Chapter Fifty-Six: What Should I Do?

The saber soared swiftly through the air, with neither hesitation nor pause. The Great Wilderness Blade carried Liu Kuang and Liu Pan as they shot out from the Hundred Sun Sect, fleeing toward the distant horizon.

Atop the saber, Liu Kuang’s expression was calm, so calm that none could detect he was currently fleeing for his life, so calm that he seemed a completely different person from the Liu Kuang of before.

In truth, the current Liu Kuang was indeed not the same as before; he was Yan, the spirit of the Great Wilderness Blade!

Because he had been recognized by Liu Kuang through a blood bond, and called forth from Liu Kuang’s dantian, Yan could perceive all that occurred outside.

The moment Liu Pan’s gaze fell upon the Great Wilderness Blade, Yan already understood that he would likely have to intervene.

Upon discovering Yang Jiangshui, Yan held back, but at the critical moment, he “took over” Liu Kuang’s body. To Yan, trash like Yang Jiangshui could easily be dealt with ten times over. Yet, as he was about to strike, the wound bursting open on the back of his hand abruptly awakened him.

Liu Kuang’s body was currently frail. Once he acted, he might leave an irreparable injury upon Liu Kuang’s body, perhaps even damaging the foundation of Liu Kuang’s cultivation.

Without weighing his options, Yan unhesitatingly chose Liu Kuang.

However, “Liu Kuang” did not kill Yang Jiangshui. In Yang Jiangshui’s analysis, this was not mercy—but rather, “Liu Kuang” lacked the ability to kill him. After all, he could not find any reason why “Liu Kuang” would hold back.

It must be said that Yang Jiangshui, having cultivated to the peak of Martial Master and become the sect leader of Hundred Sun Sect, was certainly no fool.

With his spiritual sense locked on, Yang Jiangshui saw Liu Kuang’s grip on the blade, and at the same time, saw the wound burst open on Liu Kuang’s hand.

At first, Yang Jiangshui was baffled, but when his spiritual sense swept over Liu Kuang as he flew away with Liu Pan, Yang Jiangshui instantly deduced that Liu Kuang currently lacked the power to kill him. Or rather, even if Liu Kuang tried, he would pay a terrible price.

Thus, without the slightest hesitation, Yang Jiangshui pursued Liu Kuang, leaving Hundred Sun Sect together.

As for Liu Kuang, Yang Jiangshui was truly intrigued. At first, he wondered how two weak cultivators like Liu Kuang and Liu Pan could possibly have killed Li Liao, a third-tier Martial Master. Now, what concerned him most was the secret Liu Kuang carried.

For a Martial Artist to possess a spiritual weapon, and even fly upon it, was something unheard of.

Flying upon a weapon required either reaching the Martial Master realm and possessing spiritual sense, or awakening spiritual power. As for spiritual sense, Liu Kuang, a Martial Artist, obviously could not possess it, and on Tianfeng Continent, there were no records of Martial Artists awakening spiritual power. Moreover, if Liu Kuang had awakened spiritual power, he would never have been so thoroughly beaten by Hu Lang during the disciples’ trials.

While the absence of records does not prove impossibility, the chance of a Martial Artist awakening spiritual power was so negligible as to be dismissed.

If Liu Kuang possessed no spiritual weapon, Yang Jiangshui might have considered the possibility that Liu Kuang had awakened spiritual power as a Martial Artist, but the fact remained: Liu Kuang wielded a spiritual weapon! Thus, rather than believe Liu Kuang had awakened spiritual power, Yang Jiangshui preferred to believe Liu Kuang harbored some extraordinary secret.

Perhaps at first Yang Jiangshui was hesitant, but as his spiritual sense swept over Liu Kuang fleeing with Liu Pan, his conviction grew firm.

Liu Kuang’s flight indicated his lack of confidence. Knowing the opponent was weaker and carried a great secret, how could Yang Jiangshui let Liu Kuang escape? He made a swift decision, flying after Liu Kuang on his sword.

Two streaks of crimson light flashed out of Hundred Sun Sect, one fast, the other faster.

Yan was helpless, for his speed atop the blade was a step slower than Yang Jiangshui’s.

Though he had endured millennia, his soul force was nearly depleted, yet he was still not comparable to an ordinary Martial Master.

However, Yan’s soul was powerful, but Liu Kuang’s body was far too weak. Moreover, Liu Kuang had previously consumed a Burst Essence Pill, leaving his dantian nearly drained of energy. Under such circumstances, merely bearing the pressure of Yan’s possession was already difficult; if he were to use any techniques in battle, the consequences would be unpredictable.

Upon the Great Wilderness Blade, Liu Pan frowned, his spiritual power locked onto Yang Jiangshui who pursued behind.

Since Yang Jiangshui had appeared at Tianji Peak, he had never left the range of Liu Pan’s spiritual power. With this chase, Liu Pan clearly sensed the distance between Yang Jiangshui and themselves diminishing, causing him considerable distress.

Yang Jiangshui, with his perfected Martial Master cultivation, was not someone Liu Pan believed he and Liu Kuang, in their current state, could defeat.

As for Yan, when Liu Pan’s spiritual power swept over Yan possessing Liu Kuang’s body, and saw that merely gripping the blade caused a wound to burst open, he understood that Yan could offer little help in a fight with Yang Jiangshui, unless Yan disregarded Liu Kuang’s physical condition entirely. Clearly, unless it was a matter of life and death, Yan would not do so.

As for why Yan, possessing Liu Kuang, chose to flee—and why he brought Liu Pan along—Liu Pan understood somewhat.

He fled because Yan trusted no one within Hundred Sun Sect. As for bringing Liu Pan, it was partly because Yan knew he could not outrun Yang Jiangshui without harming Liu Kuang’s body, and so needed Liu Pan, the “all-knowing,” to help devise a way to escape.

Another reason was Liu Kuang’s consumption of the Burst Essence Pill.

The lower the cultivation, the harsher the aftereffects of the pill. As a Martial Artist at the peak, Liu Kuang had forcibly broken through the realm to gain power, so his aftereffects would be severe—perhaps losing the ability to act for ten days or more. If left uncared for and starved to death, it would be a tragedy.

Liu Pan had also taken the Burst Essence Pill, but as a first-tier Martial Disciple, his body was more robust, and he had not broken through a major realm, so his aftereffects were much milder. Even if he lost the ability to act for a period, it would not last more than two days.

With his spiritual power locked onto Yang Jiangshui, Liu Pan truly felt troubled. Although he understood Yan’s intention in bringing him, he still had no good plan to shake off Yang Jiangshui.

He boarded the Great Wilderness Blade out of guilt, knowing all of this was his doing. When he stepped onto the blade, his main concern was caring for Liu Kuang afterward. He knew that as long as Yan remained, Liu Kuang would not die, and for Liu Kuang’s sake, Yan would not let him die either.

Knowing their lives were safe, Liu Pan boarded the blade. Since he had, he could not just sit and wait for death, yet now he was plagued by worry. Given the difference in speed, it would take less than an hour before Yang Jiangshui caught up, and his time to come up with a solution was running out.

What to do? Liu Pan’s spiritual power scanned up and down Yang Jiangshui.

Suddenly, an idea struck him, and a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes.