As he released his art, waves of intense pain immediately surged through him, especially from his shoulders where the two ice spikes had pierced through.
Xu Yuan's body had taken on certain characteristics of an aberrant ghost, but it was not a true aberrant ghost physique after all. Relying on the black death creep to forcefully bond his wounds together had only been a temporary stopgap. With the creep receding, blood seeped from his wounds once more, and the mutual repulsion between the creep and his flesh sent an excruciating, itching sting spreading through him.
Exhaling a soft breath of turbid air, Xu Yuan looked around at his surroundings.
The neat, level ridges between the fields under the moonlit night were nowhere to be seen. Destruction and ruin stretched as far as the eye could see, where the catastrophic aftershocks of battle had gouged countless pools of standing water across the earth.
However, the vast majority of this was the fallout from the clash between Xu Changge and Huron. The only devastation caused by Xu Yuan and Orenli was the scorched crater beneath his feet, spanning a radius of a hundred zhang.
Whoosh—
At the bottom of the scorched crater, accompanied by the rustle of fluttering robes, Xu Changge landed nonchalantly beside Xu Yuan. Glancing over Xu Yuan's injuries, he gave a faint grunt.
"You did better than I anticipated."
"Naturally."
Xu Yuan wanted to shrug, but the sharp pain from his shoulders immediately made him abandon the habitual gesture. Instead, he chided with amusement, "Still, Xu Changge, do you even realize how strong that woman was? That final spell of hers packed power on par with an ordinary Origin Realm cultivator."
Hearing this deft switch in how he was addressed, a trace of amusement flickered in Xu Changge's eyes.
"Yet you won, didn't you?"
Saying so, he glanced at Orenli lying unconscious on the ground.
"I did indeed misjudge her strength, but as long as she was wary of me, she would never dare go all out."
"..." Xu Yuan.
He wanted to fire back with a retort, but when the words reached his lips, Xu Yuan merely gave a soft sigh.
On this matter, he had little right to blame Xu Changge.
Had Xu Changge not served as a "strategic nuclear deterrent" that prevented Orenli from unleashing her full might and forced her to fight with her hands tied, winning on his own would have been practically impossible.
Of course, if Xu Changge hadn't insisted on teaching him a lesson, this whole ordeal would have ended long ago.
While thinking this over, Xu Yuan saw Xu Changge glide past him and stop before Orenli.
A little surprised, Xu Yuan asked, "What are you looking at?"
Xu Changge looked down at the foreign woman on the ground, who bore no external injuries aside from the swelling on her face. With a crisp hum, his sword slowly slid from its sheath.
"Changtian, why do you think this imperial princess of Sien was reduced to such a state?"
"?"
Xu Yuan watched Xu Changge's actions with some confusion and reminded him, "Hey, what are you doing? I still need to hand this woman over to Li Junqing later."
Xu Changge paid no heed to Xu Yuan's words, continuing in an unhurried, steady tone:
"I am asking you a question: why did this imperial princess of Sien lose?"
Xu Yuan clicked his tongue softly and answered honestly, "She got greedy."
"Yes, greedy."
Xu Changge lowered his slender eyes, gazing at the woman's flawless face with a hint of disdain.
"She clearly possessed the strength to threaten me, yet she held back out of fear, lacking the nerve to stake everything on a single gamble."
Xu Yuan's brow twitched slightly.
"Are you saying you might have lost if you faced her?"
Xu Changge glanced back at Xu Yuan, his blade tracing a cold flash in the air as he said leisurely:
"Changtian, your elder brother is strong, but not invincible.
"Any Origin Realm cultivator in this world is capable of killing me. While the chances are slim, the possibility is never zero, and this imperial princess of Sien naturally had a chance to defeat me as well."
Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, then asked with a smile, "Why bring all this up out of the blue? If there's something you want to say, why not just say it?"
Xu Changge pointed the tip of his blade downward toward Orenli.
"I wish to say that you and this imperial princess of Sien are actually the same kind of person.
"Both of you prefer to look before you leap, planning everything out before taking action. Whether beforehand or during the aftermath, your first instinct is always to construct contingency plans in your mind, then use all manner of means to guide your enemies into the traps of your design, maximizing your gains."
As he spoke, Xu Changge's gaze toward Orenli on the ground carried a trace of a sigh.
"Yet you should also understand that the changes of this world will always move a step faster than any plan. You cannot wait until you are cornered into utter desperation to summon the resolve to risk it all. By the time you actually want to put everything on the line, it might already be too late."
Staring at the sword's edge, Xu Yuan frowned and countered:
"Xu Changge, I've faced far more danger than you know, yet I've survived every time. You and I simply have different ways of handling things; neither is inherently superior.
"Besides, Father has always planned before acting as well."
Xu Changge shook his head, the unsheathed blade in his hand reflecting a cold glint under the moonlight.
"Father's planning is different from yours. Nor am I dismissing your approach; I say this only to tell you that sometimes, you must have the decisive resolve to burn your boats and commit completely. Otherwise..."
