Chapter 229: I See Otherwise

Chapter 229: I See Otherwise

As night fell, the hurrying black figure gradually slowed down.

Eventually, it stopped in a clearing among the trees.

Blood dripped steadily from the left arm, falling drop by drop.

The black-clad figure instinctively braced himself on his sword to catch his breath but couldn't help letting out a violent cough.

Suddenly!

His pupils shrank slightly, and he immediately straightened his back, speaking in a cold voice:

"Come out."

As he said this, he looked into the surrounding darkness.

A bolt of lightning illuminated the entire area.

It illuminated the black-clad figure's eyes, which hid a divine light, sharp and intense, as if ready to unleash sword intent.

A soft laugh echoed from the darkness.

A familiar voice spoke:

"Even now, you still have such a gaze. Truly worthy of being you."

A figure emerged from the bushes.

Casually holding a longsword, his eyes, already adjusted to the darkness, easily discerned the other's features.

Wan Zangxin!

The black-clad figure's eyes remained unchanged, only growing icier.

Wan Zangxin smiled: "Seeing me, and not a single hint of surprise?"

"Why don't all of you come out?"

The black-clad figure's voice was flat, like water in an ancient well, showing no ripples.

Deep, cold, and icy to the touch.

"Are you worthy?"

Wan Zangxin in front of him merely sneered coldly: "How formidable Su Mo's martial skills are, the three commanders of the Youquan Cult have told everyone with their lives.

"You survived one of his strikes, but now you're barely standing.

"I alone am enough to kill you."

The black-clad figure looked at him quietly for a moment, and the rustling sound accompanied the slow draw of his sword from its sheath.

With each inch the blade was drawn, the sword qi grew stronger!

Despite Wan Zangxin's contemptuous words, his expression grew serious as the black-clad figure slowly drew his sword.

Suddenly, he spoke softly:

"I suddenly feel it's almost insulting to you if I handle this alone!"

"You're the one with the big mouth."

The speaker was not the person in black, but another individual.

This person stepped out from a different direction, their voice and appearance exactly the same as the first Wan Zangxin, casually holding a longsword, quietly observing the person in black.

Another Wan Zangxin appeared.

But it didn't end there…

More figures appeared, and ten people stepped out from the woods.

They completely encircled the person in black.

Every single one of them looked like Wan Zangxin.

And yet, none of them actually were.

The person in black observed these ten Wan Zangxins calmly.

The same appearance, the same height, wearing the same clothes, holding the same swords.

As if they were all stamped out from the same mold, identical in every way.

The eyes of the person in black remained calm.

But there was a hint of nostalgia in his eyes:

"The Youquan Cult has two divisions, three banners, and six orders, among which the Order of Soul Usurpation is extraordinary.

"Watch someone, copy them, then replace them.

"But the person had long since held a contempt for their method of soul usurpation…

"Because he had a better way.

"I once asked him what that way was.

"He gave me eight words."

Here, he looked at the ten Wan Zangxins present:

"Skin and sew a disguise, a twisted human puppet show!

"Seeing it now, it’s truly something else.

"Back then, I never thought he'd ever use this trick on me."

"Wan Zangxin!"

All ten Wan Zangxins gripped their swords and spoke coldly:

"Today, you must die!

"If you don’t die, none of us can rest easy…"

"Yeah."

The man in black chuckled softly. "You rely on me to exist. If I die, you can make your deception real."

"Actually, I’ve already died once."

"Since I have died before, what’s the harm in dying again?"

As one person spoke, the long sword in his hand spun and struck suddenly, with a buzzing sound. The sword energy drew a thin line on the ground and rushed straight toward the man in black.

However, the man in black didn’t even draw his sword. He merely tapped his foot lightly on the ground.

The sword energy, which had been racing toward Wan Zangxin, abruptly reversed direction with that single stomp.

Its return speed far outstripped its departure.

The attacker’s face changed as he had no time to react before the sword energy swept across his body.

His eyes went blank, and his body was instantly cleaved in two.

The pupils of the remaining figures shrank, and when they looked at the man in black again, there was already a hint of fear in their eyes.

The man in black coughed violently, and blood seemed to rise to the corner of his mouth. He instinctively reached to cover his mouth but forced himself to stand tall.

