Chapter 34

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Chapter 34: The Black-Clothed Sword Cultivator

"Hand over the Dragon Saliva Fruit!" A deep, commanding voice pierced the air, reaching Ming He’s ears.

Ming He paused, feeling a sense of resignation as she realized she had stumbled upon yet another scene of killing for treasures.

The girl deftly found a concealed spot to observe, noticing that one of the two figures before her was someone she recognized.

The young man in white swiftly flicked his sleeves, adorned with cloud embroidery, and drew his sword. His actions made his stance clear—there would be no negotiation.

"Good," the sturdy young man sneered, raising his right fist and launching a powerful punch.

Sword energy clashed with the force of the punch, and the two figures engaged in a fierce battle, exchanging blows with relentless intensity. The fight was so fierce that the surrounding trees bent under the pressure of the sword energy and fist winds. Some trees, unable to withstand the force, snapped and fell with a creak, adding to the dramatic atmosphere of the battle.

From a distance, Ming He watched the clash. The swordsman executed the Liu Yun Dance, but when faced with the sturdy young man’s overwhelming punch, he faltered slightly, unable to press forward.

He was no match for the sturdy young man.

Ming He saw the young man in white hastily raise his sword to block the incoming punch, but the force was too great. Both he and his sword were sent flying backward, the air ringing sharply. The young man spat out a mouthful of blood, collapsing halfway to the ground, his pristine white robes now stained with dust.

"You’re just asking for trouble!" the sturdy young man sneered, rushing forward and tightening his fist for another punch, his eyes gleaming with murderous intent. He clearly intended to finish the job.

"Clang——"

Ming He darted forward from a distance, her white long sword flashing as she unsheathed it in an instant—Unsheathing Style!

Her opponent was at Spirit Guiding stage nine levels, the highest combat strength in this cave dwelling. Ming He, however, was only at Spirit Guiding Sixth Level. The vast gap in their cultivation couldn’t be bridged by the sharpness of a sword cultivator alone, so she had to give it her all.

The moment her sword was drawn, it gleamed with a cold brilliance, cutting through the air with precision. Despite the urgency, her strike was elegant and controlled.

As Ming He caught sight of the sword tip’s cold gleam, she was reminded of the sword she had wielded against the black cat in the darkness months ago, the blade emerging beneath a sky full of starlight.

What if she used the Unsheathing Style as the opening move for the Flickering Light’s buildup?

The ancient sword techniques of the sword cultivators.

While lost in thought about Swordsmanship, she kept an eye on the sturdy young man’s reaction.

The sturdy young man reacted swiftly. Almost as soon as Ming He unsheathed her sword, he straightened and turned to avoid the blade, delivering a powerful punch with his right fist. The force was like a collapsing mountain, aimed at obliterating anything in its path.

The punch was ferocious, carrying a whirlwind that howled toward Ming He.

Ming He’s pupils narrowed. She had no choice but to defend, turning her sword to meet the force of his punch. With a light tap of her toes, she evaded the brunt of the attack and shifted her sword’s momentum. Instead of using the Cold Sword techniques she had learned from Li Si, she thrust her long sword horizontally, delivering a soft, subtle strike that seemed to seep into the air like a whisper.

The fourth style of Liu Yun Sword Art, Qingyun Stab!

The sturdy young man narrowed his eyes, forced to retreat a few steps. He spoke darkly, "From the Liu Yun Sect?"

"Yes," Ming He replied without hesitation. The sturdy young man had asked because she wasn’t wearing the white robes of an inner sect disciple.

After answering, she ignored him and turned to the injured young man in white, who was still half-lying on the ground, blood staining his lips. "Senior Brother Du, are you all right?"

The young man in white was Du Lei, the top candidate for the Liu Yun Sect’s inner sect discipleship and Ming He’s senior brother.

His cultivation was at the peak of Spirit Guiding Eighth Level, which was impressive in this cave dwelling. Unfortunately, he had encountered one of the few Spirit Guiding stage nine levels present—Sun Yue, the top figure of the loose cultivators alliance.

"I’m fine," Du Lei said, having already stood up during Ming He’s fight with Sun Yue. He turned his head and spat out some blood, a faint smile on his handsome face. "I can still fight." He tightened his grip on his sword.

"Are you going to interfere?" Sun Yue interrupted coldly, his expression dark and menacing.

"What do you think?" Ming He countered, tossing the question back at him.

“Ha!” He sneered coldly, his eyes gleaming with bloodlust. “Then you’ll die together!”

The area was desolate, with few people around. As long as he killed these two and took the Dragon Saliva Fruit before reinforcements from the Liu Yun Sect arrived, who could hold him accountable?

What did it matter if they were geniuses? A dead genius was nothing.

Once he left the cave dwelling and refined the Dragon Saliva Fruit, he could ascend to the Xuan Wei realm.

After breaking through to Xuan Wei, he wouldn’t need to remain in the loose cultivators alliance, scrambling for meager resources under the elders’ watchful eyes. The world was vast—there was nowhere he couldn’t go!

Xuan Wei.

Sun Yue’s heart burned with ambition as he thought of the boundless possibilities those words represented. He relaxed his clenched fist and retrieved a five-foot-long black whip from his storage ring, its surface exuding a chilling scent of blood.

