Chen Ping's Sword-Chapter 61: Primordial Array-Breaking Cone

Zhuang Hongyi’s red robe billowed as she crazily circulated her inner force through her meridians...

The icy cold Qi mechanism condensed into frost around her, and the two broken halves of red silk wove into a layered cocoon in front of her, spinning and entwining to use force to neutralize force.

Bang...

A muffled sound.

The red silk, originally as hard as steel ropes, frantically spun and drilled.

Was smacked down by Chen Ping’s palm print and instantly became limp like a dead snake, no longer able to exert force.

Through the cold inner Qi barrier, a massive shaking force faintly passed through.

Zhuang Hongyi’s entire body shuddered violently, her insides like burning.

She opened her mouth and spat out another mouthful of fresh blood, her body following the motion as she was sent flying.

This time, she couldn’t even borrow any force.

Her Qi mechanism was obstructed, and her body, like a kite with a broken string, was hurled seven or eight zhang away, landing heavily on the grass by the river.

Covered in wet mud, she looked extremely miserable.

Chen Ping withdrew his palm and charged, suppressing his surging Qi and blood, splaying his five fingers, ready to completely subdue Zhuang Hongyi.

He suddenly heard a sigh.

"Sigh..."

By the glittering silver riverside, a shabby wooden boat suddenly moved.

A tall figure, slightly hunched, stepped off the boat.

Though more than ten zhang away, a faint dark shadow was already before him.

’So fast.’

Chen Ping’s right hand had just touched Zhuang Hongyi’s left arm, about to crush it, when he sensed a sharp wind like an arrow reaching his chest.

Without thinking, he withdrew his hand, crossing it before his chest, twisting his feet, and hunkered down.

Boom...

A loud explosion.

His entire body jolted as if electrified, retreating backward three zhang, overturning grass and mud on the ground.

Only then did he hear the faint roar of thunder in his ears.

It was a sword sheath.

Chen Ping saw clearly.

That unclear black shadow he instinctively blocked turned out to be a black wooden sword sheath.

Just from blocking it, countless tiny blood marks appeared on his hands.

Injured by the Qi mechanism.

Moreover, a sharp and solid inner Qi burrowed into his body like earthworms.

His whole body couldn’t help but feel a slight numbness and swelling pain.

"Ah, truly extraordinary, no wonder you’re so audacious."

The hunched figure in gray clothing with a straw hat on his head spoke in a muffled voice, and with a shimmer of green light in his hand, he suddenly became unclear.

Not only was the long sword in his hand unclear, but his body too was hazy and seemed to blend into the wind.

A cold star like a mist silently and abruptly reached Chen Ping’s brow center.

The speed of the attack, the oddness of the sword technique, was clearly several times more formidable than Zhuang Hongyi.

’To think such an elusive expert is protecting Zhuang Hongyi and others.’

With the crisis at hand, Chen Ping could no longer hesitate to spare the scanty, cloud-like inner Qi in his dantian, frantically circulating it, attaching it to his feet and fingertips.

His entire body’s Qi and blood roared, tendons and bones crackling.

Within an instant, his figure grew over ten centimeters taller, becoming more than eight feet, imposing and majestic.

Retreating a step, his figure burst into an illusion while his hands twisted bonelessly, ten fingers in front of his chest like pulling fine threads...

A single thread pulling silk, golden silk entangling.

Screech...

A sharp sword light slashed through the air.

As if cutting into muddy water.

Slowing down in speed simultaneously.

Blood sprayed.

Chen Ping flipped in mid-air, feeling a sudden pain below his collarbone, a "sizzling" sound behind him, as blood sprayed and splattered under the grass.

Even though he reacted quickly, using the release method of "Eight Trigrams Palm" and "Silk Thread Puppetry," he still could not block the casual swing of the sword edge.

The opponent’s inner Qi was as condensed as needles, fundamentally uncontrollable.

The sword aimed at his brow, with his figure suddenly growing taller and sturdier, could only stab below the collarbone.

The residual force invaded, still penetrating his flesh, creating two sword holes.

’Had it not been for [Silk Thread Puppetry] reaching mastery, refining the heart and strengthening the physique, dramatically increasing life force... just this one sword could have rendered me incapable of fighting.’

