A Martial Odyssey

Lian Longba laughed heartily at Lie Qing’s boast, “You really think you got a chance against me? You are all but inferior celestials that meant nothing in my eyes.”

But secretly when he saw the seven wisps of bluish glows around Lie Qing, he was immediately cautious. It was because he had recognized that martial force to be the Invincible Divine Force and it was an extremely powerful martial skill.

He immediately thought, “Why don’t I test their martial skills first?”

So he raised his hands and gave a signal to his three henchmen, “Take them all and bound them. I want to have a little fun with them later.”

The three henchmen grinned wickedly as they leapt towards Lie Qing and Lele with startling speed! The three of them were Dark Celestials and they had killed countless celestials. In the martial fraternity, they were considered to be super exponents!

But no sooner had they leapt in front of Lie Qing and Lele in an attempt to show off their martial prowess, the Perpetual Darkness that was wielded by Lie Qing developed a dark halo, instantly blinding them like an event horizon. In split second, these three men were all cut down by Lie Qing and Lele!

Lian Longba could not believe his eyes that these two maidens could cut down three of his most powerful protégés with so little effort!

He had intended to use his three protégés to test their martial skills. He was literally speechless with anger, not at the two maidens but at his three protégés as he thought angrily, “Fools! Stupid idiots!”

The three Dark Celestials had allowed themselves to be lured into complacency, thinking that their protégé master and their fellow protégés would intervene when necessary. Moreover, they had their orders not to hurt these maidens who had been cornered by them.

But they had never expected their complacency would cost them their lives as they had not expected these two maidens were super exponents in speed attacks!

Lele swung her long black scythe and pointed at him as she said coldly, “Now it is your turn!”

Lian Longba said coldly as he ignored Lele’s threats and looked at Lie Qing, “The divine sword that is in your hand, is it the Perpetual Darkness?”

Lie Qing hummed coldly, “That’s right! Now you are afraid?”

Lian Longba replied coldly, “It is just as I have thought. I have never expected to see the Perpetual Darkness in the Celestial Realm and I don’t know how you manage to bring it here either. My protégés are blinded by the Perpetual Darkness and got themselves killed without knowing the reason why. However I am in a totally different league from them. The Perpetual Darkness is an ancient divine sword and one of the seven most powerful celestial weapons in the lower realm. And today, I will make this divine sword my possession!”

All of a sudden, he had descended upon Lie Qing and Lele at the same time with the explosive power of his Dominating Force!

Lele was immediately forced to take several steps backward as she could not resist the powerful windforce of the Dominating Force in her weakened state nor did she want to take him headlong.

Lie Qing immediately zapped him with two sword bursts but it was quickly dissipated by his martial windforce!

Once again, Lie Qing displayed the event horizon of the Perpetual Darkness as she bended behind the blinding dark halo of her divine sword as she slashed furiously at him!

But Lian Longba seemed to have predicted all her attacks and dodged all her sword strokes. Before Lie Qing could unleash more attacks, he was on her and had sent a forceful palm attack toward her!

She immediately retaliated with her left hand to receive his blow!

There was a explosive thunderclap and both of them were flung to opposite sides!

Lie Qing coughed out a mouthful of blood as she said weakly, “Ping’Er, I have done my best. I pray that it will be enough…”

Shen Xingyue, Lingfeng and Youxue were on her side as they quickly tried to revive her vital channels but Lie Qing did not respond anymore!

All of a sudden, Lingfeng and Shen Xingyue burst into sorrowful tears!

Lingfeng was trembling as she wept aloud, “Qing Qing, even though we have not really known each other for a long time but I have always known that you are a sentimental maiden with a good heart…”

Lian Longba was on his feet immediately but not before he had coughed out a bout of blood. He simply could not believe that this enchanting maiden would be able to injure him! He had thought that she was depending on her divine sword and her Invincible Divine Force for protection. But he did not expected that she would channel all her Invincible Divine Force from the defensive to the offensive!

He immediately thought, “Is she courting her own death!?”

