Embers of Sword

Chapter 765 Contradictions
Venerable Fude looked rather grim.

He stood up and slammed his fist heavily against the wall of the water prison—

boom!
A large wave splashed up from the wall of water.

But apart from that, there has been no other activity.

Yun Ruohai's Dao Realm is at a disadvantage in rapid attacks, but it is a top-tier Dao Realm ability when used to trap and wear down opponents!

"Oops……"

Venerable Fude looked back with a gloomy expression.

If this place were the wilderness beyond the Great Wall, he wouldn't care about fighting and entanglement with Yun Ruohai.

But this is, after all, inside the Xuanbei Pass.

Before long, the patrolling soldiers will arrive here. Apart from Yun Ruohai, there are also powerful figures like Jian Qingqiu and Du Yunzhong in the city.

He took a deep breath.

A ray of golden light swept out from above his head and then cascaded down his body like a waterfall.

The Arhat of Fortune revealed his golden body, his flesh bulging, his entire body as if coated with gold lacquer. After his feet were firmly planted, he began to throw punches—

Boom boom boom!

He regarded the wall of water in front of him as a bronze statue.

In an instant, countless golden lights burst forth!
Layers of water surged in the void, yet the water wall remained intact. The seemingly ferocious fist shadow struck the water wall, but failed to penetrate it completely.

The way of water is to be gentle and yielding, using minimal force to achieve maximum effect.

This is specifically designed to restrain the intention of Venerable Fude!

"give up."

Yun Ruohai dusted off his clothes and said calmly, "This water dungeon was set up specifically for you. Don't try to make a scene. Before we even started fighting, I sealed off the entire alley with my Dao Domain... I advise you to surrender obediently to avoid wasting your energy. If you are willing to reveal the entire Buddhist sect's plan, I can spare your life."

"..."

Venerable Fude remained silent, only throwing punches.

However, as the power gradually dwindled, the dazzling Buddhist light covering the golden body dimmed, but the water wall in front of it showed no signs of breaking.

Fortune knows.

What awaits me once I'm captured?

Those pliers would use the most severe torture on themselves. Even if their bodies were strong enough to withstand the punishment, they would eventually break down.

Nalan Qiutong was proficient in forbidden arts of the soul.

These people will spare no effort to gather information about Buddhism.

Therefore, in his eyes, this encounter had only two possible outcomes—

Escape or commit suicide!
Boom boom boom boom!
The sounds of bombardment echoed through the long street, but Yun Ruohai ignored them, calmly watching the water prison in front of him constantly breaking and rebuilding.

All the explosions and noises were suppressed within this Dao Domain.

When Fu De's strength is exhausted, this battle... will end.

The golden light gradually dimmed.

As Venerable Fude gritted his teeth and threw a punch, his vital energy gradually dried up.

He bit his tongue, already prepared for the worst... Once he ran out of strength, he would set the golden body on fire and commit suicide as quickly as possible!

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew through the void.

A very light gust of wind.

laugh!
The wind was so faint that it was almost inaudible amidst the bombardment of Venerable Fude... but this was, after all, a Dao Domain personally set up by Yun Ruohai.

"Who?!"

Yun Ruohai suddenly turned around, trying to catch this wisp of energy.

But this wisp of energy was moving too fast...

As the master of the Dao Domain, Yun Ruohai's divine sense failed to detect even the slightest trace of it!

Too fast! Too fast!
The long street, shrouded in the domain of water, showed no unusual signs of activity...

Looking at the empty long street.

A sense of unease suddenly rose in Yun Ruohai's heart.

He suddenly turned his head again, and after the sound of the wind swept by, the seemingly indestructible water wall suddenly cracked open with a small gap!

The gap is only about a finger's width.

But it is extremely deadly.

Because this gap... is exactly where Venerable Fude's next punch will land.

"opened!"

Venerable Fude stared wide-eyed at the scene before him with extreme excitement. Just as he was about to be exhausted, he successfully broke through the water prison. The thick water wall that was constantly regenerating was shattered by the golden light and could no longer solidify. The water wall shattered and turned into waves, washing over the dark alleyway. Without further hesitation, he attacked Yun Ruohai directly!

The balance of power shifted instantly.

Yun Ruohai turned pale and immediately stepped on the waves, trying to retreat.

sand!
The winds are blowing again.

Yun Ruohai staggered a step. His Water Dao Domain, which he had already condensed, suddenly became "unbalanced" for some reason... As the master of the Dao Domain, he had temporarily lost control of the Dao Intent!

boom!
Thus, Venerable Fude's punch landed squarely on the man in the lotus robe's lower abdomen.

"Wow--"

Yun Ruohai coughed up a mouthful of blood, his pupils contracted, and he bent over like a shrimp. Suddenly, he was thrown out, and the Water Domain collapsed. He was thrown dozens of feet away, crashing into the alley and smashing through more than a dozen walls.

"It's truly heaven's help!"

