NOVEL NEXT Chapter 183 – One Strikes, The Other Endures
“Listen up, members of the Dark Heaven Sect!” Yu Shenzi’s voice boomed across the field. “The remains of Jing Ke were bestowed upon our sect by Emperor Qin Shi Huang himself. They are our private property."
"Our sect firmly believes that private property is sacred and inviolable. We advise you to abandon your futile fantasies and accept reality. Our two sects have been neighbors for a thousand years. We should strive for harmony and goodwill, not resort to violence.”
Yu Shenzi’s words, though delivered like a memorized script, were surprisingly coherent. The phrase "private property is sacred and inviolable" almost made Fan Li wonder if the sect leader was also a transmigrator.
“Excuse me,” Fan Li said, slipping a few more spirit stones to the Azure Cloud Sect disciple beside him. “Jing Ke has been dead for over a thousand years. Why do you still keep his remains? Why not return them to the Dark Heaven Sect and foster a peaceful relationship?”
The disciple shook his head resolutely. “Absolutely not!”
He glanced at Fan Li with a disdainful expression, as if to say: “You outsider, you understand nothing.”
“The remains of Jing Ke are incredibly valuable. We cannot simply give them up!”
Fan Li was truly baffled.
“Who was Jing Ke? The greatest swordsman of the pre-Qin era! In his time, Emperor Qin Shi Huang had achieved supreme power, becoming the most powerful man in the mortal realm and on the verge of unifying the land. Without a certain degree of confidence, knowing the immense strength of Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s protective spiritual energy and countless protective treasures, would Jing Ke have dared to make an attempt on his life?"
"Although he ultimately failed, in the art of assassination, Jing Ke had no equal. Our sect keeps his remains in the hopes of uncovering the secrets he possessed.”
So that was it.
Fan Li’s expression shifted, reflecting a newfound understanding of the Azure Cloud Sect.
These individuals, regardless of their personal ethics, were a group of passionate researchers. They reveled in the process of research and the joy of scientific breakthroughs.
Beyond that, they didn’t seem particularly cunning or secretive. Otherwise, how could an ordinary disciple know such a significant secret as the possession of Jing Ke’s remains? And how could he reveal it so readily to Fan Li?
“The Azure Cloud Sect is like a research institution, and studying Jing Ke’s remains is their flagship project.”
As Fan Li contemplated this, the standoff at the mountain gate finally erupted into chaos. The ensuing battle was surprisingly captivating.
The Dark Heaven Sect, led by their leader Jing Wudi, struck first. Each member, armed with a dagger, moved with incredible speed, their attacks swift as lightning. The Azure Cloud Sect disciples were clearly outmatched in terms of agility. In the initial clash, over a hundred of them were wounded.
Even Yu Shenzi, facing Jing Wudi, was struck twice by the daggers.
“Azure Cloud Scripture!” Yu Shenzi yelled. “Life Unending!”
A green aura enveloped him, and his vitality increased. In an instant, the wounds inflicted by Jing Wudi’s daggers began to heal at a visible pace.
The disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect, also bathed in green light, rapidly recovered from their injuries.
“Hmph!” Jing Wudi glared contemptuously. “Same old trick! I’d like to see if you can heal faster than I can kill!”
Unfazed, Yu Shenzi retorted, “Let’s find out! I may not be able to defeat you, but I can certainly outlast you!”
Fan Li rolled his eyes.
Incredible!
It seemed the Azure Cloud Sect, despite being a medical cultivation sect, wasn’t particularly adept at fighting.
He had been observing for some time and noticed a pattern: the Dark Heaven Sect attacked, and the Azure Cloud Sect healed.
Despite the back-and-forth, no one had died.
“Hmph, we are the victors once again,” the disciple beside Fan Li declared smugly.
Fan Li raised an eyebrow. “How can you tell?”
The disciple pointed to the group of Dark Heaven Sect members.
