Starting with a blind date with a female constable, you acquire the Nine Swords of Dugu.

Chapter 43: The Sword is Drawn, Fifteen Deadly Strikes (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Just then, the pool of blood began to churn.

The Azure Dragon slowly emerged from the blood pool, its body soaking wet, its skin covered in scales, and the Broken Void Shuttle still embedded in its chest.

As she walked, she chuckled, "An old scumbag and a young scumbag, you two are really interesting."

As she spoke, she raised her hand and grasped the tail of the Broken Void Shuttle.

"laugh--"

With a soft click, she pulled the Broken Void Shuttle from her chest, casually handing it to Zhuque and asking, "Can it still be used?"

Zhuque nodded slightly.

Qinglong looked at Gu Guanqi and said, "Gu Guanqi, if nothing unexpected happens, I still plan to sleep with you tonight and let you die under the peony flowers, becoming a romantic ghost."

Gu Guanqi chuckled and said, "Your situation doesn't quite qualify you as a peony."

Qinglong smoothed his wet, long hair, gathering it to one side to reveal his fair neck. The white scales covering his skin were visibly receding, starting from his cheeks and gradually disappearing to reveal the translucent white skin beneath.

First the cheeks, then the neck, then the collarbone, all the way down.

Where the scales have disappeared, the skin is as white as jade, so delicate that it is without the slightest blemish.

She said, "It's controllable!"

Gu Guanqi gave a thumbs up and said, "Amazing!"

At this time,

Tang Yu took two steps forward, holding the Thousand Chance Umbrella in his hand, the tip of the umbrella pointing diagonally at the ground. His face was still pale, and blood was still seeping from his abdomen. He stared intently at the three members of the Vermilion Bird Clan and said, "Hero Gu, which one do you think is the most difficult to deal with? You name one, and I'll go and take them down right now."

He said this in a flat tone.

But nobody thought he was joking.

Zhuque, Qinglong, and Wang Qingzhi all became extremely vigilant, as if they were being called upon by the Grim Reaper.

They all knew about the reputation of the Thousand Chance Umbrella.

The Mechanical Gate, with its more than 300-year history, has produced many powerful hidden weapons that are famous throughout the martial arts world. The Thousand-Mechanism Umbrella, in Tang Yu's hands, is hailed as the number one hidden weapon in the history of the Mechanical Gate, and its power is beyond doubt.

now,

The Thousand Chance Umbrella trembled slightly in Tang Yu's hand, and the patterns on the umbrella surface faintly shimmered with a dark red luster, a sign that the Thousand Chance Umbrella was about to unleash its power.

Upon hearing this, Qinglong took a small step back and said, "Tang Yu, I wonder how many people you can take down with you?"

As soon as he finished speaking—

People who had been lying in ambush appeared in several passages, and ropes were lowered from the openings at the top of the dome, with many people sliding down the ropes.

Within a few breaths, seventy or eighty people appeared from all directions, surrounding Gu Guanqi, Tang Yu, and the people from various factions.

They held weapons, their blades gleaming coldly.

The expressions of the people from all sides changed drastically. They gripped their weapons tightly, stood back to back, and warily scanned their surroundings.

Gu Guanqi looked around, his gaze sweeping over the men in black before finally settling on Qinglong's face.

He chuckled lightly, his tone flat: "Sect Leader Tang, they really value you quite a bit."

Tang Yu gave a wry smile, her voice tinged with self-mockery: "I've really lost face today!"

Qinglong said, "Gu Guanqi, actually we value you more. You just happened to show up in Snake Mountain Town, which immediately scared us into changing our plans. Wang Qingzhi and these dozens of assassins hadn't planned to come at all."

"You're much more capable. You didn't do anything, just showed yourself, and you scared us so much. Otherwise, we wouldn't have set up such a frustrating and disastrous trap."

Gu Guanqi chuckled and said, "Then I'm quite honored!"

