Stronger by Killing

Chapter 191 - 190: What’s the Point of Talking to the Dead

The several Great Cultivators launched full attacks,

The terrifying True Essence surged like a dam bursting, frantically squeezing the entire hall. With a massive "boom," the hall collapsed outright, countless tiles splintering in all directions, clouds of dust swelling up.

In the chaos,

Zhang Xuanche was already on the verge of exhaustion, Horizontal Saber embedded between his neck. His eyes were bloodshot red, clinging to his last breath of vital energy, grabbing the Horizontal Saber with both hands, fingers locked tight around the blade—even having some fingers chopped clean off.

That momentary restraint

gave Ding Jianxiao and the Lu Family Grand Elder an opening,

Ding Jianxiao charged ahead, his sword thrusting straight at Gu Zhan’s vital point. The longsword hummed and vibrated, the sound shivering ten thousand times in an instant: bright enough to split silk, mournful enough to draw tears, desolate enough to cloud the heart.

In that instant,

Gu Zhan erupted in golden radiance, his Embroidered Uniform Guard clothes shattering apart, body ablaze with gold light like a glazed Golden Body. He twisted around and grabbed Ding Jianxiao’s longsword barehanded.

With a metallic "clang,"

The sound of metal echoed to the heavens—as palm touched longsword, a string of sparks flew out.

"Die!"

Ding Jianxiao roared, long hair streaming wildly, his face twisted in a savage expression. All his True Essence detonated, veins bulging along his arms as he drove the sword forward with all his might,

Shrieking sparks burst in every direction,

The longsword pressed on relentlessly,

making an ear-piercing screech in Gu Zhan’s clenched palm,

and right at that moment,

The Lu Family Grand Elder struck with a palm, a terrifying wave riding a massive Palm Seal, blasting stones and debris aside, his palm chopping straight at the back of Gu Zhan’s head.

Zhang Xuanche and Ding Jianxiao’s eyes both burst with sharp light,

Gu Zhan’s strength had completely surpassed all their expectations,

Even teamed up as master and disciple, they’d still ended up in this miserable state,

But thankfully, there was the Lu Family Grand Elder’s lethal blow to finish the fight.

That very instant,

Gu Zhan lightly stamped his foot, making an illusory footprint appear,

However, just then,

The crowd’s expressions all tightened,

Something had changed,

A longsword dropped from the sky, incredibly fast, with terrifying pressure screaming as it went, shooting straight at the Lu Family Grand Elder.

This sudden sword caught the Lu Family Grand Elder off guard. Flustered, he had to yank back the palm aimed at Gu Zhan, whipping it around to blast at the sword from above.

"Bang!"

A huge explosion—the shockwave billowing as a blood mark split open on the Lu Family Grand Elder’s palm, his body involuntarily retreating several steps.

This abrupt turn of events

left Zhang Xuanche and Ding Jianxiao aghast,

But before either could react, Gu Zhan kicked Ding Jianxiao, a massive, surging footprint crashing into Ding Jianxiao’s chest.

"Puh!"

Ding Jianxiao was flung backwards, spurting blood from his mouth.

In a flash,

Gu Zhan’s free hand gripped the saber hilt, both hands on it now, and yanked with all his strength,

In that instant,

The fingers Zhang Xuanche had wrapped around the Horizontal Saber were all sliced off, Horizontal Saber carving through his chest and slashing slantwise from neck to collarbone.

The Horizontal Saber hit the ground,

Zhang Xuanche stood rooted to the spot, staring wide-eyed at Gu Zhan,

Half his body slowly slipping apart, then leaning sideways and sliding down,

"Puh!"

Blood sprayed out,

The half of Zhang Xuanche that was sliced off dropped to the floor.

"Master...ah!"

Ding Jianxiao let out a hysterical roar, bellowing, "All disciples, to me! Form the Sword Array! Kill the fiend!"

And in that instant,

Dozens of Lingxi Sword Sect disciples drew their swords in unison,

Dozens of swords turned to streams of light weaving through the air, coalescing into a fearsome Sword Array. With Ding Jianxiao at its heart, the sword formation howled, whirling like a flying disc—streaks and shadows cleaving the air with unpredictable patterns, sawing dust clouds from the ground with piercing, shrill snaps!

