With a few muffled explosions, Ye Guhan staggered back several paces, a thread of blood tracing the corner of his mouth. Yet, he immediately used the momentum to spring upwards, intercepting two masked men in black in mid-air just as they were about to pursue Princess Lingmeng. His long sword moved like the wind, creating a barrier that, for that moment, seemed absolutely impenetrable!
The leading masked man sneered, “Ye Guhan, our original target was only Princess Lingmeng. We didn't necessarily need your life. But since you insist on courting death, then we brothers will oblige you.” With a sweep of his hand, the five men simultaneously launched a ferocious, storm-like assault from five different directions.
Ye Guhan’s long sword lashed out like a spiritual serpent, instantly coalescing into a blinding rain of light. He roared, “Who are you people? If you have any honor, stop hiding your faces and tell me your names!”
“Tell our names? Since we are masked and hidden, we have no intention of letting anyone know who we are. Ye Guhan, for a Heavenly Profound master, you ask such a childish question. Let me tell you, this old pretty boy isn't worthy of knowing us. Go ask Yama in the underworld!”
The leader in black let out a harsh cackle and lunged forward. His voluminous black robes billowed in the wind, seemingly intent on obscuring all light from the world. He bellowed mid-air, “Third Brother, quickly capture that little girl! Delaying will only cause complications. Leave Ye Guhan to us!”
With a sharp cry, he dove down, the air whistling piercingly around him. His arms spread wide, ten fingers projecting fierce bursts of internal energy, as if he simultaneously wielded ten shimmering blue long swords. The descent was terrifyingly powerful!
Of the five, the only one whose build was distinctly slender remained silent, twisting at the waist to spring upwards; she intended to pursue the direction where Princess Lingmeng had vanished.
A heart-rending howl erupted from Ye Guhan, shaking the very firmament. His long sword churned like a dragon, the blue light flaring brilliantly again. He unleashed over three hundred sword strikes in rapid succession, like a squall of wind and rain, momentarily forcing the other four enemies back. However, the leader struck him with a sharp finger gust to the left shoulder. With a sickening pop, two jets of blood simultaneously shot out—one from the front and one from the back!
Ignoring his grievous wounds entirely, Ye Guhan roared once more! He executed a tremendous somersault, arcing seven zhang through the air, trailing gore. Before he even landed, ninety-nine blinding sword strikes descended upon the slender masked figure like a torrential downpour!
The other four rushed forward swiftly, but Ye Guhan’s current attack was utterly reckless, each sword aiming for mutual destruction, every move risking his life as if seeking a shared passage to the netherworld! He managed, purely through the sheer ferocity of his razor-sharp offense, to weave a deadly sword-net across the street, effectively sealing off the area and preventing the five Heavenly Profound masters of equal standing from advancing a single step!
The desperate techniques of a Heavenly Profound master are not to be trifled with!
Ye Guhan had clearly resolved to throw his life away!
“If you want to touch Lingmeng, you must first step over my corpse!” Ye Guhan was demonstrating this saying with his actions, with his entire being, his whole soul, and all his life force!
With every sword stroke, there was an air of lonely, desolate majesty that spanned heaven and earth! With every sword stroke, there was a maddening loneliness that pierced the bone! One sword drawn, the heart breaks, Solitude and loneliness are constant companions; Where in the ends of the earth shall deep affection be buried? A solitary life, a solitary sword! The Ultimate Solitude Sword Style!
Ye Guhan’s Ultimate Solitude Sword Style had reached its most profound and final zenith at this moment. He was sustained by a single intent: they must not harm Lingmeng! Beyond that, Ye Guhan had plunged into a state of selfless frenzy! Eons pass, yet I alone remain with my sword! The world is vast, I cleave the wind and soar with my blade! This strike sends you on a lonely journey to the Yellow Springs! This strike warns the mortal world to cease its pursuit! Kill! Die!
The leading masked man roared in anger, utterly helpless at this moment. Seeing Princess Lingmeng being escorted farther and farther away by Du Gu Xiaoyi and Sun Xiaomei, he gritted his teeth and commanded, “All out effort! Deal with this lunatic first!”
Ye Guhan burst into wild laughter, his mirth still steeped in desolation. His sword stabbed out, only to suddenly retract mid-thrust and flash toward the masked man on his left—a maneuver of retreat and advance, seamlessly executed!
Ye Guhan had fought his entire life, almost always outnumbered. His combat experience was unparalleled! Facing the life-and-death moment of the one he cared for most, Lingmeng, Ye Guhan fully unleashed the peak power of his life! If not for this, how could one man possibly contend against five Heavenly Profound masters of the same level and even hold his ground? Even embracing suicidal intent, the achievement of this level of combat record was enough to make the contemporary martial world sigh in admiration!
Blood continued to stream from his shoulder, yet he seemed entirely unaware! It did not diminish his fighting capability in the slightest! Bang! His long sword seemed to clash hard against some weapon; the masked man on the left stumbled back.
Ye Guhan grunted, swaying back slightly. He swung his sword in a half-arc, the brilliant blue light streaked with crimson, and without yielding, he engaged the other three enemies one move each. His sword momentum was relentless, never changing his posture. He leaped into the air, his legs coiling like dragons around a pillar, and slammed head-on into the oncoming twin palms of another masked man!
A muffled groan escaped, and the masked man staggered back. Ye Guhan was flung out like a broken kite, spraying blood from his nostrils. The enemy had gathered strength for that attack, whereas Ye Guhan had engaged four others while fighting with residual strength—the disparity was obvious!
