Ding Yulong, a first-grade martial artist, skillful with the curved blade, his origins were a mystery.
One could say that even among the well-informed Brocade Guards, many people's understanding of this advanced martial artist was very limited.
For Ding Yulong, he had little relevance with the Brocade Guards. He came to Xuanfu this time at the invitation of Qian Ning, to repay a favor.
Now, since the death of Qian Ning, commander of the Brocade Guards, Ding Yulong himself had been humiliated, but luckily he did not sustain many injuries that day. After these days of rest, he had fully recovered.
After all, Ding Yulong clearly remembered the harsh words Pei Xuanjing had left behind that day, which pricked him like a thorn in the back. Therefore, he was not willing to continue staying in Xuanfu, under everyone's attention.
By the time the arrest warrant for Pei Xuanjing had been circulated across the world, Ding Yulong had also hidden himself, quietly leaving Xuanfu.
However, Ding Yulong had not expected that shortly after leaving, he would run into someone he did not wish to see at all.
Ding Yulong was sitting on a horse, his gaze flickering as he looked at the man standing in the distance, holding a sword.
"I have waited for you for a long time."
The cold wind howled, and Pei Xuanjing's voice echoed through the forest.
He just stood there, his martial arts aura pervading all corners of the area, as if he were one with heaven and earth.
Ding Yulong sighed softly, saying, "Brother Pei, you and I really don't have much of a grudge."
To tell the truth, after experiencing the battle of Long Street, where even after joining hands with two first-grade experts, they hadn't been able to take down Pei, Ding Yulong really did not want to fight him.
"The reason I took action that day was because I owed Qian Ning a favor and couldn't say no. Now with Qian Ning dead, there's no reason for us to fight anymore." Ding Yulong explained.
"Draw your weapon!" Pei Xuanjing remained unmoved.
Three simple words, but they carried an irrefutable will.
Perhaps Ding Yulong was speaking the truth, he didn't really want to fight Pei Xuanjing at all.
But at this point, did the truth really matter?
Pei Xuanjing couldn't afford to show mercy to any enemy who had once ambushed and attempted to kill him and who still posed a threat to him.
The current situation he was in did not allow him such mercy.
If today, Ding Yulong could convince him to let him go because he had unwillingly attacked him for some unavoidable reasons, what would happen next time someone used the same excuse? What should he do: let him go or kill him?
Moreover, things had changed.
The current Pei Xuanjing was one of the Remnants of Shenxiao on the wanted list issued by the Great Ming imperial court, and the bounty was quite appealing. Even Pei Xuanjing himself was tempted. So, what about the others?
In the martial arts world, how many would exchange their lives for the bounty that came with Pei Xuanjing's head?
"Brother Pei, if you spare me today, I will make sure to avoid you in the future." Ding Yulong offered another concession.
Pei Xuanjing's True Qi circulated within him, and his explosive Blood Qi erupted. He stepped forward, stirring up gusts of wind, and the forest was shaking, "No matter your reason, you will die here today! l,
To decrease trouble and intimidate those who would provoke him, Pei Xuanjing needed to establish an image: He who dared to mess with him, had just one path – the path of death.
Perhaps, as Ding Yulong said, there was no real need for a deadly confrontation between them.
But unfortunately, Pei Xuanjing needed to set an example, and Ding Yulong had just become that example.
Therefore, Ding Yulong had to die!
"You're the one forcing me to do this!"
Feeling the chilling murderous intent from Pei Xuanjing, Ding Yulong's relaxed look turned cold.
Clang!
After all, he was a first-grade martial artist. Although he had just attempted to negotiate, seeing that Pei Xuanjing had no intention to let him go, he didn't lack the courage to fight back fiercely.
Clang!
Ding Yulong leaped off his horse, pulling out his curved blade in the blink of an eye.
In the moment he did so, a powerful Saber Intent radiated from him, with the power of splitting the heaven and earth.
No one could describe just how fast that was. His single swing already possessed an awe-inspiring power.
Drawing Sword Skill!
This was Ding Yulong's killer move.
At this point, seeing that Pei Xuanjing wasn't willing to compromise, Ding Yulong didn't withhold any strength. He was not going to hold back his killing move.
"That blade of yours is pretty good."
Pei Xuanjing drew his sword in an instant. The Shenxiao sword sounded as it unsheathed and exploded with dazzling saber power, like a radiant sun.
This one sword swallowed the light of Ding Yulong's blade, and his Saber Intent was absorbed by the sword.
In this one moment, the whole world seemed to be filled with this bright and radiant sword intent, powerfully cutting off everything.
Boom!
The dominant sword intent seemed to tear everything apart. Pei Xuanjing's profound True Qi and boiling Blood Qi exploded, setting off terrifying waves and causing the lands to shake. Even the rocks and trees on both sides of the road were being shaken and uprooted!
