CHAPTER 350: 304

CRACK—

The dark night sky was illuminated by the glow from alarm fireworks, casting long, narrow shadows of the trees onto the ground.

At the same time, the remaining four from Taihao Mountain sprang into action. Sui Yi’s Sword Qi blazed in her hand. With a backhanded sweep, her blade first shattered several approaching streams of Telekinesis, then repelled a silently thrusting Flying Sword, and finally parried an overhead axe swing.

"Fireflies flickering, causing confusion and disarray."

The Taihao Mountain Martial Artist wielding the giant axe said in a heavy voice, "Your reputation is indeed well-deserved..."

Sui Yi had no intention of engaging in conversation. She stepped forward with her left foot and threw a punch.

The ’Yinghuo’ in her Sword Intent’s name referred to the Yinghuo Star—Mars—so called because it flickers like fire and its position often changes.

Sui Yi’s Yinghuo Sword Intent, in addition to being stern and ruthless, also possessed the quality of unpredictable change. Withered grass and branches can become swords, wind, frost, rain, and snow can become swords, and my own fist... can also be a sword.

BOOM!

Her left fist, crackling with Sword Qi, struck the chest of the Taihao Mountain Martial Artist.

His iron-solid muscles rippled like the surface of water. The massive impact swept through his body, causing his Haotian robe to tear open audibly at the back. His eyes bulged, like a fish out of water.

The Protective Talisman on the back of his hand shone brightly, almost reaching the damage threshold that would automatically trigger his ejection from the trial. However, the others would not give Sui Yi the chance to land a second punch.

The narrow-faced Telekinesis Master, eyes furious and hair standing on end, churned his Qi Sea to pour out Telekinesis, forcefully pulling the Martial Artist from the brink of danger.

The expressionless, square-faced Sword Master brought two fingers together in a Sword Technique and slashed down towards Sui Yi.

WHOOSH—

The sound of something tearing through the air echoed in the forest. The Flying Sword, previously repelled by the distant strike of Yinghuo Sword Qi, now flew back. Along its path, it pierced countless trees and sliced through numerous vines and shrubs, hurtling towards Sui Yi’s neck in a shower of wood splinters.

Its speed was so fast, its Sword Intent so sharp, that when the blade vertically sliced a mosquito flying towards the light, the insect continued forward, oblivious, until its body split in two and fell to the dust.

There’s no retreat, Sui Yi thought, a cruel smile twisting her lips. I can only meet it head-on. She spun her lithe body and thrust her sword back.

The Yinghuo Sword Light converged at the tip of her sword. Unflinching, she aimed directly at the attacking Flying Sword’s edge.

CLANG!!

The two swords collided in mid-air, locked in a stalemate. A shower of brilliant sparks erupted, and the shrill sound of metal scraping against metal grated on the ears. Blade against blade, Sword Intent against Sword Intent.

The Taihao Mountain Sword Master’s face turned pale. His internal organs vibrated violently in sync with the buzzing of his Lifebound Sword, and an unbearable pain shot through his mind as if a white-hot blade had pierced it.

The Yinghuo Sword Intent, like a poisoned flame, burned at his mind and spirit, making it impossible for him to concentrate.

BANG!!!!

The Flying Sword was the first to give way; its tip shattered.

Metal fragments spun away, silently embedding themselves in a colossal tree that would take four or five people to encircle with their arms. Its momentum, still unspent, then split several more trees.

With his Lifebound Sword broken, the square-faced Sword Master felt as if struck by lightning. His Qi Sea churned, and Spiritual Energy surged uncontrollably. Cracks appeared on the fingertips he had formed into the Sword Technique, oozing vivid blood.

"Snap out of it!" Shangguan Yangyao bellowed. He released a faint Haotian Divine Light from his hand, enveloping the Sword Master and pulling his mind back to reality.

However, with a broken Lifebound Sword, even if he could still fight, his combat strength had diminished by at least seventy percent.

"Truly deserving of your reputation: an Academic Palace Patrol from the Supervision Department, wielder of the Yinghuo Sword." Shangguan Yangyao’s expression was grave. Both sides were at a similar cultivation realm, yet despite his side having superior numbers and having laid an ambush, Sui Yi had fought one against five, eliminated one, and severely injured two...

"I initially thought the greatest opponent in this trial would be Prince Yue, Li Hui. I never expected it to be you."

He took a deep breath, clenched his left fist, and held it before him. A faint light glimmered within his fist; the pure and holy Haotian Holy Light was brewing.

"Since that is the case... Your Excellency, please witness my sword..." As Shangguan Yangyao spoke, he reached out with his right hand, grasping the illusory Haotian Holy Light. Inch by inch, he began to draw it from his fist, as if unsheathing a sword hilt.

Sui Yi’s expression turned solemn; she could feel the powerful oppressive force emanating from that Haotian Holy Light. I cannot allow him to draw that sword.

Her mind made up, Sui Yi’s figure vanished, transforming into an afterimage as she shot towards Shangguan Yangyao in the sky.

"Stop her!" The severely injured Sword Master didn’t even need to shout the warning. The Telekinesis Master and the Martial Artist, both still capable of fighting, attacked in unison.

