Realizing something was wrong, Elniel quickly overcame her shyness. Glancing toward the door, she asked Zhang Wen, “It’s not Kai and Si? Then who is it?”
“It should be someone looking for me.” Zhang Wen replied with a bitter smile. “Elniel, the truth is, the troubles I carry are no fewer than those of your Kentucky Clan. So, whether I’m helping you or dragging you down by joining forces with your clan—I really don’t know.”
“That doesn’t matter! I firmly believe you are the one destined to lead our Kentucky Clan to revival. No matter what trouble you face, I will always stand by your side!” Elniel declared resolutely.
“Oh? So in the end, you’re staying with me only because I’m the legendary one?” Zhang Wen asked, his expression showing disappointment.
“Ah? No… of course not… Even if you weren’t that person, I… I would still… But…” Zhang Wen’s teasing once again left Elniel flustered and at a loss. Finally, she suddenly threw her arms around him and kissed him passionately.
“Alright, alright, I was just joking. Don’t take it so seriously. You know, a woman who takes everything too seriously will age quickly!” Zhang Wen couldn’t help but laugh as he playfully pinched Elniel’s nose, then stood up.
Boom!
The door to Elniel’s room exploded into countless splinters, which flew into the room like a blizzard.
Zhang Wen, who had just stood upright, activated his Spring Water Technique completely. With a flick of the bedsheet he grabbed, he deflected a wave of flying debris, which scattered in front of the bed.
“Hmph!” Zhang Wen coldly snorted, tossing aside the shredded bedsheet pierced by countless splinters, his eyes locking onto the gaping doorway.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Slow, deliberate applause echoed through the room as two men, one tall and one short, both clad in black cloaks, stepped in from the doorway.
“Haha! Impressive, truly impressive! You really are the former Lord of the Southern Border, the Ruby Serpent Andrei Stein. Even without the Silver Dragon Krasu, you still stir up storms and command power.”
“Oh? You seem to know quite a bit about me,” Zhang Wen said, his lips already curling into a smile as soon as the man finished speaking.
“Of course,” the short man in the black cloak replied confidently.
“Well then, I won’t argue whether your intelligence is accurate or not. Anyway, since you’re here to kill me, I won’t bother asking about your origins—it’s a waste of breath. Before we start fighting, I just have one question: Did you take Laila?”
“Haha! You yourself know we won’t tell you who we are. So, do you really think we’d tell you about Laila?” The short man laughed heartily.
“Oh! Thank you! Haha!” Zhang Wen laughed in turn. “With that one sentence, I’m reassured. Laila must indeed be in your hands.”
“How did you—ugh!” The short man had barely begun to roar in anger before realizing his slip-up, hastily covering his mouth.
“Pfft!” Even Elniel behind Zhang Wen couldn’t help but giggle.
“Haha! I really wonder what kind of idiotic master would send out such idiotic subordinates,” Zhang Wen laughed, shaking his head.
“Damn you!” The short man’s eyes blazed with fury.
“Calm down!” The tall man in the black cloak finally spoke. He cast a sinister glance at Zhang Wen and coldly said to his companion, “What difference does it make if they know? They’ll both be corpses soon anyway.”
Realizing something was amiss, Iniel quickly shed her shyness. She glanced toward the door and asked Zhang Wen, “It’s not Kai and Si? Then who is it?”
“It should be someone here for me,” Zhang Wen replied with a bitter smile. “Iniel, to be honest, the troubles I carry are no less than those of your Kentucky clan. So, I’m not sure if joining forces with your clan is helping you or harming you.”
“It’s fine! I firmly believe you are the one who can lead our Kentucky clan to revival. No matter what troubles you face, I’ll stand by you!” Iniel declared resolutely.
“Oh? So, in the end, it’s because I’m the legendary figure that you’re with me?” Zhang Wen’s face showed a hint of disappointment.
“Ah? That’s… that’s not it… Even if you weren’t that person, I… I would still… but…” Zhang Wen’s teasing left Iniel flustered. Finally, she suddenly hugged Zhang Wen and planted a kiss on him.
“Alright, alright, I was just joking. Don’t take it so seriously. Women who are too serious age quickly!” Zhang Wen, having successfully coaxed a kiss from the beauty, couldn’t help but laugh. He playfully flicked Iniel’s nose and then stood up.
Boom!
The door to Iniel’s room shattered in an explosion. Countless wood splinters, like a blizzard, swept into the room.
Zhang Wen, who had just stood up, activated his Spring Water Technique to its fullest. He casually grabbed a bedsheet and swung it repeatedly, blocking the splinters, which fell in front of the bed.
“Hmph!” Zhang Wen snorted coldly, tossing aside the bedsheet now riddled with holes from the splinters. His gaze fixed on the now-open doorway.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Amid slow, deliberate applause, two men—one tall and one short, both cloaked in black—stepped into the room.
“Heh! Impressive, impressive! As expected of the former ruler of the Southern Realm, the Ruby Serpent, Andre Stein. Even without the Silver Dragon Clasus, you can still stir up storms and chaos,” the shorter cloaked man said with a carefree smile.
“Oh? You’ve done your homework on me,” Zhang Wen remarked, his lips curling into a smirk as the man finished speaking.
“Of course,” the shorter man replied confidently.
“Anyway, I won’t argue about the accuracy of your intel. Since you’re here to kill me, I won’t waste time asking about your origins or other nonsense. You wouldn’t tell me anyway. Before we start, I just have one question: Did you take Lelia?”
“Ha! You already know we won’t reveal our origins. Do you think we’d tell you about Lelia?” The shorter man burst into laughter.
“Oh! Thank you! Haha!” Zhang Wen laughed heartily. “With that, I’m reassured. Lelia is indeed in your hands.”
“How did you—ugh!” The shorter man, halfway through his angry retort, realized he’d slipped up and quickly covered his mouth.
“Pfft!” Even Iniel, standing behind Zhang Wen, couldn’t help but laugh.
“Haha! I wonder what kind of foolish master would send such foolish subordinates like you,” Zhang Wen said, shaking his head with a laugh.
“Bastard!” The shorter man’s eyes seemed to burn with fury.
“Calm down!” The taller cloaked man finally spoke. He gave Zhang Wen a sinister glance and coldly said to his companion, “What does it matter if they know? They’ll be dead soon anyway.”
“Is that so? Who lives and who dies isn’t certain yet,” Zhang Wen said with a faint smile, drawing the Nian Steel from his waist. In the next moment, a familiar three-foot-long sword appeared in his right hand.
“Heh! You’re straightforward. I like that. For that, we’ll leave you a whole corpse,” the taller man sneered. Both he and his shorter companion suddenly produced broad-bladed swords in their hands.
“Enough talk. The noise from blasting the door might attract attention. If Hassan’s men show up, it could cause unnecessary trouble,” the shorter man said, moving a few steps to the left, subtly blocking Zhang Wen’s escape route through the window.
As the shorter man took his position, the broad-bladed swords in the hands of both cloaked men erupted with dazzling white flames. At the same time, a mist-like combat aura—a hallmark of all Saint-level martial artists—appeared around them.
However, facing two Saint-level assassins didn’t faze Zhang Wen. What truly surprised him was the faint mist that appeared around the two men’s combat auras, resembling the fog that forms when opening a box of ice cream on a summer day.
Simultaneously, the temperature in Iniel’s room plummeted.
“This… this is…” Iniel, seeing the white mist enveloping the two men, suddenly recalled something.
“Oh? I didn’t expect someone in the remote Southern Realm to recognize this,” the shorter man said with a smug smile. “Ah! I almost forgot. You’re the wise one of the Kentucky clan. No wonder you know its origin. Heh! You’re right. This sword is made from the Kentucky planet’s specialty, the Emerald Star Stone. It was specially prepared for you.”
