Ash Liren’s Dragon Gold Sword slashed down, intending to sever Sauron’s head with a fierce cut.
“Stay your blade!” Sword Venerable Bi Xiao, his body like a shooting star, shot out from within the castle towards Ash Liren’s back.
At this moment, directly stopping Ash Liren’s sword was impossible. He could only employ the strategy of besieging Wei to rescue Zhao.
Sure enough, Ash Liren abruptly turned, facing Bi Xiao’s thrusting sword with a direct strike.
“Clang!”
A piercing clash that nearly drove one mad. A shockwave seemed to explode around them, and all flowers and grass within a hundred zhang radius instantly turned to dust.
Sword Venerable Bi Xiao’s body trembled violently. His treasured sword had been cleanly sliced off by a section. At the same time, his sword together with half an arm froze into ice.
Ash Liren’s sword-wielding hand shook, the sleeve upon it directly shattering, revealing a jade arm whiter than snow.
Instantly, she stared at Bi Xiao in surprise. Almost no one had ever withstood a single move from her. She had not expected to encounter a supreme expert here. She said, “Who are you, sir?”
“Bi Xiao.” Sword Venerable Bi Xiao said.
Ash Liren’s beautiful eyes brightened, as if she had found a worthy hunt. She said, “You are Bi Xiao?”
“I am ashamed.” Bi Xiao said. This Ash Liren before him was at least twenty-some years younger than him. Yet that sword strike just now had been nearly equal to his own.
Ash Liren said, “It is said that your sword is number one in the Raging Wave Kingdom. Today, I shall properly experience it for myself.”
“I dare not. Please instruct me. Miss Ash, you first.” Sword Venerable Bi Xiao said. Then, his broken sword pointed diagonally, bearing the full bearing of a grandmaster.
Ash Liren held her sword and performed a salute. “I have offended.”
“Whoosh…”
She thrust out her first sword.
This sword appeared light and floating, with nothing particularly special about it.
However, the air around her sword blade seemed to be twisted, and the light and shadow in that area were completely distorted.
Sword Venerable Bi Xiao met the sword with his own.
“Clang!”
Another terrifying clash.
“Bang, bang, bang…”
Instantly, all crystal windows within the castle shattered.
And Sauron’s ears felt as if they were about to be completely torn apart, extremely painful.
Finally, under the Demon Star’s desperate devouring, the icy energy upon Sauron’s body had completely disappeared, allowing him to regain movement.
Sauron immediately moved Ye Jingfeng aside. He discovered that her entire body had already frozen stiff, even without breath.
She had no Demon Star within her body, so she could not withstand Ash Liren’s Blue Enchantress throwing weapon.
At this moment, Sorcerer Yaomeng passed over a fiery red medicinal pill, saying, “Have her swallow this.”
Sauron placed the fiery red pill into Ye Jingfeng’s little mouth.
Truly miraculous. A moment later, Ye Jingfeng’s body gradually began to thaw, regaining temperature and breath.
Then, she saw that withered old crone of a sorcerer had actually transformed into a seductive, beautiful woman, and could not help but be astonished.
Sorcerer Yaomeng took out another fiery red pill and rolled it upon the great snake’s head. A moment later, this great snake also gradually thawed.
Sorcerer Yaomeng grasped the snake’s neck and gave it a fierce shake, instantly undoing the dead knot it had tied.
“Go, go. Run as far as you can.” Yaomeng said.
That great snake reluctantly licked Sorcerer Yaomeng’s face once, then fled desperately, instantly vanishing without a trace.
…
Sword Venerable blocked Ash Liren’s second sword. However, the broken sword in his hand instantly shortened by another section.
Ash Liren’s third sword followed immediately.
Still light and floating, appearing to have nothing special about it.
However, the instant it was thrust out, the air where the sword tip passed instantly solidified, turning into countless tiny blue snowflakes floating in the air.
Then, these tiny blue snowflakes were condensed at her sword tip, thrusting fiercely towards Bi Xiao.
