Chapter 83: Sword Sect
Translator: StackThatCoin Editor: AntiGod
A sword talisman was a distinct method used by Human Immortal who had attained the Gold Core realm. The talisman itself was made using rare materials found in nature, and injected with a thread of sword energy into it by the Human Immortal. According to the quality of the material and the craftsmanship, the power a sword talisman could unleash usually ranging from ten to fifty percent of a sword energy strike of that particular Human Immortal. Only those sword talismans made using higher grade materials could unleash more than fifty percent of the strength.
The sword talisman in Taba Haofeng's hand was made from the juice of thousand years old 'Green Shell Leave', mixed with the skin of one hundred years 'Gold Toad'. These materials weren't of high quality, and the craftsmanship was just ordinary. Thus, the finished product was of the lowest grade. The strength it could unleash could barely reach nine percent of the strength of the Human Immortal who made it.
However, though it was only nine percent, it was nine percent from a full force strike from a Human Immortal of Gold Core realm. It was comparable to the combined full force strike from ten Embryonic Breath tier cultivators.
The bow of the boat was shattered by the sword beam. A large hole, with the diameter of nearly one hundred feet was created amidst the flowing water of the river. It was so deep that one could even see the bottom of the river through the hole. The intense sword energy was overflowing and spilling in all direction. Countless vague and dimmed silvery beams were seen swirling and slicing in the river, killing innumerable fishes nearby.
Wu Qi was now hovering in the middle of rushing and rocking sword energies of silver, holding both arms over his shoulder while defending against the intense attack. A layer of glowing blue curtain was seen blinking and flashing in the middle of his palms, protecting him from the assault of the sword energies. Four upper tier water elemental energy stones were hovering near his Dantian. From them, a huge amount of water elemental energy was rushing into his body continuously. Through his meridians, which were ten times stronger than ordinary cultivator of Xiantian, the energy quickly transformed into innate water energy, and then formed into a firm and thin layer of protective barrier outside his body.
The pressure pressing down from over his head was like a mountain. The sword energies kept cutting and slicing on his body and made him feel pain all over. His skin could no longer defend against the assault, as many parts were ripped and blood started bursting out from the wounds. If not because Wu Qi's innate water energy was extremely condensed and was excellent in restricting toughness with softness, along with the spinning characteristic that could fritter the sword energy unleashed from the sword talisman, Wu Qi would have long been torn apart by this mighty attack.
It was fortunate that Princess Zhang Le had given Wu Qi eight crates full of upper tier water elemental energy stones, and luckily, there was a miraculous technique in Scroll of Stealing that allowed Wu Qi to instantly draw all the energy in the energy stone. Or else, Wu Qi would have long been crushed into a meat paste by the sword talisman.
Inch by inch, Wu Qi was pushed down toward the bottom of the river by the sword energy. He raised his head and stared right at the face of Taba Haofeng through the dazzling light of blue and silver, who was smiling ferociously and showing a winning and pleased expression. Wu Qi remembered his smiling face, and remembered the crisis brought by this man today. If not because Wu Qi was a lucky man, Taba Haofeng's wish would have fulfilled today, as Wu Qi would be killed by this incredible sword talisman.
It was obvious that Taba Haofeng came prepared, as he actually brought a sword talisman with him!
Wu Qi let out a loud and long cry. Four water elemental energy stones hovering in front of his Dantian suddenly burst and flashed with a dazzling light before they turned into powder and dispersed. The surrounding river water suddenly turned violent, rolling and rocking, turning into white water vapor and surging into Wu Qi's body. Out of nowhere, a watery cloud emerged underneath his feet. By force, Wu Qi had circulated an unusual technique found in the Chapter of Water in Scroll of Stealing. His body was now emanating with a bone-piercing cold breeze.
A shivering water vapor was gathering and condensing in Wu Qi's lungs. A strange noise of 'Kook kook' was heard coming out from his mouth, and a vague white light was flashing near the corner of his lips. Both the water elemental energy from the energy stone and the water vapor that he absorbed from the outside were compressed by Wu Qi using a secret technique, forming into a shivering, razor sharp sword energy within his body.