Yet Ye Guhan did not retreat. Struggling to maintain his balance mid-air, he floated unsteadily, yet managed to intercept the masked man who had finally broken free from pursuing the Princess.
This man was Zhou Jianming, the second disciple of Lei Wubei. He was naturally the most volatile among them. Seeing Ye Guhan fight on as if immortal, persistently blocking their path, he lost his patience. He suddenly roared, raising his greatsword high and bringing it down in a furious chop aimed directly at Ye Guhan’s head! This strike channeled all his profound energy. If Ye Guhan tried to dodge, he would have to yield the path! If he didn't evade, given his current physical state, defeat and death were highly probable.
Ye Guhan’s eyes flashed blood-red, then chillingly cold, and he abruptly retreated. Zhou Jianming rejoiced and pressed his advantage, surging forward. But just as he advanced, Ye Guhan reappeared in his original position almost simultaneously, his long sword moving like the wind, striking Zhou Jianming’s descending greatsword three times in rapid succession—Clang, clang, clang!
Ye Guhan had clearly anticipated this. Zhou Jianming’s momentum, built up to its peak, had already begun to wane. As the saying goes: the first charge gains ground, the second falters, the third collapses. After enduring Ye Guhan’s three strikes, his power instantly shifted from strong to weak, nearly exhausted. Zhou Jianming felt as if his chest had been hammered by a thousand-pound sledge three times! His face paled involuntarily, and he staggered back several steps, spitting out a mouthful of blood with a choked sound.
His intrinsic skill was not weaker than Ye Guhan’s, but having spent most of his life on the mountain and rarely venturing into the world, his experience was limited to sparring with fellow disciples. Compared to a super-assassin like Ye Guhan, who had spent his life fighting desperately in the martial world, the difference was astronomical. Thus, even though their skills were evenly matched, Zhou Jianming suffered a severe loss the moment they clashed!
It was only because Ye Guhan was already heavily wounded and his profound energy severely depleted that Zhou Jianming survived. In a life-or-death instant between masters, that single mistake would have cost Zhou Jianming his life!
Ye Guhan inwardly lamented the missed opportunity. If his previous thrust hadn't been hampered, perhaps he could have torn through their encirclement and found a chance to escape whole! Although this move seemed to give him the upper hand, Ye Guhan hadn't found it easy either. The backlash from the enemy’s profound energy forced his body backward uncontrollably. His long sword rapidly traced a semicircle, humming and vibrating, enveloping his entire body.
But that was all he could manage. A breath of air seemed trapped in his throat; he could no longer move with the flexibility he possessed moments before!
The fierce battle, with every exchange a fight to the death, had consumed the vast majority of Ye Guhan’s strength! Resisting the siege of five Heavenly Profound masters of the same rank entirely alone, the fact that Ye Guhan could maintain both offense and defense to this point was nothing short of a miracle!
If his sword momentum was like a rainbow, heralding his desire for immediate death, even the combined might of the five enemies could not match Ye Guhan. Alas, human strength has its limits. At this very moment, Ye Guhan was rapidly approaching exhaustion.
A sharp cry rang out. The four enemies, startled to see Zhou Jianming nearly killed, simultaneously surged forward, eyes blazing, leading their swords toward Ye Guhan! Every eye was filled with a chilling, murderous intent mixed with shame and fury! Five Heavenly Profound masters from their side were being held in check by this single man! It was an enormous humiliation!
Victory or defeat rested on this single move!
Ye Guhan gave a wry, bitter laugh. It seemed his life would end here today! He wondered if that girl Lingmeng had managed to escape far enough...
The dim blue light around him suddenly flared with startling intensity, like a giant star radiating magnificent light. Ye Guhan channeled every remaining drop of his profound energy into this final attack!
Zhou Jianming screamed in furious shame, leaping into the air, following his four martial brothers in a concerted aerial assault on Ye Guhan!
Ye Guhan precisely calculated the moment the enemy weapons would reach him. The blood-red haze in his eyes had vanished, replaced instead by the calm, profound stillness of a deep, still pool!
The only thing he couldn't comprehend was why, after such a prolonged fight, no reinforcements had arrived yet? Where were Princess Lingmeng’s personal guards? Why had the experts from the Imperial Palace not shown themselves? But now was not the time for such thoughts!
Ye Guhan’s deep gaze swept one last time toward the direction of the Imperial City! That look was saturated with the vicissitudes of life, with an ocean of deep affection and profound loneliness; endless melancholy and isolation; and a thick, aching reluctance! Xiuxiu, from this moment on, I fear I can no longer protect your Lingmeng... Though I never truly possessed you, and though I was weary of this life, at this critical juncture of life and death, even knowing you are no longer mine... I truly, truly cannot forget you, cannot let you go, cannot bear to part with you... Because you remain the softest, most painful spot in my heart... Xiuxong! If I vanish from the mortal world from now on, will you be lonely? Will you still be willing to shed a single tear for me?
Ye Guhan had no time for further thought, as the blades, fists, and kicks of the five enemies descended like a raging tempest, instantly submerging his proud figure...
Ye Guhan howled, then laughed long and loud, a hearty laugh... A laugh filled with resolve and determination, his face wearing an expression of calm indifference as he charged to meet them! In that single moment, every past memory, every past sweetness, flashed across his mind with vivid clarity: the pure, long hair softly flowing in the wind, the smile as beautiful as a flower, the earnest entrustment, the deep expectation, and finally, those lovely, tear-filled eyes watching him reluctantly as he slowly faded into the distance...
Ye Guhan, the man who had been cold for twenty years, allowed a trace of fundamental tenderness and lingering affection to flicker across his lips in this final moment.