321: Battle of Liuheng

"You are not his match. All of you, step back!" A cold, clear voice drifted over. It was Liu Rushi from the distant high platform!

The four were a bit unwilling to hear this, but the magnitude of the impact just now had made them recognize reality, so they stepped back. However, they had a protective mission to fulfill, so they still stubbornly blocked the edge of the pond, holding their swords as they watched Yokota Ichiro... Yokota Ichiro was also slightly startled when he heard Liu Rushi's words. He hadn't expected that the person on the high platform was actually a woman. He looked coldly at Liu Rushi and snorted, "Hand over the treasure, and this Sword Saint can spare your lives!"

"Sword Saint? You are the Sword Saint of Fusang Country? Yokota Ichiro?!" Liu Rushi asked in surprise.

"Eh? You actually recognize this Sword Saint?!" Yokota Ichiro was somewhat taken aback. He didn't expect a nameless young woman in such a small place to recognize him; it was quite strange. But this also made him cautious. After all, someone with such insight meant they wouldn't be too ordinary... Liu Rushi smiled and said, "The Sword Saint's great name is like thunder to the ears. I didn't expect to have the honor of seeing the Sword Saint himself today... However, this is my place of quiet cultivation, and there are no treasures. I wonder what treasure the Sword Saint was referring to just now?"

Yokota Ichiro's gaze was incredibly sharp. By now, he had already seen that solitary Green Lotus standing not far from the high platform. It appeared exceptionally extraordinary in this lotus pond. A look of fanaticism immediately appeared on his face; this Green Lotus was undoubtedly a treasure!

"Pluck that Green Lotus beside you and bring it here, and this Sword Saint can forgive your offense!" Yokota Ichiro snorted.

Hearing this, Liu Rushi knew that things would not end peacefully today. She said coldly, "I have heard that the Sword Saint's blade techniques are sharp, and whether wounding or repelling an enemy, it is always settled in one strike. Today, I would like to experience the Sword Saint's high-level moves. If the Sword Saint wins, this Green Lotus isn't some precious thing; if you want it, take it!"

Yokota Ichiro laughed instead of getting angry and said in a heavy voice, "You want to challenge me?!"

"That's right! Although I am but a woman, I know that one cannot forcibly seize things belonging to others. The Sword Saint is a prominent figure on the Blue Star; if you want to obtain someone else's things, you should provide a reasonable justification. Otherwise, it is nothing more than a joke!" Liu Rushi said.

Yokota Ichiro narrowed his eyes as he listened, suppressing the anger in his heart. He laughed loudly, "Hahahaha... Interesting! Interesting! Have all the men of the Great Ming died out? To have to rely on a young woman to maintain appearances? Very well, today this Sword Saint will teach you how to maintain a heart of reverence toward the strong! Come at me!"

Liu Rushi slowly raised her longsword. Her internal Qi moved without any wind, and a whirlwind seemed to blow over the lotus pond. Her figure remained motionless at the center of this whirlwind, her long hair cascading down to the water's surface like a waterfall. Her robes fluttered as if she were a Fairy descending to the mortal world... Yokota Ichiro's eyes glazed over, and he almost couldn't stop himself from drooling... Liu Rushi formed a seal with her left hand while her right hand raised the longsword as she moved. She carved out countless sword marks in the air, and the sword light began to bloom like a sword lotus opening on the pond. She cried out softly, "Rising from the Mud, Yet Remaining Unstained!"

The white sword light, like a lotus flower emerging from the pond, spun rapidly in the air and shot swiftly toward Yokota Ichiro!

Seeing this, Yokota Ichiro's expression turned solemn. He had already seen that Liu Rushi, at such a young age, actually possessed the combat power of a Martial Commander. This greatly exceeded his expectations. How could such a Genius appear in the Great Ming?

It seemed the real treasure here was not that Green Lotus, but this woman!

Today, he either had to kidnap her or destroy her. He could never let her grow up smoothly; otherwise, she would pose an even greater threat to Fusang in the future!

He shouted, leaped into the air, and slashed forward with both hands acting as a blade. "One-Strike Wind-Slicing Slash!"

Sword light and blade light collided in mid-air with a series of "Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom"... A massive orb of white energy exploded over the lotus pond, triggering a giant pillar of water that shot into the sky. The water surface churned as if it were exploding, and countless lotus leaves and flowers burst apart, turning into a rain of petals falling from the sky... "Heavens!!!" Everyone was stunned... Two figures in the air were so fast they were only afterimages, constantly colliding with each other. "Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!" The explosive sounds made everyone's eardrums ache. Some people couldn't endure the impact of this level and collapsed in pain... "Ah!!!" A cry of pain suddenly rang out in the air, and the two figures abruptly separated. Liu Rushi retreated to the high platform, while Yokota Ichiro fell straight toward the lotus pond. But just as he was about to fall in, he stepped on the water's surface and flew back to the edge of the pond!

Everyone watched the scene in shock, unsure of the outcome of the battle since no one could see clearly. A battle of this level could probably only be deciphered by the four elites of the Kunlun Sect... However, one fact was that the shout just now had been from a man. Therefore, if anyone was injured, it should be Yokota Ichiro!

Sure enough, Yokota Ichiro slowly raised his right hand, and drops of fresh blood were dripping from his palm. Clearly, he was injured... His eyes widened, an expression of disbelief on his face. He stood still for a short while without saying a word, then turned and left!

No one dared to move until Yokota Ichiro's figure completely disappeared toward the valley entrance in the distance... "What?! He really left?!"

"Fairy Liu won?!"

"Great! This is great! Oh my god..."

"The Young Princess indeed has peerless power; even the Fusang Sword Saint is no match for her!!!"

"The Kunlun Sect dominating the world is just around the corner!"

"Congratulations, Young Princess! Hahahaha..."

Everyone felt as if they had just woken from a dream. Upon awakening, they were immediately ecstatic and offered their congratulations to Liu Rushi. Today had been truly dangerous. If Liu Rushi had also been defeated, not only would the Green Lotus have been lost, but everyone's lives would have been in grave danger. That Sword Saint looked like the type who killed without blinking... "I wonder which Senior lent a helping hand? I, Liu Rushi, implore the Senior to show yourself so that this Junior may express my thanks and return the favor!" Liu Rushi's voice suddenly rang out, and everyone's voices immediately went quiet... Hearing this, they instantly understood that it wasn't Liu Rushi who had defeated the Sword Saint, but someone who had acted in the shadows. No wonder the Sword Saint didn't stay or kill anyone to vent his anger; he was under pressure from someone else!

Everyone looked around, searching for the Senior Liu Rushi mentioned. Unfortunately, no matter how they searched, they found no trace of a master. Liu Rushi circled the valley countless times but failed to find the person who had acted. In the end, she could only return awkwardly... On the other side, after walking out of Falling Flower Valley, Yokota Ichiro walked faster and faster, eventually breaking into a wild run. He wished he could leave this ghostly place as quickly as possible. To him, this experience was truly terrifying!

...