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墨書 Inktalez
Li Hong would certainly not forget that Heavenly Danzi was wronged by the people of the Emei Sect. If it weren't for the arrogant and overbearing disciples of Emei, who falsely accused Heavenly Danzi of being a spy for the Demon Sect, he would not have been expelled from his sect!
Hatred grew like spring grass, sprouting anew, and in an instant, Li Hong was filled with murderous intent, though his expression remained unchanged.
A large group of people descended at the foot of Nine Vermilion Peaks, in front of the Three-Story Pavilion, accompanied by members of the Disciplinary Hall. The stout figure of Chief Elder of Punishment Yue Mangzi was particularly conspicuous. However, Li Hong paid him no mind and instead focused on a small group beside him.
These four individuals were not very powerful, roughly at the Initial Stage of Caution to late stages, and one of them was a Female Cultivator. Their method of cultivating their magical artifacts seemed quite different from that of Nine Li Sect; their Flying Swords were not stored in their Dantian but were visibly strapped to their backs. Each carried a sword sheath behind them, revealing a glimmering section of sword hilt.
"Emei Four Swords!" At some point, the senior brother Chuming appeared beside Li Hong and exclaimed softly.
Emei Four Swords? Li Hong turned his eyes and quietly asked about their history.
Chuming pondered for a moment and communicated telepathically to Li Hong: "Emei possesses a Celestial Artifact that is actually four pieces—a set of Flying Swords. When used together, their power multiplies tenfold, making them extremely formidable."
Li Hong had heard Elder Yue Changzi mention this before, but now with a more discerning eye, he observed that while the three-foot-long swords on the backs of those four looked impressive, they did not seem like Celestial Artifacts at all. He couldn't help but feel puzzled.
Chuming noticed his confusion and communicated again: "These four are outstanding disciples among the lower ranks of Emei, known as 'Emei Four Swords.' They are not using the true set of Celestial Artifact Flying Swords but rather a replica crafted by an Ancestor. Nevertheless, they are still quite powerful, all being Superior Spirit Artifacts. Emei selects four excellent disciples from each generation to practice this four-person sword technique. It is said that they are inseparable in daily life—eating and cultivating together—to enhance their mutual understanding, thereby increasing the power of their sword technique."
After explaining, Chuming also showed a look of confusion and whispered, "It's strange; our Nine Li Sect has always been at odds with Emei in secret. Why would they come to Nine Vermilion Peaks?"
Despite his words, as Chief Disciple with Elder Brother absent, he could not neglect his duties to welcome them. He gestured for Li Hong to follow him.
Li Hong nodded and deliberately took his time walking through the sea of red flowers in the Passageway towards the group.
Chuming swiftly leaped ahead to greet them and was heard exchanging pleasantries with the four before turning back to wave at Li Hong.
Li Hong intentionally paused again and looked back. Most Disciples of Jiu Zhu Peak were huddled at the entrance of the Dining Hall; aside from himself and Chuming, Old Nine Chu Liang was also present. When Chu Liang caught Li Hong's gaze, he inexplicably felt a bit frightened and shrank back.
Someone in the crowd began to cheer softly: "Brother Chu Hong! Show these arrogant Emei kids what Nine Vermilion Peaks is capable of!"
Li Hong understood that these four Emei disciples had ill intentions and likely had some story behind their arrival. He nodded slightly and deliberately continued to stroll at a leisurely pace towards the clearing in front of the Three-Story Pavilion.
Chuming was still greeting others, and when he saw that Li Hong had finally caught up, he wiped the awkward sweat from his forehead, turned around, and introduced Li Hong: "This is my Sixth Junior Disciple, who has only been in the sect for three years—definitely a newcomer."
The tall young man leading the Emei Four Swords arrogantly sized up Li Hong, speaking in a condescending tone: "Late stage of Qi Refinement. Talent is just mediocre."
Mediocre? Li Hong chuckled inwardly; he was already at the Initial Stage of Caution! Knowing that outsiders could not see through his true cultivation due to the effects of the Six Spirit Salty Ritual, he chose not to reveal it and gestured to Chuming not to expose him.