As he spoke the last word, the combat auras around the two men flashed, and they simultaneously lunged at Zhang Wen from both sides, delivering the first strike of the battle!
If it were an ordinary Imperial martial artist, even one several times stronger than Zhang Wen, they might have been overwhelmed by the coordinated attack of the two cloaked men.
However, Zhang Wen’s Spring Water Technique was precisely the martial art most suited for fighting multiple opponents. The two cloaked men attacking him simultaneously played right into his hands!
Clang!
Zhang Wen’s sword drew a graceful arc, meeting the taller man’s blade.
While the two cloaked men had been talking, Zhang Wen had carefully observed his opponents. He noticed that the taller man was slightly stronger than his shorter companion. Thus, Zhang Wen chose him as his first target for counterattack.
Zhang Wen had used the Spring Water Technique countless times, both in practice and in real combat. When his sword met the taller man’s so-called Emerald Star Stone sword, he felt no difference from usual. So, without hesitation, Zhang Wen flicked his sword upward, attempting to disrupt the taller man’s balance.
However, the moment Zhang Wen exerted force, the taller man’s broad-bladed sword seemed to stick to his own, causing Zhang Wen’s movement to falter!
Though it was only a brief moment, the slight disruption was enough to affect the effectiveness of Zhang Wen’s technique. The taller man sneered, suddenly exerting force and breaking free from Zhang Wen’s control.
At the same time, the shorter man’s sword nearly grazed Zhang Wen’s left side!
The Spring Water Technique had failed!
“Zhang Wen! Watch out!” Iniel’s anxious voice reached Zhang Wen’s ears.
But Zhang Wen had no time to be surprised. He gritted his teeth, and his combat energy erupted in an instant.
Sss! Even with his Ghost Step fully activated, Zhang Wen’s combat suit was slashed by the shorter man’s sword. A trace of blood even appeared on the blade’s tip.
“Heh! Mr. Zhang Wen, you should feel honored. Our investigation into you goes far beyond what you know! The reason you’ve been able to outmaneuver opponents several times stronger than you, even Saint-level experts, is because of this sword technique, isn’t it?” the taller man said, maintaining his attack on Zhang Wen while laughing loudly.
Meanwhile, the shorter man, who had just struck Zhang Wen, sneered and stepped aside, positioning himself between Iniel and Zhang Wen! Clearly, if Iniel made any move to assist Zhang Wen, she would face a thunderous, fatal strike from the shorter man!
Clang!
Zhang Wen’s sword met the taller man’s blade once more. At the same moment, the shorter man thrust his sword at Zhang Wen from another angle.
“Tch!” Zhang Wen had no choice but to fully activate his Ghost Step again to evade the shorter man’s attack. However, the consecutive bursts of combat energy were rapidly draining him.
“What? Already running out of steam?” the taller man continued, trying to shake Zhang Wen’s confidence. “Andre Stein, your audacity to appear within the Empire relies solely on this speed-enhancing technique and your swordsmanship! Unfortunately, we’ve thoroughly investigated the weaknesses of both! Your speed technique, while formidable, consumes a massive amount of combat energy. As for your swordsmanship…”
Here, the taller man sneered.
“Though we don’t know where you learned this technique, it’s a pity that this inferior ‘inherited swordsmanship’ of yours is utterly ineffective against us! If it were the Royal Princess wielding the true ‘inherited swordsmanship,’ she might catch us off guard. But with your shoddy imitation, facing our Emerald Star Stone swords at their full power, your only path is defeat!”
As he spoke the last word, the taller man unleashed his strongest strike yet at Zhang Wen.
The Emerald Star Stone sword suddenly blazed with cold light, and the room’s temperature seemed to drop further.
“Be careful! The Emerald Star Stone sword can alter the nature of combat energy! Their strength is now nearly on par with Transcendent-level experts!” Iniel shouted anxiously, blocked by the shorter man.
Iniel knew their goal was to kill Zhang Wen first, then deal with her. That’s why the shorter man only positioned himself between her and Zhang Wen, not actively attacking her.
But in this situation, Iniel couldn’t impulsively join the fight. If she didn’t intervene, the shorter man would still have to divert half his attention to her. If she did join, she’d likely be defeated in a few moves, becoming a burden to Zhang Wen rather than a help.
So, Iniel could only assist Zhang Wen in her own way.
“Oh! Thanks,” Zhang Wen said with a strange smile as the taller man’s full-force strike came down. He loudly acknowledged Iniel’s warning, then twisted his wrist, meeting the taller man’s attack with his sword.
Boom!
A small vortex of energy exploded between the blades, but Zhang Wen’s sword showed no sign of weakening, instantly locking with the taller man’s blade.
“Hmph! Think you’re clever?” The taller man wasn’t fazed by Zhang Wen’s move; instead, he sneered coldly.
In the next moment, the taller man’s Emerald Star Stone sword was once again enveloped in a thick layer of cold energy. Even the point where the two blades met froze into a small ice column, locking the swords together.
“Tch!” Zhang Wen frowned deeply.
This wasn’t the first time Zhang Wen had encountered a change in the nature of combat energy. Back in the Sandra Forest, when he fought Wang, Wang’s combat energy had a strong repelling force. Despite Zhang Wen’s best efforts, he could only minimally affect Wang.
Now, the combat energy of the two cloaked men, while not as formidable as Wang’s, was enough to prevent Zhang Wen’s Spring Water Technique from reaching its full potential.
Of course, if Zhang Wen were only facing the taller man, even with an incomplete Spring Water Technique, he could slowly wear him down. But now, Zhang Wen had to contend with both opponents.
Boom!
The taller man seized the moment when their swords were frozen together, unleashing a burst of combat energy to clash with Zhang Wen.
The shockwave from their collision sent both men flying backward. However, a shadowy figure silently appeared on Zhang Wen’s retreat path, thrusting a sword at him.
“Watch out!” Iniel shouted, firing a mental bullet to slightly disrupt the shorter man’s attack.
Zhang Wen took the opportunity to activate his Ghost Step again, retreating to the center of the room. The four in the room returned to their initial positions.
“Huh?” At that moment, a surprised gasp came from outside the door.
“Who’s there?” All four turned to see Ge Luo standing at the doorway, his face filled with astonishment.
“Heh! You’re decisive! I like decisive people. For that, we’ll even leave you with a complete corpse,” the tall man sneered. He and his short companion each suddenly produced a broadsword, the blades glowing with a dazzling white flame. At the same time, a misty battle aura, typical of Saint-ranked martial artists, appeared around their bodies.
However, facing an assassination attempt by two Saint-ranked experts did not surprise Zhang Wen. What truly shocked him was that, as the two cloaked men poured their battle energy into their weapons, in addition to their usual battle auras, a thin mist—like the vapor that rises when opening a container of ice cream on a hot summer day—also appeared around their bodies.
At the same time, the temperature in Elniel’s room dropped sharply.
“This… this is…” Elniel suddenly recalled something as she stared at the white mist surrounding the attackers.
“Oh? I didn’t expect anyone in this remote Southern Border to recognize it,” the short man in the black cloak laughed smugly. “Oh, I almost forgot—you’re a wise one from the Kentucky Clan. No wonder you know its origin. Hehe! You guessed right. This is a sword made from your Kentucky planet’s specialty—Emerald Stone. It was specially prepared for you.”
At the moment the last word was spoken, the battle auras of the two cloaked men flared, and they simultaneously lunged at Zhang Wen from opposite sides with their first strike!
If it were an ordinary Imperial martial artist—even one whose strength surpassed Zhang Wen’s by several times—he would likely panic when facing the coordinated attacks of two Saint-ranked martial artists.
