A copper stove was placed on the ground, with flames burning brightly. Wisps of white mist rose from the copper lid.
Guan Yujia lay on the ground, his spine exploded, staining his back blood-red. He hadn't moved for a long while, and several people stood silently around him.
Ye Jingtang placed his hand on the handle of his saber, maintaining a posture ready to face the enemy. Although he had expected something to happen to Guan Yujia, he really hadn't expected him to die so heroically and silently.
After everyone was silent for a long time, it was Zhang Jinglin, the pharmacist standing behind Bai Siming, who spoke first:
"Well... Master Guan might have had an injury. When he forcefully circulated his qi during the recuperation, it caused his spine to explode, his qi meridians to shatter completely, and he died on the spot. His ability to reach the realm of unity with nature indicates that the medicine is still effective..."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present came back to their senses.
Yao Wenzhong turned his head and looked at Bai Siming with an incredulous look in his eyes:
"He's dead already?!"
Xuan Yuan Hongzhi raised his hand to signal Yao Wenzhong to stay away from the medicine furnace:
"Be careful of the furnace exploding... This is the so-called rebellion? It's truly ridiculous..."
Bai Siming also hadn't expected that the "Little Boxing Champion" who had dominated Wu Prefecture for more than ten years could die so spectacularly and quietly. He opened his mouth and also moved a little further away from the medicine furnace.
Ye Jingtang had originally wanted to say "brought upon himself," but Guan Yujia's death was so absurd that it was hard to say such words. After thinking for a while, he only commented:
"Even the best medicine has some toxicity. We should listen to what the elders say. Sigh..."
Before everyone's mood had settled down, there was another commotion beside the medicine furnace.
Whoosh whoosh—
As soon as the time was up, Zhang Jinglin opened the copper medicine furnace.
There was an inverted golden needle at the bottom of the copper lid. At the end of the golden needle, a round bead as white as jade had now condensed, with a shiny luster.
Zhang Jinglin turned over the copper lid and placed the round bead in it:
"This is the Tianlang Pearl. If there was a problem with the prescription, it would be impossible to condense the pearl. This pearl can definitely allow you to correct your bone structure and greatly increase your martial arts skills. Whoever can take it will be the next Fengguancheng..."
Seeing is believing. Everyone simply ignored his endless boasting. Even the eight personal guards of the royal mansion beside them quietly moved a little further away. They were probably afraid that the crazy Zhang Jinglin would throw the medicine pearl at them.
Xuan Yuan Hongzhi and Yao Wenzhong had no more interest in this medicine. Their eyes turned to the medical book in the hands of the personal guards.
Ye Jingtang wanted both, but facing the remaining three masters, he still didn't dare to act rashly.
Bai Siming knew that the only bargaining chip King Wu had at present was the prescription of Xuehu San. He stepped forward first and snatched the medical book back into his hand:
"Which of you from Honghua Pavilion and Junshan Terrace can give King Wu a helping hand? This medical book will belong to that person..."
Yao Wenzhong said coldly: "My Junshan Terrace is a marquis in the Great Wei Dynasty. How could we aid the evildoer and commit the act of rebellion? Guan Yujia is already dead. If you throw out the medical book and let the three of us fight for it, you may still be able to escape. Otherwise, we can just kill you first and then take the medical book."
"You!"
Bai Siming was immediately enraged when he heard this. Seeing that Yao Wenzhong had torn off the mask of courtesy, he gritted his teeth, picked up the Tianlang Pearl with the medical book, and threw both the book and the pearl towards Ye Jingtang. At the same time, he fled into the mountains with Zhang Jinglin.
Shua shua~
The medical book and the Tianlang Pearl drew a parabola in the air.
Ye Jingtang knew that this was a scheme to drive the tiger to devour the wolf, but he couldn't just ignore it when the things were thrown at him. So he suddenly leaped forward.
Boom boom—
Almost at the same time, there was a loud explosion of qi not far away.
Xuan Yuan Hongzhi and Yao Wenzhong successively grasped the handles of the sabers behind their right shoulders. Their whole bodies shook violently, they arched their backs, and then they leaped up with their heavy sabers. Their figures rushed forward, and the two big sabers slashed towards Ye Jingtang from the left and right.
