Dao Companion Crippled, Coveters Move

Chapter 445 431: "Is Jiu Peng Sword Immortal's Close Friend, or a Casual Friend?

As an ancient Cultivator from ten thousand years ago, Vortex Daoist was clearly arrogant about coming to an era where Spiritual Qi was in decline. In his view, the older the Cultivator, the more powerful.

But when the Sword Demon Xiao Cang, who came several thousand years after him, appeared, even someone with Vortex Daoist's experience couldn't help but click his tongue in praise for this peerlessly talented Swordman.

In his opinion, there shouldn't be any Cultivators of the same realm in the current era who could surpass that Sword Demon in terms of attack power.

'With me infiltrating and her seizing the Dragon Corpse, we would be unstoppable!'

He just never imagined that when they met again after parting ways... all that was left of her was a shattered long blade!

Vortex Daoist cried out in alarm, about to use his Vortex Power to tear through the twisted void and escape.

Without a doubt, the plan to retrieve the Dragon Corpse had failed!

No wonder the Xuanyuan Dao Sect had only dispatched two Void Refining Cultivators, even though they knew that their group, the Chosen Ones, was coming to seize the Dragon Corpse.

Because one of them... was a Sword Cultivator who defied all common sense!

HUMMM—

A silver light flickered, appearing before Vortex Daoist in the blink of an eye.

Piercing Sword Qi surged forth, bringing the flow of space in that area to a standstill.

"Fellow Daoist, you've injured my senior and my friend, and you've harmed so many of my fellow sect members from the Dao Sect."

"To leave just like that would be rather uncivil, wouldn't it?"

A handsome figure in white robes appeared silently, grasping the trembling Silent Sword.

Pei Yuhang's eyes were frosty and his black hair fluttered gently, but his voice was terrifyingly calm:

"Take one strike from me. If you survive, I'll let you go."

Hearing this, Vortex Daoist's body, which had transformed into a swirling vortex, let out a scornful laugh.

"Do you take me for a fool? You think I'll just stand here and let you strike me?"

Vortex Daoist laughed maniacally, his body spinning wildly like a drill. He actually managed to tear an opening in the space that had been sealed by the Sword Qi.

"My Divine Abilities are strongest when it comes to survival! You can't kill me!"

"Pei Yuhang! Take his head! His core is hidden there!" Jiu shouted fiercely, clutching her wound.

A cold glint flashed in Pei Yuhang's eyes. The Silent Sword suddenly erupted with an eerie, cold blue light. Wherever its edge pointed, the void itself seemed to freeze.

He said softly, "Bai Jingjing already told me... Jiu, you've done well."

Surging Pure Yang True Qi coiled around the Silent Sword. But strangely, the temperature of the Pure Yang True Qi's flame began to drop continuously, eventually transforming into a blue spectral fire with no temperature at all.

This blue spectral fire was neither scorching hot nor freezing cold; it was as intangible as air.

This was the result of Pei Yuhang's special training with Bai Jingjing, which he undertook after dealing with the Dragon Corpse on Tree Sea Dragon Island using the Pure Yang Divine Fire from his Giant Sun Saint Body.

A delicate balance he had found within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Dao.

Pei Yuhang called it "Silent Night Residual Fire."

Until now, Pei Yuhang had only ever considered using it once, when Qing Yueqiu was facing her Nascent Soul Thunder Tribulation. Unfortunately, Yueqiu managed to pass the tribulation on her own, so Pei Yuhang never had the chance to use it.

'Today—I'll use this vortex freak before me as a sacrifice for my sword!'

The moment the thought formed, his sword slashed out.

A silent sword light resembling a blue flame swept past. Wherever it went, space was smoothed over as if by an invisible hand, and even the sound of the wind was annihilated.

Vortex Daoist had just burrowed into the void and had yet to feel a moment of triumph when a chill ran through his body.

