Chapter 264: The Heartbreaking Sword (Part 1)
(There have been some technical issues with the Creation platform. The post I mentioned yesterday only appeared today. I apologize for this. If you have any questions you'd like to ask, please trouble yourselves to follow up on that thread. Feel free to offer praise, no need to hold back. I didn't write much today, but I will write more tomorrow.)
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His pupils turned red, and fur suddenly sprouted on his cheeks—this was the demonic transformation!
In just a moment, Zhe Xiu's strength multiplied several times over, and his physical resilience reached an unimaginable level. The demoness's hands tore his shoulders into a bloody mess, but she could not shatter his bones. Most critically, the sword that had insidiously stabbed into his waist could no longer advance.
With a whoosh, the sword was pulled out and slashed toward the back of Zhe Xiu's neck. Given the aura clinging to that blade, even if Zhe Xiu had fully transformed, he would have no way to resist.
Qi Jian caught a glimpse of this scene from the corner of his eye, shocked beyond measure. But his own sword was currently entangled with that woman, leaving him utterly unable to come to the rescue. Gripping his scabbard with his left hand, he swung it horizontally toward Zhe Xiu's back, employing the exceedingly sharp techniques of the Li Mountain Sword Style in an attempt to block that blade.
However, that sword writhed like a spirit snake, as if it were intimately familiar with Qi Jian's swordsmanship. It slanted through a gap in the air, effortlessly breaking through Qi Jian's sword momentum! The second thrust of that sword was never aimed at Zhe Xiu in the first place—its true target was Qi Jian!
A soft *puff* sound rang out once more on the lakeshore!
The insidious yet supremely powerful sword pierced directly into Qi Jian's abdomen, sending blood spraying wildly!
In an instant, the sword was lightning-fast withdrawn from Qi Jian's belly, then slanted forward again, stabbing toward Chen Changsheng!
That person's first strike had gravely wounded Zhe Xiu, and the second had severely injured Qi Jian. In utter silence, catching them completely off guard, it had inflicted devastating consequences. Could Chen Changsheng avoid it?
With Zhe Xiu and Qi Jian struck down one after another, Chen Changsheng finally reacted. His feet flickered with the Yashi Step, narrowly dodging the sword blade that came thrusting from his side and rear.
But at that moment, the attacks from the demon general couple also arrived.
Teng Xiaoming, his face expressionless, hoisted two carrying poles and hurled them at Chen Changsheng.
Now forced forward by that treacherous sword, Chen Changsheng had no remaining strength to dodge again.
Those two poles, like two small mountains, smashed down toward his head.
Chen Changsheng's true essence surged forth. His short sword left its sheath, executing an incredibly skillful technique—"A Flower Blooms on Two Branches." In what seemed an impossible situation, he accurately struck each of the two poles in succession.
A continuous tearing sound rang out as the poles shattered into fragments, dissolving into two clouds of dust.
Teng Xiaoming's shoulder pole then came crashing down directly onto his head!
If the previous two poles had been like small mountains, this shoulder pole of the twenty-fourth demon general was like a true mountain, casting an immensely grim shadow that completely enveloped Chen Changsheng's body.
A thunderous boom erupted!
A massive pit appeared in the lakeshore ground!
Dust and debris flew wildly in all directions. The nearby forest, accompanied by cracking sounds, toppled continuously. In the span of a few breaths, several acres of woodland were shaken flat to the ground!
The demoness let out a sharp shriek. Seizing the opportunity while Zhe Xiu was gravely wounded in the waist, she unleashed her demonic arts to the fullest. Her fingers glowed with a strange green light as she relentlessly attacked Zhe Xiu.
The woman with the dignified countenance showed no gentleness in her strikes either. Her sleeves swayed lightly in the gusting wind, and faintly, countless feathers seemed to appear, sending countless streams of energy toward Qi Jian's face.
