Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Handover Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Handover Editor: Atlas Studios The situation before their eyes was not only beyond the Sword Master of the Seven Extremes Hall’s expectation.
It was also beyond Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun’s predictions.
However, after they exchanged glances, they did not hesitate and immediately retreated…
The ‘thief’ on the ground, who had stolen something from the Seven Extremes Hall, was also retreating…
Already injured, he could not even crawl upright, only desperately dragging his arms backwards, trying to escape the battle before him.
Yang Xiaoyun, being kind-hearted, saw his struggle and simply reached out with her spear, giving him a hand.
The man looked back at Yang Xiaoyun, hurriedly thanked her: “Thank you.”
Grasping the spear shaft, Yang Xiaoyun casually flicked it and the man weighing over a hundred jin was tossed to the other side as if weightless.
As Yang Xiaoyun stood with her spear ready, a fight had already broken out over there.
However, with just one look, Yang Xiaoyun scoffed coldly: “What a Sword Master.”
It was then the Sword Master had unexpectedly retreated behind everyone.
His disciples formed an array to meet the enemy, encircling the sword borrower.
Su Mo was seeing this method of using an array to face enemies on Jianghu for the first time and couldn’t help but be curious: “What array is this?”
“This is the secret of the Middle Sword Hall of the Seven Extremes Hall, the [Small Earth Evil Xuan Kun Sword Formation].”
“Small?”
Su Mo thought for a moment: “With thirty-six Heavenly Aurorae and seventy-two Earth Evils, where does ‘small’ come from?”
“Because both the sword technique and the array are incomplete…”
Yang Xiaoyun said: “Among the people of the Sword Hall from Seven Extremes Hall, there was an elder who, by chance many years ago, broke into a secret place. Inside, he found a Sword Manual of the Earth Evil’s seventy-two swords. Unfortunately, there was another person with him at that time, and both of them were enemies. Naturally, they fought fiercely over this sword manual, and in the end, it was torn in two, each taking away the first thirty-six swords.
“It’s said that this predecessor from the Sword Hall was also unlucky. Having taken away half the sword manual and severely injured, he was ambushed and robbed of the sword manual. Although he managed to fend off the attacker, he ended up losing another eighteen swords, leaving only eighteen in the end.
“After returning to the Seven Extremes Hall, he secluded himself to heal his wounds and devoted himself to the diligent study of the eighteen remnants of the swords, eventually understanding and creating a set of [Earth Evil Xuan Kun Sword Technique].
“This set of swordsmanship was also considered extraordinary, it’s only a pity that compared to the original seventy-two swords of the Earth Evil, it lacked as many as fifty-four swords, after all, it fell short.
“He was not reconciled and continued to refine these eighteen swords. Although he could not complete the set, he created the Earth Evil Xuan Kun Sword Formation.
“Eighteen people form the array, with hidden sharpness under unique mechanisms.
“Since then, it has become a core skill of the Sword Hall.
“However, when thinking of the original, there was always dissatisfaction in his heart, thus, he prefixed the Earth Evil Xuan Kun Sword Formation with ‘Small’, as a way to not forget the resentment of the past.
“It also carries the intention to encourage future disciples to complete this array formation.”
After all, the Iron Blood Escort Agency was well-experienced, and Yang Yizhi had a wealth of Jianghu experience; these matters were all told to Yang Xiaoyun as stories.
At this moment, as he spoke at length, he couldn’t help but sneer again: “It’s just a pity that in recent years, the Seven Extremes Hall has become less and less formidable, the disciples performing this sword array, I’m afraid have long forgotten the grudge of their predecessor.”
Su Mo nodded slightly, but his eyes never left the battle circle.
But he saw that the sword borrower, of unknown origin, had an extraordinary level of martial arts.
Although he had no sword in hand, he moved effortlessly through the blade edges, as if walking on flat ground.
The Small Earth Evil Xuan Kun Sword Formation was by no means ordinary, yet it seemed lackluster before this man.
Suddenly, with a casual grab, one of the Seven Extremes Hall Disciples inexplicably lost their sword.
In a moment, they were petrified.
Just when they thought they were about to close their eyes and wait for death, they heard the sword borrower spit out in disgust: “Trash sword.”
After saying that, just like before, he used the same method and with a ting, the sword blade was broken.
Thereafter, the sword borrower was seen deftly grabbing and locking onto swords either by seizing or capturing them. While the disciples of Seven Extremes Hall were still stunned, they found their hands to be completely empty.
The longswords that were originally in the palm had astonishingly all fallen into the hands of the sword borrower.
With both hands wielding the swords, he casually tossed them upwards into the midair.
In an instant, a dozen longswords flickered in the sky. The sword borrower looked up and suddenly let out a long sigh, then with both sleeves waving, an invisible Sword Qi suddenly arrived, followed by a continuous clinking sound…
One after another, the sound echoed, and the sky full of longswords were now all broken, surrounding the sword borrower as they fell to the ground.
“A ground full of scrap metal, none fit to be called a sword.”
With the loss of the longswords, the Small Earth Evil Xuan Kun Sword Formation was naturally broken. Intimidated by the sword borrower’s method and momentum, the disciples of Seven Extremes Hall dared not take a step forward for a moment.
The sword borrower then glanced at the Sword Master: “Where is your sword?”
Upon hearing this, the Sword Master subconsciously guarded his own sword, his facial expression uncertain and changing:
“Who exactly are you?”
“… Did I not say it? I am a person who borrows swords.”
The sword borrower spoke softly.
“…”
Who would believe such nonsense?
The Sword Master questioned himself; even though he had extensive experience in Jianghu, none of the sword experts he knew in terms of appearance or martial arts matched the figure before him.
His brow was furrowed tightly as he hesitated.
However, glancing at Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun, he finally let out a sigh: “Alright, alright, today I shall give you face, and not trouble these two juniors who have misspoken. Goodbye.”
As he finished speaking, with a wave of his hand, the disciples of Seven Extremes Hall immediately turned to leave.
“Hold on.”
Su Mo suddenly spoke up.
“What do you intend to do?”
Coldness flashed in the eyes of the Sword Master.
Su Mo gently shook his head:
“Although we two are new to Jianghu and cannot be considered significant figures, when escorting goods, one should be kind to everyone.
“However, your actions today, calling a deer a horse, inverting right and wrong. If it weren’t for this… sword borrower aiding us today, if it had been an ordinary person, wouldn’t they be at your mercy to falsely accuse?
“Now that your scheme has failed, you think you can just leave… Where in this world are there such good things?
“Sword Master, if you do not give us an explanation for this matter, I’m afraid it won’t be justified, right?”
“Bold junior, you certainly have courage. What kind of explanation do you want?”
The Sword Master’s expression turned grim, his gaze intensely directed at Su Mo.
“That depends on what the senior is willing to give.”
“My life! If you have the ability, come and take it!”
The Sword Master, though wary of the sword borrower, did not have such considerations for Su Mo.
His aura was overwhelming, as if he stood above all else.
Yang Xiaoyun gave Su Mo a glance, her eyebrows gently raised.
Su Mo, however, smiled faintly: “Such magnanimity from the senior, then I, the junior… dare not neglect!”
With those words, Su Mo stepped forward.
In a few strides, he had passed the sword borrower, who glanced at Su Mo before shaking his head slightly and moving aside to lean against a tree trunk, tilting his head as if he intended to sleep there.