Chapter 271: Beheaded in a Single Slash!
The sword light that had appeared abruptly was like a tidal wave that surged over with unstoppable speed.
The person wore white clothes, while his sword light was bright as snow.
Venerable Lord Saber seemed to recall who the other party was as he bellowed, "Bai Yixue, are you seeking death?"
Although Bai Yixue was ranked top ten among the world's swordsmen, the difference of his skill compared to that of Venerable Lord Saber was not little by any means. Even He Hanqing who was at his prime could easily kill Bai Yixue, let alone Venerable Lord Saber. However, He Hanqing had lost all ability to fight while Venerable Lord Saber had fought for the better part of the night. His opponents were all experts of the same level as well; his energy had been greatly depleted from executing his mystique skill in order to shake the pursuers off just now. He was near the end of his exertions now as he was immensely exhausted.
Facing Bai Yixue who was well rested and prepared, he could not have equipped himself any better for the time being.
Bai Yixue's sword energy was frost-like. His dominance escalated to his peak as he said coldly, "Your cultivation base is formidable, far above mine and even higher than He Hanqing's. This saber of yours is enchanting and mystical as well. If it were any other day, I'd be blessed to deflect anything more than three to five strikes of yours. It's a pity that you're exhausted and can barely support yourself. You can't protect He Hanqing anymore; as long as you pass He Hanqing over, the future is yours and we shall meet again in the martial arts world. If you heed not my advice and get yourself killed, wouldn't that be a waste?"
Venerable Lord Saber was infuriated as he shot back, "Contemptible rat that capitalizes on the disadvantages of others, how dare you boast in front of this reputed one?"
Once he finished his words, he took a deep breath and stood upright. The saber in his hand came down, slashing against the wind with an unprecedented tyranny.
Bai Yixue growled, his long sword turning into pieces of snowflakes that fell from the air.
Clang, clang, clang!
As the saber and sword collided continuously, Bai Yixue could feel the impact of the saber force that was like huge hammers pounding against his heart. For a moment, he felt as if his internal organs were alight all at once.
The cultivation base of this person before him was terrifyingly strong; so strong that it raised goosebumps on his arms.
He was already in such a pathetic state yet he could still unleash such standards of combat skill! Impressive could not suffice to describe him!
Bai Yixue knew that he could not afford a direct confrontation. He took cross-legged steps back to fend off the momentum but Venerable Lord Saber's attacks were tightly packed as his saber light chased after the sword light. As the former took a defending stance while the latter attacked, they reached the border of the forest.
"Go!"
A roar erupted.
A ray of sword light shot through from the ground. It was Fang Mofei, who was masked and dressed in black, pouncing like a dragon from the dark.
His sword was used like a stick as it came crashing down with brute force.
It no longer made sense to seek a contest of skills when facing an unpredictable expert like Venerable Lord Saber. One could only take the chance to beat him with barbaric ways when he was weak.
Venerable Lord Saber snorted coldly as the saber in his hand tilted slightly. A ray of saber glow flew from the blade as it deflected Fang Mofei's sword with precision.
Not only did the saber glow managed to block Fang Mofei's stick of a sword, it counterattacked - leaving a deep gash on Fang Mofei's chest as blood spurted at once.
Just one strike had deemed Fang Mofei's injury severe but he cared nothing about the wound. With an angered roar, a red radiance spurted from his mouth.
Fealty Jade Sword Fang Mofei!
Fang Mofei's jade sword ceased its existence but he still had his fealty heart! At long last, he had utilized his famous skill.
The turn of events caught Venerable Lord Saber by surprise. The saber light had erupted while Bai Yixue was charging forward like a crazed tiger with his swordsmanship blooming to its maximum capacity. His sword fluttered like snowflakes that were laced with unadulterated murderous intent.
The crimson radiance that Fang Mofei spewed was the least expected trouble; its incoming speed was incredibly fast; there was no time to block it. With a change of thought, Venerable Lord Saber's knee raised to hit He Hanqing's back; at the same time, his hand released his grasp. He Hanqing then flew forward, welcoming the crimson radiance head-on.
Venerable Lord Saber had actually tossed He Hanqing out to defend himself against the saber at such a critical moment!
He Hanqing was important, but in this life and death situation, nothing was more important than keeping himself alive.
Of course, Venerable Lord Saber knew how to make his choices in the face of such urgent threats.
Simultaneously, his saber light condensed once more to collide harshly with Bai Yixue's sword.
Bai Yixue was flung away, his motions jerky as if he had been electrocuted but Venerable Lord Saber fared no better. He tumbled back; mouth agape, he spat blood while his ears thrummed like thousands of drums were being struck inside his head. His seven orifices bled at the same time.
Venerable Lord Saber was taking care of both sides by dividing his force into two. His current combat ability was no stronger than that of Bai Yixue. Although he had managed to flick Bai Yixue flying with his attack, his divided strength meant that he had to sustain some damage as well.
He Hanqing had been unconscious but upon being kneed in the back, he cried out in pain and jolted awake, spitting a mouthful of blood. Just as he regained his bearings, the incoming crimson radiance greeted his eyes at an incredible speed.
