Summoning the Peak of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 2991 The Power of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden (Three-in-One)

Chapter 2988 The Power of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden (Three-in-One)

Rewind to the moment when Zhang Liang had just faked his death. The Shadow Assassin, believing he had succeeded, immediately ordered a retreat and sent a signal to Zhu Youxiao and his brothers.

Three streaks of crimson smoke suddenly rose and exploded in the night sky, transforming into the unique flame emblem of the Ming Cult.

That was a signal to retreat, and also a sign of the operation's success.

Inside the Qi Prince's mansion, three figures moved like ghosts, their sword light, palm wind, and blade energy weaving into a deadly net that firmly trapped the figure in the center dressed in green.

Ying Xuanyi stood in the eye of the storm, his blue robes fluttering, his expression calm. He casually drew an arc with his long sword, and the air whistled as the sword passed by. Each swing perfectly neutralized the attacks of the three.

The battle between the Black-Hearted Old Man, Yan Qianling, and Douya and Ying Xuanyi appeared intense. Their sword energy stretched for thirty feet, and the gale-force winds snapped the ancient trees in the front yard of the Qi Prince's mansion, even cracking the bluestone slabs inch by inch.

However, a closer look would reveal that Ying Xuanyi remained completely at ease, firmly controlling the situation, while the attacks of the three grandmasters were more of a restraint than a desperate gamble.

Although Ying Xuanyi was at the peak of the Grandmaster level, she was afraid of pushing her opponent too far. If she really burned her inner strength, she might not die, but she would probably be injured. And she obviously didn't want to be injured by three juniors.

When they sensed the signal from the backyard, all three of them breathed a sigh of relief.

The mission is complete. Zhang Liang is dead, and the Zhu brothers are about to launch a rebellion, plunging Linzi into chaos. They only need to hold out a little longer until everyone has evacuated the palace, then they can withdraw.

This mission is now over. Next, we'll settle the accounts and find a place to live in seclusion to avoid retaliation from the Qin Dynasty. From then on, we'll have no further connection with each other.

They thought Ying Xuanyi would be distracted by the signal, but to their surprise, the corners of Ying Xuanyi's mouth curled up slightly.

The smile was faint and subtle, yet it sent a chill down the spines of the three grandmasters. What followed was also beyond their expectations.

The assassins who escaped from the palace had not yet reunited with Zhu Youxiao and his brothers when they were surrounded by a large number of Qin soldiers on the way.

Clearly, this was Zhang Liang's trap, and they had all fallen for it. Ying Xuanyi's sword stance also suddenly changed.

"Nine Heavens Profound Heaven Sword Technique, Mountain and Sea Realm"

The sword intent that had been gentle and soothing suddenly receded, replaced by a heavy, oppressive feeling.

Ying Xuanyi slowly raised the long sword in his hand. The movement was so slow that the Black Heart Old Man could see every pattern on the sword.

Yet it was this slow movement that rendered the three grandmasters unable to move.

That wasn't the restraint of oppressive force, but the lock-on of sword intent.

They felt as if the space around them had suddenly solidified, the air had become viscous like syrup, and each breath required a great deal of internal energy.

The sword light was as bright as a mountain; this is not an adjective, but a real "mountain".

The immense sword intent materialized, and a phantom of a sword intent mountain, ten zhang high, appeared behind her, instantly making the three old men, including the Black Heart Elder, unable to breathe.

"Oh no, she's been hiding her true strength!"

The old man with a ruthless heart had a solemn expression, and fine beads of sweat had seeped from his forehead. He had been fortunate enough to obtain a fragment of a mysterious ancient scripture and had climbed up from the bottom of the demonic sect to his current position. He had seen countless masters, but he had never encountered such an unfathomable opponent.

I originally thought that although this Grandmaster at the peak was strong, with me, a mid-level Grandmaster, and two Grandmasters at the early stage, there would be a total of three Grandmasters working together. Even if we were no match for them, we could retreat with ease.

But this sword strike made him realize that his idea was too naive.

In all their previous encounters, Ying Xuanyi hadn't even used 70% of his strength, let alone been forced to go all out.

"Is she really just a peak Grandmaster? But why does the pressure she gives me have a hint of a near-half-profound realm?"

The ruthless old man knew that if the fight continued, he would probably be forced to burn his inner strength. He and Zhu Ming were only partners, and he would never risk his life for Zhu Ming. So, he naturally had the idea of ​​retreating.

"retreat!"

The word was practically squeezed out from between his teeth, but it was too late.

The sword light appeared, but it was not a blinding cold glint, nor a sharp sword aura; rather, it was a "substantial" light.

