Eternal Saber

Chapter 436 - 42: Another Unexpected Turn

The punishment of facial tattooing, where words are engraved on the face and ink is applied, is considered one of the lighter forms of punishment.

This kind of punishment is not primarily about physical harm; it mainly causes an indelible psychological humiliation.

In full view of everyone, Chen Tang used the Swordsmanship of the "Riverside Preface" to carve a character on Xia Yuanxian’s face, achieving a similar effect.

The harm is minimal, but the humiliation is immense!

If it was someone else, it would have been enough for Chen Tang to simply defeat them.

But since Xia Yuanxian was overly arrogant, merely defeating him wasn’t enough; Chen Tang needed to completely destroy his Dao Heart and will!

He also needed to restore the reputation of the "Riverside Preface"!

"Good!"

Madam Su, witnessing this scene, struck the ground with her Dragon Head Staff, sweeping away the anger in her heart, and praised aloud.

"Yuanlin."

Madam Su turned to the Pavilion Master of Langya Pavilion, Shen Yuanlin, furrowed her brow, and said with a hint of blame, "Why didn’t you tell me about such talent earlier, and instead hid him away?"

"Moreover, he is Zhiwei’s benefactor."

"I..."

Shen Yuanlin found himself speechless.

The old lady’s memory isn’t that great.

Shen Yuanlin felt somewhat aggrieved as he explained, "Old Madam, I just told you that as soon as this person came to Nanxia, he killed someone at the Sword Casting Manor, causing a huge trouble. You initially blamed me for keeping him at Langya Pavilion."

"Is that so?"

Madam Su feigned ignorance, and said, "Why did he kill people at the Sword Casting Manor, it must have been the Manor’s fault first."

"Uh... What kind of logic is that?"

Shen Yuanlin muttered in his heart, but said aloud, "I heard over a dozen people died at the Sword Casting Manor, including a Fourth Manor Master."

"Oh?"

Madam Su frowned secretly.

She initially thought Chen Tang had killed only one or two people at the Sword Casting Manor, which would be easily handled.

But with more than a dozen lives lost, it would indeed be hard to account for without a sufficient reason; it’s somewhat troublesome.

"What is the cultivation of that Fourth Manor Master?"

Madam Su asked.

Having withdrawn from public matters for many years, she wasn’t informed about the affairs of Jianghu and the Imperial Court, and was unfamiliar with these younger generations.

Shen Yuanlin was momentarily stunned.

He wasn’t skilled in Martial Arts and held a significant position in the Imperial Court so he wasn’t aware of the Fourth Manor Master’s cultivation.

Instead, Ye Taoyuan spoke, "The Fourth Manor Master of the Sword Casting Manor should be at the Meridian Passage Realm."

"A whole realm apart, how did he kill him?"

Madam Su shook her head and said, "This makes no sense."

Shen Yuanlin said, "The Sword Casting Manor also claims that this person is one of the Profound Celestial Bandits."

Madam Su snorted coldly and said, "Utter nonsense!"

-----------------

"Yuanxian, how are you?"

Xia Daozi, feeling worried, stood up and asked.

The people from the Prime Minister’s Mansion who saw Xia Yuanxian’s condition were all secretly clicking their tongues, not daring to utter a sound.

In the Martial Arts Arena, hearing the surrounding jeers, Xia Yuanxian reached out to touch his left face, seeing the blood on his palm, he immediately realized what had happened.

Xia Yuanxian’s expression instantly darkened, staring coldly at Chen Tang not far away.

The development of today’s battle had completely exceeded his expectations.

Although he had never ventured into Jianghu, he was fully aware of the trends in Jianghu and the young disciples of major sects and factions.

He would buy, recruit, or make connections where he could.

As for those he couldn’t buy, recruit, or befriend, he marked them for special attention.

He just searched his memory carefully but had no impression of this Chen Tang at all.

With such means, this person shouldn’t be obscure in Jianghu.

Where on earth did this person spring from?

Xia Yuanxian couldn’t even discern this person’s Martial Arts origin!

The Martial Arts that Chen Tang just displayed were varied and unpredictable, without any formal order.

Despite the Sword Techniques being dramatically different, such as "Cold Plum Sword Technique", "Peach Blossom Flying Sword", and "Riverside Preface", it was clear that the essence hadn’t been mastered.

Mixed with an occasional flexible and agile Swordsmanship, it seemed very familiar to the person, but he couldn’t identify its origin.

For the first time, Xia Yuanxian felt a sense of powerlessness in front of a peer Martial Artist.

Just as this thought flashed, a shock ran through his heart, and he immediately cut it off!

This was a Heart Demon.

Once a Heart Demon appeared and was not eradicated, he would stand no chance against this person.

Even if they met again in the future, he would lose his nerve before the fight!

In fact, he still had a trump card.

Once exposed, it was enough to turn the tide!

Xia Yuanxian’s wrist trembled slightly.

A pill silently fell into his palm.

Swallowing this pill could greatly enhance a Martial Artist’s strength in a short period, pushing them into an extremely excited state, even ignoring the pain of physical injuries, and enhancing their combat capability!

However, the consequences of this pill were also extremely severe.

Firstly, the pill contained complex ingredients and toxins, which would cause considerable harm to the Martial Artist’s body and mind.

Fully removing these toxins would take time and was hard to eradicate.

Secondly, the boost in strength and the invincible feeling the pill provided could easily lead to a dependency.

In the future, when faced with any predicament, instead of thinking about how to overcome it with one’s own strength, the first choice will be to take it!

