The four,led by Shangguan Yanqing,besieged Su Xin,but they didn't take the opportunity to sneak attack Xie Zhiyan,who was absorbing sword essences.It's not that they didn't want to,but they didn't dare.
In the martial world,there are rules,and these righteous sects also have their own principles.When facing forces weaker than themselves,these rules can be ignored.However,when confronting Xie Zhiyan,backed by one of the five major sword sects,they had to adhere to the rules.
If they attacked Xie Zhiyan and succeeded in killing her,it might be fine.But if she survived,it would escalate into a deadly feud between the two factions.Cao Zheng'an was the exception,but he didn't want to spend the rest of his life being hunted by the Yijian Sect.
So,they had to focus on Su Xin first,resolve him,and then deal with Xie Zhiyan.However,facing the four attackers,Su Xin remained calm,showing no signs of panic.
Although Su Xin always claimed to be trustworthy,he would not risk his life for the sake of his reputation.If he had to fight desperately to stop these four,he wouldn't choose to confront them directly.
As the four closed in,Su Xin took the initiative to strike,but not at any of them.Instead,he targeted a pre-natal martial artist under Shangguan Yanqing.The seven or eight underlings were all at the Pre-Natal Qi Sea realm,with no one at the Spiritual Aperture realm.Su Xin's sudden attack surprised Shangguan Yanqing and the others.They hesitated for a moment but quickly resumed their assault on Su Xin.
Di Yunfei's palm struck like a dragon's claw,Xiao Moyun's sword slashed out with astonishing power,Shangguan Yanqing's long sword thrust continuously like a great river,and finally,Cao Zheng'an's fist came crashing out,unleashing a ghostly wail.The fist wind tore through the sky,carrying a sinister aura as it headed towards Su Xin.
Su Xin's fingers moved like picking flowers,and in an instant,four blood lines shot out from his hands towards the four attackers.The instantaneous release of the Blood River Divine Finger was almost Su Xin's limit,but with his current strength,he couldn't withstand a direct confrontation with all four.The move only temporarily slowed their assault,and he was sent flying by the rebound force.
However,taking advantage of the rebound force,Su Xin's Dragon-Riding Sword thrust forward,instantly killing a pre-natal martial artist who wielded a Panlong staff.He also seized the Panlong staff.
Seeing Su Xin's actions,the others were puzzled.After expending so much effort,was he trying to obtain a staff?
In the martial world,there were countless weapons,but aside from the Shaolin Temple,martial artists proficient in staff techniques were rare.Staff techniques were difficult to master,lacking the sharpness of swords and spears.Moreover,using a hammer might be more suitable than a staff for heavy weapons.So,martial artists wielding staffs were scarce,especially in the later stages of cultivation.
The warrior following Shangguan Yanqing came from a minor force with a mixed martial background.He probably never considered breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm in his lifetime and chose the Panlong staff,which he was familiar with,as his weapon.Unexpectedly,Su Xin targeted him.
Holding the Panlong staff,Su Xin's eyes narrowed,a hint of killing intent appearing.Facing the four attackers,Su Xin couldn't defeat three peers plus one Martial Palace realm expert on his own.He had to resort to his trump card—a consumable he drew earlier:the"Skyward Strike!"
The Skyward Strike was a powerful staff technique created by Zhang Hou,the Chief of the Slashing Scripture Hall,condensing the 1,001 styles of"Wind Blade and Frost Sword."Zhang Hou passed it on to his disciple,Mi Cangqiong.
This staff technique had an unparalleled momentum.As Su Xin gripped the Panlong staff,a fierce aura erupted from him,resembling a demon,a monster,a devil,and a god!The Panlong staff swung,and nine staff flowers bloomed,creating a whirlwind of true qi.The staff seemed to have a giant dragon roaring atop it.
Su Xin's strike initiated a change in his aura.It was no longer"fierce"but"empty."Four Emptiness!Concealing danger in emptiness was equivalent to harboring danger in all four directions.
The long staff swept down,the attack's momentum was unmatched,and its power was unstoppable.No one had the courage to directly face Su Xin's Skyward Strike,this seemingly god-like staff technique.
Di Yunfei transformed into a dragon and roared,but he was swept away by the staff wind,spitting blood like a small loach.Xiao Moyun's Indomitable Sword horizontally slashed,but the staff fell,and the sword shattered.