Under the suppression of the sword intent mountain, the three of them felt as if they were trapped in a quagmire or carrying a mountain on their backs. Their knees bent, their bones creaked and cracked, and their movements slowed down by more than 30%.

Ying Xuanyi moved, his figure appearing and disappearing in the illusory image of the sword mountain, as if he had become one with the mountain.

With each step she took, a footprint about an inch deep was left on the ground, its edges as smooth as a mirror—marks left by the ultimate sword intent.

Every sword strike was aimed precisely at their vital points.

The first sword strike was aimed at the throat of the ruthless old man.

The sword moved so slowly that the wicked old man could clearly see the trajectory of the sword tip's trembling.

Yet, even with such a slow strike, he had no way to dodge it. The surrounding space was sealed off by the sword intent, blocking all escape routes. He had no choice but to take it head-on.

"Blood River Palm".

The ruthless old man roared and slammed his palms out, unleashing a torrent of blood mist that transformed into a crimson river that met the sword tip.

The moment the blood river touched the sword tip, there was no earth-shattering sound, only a soft "plop".

A blood-red river split open from the middle, and the sword tip plunged straight in, piercing the heartless old man's chest.

A blood-red river split open from the middle, and the sword tip plunged straight in, piercing the heartless old man's chest.

"laugh--"

The sword pierced three inches into the flesh, and blood gushed out.

The ruthless old man grunted and used the momentum to retreat rapidly, leaving a shallow sword mark on his chest.

If he hadn't dodged to the side at the crucial moment, that sword strike would have seriously injured him.

With his second sword strike, Ying Xuanyi turned towards Yan Qianling.

Yan Qianling was already poised to strike, her longsword unleashing forty-nine sword shadows, each one subtly mirroring the changes in the chessboard, blocking all of Ying Xuanyi's attack routes.

"Chess Sword - Tengen Defense Strategy!"

This is Yan Qianling's trump card defensive sword technique, incorporating the principles of chess into the swordplay to create an inescapable net.

He once used this move to withstand a hundred moves without being defeated when surrounded by three other Grandmasters at the same level.

But Ying Xuanyi's sword is unreasonable.

With a simple thrust, all forty-nine sword shadows shattered simultaneously, like glass striking a hammer.

The sword sliced ​​across Yan Qianling's left arm, cutting away a piece of flesh, revealing bone beneath.

Yan Qianling screamed and retreated, his left arm bleeding profusely. The lingering sword intent at the wound was like a bone-deep infection, frantically eroding his meridians.

As for the third sword strike, it was Douya's turn.

"Keng!"

The sound of metal clashing echoed through the night sky.

Douya's treasured sword, which had been with him for thirty years and symbolized the sword of man among the three elements of heaven, earth, and man, the Iron Slayer Sword, was actually cleaved in two by Ying Xuanyi's sword.

The moment the sword broke, Douya was struck as if by lightning, spitting out a mouthful of blood before his life force plummeted.

One sword wounds the black-hearted, two swords injure Yan Qianling, and three swords sever Douya's sword.

Is this the power of a Grandmaster at his peak?

"What...what kind of sword technique is this?"

Yan Qianling gritted his teeth and endured, his face flushed red. He was well-read and knowledgeable, but he had never heard of a sword technique that could condense one's will into a mountain and use that will to suppress an enemy.

This is no longer within the realm of martial arts, but rather a method bordering on supernatural.

The old man with the black heart was in the most miserable state. He was the most powerful of the three and bore the greatest pressure. His clothes were soaked with sweat, and his eyes, which had turned bloodshot after cultivating the Blood Nerve, were now bloodshot.

No longer caring about anything else, the ruthless old man feinted an attack, then spat out a mouthful of blood essence and used the Blood Escape Technique to transform into a wisp of black smoke in an attempt to escape.

"Blood Release Technique: Myriad Shadows Flowing Light!"

"Trying to escape? The fifth move of the Nine Heavens Profound Sword Technique, Mountain Suppression."

After Ying Xuanyi snorted coldly, the Overturning Sea move was fully charged in the blink of an eye. With a tap of his sword, an extremely condensed sword aura struck first, instantly piercing through the black smoke that the Black Heart Old Man had transformed into.

"what!"

A shrill scream rang out in mid-air, the black smoke dissipated, and the figure of the ruthless old man reappeared, staggering to the ground with a transparent hole in his chest, blood gushing out; he had already suffered a severe injury.

Upon seeing this, the surrounding Qin soldiers immediately stepped forward to capture him. However, they underestimated the Grandmaster. Even a wounded Grandmaster was not someone that ordinary soldiers could easily harm.

Upon seeing this, the ruthless old man's eyes flashed with madness, and he suddenly opened his mouth and inhaled deeply.