However, Zhang Wen’s Spring Water Technique was precisely the martial art best suited for fighting multiple opponents! The two cloaked men attacking together was exactly what Zhang Wen had hoped for!
Clang!
Zhang Wen drew his sword, gracefully tracing an arc and meeting the tall man’s blade on the right.
While the two cloaked men were talking, Zhang Wen had carefully observed his opponents. He noticed that the tall man on the right was slightly stronger than his short companion. Therefore, Zhang Wen chose him as his first target!
Zhang Wen was extremely familiar with the Spring Water sword techniques, having practiced and used them countless times in battle. As his blade met the so-called Emerald Stone sword in the tall man’s hand, he felt nothing unusual. Thus, he proceeded as usual, lifting his sword upward to try to disrupt the tall man’s balance.
However, at that very moment, the wide blade in the cloaked man’s hand seemed to stick to Zhang Wen’s sword, causing his movement to falter!
Although only for a brief moment, this slight change was enough to affect the effectiveness of Zhang Wen’s technique. The tall man sneered coldly, suddenly exerting force and pulling his broadsword free from Zhang Wen’s control!
At the same time, the short man’s strike was already nearly touching Zhang Wen’s left ribs!
The Spring Water sword technique had failed!
“Zhang Wen! Watch out!” Elniel’s anxious cry reached Zhang Wen’s ears.
Zhang Wen had no time to be surprised. He gritted his teeth and unleashed his battle energy.
Sszz! Zhang Wen activated his Ghost Step, yet the short man’s blade still sliced through his combat suit. Worse, the tip of the short man’s sword left a streak of blood on Zhang Wen’s body.
“Hehe! Mr. Zhang, you should feel honored. Our investigation of you goes far beyond what you know! The reason you can, with merely the strength of a tenth-tier warrior, constantly frustrate opponents far stronger than you—even leaving Saint-ranked experts helpless—is precisely because of this swordplay, isn’t it?” The tall man laughed loudly as he kept up his assault.
Meanwhile, the short man who had just wounded Zhang Wen smirked and stepped aside, carefully positioning himself between Elniel and Zhang Wen while keeping his eyes on Zhang Wen’s movements. There was no doubt that if Elniel made any move to help Zhang Wen, the short man would unleash a thunderous, deadly strike!
Clang!
Zhang Wen’s sword met the tall cloaked man’s blade again. At the moment their swords clashed, the short man suddenly struck from another angle.
“Tsk!” Zhang Wen had no choice but to activate his Ghost Step again, dodging the short man’s attack. However, the two consecutive bursts of battle energy quickly drained Zhang Wen’s reserves.
“What’s the matter? Already out of steam?” The tall man continued with taunting words. “Andrei Stein, the only reason you dare to appear within the Empire is precisely because of this speed-enhancing technique and your swordplay! Unfortunately, we’ve thoroughly uncovered the weaknesses of both your techniques! While your speed-boosting technique is indeed powerful, it consumes massive amounts of battle energy. As for your swordplay…”
Here, the tall man sneered again.
“Although we don’t know where you learned this swordplay, unfortunately, your inferior copy of the ‘Inherited Sword Art’ is completely ineffective against us! If the Emperor’s eldest daughter, the Princess Royal, were to use the ‘Inherited Sword Art,’ perhaps we might be caught off guard. But with your inferior imitation, against our Emerald Stone swords which allow us to unleash our full power, you have only one path—defeat and death!”
At the moment the last word was spoken, the tall cloaked man unleashed his strongest strike yet.
The Emerald Stone sword suddenly radiated intense cold light, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop even further.
“Watch out! The Emerald Stone swords grant martial artists the ability to alter the nature of their battle energy! Their strength is now infinitely close to that of an Over-ranked expert!” Elniel shouted anxiously, blocked from helping by the short man.
Elniel clearly understood that their goal was to kill Zhang Wen first, then deal with her. That was why the short man only stood between her and Zhang Wen, without launching an attack.
However, under the current circumstances, Elniel absolutely could not recklessly join the battle. Because if she did not intervene, the short man still had to devote at least half his attention to monitoring her. Conversely, if she did join the fight, she would likely be defeated in just a few moves. At that point, instead of helping Zhang Wen, she would only become a burden that distracted him.
Therefore, Elniel could only help Zhang Wen in her own way.
“Oh! Thank you,” Zhang Wen said with an eerie smile as the tall cloaked man unleashed his full-force strike. He shouted a reply to Elniel, then twisted his wrist and met the tall cloaked man’s attack head-on with his sword.
Boom!
A small vortex burst between the blades, yet Zhang Wen’s sword showed no sign of slowing down, quickly meeting the opponent’s blade.
“Hmph! Arrogant fool!” Rather than surprise, the tall cloaked man’s expression turned to cold disdain at Zhang Wen’s actions.
In the next moment, the tall man’s Emerald Stone sword was once again enveloped in a large amount of cold energy. At the point where the two swords met, a small patch of ice even formed, freezing the two swords together!
“Tsk!” Zhang Wen frowned deeply.
Changes in the nature of battle energy were not new to Zhang Wen. Back in the Sandra Forest, when he fought the King, the King’s battle energy carried a strong repelling force. Even after exerting all his strength, Zhang Wen could barely affect the King.
Although the battle energy nature of the two cloaked men wasn’t as powerful as the King’s, this slight change was already enough to prevent Zhang Wen’s Spring Water Technique from functioning at full capacity.
Of course, if Zhang Wen were only facing the tall cloaked man, even with the incomplete Spring Water Technique, he still had confidence in eventually wearing him down and defeating him. However, Zhang Wen’s opponents weren’t just the tall man in front of him—he had another one to contend with.
Boom!
Taking advantage of the moment the swords were frozen together, the tall cloaked man suddenly unleashed a surge of battle energy, clashing directly with Zhang Wen.
The shockwave from the collision of battle energies exploded outward, sending both men flying backward. However, a shadow silently moved to intercept Zhang Wen’s retreat, suddenly striking with a blade.
Realizing something was amiss, Yinier quickly shed her shyness. She glanced towards the door and asked Zhang Wen, “Not Kai and Si? Then who is it?”
“It should be someone looking for me,” Zhang Wen replied with a bitter smile. “Yinier, the troubles I carry are no less than those of your Kentucky clan. So, I’m not sure if joining forces with your clan is helping you or harming you.”
“It’s fine! I firmly believe that you are the one who can lead our Kentucky clan to revival. No matter what troubles you face, I will stand by you!” Yinier declared resolutely.
“Oh? So, in the end, it’s because I’m the legendary one that you’re with me?” Zhang Wen’s face showed a look of disappointment.
“Ah? That… that’s not it… even if you weren’t that person, I… I would still… but…” Zhang Wen’s teasing left Yinier flustered. Finally, Yinier suddenly hugged Zhang Wen and planted a kiss on him.
“Alright, alright, I was just joking. Don’t take it so seriously. Women who are too serious age quickly!” Zhang Wen, having successfully tricked the beauty into kissing him, couldn’t help but laugh. He gently tapped Yinier’s nose and then stood up.
Boom!
The door to Yinier’s room shattered in an explosion. Countless wood splinters, like a blizzard, swept into the room.
Zhang Wen, who had just stood up, fully activated his Spring Water Technique. He casually lifted the bedsheet and waved it around, blocking the wood splinters, which fell in front of the bed.
“Hmph!” Zhang Wen snorted coldly, throwing away the bedsheet that was riddled with holes from the splinters, his gaze fixed on the now open door.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
As slow, deliberate claps echoed, two men, one tall and one short, both cloaked in black, stepped into the room.