Bi Xiao raised a sword flower, spinning rapidly, avoiding direct clash of weapons, attempting to entangle Ash Liren’s sword.
“Clang, clang, clang…”
Another series of clashes so painful they were unbearable.
Sauron wished he could seal his ears tightly shut, but this terrifying sound still madly drilled in.
And at the same time, within a thousand zhang radius, all birds fell like raindrops, dying one after another.
These two supreme experts comparing swords, merely the sound of their clashes, had killed countless living beings.
“Fourth sword!”
“Fifth sword!”
“Sixth sword!”
Their swords interwove and entangled at flying speed.
The Demon Star used all its energy, condensing it within Sauron’s ears to resist the terrifying clash sounds.
Otherwise, Sauron’s eardrums would have been pierced through, turning him deaf.
And Ye Jingfeng’s ears were covered by Sorcerer Yaomeng’s hands. Otherwise, with her cultivation, she could not have withstood it.
In the distance, countless birds and beasts, unable to endure this terrifying sound torture, went mad one after another, charging out from the forest and crashing about wildly.
However, the moment they drew within a dozen or so metres of Bi Xiao and Ash Liren, it was as if they had collided with a terrifying energy shield, shattering into pieces one after another.
“Pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft…”
The area around these two people became a terrifying distorted killing formation.
All living beings that crashed into it were instantly pulverised.
Sauron was completely dumbfounded. This… this was the first time he had witnessed a true duel between supreme experts.
This kind of battle had absolutely no space for any outsider to intervene.
Because the air within a dozen or so metres around them had all become a terrifying energy force field. So long as one’s cultivation did not reach the required level, entering meant death, and death by being pulverised.
Tenth sword.
Bi Xiao’s sword could no longer lock onto Ash Liren’s sword.
“Bang…”
A fierce explosive sound.
Countless tiny blue snowflakes condensed from air, mixed with metal fragments, exploded fiercely. Like a heavenly maiden scattering flowers, they flew out in all directions.
Instantly, the entire castle suffered devastating damage.
The entire walls were riddled with holes. The distant forest, as if swept by a terrifying storm, instantly frosted over. All leaves instantly froze to death.
Countless tree branches shattered and fell one after another.
Sword Venerable Bi Xiao’s figure retreated like lightning. At this moment, the treasured sword in his hand had been reduced to only a hilt, the blade completely ground to dust.
“You cannot block me, Lord Bi Xiao.” Ash Liren said, “Although your sword technique attainment is higher than mine, your sword is inadequate.”
Bi Xiao’s expression was bleak. “Miss Ash’s martial arts are truly… truly world-shaking. Within the entire Raging Wave Kingdom, below fifty years of age, not a single person is your match. Even among known experts capable of fighting you, they can be completely counted on one’s fingers.”
Ash Liren said, “Then do you still wish to block me? Although your sword technique is higher than mine, you no longer have a sword. If you block me again, you might well lose your life.”
“Having accepted someone’s trust, to give up halfway and retreat without fighting truly goes against my nature.” Bi Xiao said.
Sauron took out the sword at his waist, drew it, and tossed it towards Bi Xiao, saying, “Lord Sword Venerable, catch.”
This sword was twisted and ugly. It was precisely Jiang Xue’s Blood Sea Dragon Gold Sword.
However, the moment Sauron’s sword was tossed into mid-air, it was instantly frozen in place.
Sauron stared at this scene in complete disbelief. To fix a sword in mid-air from over a hundred metres away, how had she done it?
Very quickly, Sauron knew how Ash Liren had done it.
She had actually completely frozen and solidified the surrounding air, then locked the sword in place.
For martial arts to reach this level, it was… it was truly defying heaven, completely godlike.
Ash Liren’s delicate body floated lightly, instantly arriving before this treasured sword. Her jade hand opened gently, and this Blood Sea Dragon Gold Sword fell into her grasp.
She gripped it lightly, slightly closing her beautiful eyes, feeling the energy aura within.
