Chapter Twenty: Slaying the Enemy with a Single Gesture

Seeking recommendations, favorites, and comments—dear readers, this is a new book by Hong Yan, and your support is essential. The editor mentioned the other day that if Huashan doesn't perform well, there will be no recommendation, so I earnestly ask for your recommendations, clicks, and comments.

Arriving in this world, Jiang Yan felt a sudden nervousness as he prepared to kill for the first time. Because of this tension, the tip of the Green Wood Arrow he controlled began to tremble slightly, and with that trembling, a peculiar surge of spiritual energy started spreading throughout the area...

Within his spiritual perception, Li Fei suddenly detected a ripple of spiritual force, and a trace of doubt flashed across his cold features...

Cultivators who reached the fourth level of Qi Refinement could already sense danger instinctively. The youth before him, who claimed to be a rogue cultivator, gave Li Fei an inexplicable sense of unease. In his senses, a strange current of spiritual energy began to emanate from the youth, radiating outward. This wave reminded Li Fei of a prodigy he had slain with his sword half a year ago—a genius at the fifth level of Qi Refinement who practiced the Green Wood Archery. Although the youth before him had not yet solidified his Green Wood Arrow, the spiritual energy he exuded seemed even more terrifying than that of the other boy who had.

Li Fei, visibly tense, placed his right hand once more upon the greatsword strapped to his back...

Suddenly, the spiritual energy surged more violently. Jiang Yan, realizing the disturbance, attempted to contain it, but his efforts only made the fluctuation more intense.

Li Fei's expression changed. Within his spiritual sense, he located the source of the disturbance: three sharp Green Wood Arrows—it was a cultivator who had formed three Green Wood Arrows! Waves of shock crashed through his heart. Six months ago, that genius at the fifth level of Qi Refinement could only form a single Green Wood Arrow, and if not for his arrogance, it would have been Li Fei who died that day.

“Green Wood Arrow!” Li Fei’s cold voice rang out, warning his fellow disciples.

A sleek, jet-black gleam rose behind Li Fei, then a curtain of black light shimmered before him. This was the result of long training—at the first sign of crisis, he instinctively drew his sword to protect himself.

A trio of metallic scrapes sounded in succession as the other three disciples of the Tianshan Sect, alerted by the warning, drew their longswords and swiftly retreated several steps.

Jiang Yan watched with envy. The Tianshan Sect truly lived up to its reputation as a second-tier sect; even in danger, its disciples possessed great discipline, instantly choosing the correct means of self-preservation: retreat and draw their swords.

Yet, confronting Jiang Yan, who had already formed his formless Green Wood Arrows, their retreat merely brought them a step closer to death.

Three anguished cries rang out in quick succession. The three Tianshan disciples, retreating, collided directly with the Green Wood Arrows Jiang Yan had placed behind them.

Without hesitation, Jiang Yan launched the remaining three Green Wood Arrows at the disciples in front of him.

The formless arrows pierced through their bodies, drawing forth fountains of blood and three more screams.

Li Fei’s eyes nearly burst from their sockets. In the blink of an eye, his three fellow disciples had fallen to a sneak attack by the youth before him. He had seen with his own eyes that after being warned, they had all responded correctly—drawing their swords, defending themselves, and retreating.

Yet the outcome chilled him to the core. The youth seemed to have anticipated their retreat, having laid in wait several Green Wood Arrows along their escape route. As soon as they collided with the hidden arrows, Jiang Yan unleashed the rest in a frontal assault.

Li Fei could only watch as his three fellow disciples fell, their blood arching through the air. A wave of bitterness washed over him. It was over—in a single exchange, three of his sect brothers had perished...

What infuriated Li Fei even more was that Jiang Yan hadn’t even bothered to distract or restrain him; all his Green Wood Arrows were used solely against his three companions. Li Fei was furious with himself, too—his excessive self-preservation had allowed Jiang Yan to dispatch his fellow disciples without paying any price.

Now, as Jiang Yan turned to face him, Li Fei steeled his expression, forcing himself to remain calm. The youth before him had slain three second-level Qi Refinement cultivators in a single move—his strength was clearly superior. Li Fei himself could perhaps accomplish the same, but not with such efficiency and lack of hesitation. His grip on the sword relaxed slightly...

