Chapter 354: Blade Sheathes and Draws

No one dared claim a lineage of spear mastery in her presence. Wang Xiu's standing in the world of spear arts was akin to Li Chungang's in swordsmanship.

More than a dozen Rouran cavalrymen, confident in their superior horsemanship and their warhorses' exceptional carrying capacity, simultaneously raised their long spears. However, given the extremely close proximity, even the finest warhorses, regardless of breeding and training, could not execute an explosive charge while bearing a heavily armored rider. Two warhorses advanced with quick, precise steps, leading the charge towards the graceful woman in green clothes and shoes. These more than ten riders were all seasoned combatants who had followed the Mountain Master through many battles, skilled in fighting both armored soldiers and jianghu martial artists. Two black iron spears, held high, descended—one thrusting, one sweeping. The left spear aimed for Qing Niao's brow, the right swept towards her arm.

Qing Niao was once a ruthless assassin, but her killing methods completely transformed after she began training with the spear in Mang. Her style now perfectly matched Wang Xiu's fierce and almost obsessive spear principles, especially when Wang Xiu's "Instant" technique was executed by the feminine Qing Niao, making it even more captivating. As the "Instant" spear moved, despite being a simple, straightforward thrust, the spear shaft bent into a peculiar arc. The crimson shaft's outward curve struck the iron cavalryman's spear as it aimed for her forehead, deflecting it. Then, leveraging that momentum, the "Instant" spear bent again, its curve instantly reversing direction to parry the sweeping spear. The "Instant" spear then straightened into a direct stab, piercing through the horse's head and striking the armored rider's chest. With a final flex of the shaft and a sudden burst of power from the tip, the knight's breastplate shattered, and he was flung into the air, dead before he hit the ground.

Wang Xiu's "Collapse" technique not only damaged flesh and blood but also injured meridians and vital energy. The Spiderweb's chief assassin, Yi Jie Liu, developed "Willow Creating Shade," a sword technique that allowed sword energy to take root, a venomous art actually derived from Wang Xiu's spear methods. Wang Xiu traveled the world with her skills throughout her life, never backing down from a confrontation and showing no mercy in her attacks. For the past two decades in Beiliang, countless martial artists had thoroughly studied Wang Xiu's spear arts. Wang Xiu was like a Yellow River Flood Dragon; after her death, subsequent generations in the jianghu sought treasures in her wake. Some merely picked up a scale or two, others a dragon's whisker, but only Yi Jie Liu grasped the radiant pearl. Qing Niao, having witnessed Wang Xiu's obsessive spear training from a young age, had the advantage of proximity and inherited her father's talent. Her understanding of the "Four-Character Secret" far surpassed what outsiders like Yi Jie Liu could imagine. In those days, the Wang family, a dominant force in Beiliang's martial arts, would always see a little girl in their inner courtyard, practicing spear thrusts step by step, elbow by elbow, regardless of the season, her hands calloused from constantly whipping a wooden pole.

In the midst of the chaotic charge, Qing Niao flicked her "Instant" spear, ensnaring an iron spear. The tip of her "Instant" spear drew a majestic, perfect circle, and a knight's entire head was severed. She kicked the flank of a passing warhorse, sending both rider and horse reeling back ten to fifteen meters. While still running, she tapped her toe, dodging two spearthrusts, then slid her palm to the middle of her "Instant" spear. The spear spun into a large circle, which carried the "Instant" spear's inherent arc, resembling a lasso swinging through the air. Once the momentum was fully built, and the "Instant" spear left her hand, with her at the center, within twenty paces, three cavalrymen—along with their armor and horses—were cut down, some at the waist, others at the neck.

Qing Niao continued to sprint forward, bent at the waist. Her "Instant" spear coincidentally swung back into her hand. She thrust it out, stopping abruptly three inches from a knight's face. Before the cavalryman could secretly rejoice that this ruthless woman's vital energy was exhausted, onlookers only saw his face collapse, a gruesome sight.