Over time, the toxins will settle and cause irreversible damage to the martial artist’s body.

No matter how talented, in the future they will become a cripple.

Thirdly, relying on such drugs violates his Dao Heart.

Opening this precedent will leave a flaw in his Dao Heart.

Xia Yuanxian remained expressionless and silent, but an internal conflict raged within him.

"What’s happening, has Young Master Xia been defeated?"

Xiao Wuhen, hearing the commotion around him, found it hard to believe and asked, "Young Master Xia is skilled in Black Tortoise Dual Cultivation, how could he be defeated? Is that Chen Tang really that formidable?"

Dongfang Qing, Lin Yu, Han Yue, and others remained silent.

Not only was Xiao Wuhen finding it hard to believe, but even they had misjudged.

No one expected that the nameless one, who once seemed to scribble half a book page and dared to pour out Lin Mubai’s wine penalty, would be so powerful!

That soft target in the eyes of Lin Mubai, Xiao Wuhen, and others was tough and almost unmanageable!

Xia Yuanxian suffered a huge loss in front of him!

The few instinctively glanced at Lin Mubai.

That day in the pavilion, Chen Tang knocked the Drunken Eight Immortals to the ground, facing off against Lin Mubai, almost getting into a fight.

At that time, everyone thought it was Song Wu’s sudden appearance that saved Chen Tang from the crisis.

Looking at it now, if Lin Mubai had really dared to draw his sword, who would have taught whom a lesson is truly uncertain.

Lin Mubai, feeling their gaze, simply said, "Brother Xiao, don’t worry. This battle is not over, and the outcome is still unknown."

"Come down already!"

Many Jianghu guests jeered below.

The crowd was full of anger, seeing Xia Yuanxian in such a sorry state, they naturally wouldn’t spare him.

Hearing the ridicule around him, Xia Yuanxian’s eyes flashed with a trace of ruthlessness, and his mind was made up!

Swallowing this pill may cause him some harm, it may shake his Dao Heart.

But if he loses today, the blow will be even greater!

In Great Xia, he cannot allow someone like Chen Tang to exist!

As long as today’s battle can kill him, everything will be worth it.

At this thought, Xia Yuanxian placed his palm to his mouth, his throat moved, and he swallowed the pill.

The pill slid into his stomach, quickly dissolving, the medicinal power released vigorously, a scalding heat flow erupted instantly, flowing through his limbs, rushing straight to his head!

Xia Yuanxian’s eyes gradually showed lines of blood, the entire person falling into a near-mad state.

Even though he wanted to control it, he could hardly suppress the effects of the drug.

He clearly felt his body full of power, feeling as if he could destroy heaven and earth with every move!

The fatigue and soreness from before were completely swept away.

"Kill!"

A roar erupted from deep within Xia Yuanxian’s throat, quickly forming a spell, simultaneously controlling two flying swords, attacking Chen Tang from both sides!

And he himself, wielding a single blade, brimming with murderous intent, slashed straight into Chen Tang’s middle path!

On the battlefield, the situation changed again!

Suddenly, under Chen Tang’s feet, the originally hard Martial Arts Arena’s ground collapsed, turning into a large swamp!

Chen Tang’s feet instantly sank, sticky mud covered his ankles.

The swamp seemed alive, rapidly engulfing his feet, even creeping up his calves!

"It’s a mystic skill!"

Ye Taoyuan’s expression was heavy.

Chen Tang, deeply trapped in the swamp, exerted force with his feet, trying to break free.

But as he stepped in the mud, there was no place to exert strength, not only did he fail to escape, but his body sank a little more!

"Hmm?"

Chen Tang tensed, no longer rashly exerting force.

Moving like this a few more times, without Xia Yuanxian even making a move, he’d be swallowed by the swamp!

The reason a Foundation Establishment Realm Mystic Master is powerful is not just for cultivating two flying swords, but because at this realm, they have begun to grasp mystic skills.

Previously, on Celestial Cauldron Continent, Chen Tang had once taken down a female Mystic Master.

At that time, the female Mystic Master’s mystic skills, due to attribute reasons, had minimal impact on Chen Tang.

But the mystic skills Xia Yuanxian unleashed at this moment, just happened to restrain Chen Tang!

Chen Tang practiced Horizontal Body Training and the Inner Strength of the Viscera.

All outbursts depended entirely on the body, without inner qi.

So when he was trapped in the swamp, he could not generate a surge of strength from thin air to help him break free, instead, he sank deeper!

At this moment, the two flying swords, from left and right, were already stabbing towards him!

Xia Yuanxian, holding a saber in both hands, was only a step slower than the flying swords, charging directly at Chen Tang’s front, eyes gleaming with malice, his momentum overwhelming!

Seeing this, Lin Mubai’s face showed a faint smile, he softly said, "It’s over."

On the high platform of Langya Pavilion.

Many people, seeing this, couldn’t help but stand up, their expressions tense.

Yan Shu exclaimed, instinctively grabbing onto Su Muzhe’s hand.

Even Zhiwei, who had absolute confidence in Chen Tang, was sweating on her palms at this moment.

She too was a Mystic Master, fully aware of the power of mystic skills.

Combined with the flying swords, Xia Yuanxian’s Horizontal Martial Arts could unleash an extremely terrifying killing power!

Many Jianghu people couldn’t help but widen their eyes, holding their breath, their hearts in their throats.

Even Ye Xuan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Even he couldn’t imagine how, in such a situation, Chen Tang could escape and turn the danger around.