Chapter 129: Defeat

The emerald twin swords spun rapidly toward the giant golden shadow of claws. With a few swift passes, the golden shadow dissolved into a mist and dissipated. The golden shears and the wool-hair brush, previously trapped, seized the chance to transform into two streaks of white light and escape, while the surrounding red clouds gave a sudden, thunderous roar before slowly fading away.

Ye Hua let out a soft exclamation. His hands paused, and the purple fire chain coiled around his arms like a ribbon of violet flame. Observing carefully as the red clouds vanished, he saw five individuals standing opposite him, each holding a magical artifact and staring at him from a distance.

The bearded man stood there holding the emerald twin swords, his face full of vigilance. Old Man Hei Du wore a look of intense resentment, clutching a small pair of shears. Another man held a large brush with a look of astonishment, while the final two appeared deeply terrified.

The bearded man shouted gloomily, "Fellow Daoists, we must strike together! Take this little thief down!" No sooner had he spoken than his twin swords flashed with an emerald light. He swung his arms, and the blades shot toward Ye Hua as two streaks of green radiance.

The man with the wool-hair brush began to chant: "The essence of the spirit governs the five dragons; within the essence of the spirit reside the five breaths. The spirit is the leader, the heart its abode, virtue is the human, and the cultivation of the spirit returns to the Dao..." He swept his brush through the air, and a black glow flickered at its tip. As the brush moved, several large characters appeared in the void.

He was writing in mid-air. The characters were intricate and tight, their strokes balanced between thick and thin, bold yet graceful, resembling dragons traversing the gates of heaven or tigers crouching in phoenix pavilions. Ye Hua was momentarily taken aback as the characters suddenly erupted with intense black light, transforming into dozens of black orbs that surged toward him.

Old Man Hei Du and the other two also swung their hands, sending three more beams of light streaking forward.

Ye Hua’s expression turned cold. A white light flashed in his hand, revealing a long sword. As the cold light flickered, he swung it forward, instantly manifesting thousands of sword shadows accompanied by hundreds of grey lightning bolts, which clashed head-on against the incoming black characters.

The purple fire chain on his arms began to dance rapidly. With a sweep of his arms, the chain turned into a violet silhouette, descending like a massive purple staff. It struck with the speed of thunder, sweeping across the incoming sword rays.

The bearded man’s expression shifted when he saw the purple light approaching. He hurriedly formed a hand seal, and his emerald twin swords suddenly exploded into a cloud of green mist, scattering outward just in time to narrowly evade the strike of the purple chain.

Old Man Hei Du and the other two, seeing the violent sweep of the purple silhouette, panicked. They tried to maneuver their treasures to dodge, but it was too late. A series of chaotic crashes rang out as their magical lights were scattered into stray beams.

It was unclear what kind of grey lightning was infused within the sword rays Ye Hua had released, but the moment the black characters touched it, they flickered with black light and vanished without a trace. Having shattered the characters, the sword light shifted, heading straight for the man with the wool-hair brush.

The man turned pale with terror and lunged to the side to dodge. He clapped his hands, and a sphere flew from his waist. With a flash of rosy light, it expanded to several yards in size, blocking the path of the flying sword. However, in his desperate lunge, he had moved directly beneath the path of the descending purple staff, failing to realize it was swinging down toward his head.

Suddenly hearing the whistling wind above, he heard urgent cries from afar: "Watch out!" Terrified, he looked up to see a purple radiance already before his eyes. He felt a heavy weight on his shoulder, followed by excruciating pain. With a groan, he plummeted to the ground. Upon landing, a sharp pain shot through his legs; with a sickening crack, his leg bones shattered under the immense force.

Seeing one of his group injured, the bearded man roared. The emerald light on his swords flared, and he leaped forward, appearing behind Ye Hua. He swung down with all his might, but Ye Hua, without even turning his head, extended the long sword in his hand behind his back. With a clang, the bearded man’s twin swords were deflected.

Ye Hua stepped back, the sword pointing obliquely, aiming straight for the bearded man’s abdomen. The man arched his back and lashed out with a kick. Ye Hua let out a light laugh and countered with a swift kick of his own.

