Chapter Thirty-Eight: Chang Yi

Sensing the gust of wind at his back, Long Yun’s expression shifted. With fingers poised like a sword, he swung his hand in a backward thrust, and in an instant, a five-colored brilliance surged forth in a torrent.

Five Swords as One—the signature technique of Long Yun, a fusion of five peerless killing sword arts.

Long Yun had sensed that the sword energy behind him far surpassed his own strength. Apart from Chu Huafei, the senior disciple of the Huaying Sect, no one else could wield such power.

Thus, he dared not show the slightest negligence; he unleashed the Five Swords as One, blending together all five ultimate sword arts without holding back!

With a thunderous boom, the two sword energies collided in midair, their shockwaves raging outward in all directions!

A sweet taste rose in Long Yun’s throat, and he staggered back over ten steps, barely suppressing the turmoil in his blood. Frowning, he gazed at Chu Huafei, whose face was frozen in astonishment.

Chu Huafei’s strike had not been intended to kill; he merely wished to probe Long Yun’s limits. Yet Long Yun had truly surprised him—for though Chu Huafei had reserved much of his strength, Long Yun, relying on his Spirit-Gathering cultivation, had forced himself to withstand the blow. It was hard to believe.

“This man cannot be allowed to live. If he breaks through to the Transcendence Stage, there will be none in Huaying Sect who can restrain him,” Chu Huafei’s eyes flickered, unable to conceal the murderous intent within.

Long Yun, too, seemed to sense the killing aura radiating from Chu Huafei and dared not linger. He retreated several steps, merging into the ranks of the Jade Sword Sect disciples.

At this moment, Xiao Leng landed beside Long Yun, silent but vigilant, eyes wary of Chu Huafei, ready for any further attack.

Among the disciples of Jade Sword Sect, some, dissatisfied, called out loudly to Chu Huafei: “So this is the grand Senior Brother of Huaying Sect, stooping so low as to ambush a junior of our Jade Sword Sect? Aren’t you afraid the whole world will laugh at you?”

“What did you say?” Xiao Yucheng, who had just come to his senses and was seething with unspent anger, heard the jeers and was about to lash out.

Just then, two figures descended from the sky, landing gracefully before the disciples of Jade Sword Sect. At the sight of these two, the crowd immediately quieted.

Chang Yi, the Senior Brother of the Heavenly Sword lineage, was undoubtedly the top expert among the Jade Sword Sect disciples. It was said that two years prior, he had already entered the seventh stage of the Postnatal Realm, the Transcendence Stage. For two years, he had devoted himself to cultivation; even if he had not broken through, he was surely at the peak of Transcendence.

The other was Chen Long, Senior Brother of the Earth Sword lineage, also a master of the Transcendence Stage. Though he reached it a year after Chang Yi, he too was highly esteemed by the disciples, second only to Chang Yi in strength within the sect.

With the arrival of these two powerhouses, the disciples of Jade Sword Sect straightened their backs once more, their confidence restored. For the moment, they seemed to forget the hard-fought battles Long Yun and Xiao Leng had just endured.

For the names Chang Yi and Chen Long far outshone those of the others—in the hearts of these disciples, the two were nothing less than idols.

“Chang Yi? Chen Long?” Facing the two whose expressions were tinged with disdain, Chu Huafei’s face changed slightly.

He had not expected both to appear at once. Against one, he might have had a chance—but against both, he had no advantage at all.

“Chu Huafei, you have some nerve. Seizing the moment when Junior Brother Chen and I are in seclusion to bully our Jade Sword Sect disciples? You certainly wield your authority as Senior Brother of Huaying Sect with great arrogance!” Chang Yi, an old rival of Chu Huafei, spoke coldly.

Chu Huafei snorted. “Chang Yi, everyone saw that both sides competed fairly. It was my two junior brothers who fought in the Bone-Melting Realm matches—I did not participate. How does that count as bullying your disciples? It was merely an exchange between sects!”

“Hmph!” Chen Long interjected with a cold sneer. “Chu Huafei, do you take us for blind men? Just now, my junior brother bested yours, yet you resorted to a sneak attack from behind—care to explain?”