At this point,
Xu Changge's blade suddenly thrust toward Orenli lying flat on the ground.
Before the chill of the blade could even register, the sword had struck.
"..."
Without a sound, the bloodless blade pierced straight through Orenli's fair, slender wrist and embedded itself into the soil, bright red blood dripping down her pale skin.
And then,
Xu Changge slowly turned his gaze back, his eyes carrying a complex warning:
"...Otherwise, the imperial princess of Sien today will be you tomorrow."
"..."
Silence fell over the bottom of the scorched crater. Xu Yuan shifted his gaze from the blade to Orenli's delicate hand.
Because her wrist had been impaled by the sword, her palm—which had remained tightly clenched even in unconsciousness—lightly fell open.
And upon that palm quietly lay a pitch-black gemstone pendant bordered in gold wire.
In the silence,
Xu Changge bent over and picked up the pendant from Orenli's hand, holding it open before his eyes.
Suspended from a gold chain, the pitch-black gemstone swayed gently.
Frowning, Xu Yuan extended his spiritual vision toward the gemstone pendant.
Unexpectedly, his spiritual vision detected nothing of the pendant itself, perceiving only the slender gold chain dangling from Xu Changge's fingertips.
Everything around the gemstone—be it light or aura—was swallowed whole by it.
"What is this?" Xu Yuan asked with a frown.
Xu Changge withdrew his blade and shook his head slightly as he examined the pendant.
"Not sure, but it's likely her ultimate trump card."
Saying this,
Xu Changge's lips curved into a subtle arc, and he glanced sideways at Xu Yuan with a relaxed smile.
"Changtian, the spell Orenli used to instantly annihilate your willow forest was not her true limit, and she still held this gemstone as a life-saving card. Yet before she could use any of it, she fell by your hand. Don't you find that ironic?"
"..."
A silence followed. Xu Yuan silently produced the willow ghost blade and gave it a gentle wave toward Orenli.
At his motion, rustling sounds arose beneath the scorched ground where Orenli's slender, graceful frame lay. Four sharp willow vines burst through the earth, piercing straight through the tendons of her wrists and ankles.
The baleful aura of a yin ghost flooded into her body, causing the unconscious Orenli to furrow her brows in reflex.
Having secured this extra layer of insurance, Xu Yuan gave Xu Changge a nod.
"Fine. I'll keep that in mind in the future."
With that, Xu Yuan held out an open palm toward Xu Changge, signaling him to hand over the pendant.
Xu Changge glanced at his hand, unmoving.
Xu Yuan's brow furrowed.
Unhurriedly, Xu Changge tucked the gemstone pendant into his robe.
Seeing this, Xu Yuan completely lost his composure.
"Hey, that thing is mine—"
"If not for your elder brother, you wouldn't have noticed it at all."
"I'm the one who defeated Orenli."
"Without your elder brother, you'd already be dead."
"You're really not giving it to me?"
"I'm merely keeping it safe for you."
"..."
"..."
"Xu Changge, you moth—"
Thud!
A muffled impact cut his words short. Xu Yuan flew backward through the air, rolling over a dozen zhang across the bottom of the scorched crater before finally grinding to a halt.
Enduring the throbbing pain in his shoulders, Xu Yuan scrambled somewhat awkwardly back to his feet. He gripped the willow ghost blade more tightly, baleful qi trailing off it, and glared sullenly at Xu Changge not far away.
Under the moonlight, the two brothers stood facing each other with drawn blades.
After a moment of staring, Xu Changge suddenly sheathed his sword, asking in a gentle, polite tone:
"Changtian, what were you saying just now?"
"..."
Seeing Xu Changge sheath his blade, Xu Yuan immediately put away the willow ghost blade and cleared his throat.
"Mother used to say that elder brothers should yield to their younger siblings."
Xu Changge's eye twitched.
"Don't you know full well who Mother was talking to back then? Weren't you the one always picking on Xinyao?"
"..." Xu Yuan.
Looking slightly sheepish, Xu Yuan gave a dry cough and muttered under his breath, "Well, Mother also said brothers should live in harmony. Whenever there's a disagreement, we shouldn't fight—we should be reasonable."
Xu Changge drew a deep breath and sneered.
"And aren't I being reasonable with you right now?"
As he spoke,
Xu Changge brandished the sheathed sword in his hand under Xu Yuan's gaze, then said with earnest solemnity:
"The effects of this pendant are unknown, and your cultivation is insufficient. Carrying it is far too dangerous, so your brother will hold onto it for you. Do you have a problem with that?"
"..."
Xu Yuan tilted his head up toward the sky, choosing silence.
Xu Changge let out a cold snort and murmured, "Since there are no objections, that settles it. Earlier, I unleashed our uncle's sword technique; anyone capable of sensing it wouldn't dare meddle, but this place is quite close to Di'an City. Accidents could happen, so let's prepare to lea—"
"There won't be any accidents tonight," Xu Yuan suddenly interrupted.
Xu Changge paused in his tracks, his brow knitting slightly. "What?"
