Who Can Withstand Dao Twelve's Blade?

Squelch! Accompanied by a bloodcurdling scream from Chen Lei, the blade light tore into his flesh. The indignation, terror, and fury in Chen Lei's eyes seemed to freeze all at once. His body was cleft in twain in an instant, collapsing to the ground with a dull thud. Silence fell. The atmosphere seemed to turn frigid in an instant. Across the wide street, many long-renowned martial artists, even figures of great fame, were stricken with horror. Deep down, they could not help but tremble. Dead. Broadsword Chen Lei was actually dead! One had to remember that as arrogant, wild, and unrestrained as Chen Lei had just been, even he had failed to kill Ning Donghe. Before this, Divine Strength Realm martial artists had certainly perished, but never this swiftly, and never one at Chen Lei's level. This was the Hundred Tripods Realm! Chen Lei was an expert of the Heavy Sword Sect in the Hundred Tripods Realm! And now, he had died to a single strike. Even his corpse had been sheared in two. Not a whole corpse remained! "How is this possible? Broadsword Chen Lei was an expert among the Hundred Tripods Realm. Who could cut him down in a single blow? Could it be that Dao Twelve is a supreme expert of the Thousand Tripods Realm?" "No, not the Thousand Tripods Realm! In all of Zhanhai City, every Thousand Tripods Realm expert has a known name and guards their own territory. How could one be deployed so casually? If my eyes didn't deceive me, that strike from Dao Twelve must have contained a martial conception." "A martial conception?" In an instant, many discerning martial artists grasped the likely reason. A martial conception! Dao Twelve had comprehended a martial conception! In truth, their intelligence was slightly behind. When Dao Twelve fought Lu Jianming of Suspended Sword Villa at the Heavenly Maiden Sect, both sides had clashed directly, pitting their martial conceptions against one another. Yet these people actually had no idea? Still, Lu Changsheng soon understood. The Heavenly Maiden Sect had surely suppressed the news on purpose. With the sect's methods, locking down such information for a few days posed no difficulty at all. "Too weak!" Lu Changsheng shook his head. This Broadsword Chen Lei seemed to have quite a reputation, but his true strength was likely inferior even to Daoist Thousand Hands and Liu Tieta. At best, he was merely on their level. With Lu Changsheng's current Three Transformations of the Divine Dragon combined with the Ocean Wave Conception, and striking by surprise to boot, slaying his opponent in a single move was only natural. The Heavy Sword Sect had more than just Chen Lei present. A total of four Divine Strength Realm martial artists had come on this outing. Yet seeing Dao Twelve cut down Chen Lei in a single slash, the remaining three grew hesitant. In competing for the Yunying ore mother, one could bide their time and await an opportunity. However, pressing forward knowing it was certain death would be sheer stupidity! "What a Dao Twelve." "We of the Heavy Sword Sect will remember this." "Go!" The remaining three Heavy Sword Sect martial artists gathered up the two halves of Chen Lei's corpse and vanished without a trace in short order. The Heavy Sword Sect had retreated! Lu Changsheng made no move to stop them. He had descended the mountain to seize the Yunying ore mother, not to go on a killing spree. So long as they did not obstruct him from taking the Yunying ore mother to the Shangyuan Daoist Sanctuary, he would pay them no heed. Indeed, Lu Changsheng had no intention of fleeing with the Yunying ore mother; he intended to proceed straight to the Shangyuan Daoist Sanctuary. "Dao Twelve... To think the current Heavenly Maiden of the Heavenly Maiden Sect actually managed to find a master of your caliber." "Comprehending a martial conception is indeed extraordinary." "However, if you think that killing Chen Lei alone is enough to take the Yunying ore mother away, aren't you underestimating the rest of us a bit too much?" At that moment, an old man carrying a wine gourd emerged. The old man was short in stature, wearing an expensive long robe that looked utterly comical and ill-fitting on him. Coupled with a red, bulbous drinker's nose, he looked completely absurd from any angle. Yet the moment he appeared, the