Chapter 97: Water Flower

Hearing this familiar voice, Shen Yi was first joyfully surprised. This sea of brambles within Min Mountain Sword Sect was covered in a strange formation. It seemed that one’s sight and voice would only be obstructed at close distances. It was impossible to see people walking in the distance. He had not thought that he would encounter Xie Changsheng right now,

However, he immediately felt nervousness and great unease. For he knew this was not a matter that could be resolved with money. So, in the next moment, he instinctively shouted towards Xie Changsheng. “Xie Changsheng, quick, leave.”

Anyone could hear the true concern in this shout, but in return came Xie Changsheng’s merciless sneer. “Leave, quickly? Is it so easy to leave quickly?”

Shen Yi opened his mouth but froze.

He finally saw Xie Changsheng clearly.

Xie Changsheng was walking quickly.

Just like Shen Yi, he had many thorns stuck in his body. There were also many large open wounds on his abdomen and back. These wounds, after being immersed in water for too long, appeared pale, even though Xie Changsheng had found some way to stop the bleeding. They looked even more horrific than bloody wounds.

The sword with many golden threads in the hilt was being used by Xie Changsheng like a cane.

When Xie Changsheng appeared previously in front of Shen Yi, he had been dressed brightly and grandly. But now, he looked like a tortured prisoner. The great disparity was a greater blow to Shen Yi’s mind.

“I really do not know why Cave Master Xue accepted you as his last student.”

Seeing a frozen Shen Yi, the pale-white Xie Changsheng grew even angrier. He sneered. “You are really far from Ding Ning. If this was him, I fear I would only need to watch and not waste energy by helping.”

Shen Yi said embarrassedly, “Of course I am lesser than Senior Sect Brother Ding Ning.”

Xie Changsheng’s chest rose and fell violently. Shen Yi’s words seemed to make him angrier. But he forcibly pressed down his anger. He looked darkly at Lie Yinghong and said, “It appears you are not willing to accept my suggestion?”

Lie Yinghong glanced at him, thought back to Xie Changsheng’s attack just now and did not respond.

“If the two of us cannot defeat him, then we might as well die,” Xie Changsheng’s expression grew frosty as he said to Shen Yi.

Shen Yi struggled to swallow. While the convulsing of his arm had disappeared, he still felt that he and Xie Changsheng were not enough to defeat Lie Yinghong.

Lie Yinghong still did not answer.

Without any warning signs, he attacked.

He attacked Xie Changsheng.

While Xie Changsheng’s previous blow had been extremely clever and came through the air, Xie Changsheng’s health situation was poor and easier to defeat than Shen Yi.

Dozens of light blue sword lights appeared in the air in front of him. These dozens of lights contained terrifying power and advanced with Lie Yinghong’s charge. His longsword tilted towards the ground as vital energy surged into the blade. Gusts of dust were thrown into the air and slid along the ground like shark fins.

Seeing this strange sword move, Xie Changsheng’s pupils contracted violently. But he did not dodge and straightened to swing his sword forward.

Shen Yi gasped.

Xie Changsheng’s sword light looked far too weak, a fragile candle flame compared to Lie Yinghong’s light that would disappear in the next moment. Most importantly, Xie Changsheng’s attack was too early, and in his view, would only hit empty air.

Lie Yinghong was slightly puzzled, but he felt that Xie Changsheng would not be so weak.

Woosh!

Just as he sensed a warning sign, a burning presence appeared in the air in front of him.

A burning golden mist formed and immediately swept over dozens of feet to reach him.

His loose hair immediately dried up and then started to burn.

Yet, his movements were unusually steady and the sword he was dragging on the ground flicked upwards.

The shark fin waves of energy jumped up along his sword’s ascent. The sword lights that were advancing in front of him made a strange change. It was like a light blue spray spread apart in front of him and a terrifying suction force formed among the spray.

It was like a giant whale opening its mouth. All of the burning golden mist was extinguished and swallowed by this giant whale.

Shen Yi’s shocked scream sounded behind Lie Yinghong.

He could sense that the swallowing power came from Lie Yinghong’s sword. He was also certain that Xie Changsheng could not fend off this blow.

So he disregarded everything and attacked at full power with his fastest sword form.

A bright lightning formed on his sword, twisting as it fell towards Lie Yinghong’s back.

