Chapter 1866 - 1866: Forceful Strike (Third Update)
Chapter 1866 - 1866: Forceful Strike (Third Update)
Fu Qingping was the first to rush into the courtyard. Not long after he entered, he leaped back out, closely followed by a white-robed Confucian Scholar, naturally, the Executioner Scholar.The Executioner Scholar had been injured by Ye Qing earlier, yet he seemed completely recovered now, as if he had never been hurt. However, upon seeing Fu Qingping, he was visibly shocked and surprised. He was a contemporary of Fu Qingping and clearly knew how powerful Fu Qingping was. Facing such a Peak Master, the pressure on him was immense.
"This person is mine!" Just as the two were ready to make a move, the Bloody Monk suddenly leaped between them. He looked coldly at the Executioner Scholar and said in a deep voice, "Are you the one who injured my Sha Men's people?"
"Who are you?" The Executioner Scholar frowned and asked. He valued Fu Qingping highly, which didn't mean he had to value others. Moreover, he didn't know the Bloody Monk. Like Fu Qingping, he had heard of the Bloody Monk's name but had never seen him, so naturally, he couldn't recognize him.
"Sect Leader of the Sha Men, Bloody Monk!" the Bloody Monk replied coldly.
"Oh, so you are the Bloody Monk." The Executioner Scholar looked the Bloody Monk up and down, sneered coldly, and said, "It was I who injured them, so what?"
"Then your life is forfeit!" With a roar, the Bloody Monk was already in front of the Executioner Scholar, swinging a fierce palm strike at him.
The Executioner Scholar had thought the Bloody Monk's skills were ordinary, not expecting them to be so formidable, catching him completely off guard. As he attempted to dodge, the Bloody Monk was nearly upon him, his palm strike almost landing.
The Executioner Scholar had no time to dodge; he could only raise his hand to block the Bloody Monk's strike. But the Bloody Monk struck with prepared strength, while he was blocking in haste—the outcome was predictable. As palms collided, he involuntarily stepped back, while the Bloody Monk remained unmoved, pouncing on him again.
Startled at the Bloody Monk's formidable skills after just one exchange, the Executioner Scholar's face changed instantly. He prided himself on being powerful, a top figure among the Four Great Villains, hence very arrogant. He hadn't expected to first be thrown by Ye Qing, losing face completely, and now to be pushed back a step by the Bloody Monk—utterly embarrassing.
"You court death!" The Executioner Scholar roared in anger, his gaze chilling as he rushed towards the Bloody Monk.
The Bloody Monk was even more imposing than him, delivering relentless palm strikes, circling the Executioner Scholar with a barrage of more than ten strikes. The Executioner Scholar's speed was formidable too, countering with more than ten strikes, just barely blocking the Bloody Monk's attacks each time. Both now struck with prepared power, and for a moment, they were evenly matched, neither able to overcome the other.
Watching from afar as the Bloody Monk and the Executioner Scholar clashed, Fu Qingping was also somewhat surprised. He was well aware of the Executioner Scholar's strength but hadn't known the Bloody Monk's. He initially approached the Executioner Scholar as he was the strongest, intending to tackle him first. When the Bloody Monk charged to fight the Executioner Scholar, Fu Qingping had planned to intervene, but the Bloody Monk's skill far exceeded his expectations, being able to fight the Executioner Scholar to a standstill—truly formidable.
Originally concerned the Bloody Monk was no match for the Executioner Scholar, Fu Qingping had wanted to replace him in time. Now seeing the Bloody Monk and the Executioner Scholar's strengths were evenly matched, his worries were alleviated.
At this moment, the other three in the courtyard also rushed out. Seeing the skirmish here, those three were also surprised, especially upon discovering Fu Qingping here.
They had lived in seclusion for more than thirty years and were not familiar with the Peak Masters of the younger generation, not holding the later generations' Peak Masters in high regard. However, Fu Qingping was different; they were very familiar with the fame of the Green Reed Swordsman. Having the Green Reed Swordsman here made them uneasy. Moreover, knowing the strength of Helian Tiehua and the Wolf Monk, in a circumstance of three against three, they were now at a disadvantage.
Now, Helian Tiehua brimmed with confidence. Previously falling into a trap had cost them dearly, with three subordinates perishing here, and Helian Tiehua had long been waiting for a chance for revenge. Finally finding the opportunity, he would not be polite.
"I'll take on the Snake Gentleman!" Helian Tiehua declared, charging towards the Snake Gentleman. His three subordinates had been bitten to death by the Snake Gentleman's venomous snakes, so he naturally sought revenge on the Snake Gentleman first.
The Snake Gentleman frowned deeply, seeing Helian Tiehua rushing toward him with no choice but to brace himself and engage Helian Tiehua. The Snake Gentleman's greatest ability was using snakes; although he was also a Peak Master, his personal strength was not very strong. However, in his battle with Helian Tiehua, he called upon nearby venomous snakes to attack Helian Tiehua. With these snakes assisting, he could barely hold Helian Tiehua to a draw.