Having spoken, Chen Long’s eyes fell on Long Yun and Xiao Leng, a flicker of approval in his gaze.

Chu Huafei smiled faintly. “Chen Long, if I had truly wished to kill him, in a sneak attack he would have had no chance to survive. Do you really think he’d still be standing here unharmed?”

Long Yun laughed to himself, neither affirming nor denying. Having survived the harsh life-and-death training on Divine Dragon Island, his alertness had long since reached a terrifying level. At the slightest hint of murderous intent from an opponent, he could sense it. Though Chu Huafei had not meant to kill at first, when Long Yun blocked his strike, the killing intent that surged forth could not have been feigned.

Now, hearing Chu Huafei’s righteous words, Long Yun couldn’t help but sneer. “Senior Brother Chu Huafei, your eloquence is truly admirable. But I wonder, if I hadn’t sensed your sword energy in time, what would have happened? Would you have me believe you’re so much stronger than a Pre-Heaven master, able to withdraw your sword energy at the last instant?”

Chu Huafei’s face flushed red, his words stuck in his throat. The blow he had just launched had been about to pierce Long Yun’s body in the blink of an eye. If not for Long Yun’s keen instincts and deft footwork, dodging the fatal edge and counterattacking with a supreme sword technique, the outcome would have been grave injury at best, if not death.

A test is not the same as mercy. Chu Huafei may not have harbored murderous intent, but that did not mean he would have hesitated to cripple Long Yun. Thus, Long Yun’s retort left him speechless.

“Hmph! No more to say, is there?” Chen Long, seeing Chu Huafei stifled, felt a secret thrill and was all the more furious at Chu Huafei’s despicable conduct. He turned to Chang Yi. “Senior Brother Chang, shall you take this bout, or shall I?”

Chang Yi laughed heartily. “Chu Huafei came for me—if I did not answer, wouldn’t I give him cause for slander? Chen Long, you stand by for support. Our Jade Sword Sect disciples are not so easily bullied. For his underhanded attack, we should at least leave him with a memento!”

Chang Yi’s eyes gleamed; his sword, as if possessed of spirit, leapt unbidden from its scabbard and landed precisely in his palm.

“Chu Huafei, have you not always wanted to cross swords with me? Today, I’ll grant you that chance. Come—make your move!” His aura surged forth, the true energy of Transcendence at its peak, radiating brilliance in all directions.

“What profound cultivation!” Long Yun could not help but admire Chang Yi’s presence. At this point, Chang Yi was likely half a step from the Return to Origin Realm—just a little further, and he would become a figure on par with the ruling elders of the major lineages. With such strength, Chu Huafei would surely not be his match.

Yet, Long Yun felt a twinge of concern. Chu Huafei, knowing he was outclassed, still dared to challenge Chang Yi—what hidden card did he possess?

Chu Huafei smiled calmly and gestured to the disciples behind him. At once, they all withdrew, leaving a hundred-pace arena open for the duel.

The two swordsmen faced each other, blades humming in resonance. Infused with true energy, the swords seemed to possess spirits of their own, mirroring their masters’ hearts—each thirsting for the coming battle.

“Chu Huafei, receive my Heaven-Questioning Sword Art!” Chang Yi laughed, his voice brimming with heroic spirit. In a flash, his sword thrust forth, and his body seemed to fuse with the very heavens and earth.

“This sword art resembles the Grand Chaos Sword Technique—they both commune with heaven and earth. Judging from the art alone, it’s on par with the Grand Chaos Sword—surely a top-tier technique,” Long Yun mused inwardly.

No wonder the Heavenly Sword lineage stood as the head of the five great lines—with swordsmanship alone, they held an absolute advantage.

As Chang Yi’s sword thrust forward, its dazzling light streaked across the sky like a rainbow, carrying a fierce whistle as it split the air. Chu Huafei’s expression darkened slightly.

Chang Yi had improved considerably since their last encounter.

He dared not be careless. With a cold snort, he cried, “Take my Extreme Shadow Three Talents Sword!”

With a flick of his blade, three flashes of sword energy shot from the tip like lightning, forming a trinity in a clever, array-like formation, each supporting the others.

At last, the two men’s attacks collided in midair.