Lie Yinghong’s sword move did not stop advancing, but he flipped his sword around, as though there were eyes growing out of his back and the blade accurately blocked this lightning.

With a boom, fine white lightning tinged with purple sprayed in sparks. Lie Yinghong reached Xie Changsheng.

Xie Changsheng’s breathing completely stopped, his eyes narrowed into thin lines. With a shout, he sliced his sword horizontally towards Lie Yinghong’s neck.

Lie Yinghong slapped with his left hand and accurately hit the blade when it was a foot from his neck.

There was a loud boom like a wave exploding in the air.

Xie Changsheng’s breathing stopped. He felt his entire right arm was numb. His left hand instinctively reached out to grip his falling sword. But at this time, he saw the hand still moving among the energy wave.

He forcibly turned his head.

This hand fell onto his shoulder.

Crack!

The sound of dry wood cracking sounded on his shoulder.

Two sprays appeared under his feet. In the next moment, a painful groan burst out of his mouth. His entire body fell backwards, like a stone falling from a tall height, to smash hard into the stream behind him.

Seeing this scene, Shen Yi, close to Lie Yinghong, was shocked and furious. His vital energy flooded furiously into his longsword. The inky jade sword blade shone with strange green lights like many vines were about to grow out.

Lie Yinghong did not even look and swung his sword again using a reverse grip.

He allowed his sword to be attracted by the power of Shen Yi’s “Twining Branch of Hate” and smashed it like a metal staff.

Shen Yi’s breathing paused completely. His left hand darted towards the side of his waist and then reached ahead of him. He had another sword, the sword he originally used.

At this time, all of his vital energy was flooding into the “Twining Branch of Hate” in his right hand. He had no vital energy for the sword in his left hand in time but this was still a sharp sword.

All of his vital energy was pouring into the “Twining Branch of Hate” in his right hand, but all of his attention was gathered on the sword in his left.

This sword, carrying all his attention and hopes, stabbed towards Lie Yinghong’s chest like lightning.

Crack!

Lie Yinghong’s clothing was torn by the tip of the sword on his chest. But his expression did not change. His sword was locked with the “Twining Branch of Hate” at this time.

A powerful vibrating sword formed on his sword.

Shen Yi’s eyes filled with disbelief. He felt like a mountain was pressing down on him and then he was bumped. He threw up a mouthful of blood. His body uncontrollably flew backwards.

His left hand was still in its courageous stabbing posture, but the tip of the sword left Lie Yinghong’s skin and moved away.

Bam!

Shen Yi’s body fell heavily to the ground, dust and broken pieces of brambles were thrown into the air. The powerful impact rendered Shen Yi unable to breath. He coughed violently. He did not feel pain from his body but an endless cold.

He had predicted before this that the two of them may not be a match for Lie Yinghong, but he had not expected that the pair of them would not be able to pose a threat to Lie Yinghong even at the cost of injury to themselves. They did not even make a mark.

“Too weak,” Jin Liuli shook her head and said coldly.

Her gaze fell on Xie Changsheng who was climbing out of the stream. Xie Changsheng’s previous success had attracted her attention, not because of excellence, but what she thought was exceptional stupidity.

In her eyes, Xie Changsheng was the one person least likely to successfully pass through this sea of brambles. So, the opinion on her two words were directed more at Xie Changsheng.

Xie Changsheng was coughing even more violently than Shen Yi. He had choked down a lot of muddy water and was coughing like he was going to throw up a lung. Some of the pale wounds on his body started to break open and bleed again. His left shoulder was sunken down and the bones inside broken to pieces.

But looking at him, Lie Yinghong’s eyebrows rose. He, who had been calm all this time, suddenly felt a hint of danger.

Jin Liuli was unable to see Xie Changsheng’s facial expressions. Otherwise, she would feel the dangerous presence that Lie Yinghong felt right now.

Because Xie Changsheng’s eyes did not have much terror but a burning fighting spirit, an emotion to destroy indiscriminately. His lips were even curled up in an indescribable arrogant smile.

“You think you have won?” he coughed hard and said to Lie Yinghong as he bent at the waist. Then he struggled to raise the sword in his hand.

Shen Yi had barely managed to stand up by this time. Seeing Xie Changsheng’s movement, his mouth opened in shock but could not speak.

But at this time, Xie Changsheng was cutting towards his leg as he stood in the muddy water.

Bright red blood spurted out of his leg like a giant red lotus blooming in the water.