Chapter 567 - 563: Trap

Chapter 567: Chapter 563: Trap

Yan Wuji’s expression was grave as he thrust out both palms.

His left hand was as black as ink, his right as red as a bloody flame. Two completely different Palm Seals shot through the air, meeting the attacks from Hui Ming and Liu Meiniang.

"BOOM—!!!"

Three Grandmaster-Level forces collided, erupting with an earth-shattering roar.

The shockwave spread out in all directions like a tsunami. Wherever it passed, the green flagstones on the ground shattered inch by inch, a whole layer scraped clean off.

Shards of stone shot out and dust filled the air. The surrounding lanterns flickered violently in the blast, nearly extinguished.

At the edge of the square, the experts of the Seven Sects and the members of the Tiejiang Gang all retreated, avoiding the terrifying shockwave.

"Urgh—"

Yan Wuji let out a muffled grunt and retreated several steps. Each step left a deep footprint in the shattered flagstone.

He stabilized himself and looked up, his gaze falling on Hui Ming and Liu Meiniang. A trace of undisguised gravity appeared on his coarse face.

"..."

Hui Ming hadn’t moved an inch, his hands pressed together, his expression calm.

"HUMMM—"

Liu Meiniang’s figure swayed slightly before stabilizing. Her longsword radiated a floral Sword Intent, as if petals were drifting around it.

Even among Upper Three Grades Martial Artists, very few ever comprehended Sword Intent. But as a Grandmaster with exceptional Talent, she had naturally grasped it.

"Don’t think you’ve already won!"

Yan Wuji took a deep breath, and the violent, blood-colored Inner Qi within him erupted with unprecedented intensity.

His gray cloth robes whipped about under the force of his Qi Force. The aura around him suddenly surged, and a bizarre, blood-red glint appeared in his cloudy eyes.

He took the initiative and lunged at Hui Ming.

He thrust out both palms. The black and blood-red Palm Seals intertwined, carrying a terrifying power that could tear anything apart as they shot straight for Hui Ming.

Hui Ming’s expression remained unchanged. His golden kasaya billowed without any wind, and with his hands pressed together, his entire body began to glow gold.

He seemed to transform into a Buddhist statue, exuding a suffocating majesty.

He struck out with a palm, fearlessly colliding with Yan Wuji’s twin palms.

"BOOM—!!!"

Another earth-shattering roar.

A powerful shockwave erupted, and both Hui Ming and Yan Wuji were involuntarily thrown backward.

Their feet plowed two deep trenches in the ground, and they only managed to stabilize themselves after retreating several dozen feet.

Liu Meiniang gave Yan Wuji no chance to catch his breath.

Her pink figure flashed like a stream of light, instantly appearing before Yan Wuji. Her longsword transformed into a sky full of floral shadows, enveloping all of Yan Wuji’s vital points.

Yan Wuji gritted his teeth, striking out with a flurry of palm strikes that fiercely collided with Liu Meiniang’s sword light.

...

On the other side of the square, the experts of the Seven Sects had already clashed with the forces of the Tiejiang Gang.

Flashes of swords and sabers flickered. The roars of exploding Qi Force rose and fell, intertwined with screams, the clash of weapons, and furious shouts that echoed through the night sky.

Fang Han held his Cloud Splitting Sword, his green robes fluttering gently in the night wind. His gaze swept across the battlefield and soon locked onto a figure he had met once before.

Yang Yuan.

With a sharp claw in each hand, she was currently fighting two Stewards from the Qingxuan Sect.

In her hands, the claws became streaks of blood-red light. The dense shadows of her claws forced the two Qingxuan Sect Stewards into a constant retreat.

Fang Han took a step and walked toward Yang Yuan.

His green robes fluttered gently in the night wind. The Cloud Splitting Sword was pointed diagonally at the ground, its blade shimmering with a faint cyan-gold light.

Yang Yuan noticed the footsteps behind her.

With one swipe of her claw, she forced the two Qingxuan Sect Stewards back and spun around, her eyes landing on Fang Han.

A trace of undisguised apprehension appeared on her beautiful face.

"Fang Han."

Her voice was hoarse, filled with a tension she couldn’t suppress.

