Chapter 63: Your Swordsmanship Is Impressive—It Belongs to Me Now!

A sense of foreboding rose in Xia Jiuxuan's heart. This woman was certainly no weakling.

"Mere clay chickens and mangy dogs—what difference does it make if they're slain or if they flee?" Xia Jiuxuan spoke with an unwavering aura, refusing to show weakness.

"You possess some strength, but it is not enough to support your arrogance," came the reply from within the darkness of the cave, as the silhouette of the woman gradually came into view.

She wore a fiery red gown, tall and slender, her features exquisitely refined—she looked to be about eighteen. Xia Jiuxuan glanced at the girl, then lost all interest. Her looks rivaled those of Li Luoyan, but her bearing fell short. Even when Li Luoyan was drenched and disheveled, Xia Jiuxuan barely spared her a glance; what then of an ordinary woman?

Han Yu, standing nearby, was entirely different. He stared at the approaching girl, his eyes nearly bulging with awe.

"Surrender your sword and destroy your own core," commanded the girl in the red dress, stopping three feet in front of Xia Jiuxuan.

"I've slain so many sword cultivators—aren't you afraid?" Xia Jiuxuan found himself admiring her courage.

"Ridiculous." She smiled with indifference. "You think yourself impressive for killing a few incompetent slave sword cultivators? No wonder—there are so few insightful people in this world."

Xia Jiuxuan laughed as well. What a performance! She dares to speak of insight with him? Her ancestors for a thousand generations would not measure up.

"Why are you laughing? Do you deserve to laugh?" Seeing Xia Jiuxuan's disdainful smile, the girl in red grew angry.

"Don't say I didn't warn you. You're just a first-stage Profound Realm cultivator, so don't throw your life away. Let me tell you a secret: when I kill women, I never show mercy—especially ignorant, arrogant ones," Xia Jiuxuan's expression darkened.

"Teacher, teacher! Perhaps we should explain first, maybe it's all a misunderstanding," Han Yu recovered his composure and quickly stepped forward to intervene.

He straightened himself, brushing off his sleeves, and strode forward with head held high. "I am Han Yu. May I ask the young lady's name?"

"Get lost." The girl in red was utterly unmoved. She had seen too many self-styled gallant sycophants like him; she was long past caring.

"Uh, miss, let me explain—"

Before he could finish, the girl in red flicked her hand, sending out a ripple of force that swept Han Yu off his feet, hurling him away.

Witnessing this, Xia Jiuxuan sighed quietly to himself: a dog can't stop itself from eating filth, especially a sycophant.

"I'll give you one last chance. Leave your sword and destroy your own core—I might spare your life," the girl in red said, her gaze proud and unwavering.

"Heh, you have some skill, but you're not qualified to take my sword," Xia Jiuxuan replied with a cold smile.

When the girl in red had struck just now, Xia Jiuxuan had seen clearly: she possessed an unusual constitution, a rare sword body variant.

No wonder she was so bold for a first-stage Profound Realm cultivator!

"Since you're so ignorant and arrogant, I'll abandon this sword—let it perish with you!" The girl in red made her move. In her pale hand appeared a sword striped in black and white.

"With one sword, I shall execute you!"

She raised her blade, black and white lights swirling along its length, and in the next instant, a blurred shadow launched itself toward Xia Jiuxuan.

"A heavy-veined sword body, the Fiery Departure Sword Technique... so you're a descendant of the Cangwu Sword Abyss," Xia Jiuxuan immediately discerned her origins.

Long ago, in Xia Jiuxuan's world, there was a sword sect known as Cangwu Sword Abyss. Even among martial sanctuaries, it ranked among the top three powers.

The sword cultivators of Cangwu Sword Abyss all possessed unique sword bodies, practicing precisely the Fiery Departure Sword Technique, their combat prowess far surpassing other sword cultivators of the same realm.

The girl's heavy-veined sword body was not bad—she possessed multiple sword veins, and when her cultivation reached unity with the sword, she could create avatars equal in strength to herself.