Zhe Xiu's eyes were blood-red, looking exceptionally ferocious. His hands traced several gray shadows through the air, blocking the demoness's fierce assault with formidable strength. But Qi Jian's abdomen had been pierced through by that sword—his injuries were too severe, leaving him with no strength left to fight. He was struck down to the ground by that woman, his face pale and his spirit utterly drained.
At this point, all three human youths had been pushed to the brink of despair.
Liu Xiaowan, who had not yet made a move, finally acted.
Clutching her large iron pot, she brought it through the air with a terrifying whoosh, arriving before the three human youths. With a twist of her wrist, the iron pot came crashing down toward their heads.
That pot was truly enormous—large enough to cover the sky above their heads like a dark cloud. If that iron pot were to land, Chen Changsheng and the other two would have absolutely no hope of survival.
Just then, from the deep pit on the lakeshore, within that space filled with dust, a flash of light suddenly burst forth! Following that, footsteps like war drums pounded!
The lake wind shattered, howling mournfully!
Chen Changsheng gripped his short sword, leaping out of the deep pit. He placed himself in front of Zhe Xiu and Qi Jian and thrust his sword forward!
He thrust toward that iron pot that blotted out the sky!
With a sharp *clang*, a hole was punched through the center of the iron pot! Then, a grating metallic screech filled the air as Chen Changsheng's short sword pierced through the pot and continued onward!
The iron pot descended like a black cloud, now pierced with a patch of light. Chen Changsheng's sword advanced within that light, bringing even more brightness with it, like a beam of heavenly light cutting through gloomy rain clouds!
*Scrape, scrape, scrape, scrape!*
That was the sound of the sword's advance!
*Scrape, scrape, scrape, scrape!*
That was the sound of Zhe Xiu's claws!
With a soft *hiss*, Liu Xiaowan's face turned slightly pale as she hastily retreated, a thin line of blood now on her neck.
The demoness let out a muffled groan and fell back in defeat, several bloody gashes appearing on her ample chest.
Qi Jian could no longer hold on. Clutching his abdomen, he fell to his knees, his fingers soaked with blood.
But at least he was still alive.
Chen Changsheng and Zhe Xiu were also still alive.
The battle situation was suddenly decided.
The lakeshore fell silent once more.
Liu Xiaowan gently touched the bloody line on her neck, her gaze toward Chen Changsheng growing much more serious. It was still as gentle as before, but no longer carried any sense of warmth.
She could never have imagined that the short sword in Chen Changsheng's hand would be so sharp, capable of piercing her magical artifact so effortlessly. What material was this sword made of?
Chen Changsheng turned to look at Zhe Xiu. He himself was badly wounded, so he could only hope that Zhe Xiu still had the strength to fight.
Zhe Xiu's upper body was covered in blood, but he could still stand. The gray fur on his cheeks had not yet fully retracted. He was panting heavily, looking exceptionally strained, and his eyes were bitterly cold.
Seeing Zhe Xiu's expression, Chen Changsheng's heart also grew cold.
Liu Xiaowan and Teng Xiaoming exchanged a glance, seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.
That these three human youths could survive this round of genuine attacks was far beyond their expectations. After all, before entering the Zhou Garden, even they had not known about the existence of that sword.
"If you had listened to me and we all attacked together from the start, that wolf cub would have been dead long ago!" the demoness said angrily to the woman beside her, having been severely wounded again by Zhe Xiu's claw strikes.
The woman looked at Chen Changsheng and the others, was silent for a moment, then said calmly, "Just the two of us, I'm really not sure we could beat these two young lads."
Chen Changsheng paid no attention to what they were saying.
Zhe Xiu no longer cared who Nan Ke was.
Qi Jian felt the same.
Because what they cared about more was that sword—that treacherous sword.
They looked at Liang Xiaoxiao, their expressions varied.
Qi Jian's face was pale, his expression one of shock and heartbreak, so much so that he seemed dazed. He stared at Liang Xiaoxiao and murmured, "Why?"
Liang Xiaoxiao's face was even paler than Qi Jian's. But his face was expressionless, and he said nothing, even though the sword in his hand was dripping with the blood of his comrades.