Chapter 161: Spiritual Source Weapon

Jiang Shuijue knew what he was implying. She immediately shook her head. “We appreciate Brother Su’s goodwill, but we cannot accept the conditions for joining the Golden Eagle Alliance. This matter has nothing to do with you, Brother Su. We accept your kindness, and we will repay you when the opportunity arises.”

Her tone was decisive. She was clearly determined to fight Ding Shijie to the bitter end.

Su Li frowned slightly. “What are the conditions for joining the alliance?”

Gu Mingfeng said angrily, “If we agree to join them, all of us will be split up and forbidden to stay together. Our 26 people in Golden Convergence Center will be divided into three groups and moved to the locations they designate.”

Ding Shijie nodded. “That’s correct. Those are the basic conditions for joining our Golden Eagle Alliance. No one is an exception, including myself. Without separation, forming cliques and fighting among yourselves is inevitable. How can we have unified command? If that happens, the alliance serves no purpose.”

Hearing this, Su Li took a deep breath. He looked at Ding Shijie and asked, “Brother Ding, does that mean if our Purple Wind Building joins the Golden Eagle Alliance, its people must also be separated?”

Ding Shijie nodded. “Yes, that is the fundamental condition for joining our Golden Eagle Alliance. No one can be exempt. Not even me.”

Su Li fell silent. He thought that this condition meant he would also have to separate from Ding Longyun, Xu Xuehui, Gong Xiao, and the others. If they stayed together, they would be considered a clique. This was a condition he could not accept.

He finally understood why Jiang Shuijue’s group vehemently opposed it, choosing to fight Ding Shijie rather than join the “Golden Eagle Alliance.”

With a wry smile, Su Li slowly turned to face Ding Shijie. He said in a low voice, “Brother Ding, it’s no wonder they can’t accept your condition. You’re forcing people into an impossible choice. I suggest we forget this matter today, Brother Ding. If they are unwilling to join the Golden Eagle Alliance, why force them?”

Ding Shijie sighed. “Brother Su still doesn’t understand my dilemma. What I stated is my bottom line. We have only two paths before us: either Brother Su persuades them to comply with the Golden Eagle Alliance’s rules and join us—and we will all be brothers and sisters—or… they are my enemies.”

Su Li did not try to persuade Jiang Shuijue again. He knew they wouldn’t accept Ding Shijie’s terms. He simply looked at Ding Shijie and said, “Brother Ding, do you really insist on this? Why must you insist on conflict when you can simply leave and part ways peacefully? What good is the inevitable bloodshed and death?”

Ding Shijie laughed heartily. “From ancient times to now, achieving great things requires sacrifice. For the sake of the majority’s future, what does a bit of bloodshed or a few deaths matter now? Brother Su, stop talking. Just step aside.”

As he spoke, the skin of his right arm began to turn blood-red again. He was clearly preparing to attack Jiang Shuijue’s group.

He had patiently waited until now out of respect for Su Li. But seeing Su Li continuously refuse to persuade Jiang Shuijue and instead urge him to leave, Ding Shijie grew impatient and started to develop resentment toward Su Li.

Su Li did not step aside. Instead, he slightly spread his arms. He said in a deep voice, “If Brother Ding insists on attacking them, you’ll have to go through me first.”

Hearing this, Ding Shijie froze. He took a sharp breath, then grimaced and chuckled.

“Heh… Heh heh… Su Li, are you mistaken about something?”

“Or perhaps, do you overestimate your own importance?”

Ding Shijie’s tone grew increasingly chilling. He stared at Su Li, his expression darkening. “Su Li, I saw your talent and showed you tolerance. I even offered you the position of Second Leader in the Golden Eagle Alliance, but you are proving ungrateful. Are you truly going to fight me for them?”

Su Li remained calm. He smiled faintly and said, “I told you, they showed me kindness. Now is the time for me to repay that debt. Besides, I’m used to my freedom and have no interest in joining the Golden Eagle Alliance. I’m afraid I cannot accept your generous offer, Brother Ding.”

“Su Li, do you truly wish to oppose me?” Ding Shijie suddenly raised his voice.

Su Li’s right hand reached for his chest. He swiftly drew out the Dragon Rhino Sword and faced Ding Shijie. “Brother Ding, it is not I who wish to oppose you. It is you who will not let us go.”

Seeing Su Li choose to fight Ding Shijie for their sake, Jiang Shuijue and the other two were deeply moved. Jiang Shuijue couldn’t help but say, “Brother Su, we accept your goodwill. Please leave quickly. This matter has nothing to do with you. You don’t need to get involved.”

She had witnessed Ding Shijie’s terror firsthand. She feared Su Li was no match for him and didn’t want to drag him into the conflict.

