Chapter 78

Yue Fangxing saw Linghuchong drenched in sweat and knew that he had just fought fiercely with Feng Buping and Cong Buqi. Although he had not used his internal energy, his physical strength had been significantly depleted. He wanted to move forward with the others from the Huashan Sect to protect Linghuchong.

Before he could move, another change occurred in the scene. Linghuchong, holding a long sword, suddenly thrust it out. The tip of the sword trembled as it aimed at the eyes of the twelve people. The twelve, who had been surrounding Linghuchong, could not avoid it in time. Only the cries of "Ah!" "Ouch!" "Oh!" filled the air, followed by the clattering of various weapons falling to the ground. In an instant, the twenty-four eyes of the twelve masked men were all pierced by Linghuchong's swift and unparalleled technique.

Seeing Linghuchong's sword skills so miraculous, the Huashan Sect members were stunned. Even Yue Fangxing, who had read about this in books, was amazed to see it in person. These twelve men were not ordinary fighters; they had been slightly dominant in the earlier struggle with the Huashan Sect. Now, they were all disabled by a single move from Linghuchong, which was truly unbelievable. Even with Yue Fangxing's keen eyesight, he could not understand the subtleties of that move.

The technique Linghuchong used was the Arrow-Breaking Stance of the Nine Swords of Dugu. When perfected, this stance can simultaneously deflect hundreds of projectiles. If there is even a slight mistake, the enemy's projectile could hit you. Seeing the twenty-four eyes of the twelve men gleaming through the holes in their masks, like the eyes of fierce beasts filled with viciousness, Linghuchong suddenly thought of this move. He tried it and succeeded, blinding all twelve men in one go.

After the thrust, Linghuchong immediately broke through the crowd. This move had taken a lot out of him. His face turned pale, his body swayed, and he fell to the ground with a thud.

This sudden event shocked the Huashan Sect members. They looked at the twelve masked men, each pressing their hands to their eyes, blood seeping through their fingers. Some crouched on the ground, some screamed loudly, and others rolled in the mud, causing them to be even more terrified.

Yue Fangxing shouted, "All junior brothers, the senior brother has injured the enemies. Quickly subdue them and find out their background." He then instructed Yue Lingshan and Lu Dayou to take care of Linghuchong.

Seeing their senior brother's prowess and the injured enemies, the Huashan Sect disciples naturally did not want to be outdone. They immediately raised their swords and surrounded the twelve men. Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze, being well-known figures in the martial world, did not want to join their disciples in a group attack on the injured, so they just watched from the side.

The twelve masked men, suddenly plunged into darkness and suffering intense pain in their eyes, panicked and began to cry out, moving about aimlessly like headless flies, unsure of what to do. Hearing Yue Fangxing's voice, they realized he was directing the Huashan Sect disciples to attack them. Thinking they had no chance of survival, their anger surged, and they raised their weapons, attacking the source of the voice in unison.

Yue Fangxing swung his heavy sword to block the attacks of a few of them. Taking advantage of their blindness, he charged into the group, attacking left and right to confuse their judgment. However, he did not want to kill them, as he wanted to leave them for his junior brothers to practice on. He only injured a few of their hands and feet, preventing them from fully utilizing their strength.

The Huashan Sect disciples then surrounded the group, and Yue Fangxing stepped back to direct the attack from the outside, avoiding a chaotic melee and instead using the opportunity to practice their coordinated attack techniques.

In no time, seven or eight of the twelve men were dead under the Huashan Sect's attack. The remaining few, realizing the situation, huddled together under the old man's command, no longer attacking blindly but only retaliating when they heard movement. Their martial skills were high, and a few Huashan Sect disciples were injured due to a moment's carelessness.

Seeing this, Yue Fangxing frowned. The remaining few were quite skilled, especially the old man, who might have been a match for him if not injured. If they adapted, they might escape, which would be a great embarrassment to the Huashan Sect. He realized they were using sound to judge their surroundings and remembered a sword technique he had learned recently that would be perfect for this situation.

Yue Fangxing put down his heavy sword and took a sharp sword from a nearby Huashan Sect disciple. With a swift movement, he thrust the sword at the old man. The move was unremarkable, but it was silent and used the principles of the Xiyi Sword Technique.