But before he gave further thoughts, a flying sword had burst through the air with a startling speed towards him!

He immediately reacted by dodging the flying sword; it was flung by one of the nine maidens, a maiden with a quiet demeanor.

It was Yunzi and she had aimed at him with her deadly Flying Sword Technique!

Barely had he dodged her flying sword, Lele had swung her long black scythe at his back!

Just as Lian Longba had retaliated by sending a forceful attack at Lele, he was suddenly attacked by Youxue out of the blue as she struck him three times on his back!

He was stunned at how this maiden could attack him so silently. He coughed out a bout of blood but not before he had retaliated and struck her forcefully!

Xiao Youxue took seven steps back before she collapsed with a weak smile, “Lie Qing, Yixian, Yi Ping, I hope that I didn’t disappoint any one of you…”

Just when Lian Longba had struck Xiao Youxue, Yunzi had drawn out a soft sword from around her belt and had quietly displayed it into a flying sword and had dismembered his right arm!

The force of her flying sword was so great that it rebounded back again when it had struck the ground to give Lian Longba another painful slash on his back!

If Lian Longba was not a super exponent with a powerful external force protecting him, he would have been sliced into two halves!

Lian Longba yelled out painfully with a maddening rage. He immediately sealed his accupoint channels on his right shoulder and stared furiously at Yunzi!

Yunzi had timed her flying sword at the moment that he had retaliated against Youxue when his Dominating Force was at its weakest.

Lian Longba was momentarily stunned. It was because at his current Dominating Force level, he was almost impervious to external attacks and blows. At most he could suffer external cuts but cutting his arm off was a near impossible feat!

Lian Longba was about to leapt to Yunzi when two beaming golden lights flashed in his sight!

It was Yujian and Meijian!

Yujian said tearfully, “You don’t deserve to be a Celestial. You are a demon!”

Meijian cried out, “You will pay dearly for this…”

Lele cried out as she rained down dozens of swinging attacks on Lian Longba, “Yu’Er, Mei’Er, step aside!”

But it was already too late; Lian Longba did not restrain himself anymore. He was hopping mad. With just a few strokes, he had struck Yujian and Meijian to the ground!

Shen Xingyue tried to stand up and exercised her internal strength but she was too weak. She threw up blood and fainted!

Yi Ping had just opened his eyes when he saw Yujian, Meijian and Shen Xingyue collapsing one after another!

He was dumbfounded as he took a quick look at his surroundings and saw Yunzi, Lingfeng and Lele were the only ones that were left as they battled Lian Longba.

Yixian, Lie Qing and Youxue were lying on the ground and were not moving!

Yi Ping tried to pick himself up but he had coughed out another mouthful of blood before he collapsed weakly on the ground again as he muttered, “Xian’Er, Qing’Er, Youxue, Yu’Er, Mei’Er, Xingyue…”

Lian Longba had grabbed Yunzi with his left hand and had slammed her on the ground, “You dare to dismember my arm! You dare to dismember my arm! You will pay dearly for this!”

But Yunzi had already fainted and could not hear his abusive swears anymore!

Lingfeng and Lele had attacked Lian Longba at the same time.

At the same time, Lingfeng was exclaiming breathlessly, “Let go of her!”

In her haste, she had used the Asper Horizon Hand on Lian Longba, who counter attacked with his Dominating Force Palm. There was a loud thunderclap and Lingfeng was quickly overpowered. She was wobbly and fell backward!

At the same time, Lele was fatally struck on her shoulder by Lian Longba. She coughed out blood as she took feeble leaps.

Just as Lian Longba was about to give Lingfeng a strike, the Stellar Heaven Fairy had intercepted him as she pleaded, “That’s enough. Let them go please!”

Lian Longba shouted angrily, “So you are betraying me. Just because I have lost my right arm, you think you have a chance to win against me? Don’t forget your internal strength is just a third of what you have previously.”

The Stellar Heaven Fairy quickly took a few gentle steps backward beside Lingfeng and Lele as she said melancholy, “Yes, I want to betray you. I want to kill you! You are a beast! I want to kill you ever since you had forced yourself on me and had nearly crippled my martial skills. Even if I were to die today, I have no regrets! You are the one that deserved to die instead!”

