Chapter 124: Fierce Battle (Part Four)

“Alright.” Ouyang Ruchu responded softly. She took Ji Mo from Lei Wei’s hands, helped her sit on the ground, and reached out to feel her pulse. After about a dozen breaths, her delicate brows furrowed slightly.

“How is she?” Lei Wei’s heart tightened with anxiety.

“Chief Lei Feng, I have no way to heal my disciple’s injury. The sword that wounded her carries a terrifying, life-consuming energy that I have no power to dispel,” Ouyang Ruchu said slowly, shaking her head.

“Young Master Yan!” Lei Wei forced down his rising worry and turned his gaze to Yan Wei.

“Chief Lei Feng, look at me. I am also powerless. Since I obtained this sword, I have never seen anyone survive after being wounded by it. To be honest, I admire Miss Ji greatly and hope she lives on. Without worthy opponents, life is lonely indeed,” Yan Wei said with a cracked smile, breathing heavily as he spoke.

Lei Wei’s face darkened, his eyes turning cold as he stared at Yan Wei. Seeing this, Ji Mo could not help but speak, “Master, it’s alright. Exceptions exist. My injury won’t kill me anytime soon. As for healing, we will find a way after this contest. For now, let’s watch the duel between Senior Brother Su Ye and Young Master Mo.”

Ji Mo’s battle with Yan Wei had ended, but the fight between Su Ye and Mo Wuxin on the arena had just begun. Su Ye wielded a jade-green ruler about three feet long, gleaming with a vibrant emerald sheen—a sight both refreshing and elegant, perfectly matching his refined gentlemanly demeanor.

Mo Wuxin’s weapon was a black long halberd, its blade three feet long, pitch-black at the tip, carved with a row of ebony skulls. The shaft stretched over ten feet. The halberd’s opening and closing emitted the howls of vengeful spirits, enveloped in a sinister aura. It was a terrifying weapon, one that would unnerve most people at first glance, let alone withstand in battle.

Yet this weapon held no intimidation for Su Ye. When Mo Wuxin drew it, Su Ye examined it with interest and commented, “Young Master Mo, I’ve heard of a war god in the Celestial Realm who wields twin double-edged halberds with tremendous power. But his halberds are divine weapons. Why does your halberd emit such a dense ghostly aura? Could it be you snatched it from the hands of a spirit enforcer?”

Mo Wuxin was not one for idle talk. Without a word, he swung his long arm and thrust the halberd toward Su Ye. Su Ye smiled lightly, pointed his toe, and with a flick of his jade ruler, a green shadow appeared, gently intercepting the black halberd. The clash produced a crisp ringing sound. Su Ye’s ruler remained unscathed, while the halberd emitted a mournful wail yet suffered no damage.

After exchanging a dozen moves, each had gauged the other’s strength. Mo Wuxin’s initial thrust was merely a test, with no real force behind it. Then he retreated several steps, releasing the halberd, which spun rapidly in midair. Circles of black energy swirled and converged at the center of the arena.

Su Ye remained calm, standing to the side as if curious about what tricks Mo Wuxin might use next. After several breaths, the entire arena was shrouded in a dense, ghostly mist. Endless wails and beastly howls echoed from the black fog, unsettling the crowd from the Moon-Watching Sect. Elder Xiao of the Spirit Sword Peak whispered to Chief Feng and Lei Wei, “Sect Leader, Chief Lei Feng, what kind of weapon is Young Master Mo wielding? It seems to harbor countless vengeful spirits.”

Cold Wind Yang and Lei Wei both shook their heads. Weapons infused with vengeful spirits were not uncommon, but they had never seen one like Mo Wuxin’s halberd and could not name it. At that moment, an elderly man surnamed Rong smiled and added, “My disciple’s weapon is called the Nine Nether Soul-Stealing Halberd. The skull at its tip is forged from the souls of eight thousand vengeful ghosts.”

The others felt a shiver. Though the elderly Rong appeared kind and approachable, the weapons of his two disciples were ominously strange, suggesting they were not typical righteous cultivators.

Rong’s smile remained faint as he glanced around before shifting his gaze to the arenas of Ji Mo and Su Ye. Su Ye’s confident expression grew serious as he faced the thickening ghostly aura. Narrowing his eyes, he infused his jade ruler with spiritual energy.

Bathed in spiritual power, the jade ruler glowed brilliantly. The dense ghostly mist near him retreated under the green light, but the piercing wails continued unabated. Su Ye’s brows tightened; he called out sharply, raising the glowing jade ruler and slashing at the black fog.

A sound like tearing silk rang out as the fog parted, revealing a gap several inches wide, which quickly closed again. Seeing this, Su Ye let out a long roar, leapt into the air, and the jade ruler suddenly expanded to a massive two-story square, transforming into a dazzling emerald blade that struck at the swirling black mist.

The howling vengeful spirits screamed and turned to gray smoke upon contact with the radiant green light. Su Ye’s eyebrows shot upward, relentlessly cutting through the fog. Within moments, the mist dissipated entirely, leaving only two pale-faced figures hovering, their eyes gleaming with cold light.

“Su Ye, you are formidable indeed. In moments, you broke my Ten Thousand Ghost Soul-Seizing Formation. No wonder you triumphed in the Bloody Purgatory,” Mo Wuxin said, a flicker of surprise crossing his cold face as he stared at Su Ye.

“Hmph, Mo Wuxin, I thought you were a man of honor, looking forward to a proper fight with you. But you come out with these unsightly, underhanded tricks instead. I’m quite disappointed,” Su Ye replied coldly, his face as still as water.

“Heh, methods do not distinguish between right and wrong. If practicality matters, then so be it. If not for your Jade Water Cloud Ruler’s ability to counter vengeful spirits, breaking my formation would have been far more difficult. Once on the battlefield, each uses their own means. What nonsense is this about underhanded tactics or fair play?” Mo Wuxin chuckled dismissively.

“Well said, Mo Wuxin. I thought you were taciturn, but your sharp tongue is truly surprising. Come, trade a few moves—I want to see if your skills are as quick as your words,” Su Ye said, narrowing his eyebrows. Before finishing, he swung his jade ruler toward Mo Wuxin.

A fierce gleam erupted from Mo Wuxin’s eyes. Without dodging, he thrust his halberd forward, boldly meeting Su Ye’s strike. Their weapons clashed again and again—ten, twenty times—with neither yielding. Their strength was evenly matched, and their battle unleashed a blazing fire of true power, shaking the arena as if mountains trembled.

The fight was too close to call quickly. After watching a while, Yan Wei, exhausted, said, “Master, let’s go. If we linger, we might run into some annoying trouble again.”

“Agreed. Wuxin, since this duel cannot be decided for now, let’s call it a draw and leave,” the elderly Rong pondered briefly before approving Yan Wei’s suggestion, nodding toward the arena.

Hearing his master’s call, Mo Wuxin cracked a smile. “Su Ye, with your skills, you’re not likely to die so easily. We’ll have another fight someday.” With that, they exchanged one last fierce move before Mo Wuxin’s figure flickered, appearing before the elderly Rong.

(To be continued…)