First Immortal of the Sword

itting collision rang out, the sound piercing metal and shattering stone.

The man in hemp clothes retreated several steps backward before finally stabilizing himself.
His energy churned, and his short halberd buzzed and shook.

When he looked at Qing Qin, he saw her standing tall and holding her twin sabers, their energy filling the air around her.
Her bright eyes glinted like blades, beautiful but imposing. 

She’s so strong! Without exception, everyone who witnessed this was stunned.

A Martial Dao Grandmaster, pushed back in a single attack!

Before they fought, Qing Jin’s appearance set her apart from the masses.
If the terrace was a stage, she was the stylish, eye-catching lead actress.

But when she attacked, she was sharp and despotic, attacking in a flash of arced light.
She put many of the men present to shame; they could only sigh over their own inferiority.

“She’s amazing!” Yuan Luoxi’s eyes sparkled as she cried out in excitement.

Clang!

Qing Jin didn’t pause her offensive.
In combat, every inch of her billowed with grim murderous intent, her twin sabers filling the air with illusory red crescent moons, each swing faster and more despotic than the one before.

They weren’t just sharp; they were as domineering as a wildfire!

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Saber clashed against halberd in rapid succession, like the beating of a drum.
The sound echoed throughout the night sky, churning the blood and stinging the ears.

The onlookers watched as fiery blade shadows intercrossed.
Qing Jin perfectly resembled a bolt of lightning, fierce yet intangible.

The man in hemp clothes was forced back several more times.

But he was utterly terrifying too; he was steady as a mountain, with the force of a boulder.
No matter how fierce the sharp storm of cuts was, it had yet to do him any real damage.

Suddenly, his eyes crackled with electricity, and his voice boomed like thunder.
“For someone of the Qi Accumulation Realm to possess such power is terrifying indeed, but alas, you are not fit to provoke a Grandmaster!”

Boom!

He stomped against the deck, and his aura shot up another level.
He suddenly swung his halberd. 

At that moment, it looked as if he were wielding a bolt of black lightning!

Bang!

They clashed, and Qing Jin froze in mid-air before hurtling backward.

This attack had sent her flying!

The entire terrace fell silent.
Even the birds went quiet.

Cheng Wuyong and Zhang Duo’s expressions shifted. This… This is the power of a Grandmaster!

Meanwhile, those on the scholar’s side inwardly sighed in relief.

Just now, Qing Jin’s offensive had been too powerful.
Just watching made their hearts shake with terror and left them barely able to breathe.

Fortunately for them, the tides were starting to turn in their favor!

“Hmph.
It seems that’s all you’ve got.
Time is precious, so I’ll kill you now!” Qing Jin’s bright eyes blazed with killing intent.

She shot forth in a flash, sabers swinging.

But this time, overflowing rosy light surged around her, as if she were the rising sun.
Her glow was particularly dazzling against the night skies.

Yet she simultaneously seemed more ethereal and indistinct, as if she were made of misty clouds.

The true meaning of mist, a power that originates from her bloodline.
It’s this trump card that gives her the confidence to fight Inner Furnace Realm opponents. Su Yi inwardly nodded.
He’d anticipated this development.

But didn’t her foes have trump cards of their own?

After all, they were here to assassinate an imperial prince, and it was obvious that they’d been preparing for this for quite some time.
They had to have more up their sleeves than a single Martial Dao Grandmaster.

Clang!

As Su Yi pondered, the battle erupted once more.

After unleashing the power of her innate talent, the true meaning of mist, Qing Jin’s power noticeably went up a level.
As she fought the enemy Grandmaster, she didn’t just hold her own; she even had a slight advantage.

Their fight drew every eye on the terrace.
Everyone watched nervously.

A moment later—

Traces of blood trickled from the corners of the Grandmaster’s lips.

This scene stunned everyone present.
He was a Martial Dao Grandmaster, yet he’d suffered internal injuries in battle!

But against all expectations, the man in hemp clothes showed no signs of anger or surprise.
Instead, he let out a long sigh.
“Fine.
I agreed to this operation.
Why cling to life any further?”

His voice was melancholy, but as he spoke, his energy seemed to boil like wave-tossed seas.
A destructive aura then spread throughout the terrace.

“A secret art at the expense of your own life?” Qing Jin’s beautiful brow furrowed, her pretty face suddenly solemn.
She attacked with all her might, the Twin Scarlet Moonblades striking like a rain of shooting stars.

Clang!

But after the next startling impact rang out, it was her slender figure that was sent staggering back.
The blood drained from her face, and her bright eyes widened in disbelief. 

In contrast, the man in hemp clothes was like a raging, inextinguishable wildfire.
He gripped his halberd and charged at Qing Jin with the intent to kill.

He was like a demonic god!

Boom!

He waved his halberd, which flashed with bright light, striking like a sudden crack of thunder.

Qing Jin gnashed her teeth, but she didn’t dodge.
She clashed with him head-on.

Bang!

She was sent flying once more, and she coughed up blood.
Her beautiful face was now deathly pale, and her brow contorted in a rare display of shock and anger.

Both the purple-clad youth and Su Yi’s companions felt a chill, and their expressions shifted. 

The scholar and his followers looked on, murderous and ready to strike at any moment.
They planned to seize this opportunity to capture tonight’s main prey.

The hemp-clad man’s indifferent voice resounded throughout the battlefield as he attacked once more.
“A life for a life, a worthy sacrifice!” 

Clang!

He raised his black short halberd, and a limitless flood of staunch baleful energy slashed towards her.

There was nowhere for Qing Jin to run.

His attack looked simple, but it covered all directions, like an inescapable net.
Her only choice was to resist head-on.

A hint of bitterness rose unbidden on her lips. It seems I underestimated how terrifying Grandmasters are….