A moment later, she opened her eyes and looked towards Sauron, saying, “Where did you get this sword?”
Her words were cold and clear, without deliberate pressure, yet they gave one the feeling of ten thousand zhang of glaciers pressing down.
“A gift from an old friend.” Sauron said.
“What is their name?” Ash Liren asked. Her mental energy completely locked onto the force field around Sauron, grasping his every fluctuation, eliminating any possibility of him lying.
Even, at this moment, if Sauron lied, his entire brain would instantly explode.
This Ash Liren before him, not only were her martial arts shockingly high, but her mental energy was also terrifyingly powerful.
“Jiang Xue.” Sauron said.
Ash Liren’s beautiful eyes contracted. “Where did she give you this sword, and why did she give it to you?”
“Blood Case Lost City.” Sauron said, “Jiang Xue stepped on the Dragon Gold Sword to cross the Blood Sea. As a result, the Dragon Gold Sword was corroded by the Blood Sea, becoming twisted and ugly. He discarded it, and I picked it up unintentionally. Later, after leaving Blood Case Lost City, I could not depart from the barbarian territory. Jiang Xue, upholding human racialist spirit, let me ride his griffin to leave. I returned the sword to him. He said the sword had become ugly and he no longer wanted it. If I needed it, he would give it to me.”
The moment these words were spoken, Ash Liren completely believed.
Because the Jiang Xue she knew was precisely this kind of person, an extreme perfectionist who could not tolerate the slightest flaw.
Sauron said, “Of course, after Lord Bi Xiao has used this sword, I ask Miss Ash to take it back and return it to your master.”
Ash Liren said, “When did you last see Jiang Xue?”
“Roughly three months ago.” Sauron said.
Ash Liren nodded. She tossed the sword lightly, and the Blood Sea Dragon Gold Sword flew directly back into Sauron’s hand.
“Since you are Jiang Xue’s old friend, I shall not make things difficult for you.” Ash Liren said, “You may leave.”
Sauron was taken aback, then bent at the waist in salute. “Many thanks, Miss Ash.”
Ash Liren said, “Lord Bi Xiao, do you still wish to fight me? You may take this Dragon Gold Sword.”
Bi Xiao shook his head. “I shall not fight. I am a generation older than you. Even if I held the Dragon Gold Sword and won by half a move, what meaning would there be? If you see your master, please convey my respects. I had thought that although King Jiang Shang is praised as the world’s number one expert, his martial arts were only limitedly higher than mine. Today’s battle with you has shown me that I was the frog at the bottom of the well.”
Ash Liren said, “Every profession has its speciality. Although Lord Sword Venerable’s dragon power is not peerless, your sword technique is truly top-class in the world. Speaking solely of sword technique, indeed only my master could surpass you.”
“I am ashamed.” Sword Venerable Bi Xiao performed another salute. “Farewell.”
Then, Sword Venerable took Sauron and Ye Jingfeng and departed directly.
“Master.” Ye Jingfeng looked at Sauron pitifully. Her meaning was abundantly clear. She wanted him to save Sorcerer Yaomeng.
Sauron smiled bitterly. This girl truly overestimated him.
Although Ash Liren had spared him, it was entirely for Jiang Xue’s sake. In reality, Jiang Xue and he, Sauron, had virtually no relationship at all.
So, to Ash Liren, Sauron was merely someone she let off with a wave of her hand. In her eyes, Sauron was no different from some random passer-by. Whether to spare his life or kill him casually made absolutely no difference.
Had she not, from beginning to end, not even asked for Sauron’s name once?
Moreover, Sauron had originally intended to kill this sorcerer Yaomeng to silence her, because she knew the absolute secret that he was not Sauron.
Having Ash Liren kill her might well be the best outcome.
Thus, the three departed at the fastest speed.
At this moment, within the shattered sorcerer’s manor, only Ash Liren and Sorcerer Yaomeng remained.
Ash Liren advanced step by step. Wherever her jade feet passed, every inch of ground froze into ice.