Fearing the strength of the sword energy wasn't strong enough, Wu Qi gritted his teeth and took out a lower tier flying dagger from his storage ring, which he obtained in Little Meng City after killing Number Two, and swallowed into his mouth. The powerful divine sense instantly squeezed into the dagger, tentatively branding a spirit seal in its body. Then suddenly, Wu Qi's body shrunk inwards. Using his body as a furnace, he forcefully compressed the condensed sword energy and the flying dagger into one.
Taba Haofeng thought Wu Qi was dead. After all, he had used a sword talisman personally made by a Human Immortal of Gold Core realm. It was a weapon that he had begged using a hefty price, together with four beautiful girls. Wu Qi merely had the cultivation of Meridian Cultivating tier. How was it possible for him to escape from the slaughter of the sword talisman?
He raised his head up and let out a long sigh into the sky. Tears started to roll off Taba Haofeng's face. "Soul of my brother, you must be around here, witnessing how your brother avenged your death! Today, the resentment of blood had finally been paid with the enemy's death. My brother, you can now rest in peace!"
*Pop* The sword talisman shattered. The sword energy contained in it had been completely unleashed. As a peak Houtian warrior, Taba Haofeng hadn't possessed the ability to hover in midair. Thus, after losing the repulsive force from the sword energy, he made a spin in the air and slowly descended toward the deck.
The river water pushed and rolled back into the hole made by the sword energy, rocking and splashing, produced a loud noise that made one's ears ache. Massive amount of water vapor was being pushed up at least one hundred feet in the sky. Amidst this vast expanse of whiteness, Wu Qi soared up high while letting out a screechy laugh.
The screechy laugh was continued with a strange sound. Wu Qi suddenly opened his mouth, and a less than three feet long white beam was seen shooting out from it. It pierced through the air with a shivering breeze, aiming at Taba Haofeng's chest. The white beam was extremely cold, and wherever it passed, all the water vapor and droplets were instantly frozen, transforming into frost and falling off the air.
Taba Haofeng had just landed on the deck, about to cordially greet those profligate sons who seemed dumbfounded, announcing that he had obtained victory in the duel. But, all of a sudden, he saw a look of great awe and fear from the eyes of those profligate sons, singers and dancers. His reflexes and responses were quick as he hastily cried out, moved and leaned his body to the left.
A white beam flashed by, hitting and penetrating Taba Haofeng's back, piercing through his body just two inches away from his heart. A large clump of blood red ice beads shot out from his chest. That was the blood brought out by the sword beam, frozen by the frightening cold breeze that came together with it.
A painful howl squeezed out from Taba Haofeng's mouth, together with a stream of blood. Yet, right after the stream of blood left his mouth, it instantly froze into an ice stick. He moved his lips and seemed like wanting to say something, but a ring of white frost quickly emerged on his chest and spread throughout his entire body. In just the blink of an eye, he had turned into an ice statue. Frightful cries were heard coming from those personal guards of Taba Haofeng. A few of them hurriedly rushed over to the frozen Taba Haofeng while the rest drew their swords and charged toward Wu Qi aggressively.
Wu Qi's body was covered in blood. Although he had withstood the sword talisman by relying on the energy from the energy stones, it was still a sword talisman made by a Human Immortal of Gold Core. The mighty sword energy penetrated his protective barrier and wounded his body. At this point in time, his body was filled with at least fifty wounds the size of a toddler's mouth. Blood was oozing out from these wounds constantly.
However, these external wounds were nothing serious. The sudden burst of energy from four upper tier water elemental energy stones was too powerful, even for Wu Qi's meridians which had gone through a couple dozens time of strengthening. His meridians were injured, the width of them forcefully expanded by ten times. The once tender and firm meridians had become as thin as a piece of paper. Countless cracks could be found on their surface.
In addition to that, nearly all his innate energy was unleashed together with the sword energy, leaving behind very little of it in his body, barely circulating in his severely wounded meridians. It was this tiny bit of energy that supported him in standing firmly on the deck. Right at this moment, the few personal guards of Taba Haofeng had drawn their swords ferociously, charging toward him and aiming their swords at all the vital parts of his body. In just less than a second, the tip of their sword would reach his body.
