CHAPTER 517: CHAPTER 516: HEARTACHE_1

CLANG!

Ling Chen simply raised his palm, his sword held horizontally before him, parrying Dong Shenglong’s blade aura. The collision of his long knife and Ling Chen’s sword only created a faint ripple in the air.

"HYAH!" Dong Shenglong roared. A majestic True Qi was immediately injected into his long knife, and the oppressive force surged.

However, no matter how Dong Shenglong pressured him, no matter how he tried to crush Ling Chen, he was unable to shake Ling Chen in the slightest.

A sharp glint suddenly flashed in Ling Chen’s eyes. He slapped the body of his sword, directly forcing Dong Shenglong to retreat.

"So strong!" Su Ziling and Yun Qinghong were stunned. Regardless of the method Ling Chen had used to enhance his strength, he now possessed the terrifying ability to single-handedly battle Dong Shenglong and the six Great Elders of Sky Void Palace.

The power of this trump card is so terrifying. Did Master give it to him? Xia Yunxin was also profoundly shocked, her mind racing. If that’s the case, then Liu Xiling truly is ingenious.

After repelling Dong Shenglong, an invisible, yielding force bounced Ling Chen’s body away, sending him back to the center of the Array Formation. The six Great Elders of Sky Void Palace guarded the six positions of the Six Harmonies Array, their stance making it clear they wouldn’t let even a fly pass.

The Six Harmonies Void-breaking Array, is it? Then I’ll sweep the six directions with one sword! Ling Chen scanned the Array Formation, a fierce glint suddenly appearing in his eyes. He abruptly plunged the Red Sky Sword into the ground beneath his feet. Instantly, majestic sword qi surged into the earth, and six enormous cracks, like giant pythons, spread out on the ground around him.

Unbeatable Sword Technique, Earth-splitting King-sealing!

The power of this Earth-splitting King-sealing move was several times greater than before. Previously, he could only send a single stream of sword qi into the ground, but now, he could unleash six at once.

The six Great Elders of Sky Void Palace could all sense the extraordinary nature of this sword strike. They were on high alert, their defenses tight, but they did not understand the unique properties of Ling Chen’s technique.

BANG!

Suddenly, sword qi erupted from beneath their feet. By the time the six Great Elders realized what was happening, it was too late. All six of them were sent flying by the explosion of sword qi, utterly disheveled.

The so-called Six Harmonies Void-breaking Array was shattered in an instant. All six Great Elders were defeated!

After breaking the Six Harmonies Void-breaking Array, Ling Chen didn’t rush to settle things with Dong Shenglong. His figure flashed, and he appeared at Xu Ruoyan’s side. Without a word, he forcefully embraced her and bolted towards the venue’s exit.

"What are you doing? Let me go!" Xu Ruoyan’s pretty face immediately darkened when Ling Chen embraced her without explanation, and she struggled in his arms.

"If you don’t want Sky Void Palace to suffer a bloodbath, you’ll come with me quietly." Ling Chen paid Xu Ruoyan no mind, merely frowning as he continued his charge. This surge of power wouldn’t last long.

"Little Demon, put her down!"

Seeing Ling Chen dare to abduct someone in broad daylight, all the Sky Void Palace Elders and Pupils of Tianxu Palace were enraged. If Xu Ruoyan were taken by Ling Chen today, Sky Void Palace would lose all face; they would likely become the laughingstock of the Martial World forever.

Over a hundred Experts from Sky Void Palace rushed towards Ling Chen, blocking his path.

"Get out of my way!" A murderous glint appeared in Ling Chen’s eyes. He swung the Red Sky Sword in his hand, and a wave of Red Sword Qi swept out, crashing into the crowd of Pupils of Tianxu Palace.

Screams echoed endlessly. With a single sword strike, over a dozen Pupils of Tianxu Palace were killed or injured—either slain on the spot or left with severed limbs. The casualties were grievous.

But even more Experts from Sky Void Palace were rushing in from all directions. Judging by the situation, they intended to use the full strength of their sect to stop Ling Chen.

"Ling Chen, stop at once!" Seeing Ling Chen ruthlessly slaughtering the Pupils of Tianxu Palace, Xu Ruoyan’s pretty face turned deathly pale. "If you don’t stop now, don’t blame me for being merciless!"

"Merciless?" Ling Chen scoffed, a cold sneer on his lips. "Right now, you pose no threat to me at all. If I stop, I’m afraid I’ll be the one dying here. It’s not that I want to kill them, but I have no other choice."

Ling Chen understood this clearly. The feud with Sky Void Palace was already set in stone; it couldn’t be resolved. He only had the time it took for one incense stick to burn. If he couldn’t break through the encirclement within that time, he would undoubtedly die.

"You are no longer the Ling Chen I once knew." Xu Ruoyan’s gaze quickly grew distant, her enchantingly beautiful face seeming as if covered by a layer of frost. She had once held onto a glimmer of hope for Ling Chen, but now she was more convinced than ever that there was no difference between the Ling Chen before her and his demonic mother.

"Of course I’m not," Ling Chen chuckled derisively. "If I were still that innocent boy from before, I’m afraid I would have died several times over. What of the Righteous Path? What of the Demon Way? The Righteous Path is filled with scoundrels. Eventually, you’ll understand that I’m right."

"You’re beyond saving." Xu Ruoyan shook her head. Then, a glint of profound coldness flashed in her eyes. Suddenly, she erupted with an extraordinarily fierce power and broke free from Ling Chen’s grasp.

Startled, Ling Chen hadn’t expected Xu Ruoyan to possess the strength to break free. But in the next instant, an extremely sharp aura assaulted his senses.

Ling Chen’s attention was still focused on the surrounding Experts from Sky Void Palace when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Xu Ruoyan, Cloud and Water Sword in hand, lunging fiercely at him.

SQUELCH!

Ling Chen had no time to dodge. The sword pierced through his True Qi Defense and ruthlessly plunged into his body.

Blood splattered, quickly dyeing Ling Chen’s robes red.

Struck heavily in the abdomen and grievously wounded, Ling Chen staggered, unable to stand straight. He plunged the Red Sky Sword into the ground to support himself, preventing an immediate collapse.

Blood flowed continuously from the wound, pooling on the ground.

PFFT!

Unable to suppress it, he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. Ling Chen’s face was deathly pale; the sword qi from the Cloud and Water Sword had injured his internal organs, inflicting severe wounds.

But compared to the physical trauma, the wound in Ling Chen’s heart was far heavier. He hadn’t expected that he, who had managed to evade Dong Shenglong and the others without a scratch, would be stabbed by Xu Ruoyan.

For whom had he risked everything to come here?He had flown into a rage for a beauty, only to nearly receive a sword through the heart in return.

Truly laughable, utterly laughable...

Amidst his fury, a self-mocking expression appeared on Ling Chen’s face. His gaze, when it fell upon Xu Ruoyan, became significantly more indifferent.

"You just said I’ve changed. Actually, the one who has changed isn’t me, it’s you."

"I truly shouldn’t have come today, because the woman I love... she has changed beyond recognition."

Ling Chen’s voice was almost glacial. "Since you hate me so much, I’ll grant your wish. From this day forward, there will be no more ties between us."

"Marry whomever you wish. It has nothing to do with me."

As Ling Chen finished his last sentence, Xu Ruoyan’s beautiful face turned deathly pale, and her delicate body couldn’t help but tremble.