Chapter 93

Beside the Leshan Giant Buddha, near the Lingyun Cave, amidst the blazing light and the roaring of the Qilin, Duan Shuai and Jiang Chen, the two greatest swordsmen of the era, engaged in a fierce battle. Their swords, both blood-red, clashed in a contest of human will and swordsmanship.

With the assistance of scales and demonic power, the leader of the Southern Qilin Sword School unleashed the might of the Fire Qilin, as if aided by the demons of heaven and earth, his strength greatly enhanced, slicing through the clouds in one breath.

Tempered in blood and refined by true fire, Jiang Chen wielded his sword, matching the opponent's power with his own. Although the Red Qilin had taken form, the sword qi was sharp and fierce, not a bit inferior to the Fire Qilin.

The two fought faster and faster, their sword lights clashing continuously, creating two blood-red whirlwinds in the air. The sharp sounds of clashing swords echoed in the wind, merging into a continuous sound, but soon stopped abruptly, leaving only the howling wind.

Duan Lang had already retreated outside the battle circle, his eyes wide with surprise. He had not expected the challenger he brought back to be so powerful. He had seen his father fight many experts, but most of them fell after just a few moves. A prolonged battle like today's was indeed rare.

"Boy, what is the origin of the sword in your hand, that it can match my Fire Qilin?!" In the midst of the intense battle, Duan Shuai paused, his body surrounded by blazing light, red and blinding.

"Fire Qilin Erodes the Sun!"

As soon as the sword was unleashed, the blood-red sword light exploded, transforming into a red sun, carrying scorching flames with the power to destroy everything.

"The sword is named Red Qilin, and the way of the sword is the will of heaven." Jiang Chen flipped his sword, the sharp edge of the Red Qilin cutting through the air, creating sharp sword lights. With a "ding" sound, the two swords lightly touched, and immediately, a burst of firelight exploded. In the scorching heat, Jiang Chen's arm trembled, and the sword tip vibrated, gathering all the sword light into one strike, accurately targeting the weakness in Duan Shuai's move.

Duan Shuai was taken aback, not expecting the opponent to so easily break through his Sun-Eroding Sword Technique. A fierce look flashed across his face, and he thrust his sword in a circle, his body following the sword's momentum, turning half an arc, twisting to borrow strength. Amidst the dazzling red light, the sword light exploded, converging into a stream, like a river surging down.

Was the leader of the Southern Qilin Sword School so easy to deal with? Seeing the opponent change his move so quickly, Jiang Chen's eyes flashed with divine light, his clothes fluttering without wind. Then he flipped his sword, forming a massive blood-red sword barrier in front of him. The Fire Qilin sword stream surged, creating layers of firelight, shattering the clouds.

"Clang!"

The two men, two swords, both blood-red and scorching, at the same realm but with different interpretations, clashed in a burst of flame, immediately stirring up a hurricane, sweeping away layers of flames like surging waves, spreading in all directions.

Duan Lang, who was watching with great interest, did not expect the scorching hurricane to blow towards him in an instant. Before he could react, he was swept up, and he couldn't help but cry out, "Father, save me!"

"Bad!" In the midst of the intense battle, Duan Shuai was distracted by his son's cry for help. Jiang Chen had no intention of fighting to the death, so he turned his sword horizontally for one last clash. The intense shock sent them both flying backward. In the split second the battle paused, Duan Shuai rushed forward, catching Duan Lang in mid-air and landing on the ground.

Sheathing his sword, Duan Shuai looked at Jiang Chen with a mix of admiration and wariness, and at the Red Qilin in his hand. He let out a light hum and said, "Brother Jiang, to have such cultivation and swordsmanship at your young age is truly remarkable!"

He was the most outstanding swordsman in the martial world since Wu Ming and the Sword Saint, always proud. Speaking like this was already the highest praise he could give. In the previous clash, he had clearly understood that although Jiang Chen was slightly inferior in realm, his internal strength and swordsmanship were not inferior to his own. There was even a vast potential that made him wary, and the sword in Jiang Chen's hand was not inferior to his Fire Qilin Sword.

To be honest, from the moment they first clashed, he had noticed that Jiang Chen's Red Qilin Sword was very similar to his Fire Qilin Sword. Of course, this was not in terms of appearance but in the essence of the sword, the demonic and scorching sword power, as if they came from the same source.

"Predecessor, you flatter me." Jiang Chen sheathed his sword and smiled. This battle had given him more insights than Duan Shuai, and he had a clearer understanding of the power levels in the world of风云 (Feng Yun) and a better grasp of his own strength.

Without engaging in a life-or-death battle, he was now on par with the leader of the Southern Qilin Sword School, Duan Shuai, and the Northern Drinking Mad Saber, Nie Renwang. Although they were at the peak of the current martial world, if it were ten or twenty years later, they would probably just be cannon fodder.