Tang Yu glanced around and said in a deep voice, "Hero Gu, I'll cover you now. Try your best to break through. My disciples from the Mechanism Sect are all carrying Soul-Chasing Needles, which are quite lethal. They should be able to tear an opening for you—"

"Sect Leader Tang, don't be so pessimistic."

Gu Guanqi interrupted Tang Yu.

He took two steps forward, carrying the Autumn Water Sword, its tip pointing diagonally at the ground. His moon-white robes gleamed faintly in the cave's light.

"I'll take the three best fighters." His gaze swept over Qinglong, Zhuque, and Wang Qingzhi. "The rest of the assassins, you guys are all set, right?"

These words shocked everyone present.

Tang Yu frowned and said, "Master Gu, are you going to fight three of us at once?"

The names of Qinglong, Zhuque, and Wang Qingzhi are enough to shake the martial arts world.

Azure Dragon and Vermilion Bird are both among the top ten assassins in the world, while Wang Qingzhi is the master of the Death Sword Peak of the Listening Tide Sword Sect and one of the thirteen grandmasters of Yunzhou. His Six-Line Formless Sword Qi is known for its ability to kill with every strike, and every move he makes is full of killing intent.

Gu Guanqi was actually going to fight all three of them by himself!

Gu Guanqi didn't turn around, but merely tilted his head slightly, his tone remaining calm: "Right now, I only hope their martial arts don't disappoint me, and ideally, they'll force me to use my full strength!"

As soon as this word comes out,

A shadow fell over both Suzaku and Qinglong's hearts.

The two looked at each other.

They both saw the doubt in each other's eyes:

Could it be that Gu Guanqi has never used his full strength? Then their Four Extremes Palace's assessment of Gu Guanqi's combat power is wrong!

Gu Guanqi had no idea that with just a few words, he had instilled fear in the hearts of Zhuque and Qinglong, who were known as the world's top ten assassins.

He was about to step forward

An Yi suddenly grabbed his sleeve.

"Junior brother..."

Her voice was soft, tinged with nervousness.

Gu Guanqi turned his head and looked at An Yi.

An Yi's eyes were full of worry.

Gu Guanqi smiled slightly, reached out, and gently patted An Yi's hand.

"I'm going to become the best in the world someday, I can't die here."

He picked up his sword and walked toward the center of the cave.

Unhurriedly, her robes fluttered in the wind, the moonlight as white as frost.

An Yi stood still.

Her hand was still suspended in mid-air, the grip on his sleeve still lingering. As his figure receded into the distance, something within her could no longer be contained, her eyes filled with infatuation.

She thought to herself, "Junior brother, if we survive today, I won't hold back anymore!"

at this time,

Gu Guanqi walked forward.

Two assassins, suspended on ropes, lunged at him, brandishing their scimitars.

He didn't draw his sword, he just frowned.

"roll."

He casually slapped out with his palm. The force of the palm strike sent the two assassins flying backward, crashing into the stone wall, spitting blood, and instantly dying.

"Don't waste my time if you're not worthy of my sword."

He planted the Autumn Water Sword on the ground.

A beam of sunlight streamed through the crack overhead, falling upon him and bathing him in a golden glow. His moon-white robes were made translucent by the light, as if he were about to ascend to immortality at any moment.

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over Qinglong, Zhuque, and Wang Qingzhi one by one.

"The three of you, will you die together, or one by one?"

Qinglong looked at him, a strange light flickering in her peach blossom eyes. She covered her mouth with her sleeve, chuckled softly, her voice languid, tinged with an inexplicable excitement, and said, "Gu Guanqi, I want to sleep with you even more now."

"Then I'll kill you first."

Gu Guanqi drew his sword.

A shimmering white luster began to flow across the sword. His skin also changed, revealing a lustrous, warm, jade-like sheen, almost transparent, gleaming gently in the sunlight. He looked like an immortal who had stepped out of a painting, untouched by the dust of the world.