surrounding martial artists shifted their gazes slightly, an unusual gleam flashing in their eyes. Evidently, this man was a formidable expert! In truth, if all these Divine Strength Realm martial artists swarmed him together, Lu Changsheng would certainly be unable to hold them off even with his full might. However, that was impossible. After all, these Divine Strength Realm martial artists did not belong to the same faction; how could they possibly join forces? Even members of the same faction might harbor their own private schemes. Joining hands? Completely out of the question! At such a juncture, only those top experts whose strength stood head and shoulders above the rest could step forward. Evidently, this red-nosed old man was far from ordinary. "Who are you?" Lu Changsheng asked. The old man popped the stopper from the wine gourd, took a swig, and chuckled. "How interesting. In Zhanhai City, very few people fail to recognize this old man." "I am Zhao Lun!" Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes slightly. He knew of him. Known as the "Drunken Hermit" Zhao Lun. His strength had earned him fame across the Jianghu long ago, and he had already been a Hundred Tripods Realm expert twenty years prior. To what profound height his realm had advanced by now, no one knew for certain. Still, Lu Changsheng did not care who the man was. Since he had appeared to block the way, there was nothing more to say—drawing his blade was the only response. Clang! The next instant, Lu Changsheng drew his blade from its sheath. It was another sweep of crimson blade light, churning with the sound of surging ocean waves as it swept toward Zhao Lun with grand and sweeping momentum. A sharp light flashed in Zhao Lun's eyes. He opened his mouth and spat. Pfft! A spray of wine shot from his mouth, spreading out like a sheet of water. In midair, it violently collided with Lu Changsheng's crimson blade light. Boom! A loud roar echoed in everyone's ears. A trace of surprise flickered in Lu Changsheng's eyes as well. He had not expected Zhao Lun to truly live up to his reputation. Under a great name, there were no hollow fighters. Zhao Lun, too, had comprehended a martial conception. Moreover, his martial conception was dignified and upright, connected to water. Yet it was defensive in nature. It stood at the complete opposite extreme from Lu Changsheng's Ocean Wave Conception. "This old man hasn't raised a hand in a long time. Weapons became useless to me ages ago, but my bare-handed skills haven't gone slack." Zhao Lun threw a punch. Boom, boom, boom, boom! Countless fist shadows manifested in the air within an instant, dense and packed together, making it impossible to distinguish the real from the illusory. Furthermore, every single one radiated terrifying might. Innumerable fist shadows surged toward Lu Changsheng, blotting out the sky. Each punch carried tremendous momentum, as if shaking the very air. Of course, Lu Changsheng knew that shaking the void itself was impossible; at most, it could agitate his own qi and blood. Clearly, Zhao Lun's strength was truly formidable, no weaker than Lu Jianming's had been back then. A top expert of such long-standing renown, not far from the Thousand Tripods Realm, was genuinely not to be underestimated. "Which of these fist shadows are real, and which are fake?" "Is this the might of an older-generation top expert in the Divine Strength Realm? It's simply terrifying!" "Zhao Lun hasn't made a move in ages, yet the moment he does, it's earth-shattering." "A young junior like Dao Twelve may possess extraordinary talent, but to surpass older-generation powerhouses like Zhao Lun, he still falls considerably short." Many spectators were shaken to the core. One truly could not underestimate these old fellows. Though they might appear inactive in the Jianghu for years, when the time came to fight in earnest, they pulled no punches whatsoever. "These fist shadows... are all real!" With a single glance, Lu Changsheng saw through the true nature of Zhao Lun's fist technique. So many fist shadows were not illusions; every single one was real. Each strike packed terrifying force. If struck directly, even the body of a Divine Strength Realm martial artist could hardly survive unscathed. However, when it came to expending raw power, Lu Changsheng feared no one! Besides, Lu