Su Li did not look back at her. He just smiled faintly. “Miss Jiang, please don’t be a stranger. Since I’ve seen this, how can I stand by and do nothing?”

He thought to himself that his decision wasn’t purely about helping Jiang Shuijue’s group. Judging by Ding Shijie’s tone, even if he didn’t intervene today, Ding Shijie would likely target the Purple Wind Building next. The clash between them was inevitable; it was merely happening sooner.

Seeing Su Li block his path with the sword, Ding Shijie’s face grew even darker. He nodded. “Good. Good. You are determined to be my enemy…”

The skin of his bare right arm turned increasingly red, looking ready to burst with blood.

Jiang Shuijue brandished her twin blades and rushed to Su Li’s side, clearly intending to fight Ding Shijie with him.

“Miss Jiang, I need to ask you for a favor,” Su Li said, his mind fully focused on Ding Shijie. He knew the attack was imminent.

“What is it?” Jiang Shuijue was also fixed on Ding Shijie, her beautiful face showing tension.

Ling Yi and Gu Mingfeng also stepped up, standing with Su Li.

Ding Shijie faced the four of them alone, yet his expression remained unchanged. His eyes, instead, shone with an ardent battle lust.

“The man who came with me is Liu Jiande. If anything happens to me, I hope you can help escort him back to the Purple Wind Building. I promised him I would bring him back safely. Please take care of this for me.”

Jiang Shuijue was stunned. She hadn’t expected the favor he asked for to be this. She was about to speak when Ding Shijie moved.

Ding Shijie’s speed was astonishing, making Jiang Shuijue dizzy. Among the four, only Su Li could keep up with his speed. The Dragon Rhino Sword in Su Li’s right hand swung out without hesitation, meeting Ding Shijie’s right arm.

Although Ding Shijie’s right arm was hard as steel, the Dragon Rhino Sword could cut metal like mud and was a treasure weapon. Su Li used all his strength in the swing. Furthermore, he was prepared to unleash the “Dragon Rhino Slash.” No matter how strong Ding Shijie was, if he took the “Dragon Rhino Slash,” he would not survive.

However, since the “Dragon Rhino Slash” could only be used once in a period, Su Li would not use it unless absolutely necessary.

Ding Shijie let out a low chuckle. His blood-red right arm completely ignored the Dragon Rhino Sword, meeting the sacred weapon with bare flesh.

With a rapid series of “clang-clang-clang” sounds, Su Li’s Dragon Rhino Sword was repelled. The wooden raft beneath Ding Shijie’s feet groaned and shook violently under the force, unable to withstand the impact.

The silent Ling Yi also struck at the same moment. Both his right hand and his sword were fully crystallized. He seized the opportunity of Ding Shijie’s engagement with Su Li to stab at Ding Shijie’s vital areas.

With a “hiss,” Ding Shijie suddenly retreated, putting distance between them. He lowered his head and saw a cut on his chest. Blood flowed out. Although the wound was shallow, Ding Shijie’s face completely darkened. Being wounded was an utter disgrace to him.

Although Ding Shijie was formidable and could face Jiang Shuijue, Ling Yi, and Gu Mingfeng alone, adding Su Li to the mix changed everything.

Su Li alone required his full attention, making him vulnerable to the attacks of Jiang Shuijue’s group.

Despite this, he did not call for the “Golden Eagle Alliance” members watching from behind to help. Instead, he opened his mouth, his expression turning savage.

“Today, all of you will…”

He suddenly placed his left hand on his chest and violently clenched it. An icy mist emerged from his chest. As he gripped his left hand, the mist solidified, forming an icy sword hilt in his palm.

Su Li’s heart pounded.

“Die—”

Ding Shijie let out a sudden roar. He pulled with his left hand, and a long, translucent object was drawn from his chest. It had materialized into a sword.

The sword was entirely translucent. The blade was covered in countless snake-scale-like patterns, resembling an ice sculpture. Icy mist rose from the blade. As the sword was drawn, the surrounding people felt a sudden chill.

Jiang Shuijue, Ling Yi, and Gu Mingfeng stared wide-eyed. They had been surprised when Su Li drew the Dragon Rhino Sword from his chest, but they dismissed it as a “Spiritual Source Technique.”

Now, with Ding Shijie also drawing a translucent ice sword from his chest, they finally understood: this was not a Spiritual Source Technique.

Ding Shijie’s Spiritual Source Technique was clearly the extreme heat he could generate from his right arm. A single person could not possess two Spiritual Source Techniques. The only possibility was that the ice sword he drew from his chest was a true weapon.

(End of Chapter)