173: Broken Sword Sect blocked the way

Chiyan Mountain was located one hundred and twenty miles southwest of Iron Rock City. Though called a mountain, it was actually a cluster of heavily weathered, reddish-brown rock Peaks, resembling scars left on the earth after being scorched by fire.

Chen Linsheng followed the map, heading all the way southwest after leaving Iron Rock City.

At first, there was still a faint dirt road trodden by merchant caravans, but after traveling thirty miles, the road completely disappeared into continuous sand dunes and gravel beaches.

Only two colors remained between heaven and earth: the gray-blue sky above, polished white by wind and sand, and the boundless gray-yellow earth beneath his feet. Occasionally, a few clumps of camel thorn or sea buckthorn trembled in the dry wind, the only traces of life in this dead silence.

The wind waxed and waned, picking up fine sand that rustled against his sand mask.

Chen Linsheng had already put on crystal goggles, so his vision was unaffected.

The Date-Red Horse was indeed a fine steed of the North; it remained steady even when treading on soft sand, though its speed slowed considerably.

Every half hour, he would take out a compass to check his direction, adjusting his route against the topographical landmarks on the map.

After traveling like this for an entire day, at sunset, he was still about forty miles from Chiyan Mountain. Chen Linsheng found a leeward hollow in a rock wall, intending to spend the night there.

Just as he removed the saddle, the faint sound of clashing weapons and shouting suddenly came from the distance!

The sounds came from the northwest, separated by two sand dunes, drifting intermittently through the wind.

Chen Linsheng frowned slightly and listened intently.

The extraordinary hearing brought by Tracking Perfection captured those sounds clearly:

"You Broken Sword Sect scum! You're bullying us with numbers, what kind of heroes are you!"

"Heh heh, in the middle of this desolate wilderness, who's going to talk to you about being a hero? Hand over that 'red fire crystal' and we'll leave your corpse intact!"

"In your dreams!"

"Then don't blame us for being ruthless! Form the array!"

Then came the more intense clashing of metal, interspersed with screams and angry curses.

Chen Linsheng remained expressionless.

In the borderlands, killing people to seize treasure was all too common. He had no intention of getting involved.

However, just as he leaned down again, preparing to light a fire to boil water—

"Da-da-da..."

The rapid sound of horse hooves approached from afar, charging straight toward his leeward hollow!

Chen Linsheng looked up.

He saw five Northern Horses rushing frantically from behind a sand dune, the riders all wounded and their clothes stained with blood. Leading them was a middle-aged man; a deep, bone-deep wound on his left arm was still seeping blood, and his face was deathly pale.

Behind them, more than ten black-clad Martial Artists were in hot pursuit, their horses' hooves kicking up rolling yellow sand.

"There's someone ahead! Stop him!" Among the black-clad Martial Artists, a youth who looked like a leader shouted sharply.

The five riders had originally intended to bypass the hollow from the side, but they paused upon hearing the shout. The middle-aged man looked at Chen Linsheng, hesitation flashing in his eyes, but seeing the black-clad pursuers upon them, he gritted his teeth and actually turned his horse, charging toward Chen Linsheng's position!

He clearly wanted to divert the trouble toward him, or... drag someone down with them.

Chen Linsheng's eyes turned cold.

He had already retreated into the shadow of the rock wall, and the Date-Red Horse was tied in a corner. Now, seeing the five riders charging toward him, he no longer tried to hide.

His right hand swept across his waist, and three hard gravel stones he had picked up earlier in the Gobi were now in his palm.

His wrist flicked!

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

The sound of breaking air was sharp!

Three stones struck the front hoof joints of the leading three horses with unerring precision!

Hee-hee-hee—!

The horses cried out in pain, their front hooves buckling as they crashed to the ground! Caught off guard, the three riders tumbled to the earth in a pathetic heap.

The two riders behind them hastily reined in their horses, looking at Chen Linsheng with uncertainty and alarm.

During this moment of delay, the ten or so black-clad Martial Artists from behind had already caught up, blocking the exit of the hollow in a fan-shaped formation.

"Good technique!" The leading youth rode forward; he was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a narrow face, extremely thin lips, and arrogant eyes. He wore black martial attire with silver broken sword patterns embroidered on the cuffs. A peculiarly styled longsword hung at his waist—the blade was actually broken from the middle; it only had the front half of the edge, while the back half was a rough break that had been polished to be exceptionally sharp, making it a strange weapon, a "Broken Sword."

The youth's gaze swept over the three men struggling to their feet on the ground, then turned to Chen Linsheng, a cold smile curling his lips. "Your Excellency is quite alert. But since you've stumbled upon this, you might as well stay behind too."