"Blood Devour - All Things Return to Their Origin!"

Within ten paces, all the Qin soldiers suddenly froze.

They were horrified to discover that the blood in their bodies was boiling uncontrollably, flowing backward, and finally bursting out, turning into streaks of blood that flew towards the heartless old man.

"Puff puff--"

More than ten elite Qin soldiers collapsed to the ground as mummified corpses before they could even scream, and their blood was completely absorbed by the ruthless old man.

The hole in his chest healed at a visible speed, and a trace of color returned to his pale face.

These dozen or so Qin soldiers were killed instantly by the ruthless old man before they could even get close. His blood was drained and absorbed, becoming nourishment for him to recover from his injuries. Their deaths were extremely tragic.

Taking advantage of his slightly restored strength, the ruthless old man once again used Blood Escape, transforming into a streak of blood light that shot into the sky and headed straight for the outside of the city.

"Blood nerve?"

Ying Xuanyi was taken aback at first, then frowned and said, "No, it should be a fragment. You're lucky to have obtained this ancient scripture. No wonder you were able to rise from the bottom of the demonic sect. But your luck has run out."

Seeing that the situation was hopeless and the old man had been severely injured, Yan Qianling and Douya had no more will to fight.

Dou Ya roared, unleashing three sword energies—Heaven, Earth, and Man—that temporarily forced back Ying Xuanyi, who was weakened by the outburst. He then shouted to Yan Qianling, "Mr. Yan, retreat quickly!"

Yan Qianling glanced at the backyard with a complicated expression, sighed, and he and Douya each used their life-saving techniques. Taking advantage of the gap created by Ying Xuanyi's pursuit of the Black Heart Old Man, they forcibly broke through the encirclement and escaped with serious injuries.

Ying Xuanyi ignored them. She was hoping the three of them would run away separately. After all, if the three of them burned their inner energy together, even she, a Grandmaster at the peak, would have a hard time resisting. But if they were separated, they would pose no threat to her.

In their previous encounter, Ying Xuanyi used her unique secret technique, Star Mark, to mark the three of them.

Star Seal is a tracking technique in the Nine Heavens Profound Sword Art. Once planted, it can be sensed within a hundred miles, making it impossible for the user to hide.

Therefore, it's perfectly feasible to deal with the Black-Hearted Old Man first, and then pursue the other two. They can't escape. The most urgent task is to deal with the Black-Hearted Old Man, who is a mid-level Grandmaster.

Lady Jinling, who was helping the Qin army chase down the Shadow Assassin, watched helplessly as the Black-Hearted Old Man turned into a streak of light and fled in a sorry state before her eyes. Immediately afterward, Ying Xuanyi chased after him at full speed.

Madam Jinling knew that the heartless old man was probably doomed this time, and she couldn't help but feel sad.

The two were once lovers and truly loved each other, but now she has the entire sect behind her, and it is impossible for her to abandon the entire sect for her old love.

Thirty miles west of Linzi City, in the Black Pine Forest, a chase beyond human comprehension is unfolding.

Ying Xuanyi's sword gleamed with a cold, clear light under the moonlight. Her figure darted through the forest, leaving only afterimages in her wake.

A hundred feet ahead, a plume of black smoke was fleeing south at an alarming speed; it was the Black-Hearted Old Man burning his life essence to perform the Blood Escape Technique.

"Ying Xuanyi... what a ruthless sword..."

The ruthless old man gritted his teeth in hatred. He had climbed his way up from the lowest level of the demonic sect to his current position, experiencing countless life-or-death crises. But never before had he come so close to death as tonight.

That sword strike, "Suppressing the Mountain," not only severely injured his physical body, but the sword intent also invaded his meridians, making it difficult for him to recover from his injuries. In fact, every time he tried to circulate his energy, it felt like a thousand needles piercing his heart.

Ying Xuanyi's sword strike left a deep shadow on the Black Heart Old Man. He even suspected that Ying Xuanyi was not a Grandmaster at the peak, but rather... a quasi-Half-Profound.

This thought sent chills down the spine of the ruthless old man, for if it were truly a near-half-mysterious being, he would have no chance of survival tonight.

The difference between the peak of the Grandmaster and the near-half-profound level may seem to be only a step, but in reality, they are worlds apart. It is a qualitative change on the path of martial arts, and even if a Grandmaster burns his internal energy, he cannot compete with it.

"We must leave Qingnan as soon as possible..."

The heartless old man endured the excruciating pain, took out a blood-red pill from his pocket, and swallowed it.

"Go to Xuzhou, or head south to Jiangdong, in short, I can't stay in the Central Plains..."