The Telekinesis Master clapped his palms together, creating successive barriers of telekinetic power in the air to hinder Sui Yi’s advance.

The Martial Artist stomped on the ground, leaped high, and swung his huge axe down towards Sui Yi’s head.

Sui Yi neither dodged nor evaded. A perfectly round Sea Shell Bell Bead slipped from her left sleeve into her palm, activated by the fresh blood from a cut on her hand.

A Level 5 Wind Pressure Bead, capable of creating an airflow as powerful as a hurricane.

BOOM—

A spiral airstream rapidly formed beneath Sui Yi’s feet, propelling her forward with sudden acceleration.

"Get out of my way!!" Sui Yi roared, sweeping her sword forward.

Her Yinghuo Sword Qi irresistibly sundered the telekinetic barriers, parried the great axe, and slashed upwards from below, aiming for Shangguan Yangyao.

The sword strike was so swift, so sudden, that even Shangguan Yangyao couldn’t react in time and was forced to draw his sword hurriedly.

Light.

An utterly pure light illuminated the dark, dense forest.

All malevolence scattered, all evil spirits were pacified. The demons and monsters that had sensed the fluctuations of Spiritual Energy, lurking in the shadows and awaiting their chance, all retreated and fled, not daring to look directly at the Haotian Divine Light, which had condensed into the shape of a broken sword.

Sui Yi continued her attack. Her Yinghuo Chixiao sword crossed the vast distance and collided with the Haotian Divine Light.

A dazzling radiance, a fusion of red and white, enveloped the forest. Time itself seemed to slow dramatically. The flying dust, the countless insects scurrying through the layer of fallen leaves, the expressions of shock or panic on everyone’s faces—all froze in that instant.

Then, time resumed its flow.

BOOM—

A visible shockwave radiated outwards from the point of impact between the swords.

Shangguan Yangyao was flung violently backward, crashing through countless trees and branches. The Telekinesis Master and the Martial Artist were also caught by the blast, thrown more than a hundred paces away.

As for Sui Yi, she barely managed to regain her balance in mid-air before landing on one knee. Gripping her Yinghuo Sword—now pitted and riddled with cracks—she stabbed it into the earth. Sparks flew as the blade carved a trench, forcibly halting her momentum just before she slammed into the mountainside.

Her palm trembled, and her breathing was ragged. Sui Yi glanced first at her right hand, where the skin between her thumb and forefinger had ruptured, then at her heavily damaged Yinghuo Sword, her lips tightening.

She knew Shangguan Yangyao was in equally dire straits, but her current reserves in her Qi Sea were insufficient for further battle. Retreat, she decided. First, I need to get out of here, gather more people, then come back and finish them off.

If this had been a straightforward contest of individual skill, Sui Yi, with her typically lazy disposition, might have simply given up and withdrawn from the trial by now. However, the opposing team had resorted to ambushes and plunder. It was likely they would employ the same tactics against her junior brothers and sisters from the Academic Palace.

Whether as a senior sister, an Instructor, or a former Academic Palace Patrol, Sui Yi could not allow such a thing to happen. Leaving is the best option for now...

She scrambled to her feet. Just as she was about to melt into the forest, another Sea Shell Bell Bead, launched from distant bushes, exploded above her head.

A Level 5 Bell Bead—a Repelling Air Pearl, capable of temporarily expelling all air from a designated area, causing any living creatures within to suffocate.

The timing of this Bell Bead’s appearance was too perfect. The air around her vanished in an instant. Sui Yi’s breath caught in her throat. Her already trembling hand failed to maintain its grip on the Yinghuo Sword’s hilt, and the damaged longsword clattered to the ground.

The figure who had launched the Bell Bead, Bian Chenpei, slowly emerged from the bushes. He too was part of Shangguan Yangyao’s team. However, the preceding battle had been so intense that his Rain Listening Realm cultivation had offered him no opportunity to strike; he could only remain hidden, biding his time.

Unexpectedly, his chance had come. Bian Chenpei stepped out from the bushes, his face a mask of malevolence. He hated Li Ang, he hated the Academic Palace, and by extension, he hated this so-called Academic Palace Patrol.

"Die..." Bian Chenpei hissed, clapping his palms together. Twenty daggers shot forth, streaking towards Sui Yi.

If I carve small wounds on her face and hands with these daggers, even if they heal, they’ll leave ugly scars, won’t they? A sinister smile spread across Bian Chenpei’s face, as if he could already envision Sui Yi’s face, marred by bloody gashes.

However...

WHIZ!

A familiar crossbow arrow, wrapped in a talisman, whizzed through the air. It exploded beside Bian Chenpei’s ear, sending him flying.

Li Ang, using the Eagle Mountain Claw to swing through the forest, continued to fire crossbow arrows at Bian Chenpei, suppressing him and preventing him from getting up. Simultaneously, he released his Mind Threads, snagged the kneeling Sui Yi, and pulled her toward him, hoisting her onto his shoulder.

Using the centrifugal force of the grappling hook’s cable, Li Ang swung in a wide arc through the air, carrying Sui Yi as he fled towards the mountain.