After her previous defeat at Fang Han’s hands, she had confidently set the goal of surpassing him. But soon after, word spread that Fang Han possessed the combat power of a First-Grade expert.

Her confidence had vanished in an instant.

"..."

Fang Han didn’t speak, merely continuing to walk toward Yang Yuan.

His pace was still unhurried, but with every step he took, the formless pressure he exuded grew stronger.

Yang Yuan gritted her teeth and thrust both claws forward. Ten blood-red claw attacks tore through the air with a piercing shriek, aimed straight for Fang Han.

She attacked with her full strength from the very start.

Since she started her Demon Skill Cultivation, her Cultivation had skyrocketed from the Late Stage of Third Grade to the Early Stage of Second Grade.

She was confident that even if she couldn’t defeat Fang Han, she could at least hold on for a few moves until reinforcements arrived.

However—

Fang Han moved.

The Cloud Splitting Sword left its sheath, its clear ring exploding in the night sky.

A Cyan Sword Light flashed.

The ten substantial, blood-red claw attacks were torn apart like paper the moment they touched the sword light, silently dissipating.

The sword light continued onward, its momentum unabated, heading straight for Yang Yuan.

Yang Yuan’s pupils suddenly contracted.

She desperately raised her claws to block.

"CLANG—!!!"

The sound of metal on metal exploded as sparks flew.

The pair of claws flew from her hands, spinning as they plunged into the ground several dozen feet away, their blades still vibrating with a hum.

Yang Yuan felt a sharp pain from her chest. Looking down, she saw a thin line of blood stretching diagonally from her left shoulder to her right hip.

She opened her mouth, trying to say something, but only a vague, hissing sound like leaking air came out.

In the next instant, her body split cleanly along that bloody line.

Blood and organs spilled onto the ground. Her upper torso slammed heavily onto the flagstones, her eyes still wide open, but her pupils were already unfocused.

One strike.

Just one strike.

This True Disciple, ranked second on the Celestial Pride List and nurtured with the full resources of the Tiejiang Gang, was slain by Fang Han’s sword.

The experts of the Seven Sects who were fighting nearby stared at the corpse, now in two pieces, then at the green-robed figure standing with his sword. Their eyes were filled with unconcealable shock.

Fang Han sheathed his sword, his gaze moving from Yang Yuan’s body to scan the battlefield.

His eyes soon locked onto another figure.

Han Kui.

This First-Grade Elder of the Tiejiang Gang was currently locked in a fierce battle with a First-Grade Elder from Baihua Valley.

He wielded a Thick-Backed Machete, his Saber Technique fierce and domineering. Every chop carried a Mountain-Splitting Stone-Shattering Momentum.

The First-Grade Elder from Baihua Valley used a Soft Sword. His Swordsmanship was agile and cunning, but against Han Kui, whose Cultivation had reached the Late Stage of First Grade, he was gradually losing ground.

"CLANG—!"

Han Kui forced the Baihua Valley First-Grade Elder back with a single blow, then suddenly lunged forward. He shot out his left palm, striking the Elder on the shoulder.

The Elder let out a muffled grunt, spat out a mouthful of blood, and staggered backward.

Pressing his advantage, Han Kui was about to pursue and finish him off with his saber.

But at that moment—

A green figure appeared like a phantom between Han Kui and the Baihua Valley Elder.

Han Kui’s advance came to an abrupt halt. His gaze fell on the green-robed figure, his pupils constricting slightly.

"Fang Han."

His voice was hoarse, laced with an irrepressible wariness.

Fang Han said nothing.

The Cloud Splitting Sword left its sheath. The Cyan Sword Light was like a bolt of lightning tearing through the night sky as it shot toward Han Kui.

Han Kui gritted his teeth, swinging his saber with all his might to block.

"CLANG—!!!"

Saber and sword met, sending sparks flying.

Han Kui felt an immense, unstoppable force travel up the blade. His entire right arm went instantly numb, and he couldn’t stop himself from stumbling back several steps.

He steadied himself and looked down at his right arm. The webbing between his thumb and forefinger had split open, and fresh blood dripped down the handle of his saber.

When he looked up, Fang Han was already upon him again.

The second strike was faster, more ruthless.

Han Kui had no way to dodge and could only swing his saber to block once more.

"CLANG—!!!"