All the disciples formed hand seals in perfect sync—an invisible True Qi pulling the swords into the dance. Middle and forefingers held together for the Sword Seal, directing flying swords above, below, spinning circling in the air; one short sword only half-turned around Du Ruo when its momentum spun, weaving right through again.

The disciples kept shifting their formation ceaselessly.

From nothing came something, one to two, two to three—then three to a boundless legion.

This was the Lingxi Sword Sect’s renowned Lingxi Sword Array—twelve disciples sufficed to shape it, said to be limitlessly stackable in power.

Ding Jianxiao stood in the heart of the array, forming law seals, looking terribly disheveled—clothes tattered, face streaked with blood, hair long and wild behind him.

On the other side,

The Lu Family Grand Elder glared at the sword floating in the air, his palm trembling slightly, while dozens of Lu Family disciples drew swords in turn—forming a defensive array of their own.

In the hazy smoke,

A figure gently drifted down from the clouds, landing atop that white longsword—black robe billowing, an aura wave surging up beneath.

"Cyan Willow Sword, Gu Mo!"

The Lu Family Grand Elder’s face darkened, voice icy: "What’s the meaning of this, Gu Family? You want to grovel for the Embroidered Uniform Guard and be their dogs now?"

Gu Mo’s expression stayed calm as still water. Looking at the Lu Family Grand Elder, he spoke slowly, "Gu Zhan is of the Gu Family. You will not touch him."

The crowd was struck dumb,

The very next instant, Ding Jianxiao started cursing, "Fuck your mother, Gu Mo, your Gu Family hid deep, huh? Are you blind? Are we moving on him, or is he the one butchering us?"

Gu Mo was stunned, his face twisting, as if his mind couldn’t turn the corner. He glanced left and right, then said, "I don’t care. Either way, you can’t touch Gu Zhan!"

"Fuck your mother!"

Ding Jianxiao spat in rage.

Right then,

Outside the courtyard, Gu Shanyun and his daughter Gu Rou walked in. Gu Shanyun surveyed the chaos before him and, somewhat shocked, boomed, "Sect Leader Ding, Elder Lu! Gu Zhan is one of the Gu Family—your generation is far his senior, yet all of you are ganging up to beat down a single junior? How is that reasonable?"

"Shove it, Gu Family!" Ding Jianxiao barked furiously. "Gu Zhan slaughtered Lingxi disciples, killed my master. And you think just waving ’Gu Family’ erases it? Your Gu Family isn’t that big a deal!"

Gu Shanyun said grimly, "So what do you want?"

"Blood for blood!" Ding Jianxiao roared.

"That’s impossible," Gu Shanyun replied, his voice low. "This matter—"

"Hold it!"

Just then, Gu Zhan spoke blandly, "Fellows of the Gu Family, you come here to stop this officer?"

Gu Shanyun froze, replying, "No! We came to help you, Gu Zhan, you—"

"Then quit babbling nonsense! I nearly thought you all came just to add bodies!"

Gu Zhan spoke as the Horizontal Saber in his hand shivered and let out a hum—terrifying Saber Qi bursting forth as he rushed out to kill.

Immediately, Ding Jianxiao roared, "Kill the fiend!"

In a heartbeat, dozens of sword shadows darted chaotically at Gu Zhan—some from below, some from above, behind, all in a formation: chaotic yet flawless.

Ding Jianxiao sealed his fingers, carving through the air, sword shadows swirling around him as he slashed straight at Gu Zhan.

Countless flying swords rained down,

"Wong—"

And in that instant,

Heaven and earth quaked with a violent humming,

Strands of golden light instantly spread out into a halo around Gu Zhan,

"Clang! Clang! Clang-clang-clang—"

Flying swords struck the golden halo shrouding Gu Zhan—none could pierce it. The next shockwave sent all the flying swords recoiling backwards.

Ding Jianxiao’s sword froze three inches before Gu Zhan, unable to move another step. Panic and terror flashed in his eyes,

but before he could react—a flash of saber light swept past,

A head shot skyward,

Gu Zhan kicked it flying, glanced disdainfully at Gu Shanyun and the others, and spoke with chilling indifference: "See? What’s the point talking to a corpse?"