Chapter 121: Persuasion
Chapter 121: Persuasion
“A mere trick!”
The Barbarian roared like thunder. His massive fist swept out, wrapped in startling thunder, and smashed toward the figure in red on his shoulder.
Pop!
Where his fist landed, the red-clad girl’s form burst like a bubble, dissolving into chaotic, scattering streams of dark energy.
At the same time, that crimson figure reappeared, materializing behind the Barbarian!
Her jade-white arms crossed in front of her. Her left hand reached toward her right waist, and her right hand toward her left waist. Two eerie curved blades slowly slid from their sheaths, accompanied by a clear, phoenix-cry-like sound.
Her movements were deliberate and unhurried, yet held a trace of sinister pressure. As the blades gradually emerged, endless dark light swirled around them, and a chilling killing intent steadily climbed!
“What kind of combat technique is this? Too terrifying! A secret art?” His eyes flickering with a strange light, Li Yi leaned forward slightly and whispered in awe, “Much more profound than the Silver Hand’s ‘Sword Drawing Art’!”
Staring intently at the curved blades, Zhangsun Shenji’s expression changed several times before he suddenly said, “Li Yi, listen to me. Help that woman!”
“Oh? You know her?” Li Yi was startled. He had originally been prepared to flee as soon as these two tigers fought.
“I’ll explain later!” Zhangsun Shenji muttered under his breath, a wisp of profound, Dao-like cadence condensing within his words.
Li Yi nodded and asked no more. He believed that with Zhangsun’s cautious nature, he would never act without reason.
His gaze turned sharp. Li Yi formed his hand into a claw. A wisp of fiery breath gently rippled around it, gradually growing wilder.
The clear sound rose and fell. The girl’s curved blades were now almost halfway drawn!
“What devilry is this?” A dreadful sense of crisis arose in his heart. The Barbarian’s “Warrior’s Premonition” screamed incessant warnings.
“Get lost!”
He raised one foot high. Immense power gathered on its sole. Huge blue veins could be seen pulsing on his leg. His momentum was like a tidal wave.
An ancient, crude combat technique created by Chi You, known as “Earth Sunder” – War Stomp!
“Hah!”
The heavy foot slammed down. Terrific force erupted. Furious, raging waves surged and churned, carrying boundless power as they rampaged outward in all directions!
Viewed from above, one could see a massive ring of condensed earth walls, sweeping through everything in its path, shattering all obstacles as it expanded outward.
“Ugh!”
“Koff!”
Amidst pained grunts, two figures were sent flying by the shockwave. The spells they had just begun to form shattered instantly.
“Are they dead?”
The Barbarian looked around. His breathing was somewhat ragged. The secret art – War Stomp – possessed mighty and vast power, but its consumption was equally staggering.
“Hmm?”
His eyes shifted. His expression suddenly changed dramatically. His will, usually hard as iron, wavered for a moment.
The girl’s figure still stood behind him, arms crossed in front, her hands slowly drawing the blades, as if she had never moved.
“What… what exactly is this technique?” The Barbarian stared fixedly at the girl and shouted his question.
The girl didn’t utter a word. A faint, bewitching smile appeared at the corner of her lips.
Still, she drew the blades.
Her actions were unnaturally slow. Even now, the two curved blades were not fully drawn.
As more of the edges emerged, the blades themselves grew darker and more profound, like the deepest black of night just before dawn.
The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. The Barbarian actually felt a sliver of fear. He roared angrily, “Watch me expose your ghostly tricks!”
He took two steps forward, about to strike, when a pallid water bomb exploded against his chest. The heavy impact actually made his movements stall.
“You’re looking for death. I’ll deal with you in a moment!” Casting a contemptuous glance at Li Yi, the Barbarian was about to turn his focus back to the red-clad girl when his expression froze solid.
Li Yi stood tall, his fingers dancing slowly. A stream of fire weaved and transformed between them. Maple leaf illusions drifted down gently.
Hum!
A heartbeat-like tremor. The stream of fire flickered and shook. A strand of indescribable, chaotic aura gradually solidified.
The Barbarian’s face turned ashen.
This scene was all too familiar to him.
He also knew that as time passed, the power of this spell would grow ever more violent!
“Is it a Bloodline Ability? Too bizarre! It’s practically like a magical beast!”
While he hesitated, the girl’s curved blades were now about eighty percent drawn. The phoenix-cry sound grew stronger.
“Damn it!” The Barbarian made a quick decision. Choosing between the two threats, he threw a punch toward the glaring crimson figure.
“An opening!” Li Yi’s voice rang out at just the right moment. “Check this out – Maple Leaf Streamfire!”
Hearing this, the Barbarian’s mind was thrown into turmoil. The force he had committed, originally at eighty percent, he pulled back by thirty percent.
The girl’s figure shattered once more in the fist wind. Another figure materialized not far from the Barbarian’s side.
