Devour

Chapter 448 Critical moment

"Fellow Daoist is absolutely right." Huang Yunzi's gaze fell on the Flowing Color Sword again, and his tone was gentle. "I have devoted my life to the art of weapon crafting. I see that your spiritual sword is radiant and its forging foundation is excellent, but... it still has the potential to advance. May I have the opportunity to examine it?"

Normally, Xu Buwei would not have been willing to hand over his personal magic treasure to someone else, but now he thought: "Huang Yunzi is the Holy Master of the Lieyan Sect. In terms of status, reputation, skill and knowledge, he is far superior to me, so I cannot offend him. Besides, we are classmates from the academy, so I cannot appear petty."

To maintain the overall situation, Xu Buwei smiled and presented the Flowing Color Sword with both hands, saying, "Master Huang is a master of weapon crafting. His words are precious. It is a great blessing for me to be able to condescend to observe this sword! Please take a look."

"If I may take a look at this sword, I might be able to find some room for improvement and help refine this magical artifact," Huang Yunzi said with a forced, cheerful smile that masked his icy demeanor.

He silently channeled his inner energy, slowly rose, and extended his right hand, secretly calculating: "As long as I obtain the sword, Mr. Bone can store it in the Bone Lotus for suppression and sealing. As for Xu Buwei, he's merely at the Wuwei Realm, utterly vulnerable!"

Just as Huang Yunzi's fingertips were about to touch the sword hilt, a sudden and unexpected change occurred at the critical moment!

"Qiang..."

The Flowing Color Sword seemed startled, emitting a piercing sword cry and trembling violently. It seemed to sense that beneath that dignified exterior lurked the sinister deathly aura of the Bone Emperor Demon Sword Body.

Xu Buwei outwardly maintained a respectful and humble demeanor, but having traveled the world for many years and witnessed countless battles, he immediately sensed danger upon hearing a sharp, piercing sound.

"Come back!" Xu Buwei instinctively activated his divine sense, and the Flowing Color Sword flew into his hand as if it were his own arm.

The lingering tremor of the sword hilt gradually subsided in his palm, but the clear warning and lingering fear had already reached his heart: the opponent was a demonic evil spirit filled with murderous intent!

"You are not Huang Yunzi!" Xu Buwei shouted angrily. With a sudden thought, his sword transformed into a sharp light, and he used the ultimate move of the Ultimate Sword Manual, "Intent Beyond Form".

The longsword whirled and danced, drawing a dazzling arc, its sword energy surging like a torrent, slicing straight at the opponent's outstretched palm.

Huang Yunzi reacted with extraordinary speed, abruptly withdrawing his hand. With a "ripping" sound, a large chunk of the sleeve of his yellow Taoist robe was torn off by the sword blade.

"You ungrateful wretch! I'll give you a quick death, but you won't take it. I'll make sure you die a horrible death!" Huang Yunzi roared in fury, veins bulging on his forehead, and unleashed a swift sword strike with his backhand.

With a crisp "crack," the thick desk separating the two sides was instantly cut into dozens of pieces, the fragments falling to the ground with a clatter, sending scattered pages fluttering and flying in the air.

In an instant, the situation became urgent. Xu Buwei used his sword to protect his entire body and retreated quickly. Then, he became one with his sword, transforming into a streak of rainbow light and flying out of Qingjianlu as if chasing stars and the moon.

"His cultivation is far superior to mine; getting entangled with him will only lead to my death. Regardless of his intentions, it's best to leave!" Xu Buwei acted swiftly, his body moving at the slightest thought.

However, the gap in strength between the two sides is so great that it is like an insurmountable chasm.

"Trying to escape? If I let you get away right under my nose, wouldn't I be three realms above you for nothing!" Huang Yunzi roared in a low voice, his palms circling and drawing out, "Time Flies" surging out with continuous bursts of energy.

The swirling sword energy enveloped the entire room like a net, its power eerie, seemingly reversing time and forcibly forcing Xu Buwei back to his original position. No matter how he charged left or right, he couldn't break through the small study; instead, he was getting closer and closer to Huang Yunzi.

"We have no enmity between us, so why are you forcing me like this?" Xu Buwei asked angrily, already wielding the Flowing Color Sword and spinning wildly to create an impenetrable defensive sword screen to block the opponent's life-sucking, bone-corroding sword intent.

However, all he received in response was Huang Yunzi's sinister laughter and even fiercer attacks. The sword energy of the Flowing Light Sword Technique continuously pierced through Xu Buwei's protective sword barrier, suppressing the brilliance of the Flowing Color Sword and causing it to retreat step by step.

The shadow of death grew ever heavier, like a mountain pressing down, leaving one breathless!

At the critical moment—

"laugh……"

A sudden, soft sound, like tearing silk or shattering jade.

An even sharper, invisible blade of energy suddenly appeared out of nowhere, slashing precisely into the layers of flowing sword energy, splitting the dense sword net in two.

