Ling Tian Sword God

"How dare you?"

Xu Ruoyan's pretty face changed color slightly. She hadn't expected Wang Yan to be so audacious. In response, her voice turned cold as she said, "Wang Yan, if you dare to touch a single hair on my head, not only will my senior apprentice-brother Feng Piaoliu not let you go, but my father, Xu Feihong, will also hunt you to the ends of the earth. He would even annihilate the entire Shocking Death Sect to ensure they join you in death."

"Haha, I'm so scared," Wang Yan said sarcastically, though there was no fear on his face. Immediately, his expression turned sinister. "Feng Piaoliu is indeed formidable, and your father Xu Feihong is a titan of the Martial World. It would be easy for them to kill me. However, once you and I have become intimate, and the deed is done, would they still have the heart to kill me?"

"Bastard, you will not succeed!"

Xu Ruoyan's face turned pale.

Wang Yan's expression was very calm and relaxed as he chuckled, "Miss Xu, I advise you not to resist, lest you injure yourself further. You've already been poisoned by my Mingxin Poisonous Smoke. If you forcibly circulate your True Qi, at best you'll lose all your martial arts; at worst, you'll lose your sanity and die a miserable death. Give up your struggle and just enjoy it."

A flicker of desperation flashed in Xu Ruoyan's eyes as she prepared to forcibly circulate her True Qi and fight Wang Yan to the death.

Just then, a figure suddenly burst into the hall. The man was dressed in black, a Long Sword at his waist, a Heavy Sword on his back, and his face hidden behind a Ghost Mask.

"It's you!"

The moment Wang Yan saw the masked man, a hateful light flared in his eyes. He would recognize this man even if he were reduced to ashes. This was the bastard who had killed his brother, the one with whom he shared an irreconcilable feud.

SWISH!

However, the moment Ling Chen appeared, he drew his Treasure Sword from his waist without a word. With lightning speed, he swung his sword at Wang Yan's neck.

"Seeking death!"

Wang Yan believed he knew Ling Chen's capabilities. If Ling Chen were to fight him head-on, he would undoubtedly lose. Back in the Mechanism Hall, if not for the sudden malfunction of the Puppet guards, Ling Chen would have already died by his saber!

But what he didn't know was that the Ling Chen of today was no longer the masked youth he once knew; his strength had improved beyond comparison.

In an instant, the Cloud-hidden Sword reached Wang Yan's neck.

"What?"

Though shocked, Wang Yan reacted with extreme speed. As the sword descended, he leaned back, narrowly avoiding the strike.

ZING!

The sharp sword qi sliced the skin on Wang Yan's neck, leaving a shallow, bloody line.

Ling Chen sighed inwardly. He had been just a hair's breadth from killing Wang Yan with that single strike.

Wang Yan was also startled. The opponent's sword was too fast; he had almost died under that strike! Just now, he felt as if he was only inches from death. How could this man have improved so much in just a few days?

Having repelled Wang Yan, Ling Chen stopped in front of Xu Ruoyan.

"Thank you for saving my life. May I ask who Your Excellency is?" Xu Ruoyan looked at Ling Chen with gratitude, clearly not recognizing him.

Ling Chen said nothing. He simply reached out, pinched Xu Ruoyan's cheek, and stuffed a pill into her mouth.

"What did you give me?"

Xu Ruoyan coughed violently before swallowing the pill, then looked at Ling Chen with a startled expression.

"Naturally, it's a Detoxification Pill. Could it be poison?" Ling Chen said indifferently.

This woman, back at Chiyu Mountain Manor, showed me no mercy, yet here she was, easily falling into someone else's trap. Such a useless person.

Seeing Ling Chen's utter disregard for him, Wang Yan's face turned grim. "You little beast! You killed my brother, and I haven't even sought revenge yet. Now you dare to ruin my plans today! If I don't kill you, I'll no longer be Wang Yan, the Extinguishing Life Saber!"

"Then you might have to change your name."

Ling Chen met Wang Yan's gaze, his own calm and unperturbed. "But that won't matter, since you'll be a dead man soon enough."

"Such audacity!"

The Pupils of Tianxu Palace looked at Ling Chen in surprise. Their opponent was the renowned Wang Yan, a top-tier expert ranked nineteenth on the Heavenly List. How could this masked man, seemingly a nobody, be so confident? In their view, Ling Chen's near-successful attempt to slit Wang Yan's throat was merely due to the element of surprise, catching Wang Yan unprepared. They doubted Ling Chen could truly be Wang Yan's opponent in a real fight.

"A lowly rat like you dares to underestimate me? You think a slight increase in strength means you can surpass me?"

A sneer crossed Wang Yan's face as he furiously channeled True Qi into the Extinguishing Life Saber in his hand. His murderous intent surged, filling the entire hall.

The Pupils of Tianxu Palace and the disciples of the Shocking Death Sect all felt the chilling murderous intent. Their faces turned pale as they stared at Wang Yan in fear.

Ling Chen, on the other hand, stood his ground. His Sword Intent protected his mind, rendering him impervious to all evil. Then, with a sudden tap of his foot, he lunged, his sword cutting through the air toward Wang Yan.

RIP!

The air, heavy with killing intent, was torn apart as the Sword Light shot out like an unstoppable meteor.

Wang Yan sneered. As Ling Chen's attack approached, he suddenly slashed out with his saber, intending to strike second but land his blow first, killing Ling Chen.

Seeing through Wang Yan's tactic, Ling Chen smirked. Unexpectedly, he rotated his sword. The Sword Light, initially aimed at Wang Yan's heart, shifted with lightning speed toward his throat.

This sword strike, seemingly instantaneous, was clearly twice as fast as Wang Yan's saber.

"Damn it!"

Forced to change his move, Wang Yan switched from offense to defense, retreating to block Ling Chen's sword tip.

SCREEECH!

Ling Chen's palm pressed against the hilt of the Cloud-hidden Sword. Under his control, the sword spun at high speed, its tip grinding against the blade of the Extinguishing Life Saber, sending a shower of brilliant sparks into the air.

Forced back repeatedly by this sword strike, Wang Yan's face flushed red with exertion and frustration, but he was helpless. He could never have anticipated Ling Chen's Sword Momentum would be so ferocious; he had no chance to seize the initiative.

Xu Ruoyan was secretly astonished. She knew very well how strong Wang Yan was. Among the younger generation, few could suppress him. But this man before her didn't seem to be one of those few.

"Thousands of Mountains and Rivers!"

Ling Chen took a step forward, his sword strike embodying the might of Thousands of Mountains and Rivers, seeking to obliterate and crush everything in its path.

"Shocking the Four Corners!"

Pressed by Ling Chen's relentless assault, Wang Yan gasped for breath. He bellowed, stomping his foot so hard the ground cracked beneath him. He swung his Extinguishing Life Saber upward to clash with Ling Chen's Sword Light.

The Air Energy from the clash of sword and saber swirled around, pushing both Ling Chen and Wang Yan back. However, in the split second he was forced back, Ling Chen's body suddenly flipped, and he thrust his sword out.

"Winding Mountain Path!"

This strike was like a Divine Stroke, exquisite beyond words.

"What?"

Wang Yan's eyes widened. He couldn't react in time. The sword slashed across his chest, leaving a sword wound deep to the bone. The sword qi invading his body ran rampant, severing his meridians and tearing at his flesh. He was sent flying backward, coughing up blood, his aura dimming drastically.