Chapter 503 - 291: Little Sumeru Sword, The Might of the Blazing Flame
Chapter 503: Chapter 291: Little Sumeru Sword, The Might of the Blazing Flame
The two men made their intentions clear. They would work together to eliminate the White Robe Female Cultivator first, as she had suffered the greater loss of power.
"Bring it on!"
Though her Magical Power had yet to recover, the White Robe Female Cultivator was fearless.
She cried out sharply, her sword a blur of graceful arcs, like swirling mist and clouds. The ethereal Sword Light flickered unpredictably, managing to block every devious strike from the Water-Splitting Needle, producing a series of crisp CLANGS.
The female cultivator in green gritted her teeth and met the other foe. She wasn’t skilled in direct assaults, but her Body Technique was agile. Her Flying Sword transformed into a green, soaring dragon, weaving and tangling with the fierce Fist Seal rather than clashing with it head-on, attempting to buy time.
However, the two female cultivators were already in poor condition. As the fight dragged on, they found themselves at a disadvantage.
Though the White Robe Female Cultivator’s Sword Control Technique was exquisite, her depleted Magical Power made it increasingly difficult to resist the sinister, chilling energy carried by the Water-Splitting Needle. Her arm began to go numb.
The female cultivator in green fared even worse. The shockwave from a punch grazed her shoulder, and she let out a muffled grunt as blood trickled from the corner of her mouth once more.
’Is this really the end?’
A tide of helplessness and despair, cold and unforgiving, began to wash over the White Robe Female Cultivator’s Heart and Spirit.
Just as her spirit wavered, her sharp Divine Sense suddenly detected something. From deep within the dense mountain forest below, she felt a faint, extremely subtle, yet unnaturally stable and powerful aura. It was like a lighthouse in the darkness, instantly revitalizing her faltering will.
’There’s a chance!’
Clenching her jaw, she summoned the last dregs of her Magical Power. Her sword erupted in a final, brilliant flash of cloud-like Sword Light. With a burst like a thundercloud, she thrust forward, momentarily forcing back the Water-Splitting Needle that had clung to her like a plague.
Seizing the fleeting opportunity, she desperately looked toward the source of the aura in the forest below. With all her remaining strength, her voice filled with urgency and a final sliver of hope, she called out:
"I know not which Fellow Daoist passes below, but I am Yun Zhi, a direct disciple of the [Ten Thousand Swords Yun Family]! My companion and I have been ambushed and are in mortal peril! I implore you, Fellow Daoist, to lend a righteous hand and save us from this crisis! My Yun Family will reward you handsomely and will never forget the debt we owe for your aid this day!"
Her voice, clear and resonant, carried far across the embattled forest, falling clearly upon the ears of the concealed Lin Changheng. The slanted-brow man and the bald cultivator’s expressions shifted, and their attacks faltered as they warily split their attention to monitor the movements below.
Hidden in the trees, Lin Changheng listened to the urgent cries from above. The phrases "direct disciple of the [Ten Thousand Swords Yun Family]" and "reward you handsomely" in particular brought a flicker of a smile to his eyes.
He had intentionally let a sliver of his aura leak out moments before, hoping to attract her attention and profit from the situation.
Two somewhat spent Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators were hardly a threat in his eyes.
Moreover, the White Robe Female Cultivator had revealed she was from the [Ten Thousand Swords Yun Family], a major Noble Family. And since she possessed a [True Core Talisman Treasure], her status must be quite high. Saving her was a profitable venture.
That was what made him change his mind.
The question now was: could a small investment yield a much larger return?
’Yun Zhi... Just as I thought, a core disciple of the Yun Family.’ A plan began to form in his mind.
"Heh, and what exactly does ’reward you handsomely’ entail, Fellow Daoist Yun?"
A light chuckle drifted up from below, carried on the mountain wind into the ears of the four cultivators in the sky. None of them could pinpoint the source of the sound, much less the speaker’s location.
It was as if the forest itself had spoken.
The expressions of all four cultivators changed instantly.
The two opposing cultivators grew wary upon hearing the voice and exchanged uncertain glances.
It was obvious the person had been hidden the entire time, unnoticed by any of the five people who had been present—and that included a Peak Foundation Establishment Cultivator. This meant the newcomer’s Cultivation was either extremely high, or they were a master of the Qi Concealing and Shape Hiding Technique.
The latter was manageable, but if it was the former, things were about to get much, much worse.
The girl from the Yun Family was already begging for help, and this newcomer was already negotiating a price. If they struck a deal, the tables would be turned completely.
But they didn’t dare make any sudden moves, for fear of pushing the newcomer into the women’s camp.
...
As for the two from the Yun Family, their expressions had changed because there really was someone hiding below—it was like seeing a lifeline. After all, Yun Zhi had only had a vague inkling of the presence; she hadn’t been sure if the faint aura was just an illusion. But by calling out, she had received the answer she’d hoped for.
How could she not be overjoyed?
But the voice’s direct follow-up question left Yun Zhi stunned.
’In a situation like this,’ she thought, ’wouldn’t a righteous hero normally step in to save the day first and discuss the reward later?’
’My Yun Family is a renowned Song Dynasty Family, famous throughout the region. Would we really stiff our own savior? This person... why is he so... transactional?’
Inwardly, Yun Zhi gritted her teeth, a mixture of anger and anxiety churning inside her.
She was furious that he would insist on negotiating at a moment of life and death, and anxious because the slanted-brow man and his partner clearly wouldn’t give her much time.
"Fellow Daoist..." She suppressed her roiling emotions, struggling to fend off the attacks that had grown fiercer now that she was distracted. "As long as you are willing to help," she said quickly, "Spirit Stones, Elixirs, Spiritual Artifacts, Spiritual Materials... my Yun Family will spare no expense! Whatever you ask for, as long as it is within the Yun Family’s power, we will not refuse!"
It was an extremely generous offer, essentially a blank check.
However, the drifting voice from below came again, tinged with amusement, "Words are wind, Fellow Daoist Yun. I’m Li, a practical man, and I don’t like empty talk. How about this: you throw down that [Little Sumeru Sword Seal] from your waist as collateral to show me you’re serious. What do you say?"