Chu Xisheng and his companion quickly ran through the cave passage.
Although the interior of the cave was deep and dark, it wasn't entirely impossible to see.
The walls here had vein-like lines resembling molten lava, emitting a dim red glow that allowed one to barely make out the path ahead.
However, the temperature inside the cave was also very high, hotter than the already warm marketplace outside, and even higher within the cave.
Chu Xisheng ran for a while and began to pant heavily.
He was afflicted with the "Six Yin Soul Revival Spell," which accumulated a great amount of yin poison and cold energy within his body, damaging his lung meridians.
If he sprinted for too long, his chest felt as if it was about to explode.
Luckily, upon noticing his abnormal state, Lu Luanti slapped a talisman on his back—this was a Godspeed Talisman.
Once the spell took effect, Chu Xisheng felt his footsteps lighten considerably, and his strength gradually returned.
He managed to observe his system panel while running.
Just now, a small firework had burst into his field of vision.
The Martial Arts Points on his system panel had increased from 25 to 26.
Chu Xisheng thought about the three people he had killed, contemplative.
He wasn't new to taking lives; he had killed three people before while with the escort team.
But at that time, his system showed no changes.
The only difference was that the short and stout man he killed recently had a quite high level of strength, nearly reaching the peak of the Ninth Grade.
If that man had been fully prepared for Chu Xisheng's fast sword, adopting a steady and solid defense, Chu Xisheng estimated his own chances of winning wouldn't have been high.
Chu Xisheng surmised the effect of his "Vengeful Blade Intent" played a role as well.
If the short and stout man hadn't been influenced by the Spiritual Shock, slowing his sword speed by a fraction, he could have fought Chu Xisheng to a mutual defeat.
Though Chu Xisheng could still have slain him, he would have been injured himself.
At this moment, Chu Xisheng's mind suddenly went dizzy, and a wave of exhaustion spread throughout his body.
Chu Xisheng soon realized this was the repercussion of using "Sword Intent."
As he used the Spiritual Shock to hit the opponent, his own spiritual power also suffered a significant loss.
After they shook off the crowd behind them, Lu Luanti, with approval in her voice, looked at Chu Xisheng, "Those three slashes just now were really good, succinct and sharp, swift like thunder. What's rare is that you even managed to invoke Sword Intent. That must be the Vengeful Blade Intent you comprehended from the Library, right? It's a pity your cultivation is limited and you can't control it on your own."
After praising him, she stretched out her hand toward Chu Xisheng, "Give me your saber."
Chu Xisheng's complexion twitched, already guessing what Lu Luanti intended to do.
This woman clearly wanted to make him take the blame again.
Yet, without a second thought, Chu Xisheng handed over his Hundred-refined Light Steel Saber, silently pulling another Light Steel Saber from behind him into his hand.
Lu Luanti weighed the saber after receiving it and then suddenly accelerated, generating a breeze through the cave passage.
When she reached the corner ahead, she leaped into the air, stepping on the right stone wall to quickly turn the corner.
On the other side of the corner were five stout men clad in blue.
Three of these men were armed with sabers, while the other two held crossbows aimed straight ahead of them.
Yet, Lu Luanti stepped on the stone wall, suspending herself in mid-air and striking from an angle unexpected to them.
The leader of the group, a young man, had his pupils shrink abruptly as he watched the Hundred-refined Light Steel Saber grow increasingly large before his eyes.
"Who are you? Do you know that I am from the Long Family—"
Before he could finish his words, the white glow of the saber had already severed his neck.
Lu Luanti was using the "Chasing Wind Saber" technique as well, but her sword force was even more swift and adroit, and her movements were graceful and effortless, as if dancing rather than fighting.
As she weaved through the five men, not a single drop of blood stained her body.
Only then did Chu Xisheng leisurely turn the corner, his lips twitched involuntarily at the sight of the five corpses on the ground.
From the wounds on these five men, Chu Xisheng discerned that Lu Luanti had not only imitated his Chasing Wind Saber but had also matched his strength perfectly.
He matched Chu Xisheng's strength precisely, neither more nor less.
※※※※
At the entrance of Fire Bone Cave, Long Heng, the eldest son of the Long Family, stood with his hands behind his back, taking great interest in the three corpses on the ground.
