Chapter 735: Secret Information
Chapter 735: Secret Information
Even if Xiao Chen only used half his strength, he could easily kill these two. As the Azure Dragon image moved up and down, he caught up immediately.
Not bothering to say anything, he infused his pure lightning-attributed Quintessence into his saber and immediately killed one of the two scouts with one blow.
The electricity in the saber blade blasted the blood on it into a red mist. The mist hung in the air and lingered, turning the place red. Xiao Chen squinted slightly, his eyes piercing through the red mist, and gave chase to the other person.
When the remaining scout heard the blood-curdling scream of his companion, he immediately paled. His partner had died in an instant. Whom exactly had the Clan Head sent them to follow?
“Azure Dragon Tail Whip!”
A strong wind blew, and Xiao Chen’s body moved in an arc, passing over a stand of tall trees. Then, with a ‘sou’ sound, he arrived before that other scout.
That person ran swiftly, but Xiao Chen casually sent out a kick containing five hundred tons of force. Everywhere his foot passed, space trembled.
“Bang!”
Xiao Chen’s kick landed on that scout’s chest at lightning speed, breaking all the ribs. The force surged wildly through the scout’s body, rupturing all the internal organs.
The scout vomited a mouthful of blood and went flying back with an agonized expression. He crashed heavily into a tall tree and vomited more blood.
Xiao Chen sheathed his saber and walked over calmly. As he approached the scout, the scout’s eyes filled with despair and pain.
“Let me ask you a question. If you want to live, tell me the truth,” Xiao Chen said in a cool tone as he looked at the scout. He did not show any trace of emotion.
The immense strength that could break the scout easily and the incredibly sharp aura made him panic; he did not dare to resist.
The scout slumped against the tree and asked in a quivering voice, “What’s the question?”
Xiao Chen gave the scout a cold look before saying, “Tell me all the information you have on the thousand-year-old White Nascent Fruit.”
The scout froze for a moment. Evidently intending to feign ignorance, he said, “I don’t—”
“Bang!”
Before the scout finished his sentence, Xiao Chen landed another kick on his chest. The immense force shattered the tree behind the scout, and he flew further back.
After the scout hit the ground, he rolled over continuously. At this moment, his internal organs were all severely damaged and his ribs all broken. His complexion took on a deathly hue, his face completely devoid of blood.
Xiao Chen stepped forward and said calmly, “Even if you don’t say anything, I can obtain the information from someone else. I’ll ask you one last time, are you speaking or not?”
Seeing that Xiao Chen was decisive, the scout stared at him in horror and anguish.
The scout no longer dared to delay. He blurted out, “I’ll speak! I’ll speak! I’ll say everything. Just don’t kill me.”
After hearing the scout’s information, Xiao Chen gained a complete understanding of the situation.
The thousand-year-old White Nascent Fruit required another seven days to ripen fully. This ripening time was the reason why the two clans were in no rush to make a move. The White Nascent Fruit also had a Rank 9 Spirit Beast guarding it. When it reached maturity, it would attract even more, stronger Spirit Beasts over.
“Give Situ Lei a message for me. Tell him that he is untrustworthy and I am furious!”
After saying this last sentence, Xiao Chen gently pushed off the ground and quickly left this place.
Are you not afraid of him revealing anything? Are you really letting him go?
Ao Jiao felt his action was strange. By letting this person return, Situ Lei would learn that Xiao Chen had taken an interest in that thousand-year-old White Nascent Fruit, which would cause trouble for Xiao Chen.
Xiao Chen maintained a calm expression as he smiled. Since I made the promise, there is no need to kill him. Furthermore, letting him return alive might even help me. Situ Lei is an old and cunning man. He is extremely cautious. This matter concerns the survival of his clan, so he would be even more careful.
Xiao Chen had already heard the location of the thousand-year-old White Nascent Fruit from that Situ Clan scout. It was at a small mound near the Savage Beast Forest.
Without having to think much, Xiao Chen could guess that this mound had many cultivators from the Situ and Liu Clans. It would not be wise to go there at this moment.
Anyway, he still had another seven days before the thousand-year-old White Nascent Fruit was ripe. There was no need to rush.
Xiao Chen thought to himself for a while before taking out the painting of the Azure Emperor from the Universe Ring. Then he slowly unfurled it. Once completely opened, it floated up in front of him.
When used in actual combat, the Azure Emperor’s Drawing the Saber displayed extraordinary might. Xiao Chen had experienced this for himself. Furthermore, he had only just scratched the surface of it. Given the combat prowess it showed now, if he could further hone his mastery of it, it would be even more impressive.
Hence, Xiao Chen’s interest in this mysterious painting increased all the more.
He took a deep breath and gazed at the person portrayed.
The person in the painting wore Azure Dragon combat robes. His long hair was loose, and he looked very handsome. If others saw this portrait, they would discover that this person resembled Xiao Chen.
However, that pair of eyes gave the impression of having seen great changes, appearing very ancient. It was not known how much experience and how many years had to accumulate before a youth could gain such an impenetrable gaze.
“Xiu!”
Suddenly, the person in the painting moved, and a saber light flashed. However, one could not tell if the saber moved first or the person moved first.
Xiao Chen had seen the trajectory of this attack before. Although he could not see the Azure Emperor clearly, he could rely on a vague instinct and quickly drew his saber to block.
