Chapter 116: Three Great Killing Moves
Chapter 116: Three Great Killing Moves
Mu Yuan saw the two people silently surrounded by five members of the Demonic Sect, unaware of their danger. The man was critically injured. Though the wound on his shoulder had been sealed and stopped bleeding, his internal injuries were severe. His face was deathly pale and bloodless. The gleaming Flying Sword he’d soared through the air with had lost its pristine light and lay fallen on the ground, still and dark. The woman seemed frantic, pacing back and forth before she finally hurried to support the man. Pressing her palms against his vital Life Gate point, she channeled a stream of pure Clear Water True Qi into him to help him guide his own energy circulation!
Mu Yuan understood what he saw, but he was still pondering how and when to act. Just then, the five demonic cultivators suddenly attacked. Five streaks of murky light surged from their surroundings, instantly filling the entire Heavenly Firmament, blotting out the sky and sun, plunging everything into a pitch-black darkness where no fingers could be seen, making it impossible to distinguish left from right!
Witnessing this, Mu Yuan was startled. The two caught in the ambush were even more terrified. Though the man hadn’t lost consciousness, he was utterly incapable of fighting. Seeing this, the woman swiftly withdrew her palms. With a gesture, she summoned a Flying Sword, its light pure and gentle, illuminating their immediate surroundings and dispersing the encroaching mist. She shouted defiantly, “Who dares ambush us? Step forward and state your names!”
Senior Brother Wei’s mocking laughter echoed within the billowing black fog. “What a strange question, fellow Daoist! Since we’ve already struck, why reveal ourselves? First, we’ll capture you, then we’ll have the wedding night, and only then will your dear husbands tell you who we are!”
The female Cultivator flushed angrily at his obscene words, but knew she was outnumbered and outmatched. Swallowing her rage, she retorted indignantly, “We are disciples of the Clear Water Palace from the Southern Barbarian Ten-Thousand Peaks! If you don’t want our sect seeking vengeance, cease this assault!”
Another voice, drifting like a ghost, answered. “Haha! How amusing! Clear Water Palace? It no longer exists! And even if it did, once we become their sons-in-law, we doubt your master would raise a hand against us!”
A sharp, impatient voice cut through the shadows. “Brothers Wei, Feng, enough chatter! Since they’re Clear Water Palace disciples, they might be carrying treasures from their sect’s fall! Capture them first!”
Senior Brother Feng chuckled. “Junior Sister Ji is right! Ah, but she is a tender one… it pains me to harm her.” Yet, even as he spoke, he was the first to strike! From the swirling darkness shot the shadowy head of a snake, fast as lightning, aimed directly at the clear water female disciple!
Alongside Senior Brother Feng’s strike, the other four unleashed their attacks. They conjured the forms of Spirit Beasts! From Senior Brother Wei’s direction lashed a tail like a crocodile’s. Junior Sister Ji manifested a giant centipede. The others unleashed forms resembling a bear (Xiong Pi), a murder of crows, and the serpent sent by Feng! Exploding with different Zhenqi properties—yin-softness, domineering force, corrosive poison—their combined spiritual attacks slammed down ferociously, clearly intending to mortally wound their prey before capture!
Facing such terrifying power, despair filled the woman’s face. Yet, cornered and desperate, she fought for survival. Her Flying Sword suddenly erupted with intense pure light, transforming into a roaring, colossal geyser! It surged skyward in a churning torrent, swirling fiercely in mid-air before colliding head-on with all five Zhenqi attacks!
By the time her sword-turned-waterflow completed a full circuit and reformed into a blade, it was tainted pitch black. Its power was drastically diminished. Having clashed violently, dissipated attacks, resisted poison, endured fiery tempering, and been hammered by force, the gleaming blade grew dull and dark. It trembled plaintively. The woman herself staggered as if drunk. Engaging five enemies simultaneously, relying on the ill-suited for combat Pure Stream Heart-Cleanse Truth Art, she immediately suffered grave injuries!