Venerable Fude let out a long sigh of relief, still feeling lingering fear, and couldn't help but exclaim.

He primarily focused on physical cultivation, and his spiritual perception wasn't particularly strong, so he didn't detect the true turning point in this battle.

Ford simply felt that he was incredibly lucky—

Yun Ruohai's Dao Domain was so solid, yet he found a "weakness" and forcibly broke through it.

However, now is not the time to press our advantage.

The Water Domain has been unleashed, and the commotion from that punch must have attracted the attention of the patrols.

"withdraw!"

Venerable Fude dared not linger any longer and immediately fled far away.

……

……

The dark alley fell into a brief silence.

A figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

Xie Xuanyi stood with his hands behind his back, expressionless, looking down at the unconscious Yun Ruohai beneath him.

That guy, Fu De, is really tough.

With just one punch, he nearly killed Yun Ruohai...

In the shadows, something emitted a faint glow: a broken breastplate on Yun Ruohai's chest.

This protective mirror shielded Yun Ruohai from most of the power.

Cultivators who only cultivate a single Dao domain often face this predicament in life-or-death battles: once a martial artist gets close, they are powerless to resist and their physical bodies crumble at the first blow.

of course.

The scales tipped in this battle entirely because of my own actions.

If Xie Xuanyi doesn't intervene, then Fu De will be directly suppressed to death by the "Water Domain".

Tonight, the hook-and-pincher murder case occurred.

The entire Xuanbei Pass was placed under martial law.

Xie Xuanyi knew that Fude's trip would definitely not go smoothly.

However, he did not want to reveal his identity too early, and he really had no right to stop him again and again... So after thinking it over, he decided to follow Ford from a distance after he left.

This battle took place in a dark alley.

Xie Xuanyi saw it all.

For him, breaking through the Water Dao Domain was not difficult; the difficulty lay in preventing Yun Ruohai, who was at the Yin God Realm, from detecting any trace of his aura.

Therefore, Xie Xuanyi had been waiting.

He was waiting for the best opportunity to make his move.

When Fude was nearing exhaustion, when Yun Ruohai lowered his guard—

Only a wisp of sword energy was used.

This would shatter the Dao Domain and allow Fu De to escape.

"The North Gate is quite lively tonight."

Xie Xuanyi looked at the unconscious Yun Ruohai, but did not make a move. Instead, he chuckled and silently retreated.

The wind howled, and the horses' hooves thundered.

The dark alley was quickly illuminated by the light and fire. Dozens of talismans floated over from afar, and more than a dozen iron cavalrymen stopped in front of the alley. Each of them was clad in azure armor. The light and fire talismans almost covered half of the long street, turning the night sky crimson.

"..."

The leader of the Iron Cavalry was Du Yunzhong, who was in charge of the western part of the outer city of Xuanbeiguan.

He looked at the broken stone wall, the long street, and the wet street surface, and remained silent for a moment.

Then he slowly moved his head.

At the end of the dark alley, where the smoke and dust had cleared, lay a white-clad man who had fallen unconscious.

"Wake him up."

Du Yunzhong remained expressionless and gave a wink to his trusted aide beside him.

The next moment, the confidant stepped forward and took out a talisman.

In the void, countless water vapors gathered and began to condense at an extremely rapid speed.

Wow!
A handful of cold water fell from the sky, waking Yun Ruohai from his reverie.

"Um...ahem!"

This scene is quite ironic: a great practitioner who has comprehended and mastered the essence of water is awakened by being splashed with cold water.

Yun Ruohai clutched his chest and let out a muffled cough.

With a gloomy face, he slowly raised his head. What came into view first was the array of luminous talismans that tore through the night sky, and then the tall figure that rode up in front of him, almost blocking out his entire vision.

……

……

Da da da!
The sound of horses' hooves echoed continuously.

Qingping Lane is located in the west of the city, and the three nearby streets and lanes were all blocked by the Cangzi Camp.

However, those gathered here tonight are not just from the Cangzi Camp.

"I am the Left Envoy of Xuanbei Pass Town, ordered by my commander to come and arrest the traitor."

Jian Qingqiu looked at the armored cavalry blocking his way and coldly said, "How dare you stop me?"

"Lord Jian."

The cavalry showed no sign of retreat, responding coldly in return: "We do not obey the orders of our commander... we only obey Lord Du's commands."

Jian Qingqiu's expression was very unpleasant.

Although the Northern Pass is large.

But battles at the Yin Spirit Realm level cause even greater commotion—

He had already learned of Yun Ruohai's defeat, and that Venerable Fude had actually forcibly broken through the Water Dao Domain, which did not match the intelligence submitted by Chongzhou.

Logically speaking.

Even if Yun Ruohai were no match for Fu De, he couldn't possibly have been defeated so quickly.

That Water Domain is a perfect "weapon" against Buddhist body cultivators!
There must be something fishy going on in this battle.