The pill entered his stomach and transformed into a surging heat current, temporarily suppressing the rampant sword intent within his body. This also increased the Black Heart Old Man's escape speed by 30%.

How fast can a mid-stage Grandmaster escape using Blood Escape at full speed?
Ordinary martial artists would only see a sudden gust of wind sweep through the forest, and before the fallen leaves could even touch the ground, the two figures would have already disappeared from sight.

Only the occasional sword marks left on the tree trunks and the scattered drops of black blood on the ground prove that a supernatural power once passed through this place.

"You heartless brat, you can't escape."

Ying Xuanyi's voice was calm and even, yet it penetrated a hundred feet and clearly reached the ears of the Black-Hearted Old Man.

The ruthless old man took a deep breath, suppressing the fear in his heart. If he stopped now, he would die. He could only continue burning his life essence to escape.

“Senior Xuan Nu, I have no grudge against Zhang Liang. I was only doing this for someone else. Why are you so determined to kill me?”

The ruthless old man adopted a humble posture, hoping to persuade the other party to let him go, but he clearly knew that this was unlikely. So, while speaking, he used the Blood Shadow Clone Technique, transforming into seven phantoms to escape.

"Entrusted by someone?"

Ying Xuanyi's voice suddenly turned cold: "Go explain to the innocent people who died in Qingnan, and see if they will forgive you."

Before she finished speaking, she pointed her longsword.

"Nine Heavens Profound Heaven Sword Technique, Sixth Form - Overturning the Sea!"

The sword light transformed into seven shooting stars, blocking all of the ruthless old man's escape routes from seven directions.

This was her true killing move. She hadn't used it before because she was afraid of forcing her opponent to burn their inner strength and perish together with her. But now that Yan Qianling and Dou Ya weren't holding back, she no longer needed to hold back.

Upon seeing this, the heartless old man's pupils constricted sharply; his last glimmer of hope had vanished.

He could feel the killing intent contained within those seven sword lights; they were truly deadly moves meant to take his life.

Ying Xuanyi is definitely a near-half-profound master. Even if he isn't, he is at least a Grandmaster at the peak who has touched the threshold of near-half-profound mastery. His combat power is much stronger than that of an ordinary Grandmaster at the peak.

Ying Xuanyi didn't care whether he would burn his inner energy. Did she really have the confidence to cut off his head after he burned his inner energy?
Dying?

This thought arose in the heartless old man's mind. He recalled how he had given up love, cultivated demonic arts, and climbed step by step from a minor disciple of the demonic sect to his current status.

He thought of the righteous cultivators and innocent civilians who died at his hands;
Thinking back, I also had a wife, disciples, and the warmth of an ordinary person...

"No!"

A glint of madness flashed in the heartless old man's eyes; the instinct for survival overwhelmed everything at that moment.

He formed hand seals, and black energy surged around him. He was about to burn his inner strength. Even if he lost all his power afterward, became a cripple, or even suffered a great loss of lifespan, he was determined to fight for a chance to survive!
But at that moment, a sudden change occurred, and a beam of cyan-gold light descended from the sky.

At first glance, the golden light appeared as a single point, but in an instant, it transformed into a radiant display of light, illuminating the entire black pine forest as bright as day.

From within the golden light, a gigantic hand emerged, its five fingers as thick as mountains, and gently grasped—

"boom!"

Ying Xuanyi's seven "Soul Chasing" sword lights were actually crushed by that palm!

Sword fragments scattered like glass, streaking across the night sky.

Ying Xuanyi's expression changed for the first time. She sheathed her sword, stood up, and looked up at the sky.

The moonlight was obscured by clouds at some point, and above the clouds, a blurry figure could be vaguely seen slowly descending from the sky.

The figure was surrounded by a faint azure-gold halo, and his face was covered by qi, making it impossible to see his features. Only a vast and overwhelming pressure could be felt.

"Peak Grandmaster..."

Ying Xuanyi tightened his grip on the sword, his eyes saying, "No, that's not right, it's quasi-half-profound realm?"

Although the opponent only exerted the combat power of a peak Grandmaster, the fact that he could break through my seven sword energies so easily meant that he was no ordinary peak Grandmaster. He was very likely a quasi-half-profound realm expert who had been hiding his strength.

It's possible that it's a half-mysterious being, but the probability is low. After all, if it really is a half-mysterious being, there's no need for them to hide or avoid them.

With this thought in mind, Ying Xuanyi felt a little eager to try. She was not afraid of the Quasi-Half Profound Realm. Having been stuck at the peak of the Grandmaster stage for many years, she was only a small step away from the Quasi-Half Profound Realm.

