Chapter 124: Whetstone, Slaughter

In the forest, Lu Qing was hot on the trail of the white-robed youth.

"Sir, as a formidable Inner Strength realm warrior, why flee without a fight? Are you not afraid of being ridiculed by the world?" Lu Qing called out, his voice carrying clearly through the trees.

Hearing Lu Qing's taunt, the white-robed youth felt both anger and surprise. Anger that a mere Sinew and Bone Realm boy dared to mock him so brazenly, as if he was nothing. And surprise that Lu Qing dared to pursue him so relentlessly, which could only mean he had some trick up his sleeve. Perhaps the person who killed the third and seventh elders was nearby.

The white-robed youth's heart seethed with resentment, longing to turn around and capture Lu Qing immediately. Yet, his feet quickened their pace.

Always cautious, he decided to report the situation to his master and request the presence of his senior brother, the one he both admired and resented. Despite his complex feelings, he knew his senior brother's strength far surpassed his own.

Having reached the pinnacle of the Inner Strength realm, his senior brother was nearly at the apex of the Post-Natal realm. They were virtually the most powerful warriors short of the Pre-Natal realm.

With his senior brother's help, he need not fear the hidden expert anymore. Then, crushing Lu Qing, a mere Sinew and Bone Realm warrior, would be as easy as turning his hand.

Seeing that his taunts had no effect and that the white-robed youth was fleeing even faster, Lu Qing sighed inwardly. He knew it was unlikely he could goad his opponent into staying and fighting.

Recently, Lu Qing had experienced a surge in his cultivation, and he wanted to test his newfound strength against an Inner Strength realm warrior. But the white-robed youth was too cautious, giving him no opportunity.

As the white-robed youth was about to escape his pursuit, Lu Qing had no choice but to call out, "Xiao Li, stop him!"

The moment he finished speaking, the white-robed youth felt a bone-chilling sense of danger emanating from behind him. It sent shivers down his spine.

"How is this possible?!" he exclaimed in shock.

Lu Qing should have been more than twenty zhang away. How could he have closed the distance so quickly and appeared behind him?

Sensing the piercing cold behind him, the white-robed youth had no choice but to react. He lashed out with the jade fan in his hand, stabbing it backward with all his might.

Swish! The fan sliced through the air with formidable force. But the next moment, he felt something strange—his fan, made of hard, icy jade and as durable as fine steel, had been cut!

Simultaneously, he felt a sharp pain in his hand. If he hadn't pulled back in time, his wrist might have been severed.

"What?!" The white-robed youth's heart trembled with shock.

He abruptly stopped and hid behind a tree, thick enough to embrace. Peering back, his pupils contracted violently.

There was no one behind him. The closest person, Lu Qing, was still over ten zhang away and running towards him.

What had attacked him just now?

In an instant, looking at the broken segments of his jade fan and the deep wounds on the back of his hand, the white-robed youth's heart grew heavy.

The unknown was the most terrifying.

He couldn't fathom what kind of attack could have crippled one of his hands in an instant. But he knew it had something to do with Lu Qing. After all, the attack had come right after Lu Qing's shout.

"Behold the blade!"

Lu Qing, unconcerned about the white-robed youth's shock, continued his pursuit. After Xiao Li intercepted the youth, Lu Qing's speed remained unchecked. He drew the long sword on his back, and with the momentum of his charge, he unleashed a powerful slash.

The force of the sword strike seemed capable of cleaving the white-robed youth and the tree he hid behind in two!

This sword technique... The white-robed youth's eyelids twitched as he sensed the power of Lu Qing's sword. He, too, felt danger in that strike. If he didn't respond carefully, even he might suffer a severe injury.

How could a mere Sinew and Bone Realm boy wield such a formidable sword technique? Who exactly was this young man?

The white-robed youth was astonished, but his reaction was swift. He steadied his mind, halting the bleeding from his injured hand. With his left hand, he drew a silver light from his waist, and like a venomous snake, it darted towards Lu Qing's throat.

At this point, the white-robed youth had no time to ponder the nature of the mysterious attacker. His only thought was to take down Lu Qing as quickly as possible, forcing the hidden presence to reveal itself. Only then would he have a chance to escape.

"A soft sword?!" Lu Qing exclaimed, recognizing the silver light's true form.

He had assumed the white-robed youth's weapon was the jade fan, but it seemed his true expertise lay in sword techniques, specifically the challenging art of the soft sword.

This fit the youth's treacherous nature, Lu Qing thought.

The white-robed youth's soft sword moved like a venomous snake, its speed astonishing. It easily broke through Lu Qing's sword technique, striking first and aiming to pierce his throat.

Chapter: A Surprising Clash

This single move alone showcased the young man's masterful swordplay.

Taking advantage of the tree's cover, he suddenly lunged out like a striking snake, his attack as venomous as it was unexpected.

