CHAPTER 501: CHAPTER 428: AN INCH SHORT, AN INCH DANGEROUS!

"Ah!"

Shang Ruyi’s heart was about to leap out of her chest.

Although Yu Wenye’s formidable strength just now was inspiring, Xue Xian truly lived up to Yu Wenquan’s praise of being a "peerlessly brave general," and this person was not just a brute; on the contrary, he had exceptional combat intelligence.

As the saying goes, "An inch longer, an inch stronger." In battle on horseback, long weapons certainly have great destructive power, but Yu Wenye had just stopped two horses, bringing the two men within close range, rendering long weapons impractical while short weapons became advantageous!

An inch shorter, an inch riskier!

His Yanyue Blade suddenly became like an ordinary broadsword at this range, and Yu Wenye’s long-handled Mo Blade couldn’t react in time!

Seeing that the blade was about to pierce Yu Wenye’s chest, someone in the crowd almost screamed.

At that moment, Yu Wenye suddenly leaned aside, stepping on the left stirrup, almost hanging off the horse’s back, narrowly avoiding the strike.

Shang Ruyi immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

But before she could fully exhale, Xue Xian’s missed strike swiftly slipped away, and in an instant, the short weapon turned long again. He reversed it, sweeping toward the back of Yu Wenye’s neck.

However, this time, Yu Wenye’s Mo Blade was swifter than his Yanyue Blade.

As he evaded that perilous thrust, in the split second of passing by Xue Xian, before he could even flip back onto his horse, Yu Wenye ducked his head and thrust his reversely gripped blade toward Xue Xian’s back Life Gate Acupoint!

"General, watch out!"

The Longxi Soldiers behind Yu Wenye, witnessing this scene, shouted in fright, while Xue Xian glimpsed that glint of cold steel in the corner of his eye and hurriedly withdrew his blade to block. With a twist of his wrist, his Yanyue Blade drew a bright arc behind him, with a clear "clang," deflecting Yu Wenye’s Mo Blade.

The Mo Blade grazed the saddle beneath Xue Xian’s seat, carving a notch.

The Longxi Soldiers started cheering loudly.

But just as their cheers began, no one expected that Yu Wenye’s strike was not over. He turned around, his supple waist twisting almost a full circle in the saddle, and with a change of grip, he lashed out from below his left flank, striking again like a snake probing a hole, fiercely aiming once more at the Life Gate Acupoint on Xue Xian’s lower back!

This strike was like lightning!

And Xue Xian was entirely unprepared for such a move!

Hearing the fierce wind behind him, a sense of unprecedented dread descended upon him, his martial instincts guiding him to deftly twirl his Yanyue Blade another half-circle on his wrist.

It was this half-circle that saved his life!

At the moment when the sharp edge of Yu Wenye’s Mo Blade almost pierced his lower back, it just managed to deflect the strike.

Another clear "clang" echoed.

The Mo Blade was beaten down from Xue Xian’s lower back again, etching a long gash into the saddle behind him. The red steed galloped forward two steps, and the two finally passed by each other, their long blades out of reach.

After running several dozen yards, Xue Xian finally stopped.

Cold sweat covered his entire forehead, soaking through the clothes against his skin, and the wind carrying the stench of corpses blew by, sending chills up from the depths of his heart.

He could hardly believe that Yu Wenye possessed such combat prowess.

The two continuous strikes just now not only surprised him but were unlike anything he had encountered in his lifetime of battles. To deliver two consecutive blows in an instant, especially from behind, demonstrated that Yu Wenye’s movement and sword skill were exceptional, with combat wisdom beyond the norm, rivaling anyone—

Even, himself!

Thinking of this, he looked up to see Yu Wenye galloping back towards Fufeng City, holding the reins in one hand, and with the Mo Blade in the other, glistening with a blood-red hue in the sunset, his face still calm and deadly.

But compared to his calm, the crowd behind him was boiling over!

It could be said that the entire Fufeng was boiling over!

Whether it was those forming ranks outside the city, those watching from the city walls, or the distant onlookers within the city, everyone was shouting after witnessing this intense confrontation. They initially had no confidence in this battle, even thinking it would be the end of the entire Fufeng County.

But unexpectedly, this young Great General stood his ground unwaveringly against the mighty executioner Xue Xian.

Not only did he hold his ground, he nearly clinched victory!

And Xue Xian, before him, did not have any advantage!

Thus, the defeat a few days ago was due to Ma Xu’s stubborn arrogance and rash advance, which led to the annihilation of eighty thousand soldiers, but with a strong leader, even Xue Xian was not intimidating!

With these thoughts, the panic in all of Fufeng was transformed.

They were all wildly ecstatic, their eyes reddened, and even the soldiers standing in formation outside the city walls drew their swords, swinging them vigorously, creating a sparkling sea under the setting sun!

Everyone was chanting in unison—

"Great General! Great General! Great General!"

This chorus shook the ground with a slight tremor.

Riding on horseback, Yu Wenye listened to the impassioned cries without the slightest emotion, but at this moment, that hand gripping the Mo Blade, so strong like steel, revealed a faint tremor.

Though it was only the lightest tremor, his blade gleamed brightly.

Facing the sunset, it began to shine immediately.

Seeing the flashing blade light, Shang Ruyi’s heart suddenly sank, standing atop the city wall.

Just now, Yu Wenye blocked Xue Xian’s overwhelmingly fierce strike with a single stroke and even forcibly halted the gallop of two steeds, meaning he single-handedly withstood these three powerful forces, which was nearly human limits.

After such intense exertion, the body must be weak.

And so, his hand holding the blade—

Shang Ruyi’s breathing became more tense. These days, Yu Wenye had been moving from south to north and from east to west, almost without rest. Yu Wenqian and Yu Wenquan prevented him from leading troops to battle, mainly because of his health. Furthermore, from the moment he left Daxing City leading his troops, he had been traveling day and night to Fufeng without sleep!

In such conditions, can he withstand a bloody battle with Xue Xian?

Thinking this, Shang Ruyi tightly gripped the crenel before her, the rough stone wall immediately scraped her fingertips, leaving stark red marks!

Meanwhile, Xue Xian had already noticed the slight tremble of Yu Wenye’s blade in the sunset.

The coldness in his eyes flickered away.

The next moment, Xue Xian swung his blade, spurring his horse to charge at Yu Wenye!