The Struggle of Chaos Chapter 104: White Tiger Fang

Once again, Yang Ruiyun lunged forward with his spear, aiming straight for the vital spot.

But Xue Rengui easily dodged and countered with a swinging halberd. Yet Yang Ruiyun thrust his spear horizontally, twisting his body to evade the halberd from above, maintaining his distance unchanged. Without pause, he struck again toward Xue Rengui.

Though caught off guard, Xue Rengui’s hands were swift, relentlessly attacking Yang Ruiyun’s lower body. This time, Yang Ruiyun misjudged the timing and couldn’t fully evade the strike.

With a grinding sound, Yang Ruiyun retreated. But this time, he found his rhythm.

“Interesting,” Xue Rengui said, his interest piqued.

Yang Ruiyun’s spear surged forth once more. Though Xue Rengui continued to dodge with ease, he failed to break Yang’s spear technique. Suddenly, Yang’s spear became faster and faster; man and weapon seemed one. The fierce Yang family spear style finally emerged in full force.

Seeing Yang’s increasing speed, Xue Rengui struggled to keep up. At last, he unleashed his martial spirit. The overwhelming force forced Yang Ruiyun to step back.

“What was that move just now?” Xue Rengui asked with genuine interest.

“It should be called the unity of man and spear,” Yang replied.

“Haha, Yang Ruiyun. The realm your father dreamed of, and you have reached it at such a young age.”

“Without his guidance, I wouldn’t have attained this level.”

Xue Rengui lowered his halberd. “Ruiyun, I truly admire you. The Tang emperor has shown you brothers great kindness. Why do you insist on opposing him?”

“For the beliefs and truth I hold dear.”

“And what truth do you uphold?”

“My truth is to never betray my heart. I fight with a clear conscience.” Yang Ruiyun raised his spear once more.

A fierce aura of battle erupted from Xue Rengui. A white tiger, radiating killing intent, appeared as if stepping from the void.

“Then let me see how strong your conviction is. Tiger, leap!” For the first time, Xue Rengui launched an unrestrained attack.

Yang Ruiyun held nothing back either.

“Ancestor Yang Yanzhao, I understand the truth in your heart. Please lend me your strength.” No sooner had he spoken than a new heroic spirit slowly materialized from the void, clad in silver armor and golden-engraved spear—commander of the three armies, the sixth son of the Yang family—Yang Yanzhao.

“Zhao, Li!” This spear technique was more than just spearplay. Yang Yanzhao’s signature move was the unity of man and spear. In that instant, Yang Ruiyun shimmered with martial spirit until he seemed almost ethereal, leaving only the spear standing firm.

The spear thrust forward as Yang Ruiyun met Xue Rengui, while Yang Yanzhao confronted the white tiger spirit.

Two silver lights clashed repeatedly. The sharp martial spirit cut a towering city wall in two, and the marble-paved road around them was deeply scarred by countless scratches.

Finally, the white light faded, and the two passed each other, each standing on opposite sides.

“Why did you hold back?” Yang Ruiyun clutched his chest and sank to one knee. In the last collision, Xue Rengui suddenly withdrew his halberd and struck with his fist—though it injured Yang, it caused no serious harm.

Xue Rengui slowly turned, eyeing the dent on his breastplate with a resigned shake of his head. He walked over and helped Yang Ruiyun up.

“I once owed your father a favor. That’s why I spared your life today.”

Yang Ruiyun looked at Xue Rengui, silent for a moment.

“But that last spear thrust was truly excellent. I once heard your father speak of Yang Yanzhao’s story. Among the seven sons, he was the only one who steadfastly guarded the Song kingdom until the end, despite repeated injustices from the court. He always upheld the truth in his heart and stood at the forefront of defending the nation. Though your truth differs from his, your perseverance is the essential quality of a timeless general. Tonight, you have surpassed your father.”

“Thank you, Uncle Xue. You’ve always been teaching and aiding me.” Yang Ruiyun finally understood Xue Rengui’s intentions. With his level of martial spirit, Xue could have easily overwhelmed him, but instead, he guided him, helping him grow.

Xue Rengui smiled. “You are not only your father’s hope but mine as well.” He pulled a pure white tiger tooth from his bag. Yang Ruiyun took it, puzzled. “Uncle Xue, what does this mean?”

“You’ve likely heard the legend of the Four Sacred Divine Weapons. After the War of the Gods’ Destruction, four divine beasts forged four legendary arms: the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade, the Vermilion Bird Sunset Bow, the White Tiger Sky-Piercing Spear, and the Black Tortoise Earth-Shaking Axe. The four beasts then fell into slumber within them. Over the past three centuries, the Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, and Vermilion Bird have appeared, but the White Tiger and its weapon have never shown themselves to the world. One reason is the White Tiger’s proud and solitary nature; it dislikes companionship. Another is that the White Tiger’s trial is extraordinarily difficult—no one has passed it.”

Yang Ruiyun frowned. “Then where did Uncle Xue’s White Tiger martial spirit come from?”

“That goes back to before. I told you I and your father were disciples of an old master, who was the embodiment of the White Tiger. He took us in hoping one would pass his trial. The White Tiger’s test has two stages: the first is gaining the White Tiger Tooth’s approval. Only those who earn this right can challenge the White Tiger Sky-Piercing Spear and the divine beast itself.” Xue Rengui gazed at the starry sky.

“Did you two pass?”