Perhaps today's life-or-death battle against a near-half-profound realm expert will unleash her potential, helping her break through her own bottleneck and potentially reach the near-half-profound realm.

Ying Xuanyi wanted to fight, but the other party did not.

After crushing the sword light, the giant hand did not continue its attack, but instead reached down and scooped up the heavily injured Black Heart Old Man.

Before the ruthless old man could even react, he was enveloped in light, and then the two of them turned into streams of light and disappeared from Ying Xuanyi's sight in an instant.

The whole process took no more than three breaths.

Three breaths later, the golden light dissipated, the clouds parted and the moon appeared, as if nothing had ever happened.

Only the palm print on the ground, three zhang deep, pressed out by the giant hand, proved that what had just happened was not an illusion.

Ying Xuanyi stood quietly in place for a long time without moving. Although he didn't know who had made the move, there were only a handful of people in the world with such cultivation.

Besides, the other party deliberately covered their face, preventing me from seeing it, indicating that I might have seen their face before. I've seen them before? And they're involved with the Demonic Sect? And they dare to be an enemy of the Great Qin?

who can that be?

"Both Kui Gang and Kunpeng are being watched, so it's unlikely they'll make a move. So who could it be?"

Ying Xuanyi muttered to herself, a look of seriousness flashing in her eyes, but she quickly composed herself and turned to look in the southeast direction.

The rescue of the unscrupulous elderly man was both an accident and a warning, suggesting that the waters behind this unrest in Qingnan may run deeper than imagined.

Although the old man with the black heart also bears her mark, he is protected by a near-half-profound realm expert. Even if she catches up with him, she may not be able to kill him. But Yan Qianling and Dou Ya do not have that protection, so she must not let these two escape as well.

Laoyapo, eighty li east of Linzi City, is a desolate hill in the western part of Donglai County.

This place got its name from the crows that gather here year-round. The land is barren and sparsely vegetated, with only a few withered trees shivering in the night wind, like dying old men.

Just a kilometer down the slope, there is a small village with about a hundred households, all of whom have already turned off their lights and gone to sleep.

The villagers had no idea that tonight they were brushing shoulders with death.

At the top of the slope, two figures staggered to the ground; they were Yan Qianling and Dou Ya, who had escaped with their lives.

Both of them were unsteady on their feet when they landed and almost fell over.

Yan Qianling and Dou Ya's decision to flee east was not a reckless escape. After all, there were 210,000 Qin troops in the south, which was an absolute no-go; going there would be suicide.

The west was the direction Ying Xuanyi had been chasing, while Qingbei in the north had long been occupied by the Qin Dynasty and was covered with spies, making it very easy to be discovered.

As for Donglai County, east of Linzi, although it was also part of the Qin territory, it had a vast coastline, allowing them to sail out to sea to evade capture once they arrived.

This operation has seriously offended the Great Qin Dynasty, leaving them with no foothold in the Central Plains. So when Dou Ya suggested going to Japan to seek refuge, Yan Qianling agreed almost without hesitation.

As for how to get to Yingzhou? Douya is from Yingzhou, so with him leading the way, you won't get lost.

As for how to survive once we get there... that's a matter for later. Let's focus on surviving first.

At this moment, Yan Qianling was leaning against a withered tree, panting heavily. The wound on his left arm was so deep that the bone was visible. It was caused by Ying Xuanyi's sword energy. The sword intent remaining in the wound was still eroding his meridians, and he was in excruciating pain every time he circulated his energy.

Douya's condition was even worse; his face was as pale as paper, and he had to sit cross-legged to regulate his breathing and recover from his injuries.

With his Tessaiga severed and his natal sword energy damaged, although it can be repaired, he might fall from the Grandmaster realm if he doesn't act quickly enough.

"Cough cough..."

After coughing up blood, Douya collapsed to the ground and asked, "Senior Yan, did we... escape?"

Yan Qianling leaned against a withered tree, breathing heavily. Then she looked back towards Linzi and said in a hoarse voice, "We've escaped for now, but Ying Xuanyi won't let us go. She'll definitely come after us after she kills the Black Heart Old Man."

"Then what do we do next?"

Dou Ya's voice was weak, and Yan Qianling remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, "Hurry up and heal your injuries, then go to Yingzhou to hide for a while, and we'll talk about it after this storm has passed."

Douya was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Okay."

The two fell silent, each sitting cross-legged to regulate their breathing and hasten their recovery. Even if they could only recover 10%, their chances of escaping would be greatly increased.

Time passed slowly, and Yan Qianling, who was healing, thought of her kidnapped grandson Yan Zangfeng, and a pang of pain welled up in her heart.