"The Heavenly Spring Heart-Cleansing Sword... is not meant to be used like this."

He took a deep breath. "Your Heavenly Spring Heart-Cleansing Swords were passed down from me, and today... let me send you off."

"Hahahaha!"

"Kekekeke!"

Just as he was about to strike, a creepy laugh suddenly echoed from every direction.

The remaining nine Wan Zangxins’ faces changed slightly. "It’s them!"

"They’re here too?"

In the moment they exchanged glances, the man in black standing in the center of the group raised his eyebrows.

After a moment of contemplation, he uttered four words:

"Five Ghosts Heavenly Net!"

"You... dare to face me!?"

"You are a..."

"Dying man..."

"What is there..."

"That we fear!?"

"Exactly!"

Five voices came from five different directions, but before one sentence was finished, the source of the sound had already shifted.

For a moment, these five voices seemed to come from all around, surrounding and encircling, making it impossible to pinpoint their origin.

The black-clad man's eyes flickered with a deep hue:

"Good... It's great that you're here!

"Thanks to your Five Demons Heavenly Demon Qi, I've barely cheated death several times.

"If not for the fortune of receiving help from a mysterious benefactor and escaping this great calamity...

"I truly wouldn't have the chance to reunite with you 'good friends' today!"

"Lucky to be alive..."

"Why didn't you leave..."

"And now you've come again..."

"Seeking your own death!"

"Are you sick?"

The black-clad man lightly raised his brows and saw five shadows circling behind the nine Wan Zangxins, spinning constantly.

Their figures never stayed in one place.

One moment on a tree, the next crouching on the ground, then clinging to someone's back, and finally like an afterimage in the wind, carried along by the breeze.

They truly were like five ghostly figures, elusive and unpredictable.

"No need for chitchat, just kill them first!"

One of the Wan Zangxins in the center raised his long sword, about to step forward, when his movements suddenly stalled. Behind him, a woman had already attached herself to his back.

Her hair was wild, she wore white, and her face was obscured.

With her back against Wan Zangxin, that Wan Zangxin's face changed drastically:

"Revenge Shadow!? What do you think you're doing?"

"Just borrowing you for a second..."

The woman's voice was eerily strange, and after those four words, she suddenly leapt up.

But not towards the black-clad man.

Pointing her sword, the qi surged as it dove straight into the bushes.

"Hmm?"

A sudden sound erupted from the bushes, followed by fierce gusts of wind.

First, the surging sword qi was shattered to pieces.

Then an illusory shadow of a blood-red fist shot out, and in the blink of an eye, it was right in front of Wan Zangxin.

Wan Zangxin's pupils contracted, and at that moment, the figure behind him floated away.

Instantly regaining control of his body, he immediately raised his sword to block the incoming fist.

But this punch far exceeded his expectations.

He had assumed the punch's force would be intense and that by using his inner strength to counteract it, even if he couldn't dissipate all of it, he could still withdraw by leveraging the force.

Unexpectedly, there was nothing in front of the longsword.

Instantly, the blood-red shadow engulfed him completely.

Before he could grasp what was happening, his face drained of color in terror.

A piercing scream rang out, and at that moment, his body began to tremble violently.

Crack, crack!

Accompanied by eerie noises, parts of his body caved in, as if they had been hit by a fist.

His flesh withered as qi and blood were siphoned away, leaving behind desiccated limbs.

He was both shocked and furious, feeling that within this blood-colored fist shadow, fist winds were coming from all directions, making it impossible to defend against.

Luckily, the blood-red fist shadow merely grazed him.

Without the support of that force, he fell from mid-air.

But before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, he saw a hand emerge from the darkness, grabbing his throat.

Glancing up, he saw a hulking brute.

The man wore a set of black combat clothes, with his strong arms exposed.

Holding one Wan Zangxin, he eyed the other eight and felt a mix of surprise and delight, turning back to shout:

"So many, is it okay if I eat one?"

"I advise you not to," said a plain-looking man, stepping out from the bushes behind him, shaking his head lightly as he looked at the Wan Zangxin in his hand.

"This human skin trick isn’t exactly appetizing.

"What you’re eating is usually the skin of someone long dead.