Qing Niao lightly tapped the spear shaft, and her "Instant" spear swung behind her, blocking a fierce iron spear that was being wielded like a saber. The "Arc" technique could kill, but also defend. With her back to the knight, she struck the spear shaft with both arms, causing the "Instant" spear to instantly rebound and smash into the knight's chest. Qing Niao turned, took a large step back with her right foot, gripped the rebounding "Instant" spear, and transformed its horizontal position to vertical. This was the "Trailing" technique of a backward thrust, which pierced a large hole in the abdomen of the already pale, gold-leaf-faced knight. Qing Niao slightly lifted the spear, and the immense upward force sent the still-living knight flying into the sky. She pulled out the spear, then thrust and twisted it again, causing the armored soldier's body to burst open.

Around her, few knights remained standing.

The remaining handful of knights exchanged glances, all preparing for a desperate, final stand.

From the corner of her eye, Qing Niao glanced at the commotion by the creek.

She needed to kill faster.

Xu Beizhi was despairing. The scholar, who once disbelieved in spirits and deities, was now caught by the four arms of the shadowy entity, which resembled a red bat, and hung from a large tree far from the danger. In previous distant sightings, the scarlet-robed nascent spirit had only shown one face, with all four arms tucked into its wide sleeves. But now, Xu Beizhi stared closely at its compassionate Kṣitigarbha-like face, clearly perceiving its four arms. He silently closed his eyes. He had once debated with his grandfather about the exegesis of the seven characters "The Master did not talk about strange phenomena, feats of strength, disorders, or spiritual beings." Xu Huainan, like past Confucian scholars, interpreted them as four distinct matters: strangeness, valor, rebellion, and deities. Xu Beizhi, however, believed it shouldn't simply be based on Confucian criticism of Mohist reverence for spirits; he argued that "disorders" and "spiritual beings" were not parallel but separate, with "disorders" acting as a verb and "spiritual beings" specifically referring to one's mind. Now, Xu Beizhi felt he was utterly wrong, chanting scriptures, uttering incantations, and reciting true words.

The shadowy entity paid no attention to the scholar, who felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. Its joyous face looked into the distance, seemingly hesitating whether to offer assistance. The entity, which wore green python armor beneath its wide scarlet sleeves, discarded the cumbersome weight in its hand, sending Xu Beizhi tumbling head over heels. Its delicate body, which was quite shapely if one ignored its two faces and four arms, began to slowly float upward, rising above the highest branches. Its wide sleeves fluttered, making its bare, unsocked feet appear even whiter and more dazzling. Xu Beizhi, catching a glimpse of this, trembled even more. Could it truly be a ghost that had escaped from Fengdu? The nascent spirit stiffly twisted its neck. In its view, a dense swarm of armored soldiers, like locusts, had abandoned their horses and were advancing on foot up the mountain.

The shadowy entity rubbed its belly and let out a burp.

Ordinary people burped when full; it burped when famished.

On the creek, Fifth Mo scoffed, "Let's see how long you can hide!"

The Mountain Master of Tibing Mountain, now truly enraged, tossed Dragon Tendon backward. When he had broken the horse's back, he had drawn his saber, leaving its sheath, adorned with a golden tassel, stuck in the ground near the dead horse. With this toss, Dragon Tendon returned to its sheath.

Fifth Mo was not renowned for his saber skills to begin with. The fact that he had once broken Deng Mao's long spear with his bare hands spoke volumes.

After discarding his saber, Fifth Mo glanced at the turbulent waters downstream of the creek and let out a cold laugh. He no longer deliberately floated above the water, submerging himself instead, just like Xu Fengnian.

Xu Fengnian finally reappeared, drenched, holding the Spring Autumn Sword, its sword qi fluttering like wind.

The creek water rapidly receded from his head, dropping to his waist, then his knees, until only dampness remained at his feet.

There was truly no way to retreat, no place to hide. The area occupied by Fifth Mo became a dividing line. The creek was blocked by the purple-robed man, unable to approach within three meters of that horizontal line. The turbulent, murky water stopped behind him, continually overflowing onto both banks. The creek water writhed, like a malevolent yellow dragon or flood dragon ready to devour someone at any moment.

Xu Fengnian made a move that Fifth Mo found unusual: he sheathed the incomparably sharp Spring Autumn Sword.

A saber sheathed indicated Fifth Mo had a reliance.

A sword sheathed...

Was he eager to be reborn?

Fifth Mo strode forward, like rumbling thunder shaking the earth. With every step the muscular man took, the creek water behind him advanced a step.

Xu Fengnian pulled one palm back, facing inward, and pushed the other forward, facing outward.