Senior Brother Feng, always the most eager, darted his serpent form forward. Its body coiled, intent on encircling the woman. The other four seemed content to hang back, anticipating the capture.
Horror twisted the female Cultivator’s face. Then, a sudden ding-dong chime echoed like pure spring water flowing over stones or pearls dropping onto a jade plate—a serene sound calming chaotic hearts. The man lying on the brink of death was engulfed by an intense, blazing light akin to fierce sunlight! The sword that had fallen earlier shot towards him! Merging with him, it transformed into a massive vortex of churning water! Grass and earth peeled back in layers; subterranean water burst forth! With overwhelming force, the vortex caught Feng’s serpent attack! A pitiful serpentine shriek was heard as the watery sword light tore it apart! Then, the light surged violently downward, a spectacular, furious wheel of radiance sweeping outward!
Awed by its ferocity, the other four Zhenqi attacks flinched, unwilling to engage directly. Freed from obstruction, the sword light swelled further! It exploded in mid-air! The vortex condensed into a massive, rolling water sphere!
The woman, ecstatic relief bursting through her fear, cried out, “Sixth Senior Brother!”
But this was the man’s final, dazzling act. The water sphere rolled a few times, then violently shattered! The sword, once smooth as jade, exploded into fragments! The man fell, his white robes utterly soaked in blood. His eyes were closed; he didn’t even take a breath. He was dead.
Silence choked the battlefield. Among the five demonic Cultivators, only Senior Brother Feng, his Zhenqi snake destroyed, had suffered minor harm. Though unhurt, the others were momentarily stunned by the sheer power of the man’s suicidal assault. They hesitated to advance.
Mu Yuan, too, murmured in awe, “What a strike—‘Torrential Heavenly River’! A pity, he was too gravely hurt to break free!”
Having acquired the complete Pure Stream Heart-Cleanse Truth Art from Meng Shuirou, Mu Yuan had also studied its sole sword art: the “Conscience Quelling Sword Art”. He recognized this incredibly potent killing technique as its one of its Three Great Moves: “Torrential Heavenly River”!
The Conscience Quelling Sword Art primarily emphasized defense. Yet, its Three Great Killing Moves were ferocious offensive strikes: “Torrential Heavenly River”, “Starry River Shattering Spirit”, and “Furious Waves Strike the Heavens”. Mortally wounded, this man had expended his last Primordial Qi with “Torrential Heavenly River,” intending to follow with “Starry River Shattering Spirit” to drive off the attackers and save the woman. But his vitality was exhausted. Condensing the water sphere was all he could manage before “Starry River Shattering Spirit” could be unleashed; his Primordial Qi exhausted, he perished.
Seeing the woman staring blankly, lost in shock and grief, Mu Yuan reacted faster than her captors. He summoned his Water Restriction Escape Sword, enveloping himself instantly before plunging down! The eighteen Talismanic Scripts on the sword activated at once! Brilliant sword light instantly spun into a massive orb, rotating violently! Riding the residual sword will left by the man, he unleashed the killing move “Starry River Shattering Spirit”! Dozens of razor-sharp sword discs spun outwards like saw blades! Mu Yuan himself shot into the curtain of black mist and smoke, landing beside the female Cultivator!
The woman, still dazed, startled at Mu Yuan’s sudden appearance. She reached for her sword, but he urgently whispered, “Senior Sister! I too am a disciple of Clear Water Palace!”
Seeing Mu Yuan execute “Starry River Shattering Spirit” had already sparked a flicker of hope in her. Hearing his claim filled her with joy. Observing her rapidly shifting emotions, Mu Yuan inwardly sighed. Her mental fortitude is… lacking, no wonder her cultivation isn’t high. His thoughts were cut off by successive explosions nearby! The Demonic Sect disciples were clashing with the razor-sharp Sword Qi discs he’d unleashed! Simultaneously, strange roars and bellows echoed rhythmically!
A wave of nauseating stench hit them. Looking out, Mu Yuan saw a pack of monstrously huge Demon Beast crocodiles charging towards them like ravenous wolves!