Xu Yuan jutted his chin toward the empty air behind Xu Changge.
"Look."
"..."
Xu Changge turned around in silence. As far as the eye could see, a figure clad in robes whiter than snow stood quietly in the moonlit sky.
Looking down at the scarred and devastated earth below, Feng Jiuxuan took in everything in the vicinity before slowly descending toward the two brothers.
Watching the snow-robed Sword Saint draw closer, Xu Yuan averted his eyes and stood rooted in place, while Xu Changge bowed with great respect.
"Uncle."
"..."
Landing before them, Feng Jiuxuan gave a slight nod, looked around, and asked with mild interest:
"What are you two brothers doing here tonight?"
Without the slightest hesitation, Xu Changge replied directly:
"Changtian stirred up trouble outside and couldn't resolve it himself."
Hearing this, Feng Jiuxuan's distant-mountain-like brows furrowed at once. He glanced at his third nephew, who was staring up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, and asked Xu Changge:
"Then what are you doing here?"
Xu Changge looked at Xu Yuan as well, letting out a soft, helpless sigh:
"Changtian once again threatened to die to force me here to wipe his ass..."
"Xu Changge, I'm warning you—don't slander me!"
With two sword-sharp gazes boring into him, Xu Yuan panicked instantly.
Although Uncle had only beaten him twice in his entire life, what if tonight became the third?
If Xu Changge had said this to their old man, it wouldn't have been an issue, because their father would ask for the reasons first. But Uncle had no patience for such details.
Xu Yuan glared at Xu Changge, speaking rapidly:
"What do you mean 'threatened to die'? I merely informed you! You're clearly the one who chose to follow!"
Xu Changge's calm expression did not waver in the slightest, long accustomed to his third brother's shamelessness. A cool smile curled on his lips.
"Then you certainly were confident, Changtian—confident enough to attempt slaying two Origin-level powerhouses while only in the Body Integration Realm."
"What does a martial brute who only relies on his cultivation know?!"
Xu Yuan proclaimed loudly with a clear conscience, "Everything I did tonight was for the Prime Minister's Manor, for Great Yan!"
At those words, Xu Changge's grip on his sword tightened instantly, his gaze turning eager for a fight.
"What did you just say?"
"..."
Facing off, Xu Yuan did not yield an inch, stepping toward Xu Changge until he had maneuvered Feng Jiuxuan between them, before continuing:
"I said, you cultivation-dependent martial brute—"
"Enough."
Feng Jiuxuan spoke up, breaking up the brothers' squabble with a helpless, gentle smile. "The matter is settled; the process no longer matters."
With that, Feng Jiuxuan's gaze swept over Orenli on the ground, finally resting on Xu Changge's slightly tattered green robes and the scabbed wounds beneath.
"Changge, were these two foreigners strong?"
Hearing the question, Xu Changge tore his gaze away from Xu Yuan and replied:
"These wounds were sustained when I suppressed my cultivation to give Changtian a demonstration. Still, the strength of these two Sienese was indeed decent, especially this woman."
A hint of surprise flickered in Feng Jiuxuan's eyes. He examined the unconscious Orenli:
"A mortal body, is it? It seems to be another path of cultivation entirely distinct from our Great Yan. Judging by the devastation wrought here, her power is indeed extraordinary."
Xu Changge shook his head, gesturing with his sword toward the massive scorched crater:
"The power of this spell likely didn't even reach half of her ultimate killer move."
Hearing that, interest instantly flared in Feng Jiuxuan's eyes. He murmured softly:
"If that was merely half her strength, then from the perspective of the Origin Realm, this woman could already be called invincible among her peers. A pity her physical body is too fragile; in the end, she can never truly reach the pinnacle."
"Uncle, Xu Changge is lying to you,"
Xu Yuan suddenly chimed in. "He has a pendant tucked in his robes right now. Make him take it out and show you—that was the woman's true final trump card."
If you won't let me have it, neither of us gets it.
"..." Xu Changge.
Feng Jiuxuan turned his gaze back.
Xu Changge sighed and cleanly pulled the pendant from his chest, handing it over to Feng Jiuxuan.
"I originally intended to hand this pendant over to the Gewu Academy once we returned to the manor. Uncle, you might as well take a look at it first. If you recognize it, that will save us quite some trouble."
"..."
Clasping the pendant in his palm, Feng Jiuxuan's eyes narrowed bit by bit as starlight-like flecks of saint origin drifted into the air.
After gazing at it in silence for several breaths, Feng Jiuxuan took a deep breath, his tone laced with incredulity:
"Is this... a Boundary Void Stone?"
"..."
The moment he heard "Boundary Void Stone," Xu Yuan froze as well, looking back toward Orenli with astonishment.
Seeing their reactions, Xu Changge hesitated slightly.
"Uncle, what is a Boundary Void Stone?"
"A teleportation array."
Before Feng Jiuxuan could speak, Xu Yuan answered, his voice carrying a note of excitement:
"Xu Changge,
"a Boundary Void Stone is the only material capable of supporting a teleportation array."
Chapter 495