Twelve flying swords formed a semi-circular sword array. It was created using the "silk knotting" technique and was given the rather resonant name "Thunder Pool."

Fifth Mo, on the other hand, relied purely on overwhelming force, without any flashy techniques. When they were five paces apart, he twisted his body sideways and threw a powerful punch. Xu Fengnian used one palm in a "Soaring" stance to brace against the city-shattering, mountain-shaking fist. His feet sank into the mud past his knees. He then adopted a "Pagoda Holding" stance, stacking one palm on the back of the other, intending to withstand the punch head-on without dodging. Fifth Mo's rage surged, pressing down repeatedly. The mud beneath Xu Fengnian's knees splattered outward faster than feathered arrows. The creek water behind Fifth Mo also violently churned. Xu Fengnian's sword array remained cohesive, not for any superfluous attack, but to use the core of the twelve flying swords to support his Grand Yellow Court, allowing man and sword array to achieve perfect communion!

Fifth Mo kicked out. The expressionless Xu Fengnian slapped down with his right palm and pushed his left palm towards Fifth Mo's chest. He neither dispersed the kick nor touched the purple robes. Xu Fengnian merely absorbed some of the force and futilely slid backward, his feet carving a沟壑 in the creek bed like knives.

Before Xu Fengnian could steady himself and catch his breath, Fifth Mo swept a whip kick towards his neck.

Xu Fengnian tilted his shoulder and blocked with both hands. Just by observing the trembling of the semi-circular sword array, one could tell the immense power behind that kick. Xu Fengnian was driven entirely into the muddy riverbank wall, which was as tall as a person.

Fifth Mo stepped on Xu Fengnian's chest, pushing his back several feet deep into the muddy wall, yet still had the leisure to shake his head and taunt, "What a waste of twelve flying swords, no less than those from the Wu Family Sword Mound! If they can't take a head, can they still be called flying swords?"

Fifth Mo reached out with both hands and grabbed, his fingers forming hooks. The brand new sword array, "Thunder Pool," woven from green silk, was violently torn and swayed precariously under his immense strength.

Xu Fengnian didn't give him a chance to destroy the Thunder Pool, instead ramming his shoulder into Fifth Mo.

Fifth Mo held onto the sword array with one hand and swung his other arm horizontally, sending Xu Fengnian, whose vital energy was disturbed, flying sideways. The sword array immediately lost its tether.

Fifth Mo stomped the ground, leaped high, and delivered an elbow strike towards Xu Fengnian, who had yet to stabilize himself.

A large pit, over three meters wide and long, appeared in the creek bed.

This was even after Xu Fengnian had used "Mirage" to nullify ninety percent of Fifth Mo's elbow strike.

Fifth Mo sneered, "With such paltry strength, you dare challenge me?!"

Fifth Mo stood still, no longer pursuing the battered Xu Fengnian. He adopted a majestic stance, like a Celestial being casting a great cauldron, and punched the air.

Xu Fengnian's vital energy circulated at its fastest since he began martial arts training. He drew circles with his hands, again and again, yet still couldn't completely dissipate the swift, powerful gale from that punch.

After being struck, his body bent like a bow.

Dark blood seeped from the corner of Xu Fengnian's mouth as he murmured, "I once, drunk, whipped a famous horse."

Fifth Mo ruthlessly unleashed a crushing assault. The purple-robed figure blazed with aura at the bottom of the creek, constantly sending the black-clad swordsman flying backward. They had fought for a full mile along the dry creek bed.

Fifth Mo didn't even hear Xu Fengnian's next line, "I once, as a youth, spent a fortune."

With continuous, thunderous attacks, Fifth Mo seized an opportunity, grabbed Xu Fengnian's legs, and threw him towards the creek water behind them.

Xu Fengnian's body sliced through the turbulent creek water.

He was propelled more than half a mile in one go.

Xu Fengnian knelt on one knee and lightly flicked the Spring Autumn Sword's sheath behind him with one finger, saying, "I once traded Spring Autumn for Spring Thunder."

The Spring Autumn Sword flew out with its sheath, striking a satchel.

Xu Fengnian now held the unsheathed Spring Thunder in his hand.

After standing upright, Xu Fengnian slightly bent his knees, joined two fingers on his right hand, and pointed the tip of the Spring Thunder saber in his left hand directly at Fifth Mo.

"I once killed a Finger-Profound expert in the creek."