Chapter 32: Chapter Thirty-Two: Sky-Cutting Sword Technique
The group returned to their previous residence in Biancheng and found temporary accommodation under Zhao Suoxiang's family influence. During the day, Clock Mountain took Tian Ling'er out for a stroll. As they passed by a jade shop, Tian Ling'er picked out a few accessories, while Clock Mountain approached the shopkeeper and obtained a small scroll.
Back at their residence, Clock Mountain retreated to his room and gently extracted a piece of cloth from the scroll. It bore a few lines of confidential information:
"At midnight last night, there was a great battle in Huicheng, suspected to be the work of Hao San's men!"
Clock Mountain's brow furrowed as he absorbed the message. Hao San's men? This information came from the Dark Night Hall, the largest assassin organization in the Six Nations. Clock Mountain had instructed the Hall's leader, Dark Emperor, to keep an eye out for any news.
Midnight last night? Clock Mountain pondered for a moment, then lit a match and burned the cloth along with the scroll. Once reduced to ashes, he dispersed them with a wave of his hand.
He then gently pushed the door open and stepped outside.
"Clock Mountain," Zhao Suoxiang's voice suddenly came from outside.
"Where's Ling'er?" Zhao Suoxiang noticed Tian Ling'er was missing as soon as he arrived.
"She's bathing. What's the matter?" Clock Mountain frowned at Zhao Suoxiang.
"There was a major battle in Huicheng yesterday, and word has it that Hao San appeared," Zhao Suoxiang said immediately.
"Hao San appeared? Hold on, let's wait for Ling'er to come out, then we'll set off," Clock Mountain said.
"Mhm," Zhao Suoxiang nodded.
A day later, Clock Mountain and Zhao Suoxiang rode their horses along a main road, while Tian Ling'er soared above them on her red silk. Excited at the news of Hao San's appearance, Tian Ling'er couldn't wait to go.
Huicheng was a thousand miles away from Biancheng, but Clock Mountain and Zhao Suoxiang made the journey in just one day, riding their fast horses.
Upon reaching the outskirts of the city, they encountered a group of people waiting at a small post station, with some others sitting around, taking a break.
As Zhao Suoxiang rode closer, he saw the group of people.
"Sir, they headed into the mountains to the north," one of the nobly-dressed individuals called out to Zhao Suoxiang on horseback.
Clock Mountain halted his horse and also noticed a man in gray clothing. His eyes lit up as he observed a peculiar emblem on the man's attire. After the nobleman's confirmation, Clock Mountain nodded subtly.
"Clock Mountain, let's dismount and head into the mountains," Zhao Suoxiang said.
"Let's go." Clock Mountain immediately dismounted, not bothering with the horse. Instead of entering Huicheng, he ran directly towards the mountains to the north.
Zhao Suoxiang was at the ninth stage of the First Heaven, and Clock Mountain, wearing his Windchase Boots, disappeared from view in the blink of an eye, leaving the crowd in awe.
Tian Ling'er watched the two of them run towards the mountains from high above and naturally flew after them.
As they entered the mountains, Tian Ling'er gradually descended.
"Clock Mountain, why are we going into the mountains?" Tian Ling'er immediately asked.
"The people tracking Hao San have all entered the mountains. We can't fly, so you stay in the sky and let us know if you spot anyone or see a large group of people," Clock Mountain explained.
"Mhm," Tian Ling'er nodded eagerly. Finally having something to do, Tian Ling'er was very happy.
She flew up into the sky and quickly began to survey the area.
"Clock Mountain, over there, there's a fight! Wow, the mountains over there have collapsed!" Tian Ling'er exclaimed excitedly after scanning the area from the sky.
"Clock Mountain, that way, hurry up! I'll go check it out first," Tian Ling'er urged eagerly.
"No!" Clock Mountain suddenly shouted.
Hearing Clock Mountain's words, Tian Ling'er paused, looking at him with confusion.
"Wait for me," Clock Mountain said simply.
Tian Ling'er actually wanted to go, eager to see what was happening over there. But at Clock Mountain's request, she hesitated for a moment before reluctantly nodding with a furrowed brow.