Lingfeng and Lele looked at her quietly. They had never expected that the Stellar Heaven Fairy would actually intervene on their side. But their hopes quickly collapsed when they noticed that the Stellar Heaven Fairy’s martial strength was just on par with them. Even if the three of them combined, they would never be Lian Longba match!

Lian Longba stared angrily at them, “Very good. I shall cripple all your martial skills permanently and I will make your lives a living h.e.l.l. Then you will know that I am forever your master and you are all just my obedient slaves!”

Lele was grateful to the Stellar Heaven Fairy for intervening. Even though she did not say a single word, her eyes expressed her innermost heartfelt gratefulness. The reason why Lele had suddenly grown quiet was because she was channeling all her vital breath to replenish her vital energies as quickly as possible. In the ensuring fight with Lian Longba, she had taken mostly evasive maneuvers that had extracted upon her a great deal of physical fatigue.

Lingfeng was in a worse condition than her. She was looking extremely pale and she could barely stand steadily. It was only through her sheer willpower and determination that she was still standing.

She thought miserably, “Now I really wish I am the Heaveness of old…I…”

The Stellar Heaven Fairy had lifted her long sleeves as she stepped boldly in front of Lele and Lingfeng as she said expressionlessly, “Run, I will delay him for you. Don’t look back and don’t hesitate…”

Lian Longba shouted as he leapt forward to rain dozens of attacks on them, “Do you think that I will allow my prey to escape right in front of my eyes?”

But the Stellar Heaven Fairy intervened with dozens of hand gestures and intricate strokes as she whispered panicky to Lele and Lingfeng, “What are you waiting for? Run!”

When Lele saw the Stellar Heaven Fairy’s strokes, she was spell bounded by it as she thought, “These strokes…are so vaguely familiar. Don’t tell me, she is really my protégé mistress in the past?”

Lingfeng raised her hands to send dozens of secret projectiles toward Lian Longba but it was quickly deflected to one side!

At the same time, Lian Longba had overpowered the Stellar Heaven Fairy and had struck a heavy blow on her. Instantly, there was a tremendous impact and the Stellar Heaven Fairy had lost her footing as she stumbled backward!

Just as Lian Longba was about to deal her another blow, Lele had intervened with dozens of rapid swings and he was forced to somersault backward but not before he gave a powerful kick at her!

Lele was forced to block his kick with her hands and the force of that impact immediately flung her aside!

Lian Longba recovered quickly and he was astonished to find that the Stellar Heaven Fairy, Lele and Lingfeng were already standing in a tight formation, supporting one another with their arms as they stared at him. It seemed that they were telling him that they would not give up unless they were dead!

Lian Longba thought, “It is obviously that they won’t rest until they are dead. Even though I cherish beauties but if I am careless, I may lose my life instead. This is most unfortunate but they have left me with no choice!”

The Stellar Heaven Fairy, Lele and Lingfeng were only putting on a brave front. Their internal injuries were severe and they had already expended most of their internal strength.

Lingfeng closed her eyes as wet tears fell silently as she muttered, “Yi Ping, I…I am so sorry. I am the cause of everyone’s miseries. Nothing will atone for my mistakes. I shouldn’t have even suggested everyone to accompany me. Please forgive me…”

Lele muttered, “That’s alright. That is our destiny…”

Just as Lian Longba had barely taken two steps, he was startled to see that the young man that they had called Yi Ping had stood up quietly; his face was as white as sheet and he could barely stand straight.

He thought, “He isn’t dead yet? What is he made of?”

Lingfeng and Lele gasped, “Yi Ping!”