Three Green Wood Arrows—three lives gone in an instant. Li Fei’s cold face finally revealed a hint of grim resolve. The youth before him might well be the greatest adversary he had ever faced.

…

Having dealt with the three Tianshan disciples, Jiang Yan shifted slightly, turning to confront the furious Li Fei. Since his invisible Green Wood Arrows had already been exposed, Jiang Yan no longer held back. With a wave of his hand, six Green Wood Arrows rose from the corpses, whistling through the night air to assemble before him.

Jiang Yan’s spiritual sense directed the arrows: three above and three below, fanned out before him, their sharp points aimed at Li Fei.

Li Fei released his grip on the sword as well. The chill of fourth-level Qi Refinement’s Ice Technique surged through his body, gripping the hilt of his sword from a distance, suspending it in the air before him.

As Li Fei's spiritual energy emanated, a wave of cold swept between him and Jiang Yan. Li Fei's Ice Technique, like Jiang Yan's Green Wood Technique, was a mid-tier first-grade spell. Where the Green Wood Technique fostered vitality, infusing all it touched with life, the Ice Technique’s power sent a chill through Jiang Yan, as if he had plunged into a frozen lake in midwinter.

Assailed by the icy spiritual energy, Jiang Yan’s expression faltered for a moment. His own spiritual power stalled, and the light in his eyes dimmed briefly...

“A perfect opening.” The thought flashed through Li Fei’s mind. The suspended sword shimmered and, transforming into a streak of brilliance, shot toward Jiang Yan.

That instant of distraction startled Jiang Yan awake. With a deadly foe before him, how could he let his mind wander? He looked up just in time to see a gleaming blade flash toward him like a thunderbolt, aiming straight for his brow. Jiang Yan’s mind snapped into focus, and the six Green Wood Arrows instantly shifted to intercept the incoming sword.

A sharp clang—the first Green Wood Arrow collided with the tip of Li Fei’s sword, ricocheting skyward.

A second clang—the next arrow struck, once more deflected high into the air.

A third collision—the sword failed to knock the arrow aside this time; its tip was slightly diverted. When the fourth arrow struck, Li Fei’s sword beam was knocked completely off course, veering away from Jiang Yan and shooting off to the side.

The exchange happened in an instant, four Green Wood Arrows clashing with Li Fei’s sword. The sword's deviation only disappointed Li Fei momentarily. He quickly redirected the sword, the blade tracing a bright arc in the night sky before sweeping once more toward Jiang Yan. After all, even Li Fei didn’t believe he could slay his opponent with a single lapse.

Jiang Yan’s mind raced; the Green Wood Arrows regrouped, forming a chain as they surged up to meet the oncoming sword. Metal clashed repeatedly as the two battled fiercely.

…

High up, nestled in a tree where splintered stone had gouged a hole in the trunk, Ning Qian and Sun Yang watched the magical duel below with nervous excitement, their gazes darting between the sword light in the sky and the figures on the ground. Their faces were alight with exhilaration and longing.

“So awesome, so intense!” Sun Yang waved his arms, as if he longed to take Jiang Yan’s place in the duel, shouting in excitement.

Ning Qian tore his eyes away from the flashing sword, turning to Sun Yang with exasperation. “Stop wriggling! If you keep that up, you'll shake me right out of this tree.”

Sun Yang seemed oblivious, only noticing when Ning Qian grabbed his wrist. Ignoring any argument, Sun Yang said eagerly, “A-Qian, I think we should help the sect master.”

Ning Qian shot him a glare, keeping his eyes fixed on the battle below. “Help? How? This is a duel between immortals, not like fighting Sun Erniu at home where the worst you get is a bloody nose. Down there, a careless move means your life.”

Sun Yang ignored the retort. Digging around in his pockets, he pulled out a slingshot, loaded it with a stone, and took aim at Li Fei below…

…

A fresh exchange—four more clashes rang out as Jiang Yan’s Green Wood Arrows once again knocked Li Fei’s sword off its course, the shining blade tracing an arc into the sky.