“Heh! Impressive, impressive! As expected of the former ruler of the South, the Ruby Serpent, Andre Stein. Even without the Silver Dragon Clasus, you can still stir up trouble,” the shorter cloaked man said with a careless smile.
“Oh? You seem to have done your homework on me,” Zhang Wen’s lips curled into a smile as the man spoke.
“Of course,” the shorter cloaked man replied confidently.
“Anyway, I won’t argue about the accuracy of your intelligence. Also, since you’re here to kill me, I won’t bother asking about your origins or other nonsense. You wouldn’t tell me anyway. Before we start, I just want to ask one thing: did you take Lailia?”
“Haha! You already know we won’t reveal our origins. Do you think we’d tell you about Lailia?” the shorter cloaked man burst into laughter.
“Oh! Thank you! Haha!” Zhang Wen also laughed heartily. “With your words, I’m reassured. Lailia is indeed in your hands.”
“How did you know… ugh!” The shorter man, halfway through his angry shout, realized he had slipped up and quickly covered his mouth.
“Pfft!” Even Yinier, standing behind Zhang Wen, couldn’t help but laugh.
“Haha! I wonder what kind of foolish master would send such foolish subordinates like you,” Zhang Wen laughed, shaking his head repeatedly.
“Bastard!” The shorter man’s eyes seemed to blaze with anger.
“Calm down!” The taller cloaked man finally spoke. He gave Zhang Wen a sinister glance and then coldly said to his companion, “What does it matter if they know? They’ll be dead soon anyway.”
“Is that so? Who lives and who dies today is still uncertain,” Zhang Wen smiled slightly, drawing the Nian Steel from his waist. In the next moment, a familiar three-foot-long sword appeared in his right hand.
“Heh! You’re straightforward! I like straightforward people. For that, we’ll leave you a whole corpse,” the taller man sneered. In his and his shorter companion’s hands, broad-bladed swords suddenly appeared.
“Enough talk. The noise from you blasting the door was too loud. Someone might come. If Hassan’s men see, it could cause unnecessary trouble,” the shorter man said, moving a few steps to the left, subtly blocking Zhang Wen’s escape route through the window.
As the shorter man took his position, the broad-bladed swords in the hands of the two cloaked men erupted with dazzling white flames. Simultaneously, a mist-like battle aura, characteristic of all Saint-level martial artists, appeared around them.
However, encountering two Saint-level assassins didn’t surprise Zhang Wen. What truly shocked him was that when the two cloaked men fully activated their battle energy, a faint mist, like the kind seen when opening a box of ice cream in summer, appeared around their battle auras!
At the same time, the temperature in Yinier’s room dropped sharply.
“This… this is…” Seeing the white mist enveloping the men, Yinier suddenly recalled something.
“Oh? I didn’t expect someone in the remote South to recognize this,” the shorter cloaked man chuckled smugly. “Oh! I almost forgot. You’re the wise one of the Kentucky clan. No wonder you know its origin. Heh! You guessed right. This is a sword made from your Kentucky planet’s specialty, the Emerald Star Stone. It’s specially prepared for you.”
As he spoke the last word, the battle auras around the two cloaked men flashed, and they simultaneously thrust their swords at Zhang Wen from left and right!
If it were an ordinary Imperial martial artist, even one several times stronger than Zhang Wen, they would likely be overwhelmed by the coordinated attack of the two cloaked martial artists.
However, the Spring Water Technique Zhang Wen practiced was precisely the martial art most adept at fighting multiple opponents. The two cloaked men attacking him simultaneously actually played right into Zhang Wen’s hands!
Clang!
Zhang Wen’s sword drew a graceful arc, meeting the taller cloaked man’s sword.
While the two cloaked men were speaking, Zhang Wen had been carefully observing his opponents. He noticed that the taller man was slightly stronger than his shorter companion. Thus, Zhang Wen chose him as his first target for counterattack!
Zhang Wen had used the Spring Water Technique’s swordplay countless times, both in practice and in real combat. When his sword met the taller man’s so-called Emerald Star Stone sword, Zhang Wen didn’t feel any difference from usual. So, without hesitation, he flicked his sword upwards, attempting to disrupt the taller cloaked man’s balance.
However, the moment Zhang Wen exerted force, the broad-bladed sword in the cloaked man’s hand seemed to stick to Zhang Wen’s sword, causing his movement to falter!
Though it was only a brief moment, the slight change was enough to affect the effectiveness of Zhang Wen’s technique. The cloaked man sneered, suddenly exerting force and breaking free from Zhang Wen’s control!
At the same time, the shorter man’s thrusting sword almost touched Zhang Wen’s left side!
The Spring Water Technique had failed!
“Zhang Wen! Be careful!” Yinier’s anxious voice reached Zhang Wen’s ears.
Zhang Wen had no time to express surprise. He gritted his teeth, and his battle energy erupted instantly.
Sss! Even with his Ghost Step fully activated, Zhang Wen was grazed by the shorter man’s sword, which drew a line of blood.
“Heh! Mr. Zhang Wen, you should feel honored. Our investigation of you goes beyond what you know! The reason you’ve been able to continuously outmatch opponents several times stronger than you, even leaving Saint-level experts helpless, is because of this sword technique!” the taller man laughed loudly while maintaining his attack on Zhang Wen.
Meanwhile, the shorter man, who had just stabbed Zhang Wen, sneered and stepped aside, positioning himself perfectly between Yinier and Zhang Wen! Clearly, if Yinier made any move to aid Zhang Wen, she would face the shorter man’s thunderous fatal strike!
Clang!
Zhang Wen’s sword met the taller cloaked man’s sword again. At the moment of contact, the shorter man suddenly thrust his sword from another direction.
“Tch!” Zhang Wen had to fully activate his Ghost Step again to dodge the shorter man’s attack. However, two consecutive full-power battle energy bursts rapidly drained Zhang Wen’s energy.
“What? Running out of steam already?” the taller man continued, trying to shake Zhang Wen’s confidence. “Andre Stein, your audacity to appear within the Empire relies solely on this speed-enhancing technique and your swordsmanship! Unfortunately, we’ve thoroughly investigated the weaknesses of these two trump cards! Your speed-enhancing technique, though formidable, consumes a massive amount of battle energy. As for your swordsmanship…”
Here, the taller man sneered.
“Though we don’t know where you learned this sword technique, it’s a pity that this inferior ‘inherited sword technique’ replica is utterly ineffective against us! If it were the Royal Princess using the ‘inherited sword technique,’ she might catch us off guard. But with your shoddy replica, against our Emerald Star Stone swords at full power, you’re destined to lose!”
As he spoke the last word, the taller cloaked man unleashed his strongest strike yet at Zhang Wen.
The Emerald Star Stone sword suddenly blazed with cold light, and the room’s temperature seemed to drop several degrees.
“Be careful! The Emerald Star Stone sword can alter the nature of a martial artist’s battle energy! Their strength is now nearly on par with a Transcendent-level expert!” Yinier shouted anxiously, blocked by the shorter man.
Yinier knew their goal was to kill Zhang Wen first, then deal with her. That’s why the shorter man only positioned himself between Zhang Wen and her, not actively attacking her.
However, in the current situation, Yinier couldn’t impulsively join the fight. If she didn’t, the shorter man would still have to split his attention to watch her. But if she did join, she’d likely be defeated in a few moves, becoming a burden rather than a help to Zhang Wen!
Thus, Yinier could only assist Zhang Wen in her own way.
“Oh! Thank you,” Zhang Wen responded loudly to Yinier, his sword meeting the taller cloaked man’s attack with a strange smile.
Boom!
A small vortex exploded between the blades, but Zhang Wen’s sword’s momentum didn’t wane, instantly sticking to the opponent’s sword.
“Hmph! Think you’re clever?” Zhang Wen’s action didn’t surprise the taller cloaked man; instead, it made him sneer.