The sword radiated brilliant light, accompanied by wind and thunder.
Ding Yulong felt his senses were covered by the sword intent in front of him. Even if he exerted all his strength, it was to no avail.
The only thing he could sense was the dominant sword intent, like a radiant sun that enveloped him.
He had nowhere to hide, nowhere to run.
Seemingly, despite his struggles.
He could not escape this one sword.
Bang!
The blade clashed with the sword, creating an earth-shattering noise akin to heavenly thunder.
Ding Yulong spat out blood, retreating several feet.
With just one sword, a first-grade level martial artist was heavily injured.
"Let's die together! "
Ding Yulong's eyes were reddening, showing a look of determination. Even if I end up in hell, I will take you, Pei Xuanjing, with me.
"Hmm?"
Pei Xuanjing thought that Ding Yulong had lost all his strength to fight back, but he did not expect the latter's aura to take a sudden surge.
Hum!
Ding Yulong's aura changed, carrying an extraordinarily terrifying aura of death.
He swung his sword yet again!
The lengthy Saber Qi cut through the air diagonally, carrying the aura of death, sucking the life out of every grass and tree it passed by.
This sword, it seemed like it had come straight from hell, solely existing for murder and extinction.
Huangquan Knife Skill!
This was a Unique Knife Skill that Ding Yulong had acquired. Although it only had one move, it possessed the power to destroy absolutely everything.
This knife technique was extremely cruel. To master it, one had to continuously kill, using Blood Qi to practice the blade, until one was accomplished.
Ding Yulong owed Qian Ning a favor because he wanted to practice the Huangquan Knife Skill. If it wasn't for Qian Ning using his power to provide him with enough death row prisoners to practice the blade, he might have been hunted down by countless martial arts followers before he could achieve success.
But even after mastering the move, he dared not use it lightly. One reason was that he couldn't fully control this sword, and the other was because he didn't dare to expose such a cruel sword technique, to avoid causing fear and being hunted down by others.
But now, seeing Pei Xuanjing cornering him to this point, he could not hold back any longer, and decided to use this move, even if it meant perishing together with Pei Xuanjing..
"Just that?!"
Pei Xuanjing took a step forward, his blood qi boiling, and in an instant, he vanished from his original spot.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…
Suddenly, a wild wind rolled up. With the step Pei Xuanjing took, the earth trembling and mountains shaking, the ground beneath his feet was crushed by him, numerous tiny cracks spreading out in all directions.
The flow of air around him was stirred by his blood qi and true qi, emitting a sound like the roar of a tiger or the shout of a dragon.
He leapt up, the Shenxiao sword in his hand dazzled with light. With the rotating four seasons around him, embodying the cycle of life and death, wind and thunder echoed each other.
In an instant, Pei Xuanjing seemed like a god high above all others, his divine power intimidating, unfathomable to the eye. He was judging heaven and earth, controlling life and death.
This sword had no name.
It was an inspiration he drew from his duel with the Southern Ghost Emperor, an inspiration from that ghostly decisive blow, that he integrated into the "Flying Immortal Outside the Heavens."
This sword, not only embodying the sword intention of a glorious sun, but also carrying the divine might that rules over all beings and judges heaven and earth.
Ah!
The sword light swept across, annihilating everything.
The originally terrifying blade light, carrying the extermination of everything, held no significance at this moment.
The wind scattered the clouds, the smoke and dust completely dispersed.
Pei Xuanjing stood holding his sword, his blood qi filling the air, and the air waves were rolling around him, causing his clothes to make a rustling sound.
Ding Yulong stood holding his blade, his eyes bulging, and a barely noticeable sword mark appeared between his eyebrows.
Splat!
A moment later, countless sword qi erupted from Ding Yulong's body, like thousands of arrows piercing his heart, and he fell to the ground. First-grade martial artist Ding Yulong… was dead.
"A good opponent."
Pei Xuanjing had killed Ding Yulong, but there was no sense of relief. The two swords he had just used had consumed a lot of his energy.
However, being able to easily dispatch a first-grade martial artist was enough to excite him exceptionally.
He moved forward a few steps, and without hesitation, swung his sword, and Ding Yulong's head flew up.
Pei Xuanjing spread his five fingers and with his true qi, attracted over a section of a tree that was about a foot thick, which had been broken by the aftermath of their battle.
Bang!
With a palm, he slammed the tree trunk into the ground, and as the Shenxiao sword moved, he wrote a line: Pei Xuanjing killed Ding Yulong here!
Then, he looked for something on Ding Yulong's body. After finding a few books..
[Martial arts skill "Blood Slaughter Skill" contained in the book can have 17,000 points of Taoyun value after refining.]
