Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1018: How Could There Be a Path to Immortality in This World? (26)

In an instant, Gongsun Zhishui’s heart pounded violently.

He couldn't remember the last time he had felt such unbearable fear. When was the last time he experienced this?

Was it when he first stepped onto the trial stage of the Qian Department’s "Golden Sword General"? Or when he first entered the battlefield of Xuanyuan Palace, facing an invincible enemy?

Memories uncontrollably flooded Gongsun Zhishui’s mind, disrupting his will. However, the moment he regained his senses, he saw the breathtakingly beautiful woman before him, now wielding a burning black cross-shaped sword.

As she moved, her elegant skirt swirled in the air. Her speed wasn’t particularly fast, but after his moment of distraction, Gongsun Zhishui barely managed to react in time, raising his ancient sword to block the attack.

He blocked it!

To his surprise, he had successfully parried her strike. Judging from the impact transmitted through the ancient sword, it was still within his tolerable range.

Though his hand did feel slightly numb from the shock.

However, before he could think about his next move, an unexpected force suddenly surged through his wrist—along with an overwhelming burst of power from the blade!

There was a second wave of force exploding upon contact!The ancient sword was instantly knocked out of Gongsun Zhishui’s grip, his arm unable to withstand the impact. The sword flew from his hands, dragging his arm along with it.

In that split second, the beautiful woman before him suddenly crouched low. The black-flaming cross-shaped sword shifted angles, sweeping horizontally toward Gongsun Zhishui’s midsection!

That was her true speed!

Gongsun Zhishui’s pupils dilated in an instant. A chilling realization struck him—if he couldn’t deflect this strike, his body would be cleaved in two!

Shhh!!!

At the brink of death, the white energy flames surrounding Gongsun Zhishui compressed to the front of his body in an instant, just as Yōu Yè’s cross sword sliced through the air in front of him!

The friction against the ground seemingly vanished as if negated, and Gongsun Zhishui’s body was sent hurtling backward uncontrollably!

His feet scraped across the concrete road, carving out a deep groove over ten meters long!

Gongsun Zhishui finally came to a stop. The white flames that once surrounded him had completely vanished… He hung his head, arms crossed before him in a defensive stance.

Then, his arms fell limply at his sides as he slowly lifted his head—only for blood to suddenly gush from his mouth.

“Zhishui?!” Gongsun Shiyu’s expression changed instantly.

Gongsun Zhishui trembled as he spoke, “Run… quickly…”

With those words, he coughed up another mouthful of blood before collapsing to the ground… A wisp of white smoke rose from his body and dissipated into the air.

That was the Gongsun clan’s inherited war soul, a treasure passed down from the warriors who once fought alongside the Yellow Emperor. Only those who earned the title of "Golden Sword" were worthy of wielding it…

Yet now, such a precious war soul had completely vanished.

…After just one strike.

“My sincerest apologies,” the maid, Miss Yōu Yè, spoke with a tinge of regret. “I was careful, but I still overestimated the strength of that spirit.”

Gongsun Shiyu turned his gaze sharply toward her, his eyes filled with solemn scrutiny.

Miss Yōu Yè still held her black-flaming cross sword, her voice calm. “Sir, may I take this person with me now?”

Gongsun Shiyu’s expression remained indifferent. “You’ve destroyed one of the Gongsun clan’s most treasured war souls… Do you really think you can just leave without leaving something behind?”

Miss Yōu Yè’s eyes grew cold. “Then… should I erase yours as well?”

“Arrogant!” Gongsun Shiyu roared in fury!

A surge of white flames erupted from his body, far more intense than Gongsun Zhishui’s. He pressed his hand to the ground, and from beneath him, a golden sword slowly emerged.

Golden ripples of light radiated outward, sweeping across the surroundings. The sheer force of the energy distorted the air and sent waves of pressure crashing into everything nearby!

Mo Mo felt as though his body was about to be thrown off balance. Such an immense aura!!

At that moment, Mo Mo finally understood—these two men were not cultivators of Daoist arts but practitioners of ancient martial traditions! His master had once told him that in ancient times, martial artists wielded qi, a unique force known as true power. The strongest among them could shatter mountains and transcend human limitations.

And now, just the presence of this energy was already unbearable!

Under the immense pressure, Mo Mo had to lean forward just to keep himself steady—like a man struggling against a violent storm.

Yet amidst this overwhelming force, Miss Yōu Yè remained standing effortlessly, her long golden hair and maid’s dress merely fluttering in the wind.

Finally, Gongsun Shiyu gripped the golden sword in his hands.

And that sword was—Divine Land's Xuanyuan Sword!

As a member of the Gongsun clan who had inherited traces of the Xuanyuan imperial bloodline through atavism, Gongsun Shiyu had earned the right to wield a fraction of the legendary Xuanyuan Emperor’s sword.

Although he couldn’t summon its complete form, even a mere phantom of the Divine Land's Xuanyuan Sword was more than enough!

This was a blade that had suppressed countless demons and spirits throughout history—a peerless weapon!

At that moment, the golden light waves radiating from the sword instantly extinguished the black flames surrounding Miss Yōu Yè.

Gongsun Shiyu charged forward, his figure vanishing from sight in an instant, leaving only a trail of dust behind!

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

A rapid series of metallic clashes echoed through the air. Miss Yōu Yè’s arm, holding the black-flaming cross sword, moved at an inhuman speed—parrying each strike flawlessly.

“Not bad swordsmanship,” Gongsun Shiyu remarked after hundreds of exchanges.

Though he hadn’t yet used his fastest attacks, he had fought seriously… yet his opponent had still effortlessly deflected everything.