"Listen to me, don't eat randomly, or you'll end up with a stomach ache."

"What a buzzkill."

Hearing this, the burly man suddenly applied force, and with a crack, he crushed the neck of the Wan Zangxin in his hand.

He tossed the body aside and his gaze landed on the five constantly shifting figures, involuntarily swallowing:

"Five Ghosts Heavenly Net, I’ve never tasted a ghost before."

"They are humans, not ghosts," the man beside him explained.

"They deliberately move like this just to play tricks.

"Even though others know they are not ghosts, seeing them floating around like that still makes people uneasy.

"Remember what the boss taught us: when facing an enemy, be fearless and strike decisively.

Even if you're up against the gods of death, you should not harbor fear."

"Even if they really are ghosts, we can just kill them again."

"We can eat them again!"

The burly man next to him was very persistent in this.

The unremarkable man gently shook his head and looked at the scene before him, his expression slightly odd:

"Tianqu Sword Debate... Wan Zangxin, so it really was Lord Ye's trick after all?

"Five Ghosts Heavenly Net, let me ask you, where is Lord Ye now?"

"I wondered who it was..."

"Damned Three Banners..."

"May I ask, my lord..."

"Don't know life from death."

"Get out now!"

The shadows of the Five Ghosts Heavenly Net multiplied, and the entire forest was filled with a chilling murderous aura.

But the unremarkable man appeared indifferent and suddenly turned his gaze to the black-clothed figure:

"Who are you, then?"

The black-clothed figure chuckled. "Quite a lively night, isn't it? But as for who I am..."

He glanced at the remaining eight Wan Zangxin. "Am I not one of them?"

The unremarkable man's brows furrowed slightly, and his expression suddenly changed as he abruptly looked toward Tianqu City, grabbing the burly man beside him.

"Let's go!"

"Why?"

The burly man was immediately reluctant. "At least grab one for the road!"

But the unremarkable man's hand moved in a seemingly ordinary gesture, yet it easily grabbed the burly man's shoulder. The massive figure was as light as air in his grip as he tapped his toe and darted into the bushes.

"Don't move!!!"

The Five Ghosts Heavenly Net dispensed with their usual tricks and split into multiple paths, rushing toward the two men, intent on keeping them in the forest.

But then the black-clothed figure drew his sword.

The majestic sword qi of the Heavenly Spring Heart-Washing Sword descended from the sky, leaving two of the Five Ghosts immobilized on the spot.

He immediately followed through, thrusting his long sword forward, aiming for another ghost's throat.

"You!"

The remaining two ghosts were utterly shocked.

They hadn't expected their quintet's movement techniques to be so thoroughly analyzed by the black-clad man. The sword strike intercepted them at exactly the path they had to take.

The second reason was more complex...

They practiced the Five Demons Heavenly Demon Qi.

However, the Five Demons Heavenly Demon Qi existed before the Five Ghosts Heavenly Net.

Only by practicing this technique together as five could they unleash its profound mysteries.

Since their debut, they have always fought together as a team of five, because if they were to split up, their effectiveness would be greatly diminished.

Just the three of them wouldn't stand a chance against two experts from the Three Banners Order.

Yet, they had to give chase, because it involved something even more critical.

No way could they let this slide.

Therefore, even if they were separated, they had to give it their all and fight!

At this moment, the two members of the Five Ghosts Heavenly Net were intercepted by the black-clad man, furious and desperate as they pulled out all the stops to break through the blockade.

However, how could the black-clad man allow that?

With his majestic sword energy, he held them back tightly.

"You're asking for it!!!"

The two members of the Five Ghosts Heavenly Net roared, "Why aren't you attacking yet?"

With a flurry of swishes, the remaining eight Wan Zangxin launched their attack.

Eight swords converged from all directions, targeting the black-clad man's vital points.

However, the black-clad man simply spun his body, leaped into the air, and swept his sword across in all directions, with each move containing its own variations.

The majestic sword light exploded, slicing the two leading Wan Zangxin clean in half.

He then struck each of the two members of the Five Ghosts Heavenly Net again.

"Didn't he take a serious hit?"

The remaining six Wan Zangxin, seeing how formidable the black-clad man's swordsmanship and inner energy were, suddenly realized.

"Hahahaha!!"

