Chapter 94: The Grace of a Single Sword
Chapter 94: The Grace of a Single Sword
Mu Feng glanced toward Liu Yixue, who had stood silently throughout the encounter.
Meanwhile, Mu Kuang and Bai Ziyue finally noticed the stunningly beautiful woman beside Mu Feng. Both young men were momentarily entranced by her beauty.
"Wow, such a beautiful sister. Brother Feng, where did you meet her?" Mu Kuang murmured, his awe evident.
Liu Yixue, like any woman, appreciated heartfelt compliments, especially those spoken innocently by young men.
"Good. So, the three of them are all here now," Gu Chenggang sneered, his gaze lingering on Liu Yixue's stunning appearance. A flicker of greed and malice crossed his face. "Boys, chop those three into pieces and capture the woman for me!"
At his command, a wave of mercenaries surged forward, their weapons flashing in the sunlight as swords and sabers cleaved through the air toward Mu Feng's group. Even sword and blade energy streaked toward them.
"Hmph!"
Liu Yixue finally broke her silence with a cold snort. A wave of blue energy enveloped her and the three young men, forming a protective barrier. The incoming attacks dissipated harmlessly against the shield, unable to harm anyone within.
"Energy Shield! A Qi Condensation expert?" Gu Chenggang's brow furrowed in unease.
Liu Yixue stepped forward gracefully, her movements exuding an air of power. With a gentle motion, a surge of blue energy rippled outward like water, sending the dozens of charging mercenaries flying back.
Cries of pain echoed as the mercenaries tumbled across the ground, staring at Liu Yixue in terror. She had repelled them with raw energy alone—an incredible display of strength.
Gu Chenggang's face turned pale as he felt the overwhelming pressure of Liu Yixue's energy. "A Yuan Dan expert?! How can such a powerful cultivator be in a backwater like this?"
Liu Yixue's cold gaze locked onto Gu Chenggang, causing him to instinctively retreat two steps.
Before he could react further, Liu Yixue moved. She became a blur of blue light, and a chilling sword intent filled the air. A streak of blue sword energy flashed past Gu Chenggang.
Liu Yixue reappeared behind him, standing gracefully with her sword in hand. Her white robes fluttered lightly, and a single drop of blood dripped from her sword's tip.
Gu Chenggang froze in place, his eyes wide with shock. Slowly, he clutched at his throat, blood gushing from a deep wound. His body convulsed before collapsing lifelessly to the ground, his energy dissipating as blood pooled beneath him.
Everyone present was stunned. Even Mu Feng and his friends stared in disbelief.
No one had seen how Liu Yixue had drawn her sword. All they had witnessed was a single dazzling streak of sword light, and Gu Chenggang was dead.
The fleeting brilliance of her sword strike left an indelible impression on everyone present.
"That...that..."
"The captain!"
"Heavens, what kind of power is this?"
The remaining mercenaries, gripped by fear, scattered in all directions. Liu Yixue's strength was far beyond anything they could comprehend or confront.
Calmly sheathing her sword, Liu Yixue began walking toward the town. The onlookers regarded her with awe and reverence, recognizing her as a figure of great renown and power.
Mu Feng, Mu Kuang, and Bai Ziyue exchanged glances before dragging Gu Chenggang's body, along with the corpses of other mercenaries, to a patch of wild grass by the roadside. Mu Feng absorbed their blood energy before burning the bodies with his elemental fire. Then, they hurried after Liu Yixue.
As the townsfolk dispersed, murmurs of Liu Yixue's incredible swordsmanship lingered in the air.
"Brother Feng, who is that incredible woman? Her strength is terrifying," Bai Ziyue asked as they walked.
"She's a Yuan Dan expert I met in Flame Valley," Mu Feng replied.
"Yuan Dan Realm? That's someone who can fly and traverse the heavens!" Bai Ziyue exclaimed.
Mu Kuang, though less astonished, still marveled at her strength. Coming from the Mu clan, he had seen Yuan Dan experts before, though Liu Yixue's power was extraordinary even by those standards.
The group returned to the small town and settled in at an inn. After washing away the grime of their travels, Mu Feng soaked in a wooden tub, reflecting on recent events.
The Fire Jiao's corpse was his greatest gain—a treasure trove of resources. Additionally, the four Fire Lotus Seeds and the remaining Crimson Spirit Fruit would allow him to further refine his Nine Flames Fist to perfection.
However, Mu Feng also recognized the limitations imposed by his current cultivation level. Even if he perfected the technique, he lacked the energy reserves to fully unleash its power. While a Yuan Dan expert could cleave mountains with the same skill, Mu Feng could only manage a few trees due to the disparity in their cultivation levels.
As he pondered, Mu Feng noticed Xiao Tian resting beside him, still absorbing the essence of the Fire Jiao's blood. He swallowed a Blood Pill and began cultivating within the tub.
Unbeknownst to him, Xiao Tian's body had begun to change. Underneath its soft belly, something new was beginning to grow.
The next morning, Mu Feng knocked on Liu Yixue's door. When there was no response, he called out again before pushing the door open. The room was empty.
On the table lay a letter and a jade bottle. Opening the letter, Mu Feng found only a few elegant words:
"I've left."
The note was signed by Liu Yixue.
"She left without saying goodbye?" Mu Feng murmured, feeling a faint pang of loss.
Opening the jade bottle, he found three pills inside, each adorned with four lines of intricate patterns. These were high-grade spiritual pills, brimming with potent energy.
"Liu Yixue..." Mu Feng whispered, her memory etched in his mind as a fleeting yet profound presence.
Storing the pills, Mu Feng smiled confidently. "One day, I'll stand as your equal—or even surpass you!" he vowed silently.
With Liu Yixue gone, Mu Feng rallied Mu Kuang and Bai Ziyue. Together, they left the town and the Flame Valley, heading toward An Nan City and the Mu family estate.
After traveling through the night, the trio reached An Nan City by the following morning. However, unbeknownst to them, at the ruined gates of the Huang family's destroyed estate, a man stood silently.
The young man wore a green robe and bore a striking resemblance to Huang Yi, though his features were more mature.
"Mu Feng...the Mu family...Father, Second Brother, I swear I will avenge you. I'll destroy the Mu family and Mu Feng to honor your memory," he vowed, his voice filled with seething hatred.
This man was Huang Tai's eldest son, Huang Bing, a Qi Condensation Realm cultivator now serving in the Southern Hao military.
A storm was brewing.