Time Travel: I'm a Flower Thief

A crisp "snap" was heard—

The longsword in Su Mubai's hand was cut in half, and the broken sword, along with half of its tip, flew backward.

With a "nail" sound, it was driven into the bluestone bricks of the training platform, penetrating three inches deep.

The heavy sword energy, still powerful, slammed straight into Su Mubai's chest with overwhelming force!

Su Mubai's pupils dilated in shock, his soul nearly leaving his body. He desperately gathered all his internal energy into his dantian, crossed his hands in front of his chest, and tried to withstand the sword energy head-on.

But the power of that sword energy far exceeded his expectations; with a muffled "thud,"

His protective inner energy shattered like paper, and the violent energy pierced into his internal organs.

"Wow--"

Su Mubai felt a sweet taste in his throat, and a mouthful of blood spurted out, the blood mist spreading in the air and staining his white robes red.

He flew backward, covering a distance of seven or eight zhang (approximately 33-40 meters), before crashing heavily into a stone pillar at the edge of the martial arts arena.

With a loud crash, the stone pillar was smashed open, cracking in several places, and rubble fell down in a shower.

Su Mubai collapsed to the ground, his meridians trembling, and his limbs and bones felt as if they had been disassembled and reassembled, causing him unbearable pain.

this.....

How is that possible?

After only three days apart, his sword intent has become so strong?

Was he faking it when he used the wooden sword to fight that day?

His cultivation level is too unfathomable!

Su Mubai collapsed to the ground, blood continuously spilling from the corner of his mouth. His eyes were unfocused, yet he still stared intently at Xie Xiaoyi in the center of the martial arts arena, filled with resentment.

Even though he had used all his cultivation to protect his heart meridian, he was now severely injured and didn't even have the strength to move a finger.

The sword aura of Kenpachi's laughter in the mortal world came to an end.

The entire arena was deathly silent; even the sound of the wind blowing across the training ground could be clearly heard.

The girls who had been praising Su Mubai's handsomeness earlier now covered their mouths, their infatuation replaced by shock.

One move?

They defeated their beloved with just one move...

Everyone stared at Su Mubai, who was lying on the ground barely alive, and could no longer utter a single word of praise.

The onlookers, including martial arts practitioners and scions of prominent families, began to whisper among themselves.

"The power of this sword strike... is terrifying! A peak fourth-grade cultivator is so utterly vulnerable?"

"That guy surnamed Xie, was he hiding his true abilities all along? That sword intent must be beyond the seventh rank, right?"

Upon seeing Su Mubai's injuries, City Lord Bai Letian's expression changed, and he hurriedly shouted:

"Quickly! Bring a sedan chair! Take Young Master Su back to his residence and have the best physician treat him!"

The guards dared not delay and immediately rushed to the edge of the martial arts arena.

Just then, Xie Xiaoyi stepped off the martial arts stage and went straight to Su Mubai. He raised his hand to Bai Letian, who was walking quickly towards him, and said:

"City Lord, wait a minute."

Bai Letian was taken aback, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes: "What do you mean, Young Hero Xie?"

"I am a disciple of Hua Tianyi and have some knowledge of medicine."

Xie Xiaoyi spoke calmly, his fingertips already resting on Su Mubai's pulse.

"His meridians were injured by the sword energy. Ordinary doctors would probably be helpless, and moving him rashly would only worsen his injuries."

These words caused another uproar in the room.

No one expected that he was not only a master swordsman, but also a disciple of a divine physician!

Bai Letian was both surprised and delighted, and quickly said:

"So Young Hero Xie is actually a disciple of the Divine Physician Hua! Then... then I'll trouble you!"

Xie Xiaoyi nodded, took out a small celadon bottle from his pocket, and poured out a celadon pill.

That was a healing elixir given to him by Hua Lingshu when he left the medicine hut; it was extremely effective for treating most internal injuries.

Xie Xiaoyi held the pill in his hand, pried open Su Mubai's teeth, and fed it to him.

The pill dissolved instantly upon entering his throat. In just a moment, Su Mubai's previously unfocused gaze gradually regained some focus, and the blood overflowing from the corner of his mouth gradually stopped.

Xie Xiaoyi nodded slightly upon seeing this:

"It's alright, his life can be saved, but he needs a quiet place. I'm going to use acupuncture to clear his meridians."

Upon hearing this, Bai Letian's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down, and he immediately waved his hand:

"Quickly! Prepare a sedan chair, and then issue my order: clear out the west wing of the City Lord's mansion; no one is to enter without permission!"

The guards responded immediately and quickly arrived with a sedan chair, carefully lifting Su Mubai onto it.

Xie Xiaoyi sheathed the Guan Canghai sword, stepped into the sedan chair, and the group headed towards the city lord's mansion.

Meanwhile, on the top floor of the teahouse on the east side of the training ground, the aroma of tea wafted through half of the window.

Two people stood by the window, one with white hair and a youthful face, wearing a blue Taoist robe, playing with a warm, white jade chess piece in his hand.

His gaze seemed to pierce through the noisy crowd downstairs, landing on Xie Xiaoyi's figure as he sheathed his sword, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

"Kenpachi, Laughing at the Mortal World? I didn't expect Hua Youwu to have a personal disciple?"

A young man stood beside him, with handsome features, respectfully holding a teacup, and couldn't help but ask in a low voice:

"Master, Xie Mo's 'Sword Eight - Laughing at the Mortal World' can actually shatter the meridians of a peak fourth-grade cultivator with a single strike. This sword intent must have reached at least the seventh grade, right?"

The old Taoist slowly shook his head, placed the jade chess piece on the windowsill, and made a soft sound.

"It's still far from enough. This was just a sword strike he unleashed after nurturing and building up his power."

He can't use the same sword twice unless you give him an hour or two to recover.

The young man followed his master's gaze and saw Xie Xiaoyi's retreating figure following the sedan chair into the distance. He then asked:

"I never expected to witness such a spectacular duel while passing through Qingjiang City. It's truly an eye-opener."

"Wonderful?" The old Taoist picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and a glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes.

"This Xie kid hasn't even used 83% of his sword intent; he's still far from it."

"Master, what do you think of Su Mubai's martial arts skills?"

"All that is gold and jade on the outside, but rotten on the inside; people in the martial arts world call him the Four Quicks."

What lightning in the sky, wind on the ground, Su Mubai's sword...?

This kid probably took flattery seriously; he got injured today because he deserved it.

"Master, should we include Xie Mo in this year's 'Number One Manor Under Heaven' list, the Hidden Dragon List?"

I think he's a gem.

"Let's talk about it later. We'll investigate this Xie Mo. It's quite strange that such a young man has suddenly appeared in the martial arts world."

The young man clasped his hands in a respectful greeting: "Yes, Master!"

"Let's go." The old Taoist placed the teacup on the table, turned around, and went downstairs from the teahouse.

"Come with me to see Hua Youwu. It's been eighteen years since we last met!"

The young man tossed a silver ingot onto the tea table and slowly followed.

......