Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 227 Conflict Rises, Twin Swords Combined

"Master Qingxu is a reclusive master who has been living in seclusion for several years. Miss Yanlingji, you wouldn't be suggesting that saving them is the master's idea, would you?"

Xuan Jian narrowed his eyes, his voice carrying a hint of probing.

The Luo Net serves the empire and possesses the most outstanding intelligence system in the world. He knows far more about the terror of a Grandmaster than ordinary people do.

If this action truly alarms that Grandmaster, the Luo Net will absolutely not be able to protect him, and even the Empire will not be able to protect him.

“Young Master is cultivating in seclusion on the mountain, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t care about anything. With the capabilities of the Net, they should know that Young Master has come down the mountain in the past few years.”

Seeing that Xuan Jian was hesitant, Yan Lingji was happy to use his influence to her advantage.

Upon hearing this, Xuan Jian's eyes flickered. What the girl in front of him said was true. In the years since the Qin Dynasty unified the seven kingdoms, the young man who lived in seclusion on Mount Taiyi had indeed come down the mountain several times.

Although the enemy had already left the mountain long before Luo Wang received the intelligence, Luo Wang was still aware of their departure.

This involves some very serious matters. If a grandmaster were not cultivating in the mountains but were to travel in the world, he would be a threat to any power, an extremely terrifying threat.

"The records in the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) state that Master Qingxu once visited the Xiang clan of Chu and had some connections with them. If the young lady's target is them, then I can let her pass."

"However, the other two..."

At this point, Xuan Jian paused, realizing that there were conditions for letting the Xiang clan go.

Yan Lingji chuckled.

"I'm sorry, they are all my targets this time."

Upon hearing this, the two longswords, one black and one white, in Xuan Jian's hands trembled and emitted an astonishing sword cry.

"Does the young lady think I am weak and easily bullied, or does she think the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) is a paper tiger that is all show and no substance?"

"An assassin's survival depends on completing missions. If I fail to complete a mission, what do you think my ultimate fate will be?"

Yan Lingji held the Fire Spirit Hairpin in reverse, refusing to budge an inch.

Her main objective in this operation was to target Wushuang and the Xiang clan. Logically, she could have abandoned Gai Nie and Tianming.

But Gai Nie had previously conveyed a message to her: the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) was secretly stirring, and a conspiracy against all schools of thought had begun, including the Taoist Tianzong (Heavenly Sect).

Therefore, before the situation is determined, Gai Nie is a worthwhile investment target. He is a master at the late stage of the Grandmaster realm and comes from the Guigu School, representing the School of Diplomacy.

"It seems that Mr. Xuanjian intends to test the law himself?"

Xuan Jian flicked his two longswords lightly, and two sword energies swept out, heading straight for Yan Lingji. This time, Xuan Jian did not speak, but used the swords in his hands to directly tell her the answer.

"Seven years have passed since we last met. I wonder if Miss Yan Lingji has made any progress?"

As soon as the voice fell, the other person's figure disappeared from the spot. Yan Lingji let out a soft hum, and the internal energy in her body began to circulate rapidly along the eight extraordinary meridians.

With the enhancement of his internal energy, the Fire Spirit Hairpin in his hand resembled two flaming longswords.

Immediately afterward, Yan Lingji instinctively raised her arm, and with a clang, the Fire Spirit Hairpin blocked a sword with a jet-black blade.

Black and white swords, the black sword is for taking lives, the white sword is for suppressing souls. Among these two swords, the black sword is the one for killing.

Feeling the force from the Fire Spirit Hairpin, Yan Lingji's expression darkened. As the saying goes, a true expert's skill is immediately apparent upon making a move.

With just a simple collision, she could already sense that the person in front of her was no ordinary person.

"Oh, it seems that I'm not the only one who has made progress in these seven years!"

"what!!"

Suddenly, Xuan Jian heard a whooshing sound in his ear. He instinctively leaned back, but felt as if the black sword in his hand was stuck to something, causing him to stumble.

Then he felt a tremendous force slam into his shoulder.

At this moment, the force on the longsword seemed to give way, and he flew out along with the sword.

"Wushuang, well done!"

Yan Lingji looked at the burly man who came to her side and praised him with a smile.

Through their exchange, she could sense that the person before her was a level above her, but not someone she had no chance of winning. Wushuang's intervention effectively resolved the current situation.