He took a step forward.

The moon-white figure left a trail of afterimages in the pillar of light, moving as fast as a streak of light. Mingyu's true energy flowed like moonlight, strands of it wrapping around the sword, transforming into endlessly flowing silvery-white jade radiance.

The sword was drawn.

A celestial being descends from the heavens.

At that moment, countless sword energies overflowed from the sword's edge, not with a sharp and dazzling cold light, but like shattered jade and flowing fireflies, like the celestial light formed from the moonlight. The sword energies layered upon each other, like flowing clouds swirling around the body, like a galaxy falling down, the jade-colored true energy merging with the sword intent from beyond the heavens, transforming into a hazy and tranquil celestial realm.

A sword flashed across the sky.

The sword energy swirled like a light veil, its clear light scattering, ethereal and exquisitely beautiful. That sword strike didn't seem to be killing; rather, it was like a celestial being waving their sleeve, untouched by worldly affairs, leaving only a sky full of jade-like, moon-like celestial intent, quietly enveloping the entire cave.

Azure Dragon and Vermilion Bird's expressions changed drastically.

The moment Gu Guanqi drew his sword, the two of them had already retreated swiftly behind Wang Qingzhi. They simultaneously struck him on the back with both palms.

Wang Qingzhi suddenly raised his head. His long, loose hair flew up, and his cloudy old eyes instantly became clear and sharp.

"A fine sword. A fine sword."

He let out a low sigh of praise, waved his hands, and a long sword flew out from his sleeve. Then he pushed his palms forward.

The six lines formless sword energy.

In an instant, a sword flew out.

Immediately afterwards, countless tiny sword energies surged forth from his palm, thousands of cold rays as fine as hairs, layer upon layer, continuous and endless, sweeping towards Gu Guanqi like a tsunami.

Those sword energies were as fine as cow hair, yet incredibly sharp. Wherever they passed, the air was torn apart with a sharp whistling sound, and the pebbles on the ground were swept up and pulverized in mid-air.

The celestial being descending from the heavens collided violently with the invisible sword energy of the Six Lines.

"boom--"

A deafening roar erupted in the cave, like a thunderclap striking the earth. Blinding light exploded at the point of impact, illuminating the entire cave as bright as day.

Within the light, two forces clashed fiercely.

The sword light of the celestial being descending from the heavens was pure and otherworldly, like jade and the moon. Wherever the sword light passed, the air seemed to turn into water, rippling in circles visible to the naked eye.

Ripples spread in all directions, dispersing, peeling away, and dissolving the invisible sword energy of the six lines layer by layer.

The six lines of invisible sword energy are as fine as cow hair, densely packed, sweeping like a tsunami. They can touch the sword light of celestial beings flying from beyond the heavens, but they are like moths drawn to a flame, or ice and snow meeting the warm sun, quickly melting, disintegrating, and turning into nothingness.

The sword flashed, but vanished in an instant.

The sky full of silvery white light, at its most dazzling moment, suddenly subsided. All the brilliance, sword energy, and killing intent converged into a single sword strike.

The sword pierced Wang Qingzhi's chest.

The tip of the sword pierced through.

"puff--"

The Autumn Water Sword pierced through Wang Qing's chest and emerged from his body.

Fresh blood gushed from the wound, flowing down the sword and dripping onto the stone ground at the edge of the blood pool, spreading a small patch of crimson.

Wang Qingzhi's body suddenly stiffened.

He looked down at the long sword that had pierced his chest, at the blood flowing down the blade, his eyes filled with disbelief.

At that very moment—

A streak of silver light flew in from the side.

Broken shuttle.

The Vermilion Bird infused it with immense poison, its silvery-white body gleaming with an eerie, ghostly green luster, its patterns writhing like living creatures, radiating a suffocating sense of oppression.