The black-clad man laughed heartily, and amidst the flying sword energy, he charged into the crowd.

The Heavenly Spring Cleansing Heart Sword technique was grand and powerful, its energy spreading and cutting through everything in its path.

At this moment, the seven people wielding this sword technique were fighting in this area, causing the ground to tremble and trees to fly, almost changing the face of heaven and earth.

The two members of the Five Ghosts Heavenly Net now understood that it was impossible to catch up anymore.

They steeled themselves and engaged in combat with the black-clad man.

A clap of thunder cracked, and the torrential rain finally poured down in full force.

With the rain, the six Wan Zangxins spread out, each moving like shadows in the dark of night.

Their killing moves were swift and fierce, each one aimed at taking a life.

But they wielded the formidable Heavenly Spring Heart-Cleansing Sword technique, which, though powerful, was as clear as day to the black-clad man.

His sword frequently exploited openings, leaving a bloody trail on his opponents with every strike.

If not for someone intervening to rescue them from this dire situation, that Wan Zangxin would have met his end right there.

In a one-on-one duel, the black-clad man’s martial skills far surpassed theirs.

Yet at this moment, he found himself in a situation of endless entanglement.

Suddenly, two swords flew through the air, attacking from above.

The black-clad man suddenly looked up, raised his sword finger, and flipped his palm, declaring, "Die!"

As the words fell, the two felt their swords become uncontrollable, the blades automatically turning towards their own throats.

Caught off guard, they could only flip repeatedly in the air, attempting to neutralize the force on their blades.

The black-clad man didn’t even look at them, turning around to extend his palm, two fingers forming a sword, guiding it. Just as a Wan Zangxin was about to attack, his sword flew out.

Spinning in the air, it veered towards the heart.

The person cried out, trying to run, but it was too late. The sword pierced through his chest, pinning him to the ground.

At that moment, two silent palms appeared beside the black-clad man.

One on each side, they pressed against his lower back.

The Five Demons Heavenly Demon Qi surged into him, causing the black-clad man’s face to darken, his body to tremble, and his internal energy to surge!

Two dull thuds echoed, and the three combatants were abruptly separated.

The black-clad man whirled around, his sword flashing with light.

The two demons of the Five Ghosts let out odd chuckles, black qi gathering in their hands as they prepared to block.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The successive explosions sent the two demons flying, spitting blood.

Yet the black-clad man did not retreat, as two more swords attacked from behind.

He extended his arm, perfectly catching the two swords under his arms, his own sword sweeping across.

A hum resonated as the sword’s qi sliced through the rain.

Two heads flew into the air, blood spurting out!

Amid the chaos, a wild laugh rang out: "Wan Zangxin, you’re all out of options, aren’t you?"

"Otherwise, why wouldn't you use the pinnacle move of your Heavenly Spring Sword Technique, the Sword Sovereign, instead of awkwardly holding the sword under your arm and getting more injuries?"

"Right, with your sword technique's balance of speed and power—why would killing someone unleash such overwhelming force? Have you lost control over the finesse of your sword?"

"I guess so; the Heavenly Spring Heart-Cleansing Sword is incredibly sophisticated. Using it recklessly must come at a cost."

By this point in the fight, the remaining five Wan Zangxin were all injured, with a hint of fear in their eyes.

The words from the two ghosts gave them a boost.

However, the man in black let out a cold laugh: "I might not have much inner strength left, but it’s more than enough to kill you!"

"Shameless boast!"

Another voice echoed, and three ghostly figures swooped in.

They had tried to intercept the flag bearers of the Youquan Cult but came back empty-handed, with some injuries.

Still, their momentum hadn’t waned:

"This time next year, it’ll be your death day, Wan Zangxin!!"

The reunion of the Five Ghosts Heavenly Net boosted everyone's spirits.

But then, a distant voice reached their ears, making them freeze:

"I wouldn't be so sure."

Everyone turned around at once and saw a figure rapidly approaching from afar, arriving in the blink of an eye.

He glanced at the man in black, his lips twitching slightly:

"Wounded again… Are you planning to lean even harder into your role as the Scar-faced Freak?"

"Su Mo!?"

The man in black looked up, a sudden smile appearing on his face. "What took you so long?"