“Oh, my mistake. The timing’s not right yet. Wait a bit longer…”
Li Yi’s lazy voice sounded, almost making the Barbarian spit blood.
Caught in this dilemma, the Barbarian grew increasingly flustered and annoyed.
“Idiot, you’re finished!” Li Yi sneered, looking sidelong at the Barbarian with a face full of provocation.
He knew very well that with his own cultivation, even using a secret method, his damage against the Barbarian in his Berserk state would be limited.
Rather than attacking to no avail, it was better to tie him down!
Now, the effect had been achieved.
“Motherer, I’ll kill you first!” With an angry roar, the Barbarian could hold back no longer. He exploded into motion from his feet, his body lunging forward like a giant owl swooping down!
“Entangle!”
“Harden!”
Zhangsun Shenji issued two light shouts in quick succession. Waterweeds danced wildly. This time, they were hard as iron chains, clinking and clanking. The Barbarian couldn’t break free immediately.
The phoenix cry reached its climax. The twin blades left their sheaths!
Whoosh!
Two brilliant Auras, as if cleaving heaven and earth, rushed forth and expanded fiercely!
The twin blades were pitch black, yet the brilliance that ignited in that instant was ten times brighter than the sun!
Their chilling majesty made heaven and earth tremble violently. All things lost their composure. The entire marsh fell eerily quiet for a moment, strange to the extreme.
The two Auras lasted for only an instant before dissipating into the air.
As if all their power had been burned out in a single moment.
But it was enough.
Amidst the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground, the Barbarian’s body was severed into three parts, scattering across the ground.
“Finally dealt with…” His tense nerves relaxing slightly, Li Yi let the maple fire in his palm disperse and offered the girl a smile.
“How disappointing!” The girl, however, was ungrateful. Her face cold and proud, she glanced at the two of them. “Who asked for your help? A mere Sword Tone, I could have handled him alone!”
Having his friendly gesture met with a cold shoulder, Li Yi couldn’t help but curl his lip.
Zhangsun Shenji had been about to say something, but he just gave a bitter smile and kept silent.
Ignoring the two of them completely, the girl crouched down and began searching the corpse. After a while, her expression turned extremely ugly.
“Where is it?” She lifted her head, her tone sinister as she looked at the two of them.
“What thing?” Both Li Yi and Zhangsun Shenji were utterly confused.
“Forget it. I’m not good at interrogation. I’ll just detain you first. Someone more skilled can handle things later!” The girl patted the bloodstains off her hands. At the slightest disagreement, she prepared to draw her blades again.
“Miss, might you be of the Imperial Forest Shadow Guard?” Stopping Li Yi who was getting restless, Zhangsun Shenji bowed slightly and spoke.
“Oh? How did you tell?” Her hands, poised to draw the blades, stilled. The girl looked puzzled.
“I recognize that pair of fierce blades – ‘Twin Black Lotuses’!” Pointing at the pair of curved blades, Zhangsun Shenji gave a faint smile and introduced himself. “My name is Zhangsun Shenji. I am the direct-line son of the Zhangsun Clan.”
“Zhangsun Shenji?” The girl’s eyes flickered slightly. She asked another question, “What relation is Zhangsun Xizhao to you?”
“He is my elder cousin.”
“In that case, I can’t detain you!” The girl turned her head and asked again, “And you? Any background?”
This girl certainly didn’t beat around the bush. She was very direct.
Li Yi raised his hand and waved the token of the Jianpao Wang Clan before the girl.
“Even though I can’t detain you, I need to search both of you.” The girl thought for a moment and stated this unequivocally.
“Fine!”
Though the girl seemed young, her searching methods were extremely professional. She practically examined every inch of their clothing and even gave a certain item on Li Yi a pinch, making him suck in a sharp breath.
Zhangsun Shenji was no exception, his face turning unpleasant.
“Do you need to check our spatial equipment?” Zhangsun Shenji forced a smile and asked.
“No need. That item cannot be placed into spatial equipment.” The girl shook her head, seeming thoughtful. “It seems it really isn’t on either of you.”
“In that case, we’ll be leaving.” Zhangsun Shenji was very tactful, suppressing the curiosity in his heart. It was best not to get involved with something that mobilized the Imperial Forest Shadow Guard.
“Wait!” The girl thought for a moment and suddenly said, “You two, consider yourselves requisitioned!”
“Requisitioned?” Zhangsun Shenji frowned. “We both have important matters to attend to!”
“I am a martial artist. Without psychic sensing, it’s very hard for me to find that thing!” The girl said calmly. “As scions of noble families, you should understand which is more important: the Empire’s interests or personal ones.”
“To be honest, you’re not very good at persuasion…” Li Yi sneered.
“True, but it is very good at it.” The girl patted her twin blades and said with a smile.
Li Yi curled his lip again. In his heart, he felt the urge to curse.