The Wolf Monk still sought out the Slaughter Venerable. This Slaughter Venerable was expelled from Xiaolin Temple and later committed numerous evil deeds, tarnishing the temple's reputation. The Wolf Monk sought him out with the intention of clearing the sect on behalf of Xiaolin Temple.
The six of them clashed, leaving only Fu Qingping and the Sky-Killing Master on the scene.
Fu Qingping, with a faint smile, looked at the Sky-Killing Master and said, "It seems there's no one else left for us to challenge."
The Sky-Killing Master was the most disheartened, for he and Fu Qingping were contemporaries, and he was acutely aware of Fu Qingping's formidable skill, knowing he was no match. Now with only him and Fu Qingping remaining, he had no choice but to face Fu Qingping — the situation he least wished to encounter. But now, with nothing left but the two of them, what other options did he have?
"Fu Qingping, we've no grudge or enmity, why do you continually seek trouble with us?" the Sky-Killing Master gritted his teeth angrily.
"Someone as vile and wicked as you deserves to be eradicated by all; killing you is an act of justice!" Fu Qingping casually approached the Sky-Killing Master, hands behind his back, as if strolling in a garden, smiling gently, "Acting in the name of justice, is there even a need for personal grudges?"
"How ridiculous!" the Sky-Killing Master said in a deep voice, "We kill people, and it's deemed evil deeds. You come to kill me, and it's justice. Humph, it's all killing but with drastically different treatment in your words. Sounds good, but I see no difference. This so-called justice is merely a grandiose way to describe murder, utterly hypocritical!"
"Real or hypocritical, whether you can escape from my Qingping Sword today will decide your fate. If you can't, then today next year will be your death anniversary!" As he spoke, Fu Qingping had already approached the Sky-Killing Master. Holding the Longsword, without unsheathing it, he directly used the sword scabbard to jab at the major pressure points on the Sky-Killing Master's chest.
The Sky-Killing Master quickly attempted to avoid it, but as he stepped aside, the sword scabbard followed close behind. He turned to the other side, only for the sword scabbard to adjust accordingly, without the slightest discrepancy. It was like a maggot clinging to a bone, no matter where he ran, the sword scabbard was always pursuing him. The Sky-Killing Master simply couldn't evade it, forced to back away desperately to try and create distance. Yet, despite his attempts to flee, the distance between him and the sword scabbard remained unchanged, even the position showed no variation, making it impossible for him to elude the sword scabbard.
Ye Qing had only seen Fu Qingping engage with the Wolf Monk once before, not giving a real sense of Fu Qingping's true abilities. Witnessing the fight between him and the Sky-Killing Master, Ye Qing finally grasped Fu Qingping's prowess. Being esteemed by Helian Tiehua was far from unwarranted. With just a single move, he could force the Sky-Killing Master into a hasty retreat, highlighting the sheer power of his swordsmanship.
Just as the Sky-Killing Master was in a state of utter disarray, a distant Executioner Scholar suddenly yelled, "Big brother, this move is Pingzong Jianying, it's unavoidable, you must face it head-on!"
"Daring to lose focus while fighting me!" the Bloody Monk snarled, striking at the Executioner Scholar's left shoulder with his right palm.
The Executioner Scholar stepped to the right while raising a hand to block Bloody Monk's strike. However, as his hand was only halfway up, he suddenly sensed something amiss with Bloody Monk's force. Fortunately, the Executioner Scholar had great skill and reacted swiftly. He almost instantaneously retracted the step he had taken, returning to his original position.
As he moved back, Bloody Monk's left palm struck the spot he had just stepped from. Had he not retreated in time, the palm strike would have landed squarely on him. Only due to his rapid response did he manage to dodge the blow, though it left him drenched in sweat, recognizing the Bloody Monk's skill far exceeded his estimations. Battling Bloody Monk, he dared not let his concentration falter!
The Sky-Killing Master had never fought Fu Qingping before, naturally unaware of the mysteries of Fu Qingping's swordsmanship. Hearing the Executioner Scholar's shout, he suddenly had a measure of assurance. Seeing the sword scabbard jabbing toward him, he abruptly stopped moving, simultaneously using both palms to strike at the scabbard.
Fu Qingping's sword scabbard thrust forward, but the Sky-Killing Master's palms had just managed to clap onto the scabbard. The jab's force wasn't as strong as the Sky-Killing Master had anticipated, allowing him to directly intercept the move, bringing him some relief.
So it seems Fu Qingping's strength isn't as terrifying as imagined. This move, Pingzong Jianying, appears fast and precise, but the speed comes at the cost of power. While dodging this move is extremely challenging, confronting it head-on with full force proves not as difficult.
Having blocked Fu Qingping's strike, the Sky-Killing Master gained confidence, laughing uproariously, "Fu Qingping, it seems you aren't all that formidable. Hahaha, today, I shall see just how skilled you truly are!"
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