Chuming understood and remained silent. During their earlier exchange, Li Hong had lagged behind, causing the four to ignore him, which made him sweat profusely. Despite his good upbringing, he couldn't help but feel frustrated. Seeing Li Hong's situation, he thought it was time to give them a taste of their own medicine and secretly cheered for him.
Chief Elder of Punishment Yue Mangzi had always looked down on Li Hong. He hadn't yet settled accounts with him over the incident involving the Common Azure Bird and Fire Mouse. When the Emei Four Swords mentioned wanting to spar with new disciples after defeating several elders from Nine Separation Peak, he immediately thought of Li Hong, who had been gaining attention lately and opposing him. He brought them over, eager to see Li Hong suffer.
Li Hong understood Yue Mangzi's intentions perfectly. He rolled his eyes and noted another point against the elder while smiling and saying, "Elder, you flatter me. But this kid has just entered the sect and has limited skills; I kindly ask you to take your Emei disciples elsewhere to explore." He emphasized "Emei disciples" so heavily that even the dullest person could sense the sarcasm.
Before the leading disciple could respond, the female cultivator among them narrowed her eyes and shouted, "What an ungrateful brat! We want to spar with you because we respect you! If you were a real man, you'd step up instead of acting like a coward!"
Li Hong was furious: "Watch your mouth, girl! The unfortunate man who ends up marrying you will be the real coward!"
The female cultivator was momentarily speechless with anger.
She was not tall but had beautiful features, her hair styled high in a Wang Xianji fashion. She wore a silver-red brocade dress adorned with phoenix patterns, cut slightly higher than ordinary women's clothing, revealing a pair of wide red silk pants with silver trim underneath and embroidered red shoes. Dressed in varying shades of red, she looked stunningly beautiful. In her anger, her chest rose and fell dramatically, while colorful ribbons around her slim waist fluttered without wind. With her silver teeth clenched tightly against her crimson lips and fiery eyes sparkling more alluringly than ever, she was captivating.
The tall young man was about to argue with Li Hong when he saw his junior sister looking so enchanting that he became transfixed and unable to look away.
Li Hong found it amusing; wasn't she just acting like a turtle?
Among the four, a short individual furrowed his brow and coughed. The tall young man immediately understood and, without hesitation, drew his sword with a sharp sound. A clear white light, as bright as autumn water, flashed by. He sneered and said, "I am 'Emei Four Swords', 'White Ribbon Sword', Azure Sky, here to seek guidance from this esteemed disciple of the Nine Li Sect!"
"Good! I was just about to seek guidance from you Emei disciples!" Li Hong replied fearlessly, puffing out his chest as he stepped forward.
"Wait!" It was the Female Cultivator who spoke. She finally suppressed her anger and glared at Li Hong with fiery eyes, loudly declaring, "We Emei Four Swords never separate. If you want to compete, you must face all four of us at once! If you're too cowardly, just admit defeat and crawl down the mountain!"
Li Hong's brow twitched. Before he could respond, Chuming coldly interjected, "We respect that you have come from afar, but don't push your luck! How can my junior brother face all four of you alone? If we are to compete, it must be fair! I am willing to stand with my junior brother!" With that, he flicked his robe and formed a sword gesture with his fingers.
Li Hong felt grateful but had already devised a plan. He exchanged a glance with Chuming to signal him to hold back and deliberately chuckled, "I don't want to act like a turtle or bicker with a girl. How about this: I'll accept the challenge from your three Emei swords!" He intentionally avoided looking at the Female Cultivator.
The Female Cultivator was furious, her willow-like brows shooting up in anger. Her face flushed red as she unsheathed her sword with a sharp sound. She shouted, "I'm going after you! 'Emei Four Swords', 'Purple Cloud Sword', Zhu Xue challenges you! Hmph! I will take you on one-on-one; this elder can witness that it's not unfair!"
