Volume 5 Chapter 49
by Need_More_SleepVolume 5 + Chapter 49: Swordmaster Vs Sword Saint
The instant Xia Yi stepped into the next carriage, a streak of white sword-light burst forth from the depths of the darkness, slashing straight toward her vital point with a speed so terrifying that it was nearly impossible to react.
“Silver Dragon Princess, your time of death has arrived.”
Wu Tong had long since set this ambush, waiting here for the sole purpose of taking Xia Yi’s life.
And indeed, Xia Yi had not reacted in time, she had not even had the chance to think.
Yet something occurred that Wu Tong had not anticipated.
As a Sword Saint, Xia Yi’s battle-honed instinct activated the instant she sensed mortal danger. Her body moved of its own accord, almost against reason, retreating backward to the greatest possible extent and narrowly evading the fatal blow.
“Who are you?!”
Realizing something was wrong, Xia Yi quickly steadied herself and widened the distance between them.
She discovered that her attacker was an extraordinarily formidable swordsman, his blade skill far from ordinary.
“Should I say you’re lucky, Silver Dragon Princess? To think you managed to escape that by sheer fortune.”
Wu Tong stepped out from the darkness, a katana gripped firmly in his hand.
“You’ve temporarily picked up your life again, but it’s meaningless. Soon enough, you’ll become a wandering spirit.”
“A fox… swordsman?”
Xia Yi observed Wu Tong carefully. As a fellow practitioner of the sword, she could sense that he was a master who had immersed himself in swordsmanship for many years. His earlier strike had not contained a single wasted motion. Had she not already stepped into the realm of the Sword Saint, possessing extraordinary combat intuition, she would likely have been gravely wounded by that surprise attack.
“Fox Clan, do you understand what your actions represent? Attacking a Dragon Clan delegation is equivalent to declaring war on the dragons!”
“Heh. If it means war, then so be it.”
Wu Tong produced a wine gourd as he spoke and pulled out its cork.
He raised it and drank the contents in one gulp.
The liquid was clear and colorless. Xia Yi noticed it did not resemble wine, there was no scent of alcohol. Instead, it looked more like…
The holy water of the White Night Sect?!
Wu Tong’s demeanor immediately changed.
Moments ago he had seemed somewhat dispirited, but after drinking the liquid, he entered an extreme state of exhilaration. His heartbeat accelerated, and his physical capabilities surged.
“Lord Fox God blesses every devout believer. We, the Fox Clan, shall cleanse this world of all impurity and usher in a tranquil and blissful White Night!”
“You’re a member of the White Night Sect?”
“That’s right. Silver Dragon Princess, my name is Wu Tong, Swordmaster of the White Night Sect, and the one who will take your life.” Wu Tong’s gaze brimmed with hostility. “Your Dragon Clan has no right to set foot upon Fox Hill’s soil. Filthy outsiders must be purified. With your death, we shall appease Lord Fox God’s wrath!”
“Why would there be members of the White Night Sect aboard the Flying Swallow arranged by Yue Liu? And the conductor seemed to be deliberately assisting them… could it be…?”
Xia Yi suddenly realized something extremely grave.
Judging from the current circumstances, the little fox likely knew nothing of the White Night Sect’s presence aboard the train. The Fox Clan itself might already have been infiltrated.
News of her departure from Fox Hill had probably reached the White Night Sect long ago, that was how they were able to set this trap in advance aboard the Flying Swallow.
“Silver Dragon Princess, your death will inspire every member of the White Night Sect. Our Sect Leader will surely be delighted to see your severed head.”
Wu Tong sheathed his katana and lowered his stance.
“……”
Xia Yi narrowed her eyes.
His opening stance looked familiar, she had seen the little fox use a similar technique before.
She surmised that Wu Tong practiced the same sword style: a school centered on high-speed iaijutsu, striking swiftly to take an opponent’s head in a single draw.
Xia Yi raised her hand, and the mark of the Holy Sword surfaced upon the back of it. She prepared to summon her weapon.
Wu Tong read her intention instantly.
“Don’t even think about it! Divine Speed, Draw Slash!”
Gripping his katana tightly, Wu Tong unsheathed it at astonishing speed, so fast the naked eye could scarcely perceive it.
As the blade left its scabbard, it emitted a roaring sound. The airflow condensed into a tangible shockwave, blasting away the seats inside the carriage and shattering the glass of the windows.
Under the silver glow of the moon, Wu Tong’s sword technique cleaved through space itself as it cut toward Xia Yi’s head.
Heart as Still as a Mirror.
Xia Yi calmed her mind into a state without ripples. Coupled with the intuition of a Sword Saint, she did not need her eyes to track the blade, by reading his movement alone, she could predict the direction of the strike.
At the same time, she raised her other hand.
With her rich combat experience, she had long anticipated that he would attempt to interrupt her summoning of the Holy Sword. Therefore, while summoning it, she used chant suppression, casting ice-element magic without incantation and forming an ice sword in her free hand.
Xia Yi swung the ice blade, unleashing the domineering strength of the Dragon Clan to meet Wu Tong’s Divine Speed Draw Slash head-on.
Clang!
The ice sword shattered in her grasp, exploding into fragments that scattered through the air. The temporary weapon was gone.
But that was a trivial price to pay. Not only had she blocked the strike, she had also successfully summoned the Holy Sword and grasped it firmly in her hand.
“Gale Slash!”
As though she had calculated everything in advance, Xia Yi stepped forward fluidly, raising the Holy Sword. Now it was her turn to launch the assault against Wu Tong.
Because Divine Speed, Draw Slash was a technique that committed fully to offense, Wu Tong’s katana was too extended to defend in time.
The Holy Sword would cleave him in two.
“Dual Blade Style, Ascension!”
Astonishingly, after executing his draw slash, Wu Tong unleashed a second-stage technique. With the hand still gripping the scabbard, he traced an upward arc, generating a surging airflow that formed a barrier-like shockwave.
Due to the difference in racial strength, Gale Slash still tore through the airflow barrier and struck Wu Tong.
He was sent flying backward, adjusting his posture midair and braking with his katana, sparks scattering in a long trail across the darkened carriage.
Since he had deflected most of the force of Xia Yi’s attack, he sustained only light injuries. Blood dripped onto the floor.
After a fierce exchange of offense and defense, Xia Yi held a slight advantage.
Yet this was the first time she had encountered such an exceptional swordsman. If not for the disparity in their racial attributes, the outcome of that clash would have been difficult to predict.
“So you’re a wielder of the Holy Sword, how exhilarating,” Wu Tong laughed. “Silver Dragon Princess, that only increases the value of killing you. I thought you were merely a mage, but you’ve given me quite the delightful surprise!”
“Can you even see the situation clearly before you speak? Your draw technique has no effect on me. Defeating me is impossible,” Xia Yi replied coolly.
“No, Silver Dragon Princess, the one who fails to see the situation clearly… could it be you still haven’t realized?”
“How could it be…?!”
After Wu Tong’s reminder, Xia Yi’s expression changed instantly.
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