Chen Linsheng said indifferently, "I'm just passing through; it has nothing to do with you."

"Nothing to do with us?" The youth sneered. "In this Gobi of Death, anyone who encounters our 'Broken Sword Sect' on business has only two paths—either join us, or die."

The black-clad Martial Artists behind him all took a step forward, hands on their sword hilts, radiating Killing Intent.

The middle-aged man on the ground had climbed up by now. Enduring the pain, he cupped his fists and said, "Brother, I'm sorry! I've dragged you into this! These beasts from the Broken Sword Sect killed seven of our brothers for a single red fire crystal! If you have the means, run!"

The Broken Sword Sect youth sneered, "Run? No one is leaving today."

He raised the broken sword in his hand; the blade gleamed with a faint blue luster under the dim twilight sky, clearly coated in poison.

"Kid, seeing as your hidden weapon skills just now weren't bad, if you kneel and kowtow three times, then offer up your mount and luggage, this Young Master might consider taking you as a slave and sparing your life."

Chen Linsheng didn't even lift his eyelids; he only lightly patted the neck of the Date-Red Horse to signal it to be quiet.

This dismissive attitude completely enraged the youth.

"Courting death!" The youth's face darkened. "Go! Dead or alive, it doesn't matter!"

Four black-clad Martial Artists lunged forward at the command. Their broken swords unsheathed, the sword light flickered like a venomous snake's tongue, attacking Chen Linsheng's upper, middle, and lower sections simultaneously! Their sword techniques were tricky and ruthless, specifically targeting joints and vital points, and they coordinated with seamless rapport, clearly accustomed to combined attacks.

Chen Linsheng moved.

He did not draw his sword, nor did he even use his palms.

At the instant the four broken swords neared his body, his Crane Ape Illusory Wind Steps unfolded. His figure became like willow catkins in the wind; with a light sway, he slid through the gaps between the four streaks of sword light!

At the same time, his right fingers hooked like claws and shot out like lightning!

"Crack!" "Crack!" "Crack!" "Crack!"

Four crisp sounds rang out almost simultaneously!

The four Martial Artists felt a sharp pain in their wrists, and the broken swords in their hands were already flying out! Chen Linsheng's fingers had brushed accurately over their wrist joints, and with his strength penetrating through, he instantly dislocated their joints!

The four men screamed as they retreated, clutching their wrists, cold sweat pouring down.

The Broken Sword Sect youth's pupils constricted.

One can tell an expert's skill the moment they move. That move just now seemed simple, but in reality, it required a mastery of timing, distance, and power that was absolute!

"Interesting." The youth's eyes were sinister. "It seems you're a tough nut to crack. Everyone, together!"

The remaining seven or eight black-clad Martial Artists, along with the youth, lunged forward at once!

Sword light formed a net, shrouding Chen Linsheng.

Chen Linsheng finally drew his sword.

The iron sword left its scabbard with a clear dragon's roar!

He did not use any fancy sword techniques, only the simplest and most direct moves—stabbing, hacking, lifting, and parrying.

But every strike accurately tapped the weakest point of the opponent's sword momentum, and every strike carried the spiral penetrating power of Python Dragon Strength.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Puchi!

The clashing of metal and the sound of sharp blades entering flesh rang out in succession!

In a single exchange, three black-clad Martial Artists were struck in the throat and fell dead; two had their wrists slashed and retreated howling; another was struck in the chest by the flat of the sword, his ribs shattering as he flew back spitting blood.

Chen Linsheng's figure wove through the sword net as if moving through an uninhabited land.

The Broken Sword Sect youth was both shocked and furious. With a sharp shout, the broken sword in his hand suddenly erupted with a faint blue light, its speed surging as it turned into a blue screen of light, enveloping Chen Linsheng's major acupoints!

This was the killing move of the Soul-Breaking Sword Technique he had painstakingly cultivated—"Spectral Soul-Breaking"!

Before the sword even arrived, a cold and foul-smelling Sword Qi rushed toward his face; clearly, the poison on the sword was no small matter.

Chen Linsheng's eyes narrowed slightly.

This youth was already at the Peak of the Flesh Refining Realm, with half a foot in the Jiaojin Realm. His sword technique was venomous and not to be underestimated.

He no longer held back.

The iron sword returned to its scabbard.

He raised his right palm, fingers slightly curled. A faint golden luster flowed in his palm, and the phantom of a mountain Peak faintly condensed.

Mountain Suppressing Seal, First Form—Suppressing the Mountain!

The palm struck out like a mountain toppling!

The blue sword screen and the faint golden palm print collided with a boom!

