The Reticent Blade-Chapter 143 - Sword That Rules Heaven and Earth (Part Five)

"Hm?"

Yi Anzhi was shocked by what he heard. The next moment, he felt a surge of force in his hand as Baili Gucheng twisted his sword downward, pushing the soft sword aside.

Yi Anzhi tried to neutralize the force with his sword and was about to go on the offense again, but Baili Gucheng was no longer in front of him.

Baili Gucheng tapped the ground lightly with his toes, soaring into the air as if carried by the wind. Yi Anzhi looked up to see torrents of sword qi gathering around Baili Gucheng, his white hair and robe billowing as he looked down at him from above.

"That's not how you wield a sword."

Baili Gucheng’s voice drifted into Yi Anzhi’s ears. Sword qi began to swirl around the blade in his hand, forming a massive sword of pure sword qi.

Yi Anzhi stabilized himself as he felt an intense surge of pressure. The strong winds generated by the coalescing sword qi

made his robes billow loudly.

He spun his soft sword in a flourish and said, "If a sword can kill, then it is a good sword. Impending Sword, you’re too arrogant. Others may fear your sword qi, but I don’t!"

With that, Yi Anzhi charged into the sky, hoping to reach Baili Gucheng before he could fully gather his sword qi.

Facing the rapidly approaching Yi Anzhi, Baili Gucheng neither dodged nor avoided, only tilting his head slightly as he declared, "So even a firefly dares to challenge the brilliance of the full moon. Now, who’s truly the arrogant one?"

As Yi Anzhi drew close, there was no longer any room to dodge. Baili Gucheng’s eyes suddenly flared, and he brought the giant qi sword down upon Yi Anzhi!

"Today! I’ll show you how to properly wield a sword!"

The silver serpent soft sword and the colossal qi sword collided in an instant. Under the immense pressure, the soft sword in Yi Anzhi’s hand vibrated intensely, letting out a sharp, mournful whine.

Yi Anzhi clenched his teeth, furiously channeling his internal qi, ignoring the incoming sword qi, determined to deliver his thrust!

Boom!

Hisssss—

The sword qi passed through Yi Anzhi and slammed onto the plaza floor, sending dust and stones flying.

At the same time, the silver serpent soft sword pierced through Baili Gucheng’s left shoulder, and a bloody flower bloomed on his white robe.

Qi Zongbi had been watching from a distance all along. He forced his eyes shut as the sword qi crashing into the ground stirred up a massive gust, filling him with astonishment.

Baili Gucheng furrowed his brow, his eyes filled with doubt. In front of him, Yi Anzhi still maintained the posture of his previous thrust. The heroic-looking man's clothes were shredded with various-sized cuts from the sword qi, giving him a somewhat ragged appearance, and traces of blood seeped out from beneath his clothes.

However, this was far from the outcome he had expected.

"Heh... Impending Sword Baili Gucheng..." Yi Anzhi’s eyes still gleamed and he smirked, saying, "I already told you, I don't fear your sword qi. What else do you have?"

Baili Gucheng was genuinely puzzled. He had clearly seen earlier that Yi Anzhi as slippery as an eel. The sword qi seemed to encounter some resistance as it passed through him, sliding right past his body with barely any damage... but if he could truly ignore my sword qi like Alluring Elegy Yang Lu, then where did the wounds on his body come from?

Baili Gucheng didn't understand what was going on, but there was clearly no time for deeper thought. The soft sword was still embedded in his shoulder, and Yi Anzhi flicked it upward, clearly intending to cut through his throat.

Baili Gucheng pulled back, cautiously extending his sheathed sword. Sword qi gathered into a single, star-like point on the sheath, as sharp as any blade.

Yi Anzhi’s soft sword was still stuck in Baili Gucheng’s shoulder. If he tried to attack Baili Gucheng at his current range, he would undoubtedly be struck by Baili Gucheng’s counterattack.

Faced with the sheath aimed at his chest, a flicker of fear passed through Yi Anzhi’s eyes, and he quickly withdrew his soft sword to defend himself.

Baili Gucheng’s attack had merely been a probe. The soft sword barely tapped the sheath, knocking it aside. Seizing the opportunity, Baili Gucheng retreated a step, creating some distance and standing with his sword poised.

Baili Gucheng raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "It seems you’re not as unafraid of sword qi as you claim."

Yi Anzhi steadied himself, giving his soft sword a shake, flicking a few droplets of blood from its blade.

"Impending Sword, don’t waste your breath. It’s yet to be seen who will be victorious."

Baili Gucheng chuckled lightly, a trace of disdain appearing on his face.

A voice came from behind Baili Gucheng.

"He’s not actually unafraid of sword qi."

It was Yang Lu. She had been observing Yi Anzhi from the beginning, and now she finally had her answer.

"I’ve heard there are rumors of a famed swordsman among the Heaven-rankers known as Tranquil Stream Yi Anzhi, an expert who wields a soft sword. Now that I’ve seen him, there is indeed some substance to the rumors."

Baili Gucheng frowned slightly as if somewhat displeased. "He’s also considered a swordsman of note?"

Yang Lu chuckled softly.

"It’s not that he’s fearless of sword qi. It’s simply that he practices the soft sword and has mastered the method of dissipating strength with softness. Nine-tenths of its force is dispersed when your sword qi touches his body, so the remaining portion can’t really harm him."

"But still..." Yang Lu glanced at Yi Anzhi not far away, noticing the gloomy expression on his face, but she continued spilling his secrets without giving him any regard. "But isn't there that saying? Sheer strength can overwhelm any skill."

Yi Anzhi suddenly laughed, looking up at Baili Gucheng. "That girl behind you has a good eye, but it’s a pity. I’m afraid you don’t have the strength to overcome my skill."

"How arrogant." Baili Gucheng frowned slightly. He softly said to Yang Lu, "What are you waiting for?"

Yang Lu was startled to hear this. She understood Baili Gucheng's meaning perfectly. At the moment, Qi Zongbi was standing at the entrance of the Heavenly Divination Shrine by himself.

"Well then..." Yang Lu had been concerned about Baili Gucheng’s injuries, so she had been staying behind him to provide backup. Hearing him urge her on, she bit her lip and said, "Take care, then."

"So fussy," Baili Gucheng murmured quietly.