"Lord Saber, you..." He Hanqing understood everything at once and cursed aloud. He maneuvered his Qi forcefully and used the last ounce of energy left to struggle for his life, scrambling the slightest bit upwards.
Plow!
The crimson radiance shot into He Hanqing's chest like a lightning strike.
He Hanqing's entire being spasmed as a hopeless expression colored his face.
The crimson radiance then came out through his back and flew towards Venerable Lord Saber without slowing down in the slightest.
However, the glow of a saber flickered.
Clang!
The crimson radiance twirled in the air with a wobble before it flew back.
Fang Mofei was already spluttering blood now as he fell towards the ground; he had collapsed even faster than He Hanqing.
There was too much a difference between his and Venerable Lord Saber's cultivation base. After attacking with all his might, he could no longer support himself.
Bai Yixue flew a hundred feet away as he spat three consecutive mouthfuls of blood; he looked weak, a sign of rapidly diminishing combat power.
Venerable Lord Saber spun in the air, his saber light turning into a whirlwind as it went after He Hanqing. His cultivation base was formidable indeed. It was just after a breather but his combat skill gained some recovery; the killing threat had passed now, he still had to try leaving with He Hanqing.
He Hanqing was falling groggy once more. It was worse than the last now, he had entirely lost control over himself.
Venerable Lord Saber's hand was about to grab onto He Hanqing's rob when a brutally radiant saber light materialized from thin air between both of the men.
The brilliance of the saber light was akin to a meteor that hurtled through the galaxy.
Majestic justice was overflowing within the energy of the saber. Where the saber light passed, there was only obedience to God's will; where the saber light went, there was only destined fate!
However, it was still an ambush.
Venerable Lord Saber was shocked, retracting his arm in a hurry. He could feel the chilling murderous intent brimming from the saber light in that split second, moving back immediately once the thought formed in his mind.
Slash!
A sharp saber light sliced its way through the lower abdomen of Venerable Lord Saber; a pang of pain shot seized his heart immediately.
Venerable Lord Saber let out a loud cry, fear arising in his eyes. What sort of saber was it that could tear through his mystical Qi protection and wound his lower abdomen?
The momentary doubt allowed him to feel an escalating pressure on his chest like his internal organs were being squeezed out from the gash on his lower abdomen. Venerable Lord Saber could not help the petrification that rang within him as he got himself a strip of cloth to bandage his wound securely.
He cultivated his mystical Qi without reservation to protect his wound then, finally relieved when he no longer felt his safety threatened by the injury.
However, when Venerable Lord Saber lifted his head again, all that greeted his eyes was a ray of saber light splitting through He Hanqing's neck gracefully.
He watched unblinkingly as He Hanqing's head flew off, before being grabbed hold by the person who had made a sudden appearance.
He Hanqing's body that had lost his head dropped onto the ground like an emptied sack, his broken legs jerking twice.
The person had appeared too suddenly; the force within his skill was stronger than anything Venerable Lord Saber had seen in his life.
It was so clean and direct - beheaded with a single slash!
With that, He Hanqing died.
Venerable Lord Saber felt his mind going blank.
For so many years, this was the first time the Four Seasons Tower had lost a higher authority like the four Supreme Lords.
When they had faced Ling Xiaozui then, they had never suffered such a loss.
Yet today - right now, Supreme Lord Spring Frost of the four Supreme Lords had died right before him.
The saber light glinted again. Venerable Lord Saber could feel a piercing saber energy flying towards him with a faint sense of himself being its target.
He was weighed down both externally and internally now, about to lose his competitive edge. If he were to stay any longer, he might end up like He Hanqing.
From the moment the Concourse of the Underworld began its hunt, wave after wave of ambushes came unceasingly; each time more surprising than the last and each time more brutal than its predecessor!
This last gleam of saber light had far exceeded Venerable Lord Saber's knowledge of saber art.
He no longer had any intention to fight.
Who knew if there were stronger opponents waiting for him afterward? Besides, He Hanqing was dead. It simply did not make sense for him to stay and fight.
With a long howl, Venerable Lord Saber soared into the sky as a ray of saber light, reaching far into the clouds and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
A resentful voice came from afar. "Concourse of the Underworld, School of Spring and Autumn! This is not done yet!"
Not done yet?
Yun Yang materialized from thin air and patted down He Hanqing's dead body before snorting and said, "Let's leave!"
He then left speedily with Fang Mofei and Bai Yixue.
Not done yet? I'm more afraid that you fellows will want it to end right here!
Yun Yang and the other two men disappeared into the forest hastily.
Only a while later, the ghastly wind and clouds surged over - the ten people from Concourse of the Underworld had finally arrived. They were never known for their speed and what transpired here had been too swift. It was only an instance before everything had ended.
Therefore, when these ten people arrived at the scene, they only managed to catch a glimpse of blurry shadows disappearing into the forest. It was then quiet all around.
There was also a headless corpse on the ground.
The ten kings sucked in a cold breath in unison.
The corpse....
"This is He Hanqing!" King Qinguang exclaimed as he drifted downwards to identify it in confusion.
The headless body was indeed Supreme Lord Spring Frost He Hanqing himself.