Changsheng could not be bothered to wage a war of attrition with Zhao Lun. If the Ocean Wave Conception was not enough, then he would simply add another! "Zhao Lun, you are old!" "When one is old, one should enjoy their twilight years in peace instead of fighting and killing in the Jianghu!" "Decades of your bitter cultivation cannot withstand this single strike of mine!" Lu Changsheng's voice rang out from within the sky of fist shadows. The next instant, Lu Changsheng unleashed another slash. This strike was earth-shattering. The surrounding sky seemed to dim slightly. Everyone snapped their heads upward, staring into the air, staring at Lu Changsheng's blade strike. What did they "see"? Every martial artist in the Divine Strength Realm seemed to "see" that, with the release of that strike, the entire world above Lu Changsheng's head transformed into a vast, empty starry sky. And within that starry sky hung a three-thousand-foot waterfall, rumbling with thunderous roars that resounded through the celestial expanse. Flying waters cascade three thousand feet, as if the Silver River were falling from the ninth heaven! With this single strike, Lu Changsheng unleashed a starry sky waterfall! A martial conception! A second martial conception: the Starry Sky Waterfall Conception! It was as though a waterfall had plunged down from tens of thousands of feet in the air. How terrifying was the force it carried? Zhao Lun did not doubt for a moment that when this blade fell, his fist shadows would be instantly annihilated. He might even die! "Two martial conceptions... Such brilliant, peerless talent..." Zhao Lun could not help but feel profound horror in his heart. He had practiced martial arts for decades to comprehend a single martial conception. That was already his limit. Yet what of Dao Twelve? He had actually comprehended two martial conceptions, each more formidable than the last. This second martial conception focused on explosive power and raw force, possessing offensive might far greater than the Ocean Wave Conception. Caught off guard, he could not block it! However, just as the sky of fist shadows was on the verge of being shattered by Lu Changsheng's blade, and the Starry Sky Waterfall Conception was about to carry the blade light to slay Zhao Lun in a single strike, an unexpected change suddenly occurred! Whoosh! A glint of silver light, veiled by the night, seemed utterly inconspicuous. Yet Lu Changsheng noticed it at once. "Hmm?" Lu Changsheng whipped his head around. Yet the silver light had already reached him. It was a man in black holding a short sword. The sharp tip of the short sword pointed straight at Lu Changsheng's heart. Nothing about the black-clad man appeared unusual in any way. Only a white, human-face mask gave him an eerie look. Yet such an unremarkable person had seized the perfect moment, striking abruptly only after Lu Changsheng had unleashed two martial conceptions and virtually committed his full strength. Such timing was swift, precise, and ruthless. This was a born assassin! "What?" "A sneak attack, timed so perfectly?" "That mask... Could it be the Nether Swordsman?" "Yes, it must be him! Superb assassination swordplay, plain and unremarkable attire, striking swift, precise, and ruthless for a guaranteed kill every time—it's definitely him!" "Rumor has it that the Nether Swordsman never draws his sword in vain, and whenever he strikes, his target is sure to die. To think he would make his move right now. He truly picked the perfect moment; Dao Twelve is in trouble." Many martial artists recognized the masked man in black. The Nether Swordsman! No one knew the Nether Swordsman's true name. Yet without question, he enjoyed immense renown across the Jianghu. Though no one had ever seen his true face, the Nether Swordsman had struck on numerous occasions. Moreover, the targets he assassinated were almost always Divine Strength Realm martial artists, and he had never once failed! In truth, even Zhao Lun was astonished. He did not know the Nether Swordsman at all, nor had they shared any prior connection. Evidently, the Nether Swordsman had not acted for Zhao Lun's sake, but solely to deliver a lethal blow, thoroughly slaying Dao Twelve to seize the Yunying ore mother from his corpse. For a moment, Zhao Lun felt a strange sensation in his chest. To