socalfunplaces Chapter 834 Kill
Chapter 834 Kill
"Clang!" Ye He's peach wood sword was struck again by Long Si's fingertip. The sword vibrated violently, emitting a piercing buzz, causing his hand to split open and blood to flow down the hilt, dripping onto the bluestone ground and spreading into dark red patches. Just as he was about to change his move, Long Si had already closed in on his side, a damp palm wind rushing towards him, carrying a cold water pressure. Ye He knew he was in trouble, but it was too late to dodge—Long Si kicked him squarely in the chest. The force seemed light, but it carried a subtle, yin-like power that surged into his body like a rising tide, instantly dispersing his protective inner energy.
"Pfft—" Ye He spat out a mouthful of blood, staining his chest red. He flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily against the cave wall with a dull thud. He slid down, kicking up a pile of gravel, and landed on the ground in a sorry state. He struggled for a few moments but couldn't get up.
Long Si dusted off non-existent dust from his sleeves, his eyes as cold as ice, as if he had merely crushed an ant. He turned and stepped out of the cave, his cyan-gold scales gleaming eerily in the moonlight.
Outside the cave, Ye Xue and Xiao Shuai were locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle. Ye Xue's swordsmanship was even more ruthless than Ye He's; his sword light enveloped Xiao Shuai like a net, each strike aimed directly at vital points, forcing him to rely on his agility to dodge left and right. Xiao Shuai's cultivation was still relatively shallow; five hundred years of cultivation was not considered top-tier among human cultivators. After several rounds, he gradually fell into a disadvantageous position. A gust of sword wind swept across his shoulder, cutting a three-inch-long gash. Blood instantly soaked through his clothes, causing him to groan in pain and slow his movements slightly.
Just then, Ye Xue caught a glimpse of Long Si emerging from the cave, his posture upright and his aura steady. Meanwhile, his younger brother Ye He lay on the ground, his life hanging in the balance. Ye Xue's heart tightened instantly, his movements became disorganized, and he desperately wanted to rush over to check on his brother's condition.
"Now!" Xiao Shuai seized the fleeting opening, suddenly ducked, and slid across the ground like a cat to avoid Ye Xue's thrusting sword. At the same time, he gathered his strength and kicked Ye Xue hard in the back of the knee with a sharp whistling sound.
With a soft "crack," like the sound of a bone dislocating, Ye Xue's knee buckled, and he uncontrollably knelt on one knee. He barely managed to steady himself by using his longsword as a support, and cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead. Ignoring the excruciating pain in his leg, he scrambled to Ye He's side and grabbed his shoulder: "Ye He! How are you? Are you alright? Can you hold on?"
Ye He coughed up blood, his knuckles digging into the ground, his voice hoarse as if sanded: "Brother... this is terrible... besides this fox demon, there's... there's also the dragon clan! Though not true dragons, they are still dragons that have cultivated for thousands of years... we can't afford to offend them... what are we going to do?"
Ye Xue looked up at Long Si and Xiao Shuai standing side by side. One exuded a calm and steady aura, his vertical pupils gleaming dangerously in the moonlight, as if he might pounce and tear them apart at any moment; the other, though wounded, gripped a sharp, gleaming claw tightly, his eyes wary yet resolute, like a young beast protecting its master. He knew there was no chance of victory today, and continuing the fight would only lead to certain death. Gritting his teeth, he pulled out a communication talisman engraved with runes from his robes, his voice resolute: "It seems we have no choice but to fight to the death. First, send a signal back to the clan! The situation here is beyond our control; we must let the clan know and send experts!"
Although Ye He was unwilling—the credit that was about to be in his hands had slipped away, and he had ended up in such a sorry state—he knew that his life was more important. He nodded hurriedly, coughing up blood that splattered on his clothes: "Quick! Before they make a move! It will be too late if we wait any longer!"
Ye Xue abruptly crushed the communication talisman in his palm. The talisman instantly transformed into a blinding flame, shooting straight into the night sky like a fire dragon breaking free from its restraints. The orange-red tail of the flame trailed a long arc, slicing through the twilight and tearing a gap in the thick clouds, ultimately leaving a fleeting red mark on the horizon. Only then did he grit his teeth and reach out to help Ye He, who was also injured, to his feet—Ye He's chest was caved in, and dark red blood clung to the corner of his mouth, clearly indicating a serious injury. The two staggered to their feet, supporting each other. Ye Xue's gaze swept complicatedly over Long Si and Xiao Shuai opposite him. His left hand clutched his bleeding knee, where the bone felt as if it had been cracked by a blunt object, and every movement was excruciatingly painful; his right hand gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his knuckles white from the force, and even the veins on the back of his hand bulged.
Knowing full well the vast disparity in strength, that resistance at this moment would be tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock, he still straightened his back, like a weed braving the wind. Even if he only had one breath left, he would hold on until reinforcements arrived—the message talisman had been sent, and if he could just delay for a little longer, there was still a chance for things to turn around.
Xiao Shuai was temporarily blinded by the fierce battle, his eyes burning with pain, and he couldn't see the towering flames at all. But Long Si's eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, and he had already caught the fleeting red light, his face instantly darkening. His anger was like ignited explosives, and before Ye Xue could say anything, he suddenly waved his wide sleeves, and a powerful force swept out like a raging wave, sending pebbles flying wherever it passed.
Ye Xue and Ye He felt a blur before their eyes, as if a huge boulder had struck their chests, dislocating their internal organs. Before they could even scream, they collapsed to the ground like kites with broken strings, their foreheads hitting the hard rocks, and they fell silent.
Xiao Shuai groped for the rock beside him, his fingertips touching the cold stone wall, barely managing to steady himself. Hearing the thud of him falling, he quickly turned towards Long Si, his voice filled with remorse: "Master, it's all my fault... If I hadn't acted impulsively and insisted on getting entangled with those two, I wouldn't have alerted you, and you wouldn't have been exposed." He looked down at his blood-soaked clothes, the fabric sticking to his wounds, painful and burning, his heart filled with regret and hatred—if he hadn't been so competitive, things wouldn't have come to this.
Just as Long Si was about to reprimand him, a sudden sweetness rose in his throat, and a mouthful of bright red blood spurted out onto the grass in front of him, glaringly staining the green expanse. He clutched his chest and coughed violently, his body swaying, his face instantly turning ashen, even his lips losing all color.
"Master!" Xiao Shuai was terrified. Ignoring his own injuries, he scrambled forward to support him. His fingertips touched Long Si's icy hand, and his voice trembled with anxiety, "What happened to you? Did you injure your vital energy in the fight? You said your injuries were almost healed..."
Long Si, panting heavily, waved his hand, his voice weak as a candle flickering in the wind, yet carrying an undeniable urgency: "I forcibly awoke from my slumber earlier, and my old injuries hadn't healed yet. That attack just now consumed too much spiritual energy, which only aggravated my stagnant blood qi..." He struggled to look up in the direction where the communication talisman had disappeared, his eyes as heavy as iron, "Those two brats have already sent out the message. It won't be long before pursuers arrive. We can't stay here any longer, let's go!"