He looked down to see the blue spectral flame clinging to his vortex body like a persistent plague, climbing silently. There was no searing pain, no intense heat, only terrifying annihilation—

His body was turning to nothingness, bit by bit!

"No... This is impossible!"

Vortex Daoist finally panicked. He frantically twisted his body with his Vortex Divine Abilities, which should have been able to distort any form of Magic. He tried to shake off the flame, but it was useless.

He shrieked, "What kind of Swordsmanship is this?!"

Pei Yuhang stood with his sword, his expression indifferent. "This strike will see you on your way."

The flames swept over him, and Vortex Daoist's body dissipated like ash, finally revealing a twisted head, its eyes filled with terror.

At that moment, the flames receded, and the supreme Sword Qi mixed within them swept across—

BANG!

The core shattered, and the vortex dissipated.

The world fell silent, with only the soft hum of the Silent Sword echoing for a long time.

Chen Xiuxian watched the back of the White-clothed Sword Immortal and sighed softly.

"To be honest, when Elder Xiao told me my partner would be the Pei Sword Immortal, I underestimated him a little. After all, the Pei Sword Immortal only broke through to the Void Refining realm less than a year ago..."

"But now I see that I was mistaken. I never expected you to have come this far on the Sword Dao."

"It seems these old bones of mine have been completely left in the dust by you youngsters."

Chen Xiuxian's body had reverted from that of a youth to a small, white-haired old man with a youthful face due to his depleted Spiritual Qi. He stroked his snowy-white beard, a self-deprecating yet relieved smile on his face.

Pei Yuhang's toes tapped the ground, and he descended as silently as a snowflake.

When he raised his eyes, his own, as cold and clear as a Cold Pool, met Chen Xiuxian's cloudy but gentle gaze.

He straightened his sleeves and gave a solemn, respectful bow, showing no arrogance for his power or achievements.

"Elder Chen, thank you for buying me time."

As Pei Yuhang spoke, he glanced over at Jiu, who was squatting on the ground from weakness.

Beneath her broken mask, her pale lips were trembling slightly.

When she noticed Pei Yuhang's gaze, her slender fingers frantically fiddled with her scattered hair. She tried to hide the delicate half of her face, unwilling to let him see it clearly. Between the strands of her hair, the tips of her ears, faintly visible, were tinged with a light pink.

A flicker of emotion crossed Pei Yuhang's eyes, but he quickly looked away.

"And thank you, Elder Chen, for protecting my friend."

"A casual friend, or a close one?"

Chen Xiuxian chuckled, stroking his white beard, always one to make a startling remark.

He looked at the suddenly embarrassed Pei Yuhang, waved his hand, and laughed. "Hahaha, don't be so tense. Don't overthink it."

"I'm an old man who has seen the world change time and again. You haven't even lived for 180 years yet, so how are you even more reserved than I am? Hahaha~"

Chen Xiuxian shook his head and turned to look at the other Spirit Wheels, which were battered and scarred from the battle.

"Pei Sword Immortal, this young lady is still seriously injured. Since she's your friend, I'll leave her in your care from now on."

"The other ships are still in chaos. I'll go and comfort our fellow disciples and take stock of the damage."

After speaking, he took a step forward, sending ripples through the air as he vanished from sight.

WHOOSH—

A cool breeze blew past, carrying the scent of smoke from the burning Spirit Wheels in the distance.

Jiu brushed aside the strands of dark hair on her forehead, hiding the unmasked part of her pretty face more tightly.

"Do you need me to support you?"

Pei Yuhang extended a hand to her.

But Jiu just shook her head lightly, then said, trying to act tough:

"No need... I'm not as fragile as you think. I can walk."

As she spoke, she forced her long, slender legs, trembling with weakness, to carry her past Pei Yuhang.

And then, Pei Yuhang swept her into his arms.

"Forget it... You're having too much trouble walking."

"It's better if I support you."

Jiu's limpid eyes trembled. She didn't resist; her ears just turned a deeper shade of red, as if they were about to bleed.