403: Chapter 403 Situ Lan's Determination

Luo Li shouldered the flowing sound zither and stood up. Lin Jingyu sheathed his long sword and took one last look at the deep pit blasted out by the Sword Demon Beast.

In the cave after the storm, a silent mess remained. A few residual wisps of Sword Intent slowly drifted through the air like travelers who had forgotten their way home.

Gao Feng pulled the vajra sword from the ground, the blade humming a few times before gradually calming down. He turned and walked toward the exit with slow but steady steps, blood dripping from his sleeve, drop by drop, onto the bluish-gray rocks.

Behind him, the team members, dragging their heavily injured bodies and exhausted of Qi, followed one after another.

Deep within the cave after the Sword Demon Beast's self-detonation, the remaining Sword Intent still drifted slowly in the air like a group of wandering souls with nowhere to go. Gao Feng walked at the front, using the vajra sword to prop himself up against the ground, each step taken very slowly.

Blood dripped from his sleeve, spreading along the cracks in the stone and leaving a thin, dark red line on the bluish-gray rocks. He didn't stop to bandage himself because there were too many wounds; if he bandaged one, another would still be bleeding.

Behind him, the sound of his teammates' footsteps was also intermittent. Some leaned against the walls, while others supported each other. Chu Lan's knee struck a rock, and she let out a muffled groan, but no one said, "Let's stop and rest."

Because they hadn't obtained that Jade Slip yet.

Passing through a narrow, long corridor behind the Sword Demon Beast's lair, the space ahead opened up once again.

This was the deepest part of the Sword Abyss—a naturally formed stone hall. The dome of the hall was about ten zhang high, and the four walls were covered with densely packed ancient sword manuals. Some had been blurred by the erosion of Devilish Qi, but the solemnity of the stone hall from years past could still be seen.

Several skeletons were scattered on the ground, wearing clothes from different eras of the Heavenly Sword Sect, the oldest being at least from three thousand years ago. They were Sword Cultivators of past generations who had ventured deep into the Sword Abyss but failed to make it out alive.

In the center of the stone hall was a three-foot-high stone platform. On the platform lay a silver-white Jade Slip, its surface shimmering with a faint luster of Qi, completely out of place in the surrounding dilapidated environment. The Jade Slip lay there quietly, without a Seal or Restriction, as if waiting for a destined person to take it away.

"The Jade Slip." Chu Lan's voice carried a hint of excitement. She leaned against the wall, trying to move forward, but her legs weakened, and she almost knelt, only to be caught by Lin Jingyu.

Just as Gao Feng was about to step forward, a sound of breaking air came from behind. It wasn't the footsteps of a teammate; it came from the direction they had come from—someone was following them, more than one, and they came with ill intent.

"Watch out!" Su Ning's voice suddenly rose, her hands already forming Seals.

Several silver sword lights shot out from the corridor, aiming straight for Gao Feng's back. The sword light was sharp and carried clear killing intent—this wasn't a warning; it was meant to take a life. Lin Jingyu's long sword intercepted two of them in mid-air, sparks flying as his body was jolted half a step to the side. Situ Lan's azure phoenix sword blocked the third; the blade vibrated violently, her thumb web split open, and blood flowed down the hilt.

Three men wearing the robes of Heavenly Sword Sect Inner Sect Disciples emerged from the corridor, led by none other than Zhao Lingyun, with whom they had conflicted at the mountain gate earlier. His robes were neat and his Qi was abundant; he clearly hadn't experienced any battles in the Sword Abyss. He had followed the nine of them all the way, waiting for them to fight the Sword Demon Beast to the death and appear only when everyone was exhausted.

"Guests of the Wuxiang Sect, why are you in such a hurry to leave?" A cold sneer curled at the corner of Zhao Lingyun's mouth. His gaze bypassed Gao Feng and landed on the silver-white Jade Slip on the stone platform. A flash of greed crossed his eyes but was quickly masked. "This is a Forbidden Ground of the Heavenly Sword Sect. Everything within the Forbidden Ground belongs to the Heavenly Sword Sect. You cannot take it away."

Gao Feng turned around and held the vajra sword horizontally in front of himself. There were still more than a dozen unhealed wounds on his body, the deepest being on his left ribs, still seeping blood. Every breath felt like someone was stirring a knife inside him.

Only about thirty percent of his Qi remained, but his voice was still steady: "Sect Master Jian Wuwei has already promised that the Jade Slip belongs to us. Do you wish to defy the Sect Master's orders?"

"The Sect Master's orders?" Zhao Lingyun sneered, his smile full of disdain. "The Sect Master has been deceived by you. This Jade Slip records the painstaking efforts of the Heavenly Sword Sect's ancestors and is the core map of the Ten Thousand Spirits Gathering Yuan Array. How can it fall into the hands of outsiders? It wasn't enough that you swindled the Sword Intent Spirit-Guiding Technique from the Heavenly Sword Sect; you also want to take the Ten Thousand Spirits Gathering Yuan Array?"

He took a step forward, and the two Sword Cultivators behind him drew their swords simultaneously, pointing their tips at Gao Feng.

Tian Xin's hand had already reached into her sleeve, pinching the edges of her last few Talismans. Her face was pale, and her Qi was almost depleted, but her hand was steady. She had noticed Zhao Lingyun's two companions long ago—from the moment they stepped into the Sword Abyss, she had locked onto their positions with a Sensing Talisman, but she hadn't said anything. She knew Gao Feng was waiting for the right moment. And now, that moment had arrived.

With a wave of Zhao Lingyun's hand, the two Sword Cultivators lunged toward the stone platform.