However... he can't get into Qingping Lane at all now. That madman Du Yunzhong ordered his men to lock the entrance to the lane, and several Qi Control Realm cultivators forcibly blocked his way. Not long ago, he and Chen Chong reached an "agreement," so it's really not easy to start another conflict now.

The Lord is still in the Yin Spirit Realm, only one step away from reaching the summit.

Jian Qingqiu did not want to cause any trouble at this critical juncture.

"Chongzhou is currently at a critical juncture, and I have a good personal relationship with your Lord Du."

Jian Qingqiu's voice softened, "Why don't you let me in alone... I'll go and talk to Du Yunzhong myself."

The news coming from the Xuanjia Heavy Cavalry Battalion is quite dire.

Du Yunzhong wanted to detain and interrogate Yun Ruohai on charges of "obstructing official business" and "releasing a serious criminal without authorization"!
The western part of the city is sealed off tonight to apprehend Venerable Fude.

If Yun Ruohai had not trespassed into Qingping Lane and used his Dao Domain... then the Cangzi Camp's "sensing range" would not have been missing.

of course.

If Yun Ruohai isn't involved in the case tonight, Venerable Fude will likely escape directly.

Du Yunzhong didn't care about any of that. Since Fude had escaped, he could just use "Yun Ruohai" as a scapegoat for the failure of the case!
"Feel sorry."

The Cangzi Battalion Commander responded coldly: "Lord Du specifically instructed that Qingping Lane be completely sealed off tonight, and no one will be received. Lord Jian, don't bother, even if the commander himself comes, Lord Du will not see him."

This statement came out.

Jian Qingqiu's smile froze, and a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes.

These men under Chen Chong... are far too arrogant!
Not only do they disregard me, but they also show no respect for their lord.

He pressed his palm down, silently placing it on the knife.

A silent, cold wind swept up at the entrance of Qingping Alley, carrying with it a chilling intent.

Merely controlling Qi.

Killed... that's all that matters!
Even if things escalate, so what? Qianzhou has always stood by the General's side... Jian Qingqiu has received instructions from the Crown Prince more than once that if a conflict arises with Chen Chong, he will uphold justice for himself no matter what.

This is Chongzhou, not Yuanzhou!
Just as Jian Qingqiu was about to draw his sword.

A light, smiling female voice suddenly rang out.

"Lord Jian, why the great anger?"

A carriage adorned with intricate floral patterns stopped at the intersection of Qingping Lane. Nalan Qiutong lifted the curtain and spoke with a beaming smile.

It was past 3 AM, and she had just left Chen Chong's camp in the inner city when she heard the news from Qingping Lane.

Tonight is truly a night of continuous drama.

Interesting, really interesting.

She had long heard that Chen Chong and Han Li were at odds. These two important figures, being of high status and the highest commanders of a province, naturally wouldn't confront each other directly...

However, someone has to take on this contradiction.

Tonight, Du Yunzhong and Jian Qingqiu will face off directly!
"Lord Nalan."

Jian Qingqiu glanced at the carriage but did not sheathe his long sword. His killing intent still filled the alley: "Since you're here, why don't you settle this matter... Does Xuanbei Pass belong to the Han or the Chen family? Du Yunzhong dared to detain the Right Envoy of Xuanbei Pass without authorization. Isn't this a blatant provocation against our lord?"

"Tsk, Lord Jian, you are mistaken."

Nalan Qiutong's smile remained undiminished: "In my opinion, this Xuanbei Pass is neither surnamed Chen nor Han... Chongzhou, and even the entire Dali, has only one surname..."

"..."

Jian Qingqiu's expression changed as he realized he had spoken out of turn.

"But."

Nalan Qiutong changed the subject and said with a smile, "Lord Du handled this matter rather poorly. Right Envoy Yun's overstepping of boundaries to investigate was ultimately for the sake of Dali, and he was eager to catch the culprit. It's just a pity that some mistakes were made and this Buddhist villain escaped. In any case, he should not be labeled as 'releasing a serious criminal'."

Jian Qingqiu's expression softened slightly.

"so……"

Nalan Qiutong completely lifted the carriage curtain, looked at the Cangzi Camp captain blocking the alley, and said in a gentle voice, "Since this case started because of the hook-and-pincher, it should naturally be resolved by the hook-and-pincher. I should investigate the death of Geng Jiu. Let me in... I'm going to meet with Lord Du. It's not only to close the case, but also to resolve the conflict between Lord Yun and Lord Jian."

Tonight, Nalan Qiutong's appearance in this "deadlock" of Qingping Lane was perfectly timed.

Who wouldn't give face to the hook pliers master?
Who would dare to disrespect the hook and pincer maker?
The captain of the Cangzi Battalion's expression changed, and he silently entered the alley to report to Du Yunzhong.

only.

No one expected it.

Several dozen breaths later, the captain of the Cangzi Battalion returned. He looked at the carriage and calmly shook his head.

"Feel sorry."

"Lord Nalan, you are not allowed to enter either."

(End of this chapter)