Both of them were leaders of Junshan Terrace, using the full-weight Junshan Saber weighing one hundred and eight jin. The power of the saber after a full swing was simply overwhelming. The powerful gust of wind instantly disrupted the fire in the furnace and tore off the surrounding leaves.
Ye Jingtang had just launched a full-speed surprise attack. His long spear was hidden in the forest. It was impossible to defend against the attacks of the two men with just a four-jin Huanhou Saber. So he grabbed the medical book with his right hand and swept the white pearl that had just reached him into the air.
Whoosh—
Clang—
The next moment, a cold light flashed in the forest.
The moment Yao Wenzhong and the others were distracted by the flying Tianlang Pearl, Ye Jingtang unsheathed the saber in his left hand, pulling out a dazzling white light.
Whoosh—
In the blink of an eye, Ye Jingtang held the saber in one hand and flashed in front of Xuan Yuan Hongzhi. He used Xuan Yuan Hongzhi's body as a shield to block Yao Wenzhong's saber strike and propped his elbow against the back of the saber to hold the heavy saber.
Dang—
Sparks flew. The heavy saber in Xuan Yuan Hongzhi's hand slid to the left as expected.
But the real Junshan Saber was too powerful, and Xuan Yuan Hongzhi was not just a rich and idle young man with many tricks. When he slashed down with all his strength, Ye Jingtang's upper body tilted instantly.
Even so, Ye Jingtang still passed by his side, and the moment he slid out from under the heavy saber, he slashed horizontally. The tip of the saber landed on Xuan Yuan Hongzhi's shoulder.
Chua—
Blood spattered.
The three figures passed each other and quickly separated by several zhang.
After dodging the two men, Ye Jingtang didn't look back and ran forward. On the way, he caught the falling Tianlang Pearl and rushed into the forest.
"Eight-Step Frenzy Saber?"
Xuan Yuan Hongzhi had a deep bone-deep wound on his left arm, oozing blood, but he completely ignored it. He just stared fixedly at the Chilong Huanhou Saber in Ye Jingtang's hand!
There was also a hint of surprise in Yao Wenzhong's eyes:
"After all this time, it was Honghua Pavilion who killed Zhou Huaili."
Since they had confirmed that this was the target of their trip, they had new and old grudges to settle together. There was no point in saying more.
The two men carried their heavy sabers and ran wildly through the forest, chasing after Ye Jingtang, who was trying to escape after seizing the treasures.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
The branches and leaves in the forest flew around, and the three black figures rushed out nearly a hundred zhang in an instant.
Although Xuan Yuan Hongzhi and Yao Wenzhong were chasing with all their might, they were carrying heavy sabers weighing a hundred jin, and their bodies were quite burly. There was a gap in their running speed compared to Ye Jingtang.
In just an instant, Ye Jingtang quickly widened the distance and reached the depths of the forest. He grabbed the hidden Minglong Spear.
Now that he had already obtained the medical book and unexpectedly got a Tianlang Pearl that had consumed half a catty of Xuehuahua, Ye Jingtang had no intention of lingering in the battle. He rushed towards the side mountain along a straight line.
Despite running with all his might, Yao Wenzhong was still a bit slower than Ye Jingtang due to the limitations of his body size and weapon. Seeing the distance quickly widening, he couldn't help but feel anxious.
Xuan Yuan Hongzhi knew that they couldn't catch up with Ye Jingtang. He scanned the surroundings with the corner of his eye and found that in the forest not far away, there were two figures moving quickly in the direction where Ye Jingtang had fled, and their speed was not as fast as theirs. So he immediately dragged his saber and turned:
"Over there! Kill the accomplices."
Yao Wenzhong also charged towards Luo Ning and Pei Xiangjun, who had turned back from King Wu's side.
When Ye Jingtang saw this, his eyes turned cold. He dragged his spear and turned in the forest. His figure was like a tiger rushing through the forest, and he charged at the two men from the side. He raised his hand and swept his spear horizontally.
Boom—
A strong crosswind suddenly rose in the mountains. A patch of bushes was instantly flattened, and the tip of the spear, accompanied by countless broken branches, slashed towards Xuan Yuan Hongzhi, who was half a step behind.