Such a weak-willed Cultivator would normally be abandoned to her fate by Mu Yuan. But she still served a purpose. Damn it, he cursed silently. The Water Restriction Escape Sword whipped out dozens of arcs! A surge of powerful Clear Water True Qi resonated with the water energy in the surrounding world. Before him, furious waves surged, building upon each other, colliding thunderously! Sword light gathered and burst within the waves like radiant, exploding clouds, then condensed into a single, blindingly intense beam of Sword Qi that blasted forward!
“FURIOUS WAVES STRIKE THE HEAVENS!”
This technique condensed the power of dozens of sword strikes from the Conscience Quelling Art into one devastating blow! Water might be soft, but when pooled into furious waterfalls, its crushing force could wear down stone! Nothing in the world is softer and more yielding than water—yet nothing surpasses water for overcoming the hard and strong!
Senior Brother Wei’s Demon Beast crocodiles, lavishly nourished on countless precious elixirs, normally possessed incredibly tough hides impervious to even Flying Swords! Their mighty tails could shatter stone and snap metal! Yet Mu Yuan’s concentrated Sword Qi strike made them howl in agony! Wounds appeared on their supposedly invincible hides, revealing bleeding flesh beneath!
Mu Yuan was astounded. Such a strike didn’t even kill one?! Worse, the other four Demonic Sect members had unleashed their own tamed Spirit Beasts—the coiled serpent, the giant centipede, the black swarm of crows, the massive Xiong Pi bear—all surging forward to encircle him!
“Gotta go all out!” Mu Yuan gritted his teeth.
“TORRENTIAL HEAVENLY RIVER!” An erupting geyser of sword light water!
“STARRY RIVER SHATTERING SPIRIT!” A storm of razor-sharp sword discs!
“FURIOUS WAVES STRIKE THE HEAVENS!” A concentrated, crushing beam!
Mu Yuan unleashed all Three Great Killing Moves in rapid succession! He’d only witnessed them half a month prior. Though his own swordsmanship foundation was solid, it couldn’t compare to the deceased man’s profound mastery of the Conscience Quelling Sword Art; his own strikes were less potent. But he compensated with extreme speed. Darting upwards, he shattered dozens of attacking crows, carving a bloody path!
These crows weren’t as formidable as the other Spirit Beasts. They weren’t especially poisonous, armored, or physically strong. Their advantages lay in being easily cultivated in vast numbers, capable of spitting smoke and fire, and using sonic attacks to disrupt an enemy’s mind. Though the swarm wasn’t hard to hurt, tearing through was difficult! Mu Yuan remained entangled!
Surrounded by clouds of soot and smoke belched by the crows, Mu Yuan clenched his jaw! He channeled his Zhenqi into nine of the Talismanic Scripts on the Water Restriction Escape Sword!
Brilliant pure light exploded forth! An immense cloud of watery mist burst from the sword!
As the nine inscribed Scripts detached, the Flying Sword’s radiance dimmed significantly. Mu Yuan had intentionally kept the “Escape” Scripts functional while detaching the nine forming the “Water Restriction” array. He commanded them to explode mid-air!
Time was crucial! Getting mobbed by all five demonic Cultivators meant certain defeat or death. He’d only escape by breaking the Great Art of Yin-Yang Soul Shackling and Qi Sealing to regain his true strength and unleash his most potent Treasures then. But saving the woman would serve no purpose then—the cost was too high!
The nine Talismanic Scripts detonated spectacularly! Mu Yuan directed their explosive force to snuff out the soot and smoke while flooding the area with his summoned mist. Simultaneously, he channeled his Zhenqi to manifest nine new projections of the Scripts! Using the Flying Sword as a focus, he fused with the spreading mist!
He vanished instantly, merging with the ambient water vapor! Faster than lightning, he moved! When the five demonic Cultivators finally surged into the misty aftermath, they found nothing but empty air! Mu Yuan and the woman were gone!