Seeing Tian Ling'er obediently agreeing, Clock Mountain felt relieved. He and Zhao Suoxiang then hurriedly followed in the direction Tian Ling'er pointed out.
"Hurry up, come on!" Tian Ling'er urged them impatiently along the way, her heart racing as she continuously urged the two men to move faster.
From afar, Clock Mountain could already hear the roaring sound. The power was so immense that even from a distance, it made Clock Mountain incredibly solemn.
"You don't need to wait for me. With Ling'er by my side, I'll be fine. You go ahead," Clock Mountain said to Zhao Suoxiang.
Although Clock Mountain had the Windchase Boots, his speed was still much slower compared to Zhao Suoxiang. However, Zhao Suoxiang had been waiting for Clock Mountain and didn't say much.
"Alright," Zhao Suoxiang readily agreed, immediately spurring his horse into action and dashing off into the distance.
Watching Zhao Suoxiang quickly run off, Tian Ling'er felt a wave of anxiety and sighed. At the same time, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of envy.
Clock Mountain shook his head and smiled at Tian Ling'er before speeding up towards the source of the commotion.
The closer they got, the louder the noise became. Obviously, the battle there was becoming more intense.
"Boom!"
A loud crash echoed, followed by a miserable cry.
Tian Ling'er's eyes were filled with curiosity and anxiety. She desperately wanted to fly over and see what was happening, but Clock Mountain wouldn't allow it, leaving her feeling helpless.
"Big Brother, it's Big Brother!" Tian Ling'er suddenly exclaimed with joy on her face, completely ignoring Clock Mountain as she quickly flew over.
Seeing Tian Ling'er suddenly fly off, Clock Mountain frowned but still hurried towards the direction of the roaring sound.
Soon, Clock Mountain saw the scene ahead.
In front of him was a huge valley, filled with debris. In the center stood the second generation senior brother of the Kaiyang Sect, Tian Sha. Surrounding him were numerous cultivators, facing off against a shrunken old man in black robes.
The old man emitted a large amount of black aura and stood on a flying sword, half-floating in the air. He single-handedly held back many strong cultivators, with a mountain behind him.
The old man held a whisk in his hand, his face filled with a murderous aura as he looked at the crowd. On the ground, numerous cultivators lay in disarray, clearly injured by the old man earlier.
Tian Sha confronted the old man directly, while Tian Ling'er flew nearby.
"Step aside," Tian Sha said in a deep voice.
"Hahaha, chasing after the young master? The young master has already escaped. You can give up on that idea and accept your fate." The shrunken old man laughed heartily.
"Hmph." Tian Sha snorted coldly, his snort filled with endless killing intent.
Hearing this snort, the old man seemed to sense danger and swung his whisk towards Tian Sha. However, at that moment, Tian Sha placed his hand on the hilt of his longsword at his waist and quickly drew the sword with a peculiar gesture.
"Swish~"
The sound of a sword being unsheathed reached Clock Mountain, but just as it did, he felt as if the entire world was suddenly engulfed in a blinding flash of lightning. The lightning was so intense that Clock Mountain felt momentarily blinded, seeing nothing but a bright white light before him.
In the blink of an eye...
"Swish~"
The sound of a sword being sheathed again.
Clock Mountain's vision returned, but in that instant, he saw Tian Sha already sheathing his sword. Before him, the old man had been split in half from the middle, a bloodied gash forming where the blade had struck.
The broken whisk fell to the ground, and the flying sword landed nearby. Meanwhile, the old man collapsed lifelessly.
As the other cultivators witnessed the death of the old man and looked at Tian Sha, their eyes were filled with fear and shock.
Tian Sha was too strong, too formidable!
"Kaiyang Sect's... Sky-Cutting Sword Technique?" Zhao Suoxiang beside Clock Mountain sighed as he looked at Tian Sha in admiration.
"Big Brother, you're amazing!" Tian Ling'er exclaimed excitedly as she landed on her red cloth, her face filled with excitement.
After all, Tian Sha's move just now was too cool. The Sky-Cutting Sword Technique? With one sword draw, the situation changed drastically, leaving all the other cultivators stunned by Tian Sha's prowess.