The Shadow Assassin promised to release the man after the deed was done, but now that the deed has failed, it is unknown whether his grandson will survive.

"Ugh."

Yan Qianling let out a long sigh. He had risked everything to get a promise from Zhu Ming, but in the end, he had ended up like this. Perhaps he shouldn't have cooperated with Zhu Ming's people in the first place.

"We don't know how the Shadow Assassins will deal with our families."

Yan Qianling suddenly opened her eyes, her face solemn as she looked towards the southern night sky, where a cold star was approaching at an alarming speed.

No, it wasn't a cold star, it was sword light, Ying Xuanyi's sword light.

"She's caught up with us..."

Yan Qianling gave a bitter smile, a smile that seemed utterly powerless.

"So fast! It seems the heartless old man has probably already..."

Before Dou Ya could finish speaking, Ying Xuanyi's sword flashed.

After Ying Xuanyi dispelled his protective aura, his blue robe remained neat and tidy, and even his hair was not disheveled. However, the coldness in his eyes was even greater than the ice of the Arctic.

"You two, where do you think you're going to run off to?"

These words sent Yan Qianling and Dou Ya plummeting into an icy abyss; in the end, they couldn't escape.

"Senior Xuan Nu!"

Yan Qianling gritted her teeth and stood up, holding her long sword horizontally in front of her chest. She said in a deep voice, "Today's events were due to our blindness and our offense against the Great Qin. However, we had no choice but to accept the capture of our family members."

"So, you rebelled against my Great Qin, but you're blaming my Great Qin?"

"I dare not. I beg you, senior, to show mercy and spare our lives. I, Yan, swear by my sword heart that I will live in seclusion in the mountains and never set foot in the Central Plains again."

Yan Qianling took a deep breath. This was his last struggle. He swore an oath with his sword heart, which was the heaviest oath for a sword cultivator. He hoped to use this oath to exchange for a glimmer of hope.

Upon hearing Yan Qianling's words, Ying Xuanyi raised an eyebrow slightly and said calmly, "Not enough, far from enough. What Great Qin needs is not a Grandmaster who lives in seclusion in the deep mountains, but a Grandmaster combat force that can be used at any time."

Yan Qianling was taken aback upon hearing this, and then her expression turned ugly.

The words "ready to be used at any time" pierced Yan Qianling's heart like five sharp knives.

He reflected on his sixty years of life, learning swordsmanship from a young age, achieving fame in his youth, and reaching the level of Grandmaster in middle age, where he was revered as the "Chess Saint".

He pursued the ultimate in swordsmanship throughout his life, yearning for freedom and a carefree life, like a hermit or a crane in the wild.

But now, Ying Xuanyi wants to turn him into a lackey of the imperial court, a killing machine, someone who is either killing or on his way to killing.

He was naturally unwilling, even to the point of death.

Seeing Yan Qianling fall silent, Ying Xuanyi shook his head: "It seems you have made your choice. In that case, don't blame me."

The moment the last word was uttered, Ying Xuanyi moved.

There were no fancy moves, no overwhelming sword intent, just a simple thrust of the sword.

But this sword strike caused both Yan Qianling and Dou Ya to change color simultaneously.

It wasn't fast, nor was it heavy; it was a feeling of "inescapability."

Wherever the sword strikes, space freezes, time slows down, all escape routes are blocked, and all changes are calculated.

Douya roared and forcefully activated his remaining internal energy. The Heaven and Earth Swords and the broken human sword phantom appeared simultaneously. The three swords merged into one, transforming into a dazzling sword light to meet the attack.

He knew he couldn't handle it, but he had to.

Because if you don't answer, you're doomed.

"boom--"

Sword light clashed with sword light.

Douya's sword light lasted only half a breath before shattering with a crash, and he coughed up blood again, flying backward and crashing into three withered trees before barely stopping, already on the verge of death.

Ying Xuanyi's sword continued its relentless thrust towards Yan Qianling.

Yan Qianling did not draw his sword. He stood there motionless, his eyes vacant, as if he had lost his soul.

But within his body, earth-shattering changes were taking place.

The pent-up frustration, anger, and despair of the past few days erupted completely at this moment.

The anxiety of her grandson being kidnapped, the humiliation of being forced to participate in the rebellion, the humiliation of being hunted down tonight... all these negative emotions erupted like a volcano, shattering Yan Qianling's sword heart that she had held firm for sixty years.

Inner demons arise and spread rapidly.

"Why are you forcing me..."

Yan Qianling muttered to himself, his eyes beginning to turn red, not just bloodshot, but truly blood red.

Seeing this, the heavily injured Douya struggled and shouted, "Mr. Yan, calm your mind! You're about to go berserk!"