Lu Chengfeng was standing on the top floor of the restaurant, watching the fight through a window. What he saw made him immediately let out a furious shout, "How dare you! Wu Qi has won the duel. Who dares to hurt my man? Luo Kedi, Ma Liang, kill them all!"
Two Xiantian warriors, Luo Kedi and Ma Liang, who were mixed with the crowd, sprung out with a cry. Their movements were way faster than those personal guards. With just a leap, they had arrived before Wu Qi, who had lost all his strength and energy. Two longswords streaked through the air, and five personal guards of Taba Haofeng could only see a flash of a sword. Before they could see the movement of both men, their throats and chests were pierced by the weapon. Blood burst out from the wound as they fell off to the ground.
Zhang Hu, Hu Wei, and a few other personal guards from Meng Village also pushed through the crowd and took out their Nine Cloud Piercing Crossbow, pointing at Taba Haofeng and his personal guards. Zhang Hu clenched his jaw tightly and groaned, "Fuck you, our brother has won the duel. Yet, you still want to gang up on him? Damn it, show yourself, my brothers. Let them see who has more people here!"
Noises of footsteps suddenly filled the scene. Figures of Lu Chengfeng's hanger-ons and personal guards were seen emerging at a few important high spots on the Palace of Celestial Tune, each carrying a Nine Cloud Piercing Crossbow in their hand and staring fiercely at all the people on the boat. Standing beside these hanger-ons and personal guards were people from Scouting Office. They were now looking helplessly at those profligate sons, beckoning them and asking them to leave the place as soon as possible.
Yan Buji had drowned in the Myriad Red River, and today, Lu Chengfeng was having a banquet in the same river. How could he come with just a little protection? As a matter of fact, eighty percent of servants and serving ladies on the boat today were either Lu Chengfeng's personal guards, or secret officers from Scouting Office. When they heard Zhang Hu's roar, they immediately showed up and controlled the situation.
At least three hundred Nine Cloud Piercing Crossbows had covered the entire floating restaurant with their range. A menacing and murderous air filled the atmosphere. Among those profligate sons, even a few of the boldest and most arrogant had shut their mouth up at this moment.
Lu Chengfeng laughed, looking at Wu Qi as he asked, "Are you alright?"
Wu Qi took a deep breath, took out an Innate Water Pill and swallowed it. The pill slowly released its medicinal ingredients and replenished his consumption. He spat out a mouthful of blood, then laughed and said, "I don't feel quite well since I saw the face of that little peacock standing beside you!"
Lu Chengfeng let out a loud laugh. He spun and stretched his arm out, giving Haoying Fenglong eighteen slaps on the face in a row. The slaps made his handsome face turn green and red like a messily dyed cloth, and swollen like a steamed bun that had been soaked in water. Then, he thrust his leg and kicked Haoying Fenglong away, clapped his hands and said, "I've beaten you today. If you're not satisfied with my action, get your Minister of Criminal Justice to talk to me! Damn it, how dare you provoke my man and me? Are you tired of living?"
A Duke of Great Yan Dynasty had just vulgarly scolded and rudely slapped on a son of a noble. This had stunned all the profligate sons at the scene.
Wu Qi burst out in laughter and said, "Nicely done! I feel much better now. Hehe, Haoying Fenglong, if you have any grudge with us, get your Minister of Criminal Justice to come find me!" Wu Qi and Lu Chengfeng looked at each other and laughed as they then ran their eyes around. Wherever their sight went, the profligate sons on the floating restaurant would bow. For that moment, it felt like they were looking down at all mortals from above, and yet no one dared to challenge their mightiness.
Suddenly, a cold, indifferent voice was heard coming from the river afar.
"The man who is laughing right now, are you Wu Qi from Duke Yan Le's Mansion? I'm Nie Baihong, the Sect Leader of Breaking Sword Sect. I'm here to accept you as my apprentice!"
The laughter of Wu Qi and Lu Chengfeng came to a sudden halt.