Chapter 16: What, You're Not Fighting Anymore?
Page (1/3)
Yun Yi’s heart was filled with anticipation for the “good fortune” that was about to arrive. He had even begun praying silently, hoping the three of them would fight to the death—preferably taking one another down with them.
Yet just as his hopes were running high, the middle-aged man suddenly threw back his head and laughed, his voice hearty and bold. “Since you are so determined, I shall grant your wish and take my leave first!”
His words left not only Yun Yi utterly stunned, but also the two disciples of the Azure Yang Sword Manor staring at each other in bewilderment.
They had assumed that the middle-aged man would fight them to the death over the spirit mushroom. Never had they expected him to choose to leave so readily.
The abrupt turn of events left all three puzzled, yet for the moment none of them could fathom the reason.
“Could he be afraid of the reputation of our Azure Yang Sword Manor?” the senior disciple ventured, though there was a note of uncertainty in his voice.
After all, sword cultivators possessed extraordinary destructive power. Even someone with a body as formidable as the middle-aged man’s would not willingly provoke them.
“Perhaps. He may not wish to make an enemy of us over a mere spirit mushroom and create a feud that can end only with one side’s death,” the junior disciple agreed, though a trace of vigilance remained in his eyes.
The middle-aged man repeated, “I’m leaving.”
Then, sure enough, he slowly turned around and began walking leisurely toward the opposite end of the valley. Only then did the two disciples of the Azure Yang Sword Manor relax slightly. They exchanged a smile and decided to seize the opportunity to pick the spirit mushroom.
“Junior Brother, hurry and harvest it,” the senior disciple ordered.
“All right, Senior Brother.” The younger disciple acknowledged him and prepared to step forward.
At that moment, Yun Yi, hidden in the gaps between the dense branches and as tiny as a gnat, was struck by a storm of emotion. It was as though a bolt of lightning had hit him from nowhere.
“What? He... he actually left just like that, in broad daylight? Does that mean my carefully devised plan to seize the spirit mushroom is going to come to nothing?”
Regret and anxiety churned within Yun Yi like ants in a boiling pan. Watching the prize that was almost within his grasp slip away, he gnashed his teeth in frustration, yet there was nothing he could do but watch events unfold.
Just as Yun Yi racked his brains, trying to find a new turn of fortune, something unexpected happened.
A creature resembling a ferocious tiger burst out of the forest with terrifying momentum and charged straight at the completely unprepared junior disciple.
Page (1/3)
Page (2/3)
“Junior Brother, look out!” The senior disciple reacted with lightning speed. The instant he sensed the danger, he shouted a warning.
The younger disciple snapped to attention. Acting on instinct, he drew his sword, its tip pointing directly at the “beast” racing toward him.
But when he took a closer look, he was stunned to discover that the so-called “beast” was actually the middle-aged man who should have been long gone.
“Didn’t you already leave?”
Before the words had even faded, the two had already clashed at close range. The junior disciple’s sword collided with the middle-aged man’s body, sending sparks flying and producing a dull, heavy impact.
“Leave? A spirit mushroom that appears only once in a thousand years could take my physical strength to an entirely higher level. How could I simply let it go?” A cold smile curled the middle-aged man’s lips, and his tone revealed an unquestionable resolve.
Before he had even finished speaking, he exerted a slight amount of force and sent the younger disciple flying several yards with ease. The disciple tumbled through the air before landing awkwardly on the ground.
“The spirit mushroom is mine!” the middle-aged man declared domineeringly, reaching his massive hand toward the faintly glowing plant.
At that critical instant, a streak of icy light tore through the air and shot straight toward the middle-aged man’s throat.
“If you want the spirit mushroom, you’ll have to get past my sword first!”
With an angry shout, the senior disciple moved like a shadow in pursuit, his sword-light twisting like a dragon. He was determined to defend both his sect’s honor and its claim to the spirit mushroom.
Hidden in the darkness, Yun Yi witnessed the entire chain of events. His emotions were indescribably complicated—both shocked and delighted.
“This plot twist is even more thrilling than anything in a storybook. It seems the spirit mushroom’s final owner has yet to be decided.”
Then Yun Yi watched as the battle between the senior disciple and the middle-aged man erupted in an instant.
Sword-light and fist-shadows crossed, and every collision seemed capable of tearing the air apart.
“Boy, do you really think that with such meager skill, you can become my opponent?” After exchanging more than a dozen blows with the senior disciple, the middle-aged man had clearly lost patience. With an angry roar, he suddenly swung a fist toward the senior disciple.
The senior disciple did not dare to meet it head-on. His figure flashed lightly, and he turned his body just enough to evade the blow.
Yet that retreat gave the middle-aged man an opening. Taking advantage of the moment, he swiftly moved to one side, adjusted his breathing, and began gathering strength.
“I was originally unwilling to come to blows with you two, but...”
As he spoke, the middle-aged man suddenly raised a fist as large as a cooking pot and began pounding his own chest with tremendous force.
Page (2/3)
Page (3/3)
Every blow was accompanied by a deep, muffled boom, as though he were tempering his own body.
Though the senior disciple did not understand what he was doing, his instincts told him that he absolutely could not afford to lower his guard.
Just then, the junior disciple hurried to his side.
“Senior Brother, are you all right?” he asked with concern.
“I’m fine. Be careful,” the senior disciple replied curtly, his gaze still fixed on the middle-aged man.
“Senior Brother, what is he doing?” the younger disciple asked, his face filled with confusion.
“I don’t know either.” The senior disciple shook his head, equally perplexed.
The instant their conversation ended, the exposed skin of the middle-aged man’s body began to change. A thick protective barrier gradually emerged, as though an invisible suit of armor were being draped over him.
“Could this be the legendary Dragon-Tiger Art?” The senior disciple was horrified. His eyes remained locked on the strange energy slowly condensing around the middle-aged man. In a low, urgent voice, he said to the junior disciple beside him, “Junior Brother, the situation is critical. We can’t let him continue accumulating power. We must stop him immediately!”
Before he had finished speaking, the two disciples of the Azure Yang Sword Manor sprang forward like twin bolts of lightning, swords in hand, racing toward the middle-aged man. Their gazes were resolute, and cold light flashed from their sword-tips. Clearly, they were prepared to stake everything on this attack.
Yet at that crucial moment, the middle-aged man suddenly stopped all movement. He threw open his mouth, his eyes widening, and an indescribable pressure surged forth from within him.
“Too late! Dragon-Tiger Roar!”
Accompanied by the middle-aged man’s furious bellow, the sound crashed through the valley like thunder, deafening and seemingly capable of piercing every obstacle to strike directly at the heart.
Amid the roar, a hazy and majestic phantom burst from his mouth. It resembled a tiger’s head, yet its surface was marked with patterns like dragon scales. Terrifying and dignified, it hurtled forward amid a thunderous boom toward the two disciples of the Azure Yang Sword Manor who were charging at him.
Though Yun Yi, hidden in the darkness, was as tiny as a gnat, even he was shaken by the sudden might. He secretly congratulated himself on having chosen to watch cautiously from the sidelines. Otherwise, before such terrifying power, he might not even have had a chance to escape.
Page (3/3)