Chapter 95

"Chen'er!" A bald giant launched a surprise attack, and just as the white-robed youth was about to be hit, a startled cry suddenly erupted from the mouth of the black-robed middle-aged man. In the blink of an eye, he took a step forward, his figure instantly shifting, and in a flash, he appeared beside the white-robed youth. △↗

"Roar—"

Almost simultaneously, a roar of a qilin was heard, and a burst of scorching flames appeared. Amidst the blood-red flames, a blood-red long sword emerged from its sheath. As Jiang Chen took a step forward, the sword and he became one, transforming into a streak of blood-red light that pierced the sky.

The black-robed middle-aged man moved incredibly fast, and in a single breath, he grabbed the white-robed youth's shoulder, pulling him back several yards. As the blood-red sword passed by, a light "pfft" sound was heard, and blood splattered into the air.

The bald giant fell to the ground, his eyes wide open with disbelief. His powerful palm strike had clearly been about to hit the white-robed youth, but that last bit of distance seemed like an unbridgeable chasm, cutting off his life.

"You dare to kill one of our Heavenly Gang members? Do you want to die?" Seeing the bald giant fall, the other Heavenly Gang members were stunned for a moment before they erupted in shock and anger.

"You're wrong. It's not that I don't want to live, but that you deserve to die." Jiang Chen's response was a light laugh. Suddenly, a burst of fiery light appeared, and a massive killing intent spread out, overwhelming the sky. Then, the most bloodthirsty and sharp sword light of the Crimson麟 (Lín) appeared, slicing through bodies mercilessly, causing blood to fly and dance in the air, a scene both beautiful and terrifying!

"Run!" In the blink of an eye, most of the Heavenly Gang members were killed. The remaining members had only one thought in their minds, but they were horrified to find that their bodies were restrained by an invisible force. Then, a blood-red long sword, accompanied by scorching flames, sliced through their bodies, causing blood to spurt and fall from the sky. In the endless fear, their shrill screams echoed in the evening breeze, chilling the heart.

"Please, young hero, show mercy!" The black-robed middle-aged man who had saved the white-robed youth shouted, but it was too late. By the time he spoke, the last Heavenly Gang member had already fallen to Jiang Chen's sword, becoming a corpse.

Sheathing his sword, Jiang Chen slowly turned around, ignoring the continuous flow of killing information in his mind. He looked directly at the black-robed middle-aged man and said, "Are you also a member of the Heavenly Gang?"

"No." The black-robed middle-aged man shook his head. "I just thought that with your martial arts, it wouldn't be difficult to drive them away. Why did you have to be so ruthless?"

"Because they deserved to die." Jiang Chen sneered, then looked at the treasure sword in the white-robed youth's hand and sighed, "What a fine sword of righteous energy, but it's a pity." As he spoke, he shouted at the terrified civilians, "Hurry up and leave!"

"Go, go." Although they knew Jiang Chen had saved them, the civilians were too frightened by his fierce appearance when he killed. They wanted to thank him but didn't dare. Hearing Jiang Chen's shout, they instinctively left without a moment's hesitation.

Jiang Chen was originally going to leave, but he stayed because he had already met the person he came to Leyang Town to see.

The white-robed youth waited until the civilians were safely gone before politely asking, "Senior, may I ask why you said it was a pity when you mentioned my treasure sword?"

"A hero's twilight, the sword spirit is lost." Jiang Chen's eyes burned with intensity as he stared at the black-robed middle-aged man. "Senior Wu Ming, do you agree?"

Wu Ming, Wu Ming, the martial arts legend, the Heavenly Sword Wu Ming. He was the person Jiang Chen had come to Leyang Town to see. This legendary expert, who had once defeated the Sword Saint and almost wiped out the ten major sects of Central China with his own hands, was still remembered by countless people even after ten years of silence, and still made countless people tremble with fear!

