost no contact with the outside world. He wasn’t close to anyone in the manor, with the sole exception of Ouyang Pu, whom he had raised by his own hand.

Ever since Ouyang Pu was a young child, he had taught him swordsmanship, taught him Sword Nurturing, and taught him how to be a man.

For over thirty years, though they didn’t have the official title of master and disciple, their bond was just as strong.

Ouyang Pu’s talent wasn’t top-tier, but he made up for it by being diligent and hardworking, with a steady and calm temperament. He was a rare and promising seedling.

The old man had thought that in a few more years, once Ouyang Pu’s Sword Nurturing Skill reached Great Success, he could take his place and become the new Stabilizing Needle of Hidden Sword Manor.

But now, Ouyang Pu was dead.

Killed in the Martial Arts Arena of Hidden Sword Manor.

The old man took a deep breath, and the grief on his face quickly vanished, replaced by a pool-like stillness.

Having lived to his age, he had experienced far too much. This was not the first time he had faced life and death, or parted with a loved one.

Grief was grief, but he knew what was truly important.

The most important thing right now was how to handle this matter.

The old man raised his head, his gaze falling upon Zhang Su.

After a moment, the old man spoke slowly, "If I’m not mistaken, that was the Guiyuan Sect’s Nine Shadows Sword Technique and Wind and Thunder Sword Technique. You’ve even manifested Divine Intent with them. Truly impressive."

He paused, glanced down at Ouyang Pu’s body, his tone tinged with a hint of regret.

"Ouyang Pu nurtured his sword for three years, gathering his momentum, hoping to make a stunning debut. He just never expected to meet an opponent like you. With two types of Divine Intent erupting at once, his Sword Nurturing Skill was useless against you. His death was not an injustice."

Zhang Su raised an eyebrow, his gaze fixed on the old man.

’This old man certainly has a sharp eye.’

’He recognized the Wind and Thunder Sword Technique and the Nine Shadows Sword Technique at a single glance.’

One had to understand that although both swordsmanship styles came from the Guiyuan Sect, their levels and origins were completely different.

The Nine Shadows Sword Technique was one thing; it was a swordsmanship style for the Qi Blood Realm of the Guiyuan Sect and was widely known. Many in the Jianghu had seen it, so recognizing it wasn’t unusual.

But the Wind and Thunder Sword Technique was different.

This swordsmanship was unique to the Sword Wall on Bamboo Sword Peak.

Anyone who could recognize the Wind and Thunder Sword Technique at a glance had most likely had some dealings with people from Bamboo Sword Peak.

Zhang Su’s thoughts stirred, and he began to form another guess about the old man’s identity.

"You are..."

"I am Ouyang Yin, a Clan Elder of Hidden Sword Manor. In my younger years, I traveled the Jianghu with Qu Zhengliu, the master of the Guiyuan Sect’s Bamboo Sword Peak. I’ve gotten old in recent years and have spent my time in the manor, teaching Ouyang Pu some Martial Arts."

Ouyang Yin said faintly.

Realization dawned on Zhang Su.

’No wonder Ouyang Yin could recognize the Wind and Thunder Sword Technique. So he had dealings with Qu Zhengliu in his youth.’

Though his mind was racing, Zhang Su’s expression remained impassive.

He began to recall the intelligence he had on Hidden Sword Manor.

Before coming here, he had learned that besides the Manor Master Ouyang Chuan, Hidden Sword Manor had another Clan Elder of an extremely high generation.

This Clan Elder typically didn’t meddle in the manor’s affairs, focusing only on his own cultivation and teaching the younger generation.

And for Ouyang Chuan to be so deferential, there could only be one reason.

Embracing Pill!

This Ouyang Yin was a master of the Embracing Pill Realm!

A chill ran down Zhang Su’s spine.

When he had killed Dugu Jian before, Dugu Jian had been strong, but his Cultivation was ultimately only at the Huajin level.

But Embracing Pill was different.

Once a Martial Artist stepped into the Embracing Pill Realm, the power they could unleash with their Pill Force was terrifyingly immense, on a completely different level from Huajin.

Zhang Su stared at Ouyang Yin, his gaze growing heavy.

"So, are you going to avenge Ouyang Pu?"

Zhang Su asked.

"No."

Unexpectedly, Ouyang Yin shook his head.

"I am an Embracing Pill Martial Artist, after all. Naturally, I won’t bully a junior."

Ouyang Yin continued, "Young Hero Zhang, didn’t you wish to borrow our ’Sword Nurturing Skill’ to take a look? The ’Sword Nurturing Skill’ is a secret art of Hidden Sword Manor, and it is truly not something we can show to outsiders. However..."

His tone shifted, and a sharp glint flashed in his cloudy eyes.

"If Young Hero Zhang can withstand three of my moves, then I will make the decision to lend you the ’Sword Nurturing Skill’ for your viewing."

As soon as he said this, an uproar swept through the Martial Arts Arena.

Withstand three moves from Ouyang Yin?

It might not sound difficult—just three moves. One could just grit their teeth and endure it.