Chapter 18: The Situation Stabilizes

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The sound of metal clashing rang out.

After all, this was a hasty response; while most of the flying scales aimed at Bai Yichen were blocked by the sword net, a few still tore through his clothes, leaving behind bloody marks.

Fortunately, because he had practiced the Dragon Elephant Diamond Power Technique, his physique and poison resistance were enhanced. Even with the added boost during activation, he emerged mostly unscathed.

At the same time, a gust of fist wind surged in, sweeping away the remaining poisonous mist.

"Hey, little brother from Xuanzhen Temple, are you alright?" Yan Bei asked with concern.

At this moment, Bai Yichen's mask had already been torn, and his appearance had reverted to its original form, so he was naturally recognized.

"I'm fine, thank you for your help, Yan Daxia," Bai Yichen replied, cupping his hands in gratitude.

"You're quite bold and meticulous for a junior. However, Old Lady Wen's poison is rather extraordinary. You may need me to examine you; once the poison enters the meridians, it could become dangerous," Yan Bei remarked, looking at Bai Yichen's sword with a peculiar gaze.

"Thank you for your concern, Yan Daxia, but I already took an antidote earlier. We should quickly go support Master Ancestor and the others," Bai Yichen said, brushing off the offer.

This was naturally an evasion; the Dragon Elephant Diamond Power Technique already had the effect of gradually making him immune to poisons, so he didn't need Yan Bei to examine him. Otherwise, it would risk exposing his secrets.

Moreover, Bai Yichen was already well-versed in pharmacology, needing no assistance from others.

Seeing that he indeed showed no abnormalities, Yan Bei no longer pressed the matter. He advised Bai Yichen to rest for a while before heading directly towards Yun Shou.

Bai Yichen first used the Dragon Elephant Diamond Power Technique again to dispel any residual poison, then activated the Yellow Court Skill to restore his internal energy.

After a deep breath, Bai Yichen opened his eyes, wearing a somewhat bitter smile as he looked at the sword in his hand.

In the heat of the moment, he had inadvertently revealed some things.

The sword technique he used to fend off the flying scales was exactly the same as the one Hei Lin employed, both being the Fine Rain Sword Technique.

As an innate master, Yan Bei naturally had an impression of the sword technique used by Hei Lin.

But fortunately, there were countless martial arts in the world, and some moves inevitably resembled each other; it wouldn't be considered a major issue.

If necessary, he could always say that it was Daoist Guanzhi who taught him, even though the Fine Rain Sword Technique was also a top-tier sword technique in the Heishi organization.

At the very least, it required someone who had reached innate perfection to master it, but how many people actually knew that?

Huh?

A thunderbolt suddenly flashed through Bai Yichen's mind.

Yan Bei's gaze just now was eerily similar to the look he had received in the courtyard when Daoist Guanzhi had enlightened him.

No, it was him!

But the distance could only be sensed by someone who had reached innate mastery; Yan Bei was merely an ordinary innate level.

The innate realm is divided into three stages: entry, great success, and perfection.

However, most people, after struggling to break through to innate mastery, tend to remain stuck at the first level.

Only those with exceptional talent or abundant resources have the opportunity to break through to the second level of innate mastery.

A smile appeared at the corner of Bai Yichen's mouth; this was quite interesting.

What a fine Yan Daxia, coming to lend a hand.

Indeed, the martial world remained as unpredictable as ever, with every individual harboring unknown secrets, whether deeply hidden or not.

Bai Yichen glanced at the distant corpse of Old Lady Wen, seeing her skin turn purplish-blue, black blood oozing from her seven orifices, her body gradually decaying.

It seemed she must have consumed her own poison pouch, which was quite resolute of her.

Bai Yichen couldn't help but feel a sense of regret over his potential spoils of war.

In the future, navigating the martial world would be impossible without silver notes, so if the opportunity arose, he should prepare more.

After thinking for a moment, Bai Yichen decided to head to the ancient forest to check on the other practitioners from Xuanzhen Temple.

As for the main battlefield, having Yan Bei there was sufficient.

He wouldn't necessarily be able to help much; after all, there was a considerable gap in strength between him and those at innate mastery. If he weren't careful, he might end up as a hostage, which would be laughable.

And although Yan Bei had hidden his abilities, the power he had displayed so far was enough to cooperate with Yun Shou and defeat Hei Lin together.

As for Daoist Tongya, from his previous observations, maintaining the current stalemate shouldn't be a problem.

Besides, that toothless leader was ultimately in it for the money; he wouldn't expend all his energy and would likely be the first to flee if things went awry.

However, over a hundred years have passed, and the martial world has indeed changed.

Whether it's the Ground Farmer's Hall or the Twelve Zodiac Organization, if there's an opportunity in the future, he could learn more about them to better grasp the situation.

Looking at the gradually subsiding drizzle and dissipating mist, even without the aid of jade stones, Bai Yichen's keen senses already allowed him to vaguely detect the areas of combat.

Then, he chose a direction and vanished into the night.

...

In the courtyard, the surrounding trees and stream were all left in a shambles due to the aftermath of the battle.

Only Yun Shou and Hei Lin remained, while Daoist Tongya and the toothless leader seemed to have chosen to engage in battle in the nearby ancient forest like Yan Bei and the others.

Hei Lin's figure flashed like a wraith, and the longsword in her hand transformed into multiple sword shadows, continuously piercing towards Yun Shou's throat.

Yun Shou's heart sank, and he stepped forward, moving in a bagua pattern, evading the lethal strike like a swan. At the same time, he thrust both palms forward, the gust of wind howling with the power of the Four Symbols, like a furious dragon emerging from the sea, attacking Hei Lin.

He thought to himself, "This person's swordsmanship is remarkably formidable; this battle will likely be tough. I wonder how Tongya and Yan Bei are faring."

Hei Lin reacted swiftly, countering with her sword to block, the blade colliding with the gust of wind, producing a resonant clang as sparks flew.

In an instant, under the moonlight, sword energy crisscrossed while palm winds roared.

Hei Lin's sword style struck like a torrential storm, each thrust sharp and vicious, targeting Yun Shou's vital points directly.

Fortunately, Yun Shou's Four Symbols Opening Heaven Palm was fierce and powerful, containing the might of the Four Symbols; every palm strike he unleashed carried a force capable of moving mountains and overturning the seas.

However, after several dozen exchanges, as Bai Yichen had anticipated, Yun Shou gradually began to feel his strength waning, his internal energy depleting, and his strikes becoming slightly slower.

"Fighting for so long without a resolution, my stamina is unlikely to hold out."

Hei Lin noticed this too and felt a sense of certainty in her heart: "It seems this old Taoist with the cow nose is indeed aging; after a prolonged battle, he is showing signs of fatigue. Victory in this battle is certain."

At that moment, Hei Lin seized the opportunity; as Yun Shou had used up his old moves and had yet to employ new ones, a cold light shot toward his chest.

Just at this critical moment, a figure streaked in like a meteor, fists like iron pouring into bronze clashing against the cold light, blocking it in front of Yun Shou's chest.

It was none other than Yan Bei, who shouted loudly, "Old Lady Wen is dead! Hei Lin, your plans for tonight have completely failed!"

Upon hearing this, Hei Lin's expression turned to one of disbelief; her brows knitted together as she coldly replied, "Ridiculous! Your strength is merely on par with Old Lady Wen's. How could you kill her?"