The Broken Void Shuttle flew rapidly around the Vermilion Bird, leaving trails of eerie green in the air that intertwined to form an impenetrable net, completely enveloping the space within a radius of several feet.

A terrifying, intoxicating poison emanated from the net.

It does not attack the body, but directly targets the mind and spirit.

At the same time, Zhuque struck out with his single arm.

Seven Soul-Stealing Palm Techniques.

Seven sinister and unpredictable streams of true energy surged from his palms, like seven invisible venomous snakes, coiling towards Gu Guanqi.

The true energy did not attack the body, but went straight to the mind, stirring up the deepest sadness, guilt, reluctance, and longing in the heart—surging forth in an overwhelming manner.

The enchanting atmosphere unfolds completely at this moment.

Gu Guanqi's sword intent seemed to be gripped by an invisible hand, becoming sluggish and heavy, as if it had sunk into a quagmire.

At the same time, the Azure Dragon moved.

The dense white scales on her body fluttered up at the same time, like hundreds of petals falling from the branches, or like a sudden snowfall, swirling and covering the sky.

The scales shimmered with a white luster in the sunlight, swirling and fluttering in the air, their trajectories ever-changing, like a dream.

In a daze, Gu Guanqi saw Jiang Baili running towards him. Her plain white dress fluttered in the wind, and her clear eyes were filled with laughter as she reached out her hand to him.

"elder brother……"

The sound was very soft, as if it came from a very far place, yet it also seemed to be right next to my ear.

Gu Guanqi's mind wavered slightly.

He immediately focused his mind, and the illusion before his eyes vanished.

However, what he found strange was that at this moment, he actually felt a kind of lust.

In that instant,

Vermilion Bird and Azure Dragon, one on the left and one on the right.

One used a soul-stirring technique to suppress his sword intent, while the other used a mental attack to shake his mind.

At the same time—

Wang Qingzhi suddenly straightened his chest.

An extremely terrifying sword aura shot out from his chest. That sword strike was the culmination of his life's work, the pinnacle of the Six Lines Formless Sword Qi, and the culmination of the Death Sword Peak's century-old heritage.

The sword energy was like a rainbow, as fast as lightning, aimed straight at Gu Guanqi's face.

Before the sword arrived, its aura had already arrived.

A sharp gust of wind rushed towards him, making his robes flutter loudly.

A sword seemed to materialize in the void, with flowing light swirling around it.

Wherever the sword energy passed, the air was torn open with a visible black crack, emitting a sharp whistling sound like the howl of a vengeful ghost.

Three deadly attacks arrived in an instant.

but,

In that very instant,

Time seemed to stand still.

Scales floated in the air inside the cave.

Sunlight poured down from the cracks overhead, the beams of light seemingly frozen in the air.

The sword energy that shot out from Wang Qingzhi's chest stopped in mid-air.

The tip of the sword energy was only three inches away from Gu Guanqi's face, but it could not advance any further.

It's not that we can't make progress,

Instead, it froze in place.

The next moment,

The enchanting atmosphere of the Vermilion Bird was suddenly shattered.

Those seven yin and unpredictable true energies seemed to be severed by an invisible blade, silently dissipating in the air.

The dragon's scales froze in mid-air, their shimmering white luster losing all its brilliance at that moment.

Everyone's expression froze on their faces.

Everyone's breath caught in their chests.

Everything in the entire cave was frozen in time.

Only Gu Guanqi was still moving.

His sword was still moving.

The Autumn Water Sword had been pulled from Wang Qingzhi's chest at some point, and the blood in the air congealed into dark red beads, which floated in mid-air like strings of blood-red pearls.

Then Gu Guanqi drew his sword.

Fifteen Deadly Swords.

This sword strike means only death.

The moment the sword was drawn, a terrifying will of death descended upon the world. It was not murderous intent, not malevolent energy, not something that could be described by any human emotion.

That is death itself.