In the next moment, the taller cloaked man’s Emerald Star Stone sword was again enveloped in intense cold. Even at the point where the two swords met, a small ice pillar formed, freezing them together!
“Tch!” Zhang Wen frowned deeply.
Zhang Wen wasn’t unfamiliar with changes in battle energy nature. When he fought Wang in the Sandra Forest, Wang’s battle energy had a strong repelling force. Despite Zhang Wen’s immense effort, he could only minimally affect Wang.
Now, facing the two cloaked men, though their battle energy’s nature change wasn’t as formidable as Wang’s, it was enough to prevent Zhang Wen’s Spring Water Technique from reaching its full potential.
Of course, if Zhang Wen were only facing the taller cloaked man, even with an incomplete Spring Water Technique, he was confident he could slowly wear him down. But now, besides the taller man, Zhang Wen had another enemy.
Boom!
The taller cloaked man seized the moment when the two swords were frozen, unleashing his battle energy in a direct clash with Zhang Wen.
The vortex from the battle energy collision exploded, sending both men reeling back. However, a shadow silently moved into Zhang Wen’s retreat path, thrusting a sword.
“Watch out!” Yinier shouted, firing a Nian Bullet to slightly disrupt the shorter man’s attack.
Zhang Wen took the chance to activate his Ghost Step again, retreating to the center of the hall. The four in the room returned to their initial positions.
“Huh?” At that moment, a surprised gasp came from outside the door.
“Who’s there?” The four inside turned to see Ge Luo appearing at the door, his face filled with astonishment.
Taking the opportunity, Zhang Wen activated his Ghost Step again, retreating to the center of the room. The four people inside were once again at their starting positions.
“Huh?” Suddenly, a surprised exclamation came from outside the door.
“Who’s there?” All four inside turned to look, and saw Gelo standing at the doorway, his face filled with astonishment.
“Are you here to cause me trouble too?” Zhang Wen asked bluntly, since he had already reached the point where more debts meant nothing.
“I originally did plan to cause you trouble. However, what exactly is going on now?” Gelo looked amused as he examined the strange attire of the two men in black cloaks.
“You’ve arrived at a very bad time. My life was already claimed by these two before you arrived.”
“Oh? That’s actually convenient. Saves me a lot of effort. You two continue; I’ll just leave first.” Gelo shrugged and smiled as he took a step back.
The two men in black cloaks exchanged glances, their eyes flashing coldly, but they remained silent.
“Are you really just going to leave like that?” Zhang Wen lazily called out.
“Hmm, now that I think about it, leaving like this does seem a bit inappropriate.” Gelo grinned and stopped walking.
“Who told you to come at such a bad time? Having seen something you shouldn’t, do you really think you can just walk away so easily?” Zhang Wen smirked mischievously.
“Tsk!” Gelo scoffed indifferently.
“Are you here to cause me trouble too?” Zhang Wen asked bluntly, already burdened with debts and past caring.
“I originally intended to cause you trouble. But what’s going on here?” Ge Luo, after taking in the bizarre attire of the two men in black cloaks, laughed with interest.
“You’ve come at a bad time. My life has already been claimed by these two before you.”
“Oh? That’s good, saves me a lot of trouble. Carry on, I’ll be leaving.” Ge Luo shrugged, smiling as he took a step back.
The two black-cloaked men exchanged a glance, a cold glint in their eyes, but they remained silent.
“Are you just going to leave like that?” Zhang Wen called out lazily.
“I thought about it, and it does seem a bit inappropriate to just leave like this.” Ge Luo stopped in his tracks, still smiling.
“Who told you to come at such an inopportune time? You saw something you shouldn’t have, and now you think you can just walk away easily?” Zhang Wen curled his lips, smiling mischievously.
“Tch!” Ge Luo shrugged indifferently.
“Ge Luo, don’t listen to his scare tactics. After all, you’re a disciple of a supreme master. We don’t want to make an enemy like the Thunder God Omega for no reason. If you pretend you saw nothing and leave, we can do the same.” The shorter of the two black-cloaked men spoke with a friendly smile.
“Heh! That sounds like a good proposal. It could save me a lot of trouble.” Ge Luo stroked his chin with interest, then suddenly changed his tone, “But do you think I’m an idiot? Pretending I saw nothing? That’s a lie for three-year-olds! Who do you think I am? Do you think I’m afraid of you sneaky fools causing me trouble? Ridiculous!”
“So, Mr. Ge Luo, you intend to be our enemy?” The shorter black-cloaked man immediately dropped his pretense of friendliness after failing to deceive Ge Luo.
“Oh? Finally showing your true colors? What if I am your enemy? You came here to deal with this guy…” Ge Luo pointed at Zhang Wen with a cold smile, “which means your target is also the ultimate ruler of the Southern Realm. Our goals are the same, but there’s only one throne. We’re natural enemies.”
“Haha… That does make sense. So now the question is, who do you want to deal with first? Us, or him?” The shorter black-cloaked man pointed at Zhang Wen again.
“Heh! I originally intended to deal with him, but you sneaky guys annoy me more. So, I think I’ll take you out first, then deal with him.”
“Oh? Such big talk. Don’t think that just because you have a supreme master as your teacher, you’re invincible. The reason we let you strut around before was simply because we didn’t want to make too many enemies before dealing with the biggest threat.”
Those who have cultivated to the Saint level are almost always individuals with unshakable convictions. Once they decide on something, it’s nearly impossible to change their minds.
So, the two black-cloaked martial artists didn’t waste any more words. The taller one raised his sword and charged at Zhang Wen, while the other moved a few steps to position himself at the center point between Zhang Wen, Yinier, and Ge Luo. This way, he could intercept anyone trying to interfere with the taller one’s attack on Zhang Wen.
“Hmph!” Ge Luo snorted disdainfully but showed no intention of attacking the shorter man.
After all, Zhang Wen was Ge Luo’s target. Even if Ge Luo wanted to take out the two annoying black-cloaked men first, the most he could do was stand there and help Zhang Wen by keeping one of them occupied.
Ge Luo had no interest in helping one enemy deal with another. Besides, if Zhang Wen couldn’t handle the taller black-cloaked man, Ge Luo certainly wouldn’t bother helping a weakling.
“Hmph!” The taller black-cloaked man sneered. Before boarding the Starlight, they had thoroughly investigated every potential threat on the ship, including Ge Luo.
The taller black-cloaked man knew that as long as his companion didn’t intervene, Ge Luo’s arrogance would prevent him from interfering until the fight between him and Zhang Wen was decided. And Ge Luo’s personality was his greatest weakness in this battle!
After the previous two encounters, the taller black-cloaked man was confident that he alone could defeat Zhang Wen! After that, he and his companion could join forces, giving them at least a seventy percent chance of taking down Ge Luo!
As before, Zhang Wen’s sword transformed into a long arc, clashing with the broadsword thrust at him.
“Heh! You still haven’t learned your lesson!” The taller black-cloaked man shouted excitedly as the two swords clashed, instantly freezing into a large block of ice.
But at that moment, Zhang Wen’s lips slowly curled into a smile.
Crack! Zhang Wen’s wrist twisted again, and the two frozen swords suddenly shook, shattering the ice that bound them together.
Screech! A piercing metallic sound rang out as the taller black-cloaked man suddenly felt an overwhelming force transmitted through his sword!
Boom! The taller black-cloaked man was flung backward by the immense force. Like a toy flicked by a finger, he flew into the air, spun around, and crashed into the ceiling before falling heavily to the ground.
“This… this can’t be!” The shorter black-cloaked man was stunned by the sudden turn of events.
“Oh?” Ge Luo also widened his eyes with interest, watching Zhang Wen’s sword, which was still vibrating slightly.
