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

"Zheng—"

A melody from a zither pierced the air, its sound waves like sharp blades, aimed directly at Yan Wangchuan's face.

Yan Wangchuan was prepared and dodged to the left, avoiding the sound wave. The sound wave swept past him and struck a pine tree as thick as a bowl behind him. The trunk snapped in two, and the upper half of the tree crashed down, sending branches and leaves flying.

Yan Wangchuan didn't stop, his figure as fast as lightning, rushing straight at Ji Xianyun.

He knew that against a master like Ji Xianyun, he could not afford to be passively defensive. The opponent's long-range attacks with his zither music were incredibly fierce; only by getting close could he have a chance of winning.

Ji Xianyun remained calm and composed, plucking the strings several times with his left hand.

"Clang clang clang—"

Three notes of music rang out in succession, each more urgent and piercing than the last. The three sound waves intertwined in the air, weaving an invisible net that blocked all of Yan Wangchuan's paths of advance.

Yan Wangchuan swung his longsword, the blade flashing like a bolt of lightning, meeting the first sonic wave.

"when--"

The blade trembled violently, Yan Wangchuan's arm went numb, and he paused slightly. The second sound wave followed immediately. He had no time to think, and he ducked sharply, barely dodging it. The third sound wave was already upon him, and he had no choice but to raise his sword to block.

"when--"

Another loud bang shook Yan Wangchuan, causing him to stagger back three steps. His hands felt numb, and he gasped for breath, his face flushed and his breathing unsteady.

Seeing this, Ji Xianyun sneered, "As expected, shallow waters breed many turtles. This level of skill doesn't even deserve to be called a grandmaster. Truly just a fame-seeker, nothing special!"

Immediately,

He abruptly abandoned his zither, seizing the opportunity to close the distance and engage in combat. His right hand wielded a curved blade, rising from below with a slow but heavy motion. The strike was devoid of any fancy variations, merely a simple upward slash, yet the air itself was torn apart by the blade, leaving a visible gash.

At that very moment,

Yan Wangchuan's flushed face instantly faded, his entire demeanor changed drastically, and he suddenly swung his knife to meet the attack.

"clang--"

The two swords clashed, sparks flying.

Ji Xianyun felt an overwhelming force surging from the blade. The internal force was so powerful that it made his entire arm go numb.

"How could this be...?"

And at that moment,

Yan Wangchuan gave Ji Xianyun no time to react, and suddenly continued to swing his knife, each strike faster and more ruthless than the last. One knife seemed to have become several, sometimes merging together, sometimes separating, sometimes spinning, sometimes intersecting, changing unpredictably.

Ji Xianyun parried and blocked several blows with his curved sword, but he could no longer hold on and revealed an opening.

Yan Wangchuan seized the opportunity and slashed down with his sword.

This strike was powerful and heavy, the wind from the blade howling as if Mount Tai were pressing down.

Ji Xianyun raised his knife to parry.

"clang--"

With a loud bang, Ji Xianyun was jolted to his knees, his knee slamming into the dirt road and creating a shallow dent. He gritted his teeth, enduring the blow, the veins on his arm bulging.

Just then—

"jingle--"

A clear, crisp bell rang out.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was sharp and piercing, like a needle stabbing straight into your brain.

Yan Wangchuan felt a sudden dizziness, and the world before his eyes blurred. The sound of the bell seemed to have some kind of magic, disturbing his mind and making his internal energy circulation sluggish.

at this time,

Nangong Yin stood beside the carriage, a small golden bell appearing in her hand. The bell was only the size of a thumb, its entire body gleaming with gold. She was gently shaking the bell; the sound was crisp and clear, yet carried an inexplicable eeriness.

Nangong Yin's lips curled up, and the ringing became more urgent.

Yan Wangchuan felt a buzzing in his head, his vision becoming increasingly blurry, and his internal energy beginning to surge uncontrollably. He bit his tongue, using the intense pain to forcibly dispel the dizziness, but it was too late.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Ji Xianyun forced Yan Wangchuan back with a single slash. With a flick of his wrist, the semi-circular curved blade split in two – one blade became two, both crescent-shaped, one upright and one in reverse, like two intersecting waning moons.