Huang Yunzi's swordplay was flawless, gradually sealing off all of Xu Buwei's escape routes. His sword light followed him like a shadow, aiming straight for his throat, sealing his fate.

But that blade energy, with its unreasonable force, tore open the gate between life and death, giving a glimmer of hope!

Xu Buwei keenly sensed a glimmer of hope amidst despair. Like a drowning man grasping at a lifeline, he frantically burned his true energy, unleashing a resolute sword light that shot out of the window.

"Bang!" He smashed the wooden window, his figure flashed across the inkstone-washing pool like an arrow, and fled desperately towards the opposite bank without looking back.

Seeing his chance to obtain the Pure Yang Sword Bone thwarted and his plans thwarted, Huang Yunzi was furious and shouted, "Who dares to meddle in my business? I'll kill you too!"

With a casual flick of his wrist, he unleashed the "Timeless Flow" technique, his sword energy surging like a river between his fingers, sweeping towards the source of the incoming blade energy.

This sword strike erupted in fury; Huang Yunzi poured out all his power without reservation, determined to destroy the troublemaker along with the nearby houses.

Unexpectedly, the moment the blade energy made contact with the sword technique, it suddenly transformed into a rapidly spinning cross-shaped blade beam, containing a terrifying, continuous force. It was like a deep-sea whirlpool, and its impact carried a monstrous power that could devour everything.

It not only easily submerged the sword aura of "timeless flow," but also swept back with the dissipated sword energy, as if it had a spirit, without affecting any of the surrounding furnishings.

"A master swordsman!" Huang Yunzi was deeply shocked. His pupils shrank, and he tried his best to steady himself, but he couldn't.

His throat tasted sweet, and he almost couldn't help but cough up blood. He forced himself to hold it in, but his face turned ashen. He stumbled backward with each step, sending stone dust flying and leaving footprints a few inches deep on the slate floor.

With the help of the hidden Bone Emperor, Huang Yunzi was able to deflect most of the blade's force and regain his footing. Looking up, he saw that there were already two more people in the room.

It was Cheng Bai who helped Xu Buwei escape danger, with Bei Tingjun standing beside him, watching with a charming smile.

"It's been a long time since Huang Dao has seen you. Do you still remember me?" Cheng Bai smiled slightly, as if the earth-shattering strike just now was merely a casual, childish act.

After Huang Yunzi became a puppet, his impression of Cheng Bai became faint. He circulated his internal energy to calm the turbulent blood and qi within him, took a few breaths, and forced himself to speak: "The affairs of the world are predestined. I have experienced too many storms and have long seen through the complexities of grudges and affections. Why should you be so attached to the details of the past, fellow Daoist?"

Cheng Bai ignored his question and instead leisurely reached out and took out the Blazing Flame Token, waving it at him and asking, "Look, what is this?"

Upon seeing the token, Huang Yunzi trembled, his ashen face flashing with confusion, reminiscence, and rage. He cried out in shock, "This... how could the Fiery Flame Token, the token of our sect's leader, fall into the hands of a scoundrel like you? Return it to me at once!"

Cheng Bai had anticipated such a reaction. Staring into the other person's eyes, his communication technique struck straight to the heart, his words like a heavy hammer: "Do you remember who you are? When, where, and why Huang Yunzi died?"

"How did you die..." Huang Yunzi felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His body stiffened, and he felt dizzy. He felt that there was something extremely terrible in the depths of his heart that he did not want to face. In his haste, he shouted repeatedly, "Shut up... Shut up! Don't say it! Don't say it!"

He covered his ears tightly with both hands, trying to block out the sound that pierced his mind, but to no avail.

Hidden deep within Huang Yunzi's dantian, Bone Emperor, who was closely connected with Bone Lotus, suddenly sensed the puppet's disorder and hurriedly strengthened his control over it, scolding, "Useless trash! You were actually fooled by a few words!"

In an instant, the Bone Emperor's icy will spread throughout Huang Yunzi's body, and his command reverberated through his bones: "The Pure Yang Sword Bone must be obtained. Do not be hindered by this little thief. Go and chase after Xu Buwei!"

As his trembling consciousness was forcefully suppressed, Huang Yunzi stared with bloodshot eyes, not daring to say anything. He turned and rushed to the window, ready to chase after Xu Buwei.

Cheng Bai was not about to let him succeed. He swiftly swung his sword, the chilling sword energy crisscrossing and blocking his path. He said sternly, "Sect Leader Huang, please wait. You have not yet answered my question."

The overwhelming power of the blade tore through space, forcing Huang Yunzi back to his original position in a sorry state. The situation was exactly the same as when he had forced Xu Buwei earlier, but the situation had been reversed, and he was now the one trapped in a small space.

Huang Yunzi was extremely anxious, his veins bulging, and he roared fiercely, "You little rascal! Just because I don't show my power doesn't mean I'm some broken-clawed dragon or a toothless mountain lord!"