To others, Xiao Chen did not move; it was like he had become a statue at this moment.
However, for Xiao Chen, his spirit underwent an intense confrontation. This battle in his mind was even more challenging than the one with Bai Wuxue, draining his spirit at an even faster pace.
Ten seconds later, Xiao Chen paled and took ten steps back. Only after a long time did the horror in his eyes slowly fade.
“Ten seconds. I finally endured thirty-two attacks and discovered another two directions that the saber can come from.”
Xiao Chen furled the painting and closed his eyes. Then he started to comprehend that intense battle he had in his mind.
As time crept by, Xiao Chen placed his hand on the saber hilt at his waist at some point, assuming a strange stance.
In Xiao Chen’s imagination, figures leaped out from his body, heading for the towering trees in front.
All sorts of scenes appeared in his mind’s eye as saber lights danced. Electric light spread everywhere, and each figure used a different trajectory for Drawing the Saber.
The trees all split in half in Xiao Chen’s imagination. Leaves scattered everywhere and flew off on the strong wind.
When the thirty-fourth person leaped out, Xiao Chen’s eyes opened as well. His aura merged with his surroundings.
Although he clearly only had one pair of eyes, he locked down on thirty-four trees in front of him.
“Xiu!”
Obeying the feeling in his heart, Xiao Chen drew the saber in his hand naturally. A dazzling and resplendent saber light appeared in the dark night, turning it as bright as day.
“Ka ca! Ka ca!”
The thirty-four trees in front instantly snapped into two. Rows of trees toppled with a ‘rumble.’ The heights of the remaining stumps all varied, none the same.
When Xiao Chen saw this scene, his face lit up in joy despite himself. It turned out that the saber could be drawn like that.
If it were merely splitting saber Qi into thirty-four portions at the instant of drawing the saber, such a difficult feat was still possible for an expert bladesman of the younger generation.
However, for every strand of saber Qi to have a different trajectory, position, and force, no one—aside from the true masters of the art—would be able to do so.
“First Young Master, there is some commotion over there! Let’s go and take a look.”
Suddenly, Xiao Chen’s sharp ears picked up some footsteps and the voices of people. He could not help but frown slightly.
When Xiao Chen checked with his Spiritual Sense, he discovered eight Liu Clan Superior Grade Martial Monarchs three kilometers away, led by a young man and heading to this place.
Saber lights danced wildly, shattering all the trees in front into splinters. After Xiao Chen erased the marks of his training, he leaped into the air and withdrew his aura, hiding in a nearby tree.
“Dong! Dong! Dong!”
The footsteps drew nearer, and Liu Enze’s group appeared where Xiao Chen had practiced.
Liu Enze looked around casually. Upon seeing the trees chopped to the point where they were unrecognizable, he closed his eyes and felt the remnant lightning-attributed Quintessence in the air.
After a while, he opened his eyes and said, “Look around. This Quintessence is similar to our target’s. They are both lightning-attributed bladesmen. After discovering him, sound the alarm.”
The one-armed black-clad swordsman followed beside Liu Enze, not leaving with the rest. He had not been particularly strong in the first place. Now that he had lost an arm, his combat prowess fell sharply.
The purpose of Liu Enze in bringing him was to help identify their target and avoid getting the wrong person.
Liu Enze held his sword and asked interestedly, “Liu Hua, how strong exactly is that white-robed bladesman? Tell me objectively.”
Hatred flashed in Liu Hua’s eyes as he recalled how Xiao Chen attacked. Then he lost control of his expression, a look of horror appearing on his face.
“Very strong. Although his cultivation is not high, his Saber Technique was extremely odd. I’m sure I judged the trajectory of his saber correctly. But when he got near, my sword struck only air.”
Liu Enze’s lips curled up in a smile as he said, “He changed his move at the last moment? Looks like this is a bladesman with sharp eyes and fast attack speed.”
When Liu Hua heard this, he hesitated briefly before saying, “First Young Master, his attack was indeed swift. However, this subordinate feels that he did not change his move at the last moment.”
Liu Enze’s expression froze for a moment. Then he said with a confused tone, “Since you already judged the trajectory of his attack and he did not change his move at the last moment, logically speaking, you should have blocked his blade.”
Liu Hua could tell that Liu Enze suspected he had misjudged the strike or fallen for a feint. Liu Hua quickly denied that, saying, “First Young Master, I guarantee that my judgment then was correct.”
Liu Enze glanced at Liu Hua’s missing arm and smiled in disdain. He did not say anything more.
“Sou! Sou! Sou!”
After coming up empty, the eight Superior Grade Martial Monarchs who went to search returned quickly and landed before Liu Enze.
“Reporting to First Young Master, we did not find that person,” the black-clad cultivators all said in unison as they looked at Liu Enze, displaying their absolute loyalty. These should be the deathsworn warriors trained by the Liu Clan.
Hidden inside a large tree, Xiao Chen released his bated breath in relief.
He did not fear these eight people. However, he worried that after being discovered, he would have to expose his strength, resulting in the Liu Clan’s people targeting him before the White Nascent Fruit was ripe.
Liu Enze said doubtfully, “He did not even leave a single trace?”
“He left no trace whatsoever. We did not find anything at all.”
When Liu Enze heard this, he laughed loudly. He said, “How could he not leave a single trace? Even if he heard our footsteps and left in advance, he would definitely leave some traces in his hurry.”