Shangguan Yanqing's figure moved like a wandering dragon,with fluid and sophisticated footwork.However,under Su Xin's"Four Emptiness"staff strike,he was forcefully swept into the whirlwind,thrown dozens of yards away.
As the staff shadows descended,Cao Zheng'an,despite being a Martial Palace realm martial artist,had a background as a lone cultivator.In terms of true strength,he might not be much stronger than Xiao Moyun and others.The matchless force of the staff strike descended,and though he attempted to escape,the staff shadows followed him closely.Finally,a burst of overwhelming power erupted,passing through his chest.
Cao Zheng'an swung his arms twice in reluctance,but Su Xin continued the staff sweep,causing a rain of blood.Shangguan Yanqing's subordinates,along with the puppet swords,were all turned into a pile of shattered pieces.
Su Xin stood with the staff,the power of the"Skyward Strike"dissipating,but his aura remained towering,like a demonic deity.
Shangguan Yanqing spewed blood,not from injury but from sheer frustration.Although he was sent flying by Su Xin's staff strike,his family's secret technique protected him,preventing severe injuries.However,Su Xin not only killed Cao Zheng'an but also annihilated Shangguan Yanqing's subordinates,causing him to vomit blood in anger.
Among those present,Shangguan Yanqing had the fewest subordinates.Both Xiao Moyun and Di Yunfei brought dozens of pre-natal martial artists each.Shangguan Yanqing wondered why Su Xin specifically targeted his subordinates.
Su Xin wasn't intentionally singling out Shangguan Yanqing.He needed to kill those individuals to complete his side quest.After eliminating them,a voice from the system echoed in Su Xin's mind.
"Congratulations to the host for completing the side quest:'Enemy of the Righteous Path.'You have gained 800 points of antagonist value."
Su Xin had received this task back in Changning Prefecture,where he had killed only Fang Dongting,earning him 200 points of antagonist value.This quest had a one-year time limit,and now,in Shangshan City,he finally found the opportunity to complete it.
Xiao Moyun and others looked at Su Xin with a mixture of shock and fear.They always believed that Su Xin's strongest martial art was his swordsmanship and finger techniques.Little did they expect that today Su Xin would use staff techniques.
How many hidden cards does this guy still have?
Thinking of the"Four Emptiness"staff strike,the awe-inspiring"Skyward Strike,"Xiao Moyun couldn't help but shiver.He believed that the most imposing martial art he had ever witnessed was his master Jin Kexin's"Indomitable Blade."However,today,Su Xin showed him what true unmatched momentum was.
In the past,Mi Cangqiong had used this staff strike to kill a formidable figure from the righteous path,Zhang Sanba,the leader of the"Heavenly Mechanism."Despite the resentment within the organization,none dared to act recklessly.
The same was true for Su Xin now.Under the"Skyward Strike,"one of the four strongest warriors died,and the other three were injured.The remaining subordinates struggled against puppet sword attacks,watching Su Xin with fear,none daring to make a move.
Finally,Xie Zhiyan absorbed all the sword intent from the sword beads.Su Xin signaled to her,and they turned and left.Xiao Moyun and the others didn't dare to say a word.
After leaving the burial site,Su Xin discarded the Panlong staff.Without the"Skyward Strike,"it was just a useless item.
Su Xin's complexion was slightly pale.The"Skyward Strike"had drained seventy percent of his internal energy.The consumption was far from ordinary.
After walking for a considerable distance,Xie Zhiyan looked at Su Xin with curiosity."You indeed have many secrets on you.It seems you haven't learned staff techniques,but the momentum of the staff strike you just displayed,both in terms of power and even surpassing the'Great Mighty Demon-Suppressing Staff'of the Shaolin Monastery's Vinaya Hall."
Before Su Xin could respond,Xie Zhiyan continued,"Everyone has their secrets;it's normal.Thank you today.If you hadn't stopped them,they would never have allowed me to absorb the sword intent so smoothly."
Su Xin smiled and said,"No need for thanks.You helped me a lot back in Changning Prefecture.I should be the one thanking you."
"With the matters in Southern Hunan resolved,are you planning to go to the Central Plains?"Xie Zhiyan asked.
Su Xin nodded,saying,"Shangguan Yanqing has become a laughingstock.They won't dare to play any games of internal strife anymore.I'm planning to head directly to the Central Plains."
Xie Zhiyan's expression turned serious."If you're going to the Central Plains,be cautious of one person.Killing one of Shangguan Yanqing's subordinates this time has brought you some trouble."