Yan Wangchuan's pupils contracted slightly.

Ji Xianyun wielded both swords simultaneously, his left sword slashing horizontally at Yan Wangchuan's waist and ribs, while his right sword struck straight at his shoulder and neck. The two swords were at different angles and with different forces, yet they coordinated perfectly.

Yan Wangchuan blocked the right-hand sword with his longsword, but it was too late to block the left-hand sword. He could only turn his body to the side, and the left-hand sword grazed his waist and ribs, slicing off a piece of his clothing.

at this time,

"jingle……"

The bell rang once again.

Yan Wangchuan's mind went blank again.

Ji Xianyun's twin swords have arrived.

With a horizontal slash from the left and a straight thrust from the right, he blocked all his escape routes.

Yan Wangchuan forced himself to gather his energy and swung his longsword to block the left-hand blade, but it was too late to block the right-hand blade. The curved blade grazed his ribs, tearing his robes and slicing through his flesh.

Blood splattered.

Yan Wangchuan grunted and staggered two steps to the side.

At that moment, Ji Xianyun's guards also made their move.

Three longswords, two single-edged swords, and an iron chain attacked simultaneously from all directions, their angles treacherous and their coordination impeccable.

Although injured, Yan Wangchuan remained composed. He swung his longsword, the blade flashing like a bolt of lightning, deflecting all five weapons. However, his movements were no longer as swift as before, and each strike required three times more effort.

Ji Xianyun gave him no chance to catch his breath, combining his two swords and slashing down again.

Yan Wangchuan raised his knife to parry.

"clang--"

The force of this strike was even greater than before. Yan Wangchuan was jolted back several steps, staggering and nearly falling.

Nangong Yin's bell continued to ring, its demonic sound relentlessly eroding his senses. His vision grew increasingly blurry, his internal energy more chaotic, and each swing of his sword became more strenuous than the last.

Ji Xianyun saw his predicament. He separated his two swords again, one on the left and one on the right, like two crescent moons, and brought them together towards Yan Wangchuan.

Yan Wangchuan swept his longsword horizontally, blocking the left-hand sword, but the right-hand sword was already at his chest.

He suddenly turned to the side, the blade grazing his chest, tearing his robe and leaving a shallow bloodstain on his chest.

However, Ji Xianyun's next strike was already upon him.

With the two swords combined, the semi-circular curved blade drew a fierce arc in the air, heading straight for Yan Wangchuan's chest.

Yan Wangchuan didn't have time to block.

He twisted his body sharply, avoiding the vital spot in his heart, but the knife still landed squarely on his left shoulder.

"puff--"

Blood splattered, and the blade pierced the bone.

Yan Wangchuan grunted, his body flying backward from the force of the blow, crashing heavily to the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

He struggled to his feet, but his left arm was already out of control, hanging limply at his side. Blood gushed from the wound on his shoulder, instantly staining half of his robe red.

Ji Xianyun sheathed his sword and stood still, saying in a deep voice, "It seems I was too narrow-minded and underestimated everyone. Commander Yan, the title of one of the Eight Great Heroes is truly well-deserved!"

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Yan Wangchuan suddenly burst into laughter and said, "Good, good, good. To be able to injure this old man to this extent, Ji Xianyun, you are quite good. Indeed, the future belongs to you young people!"

But now, it's still mine!

Ji Xianyun was startled and immediately became alert.

Nangong Yin's expression also changed. She held the bell in one hand and the bracelet in the other, her eyes serious.

at this time,

Yan Wangchuan suddenly threw down his knife, took a step forward, his aura surging, reached into his robes, and threw out two black balls the size of eggs.

With a "bang",

In an instant, smoke filled the air.

Yan Wangchuan turned and ran.

"That old bastard!"

Ji Xianyun cursed under his breath and shouted, "Chase!"

The group quickly gave chase.

At that moment, Yan Wangchuan ran into the woods and suddenly saw Gu Guanqi chasing after him. His expression changed drastically: "Run! Gu Guanqi, run!"