Three horsemen broke away from the main force, charging straight toward Wang Yu.
Looking at the third man who had spoken, Wang Yu raised an eyebrow. "It's him?"
The rider was none other than the flower thief who had waylaid Miss Shuixian of Caifeng Pavilion and ambushed Meng Zixiao when Wang Yu was returning from the Zhenxi Horse Ranch. Afterward, he had appeared once more when Wang Yu encountered the Song siblings.
Wang Yu had assumed he was truly a flower thief, never imagining he possessed another identity altogether.
A realization dawned upon him. "He's Meng Zixiao's senior brother? He's also under the Cripple of Heaven and Flaw of Earth? Were they putting on an act back then?"
While Wang Yu focused on this so-called flower thief, Li Yunxiu observed the other two. Peering closely, she was visibly startled. "It's Yao Changgeng!"
Yao Changgeng, the foremost disciple of Shi Mo, the supreme expert of the Black Qiang, cultivated the White Bone Heaven Burial Method and wielded a pair of iron claws. He was said to have thoroughly inherited Shi Mo's true teachings and possessed seventy percent of his master's prowess.
Though that claim was likely exaggerated, it spoke volumes of Yao Changgeng's formidable strength. Crucially, he was also a Xiantian master!
Ma Bojun caught sight of him as well. His expression altered sharply, and he immediately wheeled his mount to turn back. However, he had already plunged deep into the enemy ranks. Hemmed in on all sides by opposing cavalry galloping against him, breaking free would take considerable effort.
Clang!
Yao Changgeng clashed his refined iron claws together with a crisp ring and let out a hearty laugh. "Prince of Zhenxi, Yao has come in person to invite you to stay in Mobei for a while!"
To Yao Changgeng's left was his fourth junior brother, Mu Yachi. Standing nine chi tall, he gripped a pair of iron maces as large as adult fists. Bloodthirsty eyes gleamed as he sneered at the two beauties flanking Wang Yu.
The last of the trio was Zhao Guizhou, who had traveled to the Black Qiang tribe to provide clues regarding the Loulan treasure. Relying on his Xingxiu Sea heritage, he had secured an audience with Shi Mo and enlisted a thousand-man cavalry unit. The Black Qiang would claim the treasure, and he would have his vengeance.
Both Mu Yachi and Zhao Guizhou hailed from renowned lineages and were first-rate experts.
Li Yunxiu urged Wang Yu anxiously, "Quick, go!"
Wang Yu shook his head. "Too late."
Since ancient times, those who fled could never outrun those who gave chase. Out on this boundless Gobi Desert, how could they possibly outstrip their pursuers?
Zhao Shan and Zhao He spurred their horses forward alongside ten princely guards, ready to lay down their lives.
The corner of Yao Changgeng's mouth curved, while Mu Yachi broke into a savage grin. Naturally, neither of them spared a second glance for ten mere guards.
In a flash, the three riders scaled the low sand dune, closing the distance to less than thirty zhang.
Yao Changgeng vaulted from his saddle. Gliding forward faster than a galloping stallion, the refined iron claws in his hands radiated a biting chill. With every sweep, they seemed to conjure the shrill wails of living souls and the shrieks of specters.
Before Zhao Shan and Zhao He could even strike, their minds were shaken to the core. It felt as if a colossal phantom had surged into being before them; a single glance nearly shattered their resolve.
Li Yunxiu pinched three gold needles between her fingers, her gaze locked firmly on Yao Changgeng.
Just then, Qianqian glanced back at Wang Yu. She saw that he was staring at Yao Changgeng as well, entirely undaunted by the man's overwhelming aura. If anything, an itch to test himself flickered in his eyes.
"Brother Yu, you aren't thinking of taking on Yao Changgeng, are you?" Qianqian asked.
"A mere barbarian from Mobei learns a smattering of Central Plains martial arts and thinks he owns the sky." The corner of Wang Yu's mouth lifted. Circulating his inner qi, he braced himself for battle.
Although Yao Changgeng was a Xiantian expert, that did not grant him absolute invincibility.
The jianghu was replete with tales of Houtian fighters defying the odds against Xiantian masters—whether by relying on decades of deep inner strength, the extraordinary talent of youthful prodigies, or the clever use of timing and terrain.