BOOM—!!!

Air currents exploded, and yellow sand surged!

With the two of them at the center, the sandy ground within a ten-foot radius seemed to have been struck by a giant hammer, suddenly sinking into a shallow pit! Dust rose into the sky, blotting out the sun!

The Broken Sword Sect youth felt an indescribably heavy and massive force travel through the broken sword. The sinister Sword Qi he had painstakingly cultivated was like snow meeting boiling water, instantly dissipating!

Pfft!

His webbing split, the broken sword flew from his hand, and his entire body was sent flying like a broken kite. He smashed heavily onto a sand dune and rolled several times before barely stopping.

"Cough... cough-cough!" The youth propped up his upper body and coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, which contained fragments of internal organs. He looked in terror toward the center of the dust-filled hollow.

The wind and sand gradually settled.

Chen Linsheng's figure was revealed; he was still standing in the same spot, not having moved half a step. The faint golden light in his right palm slowly faded, and he was completely untainted by dust.

Meanwhile, the ground around him was littered with black-clad Martial Artists lying in various states.

Some were dead, some were injured, and groans could be heard incessantly. Weapons were scattered everywhere; the arrogant aura of the Broken Sword Sect had been reduced to a mess of blood and carnage.

The five Martial Artists who were being pursued were already dumbstruck, shrinking into the corner of the rock wall, not daring to make a sound.

Chen Linsheng's gaze swept across them and landed on the Broken Sword Sect youth.

The youth trembled all over and gritted his teeth. "You... you dare kill Disciples of my Broken Sword Sect... my Master will not let you go..."

Chen Linsheng walked up to him, crouched down, and said calmly, "What is a red fire crystal?"

The youth was stunned, then sneered maliciously, "So you want it too... cough cough... in your dreams..."

Chen Linsheng lightly tapped his finger on the youth's Jianjing point.

A strand of condensed Qi energy penetrated, like a steel needle stabbing through him!

"AH—!" The youth let out a shrill scream, his body twitching as cold sweat instantly drenched his clothes.

"red fire crystal," Chen Linsheng repeated.

"It's... it's in my robe..." The youth twisted in pain, no longer showing any trace of toughness.

Chen Linsheng pulled a small cloth bag from the youth's robe and opened it. Inside was a crystal the size of a pigeon's egg, entirely crimson, with what looked like flowing fire inside. It was warm to the touch, and its aura was somewhat similar to the crimson flame great peng feather, though much more chaotic.

He tucked the crystal away and asked again, "How many people did the Broken Sword Sect bring? Where are they gathering?"

The youth panted, his eyes flickering.

Chen Linsheng's finger moved toward another acupoint.

"I'll talk! I'll talk!" The youth broke down. "The School brought over thirty people, led by the Third Elder... they're camped at 'Ghost Crying Gorge' on the north side of Chiyan Mountain... planning to enter the ruins in three days..."

Chen Linsheng made a note of it and stood up.

"Get out."

As if granted a grand amnesty, the youth scrambled to his feet. Ignoring the corpses of his fellow Disciples, he stumbled toward a riderless horse, whipped it frantically, and fled into the depths of the Gobi in a panic.

The other Broken Sword Sect Disciples who weren't heavily injured also struggled to get up, supporting each other as they left in a pathetic state.

Only Chen Linsheng and the five survivors remained in the hollow.

The middle-aged man endured his pain and stepped forward with a deep bow. "Thank you, benefactor, for saving our lives! I am Zhou Meng, the head guard of the 'Iron Rock City Zhou Family.' These brothers have all gone through life and death with me..."

Chen Linsheng waved his hand, cutting him off. "No need for words. Leave quickly; this place is not safe to linger."

Zhou Meng said gratefully, "Yes, yes! May I ask for your great name, benefactor? We must repay you in the future!"

"No need." Chen Linsheng turned and walked toward the Date-Red Horse. "Remember, what happened today has nothing to do with me."

Zhou Meng was startled, but then realized he didn't want to be implicated. He said solemnly, "Benefactor, rest assured, we will never breathe a word of this!"

Chen Linsheng said no more. He flipped onto his horse and flicked the reins. The Date-Red Horse gave a light neigh and leapt out of the hollow, galloping toward Chiyan Mountain to the southwest.

Behind him, the yellow sand gradually buried the bloodstains and corpses.

The Gobi wind continued to howl desolately.

It was as if that brief and brutal fight had never happened.

Only the faint scent of blood lingering in the air and the warm red fire crystal in Chen Linsheng's robe served as reminders of the eternal Law of this land—

The weak are prey to the strong; strength is revered above all.