# 141
Chapter 141: Melee
“You know me?” Chen Muye’s brows lifted slightly.
“In the Night Watch, who hasn’t heard of Chen Muye?” Han Shaoyun said with a smile. “Ten years ago, the two prodigies of Shangjing City, the Black and White Guardians—who didn’t know them?”
“I thought after so many years, few would still recognize me.”
“Well… among the younger generation, hardly any do. But I joined the Night Watch early, so your name reached me.” Han Shaoyun studied Chen Muye, puzzlement surfacing in his eyes.
“Ten years ago, Black Guardian Chen Muye vanished from Shangjing City. Some said you died, others that you were thrown into the Purification Chamber for some offense… Never imagined you’d end up captain of tiny Cangnan City. Why?”
“I felt like it.”
“…” Han Shaoyun’s brows knitted again.
“No… I remember you were already River Realm before you disappeared. A decade later, that ‘White Guardian’ is now captain of the Night Watch team guarding Shangjing City, yet you’re still River Realm?”
Chen Muye was silent a moment, then shook his head. “Doesn’t matter.”
He trod upon the waters of the Nether River, twin sabers humming like soul-hooking irons that stole the mind, and advanced step by step.
Han Shaoyun blinked, then smiled. “True—for me, knowing or not no longer matters.”
He swept his long halberd; gales mingled with snowflakes tore a corner of this nether-like Forbidden Ruins. Crouching slightly, he shot forward.
The wind and frost at the halberd’s tip skimmed the Nether River, freezing a thin sheet of ice. Like a dragon he closed the distance in an instant, halberd thrusting at Chen Muye!
Snow shrieked.
Clang—!!
Twin sabers met the halberd; the impact hurled Chen Muye back several paces. A ghostly glint flashed in his eyes as his form turned ethereal—he slipped straight through the weapon and slashed out with his Straight Blade like lightning.
Startled by the phantom shift, Han Shaoyun leapt back while a burst of wind exploded from his body to fling the blade away.
Fast as he was, he was a heartbeat too late.
Before the wind could connect, the edge had already left a shallow gash across his chest.
Han Shaoyun swept the halberd horizontally; invisible wind blades raged, grazing Chen Muye and slicing into the old buildings behind.
Whoosh—!
The blades carved through reinforced concrete like tofu, shearing dozens of structures at the waist. Buildings crashed amid rising dust.
A faint line of blood appeared on Chen Muye’s cheek…
“You’re strong, but in raw realm you’re beneath me—that’s a hard fact.” Han Shaoyun shook his head regretfully.
“I know.” Chen Muye’s expression stayed calm. “So I never planned to beat you alone…”
Before the words faded, a spear wrapped in roaring flames spiraled from the sky!
Thud—!!
The spear struck the ground; rose-colored fire stormed outward, melting every flake of snow. Han Shaoyun stood beside it, eyeing Chen Muye.
“An attack of this level still won’t defeat me…”
Bang—!
From a distant rooftop a dark muzzle flared; a slim bullet ripped through space and reached Han Shaoyun in a blink.
He gave a soft exclamation, snapped his head back; the round grazed his forehead, leaving a scorch mark.
“Custom sniper bullet?” he murmured, surprised.
More shots rang out, each round homing with uncanny precision, forcing Han Shaoyun to keep shifting.
Meanwhile Lin Qiye looked at the motionless Wu Xiangnan. “Aren’t you going in?”
“Me…?” Wu Xiangnan gave a bitter smile, raising hands marked by deep red scars. “I can’t grip a blade anymore. My Forbidden Ruins is special—must be saved for the critical moment. Rushing in now would only drag the captain down, so…”
Lin Qiye nodded. “Then I’m off.”
A sphere of absolute darkness unfolded around him as he sped toward the fight. His earlier clash with the snake woman had drained him badly; even sustaining his Mortal Divine Ruins had been taxing. After a short rest he’d recovered enough to re-enter the fray.
Far away, Han Shaoyun dodged several bullets and knocked aside Hongying’s flaming spear with his halberd—just as Chen Muye re-materialized behind him, blade flashing!
Startled, Han Shaoyun tried to react, but his vision blurred: figures of the dead rose before his eyes…
To onlookers, black threads sprouted from his heart, cocooning him—the Heart-Demon Binding!
Realizing the danger, Han Shaoyun blasted the threads apart with raw mental force. Far off, Wen Qimo shuddered and spat blood, face deathly pale.
Using “Pool”-level power to affect a “Sea”-level expert carried a terrifying backlash.
But the instant he bought allowed Chen Muye’s saber to land heavily across Han Shaoyun’s back, carving a vicious wound while a wisp of ghost-light seeped into his body.
Han Shaoyun whirled, halberd sweeping Chen Muye away, then felt his consciousness blur; the gash on his back burned and his strength ebbed…
He glanced at the back of his hand—skin now dry and mottled with age spots.
Stunned, he looked up. Chen Muye met his gaze and spoke slowly:
“Under the Guardians’ blades, flesh may be cut, soul may be cut—and lifespan may be cut!”
Cut flesh, cut soul, cut life!
“So this… is the Black Guardian…” Han Shaoyun murmured, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Maybe today I really will die here…”
Whoosh—!
A mantle of darkness overlapped Chen Muye’s Forbidden Ruins; two Straight Blades shot through the air, spinning toward Han Shaoyun’s neck.
Gritting against the pain, Han Shaoyun summoned a cyclone that knocked the blades aside.
At that moment a youth leapt high within the darkness, tapped one flying saber with his toe, caught the other, spun mid-air, and slashed down at Han Shaoyun!