think that after roaming the Jianghu for decades, he was now forced into an unspoken alliance to deal with a young junior. At this hairsbreadth moment, Lu Changsheng showed not the slightest panic. He did not even make any attempt to dodge. Instead, he locked his gaze firmly onto the Nether Swordsman. "What an exquisite path of assassination." "Swift, precise, and ruthless—far superior to what I was capable of back then." Lu Changsheng recalled the Instant Kill Technique he had once created; compared to this assassin Nether Swordsman's methods, it was indeed much cruder. In such a predicament, even an expert of the Thousand Tripods Realm would surely meet their doom. What was more, Lu Changsheng was not even a Thousand Tripods Realm martial artist. "Lin! Bing!" The next instant, Lu Changsheng uttered a soft shout. Boom! That shout resonated like a great bronze bell, reverberating in the ears of both the Nether Swordsman and Zhao Lun in an instant. Yes, not only the Nether Swordsman, but Zhao Lun as well. Lu Changsheng had unleashed the Nine-Word Mantra Secret Method twice in succession, targeting both Zhao Lun and the Nether Swordsman simultaneously. The short sword in the Nether Swordsman's hand trembled faintly. One could see that he wanted to struggle. Yet it was useless. The Nether Swordsman seemed to freeze in place. Holding his sword aloft, he could not advance a single inch further. Zhao Lun was the same; his mind went completely blank, his spirit and his qi and blood violently shaken, leaving him entirely unable to move. Given their willpower, qi and blood, and physical constitutions, even the Nine-Word Mantra Secret Method could not hold them for long. Zhao Lun in particular possessed a martial conception. However, with Lu Changsheng suppressing him using two martial conceptions, Zhao Lun's conception was rendered largely ineffective. Nor did the Nine-Word Mantra Secret Method need to hold them for long. Half a breath, or even a single instant, was more than enough. In a clash between masters, victory and defeat were often decided in that very blink of an eye! "Slash!" The blade in Lu Changsheng's hands slashed out fiercely to the left and right in two distinct arcs. Rip! This time, the blade light met no further unexpected interference. The Nether Swordsman's neck was severed in an instant, his head tumbling to the ground. Zhao Lun also clutched his neck tightly. Though his head did not fall, blood spurted outward; clearly, he too would not survive. Thud, thud. Both corpses collapsed to the ground. Dead! In the span of a lightning spark, before many had even clearly seen or understood what had happened, the battle had already concluded. Yet the ones who died were not Dao Twelve, but Zhao Lun and the Nether Swordsman! Lu Changsheng paid no attention to what face lay beneath the Nether Swordsman's mask. Regardless of how he looked, he was now nothing more than a cold corpse. Step by step, Lu Changsheng walked forward. He paused briefly beside Zhao Lun's corpse, but shook his head and continued on. In the Jianghu, one was not always master of their own fate. Regardless of age, whether a revered senior or a rising junior. Once one entered the Jianghu, if their strength was lacking, this outcome was inevitable. Step by step, Lu Changsheng continued toward the Shangyuan Daoist Sanctuary. Whomever his gaze swept over retreated immediately, their eyes harboring faint dread and astonishment. Just look at the two corpses on the ground. Zhao Lun and the Nether Swordsman. And Chen Lei, who had been carried away earlier by the Heavy Sword Sect. Which of them was not a figure of illustrious renown? And the result? All dead! Even the unspoken combination of the Nether Swordsman and Zhao Lun had been cut down by Dao Twelve. Who else would dare step forward to bar Dao Twelve's path? "The Yunying ore mother is right here." "Who else wants it?" "Withstand the blade in my hand, and the Yunying ore mother is yours!" Lu Changsheng stood with blade in hand. Not a single drop of blood stained the weapon or his garments, yet he radiated an overwhelming, terrifying killing intent and sheer overbearing dominance. At this moment, no one doubted Dao Twelve's words. Withstand Dao Twelve's blade, and one could obtain the Yunying ore mother. Yet who dared claim they could withstand Dao Twelve's blade?