Clearly, however, she was not advanced enough; the shadow she conjured was only a sword energy phantom.

As for her swordsmanship, it was mediocre.

Of the thirty-three layers of Fiery Departure Sword Technique, she had only grasped three.

Of course, this was from Xia Jiuxuan's perspective; compared to other sword cultivators, the girl in red was certainly a prodigy.

"Sword's Descent!" Xia Jiuxuan uttered softly, and a black broken sword fell into his hand.

He used no flashy moves, simply thrusting his sword forward.

Clang!

The broken sword met the shadow; the two forces confronted each other.

Step, step, step...

Xia Jiuxuan retreated three yards.

The girl's sword phantom, however, did not lose any momentum and pressed forward to attack.

"Hmph, you have some skill, but your sword technique is too low-level," the girl in red was slightly surprised. She had thought her sword would instantly vanquish him, yet he was merely pushed back.

Xia Jiuxuan, unfazed, wielded his broken sword, matching the phantom blow for blow.

Within ten breaths, their swords clashed over a hundred times.

"The Fiery Departure Sword Technique suits me well, though my constitution is lacking—I dare only practice the first two layers for now," Xia Jiuxuan thought. He was in need of a suitable technique, and this one would suffice.

But since it had never caught his eye before, he had no memory of it and would have to learn it anew.

"Still not dead?" Seeing Xia Jiuxuan holding his own against her sword energy phantom, the girl in red grew frustrated, releasing another sword energy shadow.

Now, two sword phantoms assaulted Xia Jiuxuan from both sides.

Xia Jiuxuan possessed the Desolate Body; before he reclaimed his imperial position, he was no different from an ordinary mortal, greatly limiting his abilities.

Moreover, he had not used any sword techniques; under the dual assault, he began to show signs of defeat.

Yet Xia Jiuxuan remained unruffled.

He focused his mind, quickly memorizing the sword techniques and moves of the two phantoms, deducing them in his mind.

He could not deduce them too powerfully, nor too weakly—just slightly stronger than the girl in red would suffice.

Too powerful, his body would not withstand it; too weak, he would lose to her...

Clang, clang!

After half a quarter of an hour, Xia Jiuxuan finally fell, a bloody gash opened on his arm.

The force of the two phantoms' sword intent threw him back, crashing him heavily against an ancient tree.

The girl in red was quite dissatisfied at the sight.

This fellow had managed to withstand her dual sword energy phantoms without dying, leaving her both shocked and furious.

Especially since his sword technique was clearly inferior to hers, yet he had fought her to a standstill—did this mean his talent matched her own?

This, she could not accept.

What she could accept even less was that the boy, though battered, returned with a look of contempt.

"You have some skill. Your sword technique is not bad. I'll take it," Xia Jiuxuan said with a smile.

"???" The girl in red frowned, baffled by his madness.

"I admit I underestimated you, letting you withstand an attack at three-tenths of my strength. No more games—I'll send you on your way," she declared, raising her sword.

In an instant, eight phantoms appeared around her, weaving together in a sinister formation.

"Kill!" she cried, and the eight phantoms charged forward together.

Each used a different sword move, each emanated a distinct sword intent.

"Let's see if your Fiery Departure Sword Technique is stronger, or mine!" Xia Jiuxuan sneered coldly.

He lacked her heavy-veined sword body, but he could compensate with a more perfect Fiery Departure Sword Technique!

"Phantom Fiery Departure Sword!"

Clang, clang, clang...

The sound of swords echoed across the land. Eight pure black sword bodies whirled around him, rotating at dizzying speed.

"You!" The girl in red was shaken to her core, seeing the trajectory of those eight black sword shadows.

How could this man also know the Fiery Departure Sword Technique?

Impossible!

In this humble land of mortal martial arts, how could anyone possess the Fiery Departure Sword Technique?

The Cangwu Sword Abyss had been destroyed for thousands of years; the technique should not have survived!

How could this be?