Xie Pi You charged at Su Muyu with his blade, bringing it down like a bolt of thunder. Su Muyu still did not raise the sword in his right hand, instead stepping back lightly to evade the strike. With a flick of his left hand, the dozen or so sharp blades flew down again, aiming straight for Xie Pi You. Xie Pi You sidestepped them and smiled faintly.
Su Muyu halted and lowered his head slightly.
"That strike just now..." Su Changhe frowned.
"I clearly dodged it," Su Muyu said, looking at the faint bloodstain that had appeared on his chest.
"Your Eighteen Sword Formation—we've seen it. But my blade technique, you haven't yet witnessed." Xie Pi You crouched low, then spun upward rapidly, deflecting all the blades Su Muyu had sent after him.
"The Xie Family's Earth-Spinning Blade," Su Muyu muttered.
A gust of blade wind swept past as Xie Pi You reappeared before Su Muyu, long blade in hand: "Still not drawing your sword?"
"Draw!" Su Muyu finally moved, wielding his Drizzle Sword. But as he swung forward, before he could reach Xie Pi You, his strike was blocked and forced back. Startled, he barely had time to react before Xie Pi You's blade came slashing toward him. Unable to counterattack in time, Su Muyu could only retreat hastily—this time deliberately taking a step farther back than before.
Yet the bloodstain on his chest deepened slightly.
"A sharp young man," Xie Pi You chuckled.
"Those who survive to our age in the Dark River all possess such sharpness," Su Muyu replied solemnly.
"I see now. That’s the lost blade technique of the Xie Family—Shadow Blade Art," Su Changhe suddenly remarked.
"Shadow Blade Art..." Su Muyu frowned slightly. He had heard of this technique. Though the wielder held only one blade, it cast shadows—one before the strike and another after. Though only a single blade was swung, the power of three could be seen.
"So, in the current Xie Family, this technique has been lost? Though it’s no surprise—it was never an easy art to master," Xie Pi You laughed heartily before striking again. "One more strike, and we’ll see life or death."
Su Muyu sighed softly, then swung his Drizzle Sword. This time, his strike was even more elusive—first blocking the initial shadow blade, then raising the sword’s momentum to parry the true blade, and finally unleashing a third surge of force to dissolve the third shadow blade completely. Ordinary swordplay would exhaust itself in waves, but Su Muyu’s strike only grew stronger.
Like the tide, each wave higher than the last.
"This is..." Mu Fusheng couldn’t help but step forward.
Su Changhe also advanced, dagger in hand. Among the three, he could tell Mu Fusheng was the strongest. If he made a move, Su Changhe would not hesitate to aid Su Muyu.
"This is the Spring Rain Swordplay—Tideborn," Su Ziyan declared sharply. "Boy, who exactly are you?"
After dissolving Xie Pi You’s blade technique, Su Muyu followed through with a thrust that pierced Xie Pi You’s shoulder. "You’re mistaken. The reason this blade technique was lost in the Dark River isn’t because it’s difficult to master."
"Then why?" Xie Pi You asked.
"Because it isn’t suited for killing. No matter how exquisite a blade technique, if it isn’t the pinnacle of assassination, it will be forgotten in the Dark River." Su Muyu curled his left hand, and the sharp blades came flying once more."Grandfather!" Xie Zaiye, seeing that neither Su Ziyan nor Mu Fusheng intended to intervene, immediately picked up the feathered arrows from the ground and shot them toward Su Muyu.
Su Muyu frowned slightly and waved his left hand, intercepting the arrows. Xie Pi You seized the moment to catch his breath, swiftly drew his blade, and retreated. Xie Zaiye rushed forward to support him. "Are you alright, Grandfather?"
"Spring Rain Swordplay, Tide Rising Form! What is your relation to the Lord of Swordless City?" Xie Pi You glared intently at Su Muyu.
"Now that you mention it... there is indeed some resemblance," Mu Fusheng murmured thoughtfully.
Su Ziyan also nodded. "Indeed. Who would have thought the Lord of Swordless City still had descendants, and that one would become a Nameless One of Dark River. Truly fascinating."
"Kill him," Mu Fusheng stepped forward. "We have no other choice." He swung his palm toward Su Muyu, red-purple True Qi swirling around it.
Su Changhe sneered and also stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Su Muyu before striking out with his own palm, similarly wreathed in red-purple True Qi.
The two palms collided. Su Changhe stood firm, unmoved, while Mu Fusheng was forced back three steps.
"You actually know Yama Palm too!" Mu Fusheng exclaimed in shock. "Even the Dark River Grand Master would struggle to master this technique, and you've only held the position for a few months."
Su Changhe stroked his small beard and chuckled. "Because I've been preparing for this day long before becoming the Grand Master."
"Calling stolen secrets 'preparation'—how elegantly put," Mu Fusheng scoffed. "Fine. Then let's see just how much skill you've truly amassed."
"I didn't retreat a single step, while you were forced back three. Isn't the gap between us obvious enough?" Su Changhe was about to step forward for battle when Su Muyu pulled him back. Turning, he saw Su Muyu shake his head slightly at him.
"Chang He, step back for now," Su Muyu said calmly.
"Facing these two together won't be easy for you," Su Changhe frowned.
"As long as I'm standing, you need not act." Su Muyu raised his sword and advanced. "Tonight, we still have one last enemy yet to arrive. When he comes, you can fight him then."
Su Changhe paused, then finally laughed and shook his head. "Fine, fine. I'll listen to you this time."
"Feeling underestimated, are we?" Mu Fusheng shrugged.
"Then let me test your Spring Rain Swordplay." Su Ziyan attacked with his sword, his movements light and graceful—clearly the signature style of the Su Family.
Su Muyu, intimately familiar with such techniques, temporarily abandoned the Eighteen Sword Formation, wielding only the Drizzle Sword to match him. For every sword move Su Ziyan executed, Su Muyu mirrored it almost identically.
Watching this, Su Changhe relaxed slightly. "No wonder Moyu is so confident."
"You're using the Su Family's Flower-Blowing Swordplay? Do you really think that alone can defeat me?" Su Ziyan sneered. "I've practiced this technique daily for sixty years."
"Is that so?" Su Muyu's sword sliced through Su Ziyan's sleeve.
Su Ziyan frowned. "This isn't Flower-Blowing Swordplay.""Do the three families of Heaven Revelation City truly understand what it means to kill?" Su Muyu's Rain Sword stance shifted again, instantly overpowering Su Ziyan. "You've lived in comfort within Heaven Revelation City, honing your martial arts. Generation after generation has passed, and you're no longer shadows in the darkness, but noble aristocrats basking in the light. The act of killing has become far too distant for you."
"But it remains close to me! Though I myself despise this fact!"
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