Feeling the solid inner Qi rampaging wildly within his body, Chen Ping’s heart remained calm as ice, not thinking of escaping anymore.

The opponent’s sword was not only fast but their body technique even faster.

His own half-baked Seven Stars Step, even combined with powerful Qi and blood, couldn’t escape.

Even if evading temporarily, sooner or later he would be caught up.

Better to risk his life while inner Qi still ran, perhaps finding a glimmer of survival.

With thoughts flashing, Chen Ping decided on his strategy, not even steadying his retreating step before the straw hat-clad tall figure appeared ghost-like in front of him, sword light swinging, the sword’s shadow completely indistinguishable.

He could only sense strands of penetrating cold once again reaching between his brows.

This person’s speed and ruthless attacks showed firm murderous intent.

Why the persistent fondness for stabbing the brow?

Chen Ping’s mind briefly lit upon this thought.

Clearly not the time for distraction; his blood simmered like rolling pearls, shielding his face with arms, prepared to take a close-range strike, exchanging injury for injury.

His body bent slightly forward, feeling excruciating pain in his arm, when he heard dragon and tiger roars in his ears.

A figure descended from above, a shadow rushing in like a vast cover.

That was the sword’s shadow.

This sword was broad, colored darkly and mysteriously green-blue; when swung, a fierce wind howled, nearly shattering eardrums.

The straw hat figure’s sword, hidden in the wind, finally showed its true form.

Under the moonlight, it shimmered like autumn water.

Meeting the rumbling slashes of the great sword.

Figures swapped positions rapidly.

Ripples spread.

Fine grass scattered in the air.

Chen Ping found himself blocked behind, unable to intervene.

Now he clearly saw.

The one leaping down from the slope and slashing wildly was a tall sword-shirted woman.

Seeing her the first time, she was silly and confused, tricked into a daze by a group of people.

Seeing her the second time, she escaped from restraint, roaring like a young tiger, killing and rescuing seamlessly.

The third time now, her entire body glowed with black blood markings, wielding a great sword like a siege hammer, uncontrollably smashing.

Even though the straw hat figure’s swift swordsmanship was unparalleled, faced with this unreasonable onslaught, they had no choice but to initially block and endure this fierce attack.

Bang...

In the midst of the great noise.

The sword-shirted woman’s face turned black, her form shuddered, and she was sent flying.

Her wrists burst with blood at the same time, and a bluish sword shirt at the chest showed a reddish damp mark.

Her flying form became lifeless mid-air.

Chen Ping’s heart pounded furiously.

Leaping into the air, he caught the sword-shirted woman, landing into seven phantoms, sprinting toward the wild forest.

Catching a glimpse from the corners of his eyes, the straw hat figure had already withdrawn seven zhang away...their chest garment torn, showing blood backtracked; without giving chase.

"He took my Primordial Array-Breaking Cone, his heart and lungs are injured... won’t catch up quickly. Put me down... immediately flee into the city, seek help at the Primordial Martial Arts Hall, for safety’s sake."

In three sentences, the sword-shirted woman finished breathlessly, her complexion changing from dark to pale.

Such a situation, though Chen Ping hadn’t seen before, he could roughly understand... The opponent’s body Qi and blood scattered, tendons injured, and a sword wound in the Chest; she was seriously injured.

That Primordial Array-Breaking Cone, Chen Ping had perceived somewhat clearly.

After being stabbed, the sword-shirted woman’s entire body surged with Qi and blood, spewing a crimson blood arrow from her mouth that struck the straw hat figure’s chest like light and electricity, knocking them back.

This technique of turning blood into arrows was likely a life-sacrificing skill, weakening and exhausting her after usage.

The straw hat man’s sword technique was formidable, his cultivation deep; though injured, it didn’t seem serious. Soon, after a few breaths, he could give chase.

Carrying someone into the city, slowing down, he would certainly be caught.

However, being told now to put her down, how could he?

Leave her to die on the spot?

Chen Ping shook his head, not only refusing to put down the sword-shirted woman, but also flinging her onto his back with both hands.

Changing direction, he dashed headlong into the thick woods.