"Wushuang?"

In the darkness, Xuan Jian stretched his arms and walked over again. Upon hearing Yan Lingji's words, his gaze involuntarily focused on the burly man who had suddenly appeared beside her.

"The remnants of the Baiyue have finally reunited."

"very good!!"

"Since that's the case, then this time you will be my prey!"

The sky suddenly darkened, turning blood red under the firelight.

A terrifying killing intent and murderous aura swept out from Xuan Jian's body. Black and white Xuan Jian, the person who can wield these two peerless weapons is naturally not simple.

During the Battle of Xinzheng, this person hid in the back and ultimately saved Yan Ri and Jing Ni's lives. If this top-tier assassin from the Luo Wang organization hadn't appeared, Yan Ri and Jing Ni would have been history.

Back then, in those seven years, the other top-tier assassins in the Luo Wang organization might have changed several times, but the one in front of her was the one she had met seven years ago.

However, Yan Lingji was no longer the same as before. Seeing that this Heavenly-level member of the Luo Wang was beginning to reveal his true strength, she no longer hid her methods.

She then reached out and drew a line on the ground, creating a curtain of fire that protected her and Wushuang.

Flames can be used as both a means of attacking the enemy and a barrier to block them.

At this moment, Yan Ling Ji made her move, but chose the latter option.

Upon seeing this, Xuan Jian gave a cold smile.

His target wasn't Yan Lingji, but Gai Nie and Tianming. Of course, if he could also deal with the Xiang clan members, that would be even better for him.

Now that Yan Lingji has used a fire barrier to protect herself, wouldn't that make it easier for him to take action?
With this thought in mind, Xuan Jian simply abandoned attacking Yan Ling Ji and focused his attention on the other people in the convoy.

Just as he was about to make his move, he suddenly realized that something was wrong with the ground beneath his feet, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end in an instant.

"Something's not right." Xuan Jian's pupils suddenly contracted, and he realized something was wrong. Then he shot backward at high speed.

Just as his left foot left the ground less than a foot away, a pillar of fire shot into the sky, the scorching flames instantly evaporating the nearby vegetation and turning it to ashes.

A moment later, Xuan Jian took the opportunity to do two somersaults and get away from the scene. Looking at the spot where he had been standing, Xuan Jian's heart pounded and a hint of fear appeared in the corner of his eye.

Clearly, if he hadn't dodged that attack, he would likely be dead, burned alive.

He then looked at the girl standing not far away again, his eyes showing a hint of apprehension.

The opponent's method of controlling fire was now proving to be quite troublesome to him.

"Young lady, you have excellent skills!"

Yan Lingji waved her hand, dismissing the fire barrier in front of her. The purpose of casting this fire barrier was to deceive others, but now that the other party had already fallen for it once, there was little point in continuing.

Looking at Xuan Jian, she said softly, "It's just some low-class entertainment, which you wouldn't even give a second glance to normally."

Her voice was calm, but the pressure on Xuan Jian's heart increased rather than decreased. Yan Ling Ji had been staying at Taiyi Mountain, a fact that outsiders might not know, but Luo Wang did. Also, the true owner of that Sanhe Shop was not the Tianren Sect or the Tianren Sect, but that young man.

The fact that she has stayed by his side for so many years without falling out of favor shows that she holds a high position in his heart.

Therefore, when fighting against such a person, he felt constrained at every turn. After all, if he were to get injured or accidentally killed, death would be the only outcome for him as well.

This time, he didn't even consider relying on the Net and the Empire to escape the Grandmaster's pursuit, because he knew in his heart that it was impossible.

"Isn't the young lady afraid of causing Master Qingxu a lot of trouble by sticking her neck out like this?"

Xuan Jian's voice carried a hint of warning.

Gai Nie guessed correctly. There was indeed a secret plot within the Luo Wang organization, but this plot was not aimed at Tian Zong; rather, it was aimed at a specific individual.

The current leader of the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) is Zhao Gao, the Chief of the Imperial Carriage Office. As a powerful figure in the court, how could he possibly tolerate being attacked and having his subordinates almost wiped out?

Now that the power of the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) has been replenished, Lord Zhao Gao naturally wants to regain face and establish the absolute authority of the Luo Wang. A Grandmaster would definitely be the best warning.