He had a full moon face with delicate features, thin and long phoenix eyes, and wore a white scholar's robe with flowing long sleeves, while his long hair fell unrestrained over his shoulders, resembling a mad Confucian scholar from ancient times.
"This man's sabership is indeed swift, Long Si's cultivation was already among the sharper within the Ninth Grade, yet he was dispatched with a single strike. What's admirable is the precision of the strike—clean cuts, neither too deep nor too shallow, ending lives with just one blow."
Long Heng clucked admiringly, evaluating the bodies as if they belonged to strangers, not his trusted subordinates.
Then he turned and smiled at a youth behind him, "For one whose Primordial Skill has not even reached a rank, to be able to wield such a fast sword, Brother Long, you lost fairly. By the way, isn't that person, who killed the sorcerer of the Blood Wind Thieves at Zhengyang Martial Arts Hall, also called Chu Xisheng?"
The youth was Long Sheng, his wrist still wrapped in white cloth. His face showed fear as he raised his hand and replied, "Indeed, it is the same person, it is said that many witnessed it that day at Zhengyang Martial Arts Hall."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than there was a 'snap' on his cheek.
It was a slap from Long Heng landing on Long Sheng's face.
The eldest son of the Long Family used such force that Long Sheng staggered back several steps before steadying himself, and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
He touched his face, looking incredulously at his older brother.
"Do you know why I hit you?"
Long Heng's voice contained a cold laugh as he walked toward his brother, "You're not wrong to want revenge, to even think about killing him. He who dares to shame the Long Family deserves death, but the one thing you shouldn't do is cause trouble at this time.
Do you know how much Demon Silver I've spent to lay an ambush for Tie Xiaosheng of the Iron Banner Gang, how many favors I've called in, how many people I've mobilized? And now, when we are stretched thin, you dared to dispatch my subordinates without permission, to kill a man of no consequence."
Long Sheng continued to step back, his face ashen.
Just as he was backed up against a wall, with nowhere to retreat, a youth in blue garments, carrying a long sword, stepped in front of Long Heng.
"Enough, Brother Long, he is, after all, your brother – a small punishment as a caution is sufficient."
This person appeared to be in his twenties, with a hawk nose and hawk eyes, and fair skin.
He looked at Long Sheng with solemn advice, "You can't blame your brother for being ruthless. We managed to inflict heavy damage on Tie Xiaosheng this time by catching him off guard. If we don't eliminate him while we have the advantage, the foundation of the Long Family in Fire Bone Cave will be insecure.
Right now your brother is setting traps and conducting a dragnet inside the cave to find Tie Xiaosheng; every man is valuable—"
His speech was interrupted as a person in a green shirt rushed out from the depths of the cave.
The sword-carrying youth recognized him as one of the Long Clan Soldiers, and his speech faltered.
"Eldest Young Master!" The green-shirted man hurriedly knelt before Long Heng, "Long Zheng and his men are all dead, we've checked the wounds, the assailant likely used a Chasing Wind Saber; swift and fierce blade work, it must have been Chu Xisheng's doing. The man and woman fled into the cave, exactly through the entrance Long Zheng was guarding—"
At that moment, another similarly dressed young man hurried out, his face deathly pale, "Eldest Young Master, Long Wu's fifth squad has been wholly slaughtered. The culprit used a Chasing Wind Saber, suspected to be Chu Xisheng!"
Long Heng was momentarily stunned, then let out a light chuckle, "How long has it been, less than half a moment, and thirteen of my men slain. Unbelievable, is this really someone below Ninth Grade? Such a ruthless heart, such a fierce blade!"
He glared at Long Sheng, then turned to the sword-carrying youth, "Senior Dou, this trouble is not minor; I'm afraid I need to trouble you. Out of my Heng's Eighteen Riders under my command, you can choose any three to join you."
The sword-carrying youth's eyebrows lifted slightly, thinking that Long Heng was taking this 'trouble' too seriously.
Heng's Eighteen Riders were death soldiers trained personally by Long Heng, each with the strength above the Ninth Grade.
Armed with heavy armor and treasure swords, equipped to the extreme, their combat power approached that of Eighth Rank.
Any three from these eighteen riders would be enough to handle Chu Xisheng.
Yet, in addition to these three heavily armored death soldiers, Long Heng still wished to involve him personally.
Without refusal, the sword-carrying youth simply smiled and paced deeper into the depths of the cave.