Xuan Yuan Hongzhi raised his saber to intercept the tip of the spear while dragging his saber.
Whoosh—
But the Tulong Saber was invincible when dealing with short weapons. When facing long weapons where the opponent was outside the attack range, it, like an ordinary saber, would encounter the insoluble problem of "a single saber approaching a spear." Its deterrence would decrease sharply, and the disadvantage of its clumsy starting move would be quickly magnified.
When Ye Jingtang saw the saber blade being raised during the horizontal sweep, he immediately retracted the spear by holding the tail of the spear, making the tip of the spear staggered the heavy saber. Then, with the force rising from the ground, he exerted a fierce force with his right hand and stabbed towards Xuan Yuan Hongzhi's chest with a move called Green Dragon Presenting Claws.
Boom—
This spear strike was extremely fast. Even though Xuan Yuan Hongzhi pulled back his broad saber to use the blade as a shield the moment he missed the strike, he still couldn't defend against it. The tip of the spear directly pierced into his right shoulder.
Chua!
If it were just a one-on-one fight between the two of them, Ye Jingtang could kill Xuan Yuan Hongzhi with three spear strikes when using a spear against a saber.
But Yao Wenzhong, as the successor of Junshan Terrace, was much stronger than Xuan Yuan Hongzhi in all aspects. When he found that Xuan Yuan Hongzhi couldn't hold up, he held the heavy saber in one hand, swung it around, and then slashed towards the shaft of Ye Jingtang's spear from behind.
Dang—
Ye Jingtang's spear tip had only pierced in about two inches when an irresistible huge force was transmitted through the spear shaft, and the long spear was directly slashed to the side.
"Huh—"
Yao Wenzhong's speed of raising the saber was terrifying. There was no pause after one slash. He spun in the air for a circle. Before Ye Jingtang could pull back the Minglong Spear, he held the saber with both hands and swung it around to slash down again.
When Ye Jingtang saw this, he dragged his spear and flew back, trying to create some distance. But Yao Wenzhong's experience in combat was extremely sophisticated. He swung the heavy saber with both hands, only attacking and not defending, and charged forward like a wild boar, maintaining the distance between them. As soon as Ye Jingtang used his spear with all his strength, he would inevitably slow down, and then there would be a saber strike on his head.
Tap tap tap...
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
The two sides retreated only a few zhang, and Yao Wenzhong's saber momentum had accumulated to the extreme, making a terrifying sound of breaking wind.
And Ye Jingtang, relying on his speed advantage, had created a distance of one and a half zhang. He smoothly moved the long spear backward, then suddenly stopped his steps. His cheeks instantly turned red, and bloodshot eyes appeared:
"Huh—"
Amidst the thunderous shout, the clothes on Ye Jingtang's upper body were all torn apart, his face towel and hat were shattered, the muscles in his arms bulged, and the blood vessels were twisted and almost burst.
Bang—
The next moment, the Minglong Spear was swung down with all its strength from the back to the front, and the violent qi instantly shattered the surrounding branches and leaves.
"Reverse Blood in Fengchi" was a life-risking ultimate move in the Overlord Spear. Although excessively stimulating the qi would damage the Governor Vessel, the effect of doubling the explosive power of the Overlord Spear was far more terrifying than this small price.
Dang—
There was a loud explosion of metal clashing.
Yao Wenzhong swung his heavy saber in a circle and slashed horizontally on the tip of the spear.
When the two blades met, the Minglong Spear directly cut into the blade by more than an inch.
Then the two forces of qi that had accumulated to the limit erupted simultaneously, and the violent impact instantly scraped away the muddy ground in the forest.
Boom—
Under the unbearable huge impact force, the heavy saber in Yao Wenzhong's hands was shaken out of his hands.
And Ye Jingtang had never expected to be able to withstand this saber strike. Before the huge force on the Minglong Spear was transmitted back, he released the spear shaft and let the long spear be slashed towards the side forest.
Clang—
The moment Yao Wenzhong's two weapons flew out, the Chilong Saber at Ye Jingtang's waist had been unsheathed.
