Sword Sovereign of the Celestial Emperor-Chapter 96, Swords Crossed

Bang, bang, bang...

The scorching tea water accurately crashed onto Li Huo’s blade. Blocked by immense force, Li Huo’s figure promptly revealed itself. With his madly dancing broadsword, he smashed the tea water to pieces.

His silhouette swayed momentarily, planning to attack Chu Ming again. However, Chu Ming’s foot stomped the ground, the Silver Light Sword unsheathed, and the grand Sword Qi split the air, aiming directly at Li Huo.

Clang, clang, clang

In mid-air, the two exchanged dozens of blows. Sword and blade light crisscrossed, the surrounding air emptied, Spiritual Power was drowned out. Martial Artists on the street, afraid of being caught up, immediately retreated.

But they did not go far, standing on high ground nearby, watching the duel with great interest.

Clang

Chu Ming’s sword deflected Li Huo’s body, sparking a flurry of fire like a pouring rain.

"Three Talents Swordsmanship!"

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Three beams of Sword Light burst from Chu Ming’s Silver Light Sword, their vigor melting the silence of the space like winter snow.

Li Huo’s strength was formidable, not inferior to Chu Ming’s. His deep understanding of the fast and slow realms made his attacks unpredictable.

However, such unpredictable attacks might be deadly to ordinary Martial Artists but were akin to regular strikes to Chu Ming, who possessed Guiyuan Realm Soul Power.

"Sea Return Frenzy Slash!"

Facing Chu Ming’s piercing three Sword Lights, Li Huo’s body transformed into a condensed red wind, spiraling around Chu Ming, emitting Sword Aura in all directions.

Three massive Sword Aura beams extinguished Chu Ming’s Sword Light, the remaining beams slicing through the air towards Chu Ming.

Swish!

Chu Ming stomped the ground fiercely, causing a half-meter-deep pit to form underfoot. Utilizing the recoil force, his body suddenly leapt skyward.

Poof, poof, poof...

The Sword Aura within the red wind counteracted each other, shattering into sparkling fragments across the sky.

In a split second, Li Huo’s figure divided into eight, the sword tips all targeting Du Ming from different angles in mid-air.

Clang

A beam of Sword Light flashed, annihilating seven red silhouettes. One remained, still leaping in the air, with fire sparks flying from the broadsword in hand.

"That white silhouette seems to be Chu Ming from the Cyan Yang Sect! The red figure must be Li Huo, the core disciple from Burning Fire Valley!"

"It’s widely rumored that Chu Ming is the top genius in the Great Yan Kingdom. I didn’t believe it at first, but seeing it today, he’s truly deserving of the title!"

"The other day at the auction, Chu Ming must have been the one competing against Li Huo for the Bronze Armor. Today, Li Huo tried to seize it, but didn’t anticipate Chu Ming’s superior strength!"

"Li Huo’s skills barely qualify him as a core disciple. If it weren’t for his brother Li Yun, someone would have challenged him long ago."

On high ground along the street, a group of Martial Artists watched the combat with great interest, including Cyan Sword Leng Wuyan.

Generally, during the beast tide, combat is prohibited in the city. But considering Li Huo and Chu Ming’s statuses, Cyan Smoke City’s City Lord dared not intervene.

He merely ensured no fatalities occurred. If a death did happen, his role as City Lord would be over.

Clang, clang, clang

Several sparks flew. Li Huo’s sword varied in speed, enveloping Chu Ming almost constantly.

But Chu Ming’s Sword Light was often ingenious and insurmountable. The unstoppable blade glow in his hands was easily deflected.

"Sword Shadow Flash!"

Li Huo lightly caressed his broadsword, exploding all his Spiritual Power into countless streams. His Sword Aura slashed five consecutive times, each strike stronger than the last. Upon the fifth strike, space darkened, a Soul Power vortex erupted from Li Huo’s hand.

Five Sword Aura beams intertwined like magnetic attractions, shifting positions, the shadows overwhelming as they shot towards Chu Ming.

"Thousand Leaves Annihilation!"

Beams of Sword Aura burst from Chu Ming’s sword, floating like weightless fallen leaves, yet brimming with sharp vigor.

Having cultivated the third move of "Thousand Leaves Swordsmanship" to Mastery, each strike from Chu Ming carried immense killing intent.

Bang, bang, bang, bang...

The collision of sword and blade shadows resounded endlessly, breaking the momentum. Air currents shot out from the impact area, causing the surrounding atmosphere to explode.

The once sturdy ground became wrecked, the surface full of craters and ravines, a chaotic mess of sword and blade marks.

Poof, poof, poof...

After performing the Thousand Leaves Swordsmanship, Chu Ming didn’t cease his attack. As Li Huo’s Spiritual Power waned, Chu Ming split his figure into two, appearing on Li Huo’s sides.

A palm strike sent waves of scorching heat, evaporating the air into nothingness.

"Gale Palm!"

Bang, bang, bang

Li Huo’s pupils shrunk. He slashed the left-side palm shadow, but the right-side shadow was already before him, with searing waves brushing past his hair.

Poof

Taking the palm strike directly, Li Huo’s body flew backward, spewing blood onto his robes.

Chu Ming prepared to advance, but suddenly halted, gazing towards the street’s end where an elderly figure slowly approached.

"Young Hero Chu, for my sake, let this matter end here!"

The elderly figure was Cyan Smoke City’s City Lord, Zhang Yuan, a seventh-layer True Dao Martial Artist.

"Very well! Since it’s City Lord Zhang’s request, let’s end this here." Chu Ming replied.

Even though he was a Sect Disciple, he wasn’t foolish enough to provoke a city lord without sufficient power. If pushed too far, he might end up dead without knowing how it happened.

"Thank you, Young Hero!"

Zhang Yuan expressed his gratitude immediately. If Chu Ming hadn’t agreed, he’d have had to use force to intervene. This would offend Chu Ming, but was preferable to Li Huo’s death and Li Yun’s anger. Chu Ming’s withdrawal ensured peace between both sides.

"Quick! Find the best physician to treat Young Hero Li!"

Zhang Yuan summoned several City Guard Army members. Li Huo, unconscious from Chu Ming’s strike, was carried off for medical treatment. novelbuddy.cσ๓

Looking up, Zhang Yuan found Chu Ming already out of sight, having returned to the inn.

...

The duel between Chu Ming and Li Huo spread throughout Cyan Smoke City. Many eyewitnesses embellished their accounts, making the battle sound legendary.

However, the incident soon faded from memory as the beast tide erupted.