"That's something you should be worried about."

Yan Lingji took two steps forward, still verbally attacking him relentlessly.

Although seven years have passed, her personality doesn't seem to have changed much; she's still the same stubborn person.

"It seems the young lady is truly determined to get involved in this matter?"

Xuan Jian tightened his grip. From the previous clash, he had already sensed the opponent's strength. The opponent had indeed reached the Grandmaster realm, but his actual combat power was somewhat weaker than his own.

In a battle between masters, the difference in skill is often just a hair's breadth, which can determine the winner.

As for the burly man standing next to him, he didn't take him too seriously. After all, he was just a master of the Innate Realm. If the other party had come from the Armored Sect of Wei, he might not have been so easy to deal with, but Wushuang came from Baiyue and had no connection with Wei at all.

"So what if it is, so what if it isn't."

Xuan Jian slowly exhaled, his mind completely calmed down, and his gaze became very indifferent, or rather, peaceful.

He then said coldly, "Since that's the case, then don't blame me for being impolite."

"The real killing blow is just beginning!"

Upon hearing this, Yan Lingji's heart skipped a beat. Looking at the person in front of her, she felt a sense of unfamiliarity. The person was still the same, but the aura emanating from him was much stronger than before.

If the other party was able to compete with her before, then now their combat strength is probably enough to fight against Wei Zhuang and Gai Nie.

This sudden change can be described as a qualitative one; in that brief moment, the opponent's strength almost doubled.

Sitting in the carriage, Gai Nie sensed the change in Xuan Jian's aura, and his expression darkened. Assassins often strike with a single, fatal blow.

A qualified and excellent assassin believes in the principle of fleeing far away if the first strike fails. Therefore, they also emphasize the importance of killing with one blow. To achieve this, the strike must be steady, accurate, and ruthless. More importantly, the power of the instantaneous burst must be strong.

"A two-handed swordsman is at his strongest when he wields two swords. If he can achieve a result where one plus one is greater than two, then the combined power of the two swords can be maximized."

Upon hearing this, Xiang Yu and Tianming were both taken aback.

If they understood correctly, "two swords combined" meant that two people, each with their own sword, attacked the same target simultaneously.

But the person in front of me is just one person with two swords. If he can accomplish the work of two people, wouldn't that be too unbelievable?

"Uncle, you don't mean to say that this person can combine two swords on his own, do you?"

Gai Nie nodded solemnly.

"Although it is very difficult for one person to combine two swords, it does not mean that it is impossible, as long as he is skilled enough with both swords."

"And that person must be just like that."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the two men changed.

"What if he could combine the two swords all by himself?"

Gai Nie subconsciously pushed the scabbard of Yuan Hong with his left hand, pushing Yuan Hong out half an inch, and a sharp aura began to rise in the air.

"Dual swords combined is just a name; the most essential thing is a combined attack technique. Such a combined attack technique can double the power of the attack, allowing it to exert several times its original power in combat. Generally speaking, such a combined attack technique is usually performed by two or more people."

Hearing this, the others present also felt a bad premonition. If this was the case, Yan Lingji probably couldn't stop this person in front of them. And Yan Lingji was the strongest one present. If even Yan Lingji couldn't stop them, then death would probably be the only thing waiting for them.

"Two swords, a perfect combination! If that's the case, then if that uncle also wielded two swords, wouldn't he be invincible?!"

Tianming, who was leaning against the window, suddenly thought of something and spoke up excitedly.

Upon hearing this, Gai Nie gently shook his head.

"That's not the case. Everyone has their dominant hand. Over the years, a situation will arise where a person usually only uses one hand to wield a sword, while the other hand, because it doesn't get enough training, can't skillfully use the sword."

"This is also why dual-wielders are so rare in the martial arts world. It is already quite difficult to master one hand, and training both hands at the same time will take even more time. The effort required to complete a combined attack technique by one person is beyond the imagination of ordinary people."

Upon hearing this answer, Tianming nodded somewhat disappointedly. He had thought that Gai Nie could also use a two-handed sword!
"However, the realm and combat power in the martial arts world are not static. Some people can stand at the top of the martial arts world even without using a sword. Nowadays, there are very few grandmasters in the martial arts world who use swords."

"Mr. Gai, is Miss Yan Lingji capable of handling this person?"

(End of this chapter)