Another deafening clash of metal.

With this strike, Han Kui’s long saber was knocked from his grasp, spinning as it plunged into the ground several dozen feet away.

Fang Han’s third strike had arrived.

The sword light flashed, streaking across Han Kui’s neck.

Han Kui’s body suddenly stiffened. A thin line of blood quickly appeared on his neck and widened.

Blood gushed out like a fountain.

He opened his mouth, trying to speak, but only a gurgling sound escaped.

In the next moment, his body went limp and collapsed.

Three strikes.

Just three strikes.

This Late Stage of First Grade Tiejiang Gang Elder was slain by Fang Han’s sword.

’Good thing I came prepared tonight!’

Fang Han stood with his sword, his gaze sweeping over the battlefield.

In the square, the numbers of the Tiejiang Gang were rapidly dwindling under the coordinated assault of the Seven Sects’ experts.

A Tiejiang Gang Second-Grade Elder was caught between two Martial Monks from the Vajra Temple. A Demon-Slaying Pestle slammed into his chest, shattering his ribs. He flew backward, spitting blood, and collapsed on the ground, unable to get up.

Three Tiejiang Gang Stewards stood back-to-back, attempting to form a defensive formation, but they were quickly cut down under the siege of three Martial Artists from the Overlord Blade Sect.

Screams, the clash of weapons, and the boom of exploding Qi Force mingled together, echoing through the night sky.

Fang Han’s gaze passed over the chaotic battlefield and settled on the most intense battle circle in the center of the square.

There, three Grandmasters were clashing.

A brilliant golden light flared around Hui Ming. Every Palm Seal he sent out carried the power to topple mountains and shake the earth.

Liu Meiniang’s figure was elusive, her pink sword light flowing like mercury, seeping into every opening.

Caught between the two of them, Yan Wuji was in an extremely difficult situation.

His robes were torn in several places. There was a blackened Palm Seal on his left shoulder and a deep sword wound under his right ribs from which blood continuously seeped.

Although the violent, blood-colored Inner Qi in his body was still churning, it was no longer as solid as it was at the beginning.

"Hui Ming, Liu Meiniang, even if I die, I’ll take one of you with me!"

Yan Wuji forced Liu Meiniang back with a palm strike, his voice hoarse and filled with an irrepressible madness.

Hui Ming didn’t speak, simply striking out with another palm.

Liu Meiniang offered no reply either. Her pink sword light struck like a viper, stabbing straight for Yan Wuji’s back.

"BOOM—!"

Another violent collision.

Yan Wuji sprayed a mouthful of blood and was sent flying backward.

"I will remember this grudge!"

Seizing the opportunity, Yan Wuji turned and shot toward the sect gate.

He activated an Escape Secret Technique with his blood-colored Inner Qi. His robes whipped in the night wind, and his speed was astonishing, like a streak of dark red light.

"Not good!"

Hui Ming’s brows furrowed tightly as his golden figure gave chase.

"SWOOSH!"

Liu Meiniang also shot forward, her pink sword light chasing the dark red streak.

The three figures, one in front and two behind, sped away. Wherever they passed, ancient trees snapped and rocks shattered.

「A long time later」

Hui Ming and Liu Meiniang came to an unwilling stop dozens of miles away from the Qingxuan Sect.

Although Yan Wuji had only recently broken through to the Grandmaster realm, his Cultivation had rapidly reached the third of the nine Grandmaster stages due to his fast-acting Demon Skill. He was no weaker than the two of them.

Coupled with his Escape Secret Technique, his speed was even faster than theirs, despite them being veteran Grandmasters.

"Amitabha Buddha. That monster has escaped."

Hui Ming pressed his hands together, chanted a Buddhist phrase under his breath, and spoke with a deep frown.

"A Grandmaster on the run... I fear this will bring endless trouble in the future."

Liu Meiniang landed beside Hui Ming, her beautiful face etched with gravity.

Although they had believed it was highly likely Yan Wuji would attack the Qingxuan Sect, they couldn’t rule out the possibility of an attack on the other six sects.

They had laid ambushes at the other six sects, which had divided their forces. As a result, only the two of them, both Grandmasters, were here to participate in the encirclement.

In the end, they had failed to kill Yan Wuji, and he had escaped.