The taller black-cloaked man spat out a mouthful of blood but managed to twist in mid-air, using his left hand to push off the ground and barely maintain a standing position.
“This is impossible! Absolutely impossible! The Emerald Star Sword… the Emerald Star is supposed to be the bane of inherited sword techniques! Who are you? Who the hell are you?”
The taller black-cloaked man stared at Zhang Wen as if he were a monster, squeezing the words out through gritted teeth.
“Who am I? Didn’t you claim to have investigated thoroughly?” Zhang Wen twisted his wrist again, and the sword let out a dragon-like shriek, the ice crystals on the blade falling like snowflakes.
“Bastard! How could anyone still wield an inherited sword technique when facing the Emerald Star Sword? Even the Princess herself couldn’t suppress the Emerald Star Sword with an inherited technique at the same level!” The taller black-cloaked man roared at Zhang Wen, almost as if he were talking to himself.
“Oh? You want to know that?” Zhang Wen smiled, slowly raising his three-foot-long sword, “I have no idea what you’re talking about with ‘inherited sword techniques.’ I have no interest in such things. Comparing my martial arts to that garbage is your biggest mistake. Because I can guarantee that, in terms of pure skill, I’m at least a thousand years ahead of you!”
“Heh… inherited sword techniques, the royal family’s inherited sword techniques… the sword techniques that dominated the empire for two thousand years… and now you call them garbage… such big talk, truly big talk! No! Are you trying to shake our confidence? Ha! You’re the one who’s a thousand years behind!” The taller black-cloaked man first muttered to himself like a madman, then suddenly roared like a cornered beast, charging at Zhang Wen with all his might.
“I told you, it’s useless.” Zhang Wen whispered, his right arm flashing out like lightning as his opponent closed in.
Clang! In the blink of an eye, the taller black-cloaked man was sent spinning away like a top.
“Tsk! That was quite pathetic. Looks like I don’t even need to lift a finger.” Ge Luo crossed his arms, smirking and shaking his head at the shorter man.
“Pah!” The shorter black-cloaked man spat viciously, then suddenly turned his gaze to Yinier on the other side of the room.
His companion’s fate had made it clear to the shorter black-cloaked man that with their current strength, not only would they fail to kill Zhang Wen today, but even surviving was almost impossible.
“Heh! Sorry, but I don’t want to die yet!” The shorter black-cloaked man sneered, his sword bursting with a blinding white light as he charged at Yinier.
“Hehe! Sounds like a pretty good offer. Saves me a lot of trouble.” Gelo rubbed his chin thoughtfully before suddenly changing tone. “But, do you think I’m an idiot? Telling me to pretend I saw nothing—come on, who do you think you’re fooling? Do you really think I’m afraid of you cowards coming after me? What a joke!”
“In that case, Mr. Gelo, you’re choosing to be our enemy?” The short black-cloaked man immediately dropped his feigned kindness when his attempt to deceive Gelo failed.
“Oh? Finally showing your true face? What if I become your enemy? You came here to fight this guy too,” Gelo sneered coldly, pointing at Zhang Wen. “So your goal must also be the ultimate Southern Realm Champion, right? We all have the same goal, but there’s only one champion’s seat. Naturally, we’re enemies from the start.”
“Hehe… you do have a point. The real question now is the order. Do you want to fight us first, or work together to take him down first?” The short black-cloaked man gestured toward Zhang Wen again.
“Hmph! Although I originally planned to deal with him, your sneaky behavior bothers me more. So I think it’d be great to take you two down first, and then deal with him.”
“Are you here to cause me trouble too?” Zhang Wen asked nonchalantly, already burdened with debts.
“I originally intended to cause you trouble. But what’s going on here?” Ge Luo, intrigued, chuckled as he took in the bizarre attire of the two men in black cloaks.
“You’ve come at a bad time. My life has already been claimed by these two before you.”
“Oh? That’s convenient, saves me a lot of trouble. Carry on, I’ll be leaving now.” Ge Luo shrugged, smiling as he took a step back.
The two black-cloaked men exchanged a glance, a cold glint flashing in their eyes, but they remained silent.
“So you’re just going to leave like that?” Zhang Wen called out lazily.
“On second thought, it does seem a bit inappropriate to leave just like that.” Ge Luo stopped in his tracks, still smiling.
“Who told you to come at such an inconvenient time? You’ve seen something you shouldn’t have, and now you think you can just walk away?” Zhang Wen smirked mischievously.
“Tch!” Ge Luo scoffed dismissively.
“Ge Luo, don’t listen to his scare tactics. After all, you’re the disciple of a supreme-tier powerhouse. We have no desire to provoke an enemy like the Thunder God Omega without reason. As long as you pretend you saw nothing and leave, we’ll do the same.” The shorter of the two black-cloaked men spoke with a friendly smile.
“Heh! That sounds like a decent proposal. It would save me a lot of trouble.” Ge Luo stroked his chin thoughtfully, but then his tone suddenly shifted. “But do you think I’m an idiot? Pretend I saw nothing? That’s a lie for three-year-olds! Who do you think I am? Do you think I’m afraid of you sneaky fools causing me trouble? What a joke!”
“So, Mr. Ge Luo, you’ve decided to become our enemy?” The shorter black-cloaked man’s feigned friendliness vanished instantly.
“Oh? Finally showing your true colors? What if I do become your enemy? You’re here to deal with this guy…” Ge Luo pointed at Zhang Wen with a cold smile, “which means your target is also the ultimate ruler of the Southern Realm. Our goals are the same, but there’s only one throne. We’re natural enemies.”
“Haha… That does make sense. So the question now is, who will you oppose first? Will you fight us, or will you cooperate with us to take him down?” The shorter black-cloaked man pointed at Zhang Wen again.
“Heh! I was planning to deal with him, but you sneaky bastards annoy me more. So, I think I’ll take you out first, then deal with him.”
“Oh? Such bold words. Don’t think that just because you have a supreme-tier master, you’re invincible. The reason we’ve let you strut around so far is because we didn’t want to make too many enemies before dealing with the biggest threat.”
Those who have cultivated to the saint-tier are almost always individuals with unshakable resolve. Once they’ve made a decision, it’s nearly impossible to change it.
So, the two black-cloaked martial artists didn’t waste any more words. The taller one raised his sword and charged at Zhang Wen, while the other shifted his position to the center point between Zhang Wen, Yinier, and Ge Luo. This way, he could intercept anyone who tried to interfere with the taller man’s attack on Zhang Wen.
“Hmph!” Ge Luo snorted disdainfully but showed no intention of attacking the shorter man.
After all, Zhang Wen was Ge Luo’s target. Even if Ge Luo wanted to take out the two annoying black-cloaked men first, the most he could do was stand there and keep one of them occupied.
Ge Luo had no interest in helping one enemy deal with another. Besides, if Zhang Wen couldn’t handle the taller black-cloaked man, Ge Luo had even less interest in helping the weak.
“Hmph!” The taller black-cloaked man sneered. Before boarding the Star Moon, they had thoroughly investigated every threatening individual on the ship, including Ge Luo.
The taller black-cloaked man knew that as long as his companion didn’t intervene, Ge Luo’s pride would prevent him from interfering until the fight between him and Zhang Wen was decided. And Ge Luo’s personality was his greatest weakness in this battle!
After two previous encounters, the taller black-cloaked man was confident that he alone was enough to defeat Zhang Wen! After that, he and his companion could join forces and have at least a 70% chance of taking down Ge Luo!
As before, Zhang Wen’s sword transformed into a long arc, clashing with the broadsword thrust at him.
“Heh! You still haven’t learned your lesson!” The taller black-cloaked man shouted excitedly as a large ice pillar formed at the point where the two swords met.