Having been cleansed by a second Snow Lotus Jade Marrow Pill, Wang Yu had attained the fifth realm of Flowing Fire Reflection. With inner strength that harmonized ice and fire, the quality of his qi was already on par with an ordinary Xiantian master. Supported by his perfected Swallow Carrying Spring and flawless Seven Forms of the Setting Sun, his inner strength, lightness skills, and swordsmanship had all reached the pinnacle of his current stage. Testing himself against a Xiantian master was hardly impossible.
Qianqian had previously probed Wang Yu's inner strength and knew his martial arts were formidable, but she had never expected him to possess enough confidence to duel a Xiantian expert. She had assumed he would ask her for help.
Watching his composed expression and the sharp glint in his eyes, Qianqian knew Wang Yu was not putting on an act. She understood the pride of young prodigies all too well, for she was one herself.
At that thought, Qianqian giggled softly. "Brother Yu, you had better think about how to explain things to Meng Zixiao's senior brother first. Miss Meng died in your courtyard, after all."
Wang Yu's eyes widened. Before he could speak, Qianqian drifted forward like a feather. Her movement appeared gentle yet was deceptively swift. With a single light tap against the ground, she vaulted past Zhao Shan and Zhao He to meet Yao Changgeng.
Yao Changgeng's eyes flashed with a sharp gleam. Thrusting an iron claw forward, he slashed toward Qianqian's shoulder.
Qianqian flicked a long sleeve. A tremendous force surged from her garment, slamming into Yao Changgeng's iron claw and knocking it completely off course. His eyelid twitched, and he darted obliquely to the side.
Yet the moment he leaped a zhang away, another force seized him, dragging him in the opposite direction.
"What technique is this?" Yao Changgeng was thoroughly startled, instantly realizing that Qianqian was also a Xiantian master.
"Those iron claws of yours look terrifying. Would you mind putting them away?" Qianqian giggled playfully as she swept past him. With another wave of her sleeves, she drew the newly arrived Mu Yachi into the fray as well.
Mu Yachi's martial arts lagged far behind Yao Changgeng's. In just a single encounter with Qianqian, he found himself enveloped by swirling gusts of qi. Four or five competing forces yanked at him simultaneously, making it difficult even to keep his footing.
"Break!" Mu Yachi bellowed in rage, smashing his iron mace toward Qianqian. But with a single sweep of her long sleeve, the weapon was wrenched from his grip, flying through the air and crashing down ten zhang away.
In the next breath, the fluttering sleeve drifted with the wind. A fair, jade-like hand emerged halfway from within, striking straight toward the crown of Mu Yachi's head.
"Demonic woman, halt!" Yao Changgeng roared. Circulating his White Bone true qi to steady his frame, he lunged to Mu Yachi's side and hooked his iron claw toward Qianqian's arm.
"How did you know I'm a demonic woman?" Qianqian smiled radiantly. Her sleeves unfurled five chi into the air. Seemingly weightless and pliable, they nonetheless trapped Yao Changgeng's iron claws within their fold, leaving him unable to exert his strength.
Zhao Shan and Zhao He pulled up their horses, watching in stunned silence as Qianqian single-handedly ensnared both Yao Changgeng and Mu Yachi, besieging two formidable opponents at once and treating them like toys.
Zhao Guizhou witnessed this as well, yet he made no move to assist Yao Changgeng. Instead, darting and weaving in a sudden burst of movement, he bypassed Zhao Shan and the others to pounce directly toward Wang Yu.
Whoosh—
A sharp hiss pierced the air as three gold needles shot forth like streaks of light.
With a flick of both hands, Zhao Guizhou caught all three needles in his palms and sneered, "The Female Top Scholar's renown shakes the realm, yet your martial arts are quite ordinary."
Li Yunxiu gave a cold humph. "The Star-Plucking Hand?"
"Indeed! 'One hand plucks stars to tame sun and moon; eight steps chase light to fix the celestial spheres!'" Zhao Guizhou shouted. Leaping from his mount, he crossed the intervening space in eight rapid strides, arriving right before Li Yunxiu and Wang Yu.