When Yao Wenzhong's weapon was knocked out of his hand, he knew that Ye Jingtang would use the Eight-Step Frenzy Saber. While retreating quickly to chase after his saber, he had already reached behind his waist with his right hand and pulled out a short saber that was one and a half feet long.
Because the Junshan Saber was too heavy, the thing it feared most was being suppressed and unable to start an attack. Therefore, disciples of Junshan Terrace generally practiced another lightweight short weapon, which was used for discarding the saber and escaping.
Dang dang dang—
As soon as the weapons flew away, the two men met again, and in the blink of an eye, three saber strikes intersected.
Ye Jingtang's offensive was like a dragon and a python. Under the fierce suppression of the Eight-Step Frenzy Saber, Yao Wenzhong could only retreat quickly towards the fallen Junshan Saber.
When Xuan Yuan Hongzhi saw this, he swung the Junshan Saber in his hand from the side and threw the heavy saber like a flying knife towards Ye Jingtang, who was charging forward.
Whoosh whoosh—
The five-foot-wide saber was like a rotating fan blade and instantly flew to the vicinity of the two men.
When Ye Jingtang saw this, he stopped in a hurry. Yao Wenzhong took the opportunity to retreat quickly and grabbed the Junshan Saber that had been knocked out of his hand, wanting to strike back. But...
"Huh!"
Amidst the muffled shout, Ye Jingtang sheathed the saber in his left hand, grabbed the spinning Junshan Saber with his right hand, and spun around on the spot following the huge force of qi contained in the heavy saber. Then he swung the big saber with both hands and leaped up, slashing down at Yao Wenzhong's head!
Whoosh—
In this scene, not only were Yao Wenzhong and Xuan Yuan Hongzhi stunned, but also Pei Xiangjun and Luo Ning in the distance, and even Bai Siming, who had run far away, were stunned for a moment.
Ye Jingtang smoothly connected with the Tulong Order. Because the flying Junshan Saber already carried a huge inertia, there was no action to build up strength, and he started with a full-strength saber strike.
And Yao Wenzhong had just pulled out the Junshan Saber from the ground. He needed to build up strength and slash heavily. By the time he swung the heavy saber around, Ye Jingtang would probably have already struck him with the third saber.
Yao Wenzhong had never expected that Ye Jingtang would also know the Tulong Order. He cursed in his heart that Xuan Yuan Hongzhi was simply a stupid pig. Instead of throwing the saber at him, he threw it to the opponent. Seeing the big saber slashing towards him, he could only pull the heavy saber obliquely and place it in front of him as a shield.
Block—
Ye Jingtang held the hundred-jin Junshan Saber and smashed it with all his strength on Yao Wenzhong's saber blade. Even with Yao Wenzhong's extremely burly build, he could no longer stand still. He staggered backward and slid more than three zhang away.
"Die for me!!"
Ye Jingtang's face was red with pent-up anger. He swung the saber with both hands and spun around. A smooth saber strike fell again.
Dang—
Yao Wenzhong staggered again. As a disciple of Junshan Terrace, he knew very well the principle that in a confrontation between the Tulong Order and the Tulong Order, the one who strikes first wins.
Being chased and slashed by Ye Jingtang swinging the heavy saber, he had no chance to raise his saber. So he could only use his saber as a shield and fly backward while holding on.
Dang dang dang—
Xuan Yuan Hongzhi threw the saber to relieve the siege and pulled out the "Spirit Opportunity Sword" from under his cloak. But facing the whirling big saber blade, he didn't dare to step forward. Seeing this, he could only angrily say:
"Let's go first!"
Yao Wenzhong gritted his teeth. After Ye Jingtang's saber strike fell again, he directly threw the heavy saber forward. His speed instantly exploded to the extreme, and he ran wildly towards the forest behind.
Whoosh—
Ye Jingtang's saber strike missed. He grabbed the other Junshan Saber with his left hand. He was like a windmill, dragging the two big saber blades and spinning around on the spot for a few circles before stopping. He angrily said:
"You two cowards, have the guts to keep fighting!"
Yao Wenzhong and Xuan Yuan Hongzhi looked back. There was obvious anger in their eyes, but they still ran into the dense forest without looking back.