Most Sinew and Bone Realm warriors, even those at the pinnacle of that realm, would struggle to block such a strike without having their necks pierced and their lives instantly ended.

However, Lu Qing was clearly no ordinary Sinew and Bone Realm cultivator.

Sensing that the white-robed youth's soft sword was faster than his own war blade, Lu Qing instantly changed his technique.

The fierce, tidal force of his blade suddenly transformed into a gentle, flowing stream. With a heavy clash, he deflected the soft sword away.

In a swift motion, Lu Qing twisted his wrist, his body moving with the sword. The war blade in his hand traced a profound arc, circumventing the tree trunk and slicing towards the white-robed youth's neck.

"Hmm? This kid's sword technique!"

Lu Qing's sudden change in technique caught the white-robed youth off guard.

As he watched the war blade about to chop into his neck, he quickly ducked his head, barely evading the blade's edge.

He then performed a quick roll, creating distance between them, and stared at Lu Qing in astonishment.

He had lost count of how many surprises Lu Qing had sprung on him since their encounter.

But Lu Qing's swordplay far exceeded his expectations.

The young man seamlessly transitioned from extreme strength to extreme flexibility, displaying a level of smoothness that belied his age.

Even he, the white-robed youth, had never witnessed such a profound level of sword mastery.

"A perfect blend of strength and flexibility, intricate and subtle. A true master of the sword! Kid, was it you who killed Lao Qi?"

In an instant, the white-robed youth recalled the death of Elder Seven in the Nameless Valley, and his exclamation of surprise escaped his lips.

Lao Qi had his head chopped off, his leather armor split open, yet the wounds on his body were not severe.

It was clear that the killer's strength hadn't been sufficient to cleave through both man and armor in one strike.

At the time, the white-robed youth had been puzzled. If the killer's strength was insufficient, how had they managed to kill Lao Qi so easily?

Now, witnessing Lu Qing's swordplay, he finally understood.

If it had been this young man, then indeed, Lao Qi would have had no chance to fight back.

Lu Qing ignored the white-robed youth's exclamation.

He knew that the 'Lao Qi' the youth referred to was likely the same person as Elder Tong.

But he had no intention of answering such questions. Taking advantage of the momentary lapse in the white-robed youth's mental focus, Lu Qing's eyes glinted, and he took a large step forward, slashing out with his sword once more.

"Hmph, so what if you're a sword master? You're still just a Sinew and Bone Realm cultivator. Do you think I'm afraid of you?"

The white-robed youth was annoyed that Lu Qing had brushed off his question.

Although he didn't know how Lu Qing, at such a young age, had managed to cultivate his sword technique to such a high level, he understood that one's realm was a crucial foundation for their strength.

If Lu Qing had been an Inner Strength realm cultivator, even a novice one, and displayed such masterful swordplay, he would have no choice but to flee.

However, the fact that Lu Qing was still in the Sinew and Bone Realm changed things.

The gap between major realms was not easily bridged.

Facing Lu Qing's fierce incoming strike, the white-robed youth's soft sword trembled, and he, too, stabbed forward with lightning speed, aiming directly at Lu Qing's wrist.

Lu Qing twisted his wrist, evading the thrust, his sword momentum unchanged as it continued its downward arc.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The clanging of blade against sword rang out continuously, silver light flashing with each collision.

In just an instant, the two had exchanged blows dozens of times.

One possessed profound cultivation, immense strength, and incredible sword speed.

The other displayed masterful swordplay, intricate techniques, and fluid movements.

For a time, neither could gain the upper hand.

Ding!

Another loud clash rang out as the white-robed youth's lethal strike was once again effortlessly blocked by Lu Qing.

Using the rebound force from this clash, the white-robed youth quickly retreated, putting some distance between himself and Lu Qing, momentarily escaping the youth's attack range.

This time, Lu Qing didn't pursue, instead coming to a stop as well.

Seeing Lu Qing's calm and unperturbed demeanor, the white-robed youth seethed with resentment.

If it hadn't been for his injured right hand, if he hadn't been slightly awkward with his left hand, Lu Qing wouldn't have been able to deflect his sword strikes so effortlessly.

Now, he, a proud Inner Strength realm cultivator, had fought to a standstill with a mere Sinew and Bone Realm warrior. It was humiliating!

Seeing the ugly look on the white-robed youth's face, Lu Qing sighed inwardly.

He, too, had noticed that despite the youth's fierce swordplay, there was a slight lack of coordination in his movements.

It was likely due to his unfamiliarity with using his left hand.

Otherwise, Lu Qing knew he might have had a tougher time.

Similarly, Lu Qing was aware that a significant reason he could hold his ground against the white-robed youth was because of the youth's choice of weapon—the soft sword.