Years ago, Old Man Xingxiu's name had echoed across the jianghu. His self-created All Streams Returning to the Source was a supreme manual coveted even by the Demonic Cult. Unfortunately, his two disciples were dull-witted and incapable of mastering it.
Yet Old Man Xingxiu was truly a once-in-a-century prodigy of the martial world. Not only could he create such an extraordinary art, but he could also distill and simplify it. Upon realizing his disciples' shortcomings, he condensed the first half of All Streams Returning to the Source and passed it down to them. Though inferior to the complete text, it still provided a foundation capable of reaching the Xiantian realm.
As for martial techniques, Old Man Xingxiu tailored his teachings to their natural aptitudes. Zhaixingzi excelled at palm strikes and grappling, while Zhuixingzi was skilled in lightness techniques and footwork. Thus, he created the Star-Plucking Hand and the Star-Chasing Steps, instructing them separately.
Thanks to these arts, Zhaixingzi and Zhuixingzi broke through to the Xiantian realm and earned the title of the Twin Stars of the Xingxiu Sea. A verse in the jianghu sang their praises:
One hand plucks stars to tame sun and moon,
Eight steps chase light to fix the celestial spheres!
Regrettably, their fame drew the greed of Zhao Zheng. In a single battle, one lost an arm and the other a leg, after which they vanished into obscurity without a trace.
Of course, being Old Man Xingxiu's disciples, they still possessed the ultimate trump card bestowed by their master. The joint technique unleashed by the two was something even Zhao Zheng, who had already become a martial Grandmaster, struggled to withstand. Although he seized All Streams Returning to the Source, he was virtually crippled in the aftermath.
From that point on, Zhao Zheng sent his son to the capital as a hostage and refrained from fighting for ten years. The Prince of Zhenxi's Manor declined from its zenith, stepping back from the martial world.
This was also because the foundation of the Prince of Zhenxi's Manor was too shallow, and Zhao Zheng had been reckless and overly arrogant. Otherwise, if even the Demonic Cult coveted that divine manual, why hadn't they targeted Zhaixingzi and Zhuixingzi themselves?
Returning to the present, the Star-Plucking Hand was one of the world's premier hand arts, encompassing fist and palm strikes, grappling, and catching concealed weapons. That was precisely why Zhao Guizhou had so effortlessly intercepted Li Yunxiu's gold needles.
"Zhao Yu! Give me your life!"
Zhao Guizhou bellowed, his figure flashing toward Wang Yu like lightning. As he spread his hands, they seemed capable of plucking stars and clutching the moon, creating an oppressive pressure that hemmed Wang Yu in, as if intending to crush him with a single grip.
A look of vengeful ecstasy already surfaced in Zhao Guizhou's eyes.
Yet in the next heartbeat, a flash of sword light illuminated his vision.
Only an instant later did the sharp ring of a drawn blade reach his ears.
The draw of his opponent's sword was faster than sound!
Zhao Guizhou's pupils constricted. Before him lay a lingering expanse of golden clouds, where a solitary wild goose spread its wings and took flight, evoking an atmosphere of refined melancholy.
Clang!
Zhao Guizhou flicked a finger, striking the flat of Wang Yu's sword with pinpoint precision before floating backward.
"Fine technique!" Wang Yu murmured as he felt a shuddering tremor travel up the blade. With a gentle flick of his wrist, he dispersed the impact.
"What sword art is this? Didn't Zhao Zheng use a saber?" Zhao Guizhou asked harshly, his heart pounding in alarm as he touched down.
Wang Yu leveled his sword across his chest. "These are the Seven Forms of the Setting Sun, created by my late father. I would welcome your guidance, sir."
Zhao Guizhou scoffed. "If Zhao Zheng had any real skill, he wouldn't have stolen my sect's secret manual!"
Wang Yu smiled faintly. "It's a pity your masters weren't worthy of Old Man Xingxiu's legacy. I imagine your Star-Plucking Hand is an incomplete version as well. What a shame."
Zhao Guizhou snapped furiously, "As expected, all of you are just as unreasonable!"
At that point, Zhao Guizhou's eyes reddened once more. "Is my junior sister already dead?"
Wang Yu raised an eyebrow, tilting his sword diagonally. "Please!"
Chapter 64