Where the sword light passed, fine cracks appeared in the air. These were not cracks in the stone wall, nor cracks in the ground, but cracks in space itself.

The cracks spread in all directions like a spider web, and wherever they passed, everything disintegrated, vanished, and returned to nothingness.

Sunlight poured down from the cracks overhead, but the beams of light vanished without a trace the moment they touched the sword light, as if swallowed up.

The temperature in the cave plummeted. It wasn't cold, but a kind of absolute nothingness that transcended both hot and cold.

Everyone's consciousness became blurred at this moment, as if something was pulling their souls away.

The sword light was silent, invisible, shadowless, and formless. It left only a faint, fleeting ripple in the air, like the ripples spreading across the surface of a deep pool when a pebble is thrown in.

But it was this one ripple that made everyone present feel the approach of death.

There was no fear, no panic.

It was an absolute despair that transcended all emotions.

That despair didn't come from external threats, but from the most primal, instinctive understanding deep within—

Death has come.

There is no escaping it, no way to resist it.

Gu Guanqi's eyes no longer held any light; instead, they were empty, like an abyss leading to another world.

His sword slowly thrust out.

It was very slow. As slow as swinging a sword in water.

But it was this slow sword strike that made Zhuque, Qinglong, and Wang Qingzhi simultaneously feel the approach of death.

It was an irresistible, absolute will to die that came from the depths of the soul.

That sword strike was not delivered by Gu Guanqi.

Death itself descended upon the world through his hand.

As the sword flashed, Wang Qingzhi fell to the ground.

He didn't even have time to let out a scream.

The sword grazed his neck, but there was no wound, and no fresh blood gushed out.

But he died.

It was as if life had been wiped out by the Grim Reaper.

Zhuque's face turned deathly pale. He wanted to escape, but his body wouldn't obey him. His legs felt nailed to the ground, and under the suppression of the will to die, he couldn't even muster a single thought.

The Azure Dragon's scales lost their luster and fell from the sky, scattering like withered leaves. Her body began to tremble uncontrollably.

The Broken Void Shuttle fell from the sky and landed on the ground with a "clang".

The eerie green luster vanished completely, turning into an ordinary silver hairpin that bounced twice on the ground before falling silent.

The enchanting atmosphere shattered completely, and the seven streams of true energy vanished without a trace.

The sword light did not cease.

The sword intent of the Fifteen Deadly Swords is still spreading.

The fine cracks continued to spread, like the fingertips of death slowly tracing across the void.

Zhuque wanted to retreat, and he was finally able to move a little. He leaned backward, and his feet scraped a shallow mark on the ground.

But that sword came too fast.

The sword flashed across his throat.

There was no wound, as if Gu Guanqi had misjudged the accuracy of his sword strike. However, all that remained on Zhuque's face was a grayish-white void.

Zhuque's eyes widened, reflecting Gu Guanqi's pale, jade-like face in her pupils. Her lips moved slightly, but no sound came out.

then,

He collapsed too.

Qinglong watched helplessly as Zhuque and Wang Qingzhi died before her very eyes.

Her hands trembled, her lips trembled, her whole body trembled. She wanted to launch a final mental attack, but her consciousness, suppressed by the will to die, was like a candle in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

But at this moment,

It was as if time had stood still.

She seemed unable to move, as if she had been abandoned by time.

She opened her mouth, as if to say something.

The sword has arrived.

The Autumn Water Sword touched her chest.

She knew she was dead.

Her scales died, her martial arts died.

The world she saw was dead; everything was gray and white.

Then her consciousness faded.

There were no new wounds on Qinglong's body, but this sword had wiped out her life force.

The scales fell from the sky, landing on the stone ground at the edge of the blood pool with a soft rustling sound. The scales lost their luster and their spirit, turning into ordinary, grayish-white keratinous pieces scattered on the ground. They were quickly corroded by the remaining sword intent and turned into a pile of ashes.