But at that moment, Zhang Wen’s lips slowly curled into a smile.
Crack! Zhang Wen’s wrist twisted again, and the two frozen swords suddenly shook, shattering the ice pillar that bound them.
Screech! A sharp metallic sound rang out as the taller black-cloaked man realized that an overwhelming force was emanating from Zhang Wen’s sword, a force he couldn’t resist!
Boom! The taller black-cloaked man was flung backward by the immense force. Like a toy flicked by a finger, he flew through the air, slammed into the ceiling, and then crashed back to the ground.
“This… this can’t be possible!” The shorter black-cloaked man stared in shock at the sudden turn of events.
“Oh?” Ge Luo also widened his eyes with interest, watching Zhang Wen’s sword, which was still vibrating slightly.
The taller black-cloaked man spat out a mouthful of blood but managed to twist his body mid-air, using his left hand to push off the ground and barely maintain a standing position.
“This is impossible! Absolutely impossible! The Emerald Star Sword… the Emerald Star is supposed to be the bane of inherited sword techniques! Who are you? Who the hell are you?”
The taller black-cloaked man stared at Zhang Wen as if he were a monster, his voice strained as he forced out each word.
“Who am I? Didn’t you claim to have investigated thoroughly?” Zhang Wen twisted his wrist again, and the sword let out a dragon-like screech. The ice crystals clinging to the blade fell like snowflakes.
“Bastard! How could anyone wield an inherited sword technique against the Emerald Star Sword? Even the Grand Princess herself couldn’t suppress the Emerald Star Sword with an inherited technique at the same level!” The taller black-cloaked man roared, half at Zhang Wen and half to himself.
“Oh? You want to know?” Zhang Wen smiled, slowly raising his three-foot-long sword. “I have no idea what you’re talking about with ‘inherited sword techniques.’ I have no interest in such nonsense. Comparing my martial arts to that trash is your biggest mistake. Because I can assure you, in terms of pure skill, I’m at least a thousand years ahead of you!”
“Heh… inherited sword techniques, the royal family’s inherited sword techniques… the sword techniques that dominated the empire for two thousand years… and you call them trash… such bold words, truly bold words! No! Are you trying to shake our confidence? Ha! You’re the one who’s a thousand years behind!” The taller black-cloaked man first muttered to himself like a madman, then suddenly roared like a cornered beast, charging at Zhang Wen with all his might.
“I told you, it’s useless.” Zhang Wen whispered, his right arm flashing like lightning as his opponent closed in.
Clang! In an instant, the taller black-cloaked man was sent spinning away like a top.
“Tsk! What a pathetic sight. Looks like I don’t even need to lift a finger.” Ge Luo crossed his arms, sneering at the shorter black-cloaked man.
“Pah!” The shorter black-cloaked man spat viciously, but his gaze suddenly shifted to Yinier on the other side of the room.
His companion’s fate had made it clear to the shorter black-cloaked man that with their current strength, not only would they fail to eliminate Zhang Wen, but they might not even survive the encounter.
“Heh! Sorry, but I’m not ready to die yet!” The shorter black-cloaked man grinned maliciously, his sword erupting with a blinding white light as he charged at Yinier.
“Are you here to cause trouble for me too?” Zhang Wen asked nonchalantly, already burdened with debts and unbothered by more.
“I was planning to, but what’s going on here?” Ge Luo, intrigued, laughed as he took in the bizarre attire of the two men in black cloaks.
“You’ve come at a bad time. These two have already claimed my life before you could.”
“Oh? That’s convenient, saves me a lot of trouble. Carry on, I’ll be on my way.” Ge Luo shrugged, smiling as he took a step back.
The two black-cloaked men exchanged a glance, their eyes flashing with a cold glint, but they remained silent.
“You’re just going to leave like that?” Zhang Wen called out lazily.
“On second thought, it does seem a bit improper to leave just like that,” Ge Luo chuckled, stopping in his tracks.
“Who told you to come at such an inconvenient time? You’ve seen something you shouldn’t have, and now you think you can just walk away?” Zhang Wen smirked mischievously.
“Tch!” Ge Luo scoffed, unbothered.
“Ge Luo, don’t listen to his scare tactics. After all, you’re the disciple of a supreme-tier master. We have no desire to make an enemy of someone like Thunder God Omega for no reason. If you pretend you saw nothing and leave, we’ll do the same,” the shorter black-cloaked man said with a friendly smile.
“Heh! That sounds like a decent proposal. It would save me a lot of trouble,” Ge Luo mused, stroking his chin, but then his tone suddenly shifted. “But do you think I’m an idiot? Pretending I saw nothing? That’s a lie for three-year-olds! Who do you think I am? Afraid of you shady fools causing me trouble? What a joke!”
“So, Mr. Ge Luo, you’ve decided to be our enemy?” The shorter black-cloaked man’s friendly demeanor vanished as his plan to deceive Ge Luo failed.
“Oh? Finally showing your true colors? What if I am your enemy? You’re here to deal with this guy…” Ge Luo pointed at Zhang Wen, “which means your goal is also to become the ultimate ruler of the Southern Realm. Our goals are the same, but there’s only one throne. We’re natural enemies.”
“Haha… That does make sense. So the question now is, will you oppose us first, or will you cooperate with us to take him out?” The shorter black-cloaked man pointed at Zhang Wen again.
“Heh! I was planning to deal with him, but you sneaky bastards annoy me more. So, I think I’ll take you out first, then deal with him.”
“Oh? Quite the boast. Don’t think that just because you have a supreme-tier master, you’re invincible. The reason we’ve let you strut around is because we didn’t want to make too many enemies before dealing with the biggest threat.”
Those who have cultivated to the saint-tier are almost always individuals with unshakable resolve. Once they’ve decided on something, it’s nearly impossible to change their minds.
So, the two black-cloaked martial artists didn’t waste any more words. The taller one raised his sword and charged at Zhang Wen, while the other moved to position himself at the center between Zhang Wen, Yinier, and Ge Luo. This way, he could intercept anyone trying to interfere with the taller man’s attack on Zhang Wen.
“Hmph!” Ge Luo snorted disdainfully but showed no intention of attacking the shorter man.
After all, Zhang Wen was Ge Luo’s target. Even if Ge Luo wanted to take out the two annoying black-cloaked men first, the most he could do was stand there and keep one of them occupied.
Ge Luo had no interest in helping one enemy deal with another. Besides, if Zhang Wen couldn’t handle the taller black-cloaked man, Ge Luo had even less interest in helping the weak.
“Hmph!” The taller black-cloaked man smirked. Before boarding the Starlight, they had thoroughly investigated every potential threat on the ship, including Ge Luo.
The taller man knew that as long as his companion didn’t intervene, Ge Luo’s pride would prevent him from stepping in before the fight between him and Zhang Wen was decided. And Ge Luo’s personality was his greatest weakness in this battle!
After two previous encounters, the taller black-cloaked man was confident that he alone could defeat Zhang Wen. After that, he and his companion could join forces, giving them at least a 70% chance of taking down Ge Luo!
As before, Zhang Wen’s sword transformed into a streak of light, clashing with the broadsword thrust at him.
“Heh! You still haven’t learned your lesson!” the taller black-cloaked man shouted excitedly as a large block of ice formed where the two swords met.
But at that moment, Zhang Wen’s lips slowly curled into a smile.
Crack! Zhang Wen’s wrist twisted, and the two frozen swords suddenly shook, shattering the ice that bound them.
Screech! A harsh metallic sound rang out as the taller black-cloaked man realized that an overwhelming force was emanating from Zhang Wen’s sword, a force he couldn’t resist!