Of course, different worlds had different power levels. Even at the same fifth stage, the strength of martial artists in different worlds varied. For example, Jiang Chen was currently just a mid-to-lower level in the world of Feng Yun, but in a world like "The Return of the Condor Heroes," he could be the invincible first under heaven.

In fact, even with the Immortal Demon Body and the Blood Bodhi, Jiang Chen did not expect to become an invincible supreme master overnight. So, defeating Di Shitian and trampling Xiao Sanxiao were still distant dreams for him.

"Your swordsmanship is not inferior to mine, so how can you say I am flattering you?" Duan Shuai said, not denying it. "Humility is a good thing, but excessive humility is hypocrisy."

"Hah!" Hearing this, Jiang Chen was taken aback, then laughed lightly. "Predecessor, your words make me seem too pretentious. Today's battle, though we did not determine a winner, was still very satisfying. If there is another opportunity, we will continue this battle and decide the winner."

"Good." Duan Shuai nodded, then asked curiously, "Brother Jiang, may I ask if your Red Qilin Sword has any connection to the Fire Qilin in Lingyun Cave?"

"Indeed." Jiang Chen smiled and replied, "As you said, my Red Qilin Sword was forged with the blood of the Fire Qilin from Lingyun Cave, giving it its current power."

"Indeed!" Although he had expected it, Duan Shuai was still shocked. Then he laughed bitterly, "So, Brother Jiang's Red Qilin Sword has a deep connection with my Duan family's Fire Qilin Sword."

"Oh?" Jiang Chen smiled and asked, "Please, Predecessor, tell me more."

"To explain this, we need to go back to my ancestor, Zhengxian Gong." Duan Shuai said with pride, "When my ancestor heard that the Fire Qilin was causing harm, he decided to eliminate it. He fought the Fire Qilin in Lingyun Cave and cut off a piece of its scale. The Fire Qilin was severely injured and fled into the depths of the cave. My ancestor, seeing that the Fire Qilin's scale was impervious to weapons and very mysterious, embedded it into his own sword, creating the Fire Qilin Sword."

At this point, he sighed, "My ancestor did not expect that the Fire Qilin's scale would have such a miraculous effect, greatly enhancing the power of the sword wielder. He further deduced that the Fire Qilin's flesh and blood could transform a person, increasing their power a hundredfold. Unfortunately, he explored Lingyun Cave many times but never found the Fire Qilin again, and he died in frustration. For this reason, he left a family legacy, instructing us to eliminate the Fire Qilin, obtain its blood, and promote the Duan family."

Hearing this, Jiang Chen couldn't help but sneer inwardly. Obtaining the Fire Qilin's blood to promote the Duan family? The moment you swallow the Fire Qilin's blood, you will go mad! This was evident from the Nie family. If it weren't for Nie Ying's extraordinary talent and the creation of the Ice Heart Technique to suppress the madness of the Qilin blood, the Nie family would have long ceased to exist.

As for himself, if it weren't for the Immortal Demon Body and the Netherworld Soul Refinement Technique, as well as the Blood Bodhi and the Ice Heart Technique from the Nie family, he would have gone mad long ago. Even so, after more than a month of intense cultivation, he had only managed to initially refine the Qilin blood. It would take much more time to fully succeed.

At this moment, Duan Shuai said, "Brother Jiang, although we are just acquaintances, we are friends. Would you be willing to tell me the whereabouts of the Fire Qilin?"

"This..." Jiang Chen hesitated for a moment, then laughed bitterly, "It's not that I am unwilling, but I truly do not know the whereabouts of the Fire Qilin. The paths in Lingyun Cave are winding and irregular, and I only encountered it by chance. Finding the Fire Qilin again would be as difficult as climbing to the heavens."

Hearing this, Duan Shuai was greatly disappointed, but he knew that Jiang Chen's words were mostly true, so he did not blame him. However, his words were tinged with disappointment, "What a pity."

Pity? Pity what? Do you really want to fight the Fire Qilin? Not to belittle you, but even two of you together might not be able to defeat the Fire Qilin! Recalling the battle, Jiang Chen still felt a lingering fear. If it weren't for a series of coincidences, he would have already become Qilin dung. Seeing Duan Shuai's eager expression, he didn't want to discourage him and could only shake his head helplessly.

"Sorry, I couldn't help you, Predecessor. I have important matters to attend to, so I must take my leave." As he spoke, Jiang Chen patted Duan Lang's head and smiled, "Little Duan Lang, practice hard. Next time we meet, I will give you a great gift." Without waiting for Duan Shuai to say anything, he suddenly leaped away, disappearing from the sight of Duan Shuai and Duan Lang in an instant.

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