“Your sword style,” Gongsun Shiyu said slowly, “doesn’t resemble anything from Divine Land.”

Miss Yōu Yè shook her head. “It’s not a style. I’m merely reacting and blocking as needed.”

Reacting… and blocking?

Gongsun Shiyu chuckled—but his eyes carried a barely perceptible chill. “I’m disappointed. If I can’t force you to use an actual technique, I suppose I’ll just have to try harder.”

Miss Yōu Yè suddenly asked, “That golden sword—can you summon it again? If not, I see no point in continuing this fight.”

“What?”

Gongsun Shiyu instinctively looked at his sword.

A faint cracking sound reached his ears. At that moment, a fine crack appeared on the flawless golden blade.

Like a chain reaction, the fissure spread rapidly across the entire sword.

Before he could react—

Shatter!

The Divine Land's Xuanyuan Sword—even if only a phantom—broke apart in his hands, disintegrating into golden fragments that scattered across the ground before fading away.

It was gone…

Despite being only a projection of the real thing…

When… did this happen?

Was it during the clash with that black-flaming cross sword… that he was corroded?

Was it because of the black flames…?

Gongsun Shiyu’s eyes widened in shock as he looked at the maid before him. At the same time, Yōu Yè suddenly flicked her wrist, shaking off the black-flaming cross sword in her hand.

That simple movement was like a burning fuse, instantly igniting Gongsun Shiyu’s instincts!

The moment the maid moved her wrist, his entire body tensed up. He immediately retreated while forming a strange hand seal. The white flames surrounding him surged forward, condensing into a massive shield.

But to Gongsun Shiyu’s surprise… the woman didn’t attack. Instead, she simply dispersed the black-flaming cross sword in her hand.

“It seems there’s no need to continue. May I take my leave now?”

Gongsun Shiyu’s eyes snapped open.

He felt… as if he had been toyed with.

…

Regaining his awareness, Gongsun Zhishui coughed painfully a few times before struggling to stand. He hadn’t moved from the spot where he had fallen.

“Shiyu?”

Clutching his chest and struggling to breathe, Gongsun Zhishui forced himself toward Gongsun Shiyu—who was simply standing there.

To his relief, Gongsun Shiyu wasn’t injured.

“Where is that woman? What happened?” But soon, Gongsun Zhishui sensed that something was wrong—the white-haired thief was gone, as was that brash young man. And finally… that terrifying golden-haired woman was nowhere to be seen.

“I lost…”

“What?” Gongsun Zhishui’s heart trembled.

“Even after using the Xuanyuan Sword’s light… I still lost…” Gongsun Shiyu’s voice was distant, growing fainter. “I couldn’t even touch the hem of her dress…”

“Shiyu…” Gongsun Zhishui wanted to say something but hesitated.

But at that moment, Gongsun Shiyu suddenly threw his head back and laughed wildly. His laughter carried the weight of a raging storm of fury.

“I actually lost!!! Hahaha!!!”

The laughter came to an abrupt halt.

Gongsun Shiyu’s voice turned icy as he turned away.

“Let’s go.”

…

…

Back in that familiar place where he could finally relax completely—the shop of that senior.

—“Just call me Yōu Yè, Mr. Mo Mo.”

The maid introduced herself this way. After returning, she seemed to be in a rather good mood, far more approachable than the terrifying figure she had been when facing those two powerful martial artists.

Nero lay on the couch in the main hall, placed there by Yōu Yè. Her severed arm rested on the table in front of her, next to a strange long blade.

The bleeding from her wound had stopped, but the blood on the wound hadn’t dried. It remained fresh and red… an unbelievable phenomenon that widened Mo Mo’s perspective.

However, even in her unconscious state, Nero’s expression twisted in pain, her body trembling slightly… as if she were suffering instinctively.

“She… what’s wrong with her?” Mo Mo suddenly asked.

From what Nero had said before, she clearly knew Yōu Yè… was this the result of some kind of deal?

“She won’t die,” the maid replied with a small smile, her mood seemingly quite good.

Mo Mo frowned. “But she looks… like she’s in terrible pain.”

Yōu Yè replied casually, “Of course. Her body is constantly enduring agony. Without medication to suppress it, even if her mind can withstand it, her body will instinctively resist.”

“Pain?” Mo Mo looked at Yōu Yè in shock.

The maid nodded, then suddenly chuckled. “Mr. Mo Mo, would you like to experience it?”

“Experience?” Mo Mo was taken aback, then forced a smile. “I’m not exactly interested in losing a limb.”

Unexpectedly, the maid merely placed her gloved fingertip against Mo Mo’s forehead. “It’s not the pain of losing a limb—though it’s not much different. It should feel… something like this.”

In an instant—perhaps only two or three seconds—Mo Mo collapsed to the ground, his body curling up as he convulsed.

His body… felt as if it were being torn apart, over and over again.

It took everything he had to force himself back up, yet just those brief seconds left him drenched in sweat.

Meanwhile, Yōu Yè took a small capsule and placed it into Nero’s mouth. After a while, Mo Mo saw Nero’s tightly furrowed brows finally relax.

These capsules… Yōu Yè had casually retrieved them before leaving—they were originally Nero’s belongings.

“She… she can only numb herself with medicine?” Mo Mo suddenly realized something.

“Numb?” Yōu Yè shook her head. “Numbing the pain isn’t possible. At best, the drug reduces it to a level she can barely endure. It keeps her body from instinctively shutting down her nervous system completely.”

In other words…

Mo Mo stared at Nero in disbelief.

She was constantly enduring this kind of inhuman agony?

All this time… what had she been through?

(End of Chapter)