Boom! The taller black-cloaked man was flung into the air like a toy, spinning wildly before crashing into the ceiling and then slamming back down to the ground.
“How… how is this possible?” The shorter black-cloaked man stared in shock at the sudden turn of events.
“Oh?” Ge Luo also widened his eyes with interest, watching Zhang Wen’s sword, which was still vibrating slightly.
The taller black-cloaked man spat out a mouthful of blood but managed to twist his body mid-air, using his left hand to push off the ground and barely maintain his footing.
“This can’t be! Absolutely impossible! The Emerald Star Sword… the Emerald Star is supposed to be the bane of inherited sword techniques! Who are you? Who the hell are you?”
The taller black-cloaked man stared at Zhang Wen as if he were a monster, forcing the words out through gritted teeth.
“Who am I? Didn’t you claim to have investigated me thoroughly?” Zhang Wen twisted his wrist again, and the sword let out a dragon-like shriek, the ice crystals on its blade falling like snowflakes.
“Bastard! How could anyone wield inherited sword techniques against the Emerald Star Sword? Even the princess herself couldn’t suppress the Emerald Star Sword with inherited techniques at the same level!” The taller black-cloaked man roared, half at Zhang Wen, half to himself.
“Oh? You want to know?” Zhang Wen smiled, slowly raising his three-foot-long sword. “I have no idea what you’re talking about with ‘inherited sword techniques.’ I have no interest in such things. Comparing my martial arts to that garbage is your biggest mistake. Because I can assure you, in terms of pure skill, I’m at least a thousand years ahead of you!”
“Heh… inherited sword techniques, the royal family’s inherited sword techniques… the sword techniques that dominated the empire for two thousand years… and you call them garbage… what a boast, what a boast! No! Are you trying to shake our confidence? Ha! You’re the one who’s a thousand years behind!” The taller black-cloaked man first muttered to himself like a madman, then suddenly roared like a cornered beast, charging at Zhang Wen with all his might.
“I told you, it’s useless,” Zhang Wen said softly, swinging his right arm like lightning as his opponent closed in.
Clang! In an instant, the taller black-cloaked man was sent spinning away like a top.
“Tsk! This is getting ugly. Looks like I don’t even need to lift a finger,” Ge Luo sneered, crossing his arms and shaking his head at the shorter man.
“Spit!” The shorter black-cloaked man snarled, but then he suddenly turned his gaze to Yinier, who was on the other side of the room.
His companion’s fate had made it clear to the shorter man that with their current strength, not only would they fail to kill Zhang Wen today, but even escaping with their lives was nearly impossible.
“Heh! Sorry, but I don’t plan on dying today!” The shorter black-cloaked man grinned viciously, his sword erupting with a blinding white light as he charged at Yinier.
Therefore, the two black-cloaked martial artists didn’t waste any more words. The taller one directly raised his sword and charged at Zhang Wen. The other moved a few steps sideways, positioning himself exactly at the center point between Zhang Wen, Yinel, and Gelo. This way, whoever tried to interfere with the tall one’s attack on Zhang Wen would be stopped by him in time.
“Hmph!” Gelo snorted disdainfully but made no move to attack the short one.
After all, Zhang Wen was Gelo’s target. Even though Gelo indeed wanted to eliminate those two annoying black-cloaked men first, helping Zhang Wen by holding off one of them was already the limit of what Gelo was willing to do!
Gelo had no interest in helping one enemy fight another. Besides, if Zhang Wen couldn’t even handle the tall black-cloaked man, Gelo certainly had no interest in helping such a weakling.
“Hmph!” The tall black-cloaked man sneered slightly. Before boarding the Star Moon, they had conducted detailed investigations on every potentially threatening individual aboard, including Gelo naturally.
The tall black-cloaked man knew clearly that before he and Zhang Wen determined a winner, as long as his companion didn’t act, Gelo’s pride would prevent him from intervening. And Gelo’s personality was precisely his biggest weakness in this battle!
After the previous two encounters, the tall black-cloaked man had full confidence that even alone, he could defeat Zhang Wen! Then, together with his companion, he would at least have a seventy percent chance of eliminating Gelo.
Just like before, Zhang Wen’s sword transformed into a long red arc, clashing with the incoming broadsword.
“Heh! You still haven’t learned your lesson!” The tall black-cloaked man shouted excitedly, and where the two swords met, a large cluster of ice pillars instantly formed and froze them together.
But at that moment, Zhang Wen’s lips slowly curled upwards.
Crack! Zhang Wen twisted his wrist again, and the two swords frozen together suddenly vibrated violently, shattering the ice pillars binding the blades.
Ssiss! The piercing sound of metal scraping against metal rang out, and the tall black-cloaked man suddenly felt an overwhelming force on his sword that he couldn’t resist!
Boom! The tall black-cloaked man was suddenly thrown backward by that immense force. He flew through the air like a toy man flicked away by a finger, spinning backward and crashing heavily into the ceiling before falling back to the ground.
“This… this can’t be possible!” The shocking change that happened in an instant left the short black-cloaked man dumbfounded.
“Oh?” Gelo couldn’t help but widen his eyes in interest, looking at Zhang Wen’s sword still vibrating slightly.
The tall black-cloaked man spat out a mouthful of blood but bit his teeth hard and twisted halfway in the air. Using his left hand to push off the ground, he barely managed to stay on his feet.
“This is impossible! Absolutely impossible! Emerald Sword… Emerald is supposed to be the nemesis of inherited sword techniques! Who are you? Who exactly are you?” The tall black-cloaked man stared at Zhang Wen like he was a monster, squeezing each word out of his throat.
“Who am I? Didn’t you claim to have thoroughly investigated me?” Zhang Wen twisted his wrist again, and his sword let out a sharp, dragon-like screech. The ice crystals clinging to the blade immediately fell like snowflakes.
“Damn it! How can someone still unleash the power of an inherited sword technique when facing the Emerald Sword? Even the Crown Princess herself using inherited sword techniques couldn’t suppress the Emerald Sword at the same level!” The tall black-cloaked man seemed to be both shouting at Zhang Wen and muttering to himself.
“Oh? You want to know?” Zhang Wen smiled as he slowly raised the three-foot sword in his hand. “I have no idea what you’re talking about with these ‘inherited sword techniques.’ I have absolutely no interest in those so-called ‘inherited sword techniques.’ Comparing my martial arts to that junk is your biggest mistake. I can guarantee you that in this world, purely in terms of technique, I am at least a thousand years ahead of you!”
“Hehe… Inherited sword techniques, the royal family’s inherited sword techniques… the sword techniques that have dominated the empire for two thousand years… have become trash in your mouth… such bold talk, really bold! No! Are you trying to shake our confidence? Ha! Exactly! You’re a thousand years too early!” The tall black-cloaked man first muttered to himself like a madman, then suddenly gritted his teeth and roared like a cornered beast, charging at Zhang Wen with all his might once again.
“I already told you, it’s useless,” Zhang Wen said softly, flashing his right arm in a lightning-fast motion as his opponent approached.
Ding! In the blink of an eye, the tall black-cloaked man spun like a top and flew backward again.
“Sigh! That was really ungraceful. Looks like I don’t even need to lift a finger,” Gelo folded his arms across his chest and shook his head at the short black-cloaked man with a cold smile.
“Spit!” The short black-cloaked man snarled viciously but suddenly turned his gaze toward Yinel on the other side of the room.
Seeing his companion’s fate, the short black-cloaked man understood clearly that with their current strength, they not only couldn’t accomplish their goal of killing Zhang Wen, but they barely had any chance of even saving their own lives.
“Hehe! Sorry, but I don’t want to die yet!” The short black-cloaked man grinned maliciously, his sword erupting in a blinding burst of white light as he charged toward Yinel.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage