Blade Clashes Against Gu Shadows, Sword Essence Transmitted to the Heart

The bone blade in the young man's hand gleamed with a cold, poisonous blue light, and his aura was deep and composed. He was none other than Chan Li, the only son of Chan Jiuyuan, the vice sect leader of the Jade Toad Sect, and the most outstanding young talent in the sect.

He studied witchcraft under Wu Heng from a young age, and his bone blade technique was unmatched among the younger generation of the Jade Toad Sect.

"Shen Lingxi, it seems you've entered the inner chamber of the Xuanqi Cave?" Chan Li weighed the bone blade in his hand, his eyes filled with killing intent.

"Who are you? What business is it of yours whether we went into the inner room or not?" Shen Lingxi said angrily.

"You are not qualified to know who I am!"

Before he finished speaking, Chan Li pushed off the ground with his toes and darted out like a ghost. His bone blade, accompanied by a sharp sound of wind being cut, slashed straight at Xiao Yunsheng's face!

Xiao Yunsheng was prepared, and the Guixuan Sword was instantly drawn.

With a quick step, he unleashed the Flowing Clouds and Shadows technique, his figure gliding past the edge of the bone blade like a gentle breeze, avoiding a fatal slash. At the same time, he flipped his wrist, and the Returning Profound Sword precisely aimed at Chan Li's wrist joint holding the blade!

The metal clashed and exploded with a crisp, metallic sound, sparks flying everywhere.

Chan Li never expected that a disciple of the Heavenly Palace Sect in blue robes could have mastered swordsmanship to such a high level. In his haste to parry, he was forced to take a half step back, and his tiger's mouth felt slightly numb.

"Interesting." A hint of surprise flashed in Chan Li's eyes, then his killing intent intensified, and he lunged forward again with his blade.

This time, his swordplay became even more ruthless, and with each twist of the bone blade, he sealed off Xiao Yunsheng's space to dodge!

But Xiao Yunsheng remained steadfast, countering every move and preventing Chan Li from gaining any advantage!

The two were locked in combat, their swords flashing and their blades clashing!

Within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Xiao Yunsheng's left arm was slashed open by the bone blade, leaving a deep gash that exposed the bone. His chest was also struck by the wind from the blade, and his clothes were stained with blood.

Chan Li didn't gain any advantage either, as he was struck in the shoulder and lower abdomen by a sword, and his breathing became somewhat sluggish.

Chan Li's expression grew increasingly grim.

He was a pride of his sect, practicing the sect's most advanced swordsmanship, yet he couldn't defeat a mere blue-robed disciple from the lowest level of the Heavenly Palace Sect!

"court death!"

With a furious roar, Chan Li finally stopped holding back. He made a hand seal with his fingertips and chanted an obscure incantation. Instantly, fine black Gu lines swirled around his body, and the once clear valley was suddenly shrouded in a layer of black mist!

"Watch out, it's a Shadow Gu!" Shen Lingxi warned sharply, instantly activating her Innate Sword Seal. "His Gu Mother is hidden at the end of the bone blade hilt. Don't let the Gu threads get close!"

Xiao Yunsheng immediately focused his mind, his figure shifting and dodging in the black mist, avoiding the entangled Gu threads.

But these Gu threads are like living things, constantly gushing out from the ground and treetops, making it impossible to avoid them!

Pfft—!

Two Gu threads instantly wrapped around his ankles, and a piercing pain spread up his meridians!

Chan Li seized this opening and thrust his bone blade, shrouded in black mist, straight at his dantian!

Xiao Yunsheng twisted his body forcefully to avoid the vital point of his dantian, but it was still too late!

The bone blade pierced his right abdomen, and the dark blue poison instantly spread along the wound!

He grunted, but instead of retreating, he used the momentum of his forward charge to slash his sword backhand, striking Chan Li's blade-wielding arm hard!

"Ah!" Chan Li screamed in agony as a deep, bone-revealing wound was slashed across his arm!

Xiao Yunsheng landed heavily on the ground, kneeling on one knee, barely managing to steady himself by supporting himself with the Guixuan Sword.

He was covered in wounds, with black Gu poison patterns creeping up his neck!

"Still trying to hold on?" Chan Li clutched his bleeding arm, his face contorted in rage. "Kneel down and beg for mercy, and I'll give you a quick death. Otherwise, I'll have your soul devoured by the Gu worms, leaving you wishing for death!"

Xiao Yunsheng didn't speak, but slowly straightened up and gripped the Guixuan Sword tightly!

"You're courting death!" Chan Li laughed in fury, spitting a mouthful of blood essence onto the bone blade. Black mist surged around him. "Taste my natal illusionary Gu!"

The black mist instantly engulfed Xiao Yunsheng, and the scene before him suddenly distorted!

He saw his father die tragically, his mother die of grief and indignation, and countless disciples of the Tianque Sect in blue robes being abandoned on Yanyu Mountain, their bodies never to be found!

He heard mockery, insults, and the dying sighs of his loved ones, which struck at the deepest obsession in his heart!

Xiao Yunsheng froze instantly, his eyes momentarily unfocused.

It's now!

A ruthless glint flashed in Chan Li's eyes as he unleashed a full-force attack with his bone blade, aiming straight for Xiao Yunsheng's heart!

"Xiao Yunsheng! Wake up!"

Shen Lingxi's roar pierced through the black mist as she leaped out, unleashing a golden sword aura that slashed fiercely at Chan Li's bone blade!

The clang of metal on metal was so powerful that Shen Lingxi was forced to retreat repeatedly. The aftershock of the bone blade slashed her arm, and blood instantly stained her sleeve.

"You want to die too?" Chan Li's face was sinister.

Just then, Xiao Yunsheng, who was in the black mist, suddenly moved!

He still relied on his innate swordsmanship to unleash a fierce strike!

Caught off guard, Chan Li was cleaved away by a sword and crashed heavily to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood!

But Xiao Yunsheng had also reached his limit. The poison spread completely, and his vision went black as he collapsed.

Shen Lingxi swiftly leaped in front of Xiao Yunsheng and crushed a pure white jade talisman with her hand!

The Flowing Cloud Sword Embryo Talisman is a life-saving artifact personally crafted by Shen Qingzhu. It can only be activated once in her lifetime and is her trump card for survival!

The moment the jade talisman shattered, the overwhelming power of the sword imprint erupted, and the golden sword energy instantly tore through the black mist and the Gu threads, forcefully blasting a path through the valley!

"Go!" Shen Lingxi helped up Xiao Yunsheng, who was covered in blood, and leaped into the depths of the dense forest, disappearing in an instant.

Chan Li was forced to retreat repeatedly by the power of the sword imprint. By the time he regained his footing, the two had already disappeared.

"Trying to run? Hmph! Let's see if you can escape from Yanyu Mountain!"

Deep in the dense forest, in an inconspicuous natural cave.

The campfire crackled and popped, illuminating the small space.

Xiao Yunsheng lay on the stone ground, his wounds still bleeding, and black Gu poison patterns crawling all over his back.

Shen Lingxi squatted down beside him, biting her lip, and reached out to unbutton his blood-stained shirt.

The boy was half-naked, his muscular back covered with a mix of old and new scars, and black lines of poison slithered under his skin. The sight made her heart tighten, and her cheeks involuntarily flushed.

She had never had such intimate contact with a man in her entire life, but the poison was urgent, so she could only suppress her shyness, pinch the silver needle between her fingertips, and slowly pry open the wound to force out the poisonous worms and blood inside!

Just as she finished cleaning the wound on his abdomen and was about to put medicine on his back, Shen Lingxi's gaze suddenly fixed on both sides of his spine.

Stimulated by the Gu poison, fine golden runes appeared under the skin of his back. The lines meandered and spiraled, forming a complete, miniature version of the Qilin totem, which was exactly the same as the Qilin pattern on the fire wall of the Xuanqi Cave!

These incantations glowed with a faint golden-red light, gradually devouring the spreading black poison, as if they were born with the ability to suppress this evil power!

Shen Lingxi was shocked and subconsciously wanted to reach out and touch him, but Xiao Yunsheng suddenly groaned. She immediately withdrew her hand, her cheeks burning even more, and focused on applying medicine and bandaging him.

What exactly are these incantations? Why are they on him? Does he even know them?

three days later.

Xiao Yunsheng slowly opened his eyes, feeling that his meridians were completely unobstructed. The pain from being eroded by the Gu poison had vanished, and instead, his whole body was filled with power.

He moved his fingers and realized that Shen Lingxi was asleep against the stone wall, with faint dark circles under her eyes.

Xiao Yunsheng felt a warmth in his heart and was about to get up when Shen Lingxi woke up. Seeing him awake, her eyes instantly lit up with surprise: "You're awake? How are you feeling?"

"It's alright now." Xiao Yunsheng sat up, pulled on the clothes beside him, his ears slightly red. "Thank you..."

"No need to thank me, we're companions." Shen Lingxi smiled and then said, "This time, the stimulation from the Gu poison actually widened your meridians quite a bit, so you could say it was a blessing in disguise."

Xiao Yunsheng also noticed the changes in his body. He gripped the Guixuan Sword tightly and casually swung it out. The condensation and explosive power of the sword energy were more than twice as strong as before.

"Oh, right." Shen Lingxi suddenly spoke, a golden sword imprint condensing at her fingertips, drawing seven sword-style trajectories on the ground.

"This is the Seven Forms of Flowing Cloud Sword Essence, which was personally passed down by my grandfather. It is the true core essence of the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique, and I will teach it to you."

Xiao Yunsheng looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with shock!

Throughout the Tianque Sect, everyone knows that the "Seven Forms of Flowing Cloud Sword Essence" is Shen Qingzhu's trump card, and it is not comparable to the direct lineage sword techniques of ordinary sword pavilions. Shen Lingxi actually wants to teach it to him.

Shen Lingxi looked at him with utmost seriousness. "Chan Li's witchcraft is insidious. Relying solely on your Flowing Clouds Three Forms, we'll have a hard time surviving. Your swordsmanship is more solid than mine, and with the Returning Profound Sword, you can wield this sword technique even better!"

Xiao Yunsheng didn't say anything more polite, and nodded heavily: "Okay."

Over the next few days, Shen Lingxi dissected the sword techniques one move at a time, teaching Xiao Yunsheng the principles and essence of the "Seven Forms of Flowing Cloud Sword Essence".

With his solid foundation in swordsmanship over the past three years, Xiao Yunsheng made rapid progress in learning this core sword technique. In just two days, he was able to fully execute the first four moves, and the ferocity of his swordsmanship far surpassed that of before!

On the morning of the fifth day, as the rising sun shone on the valley, the two of them got ready and walked out of the cave.

As fate would have it, just as the two reached the entrance of the valley, they saw four figures blocking their way.

The leader was none other than Chan Li, who had severely injured Xiao Yunsheng five days ago.

Upon seeing Xiao Yunsheng, Chan Li was clearly surprised. "He's really tough. He was poisoned by my Illusionary Gu, yet he's still alive!"

The bone blade was drawn once more, and black mist slowly rose!

Xiao Yunsheng nodded to Shen Lingxi and slowly drew his Guixuan Sword.

This time, he will make Chan Li pay the price for his previous actions!