Yi Ping gripped the Divine Echo and the White Phoenix that was in his hands tightly as he murmured, “Everyone…Lingfeng, Lele…I am so useless. I cannot even protect everyone…Lingfeng, I can hear your thoughts. You don’t have to blame yourself. Qing’Er, I will avenge you…”

Lingfeng broke down and she was weeping tearfully. She covered her mouth with both hands as she muttered almost incoherently, “No, it is really my fault. I am the one that cause everyone to be in this state…”

Lian Longba interrupted with a martial shout as he leapt upon Yi Ping, “Enough! Do you really think I am invisible? Let me send you to your death now!”

He did not believe that Yi Ping had any strength left and believed that he was just stubbornly putting on a brave front. He had already witnessed his martial skill and did not consider him as a threat. Experiences and martial skills required time to learn and perfect. When there was a level gap, there was nothing a martial pract.i.tioner could do to overcome a strong opponent unless he had superior techniques on his side.

Much to the startled cries of Lele, Lingfeng and even the Stellar Heaven Fairy as he leapt upon Yi Ping with a startling speed and expecting him to be killed instantly with a quick blow, the two divine swords that were in Yi Ping’s hands began to reverberate and bursts of sword energy flew in circular arcs towards him!

Lian Longba was stunned and he was forced to evade and deflected the sword bursts as he abandoned his attacks, “Divine Echoes of the divine swords! He can awaken these divine swords? But he is just a low level celestial! In his present condition, he is still capable of executing sword energies? Is he mad or he did not want his life anymore?”

Sword energies could only be wielded when a martial pract.i.tioner had not suffered any internal injuries. Even a little internal injuries would result in a permanent stroke or even phenomenon deviation!

While Yi Ping was anguish with himself for being useless and unable to protect all his love ones as he watched them fell one by one, he had prayed silently. “Our levels differences are too great. I just need some martial strength but I have expended all my martial power during the ascension to the celestial realm…is there really no other way? No, evil won’t triumph over good…”

All of a sudden, he stared at the Divine Echo and the White Phoenix as he murmured, “If you are divine swords, lend me whatever strength that you got…”

Suddenly, a burst of sudden strength emerged from him and he could feel that the Divine Echo and the White Phoenix had suddenly become extremely light! To his surprise, he had overcome the Enlighten Level and had suddenly attained the Emotion Level! As his celestial divinity increased, he found the strength to move again!

When a celestial pract.i.tioner had attained the Emotion Level, they could become one with their weapons. When this emerging occurred, it would appear as though their weapons would become lighter, faster and the strength of their attacks would also increase!

Just as Lian Longba was hesitating before he made his next attack against Yi Ping, his opponent had coughed out a mouthful of blood and had staggered backward!

Lingfeng and Lele immediately flew to his side as they caught hold of him, crying aloud at the same time!

Yi Ping muttered semi-consciously, “Did I succeed? Did I kill him?”

Lele cried out melancholy, “Yes, you have killed him. Don’t worry…take a good rest first…”

Lingfeng held Yi Ping as she replied with utmost grief, “Don’t worry. You have already done your best!”

Even the Stellar Heaven Fairy could not hold back her tears anymore as she witnessed the concerns that they had for one another!

She muttered to herself, “I really envy them. To think that the White Phoenix that I used to wield is now with this young man…”

It was only then that Lian Longba knew that this Yi Ping had overtly exerted himself and had tried to bet his last strength against him.

Just when he was about to interrupt their precious moments, he had a sudden wicked thought. Therefore he called aloud, “If you are willing to submit to me, then I will spare this young man’s life. What do you say?”

Lele tried very hard to suppress her tearful emotions as she threw her long scythe on the ground, “I submit…please don’t let him die…”

Lingfeng said melancholy, “Lele…a wicked man like him won’t keep his promises…”

Lian Longba laughed, “With so many alluring beauties by my side, I will surely keep my promises. This I can a.s.sure you…”

All of a sudden, Lian Longba could sense an extremely cold aura that had suddenly emerged and he quickly turned around in alarm.

A maiden, whose beauty was like a heavenly G.o.ddess was standing at a side and she was looking coldly at him. In her hand was a beaming golden sword. It radiated a golden halo that was disappearing and reappearing constantly while resonating its divine echo!

It was Yixian the Celestial Fairy!

The Stellar Heaven Fairy was gasping, “She has awakened the Heavenly Earth Celestial Sword?! Is it even possible at her current attainment?”

Only celestial pract.i.tioners that had attained the Seventh Sense Level and above could possibility awakened the Heavenly Earth Celestial Sword. Even her protégé sister, the Stardust Heaven Fairy did not succeed in awakening the Heavenly Earth Sword when she had it. As for herself, she had never managed to awaken the White Phoenix either.

Yet today, she had witnessed the divine echo of the awakened White Phoenix, the Divine Echo and the Heavenly Earth Sword!

She was so moved by the sight that she could not control her trembling!

Yixian had fainted earlier. But when Yi Ping had reached the Emotion Level earlier and merged as one with the White Phoenix and the Divine Echo, her Heavenly Earth Sword had reawakened at the same time.

The awakening of the Heavenly Earth Sword had also lifted her state of divinity from the Upper Emotion Level to the start of the Transverse Level!

The Emotion Level was a huge hurdle for Yixian to overcome. With her cultivation in her Emotionless Heart Intricacy Skill, she had quickly attained the Emotion Level. But because of her secret affections for Yi Ping, she had virtually hit a wall and her risk of phenomenon deviation was very real; her clan Emotionless Heart Intricacy Skill was the main obstacle for her.

The heartfelt sorrows of everyone and the awakening of the Heavenly Earth Sword had lifted her state of divinity. This advanced her Emotionless Heart Intricacy Skill, allowing her to grasp the secret intricacies of the Emotionless Divine Heart Intricacy Skill!

Yixian muttered, “Ping’Er if you are not around, what is there for me to live for?”

Lian Longba said coldly, “I can a.s.sure you that you will soon forget about him once you have known me.”

He had immediately raised his powerful Dominating Force Palm at her!

Yixian immediately lifted her vital strength and displayed dozens of piercing Jade Icy Fingers, countering his powerful Dominating Force Palm as they exchanged dozens of moves in a split second!

Lian Longba knew that she could not last long against his furious attacks as he had noticed that blood was constantly dripping from the side of her lip; she had internal injuries and was forcefully using her internal strength.

Lian Longba said coldly, “Maiden, you better stop or you will lose all your internal strength permanently and may even die. It is futile. I am not an Exalt Celestial for nothing…”

No sooner had he said that, Yixian had swung the Heavenly Earth Sword at him with her Frosty Icicle Swordplay as she sent a wave of cold piercing sword energy in an explosive arc that imploded the ground all around them!

Lian Longba immediately mustered all his entire martial power as he deflected the sword energies attacks into nothingness with his left palm. All of a sudden, he was zapped by a sword energy that negated his Dominating Force and left a cut on his chest!

He immediately coughed out blood and thought bewilderedly, “This! This is not any normal sword energy. This is the Universal Force! How is it possible for her to even display it?”

He did not know that the Heavenly Earth Sword was a celestial sword that was capable of unleashing the Universal Force but there was a heavy price for using it; it extracted a heavy toll on its wielder. In Yixian current state, she was in no condition to use it.

Yixian coughed out blood after she had executed the Frosty Icicle Swordplay. As she collapsed to the ground, she muttered almost incoherently and her eyes had a thousand affections. “Ping’Er…take care…”

At the same time when Lian Longba was wobbly, the Stellar Heaven Fairy, Lingfeng and Lele had made their last desperate moves and had struck him with dozens of explosive attacks!

Lian Longba painfully shouted a martial shout as he enveloped himself with his Dominating Force once again. He was able to neutralize most of their attacks including Lele’s wicked slashes until she swung her long scythe between his legs!

Lian Longba immediately collapsed on the ground, refusing to believe that an Exalt Celestial of his caliber would actually fall today!

The reason why Lele could succeed in her dirty attack was because she had ensured that all her strokes were orthodox moves even during the most dire situations. A typical fighter may be forced to display a few unorthodox moves when there was an opening. But Lele had waited patiently for the right opportunity to strike to her unsuspecting opponent.

Ch11 End