Xue shook his head. “Your father lost to me in the contest for the White Tiger Tooth due to the limitations of Yang family spear technique. I gained the tooth and used its power to manifest the White Tiger martial spirit. But I challenged the White Tiger Sky-Piercing Spear once and was utterly defeated. That experience still haunts me. But your father never gave up. At the time, you had just arrived. He believed in your talent surpassing his, that you could truly earn our master—the White Tiger’s—recognition.”

“Is that my father’s greatest hope for me?”

“Yes. When I gave you the White Tiger Tooth, you activated its power, meaning you are the next challenger for the White Tiger Sky-Piercing Spear. It will guide you to find the weapon’s resting place.”

Yang Ruiyun gripped the White Tiger Tooth tightly. At that moment, he realized it was not just a path to power but a vessel of his father and Uncle Xue’s hopes and wishes.

“I understand, Uncle Xue.”

“All right, enough talk. Go quickly. Your brothers are waiting for you.” Xue Rengui picked up his halberd and slowly walked toward the city outskirts.

“Uncle Xue, will we meet again?”

“Of course. As long as you survive the battlefield, we will meet again. But next time, we will be opponents. I won’t hold back.” Xue Rengui laughed heartily.

“Next time, I will definitely defeat you,” Yang Ruiyun replied defiantly. With that, he raised his spear and headed back into the city. Beneath the pure moonlight, their shadows grew longer and gradually faded into the distance.

Meanwhile, Ren Xingtian and his group arrived at the prison gates. With the combined efforts of Bi Luo and Rose, they silently dispatched the guards at the entrance.

The prison lay hidden beneath the rear of the imperial palace, deep underground, with only one heavily guarded entrance. Apart from patrolling guards, the place was deserted. The cold night wind lent the scene an eerie stillness.

“This place is yours now. In half an hour, more guards will arrive. Once they see you, they will summon all the sentries. You must hold this single gate at all costs. If they break through, I’ll be trapped inside.” Ren Xingtian carefully instructed before entering.

“Don’t worry. With me here, no one gets in,” Deng Zhanxuan said confidently, patting his chest.

“Good. It’s in your hands.”

After Ren Xingtian left, only Deng Zhanxuan and Bi Luo remained in the cold watch.

“Bi Luo, are you cold?”

“Not really.”

Deng suddenly took off his tightly wrapped coat, revealing his sturdy muscles.

“Here, put this on. You won’t be cold then.”

Bi Luo looked at the coat he offered with some exasperation. “Aren’t you cold?”

Deng swung his axe a few times, laughing, “I’m not cold, and it’d be inconvenient for me to wear it.”

Bi Luo sighed but didn’t put on the coat. Instead, she tied it around Deng’s waist.

“That works.”

“You’re clever, Bi Luo.”

She took down her bow. “Ready. They’ll be here soon.”

Deng stepped before her, slammed his axe down, and said, “Don’t worry. With me here, no one will hurt you.”

Looking at his broad, solid back, Bi Luo felt a newfound sense of safety.

Suddenly, a group of guards rushed in.

“Who are you? What are you doing?” they demanded.

Bi Luo fired a volley, knocking several down. The rest were blocked by a shield and gently knocked back.

“Quick! An intruder at the prison! Signal the alarm!” a soldier shouted but was immediately felled by Bi Luo’s arrow.

More soldiers charged, but Deng held them at bay. They felt like they were hitting an immovable wall.

“I’m Deng Zhanxuan. Don’t even think about taking another step,” he declared. A massive black shield stood firm at the prison gate.

Below, Ren Xingtian and Rose hurriedly searched for the location where Li Qiutong was held.

“Brother Tong, where are you? We’re here to rescue you. Li Qiutong, please answer,” Ren called out.

His voice roused several nearby prisoners, but no one replied.

At that moment, Li Qiutong was sound asleep.

“Hey, kid, someone’s calling you outside,” Lin Hai said as he entered and shook Li Qiutong awake.

“Uh, someone’s calling me?” Li Qiutong listened carefully. At first, he thought Lin Hai was mistaken, but he did indeed hear someone calling.

“That voice sounds like Xingtian’s. Hey, Xingtian, I’m here! Over here!” Li Qiutong shouted out.

His excited voice reached Ren Xingtian’s ears.

“There! I heard Brother Tong’s voice,” Ren exclaimed, running toward the prison cell.

“Brother Tong, finally found you!” Ren said joyfully.

Li Qiutong looked at Ren in surprise. “Xingtian, what are you doing here?”

“Of course I’m here to rescue you! Quick, Rose, break the lock.”

“Yes.” Rose’s dark red martial spirit transformed into a petal and shattered the lock.

Li Qiutong opened the door and immediately felt a wave of relief. The sharp flash of the White Tiger martial spirit shattered the chains binding him.

“Hey, Lin Hai, need my help?” Li Qiutong asked as he looked back.

“No need.” Lin Hai stepped out and used his martial spirit to break his own shackles.

Rose was surprised to hear the name. “You’re Lin Hai?”

Lin Hai tidied his messy hair, revealing his true face. “Long time no see, Little Rose.”

“You’re still alive! I thought you were dead.”

Lin Hai smiled. “How could I die?”

Seeing they were about to start a long conversation, Ren Xingtian quickly interrupted, “Catch up later. We have to leave now. By the way, Brother Tong, your staff.” He handed over the Yin-Yang dragon-patterned staff behind him.

Li Qiutong took it, and his aura immediately surged. Confidently, he said, “Let’s go. This time, even the overlord won’t stop me.”