“Look closely. They’re sweating profusely, clearly showing signs of exhaustion. The Dark Heaven Sect cultivates the art of stealth and assassination. Their attacks are fierce and swift, but they lack endurance. They cannot sustain a prolonged battle.”
He then proudly described the condition of the Azure Cloud Sect members.
“Now look at my master and Senior Brother Ling Xiao. They are full of energy and fighting with ease. They could withstand the Dark Heaven Sect’s attacks for two or three more days.”
Fan Li was speechless.
They were on the defensive the entire time, yet they spoke with such pride?
But resilience was indeed a skill.
Fan Li had witnessed something truly extraordinary. He noticed that while the Dark Heaven Sect’s overall cultivation level wasn’t high, their combat prowess was formidable.
Their leader, Jing Wudi, who seemed to be at the peak of the ninth rank of the Divine Transformation realm, had repeatedly wounded Yu Shenzi, who was at the first rank of the Unity realm.
Even the disciples of the Dark Heaven Sect, though weaker in cultivation than their Azure Cloud Sect counterparts, had dominated the fight.
“So, you wait until the Dark Heaven Sect’s spiritual energy is exhausted, then you counterattack?” Lu Fubao asked, unable to contain her curiosity.
“Counterattack?” the Azure Cloud Sect disciple scratched his head. “Why would we counterattack? We simply endure until their spiritual energy is depleted, and they retreat on their own.”
Lu Fubao’s eyes widened.
“No counterattack? So you just let them attack you for hours?”
The disciple blushed. “Our… our sect… isn’t… isn’t good at fighting.”
Fan Li almost burst out laughing.
He couldn’t imagine a group of doctors, clad in sterile gowns and wielding scalpels, engaging in a brawl.
Another question, however, surfaced in his mind.
The Dark Heaven Sect… they were surprisingly weak. Were these truly the descendants of Jing Ke, the greatest swordsman in history?
Their leader, Jing Wudi, was only at the ninth rank of the Divine Transformation realm. Was he truly that weak?
As he observed the battle more closely, he made a new discovery.
He had witnessed Great Vehicle realm battles on multiple occasions. Though his own cultivation was weak, his experience had given him a discerning eye.
To his astonishment, Fan Li realized that Jing Wudi, in his sporadic attacks, unleashed a terrifying amount of power.
Someone like Master Yichuan, who had recently entered the Unity realm, might be instantly killed by Jing Wudi.
The battle gradually drew to a close. Even Fan Li could see that both sides had reached their limit.
The Dark Heaven Sect’s members were nearing exhaustion, their spiritual energy depleted. Their hands trembled as they struggled to wield their spiritual daggers.
“Retreat, disciples of the Dark Heaven Sect! Yu Shenzi, this isn’t over! I, Jing Wudi, will not rest until I reclaim the remains of my ancestor!” Jing Wudi bellowed.
He led the seven hundred disciples of the Dark Heaven Sect in a swift retreat, vanishing into the vast mountains.
“Ptui!” Yu Shenzi spat on the ground. “Shameless Jing Wudi, trying to claim Jing Ke for himself! He can wait until he reaches the Unity realm before challenging me!”
After a few more curses, he finally noticed Fan Li’s presence. He quickly stopped himself and resumed his air of a wise and knowledgeable expert.
“A minor inconvenience, young friend Fan Li. I apologize for making you witness this spectacle.”
Fan Li gestured to the Azure Cloud Sect disciples, many of whom were wounded.
“They’ll be fine. It’s just external and poison injuries. Easily treated,” Yu Shenzi said dismissively.
“Poison injuries?” Fan Li asked in surprise.
“Of course,” Yu Shenzi replied, offering an example. “When Jing Ke attempted to assassinate Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the dagger he used, known as Lady Xu’s Dagger, was coated in poison.”
Yu Shenzi glanced around, noticing that the battle had caused some damage to the landscape surrounding their mountain gate. He felt a pang of heartache. Repairing the damage would be a significant expense.
Thankfully, he had Fan Li.
He stared at him, thinking to himself, ‘Repairing the mountain gate… we’ll rely on this fat sheep…’
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