Chapter 520 - 344: Shock

Who could believe it? Who would dare believe it?

This young man, who had dared to found his own sect in his twenties, this fellow whom countless people saw as incredibly arrogant and audacious, actually possessed such formidable power!

What kind of training... could allow someone to reach such a level in just a few short years?

A demonic art? If such an art truly existed, everyone in the world would probably be willing to sell their souls to the devil for it.

Lie Suifeng and Lie Suitian still didn't move. At this point, they could no longer intervene.

Mentally, whether they were willing to admit it or not, the two Sword Venerables Lie Suifeng and Lie Suitian had, in that instant, elevated Ling Xiao to their level.

If they were to force their way in now, never mind Ling Xiao, even Lie Suixue would resent them. 'Does a fair and square fight like this need your interference?'

This deafening sound, this ball of light, made Lie Yang's heart burn fiercely!

'I must get them. I absolutely must get all of Ling Xiao's secrets! In the future, such achievements will belong to me... Lie Yang! The future Patriarch of the Jingwu Family!'

The shock Lie Suixue felt had already peaked the instant the light flared. At that moment, no one understood better than him just how terrifying that calm and composed young man truly was.

Riding the wave of light, a bone-chilling killing intent locked firmly onto him. At the same time, Lie Suixue's Sea of Consciousness was once again stabbed with pain, but this time, he only let out a muffled grunt. He also finally understood: the one who had humiliated him at the banquet wasn't Gongsun Huang, as he had taken for granted, but this very young man before him!

After his muffled grunt, Lie Suixue was astonished to feel that his opponent's seemingly earth-shattering sword strike had transferred almost no force to his hand.

"Not good!"

Lie Suixue suddenly roared. At that moment, Ling Xiao's body, like a kite with a snapped string, was swept up by a violent gust of wind and sent tumbling away toward the distant east.

Simultaneously, a clear laugh and a sentence drifted from the sky: "Invincible Sword Venerable of the Lie Family, thank you for seeing me off! Ling Xiao will remember today's hospitality. We'll meet again in the future..." The first word was loud, but by the last, his voice seemed to have been carried away by the wind. By the time they looked again, Ling Xiao's figure was gone.

By the time Lie Suitian and Lie Suifeng reacted and tried to give chase, Ling Xiao was long gone. Straining their eyes, all they could see was a speck of crimson light rapidly disappearing into the vast night sky.

Lie Suixue stood frozen in midair, his face shifting from red to white, then to a deathly pale, and finally darkening like a thundercloud. With a gagging sound, he spat out a mouthful of blood, his body swaying precariously. Lie Suifeng rushed to his side. "Elder Yu, are you alright?"

After spitting blood, Lie Suixue's face was as pale as parchment, his old eyes nearly lifeless. After a long moment, he finally stirred. "I was tricked by Ling Xiao... again?"

Lie Suifeng was at a loss for words, unsure how to comfort his brother, who was a full tier stronger than himself.

Lie Suitian coughed, his expression grim. "We were all played by him!"

Lie Yang still hadn't understood what had just happened. Lie Que, on the other hand, had a vague idea of the method Ling Xiao had used. He couldn't help but marvel internally. 'To slip away right under the noses of three Sword Venerable Realm experts... incredible! That was just too brilliant!'

"What in the world happened? Someone tell me!"

Lie Yang's expression was also incredibly foul. A moment ago, he'd thought Ling Xiao was trapped with no escape, but in the blink of an eye, he had slipped through their fingers. The whiplash was too much for Lie Yang to accept.

Lie Suitian explained calmly, "That spectacular-looking move just now... Ling Xiao barely used any of his own power. Instead, he borrowed the force of Elder Yu's all-out attack to break free from our encirclement and escape."

"What... How is that possible?" Lie Yang's expression was dazed. "You can even do that?"

Lie Suitian sighed softly, thinking, 'If only Lie Yang had this young man's strength and intellect, the Lie Family's future... would be secure, wouldn't it?'

After all, what Ling Xiao had just done was incredibly risky. One misstep and he could have been killed by Lie Suixue's attack. A full-power strike from a Tier Four Sword Venerable could level a mountaintop!

So, when Ling Xiao clashed with Lie Suixue, he had to use a considerable amount of power himself. It was just that his control was simply perfect—not a bit more, not a bit less. It was just enough to negate the damage from Lie Suixue's attack, allowing him to use the immense resulting force to make his escape.

Lie Que knew he should say something at this point. He asked, "Celestial Elder, Elder Feng, why didn't you give chase when Ling Xiao fled just now?"

"Chase him?" A hint of embarrassment crossed Lie Suifeng's face. His name, Suifeng, meant 'following the wind,' and he was one of the fastest members of the Jingwu Family. Yet, for one, he hadn't realized Ling Xiao's true intentions, thinking he'd simply been blasted away by Elder Yu's attack. And for another, he had to admit that even if he and Lie Suitian had reacted instantly, they wouldn't have even been able to catch Ling Xiao's shadow.

He was too fast!

"What do we do now?" Lie Suifeng asked, supporting the still dazed Lie Suixue as he looked toward Lie Suitian.

"We return to the family! And we issue a notice to all the major families, telling them..." Lie Suitian hesitated for a moment.