With a loud slap, the bearded man felt a heavy, overwhelming force collide with his left foot. He was sent tumbling backward, performing several somersaults before he could neutralize the momentum.

Using that force, Ye Hua lunged forward and arrived before Old Man Hei Du. He struck with both palms. Having watched Ye Hua neutralize his comrades—shattering the wood-art, sweeping away the brush-user, and kicking the bearded leader—all in a few rounds, Old Man Hei Du was already stunned.

Seeing the man charge at him, he felt the oppressive force of his palms even from a yard away, making it impossible to breathe. In his panic, before he could even release his protective treasure, the man’s palms struck his shoulders. He felt his arms go numb, and he lost all sensation in them.

Ye Hua lifted his palms, hovering them over Old Man Hei Du’s neck, and chuckled, "Who was it earlier that said they wanted to take someone's dog head?" Old Man Hei Du’s face turned deathly pale. "You... no... not my dog head!"

Ye Hua stared at him for a long moment, then exclaimed with surprise, "Why aren't you black anymore? Your face is so white! The name 'Old Man Hei Du' is truly a misnomer! Should I use fire to roast you black and give you a touch-up?"

Old Man Hei Du replied in a trembling voice, "How... how could you roast me black! I beg you, young hero, please... please have mercy!"

Ye Hua laughed heartily, "True, the heat might not be regulated well! I might end up roasting you into a red face instead! That would be quite amusing!"

In the distance, the bearded man and the others did not dare to approach, watching from afar. The bearded man gritted his teeth and shouted, "May I ask the name of this young hero? I hope you will show mercy! Please forgive our earlier offenses!"

Ye Hua turned to see the three standing far away, then looked down to see the disciple of the Awakening Hall still locked in a heated struggle with the other two.

Ye Hua said, "Tell those two to stop!" The bearded man hesitated for a moment before shouting, "Liu Jia, Lan Le, please, stop!"

The three on the ground had already witnessed the scene. The two middle-aged men named Liu Jia and Lan Le were shaken. They exchanged a glance, shouted in unison, leaped back several yards, and sheathed their swords.

The disciple of the Awakening Hall was panting heavily. After catching his breath, he looked at Ye Hua, thinking to himself, "This young man is incredibly powerful! He injured two and coerced another in mere moments! How is it that I have never heard of such a person in the Awakening Hall?"

Ye Hua said to the bearded man, "This must be Fellow Daoist Lin. Please, for my sake, stop this and leave now! Otherwise, in half an hour, when the spirit birds bring reinforcements, it will not be so easy for you to leave."

The bearded man looked at his two injured companions, then at Old Man Hei Du, who was still held in the young man's grasp. Fearing that any disagreement would cost them their lives, he gritted his teeth and said, "Very well. Today, for your sake, our Harmony Sect will let these Awakening Hall disciples go!" He paused and added, "May I ask for the hero's name? Please enlighten us!"

Ye Hua laughed, "Haha, my name is Ye Hua, a disciple of the Wutai lineage! Feel free to seek me out in the future!"

The bearded man’s face flushed and paled in turns. Finally, he sighed and said, "Your cultivation is extraordinary, young hero; I am truly impressed! Wutai is indeed a renowned sect, producing such brilliant talents! I concede defeat!" Without waiting for a reply, he added, "Let's go!" He gestured with his hand, and they turned into streaks of white light, fleeing into the distance.

The remaining members carried the two injured men and flew off on their swords. Old Man Hei Du watched his group abandon him and shouted, "Leader Lin, Leader Lin... I... I!" He turned back to Ye Hua with a fawning smile, "So... so it is Young Hero Ye! Please, Young Hero, spare my dog life!"

Ye Hua smiled slightly, "Don't worry, you can leave your dog head behind and go!"

Old Man Hei Du’s face changed again, "This lowly one had eyes but failed to recognize a mountain. Please, have mercy, young hero. If you take my head, how... how am I supposed to leave?"

Ye Hua nodded, "That makes sense! This is indeed a difficult predicament..." As he spoke, several white specks appeared in the far distance, flying toward them like arrows. Ye Hua narrowed his eyes, while the man on the ground cheered, "They’ve finally arrived..."

To know what happens next, please listen to the next installment.

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