But it's too late.

Yan Qianling has completely fallen into demonic possession.

After becoming possessed by a demon, Yan Qianling's internal energy began to spiral out of control, rampaging through her meridians, breaking through acupoints, and tearing flesh apart.

Why are you all forcing me?

Yan Qianling's voice was hoarse like a ghost's wail. He only wanted to play chess and study swordsmanship, and for his family to be together. But the despicable Zhu Ming forced him, and the self-proclaimed righteous Ying Qin also forced him.

Under pressure from multiple sides, and after days of feeling stifled and wronged, Yan Qianling finally lost her composure, and her inner demons rapidly grew, causing her to completely go astray.

In her state of demonic possession, Yan Qianling's eyes were filled with determination, and her heart was filled with resentment and destructive emotions.

"Even if I die today, I will make you bullies pay the price!"

After saying this, Yan Qianling poured all the internal energy, sword intent, and even his life force generated from burning his inner strength into the longsword in his hand.

The famous sword that had been with him for sixty years began to crack inch by inch after being infused with the violent energy of a grandmaster who had burned his inner strength. Dense, blood-red patterns appeared on the blade.

A single sword is naturally insufficient to withstand the violent energy generated by a Grandmaster burning his inner strength.

Upon reaching the peak, Yan Qianling stopped channeling energy and instead began to gather strength. The violent energy accumulated within his body, causing his skin to crack inch by inch.

"Burning internal energy?" Ying Xuanyi frowned slightly. "No, this is... self-destruction?"

If burning internal energy is the instinct of a Grandmaster, then self-destruction is a skill that can only be actively cultivated at the Grandmaster level, and it can only be activated when internal energy is burning.

After burning one's internal energy, as long as one can kill the enemy, although one will become a cripple afterward, at least one can save one's life.

However, self-destruction is not an option, as it is a fatal ability once activated, a more decisive method of mutual destruction than burning internal energy. Therefore, almost no one would actively cultivate the self-destruction method.

The reason is simple: the power of self-destruction is not necessarily stronger than burning internal energy; it only affects a larger area.

Burning internal energy is meant to be a short-term burst of power, unleashing the maximum combat strength that the body can withstand.

As for self-destruction, it merely shortened the time and expanded the scope.

The combat power, or rather the destructive power, unleashed by self-destruction is still within the limits that the body can withstand, so the destructive power is not much stronger than when burning internal energy.

This is also why none of the known fallen Grandmasters have ever used self-destruction.

There's no need to self-destruct if you can win; it's useless to self-destruct if you can't win.

Therefore, in the eyes of the various schools of thought, self-destruction was utterly useless.

Instead of wasting time cultivating and researching, it would be better to study the more cost-effective method of burning internal energy.

Cost-effectiveness is one aspect, but more importantly, even the Hundred Schools of Thought would not be so extravagant as to sacrifice a grandmaster to research self-destruction.

It is precisely because there is so little research on self-destruction that this technique has gradually been forgotten by the world, and now it has reached the point where even most grandmasters do not know about it.

On the contrary, the burning of internal energy, having been studied by various forces over the years, has been developed into many different techniques, resulting in a variety of secret arts that complement it.

Logically speaking, Yan Qianling should not have had access to information related to his self-destruction. The reason he self-destructed was thanks to his friend and nemesis, Ying Shuntian.

Yan Qianling won a fragment of an ancient scripture from Ying Shuntian through a game of chess, which contained the secret technique of self-destruction.

Yan Qianling originally did not intend to cultivate, and even if she did, she did not plan to use it, but she did not expect to use it after going into qi deviation.

Looking at Yan Qianling, who had turned into a blood-soaked figure, Ying Xuanyi's eyes showed a solemn expression for the first time.

She could retreat; with her speed, she could easily retreat more than ten miles before self-destructing.

But if they did that, Douya would escape, and the nearby villages would likely be affected, with at least several hundred people dying.

Ying Xuanyi could sense that although the area covered by the self-destruction of a Grandmaster at the peak of the early stage, burning all his internal energy, was not large, the impact was enough to spread to villages hundreds of meters away.

Ordinary villagers could not withstand such an impact, so she could not back down.

The thought flashed through Ying Xuanyi's mind. Immediately, she sheathed her sword, formed hand seals, and entered a state of charging up power. At the same time, a faint, transparent light, like glass, emanated from her body.

"boom……"

The moment the sword shattered completely, a destructive force erupted from Yan Qianling's body.

That wasn't internal energy, nor sword intent; it was life itself burning.

Yan Qianling's body began to glow, her skin cracked inch by inch, and dazzling white light burst forth from each crack.

