Jiang Yun kept his eyes closed, but his spiritual awareness captured the scene unfolding before him. Though moved by the profound loyalty of the rainbow deer, he knew that he was at a crucial moment in releasing the seal on his sword's power. In about ten more minutes, the seal would be completely broken, and he would be unstoppable even against Qin Hai Feng and Qin Shou Sheng.
Qin Shou Sheng watched as Jiang Yun's brow furrowed in concentration, his face covered in cold sweat. He realized that Jiang Yun was in a critical state of cultivation and couldn't be disrupted. He felt a sense of satisfaction, for he had initially been wary of Jiang Yun's sword technique. Now, however, the situation seemed to be in his favor. With his index and middle fingers extended, he injected his spiritual energy toward Jiang Yun's dantian, intending to seal his qi flow.
Little did Qin Shou Sheng know that Jiang Yun's sword power had been sealed long before. All of Jiang Yun's strength relied on the physical power of the Nine Lai Technique. As Qin Shou Sheng's spiritual energy entered Jiang Yun's dantian, it didn't seal his spiritual energy as he had intended. Instead, it inadvertently helped Jiang Yun.
The Nine Lai Technique was a body-refining method. The first two layers didn't cultivate spiritual energy, only the third layer did. Jiang Yun had just broken through to the third layer not too long ago. His spiritual energy was limited and just a bit away from breaking the seal on his sword's power.
However, Qin Shou Sheng's intervention seemed to be providential. The touch of his spiritual energy coincided with the moment Jiang Yun's sword power broke free from its restraints. The seal shattered, and the sword power surged into his dantian. Jiang Yun opened his eyes, a gleam of determination flashing in them.
At the moment Qin Shou Sheng touched Jiang Yun's dantian, he felt something amiss. His spiritual energy seemed to vanish without a trace, posing no threat to Jiang Yun whatsoever. Sensing Jiang Yun's eyes on him, Qin Shou Sheng hastily retreated a step, realizing the situation had taken an unexpected turn.
Qin Hai Feng and Qin Shou Sheng were taken aback by Jiang Yun's sudden surge of power. They exchanged glances, astonishment clear in their eyes. Jiang Yun's lightning-fast attack was far beyond their expectations for someone in his condition.
Unbeknownst to them, Jiang Yun's rapid recovery was attributed to the activation of the Nine Lai Technique through the blood of both the mammoth and the rainbow deer. This potent combination had propelled him to the third layer of the technique and shattered the seal on his sword's power. In an instant, Jiang Yun's strength underwent an earth-shattering transformation.
"Senior brothers, are you accompanying me to the Forgotten Sorrow Valley just to harm fellow disciples? Aren't you afraid of your elders finding out? Committing such a heinous crime?" Jiang Yun stood up slowly, his tone questioning yet composed.
"Hmph, Jiang Yun, let's not beat around the bush. We were indeed entrusted to kill you. As for your accusation of harming fellow disciples, you'll die in the Forgotten Sorrow Valley, and no one will know my brother and I came here. Who can prove it was us who killed you?" Qin Shou Sheng retorted coldly. Although Jiang Yun appeared less injured now, he still didn't believe Jiang Yun could defeat them when they joined forces. After all, both of them were martial artists at the seventh level of the Elemental Martial Realm, while Jiang Yun had only demonstrated the strength of the eighth level of the Qi Martial Realm in the previous minor assessment half a month ago.
The gap created by being in a higher realm was undeniable. While Jiang Yun possessed incredibly advanced sword skills, it still wasn't enough to face the combined strength of two Elemental Martial Realm cultivators. Thus, Qin Shou Sheng and Qin Hai Feng were feeling quite confident at this moment.
"Oh, you two senior brothers are right," Jiang Yun replied with a smile. "So, you're saying that if I were to kill you both in the Forgotten Sorrow Valley, no one would know either."
"Exactly. Let's see if you have the ability," Qin Shou Sheng sneered.
After speaking, Qin Shou Sheng turned his head and exchanged a glance with Qin Hai Feng, and they nodded in agreement.
"Attack."
In that instant, both Qin Shou Sheng and Qin Hai Feng made their move. They drew their swords in a coordinated manner, crossing them into a form resembling a crucifix. A crescent-shaped sword light slashed toward Jiang Yun.
The reason Luo Qi had sent the Qin brothers to kill Jiang Yun was due to the requirement of secrecy. Killing Jiang Yun needed to be concealed, and it wasn't suitable for too many people to be involved. The Qin brothers had a synergistic sword technique that was immensely powerful, and even ordinary Elemental Martial Realm cultivators would find it difficult to resist.
The sword light was swift, but Jiang Yun was even faster. With a swift movement of his Qingping Sword through the air, the sword light unleashed by the Qin brothers split in half and passed by Jiang Yun's sides, cutting into the nearby mountain wall with a resounding crash.
Simultaneously with splitting the Qin brothers' sword light, Jiang Yun darted towards them, courageously engaging both of them alone.
The two brothers' cooperation was seamless. The moment Jiang Yun closed in, they divided their roles. Qin Shou Sheng, with his higher cultivation level, faced Jiang Yun's attack head-on, while Qin Hai Feng lurked on the side, ready to strike if he spotted an opportunity.
However, minutes later, their astonishment grew. Qin Shou Sheng was surprised by the ferocity of Jiang Yun's sword techniques. Despite his realm being a significant level higher than Jiang Yun's, he still found it challenging to withstand Jiang Yun's relentless onslaught. Each clash of their swords against Jiang Yun's Qingping Sword churned his blood and qi.
This was the power of sword intent – it disregarded the realm's disparity. Especially considering Jiang Yun was no longer at the Qi Martial Realm level, his cultivation at the third layer of the Nine Lai Technique was equivalent to an Elemental Martial Realm cultivator. The gap between him and Qin Shou Sheng wasn't as wide as they had thought.
Qin Hai Feng, on the other hand, was amazed by Jiang Yun's continuous offense. He couldn't find any vulnerabilities to exploit, and Jiang Yun's defense was impeccable, leaving no room for Qin Hai Feng to make a move.
Soon, Qin Shou Sheng completed his Thirteen Swords of Jiang Yun's assault. The hand gripping his sword felt numb, and his arm grew weak. He could only cast a pleading look towards Qin Hai Feng for help. Realizing that this couldn't go on much longer, Qin Hai Feng understood that even if they couldn't find an opening in Jiang Yun's defense, they had to forcefully strike; otherwise, Qin Shou Sheng would soon falter.
As Qin Hai Feng lunged towards Jiang Yun, Jiang Yun had already sensed the danger. He instantly moved out of Qin Hai Feng's attack range. Qin Shou Sheng breathed a sigh of relief, as facing Jiang Yun's sword techniques head-on again might have proven too much for him to handle.
However, before that breath had fully settled, Qin Shou Sheng's senses tightened once more. He saw Jiang Yun retreating three meters away. The Qingping Sword in Jiang Yun's hand stood upright before his chest. With his left hand, Jiang Yun flicked his index finger on the Qingping Sword, causing it to emit a dragon's roar. Suddenly, the upright Qingping Sword pointed towards Qin Hai Feng and Qin Shou Sheng.
In an instant, dust and pebbles were thrown into the air. A sword light radiated from the Qingping Sword, separating from the blade. This sword light transformed into the phantom of a fierce tiger and pounced aggressively towards the Qin brothers.