Li Hong was pleased with this turn of events. He had already noticed that this Female Cultivator was the weakest among the four, having just entered the Initial Stage of Caution, slightly weaker than himself. The tall man had been glancing at her while speaking, indicating some personal feelings involved. If he could deal with her first, the Emei Four Swords' formation would collapse without any attack; it was clearly a provocation tactic. Zhu Xue was indeed fiery and impulsive; she fell right into his trap.
Although this suited his intentions perfectly, Li Hong still pretended not to look at her, further infuriating Zhu Xue. She shouted angrily, "No one is allowed to interfere! I will duel him myself!" With that, she struck forward.
"Alright! You said it! I am Chu Hong from Nine Vermilion Peaks and am ready to receive the high-level moves from Emei Sect's Zhu Xue, the Fairy!" This was the formal declaration for a duel. Not wanting to give anyone an advantage, Li Hong quickly finished his statement and leaped into action. Iridescence flashed as Lingyi appeared beneath his feet.
"Flying Sword! It's still a Superior Spirit Artifact! Junior sister, be careful!" Azure Sky's expression changed dramatically as he raised his voice in warning.
The other two swords of Emei Four Swords—Azure Mist Sword and Golden Blade—were much steadier and had remained silent until now. Their faces slightly changed color upon realizing that this disciple had hidden his strength; they feared for their junior sister's safety. They looked towards Yue Mangzi with clear intent in their eyes, hoping he could stop this duel.
Yue Mangzi's expression fluctuated as he looked down at the ground, appearing deep in thought about something.
There was no time for her to backtrack! Before Yue Mangzi could voice his objections, Li Hong shouted loudly, "Watch my sword!"
Although he said so, he did not reveal Lingyi at all. His figure soared higher, and with a flick of his hand, the Dragon Tail Whip unleashed a dazzling display of golden light, sweeping toward the center where the crimson point was.
Zhu Xue stood in place, controlling the Purple Cloud Sword. She never expected that Li Hong, a new disciple who appeared to be at the late stage of Qi Refinement, possessed two excellent magical treasures. Not only could he fly high with his sword, but he could also use them simultaneously, indicating that his cultivation was evidently beyond the late stage of Qi Refinement. Without further thought, she quickly retreated. Biting her silver teeth, she sent the Purple Cloud Sword flying in the opposite direction, aiming at Li Hong's soaring figure.
Li Hong shouted, "Come on!" Gripping the Dragon Tail Whip, he wielded it like an extension of his arm. The golden light shimmered as the whip's tip darted toward the incoming Purple Cloud Sword like a spirit snake.
With a flick of his wrist, the whip's tip accurately struck the Purple Cloud Sword in a flash. Li Hong immediately dove toward Zhu Xue.
Zhu Xue was taken aback. Biting her lower lip, she adjusted her sword technique and called back the Purple Cloud Sword for defense.
Li Hong would not allow her to bring the Purple Cloud Sword close; he knew that once she did, she would surely weave an impenetrable defense with it, making it difficult to break through for a long time. He lightly tapped on Lingyi with his toes and continued to charge forward while Lingyi shot back behind him.
In an instant, Li Hong had closed in on Zhu Xue, clearly seeing the fine beads of sweat on her pale Flower Beauty face. The golden light filled the air as the Dragon Tail Whip coiled around Zhu Xue's throat like a spirit snake. With a shake of his wrist, her petite body flew into the air, and the whip extended straight out to over ten feet long.
A series of rapid sounds echoed like rain as behind him Lingyi clashed with the flying Purple Cloud Sword in a flurry of over a hundred strikes. The Purple Cloud Sword attempted to break through Lingyi's defense to return to its master but found it impossible! Li Hong decisively flicked his wrist and sprang upward over ten feet.
At this moment, Li Hong resembled someone flying a kite. However, at the end of that kite string was Zhu Xue, who was gasping for breath as the whip's tip constricted around her throat. It was akin to a hawk soaring high above with its prey caught tightly in its grasp.
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