Tian Xin had already placed her last few Talismans around the stone platform. Just as the two Sword Cultivators rushed into the range of the Talisman array, an Explosive Talisman detonated beneath their feet, flames soaring and debris flying. One Sword Cultivator reacted quickly, flipping through the air to avoid it; the other was a step slower, knocked over by the airwave. Before he could crawl back up, another light glowed beneath him—a Qi Sensing Trap. An invisible restraint trapped him in place. He struggled desperately, but the restraint didn't budge.

Zhao Lingyun's expression changed. He hadn't expected this group of people to still have the strength to set traps despite being exhausted. Gritting his teeth, he moved to strike personally.

Su Ning's hands formed a Seal, and the silver blades of Space Cutting slashed toward Zhao Lingyun. Zhao Lingyun dodged to the side, the sword light grazing his robes and slicing off a corner. But Su Ning's target wasn't him; it was the entrance of the corridor beside him. Space Cutting precisely struck the rock wall above the entrance, and a massive boulder crashed down, blocking the retreat. A flash of panic crossed Zhao Lingyun's face, but it was quickly replaced by anger.

"Do you want to die here?"

"The ones dying here won't be us." Lin Yue stood up leaning against the wall, his hands trembling as he formed a Seal. His injuries were even heavier than Gao Feng's; he had tanked seventy percent of the Sword Demon Beast's Ten Thousand Swords Volley, several of his Meridians were severed, and a few ribs were cracked.

Yet, he still condensed a thin Rock Demon Phantom. The phantom was only two zhang tall, less than half its peak size, and its entire body was covered in cracks, liable to shatter at any moment. Even so, he placed the phantom in front of his teammates, arms spread wide to protect those behind him.

"Lin Yue, fall back!" Yaoguang shouted urgently. She had already rushed to Lin Yue's side, her palm pressed against his lower back, channeling what little remained of the Rejuvenation Technique into his body.

"I can't fall back." Blood was still seeping from the corner of Lin Yue's mouth, but his voice was calm—so calm it made Yaoguang want to cry. "If I fall back, you'll all be hit. Being hit is fine, but the Jade Slip would be stolen."

Zhao Lingyun snorted and said no more, drawing his sword to stab at Gao Feng. His sword was recognized as a fast sword among the Heavenly Sword Sect's Inner Sect Disciples. Although it lacked the pure speed of the Aurora Sword Art, its momentum was fierce. Every strike carried the full Qi of a first-level Golden Core, the tip of the blade letting out a sharp whistle in the air.

Situ Lan's azure phoenix sword intercepted this strike in mid-air. As the two swords clashed, sparks flew, and the split in her thumb web was jolted even wider. Blood flowed down the hilt, staining the sword tassel red. She gritted her teeth and didn't retreat a single step, her sword tip firmly resisting Zhao Lingyun's blade. "Your opponent is me." Her voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally firm.

Zhao Lingyun looked at this former Disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. He knew Situ Lan—not her face, but her sword. The azure phoenix sword and the Aurora Sword Art were synonymous with the unorthodox paths of the Heavenly Sword Sect. When Situ Lan left the Heavenly Sword Sect, her name was listed as a disgrace by the Conservatives, and everyone said she had betrayed the sect. But at this moment, her sword was brighter than any Inner Sect Disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect.

Zhao Lingyun suppressed that complex emotion, and his sword momentum became even more fierce. Every strike carried killing intent; he was no longer just trying to stop her, but to kill Situ Lan.

The other two Sword Cultivators bypassed the stone platform; one lunged at Lin Jingyu, while the other tried to snatch the Jade Slip from Tian Xin. The one who lunged at Lin Jingyu engaged him in a fierce battle at the corridor entrance, sword lights clashing and the sound of metal on metal as dense as rain. Lin Jingyu's Qi was nearly gone, and his sword momentum wasn't as swift as usual, but his Heaven Breaking Nine Swords excelled at finding flaws—the opponent's sword was fast, but he was faster. After thirty rounds, he found a tiny flaw and pierced the opponent's sword-wielding wrist. The Sword Cultivator screamed as his long sword fell to the ground.

The other Sword Cultivator rushed toward Tian Xin, who forced him back with her last few Spirit Binding Talismans. The Talisman light exploded in front of him, pushing him back several steps. He didn't give up and lunged forward again.

Su Ning's Space Cutting slashed at Zhao Lingyun from the side, forcing him to divert his attention, and his sword momentum slowed slightly. Situ Lan seized this opportunity, her azure phoenix sword switching from defense to offense, each strike faster than the last, forcing Zhao Lingyun back three steps.

But a new wound was soon added to her left arm. Zhao Lingyun's sword slashed her left arm, blood splattering, and her entire sleeve was instantly stained dark red. The wound was deep, almost down to the bone; her left hand hung down, completely losing its strength.

"Situ Lan, you're crazy!" Zhao Lingyun's voice held a hint of disbelief. "You're throwing your life away for a few outsiders? Your left arm is ruined; how will you practice the sword in the future? As a Sword Cultivator, what use are you without a left arm?"

Situ Lan didn't answer. She didn't have the strength to answer. Her left arm hung at her side like a broken branch, and she could only hold her sword with her right hand.

Blood dripped from her fingertips, pooling into a dark red puddle on the bluestone floor beneath her feet. But her gaze remained calm—so calm that it made Zhao Lingyun feel a wave of unease.

That look wasn't defiance or stubbornness; it was a kind of certainty, the certainty of knowing she was doing the right thing, so she wouldn't regret it no matter the price.

"My left arm is still here, so I can still hold a sword in the future." Situ Lan finally spoke, her voice very soft, but every word was articulated clearly. "Even if I can't keep it, I can still hold a sword with one hand. For the Aurora Sword Art, one hand is enough."