"Let's die together!"

Yan Qianling laughed wildly as she pounced on Ying Xuanyi. Her speed was so fast that she had reached the peak of the Grandmaster level, and she transformed into a small human-shaped sun.

"Ninth Form of the Nine Heavens Profound Heaven Sword Technique - Profound Heaven".

There was no earth-shattering sword light, no boundless sword intent.

Only a thin, transparent light barrier, like glass, enveloped Ying Xuanyi.

Xuan Tian is the strongest move in Ying Xuanyi's self-created sword technique. This move emphasizes intent over form and can be used for both offense and defense. Currently, Ying Xuanyi is using it in a defensive manner.

The protective shield of Xuan Tian's energy formed by this move was very thin, so thin that it seemed as if it would shatter at the slightest touch. However, when Yan Qianling's self-destruction shockwave collided with the shield—

"Boom!!!"

The entire Laoyapo was trembling, and countless cracks appeared in the ground, like a spider web.

The deafening roar echoed for miles around, and the shockwave spread outwards from the point of impact. Wherever it passed, earth and rocks flew, trees were broken, flowers and grass were turned to dust, and even several century-old dead trees were uprooted.

Then, smoke and dust billowed into the sky, transforming into a mushroom cloud hundreds of meters high, which slowly bloomed in the night sky.

In a village a mile away, the villagers were awakened from their sleep, staring in terror at the huge mushroom cloud in the sky, thinking that the sky had collapsed.

Some children cried out in fear, some elderly people knelt down to pray, and some strong men picked up farm tools to prepare for resistance.

But what they didn't know was that if someone hadn't blocked most of the shockwave, the village might not have been reduced to ruins, but all the villagers would have been killed.

At the epicenter of the explosion, the smoke and dust gradually dissipated.

A huge crater, several meters deep and over twenty meters in diameter, appeared on the ground. The bottom of the crater was charred black and emitting blue smoke, as if it had been hit by a small meteorite.

At the edge of the pit, Ying Xuanyi stood quietly. The Xuan Tian Gang Qi shield was shattered, a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of her mouth, her green robe had more than a dozen tears, and her hair was somewhat disheveled.

But she was still standing, sword still in her hand, enduring the self-destruction of a Grandmaster at the early stage peak, only suffering minor injuries.

As for Yan Qianling...

No bones remain.

Only the enormous pit several meters deep on the ground proves that a grandmaster once lived here, ending his life in such a tragic way.

Yan Qianling, a chess master and grandmaster of swordsmanship, has fallen.

Ying Xuanyi wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and turned his gaze to Douya, who was slumped over by the pit.

Douya had completely lost his will to fight. He had witnessed Yan Qianling, who was of a higher cultivation level and stronger in combat, self-destruct. He had also seen Ying Xuanyi withstand the self-destruction but only suffer minor injuries.

This gap is so large that courage and determination alone cannot bridge it.

"I……"

Douya opened his mouth as if to say "surrender," but his pride as a Grandmaster prevented him from saying it.

But thinking of his wife and children, and the tragic state of Yan Qianling, Dou Ya gritted his teeth and said, "This junior is willing to abandon darkness and embrace the light, and serve the Great Qin, but this junior has one condition."

Ying Xuanyi looked at him with impatience, her expression seeming to say: You think you're qualified to negotiate with me?
Dou Ya could see Ying Xuanyi's impatience, but he also had reasons not to back down, so he gritted his teeth and said, "As long as senior agrees, this junior is willing to swear to serve the Great Qin for life and never betray it."

"Tell me, what are the conditions?"

Upon hearing Ying Xuanyi's words, Dou Ya felt relieved and clasped his hands, saying, "My only condition is that the Great Qin will do everything in its power to rescue my wife and children."

"Saving them is no problem, but whether they can be rescued is another matter. Zhu Ming has no bottom line. If your wife and children have been killed by Zhu Ming, then don't blame me for breaking my word."

“Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt its debtor. If Zhu Ming truly killed my wife and children, I will seek revenge. I will still honor the conditions I promised you.”

"Very well, in that case, I agree to your terms."

After speaking, Ying Xuanyi waved his hand and released three sword energies. Dou Ya did not resist, and the three sword energies entered his body, instantly sealing all his meridians and acupoints.

"seal up."

Upon uttering that single word, Dou Ya nearly fainted, his vision going black. This was one of the necessary costs of switching allegiances; others wouldn't even have the chance to become a lackey of the Qin Dynasty.
Ying Xuanyi picked up the nearly unconscious Douya, took one last deep look at the huge crater, and then turned and left.

The wind blew across Laoyapo, stirring up clouds of dust.

(End of this chapter)