Soft sword techniques emphasized agility, unpredictability, and surprise attacks. Due to the nature of the weapon, its power was limited, no matter how strong the user was.

Even an Inner Strength realm cultivator couldn't rely on brute force to overpower Lu Qing's war blade.

They would have to rely on the subtlety and precision of their swordplay to find an opening and deliver a fatal strike.

Unfortunately for the white-robed youth, his sword mastery fell short of Lu Qing's.

It was the combination of inferior sword techniques and insufficient power that put him at a disadvantage.

Chapter: A Surprising Clash

Lu Qing knew that this was as far as he could go.

At most, he could only hope to fight the white-robed youth to a standstill; killing him would be extremely difficult.

The Inner Strength realm was indeed powerful; even in an injured state, the youth was still not someone he, a Sinew and Bone Realm cultivator, could easily defeat.

If the white-robed youth knew what Lu Qing was thinking at that moment, he would have been even more enraged.

How dare this mere Sinew and Bone Realm boy rely on luck to fight him to a draw, and now he still wasn't satisfied, actually dreaming of defeating him with his own hands? How arrogant!

However, the white-robed youth was currently struggling with his decision.

As things stood, he couldn't defeat Lu Qing in a fair fight and take him captive.

Should he use his secret technique? The white-robed youth hesitated.

The secret technique could instantly double his battle prowess, and once used, defeating Lu Qing wouldn't be a problem.

But this was his trump card, reserved for the mysterious presence that had injured him earlier.

If he used it now, he would have no backup plan when that mysterious presence appeared.

Moreover, after using the secret technique, he would be left in a weakened state, his strength drastically reduced.

If he couldn't finish off Lu Qing quickly, then his own death was likely imminent.

"Xiao Li, make your move!"

However, just as the white-robed youth was hesitating, Lu Qing on the opposite side suddenly gave Xiao Li an order.

I think there was a mistake. Here is the corrected response:

This whetstone was no longer of any value.

After giving Xiao Li the order, Lu Qing himself charged forward with his battle sword in hand.

He was going to abandon all pretense of martial morality and team up with Xiao Li to besiege the youth.

Hearing Lu Qing shout that name again, the white-robed youth's heart trembled.

That chilling sensation from before reappeared in his heart.

Without a moment's hesitation, all traces of uncertainty vanished, and he immediately channeled his qi and blood, stimulating the major acupoints in his body.

As his secret technique activated, overwhelming power surged from the depths of the white-robed youth's body.

The next moment, a chilling sensation filled his heart, and he saw a small white claw appear in the void before him, reaching towards his chest!

What the hell is this?! The white-robed youth was horrified. He never expected such a bizarre event to occur.

Without thinking, the soft sword in his hand violently trembled like a writhing snake, shooting towards the strange claw with incredible speed.

Ding!

Just as the strange claw was about to be pierced by his sword, a sword tip appeared in front of him, deflecting his soft sword.

Immediately after, a black, bizarre beast leaped out from the void in front of him, skillfully dodging the sword edge and pouncing towards his chest.

Pu!

The white-robed youth felt a pain in his body as if something had left it, causing his entire body to stiffen.

His energy rapidly drained away.

Lowering his head, he saw that his chest had been pierced through, a gaping hole now where his heart had been.

The custom-made inner armor he wore under his clothes seemed to have provided no protection at all.

The white-robed youth looked up in disbelief, intending to say something, but then he saw a sword tip approaching his eyes, and his head was sliced off.

As his consciousness faded, the white-robed youth suddenly recalled everything he had seen in Nameless Valley.

In that moment, he finally understood.

So that was how Elder Three had died.

Thud.

When the white-robed youth's head hit the ground, Lu Qing's expression didn't change.

In fact, Xiao Li alone would have been enough to kill the white-robed youth.

However, to avoid any unforeseen circumstances, Lu Qing chose to end the battle swiftly.

Looking at the white-robed youth's corpse, Lu Qing sighed.

It seemed that he and Wang Cangyi really weren't very compatible.

In such a short time, three of Wang Cangyi's disciples had died at his and Xiao Li's hands.

If that Pre-Natal realm expert learned his identity, he would probably search heaven and earth to take revenge.

Thinking of this, Lu Qing immediately picked up the white-robed youth's head and body and headed deeper into the mountains.

He found a secluded valley rarely visited by people and buried the body there.

Only after finishing all this did he finally relax a little.

It was incredibly difficult to find a person in these vast mountains, let alone a corpse.

How could Wang Cangyi find his second disciple's body? It would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

Although this wouldn't completely hide the truth from Wang Cangyi, as long as he didn't find his disciple's body, he wouldn't be able to confirm his death.

As long as he delayed things for a while longer, by the time Wang Cangyi learned the truth, his master's strength would have improved, and the situation would be different.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end