The whip, made from the bones and tendons of beasts, radiated a cold aura even under the blazing sun. Its uneven surface was studded with sharp barbs that glinted ominously in the light.

Sun Yue gripped the whip tightly in his right hand, veins bulging as he gathered his strength.

Ming He and Du Lei exchanged a glance, both seeing the gravity of the situation in each other’s eyes.

One was at the peak of Spirit Guiding Eighth Level, the other at Spirit Guiding Sixth Level. Though they outnumbered Sun Yue, they were no match for him.

The gap in their cultivation was vast, and Sun Yue’s reputation alone was daunting.

As the top figure in the loose cultivators alliance, his name carried more weight than any inherited disciple of the Liu Yun Sect, any inner sect disciple of Wu Ji Palace, or even the young master of Glass Pavilion. The loose cultivators alliance, though lacking in inherited techniques and elixirs compared to sects, was unmatched in combat strength.

The reason was simple: sect disciples rarely faced real battles, while loose cultivators lived on the edge of life and death. The difference in experience was stark.

“Strike first!” Ming He and Du Lei shared a silent understanding and launched their attacks simultaneously.

Ming He’s sword tip aimed directly at the oncoming whip, tangling with its layers, while Du Lei’s blade struck from an unexpected angle, its tip darting along an unpredictable trajectory to bypass the whip.

“Hmph!” Sun Yue sneered, flicking his whip so that its barbs clashed with Du Lei’s sword tip. Spiritual energy surged, deflecting the sword energy back. With his left fist, Sun Yue smashed aside Ming He’s thrusting blade, then leapt into the air, using the momentum of his descent to bring the whip crashing down, enveloping both opponents in its range.

The whip’s sharp crack echoed through the air, its chilling presence closing in.

Ming He dodged just in time, her heart sinking. In a single exchange, the advantage had shifted. She and Du Lei couldn’t gain the upper hand, and the battle ahead would be grueling.

“Swish—”

The whip continued its relentless assault, dominating the battlefield. Its length exceeded Ming He’s long sword by two feet, leaving her and Du Lei at a severe disadvantage.

Spirit Guiding stage nine levels—such power!

Ming He smiled bitterly. She was only at Spirit Guiding Sixth Level. She had once easily defeated the Bloodhand Butcher, which had made her overconfident in her abilities.

But compared to Sun Yue, the Bloodhand Butcher wouldn’t have lasted a single move.

She had thought sect disciples were untouchable, but now she realized they weren’t so different from the rest.

Experience.

She clenched her fist, resolving to fight harder.

Du Lei had blocked most of Sun Yue’s attacks, which was why she had felt some ease. Alone, she wouldn’t have even forced Sun Yue to use his whip.

As Ming He thought this, her gaze sharpened. After her sword tip was deflected by the whip, she seamlessly shifted to another technique.

From Liu Yun Sword Art to Nebula Sword Art, she employed every sword technique she had mastered.

The ninth style of Liu Yun Sword Art, Liu Yun!

Ming He’s footwork was light and precise as she closed the distance, her sword tip stirring the air. As Du Lei pressed his attack, she seized an opening to strike at a weak point in Sun Yue’s defense. Just as Sun Yue began to retract his whip to block, she withdrew her sword and prepared for another move.

The first style of Nebula Sword Art, Liu Yun!

This Liu Yun was different—a refined version born from her countless hours of practice in Chang Ming courtyard, under the cycles of day and night.

Meanwhile, Du Lei exploited Sun Yue’s momentary distraction, slashing through the air to breach his defenses. His blade pierced a small hole in Sun Yue’s black attire, and with a graceful retraction, he exchanged a triumphant glance with Ming He.

“Shameless!” Sun Yue roared, lashing his whip toward Ming He, even at the risk of taking a hit from Du Lei. He was determined to eliminate her first.

“Ha!” Ming He stood her ground, knowing retreat would mean defeat. With unwavering resolve, she thrust her white long sword forward to meet the whip’s fierce wind. Her blade cut through the air like a swift gale, its vibrations releasing an endless, boundless flow.

Ming He steadied her mind, channeling her sword intent to unleash a strike that momentarily stilled the heavens and earth. An invisible force seemed to shift, causing the trees to sway and the wind to stir.

The first style of Nebula Sword Art, Liu Yun!

In a corner of the ancient cave dwelling, a girl in black, clearly a sword cultivator, strolled leisurely, admiring the proud pine trees and vibrant flowers. Occasionally, she nodded in quiet approval.

Beneath her black clothes, she exuded calmness, her gaze wandering over the cave as she pondered the restriction that had suppressed her cultivation to Spirit Guiding stage nine levels upon entry.

The restriction was, after all, a form of formation mastery.

“Hmm?” After a moment, the girl in black seemed to sense something and murmured in curiosity, her eyes scanning the surroundings thoughtfully.

“Is that… the sword intent of heaven and earth?” she whispered, a thought forming in her mind. If it truly was, perhaps she had another path to take.

But this was the ninth prefecture of the Eastern Region. How could anyone here reach such a realm?

She chuckled softly, dismissing the thought, and set off in a new direction, her steps now carrying a hint of urgency.