[The excellent martial art "Drawing Sword Skill" can get 20,000 points of Taoyun value after refining.]
[The exceptional "Huangquan Knife Skill" (dismantled) can have 40,000 points of Taoyun value after refining.]
These were the martial arts practiced by Ding Yulong. However, judging from the Taoyun value given by the simulator, Pei Xuanjing knew the value of this martial arts.
However, the other two martial arts piqued Pei Xuanjing's interest and made him extremely interested.
You should know that the drawing sword skill used by Ding Yulong was incredibly powerful. Unless
Pei Xuanjing was the opponent, it would already be considered very powerful martial arts for others.
And what interested Pei Xuanjing was that since this drawing sword skill was so powerful, could he practice it and evolve it into a sword drawing skill to serve as his trump card.
As for the Huangquan Knife Skill, a remnant piece of the absolute skill, Pei Xuanjing just looked at the cruel cultivation method, and then put it aside. Regardless of what the future may hold, at least he couldn't accept such a cruel martial arts skill right now, so he just thought about whether he could use it as a reference to learn by analogy.
However, overall, Pei Xuanjing's move this time could be said to be rich in rewards. Not to mention, this drawing sword skill was pretty good. Just the simple Taoyun value contained in these few martial arts books was enough to afford another simulation of life after refining.
Suppressing his joyous feelings, Pei Xuanjing picked up the curved blade from his opponent, then turned and walked away.
The chill in the world was even more severe, and snowflakes fluttered down from the sky.
Pei Xuanjing's figure became more and more distant, gradually disappearing into the dark night.
Three months later, outside of Hejian Mansion, a man led a steed into the city.
He was dressed in a dark brown Taoist robe and carried a treasure sword. The sword was wrapped entirely in green cloth, with only the hilt exposed.
What a handsome and clean Daoist Priest.
Before coming to the inn, only the second child took over the reins.
"Young Taoist Priest, is this your first time visiting our Hejian Mansion? I don't know what the Young Taoist Priest would like to eat or drink. Do you have any dietary restrictions?" After tying up the steed, the second boy greeted with warmth.
Pei Xuanjing went upstairs, chose a spot by the window to sit down, took out a silver ingot, and said calmly, "Bring up a few dishes you are good at, then warm up a pot of good wine."
"Sure! Young Taoist Priest please wait, I'll bring it up for you right away." The second boy saw Pei Xuanjing being generous, and his enthusiasm increased.
Pei Xuanjing looked out of the window, watching the crowds on the street, and couldn't help recalling his contemplations over the last three months.
After killing Ding Yulong outside Xuanfu City that night, he still lingered outside Xuanfu for several days, thinking about finding an opportunity to dispose of the old eunuch, Wang Zhi.
Unfortunately, perhaps Pei Xuanjing's actions scared him, that old eunuch was guarding the emperor day and night, and he never dared to leave him half a step.
Even though Pei Xuanjing had sneaked into the Xuanfu emperor several times, he was perceived by the other's sharp senses and returned without success several times.
In addition, the masters from the Two Factories, the Brocade Guards ,and the Six Gates arrived later. Protecting the emperor there were already four first-grade masters, plus more than ten second-class masters.
Facing such a tight defense, even if Pei Xuanjing considered himself a formidable person, he abandoned the idea of breaching again and had to put this matter aside.
He then temporarily left Xuanfu, disguised himself, and headed for Tiandu, intending to fetch Pang Hong who was left in Tiandu Mansion.
However, because he was on the way to deduce and refining those martial arts, he delayed some time, so the originally two-month journey dragged on for three months.
Of course, in these three months, Pei Xuanjing didn't gain nothing. Not to mention that he has almost refined the martial arts from those books, now he has accumulated enough Taoyun to start a life simulation. But he still wanted to wait for a while, waiting to accumulate enough Taoyun value for two rounds of life simulation.
Merely mastering the drawing sword skill and transforming it into a sword drawing technique suitable for him added considerably to Pei Xuanjing's strength.
With this sword drawing skill, he would no longer need to frequently use the "Flying Immortal Outside the Heavens," a powerful sword technique to be his ultimate move. He could better make it his ace in the hole.
Although Pei Xuanjing was late in reaching Hejian Mansion, he did not delay matters and still managed to arrive before the emperor's return to the capital.
According to the message passed by Lin Qingyi, the other party had already taken Pang Hong out. Pei Xuanjing didn't need to go back to Tiandu. He just had to wait in Hejian Mansion for a few days, and the other party would bring the person over naturally. "This Taoist friend, can this old Taoist have a spot of wine with you?"
A sudden sentence floated into Pei Xuanjing's ears.
Pei Xuanjing turned around. The visitor was none other than the Deputy Dean of the Martial Academy, Qingyang Zi..