“Why?” Ash Liren said, “Ten years ago, why did you not save my husband? We treated you with such great kindness. Why did you not save my husband?”
“I could not save him.” Sorcerer Yaomeng said bitterly.
“Why could you not save him?” Ash Liren said.
Sorcerer Yaomeng said, “If I had saved him, the one who killed your husband would have made me wish I could not live yet could not die. My family, my children, would all die unnatural deaths.”
Ash Liren’s beautiful eyelashes trembled slightly. Who had killed her beloved husband? She did not ask, but she vaguely knew.
“You would rather offend me than offend him?” Ash Liren asked.
Sorcerer Yaomeng nodded. “He is a devil through and through. Offending you, only I myself would die. Offending him, my entire family would die, including my daughter. She was only five years old at the time. Now… she is still in his hands. Miss Ash, how is my daughter now?”
Ash Liren recalled that terrifying scene. A petite, beautiful girl, draped in dog fur, with a dog’s tail inserted into her bottom. Clearly human, yet completely believing herself to be a dog.
“She is well.” Ash Liren spoke a kind lie. Then she said, “Will you end yourself, or shall I do it?”
“I shall do it myself.” Sorcerer Yaomeng said, “These extra ten years I have lived are already a fluke. Now, I shall repay this life to your husband. Miss Ash, please… please show my daughter a little mercy.”
Sorcerer Yaomeng drew a blue dagger, aimed it at her own heart, and thrust down fiercely.
Then, she directly fell to the ground and died.
Ash Liren raised her head, not allowing her tears to fall, thinking of her husband in heaven.
Although he had not the strength to truss a chicken, he was the most profoundly learned person. He was so gentle, so pure. Truly like a wisp of spring breeze, melting her, who was like solid ice.
Now, Yaomeng was dead. But did this count as avenging her husband?
It did not count, did it? On that day, Yaomeng had merely seen death and refused to save.
While the true murderer was… her own younger brother, the heir of the Ash family.
As for why he had killed her husband, she also knew the reason. Because of jealousy, and his terrifying possessiveness.
So, looking at Yaomeng’s corpse on the ground, Ash Liren’s brows still showed no relaxation.
She looked once more, then departed with graceful steps, vanishing without a trace in moments.
Only a cold, mysterious fragrance remained in the air, together with countless tiny blue snowflakes.
…
After Sauron’s trio had walked several dozen li, suddenly Sword Venerable Bi Xiao’s steps staggered. Then, a stream of blood surged from his mouth, unexpectedly dark blue in colour.
“You are injured?” Sauron said in astonishment.
“It is nothing.” Bi Xiao said, “During the battle, the terrifying icy dragon power permeated all the meridians throughout my body. It must be condensed in one place and forced out, otherwise the consequences would be unthinkable.”
Sauron said in shock, “How old is she this year? To actually be this powerful?”
“Thirty-one.” Bi Xiao said, “It has long been rumoured that the Blue Enchantress is invincible in the Western Regions. I had not believed it. Today’s battle is truly shocking.”
Shocking was putting it mildly. It was simply so powerful it made one despair.
“But she said your cultivation was higher than hers.” Sauron said.
“I am only higher than her in sword technique cultivation. But her dragon power is extremely strange. Merely approaching her is enough to injure one.” Bi Xiao said.
And at this moment, teardrops fell one by one from Ye Jingfeng’s eyes. She asked, “Master, then… then is Granny certainly dead for certain?”
Although that withered, ancient old crone was merely Yaomeng’s disguise, and her true self was seductive, enchanting, young, and mature, Ye Jingfeng still instinctively called her Granny.
Sauron nodded. That sorcerer Yaomeng was also strong, but before Ash Liren, she had absolutely no power to resist.
Sauron suddenly asked, “Lord Sword Venerable, Ash Liren said Yaomeng saw her husband dying and refused to save him. What exactly is the truth of this matter?”
Bi Xiao shook his head. “Such secret history, I do not know. However, after you saw Sorcerer Yaomeng’s true face, did you not find it somewhat familiar?”
Sauron was puzzled. Yaomeng without her disguise, restored to her true face, was indeed extremely seductive and beautiful.
But after Ash Liren appeared, all his attention had been captured by this ice mountain goddess. So his memory of Sorcerer Yaomeng’s face had grown somewhat faint.
Unconsciously, his entire mind was filled with Ash Liren’s fragrance and mysterious eyes.
This had nothing to do with feelings, but was a kind of aura. Once Ash Liren appeared, her aura would suppress everyone, making all eyes see only her.
Bi Xiao reminded him, “That day, when Ash Luo kicked away that little beauty dog, did she not resemble Sorcerer Yaomeng?”
This reminder caused Sauron to instantly recall.
More than resembling, they were practically carved from the same mould. That beauty dog’s exquisite little face was almost identical to Yaomeng’s, only a dozen or twenty years younger.
After Sorcerer Yaomeng removed her disguise and restored her true body, she appeared to be at most in her thirties.
That beauty dog girl was Sorcerer Yaomeng’s daughter.
For one’s own daughter to be abused in such a manner, I fear anyone would go completely mad, fighting to the death without rest.
So, Yaomeng and Ash Luo were completely mortal enemies. Thus, the enemy of one’s enemy is a friend.
Sorcerer Yaomeng had changed Sauron’s face and knew his secret. Sauron had wanted to kill her to silence her. But now, there seemed to be another, better way.
“Go, back to the sorcerer’s manor.” Sauron said.
Bi Xiao said, “If we go back now, Yaomeng is likely already dead.”
Sauron said, “No, I feel Yaomeng is not that simple.”
Then, the three swiftly returned to the sorcerer’s manor.
…
And at this moment, Sorcerer Yaomeng, with her chest pierced through, lay motionless on the ground.
And Ash Liren had long since vanished without a trace.
A gust of wind blew. Sorcerer Yaomeng’s body suddenly trembled slightly, then she actually sat up.
She looked painfully at the dagger in her chest, sighed softly, and thought that she would have to change her name and conceal her identity once again. So long as her daughter was not rescued for one day, she could not die for one day.
Why had she not died despite piercing through her own chest?
She had known that one day, Ash Liren would come knocking on her door. So she had been preparing for this day for many years.
She was a genius sorcerer. She had spent five years to forcibly shift the position of her heart by one cun. So the place pierced just now was no longer where the heart was located.
As for stopping her breath and stopping her heartbeat, it was because she had pre-emptively taken some death-feigning medicine.
Her feigned death was perfect and without flaw.
Of course, if she had been facing that beast Ash Luo, she still would not have survived, because that beast would not let even a corpse go.
But Ash Liren was too proud and noble. Seeing that she was dead, she would immediately leave, not even willing to touch the corpse. So Yaomeng was able to escape death.
And just as she climbed up, three figures appeared before her. They were precisely the returning Sauron trio.
Sauron came before her and said, “Yaomeng, swear loyalty to me. In exchange, I shall help you rescue your daughter. Ash Luo and I are similarly irreconcilable enemies, fighting to the death without rest.”
Yaomeng remained still and silent.
Sauron continued, “I shall build you a larger laboratory, satisfying all your research conditions. Moreover, my laboratory will be built in a place no one knows of. Ash Liren will not be able to find you again.”
Instantly, Sorcerer Yaomeng directly knelt prostrate on the ground, kowtowing, “Sorcerer Yaomeng pays respects to Master.”
…
At the same time, within the underground prison cell of the Tianshui City Lord’s residence.
Tu Lingduo stood completely naked before a mirror, looking at the tattoo stretching from her chest to her thigh.
“Sauron, I hate you, I hate you. I shall curse you for my entire life.” She said through gritted teeth.
Then, she suddenly drew a dagger, intending to slash towards her chest and abdomen.
She wanted to mutilate herself, to cut away and mangle this terrifying tattoo while she still lived, even if it would make her body even more ugly and unbearable.