"Perhaps you have mistaken me. Wu Ming has been dead for many years. I am just an unnamed person." The black-robed middle-aged man said calmly. "As for the hero's sword spirit, I believe as long as there is a trace of righteousness in the world, the hero's sword spirit will never disappear."

Jiang Chen snorted. "The one who wields the sword is no longer a hero. How can the sword in his hand still be called a hero's sword?" As he spoke, he suddenly exerted his strength, and the white-robed youth could no longer hold the treasure sword. It leaped into the air, as if it had a will of its own, and suddenly flew towards the black-robed middle-aged man.

"Hmm?" The black-robed middle-aged man caught the sword, and instantly, the sword let out a long cry, its body trembling as if trying to say something.

"With the hero's sword in your hand, are you not Wu Ming?" Jiang Chen sighed. "It's a pity. Even if you are Wu Ming, you cannot stop the hero's sword spirit from fading. In less than ten years, the hero's sword will break, and it will be unstoppable."

Wu Ming was silent. He looked at the hero's sword in his hand and seemed to hear the sword's lament. Was the hero's sword spirit really about to die?

"Do you know why the hero's sword spirit is fading?" Jiang Chen didn't intend to give Wu Ming a chance to worry. He laughed coldly and answered his own question. "It's not because you slaughtered the experts of the ten major sects, nor because you have left the martial world... It's because you let the Japanese invaders pass through Shanhaiguan. They will surely return and plunge Central China into crisis. It's also because you have lost the determination and ambition of a hero. The sword has lost its heart, how can it live on?"

Hearing this, Wu Ming was taken aback. He hadn't expected Jiang Chen to say such things. However, the beliefs and principles a person holds dear are not easily shaken by a few words. He frowned and replied, "Perhaps what you say is true, but it's too harsh. As the saying goes, 'If you can forgive, do so...'"

"Hah!" Although Jiang Chen had expected this, he couldn't help but laugh lightly, interrupting Wu Ming. "Wu Ming, do you want to know how your wife died?"

"Hmm?!" Hearing this, Wu Ming's entire body trembled. The deepest wound in his heart had been touched, and any transcendence would fall into darkness.

"Come and fight me. Defeat me, and I will tell you the true culprit who killed your wife!" Jiang Chen said coldly, his words tinged with madness. Instantly, a spark of fire appeared, and a terrifying aura burst forth from his body, accompanied by the terrifying roar of a strange beast.

"Very well, as you wish." Feeling the overwhelming aura from Jiang Chen, Wu Ming responded solemnly. The hero's sword in his hand hummed, as if it had come to life, its majestic sword intent stirring the heavens and the earth.

"Very good, no more talk. Let's fight!" Jiang Chen's face twisted into a fierce smile. Flames surged around him, and in a single step, he covered several yards, appearing in front of Wu Ming. With a raise of his hand, the Crimson麟 (Lín) was unsheathed, and a sword thrust aimed directly at Wu Ming's throat.

Even before the sword tip arrived, the sword qi had already burst through the air, and the white-robed youth, watching from the side, was stunned. Although Jiang Chen's attack was aimed at his master, even from outside the battle, he felt as if he were in a sea of fire and hell.

"Clang—"

Feeling the powerful sword strike from Jiang Chen, Wu Ming did not dare to be careless. He took a step forward, and a ripple spread from his feet, as if the entire space was trembling. Then, a merciless sword intent emerged, and the hero's sword's sharp edge met the attack head-on.

The hero's sword and the Crimson麟 (Lín), both holy weapons, clashed with a sharp "clank." The terrifying force exploded, as if a thousand years had passed in an instant, layer upon layer of energy sweeping through the air. The two great experts clashed hundreds of times in a single moment, but the endless killing intent was condensed into a single move.

This was the true confrontation between experts. Life and death, victory and defeat, were decided in a single moment. Strong or weak, life or death, victory or defeat, all could be determined in an instant!