Despite his high level of skill, the old man, relying solely on sound, had no reaction to this move. By the time he sensed the danger, Yue Fangxing had already severed his wrist, causing his weapon to fall and him to scream in pain.

Seeing this method work, Yue Fangxing did not hesitate. In a series of swift movements, he severed the tendons in the remaining men's hands and feet, leaving them unable to move.

Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze exchanged glances, both feeling greatly relieved. The other Huashan Sect disciples also realized the effectiveness of the Xiyi Sword Technique. Even if the men's eyes were intact, they would have found it difficult to defend against such a silent and stealthy technique in the dark. However, their mastery of the Xiyi Sword Technique was not as refined, and they could only admire it from afar.

The Huashan Sect members then restrained the remaining men and were about to interrogate them when the sound of hooves approached the temple, growing louder. They exchanged worried glances, wondering why so many things were happening tonight. Could it be a follow-up from the masked men?

As they pondered, the hooves stopped outside the temple. A voice called out, "Is the Huashan Sect's Master Yue here?"

Yue Buqun replied loudly, "It's Brother Tang. I am here." Recognizing Tang Ying'e's voice, the others breathed a sigh of relief but were also puzzled: Why had the Songshan Sect returned?

Tang Ying'e and the others entered the temple and saw the bodies of the masked men on the ground and a few more lying incapacitated. They were secretly alarmed: The Huashan Sect was truly formidable, having killed so many and subdued a few in just a short time.

He discreetly signaled to a few others and said, "Brother Yue, these people are ungrateful and have designs on the Five Mountains Sword Sect. Why keep them? I will take the liberty of disposing of them for you." As he spoke, he moved his right hand, and several tiny projectiles flew through the air, aiming at the men on the ground.

Yue Fangxing, standing nearby, reacted without hesitation, swinging his long sword to deflect the projectiles with a series of "ding ding dong dong" sounds. However, before the sound had faded, several thuds were heard, and the men on the ground fell lifeless. It turned out that two more directions had also launched projectiles, killing the men.

These were the actions of Ding Mian and Lu Bai. The nearby Huashan Sect disciples, lacking the necessary skill, did not react in time and could only watch as the projectiles struck the men. The men on the ground did not even groan before they died.

Yue Fangxing was immediately furious. He had carefully kept these men to interrogate them, but now they were killed by the Songshan Sect, clearly to cover up their tracks. He angrily asked, "What is the meaning of this, Uncles?"

Tang Ying'e was surprised and said, "The Five Mountains Sword Sect is one family. We were helping the Huashan Sect, but we almost injured our nephew. This is my fault, and I apologize." He bowed repeatedly.

Yue Fangxing was speechless. Everyone knew the men were already subdued, and the Songshan Sect's actions were clearly a distortion of the truth. However, as a junior, he could not argue with a senior.

At this moment, Yue Buqun said, "I am deeply grateful for the Songshan Sect's assistance. Is there anything else, Brothers?" His words were ostensibly grateful, but his tone clearly indicated that he wanted them to leave. The Five Mountains Sword Sect was one family, but the Songshan Sect's earlier departure and sudden return to cover up the truth was obvious to even a fool.

Tang Ying'e replied, "There is one matter to trouble Master Yue. News from Fujian states that the Northern Ming Camel, Mu Gaofeng, has obtained a piece of the 'Evil-Dispelling Sword Manual' and has greatly increased his strength. He is now seizing other pieces of the manual, killing many martial artists. Master Zuo is concerned about the chaos he may cause and has asked us to head to Fujian quickly."

Yue Buqun pondered for a moment. Left Lengchan had first used the Sword Sect to challenge his position and then sent these fifteen masked men to attack. Although he did not know their exact background, the actions of Ding Mian and the others suggested a connection to the Songshan Sect. However, as the leader of the Five Mountains, and with the Songshan Sect's power, he could not openly confront them. After some thought, he agreed.

Seeing this, Tang Ying'e and the others led the Songshan Sect members away, leaving only the Huashan Sect members in the temple.