The two cultivators beside the young master Ren Jiang stood frozen beside their master as Fang Zhiyong stared them down.
His amber eyes glittered under the light within the corridor, narrowed in focus as killing intent exuded from his body, producing an invisible, yet ferocious aura all around him. Despite the fact that he was about to get into a fight against two codex users, Windtamer Codex users at that, he didn't seem the slightest bit fearful, brimming with confidence.
And although they had a singular target who was barely a level above them in terms of cultivation, the two lackeys couldn't help but shake off the feeling that their master was about to send them to their deaths.
"What are you two doing?!" the young master shouts. "He's obviously just bluffing! Kill him!"
That snaps the two men beside him out of their trances. Then, after no more than another moment of hesitation, they both dash forward, wind surging around their blades as they move in to attack Zhiyong.
Yun Yi and Leng Xia, two very average members of the Illuminated Sword Sect. Like the young master Ren, they practiced the codex of the Windtamer, which made them eligible for being his left and right hand men.
Due to the nature of the sect however, battle wasn't something they were completely new to.
Yun Yi and Leng Xia were within blade's length in just a second. If Zhiyong was at all shocked with their speed, he didn't show it. He simply blocks both of their attacks, his own blade no more than a blur as easily parried away both of their attacks.
Both of his attackers looked at him for a moment, shock on their faces.
He blocked that?! they both thought, frozen with surprise.
But it was for just a short moment. They almost immediately went back onto the offensive, their blades flashing as they attacked him together.
Fang Zhiyong was forced onto the defense as Yun Yi and Leng Xia barraged him with a merciless onslaught of slashes and thrusts, small gusts of wind backing each attack and making each one faster and more powerful. His blade was a blur as he swung it this way, his body in constant motion as he bobbed and weaved around the ones he couldn't get with his sword.
All the meanwhile, the young master just watched, his eyes wide with shock.
Impossible, that codexless trash is somehow defending himself against two Codex of the Windtamer users? Those two haven't even managed to touch him!
He grits his teeth as he tears his eyes away from the battle, instead looking directly at Baoxian.
It doesn't matter. While those two idiots are busy dealing with his bodyguard, I'll just deal with him right now!
The young master suddenly disappears from his spot. Fang Zhiyong's eyes widened as he felt a breeze blow right past his side.
"Squadron leader!" he shouts, not having the opportunity to even turn his head as he blocked another attack.
He lifts his blade. Wind began to surge around the corridor, gathering around the tip of his sword.
"Die!"
He swings it through the air in front of him, firing a sharp blade of clear wind right at Baoxian. At the same time, he dashed forward, more wind following his sword as gusts propelled him forward.
Zhou Baoxian doesn't move the slightest inch from his spot, however. He just smiles, his hands still looped behind his back as the blade of wind soared closer and closer to him until…
It reached him. Yet instead of slicing right through his abdomen like the young master had intended it to, it shattered against something invisible right in front of him, dispersing into formless wind.
Right behind it, however, was the young master himself.
He thrust his blade directly at Baoxian's head.
Just as the tip of it could reach Baoxian's forehead, however, it suddenly collided into something solid, blue sparks flying from an invisible barrier right in front of its target.
His eyes widened. He immediately tries to pull it back, but his arm doesn't move the slightest bit, as if it wouldn't respond to his will. The tip of his blade was stuck fast into the translucent blue barrier.
Just like last time…what technique is this?! Even when I touch it with my blade, it still takes my arm! I've never seen anybody use precise qi control like this!
"What kind of idiot did you take me for, to produce a barrier that wouldn't affect actual weapons as much as it would affect your hand?" Zhou Baoxian asks. "You're too narrow minded, young master."
The young master just tsks. He raises his other arm, his hand aligned perfectly with his arm and his fingers aimed at Baoxian's head, summoning razor sharp blades of wind around it. He prepares to jab his hand forward before…
"I advise against trying that."
He feels something cold and sharp gently touch the side of his neck.
His eyes widened as he slightly turned his head to see Fang Zhiyong standing right behind him.
"Aw, why'd you stop him, Zhiyong?" Baoxian asks, a bit disappointed. "It would have been funny to see him get his other arm stuck in the barrier."
Fang Zhiyong just lifted his shoulders slightly in a shrug. He seemed completely untouched, aside from being slightly out of breath and possessing a tiny slash wound on his cheek that was barely bleeding.
"You…!" the young master exclaims in surprise. "You idiots! What are you doing?! How did you-?!"
He suddenly stops when he turns his head a bit more.
His eyes widened at the sight of his two companions, lying on the ground, knocked out and unconscious, their swords sprawled across the floor.
"It was easy to tell that those two haven't fought someone their match in a while, if ever," Fang Zhiyong says. "If they were anywhere near the level of actually competent fighters, I'd probably be in a bit of trouble, not that I don't believe I would've lost."
"Impossible!" the young master exclaimed. "Who are you?! How could codexless trash fight against two codex users?!"
"What, you think we survived out in the war zone due to dumb luck?" Baoxian scoffs. "That we were just lucky to never run into somebody with a good codex every now and then? Really, I ought to slap you again for your stupidity."
Baoxian smiled ruefully as he forebodingly raised his hand. The young master's eyes widened.
"Actually, maybe I will do just that. It felt very satisfying when I did it the first time."
"No, don't you dare!"
Baoxian held out his arm, drawing back his hand. Ren Jiang's eyes widened, his already bloodshot eyes becoming even redder. He let out a shout of indignation, closing his eyes in anticipation of the incoming slap before…
Baoxian was stopped by the sound of an authoritative voice echoing throughout the corridor.
"That's enough. Cease this immediately."