Yes, this was just an ordinary iron sword, not magnificent at all, because a sword is meant for killing, it requires no splendor...
Yet this sword was not only plain, it lacked any sense of sharpness; the blade was even somewhat dull... If it was a lethal weapon intended for slaughter, why was it so blunt?
But strangely, whether it was Xue Hengzhi, Gongsun Xiangyi, or Ye Jingyu, all of them sensed a monstrous sword qi emanating from that iron sword, as if the moment anyone moved, this qi would mercilessly pierce through their bodies... What terrifying qi, or perhaps, what intent, was this...
At this moment, Xue Hengzhi finally understood the profound level of mastery possessed by the black-clad figure before him. He himself, no—even if Ling Xingxuan hadn't died and they had fought side-by-side, they would never be a match for this person... Fortunately, fortunately, from the moment he set foot in the valley, he had never considered making an enemy of him...
Bing Ming... A name cold and filled with dread...
"Leave this place, leave the Hundred Burials Valley..." Bing Ming’s lips moved, and an icy voice issued from his mouth... Though he did not finish his next sentence, everyone knew that if they did not depart, he would kill them...
Ye Jingyu remained silent, only staring coldly at the iron sword in Bing Ming's hand. It looked so familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before? Yet, no matter how he searched the depths of his memory, he could not recall the man, only the sword. Why was this?
Ye Jingyu said nothing, and naturally, the others did not speak either. Even Ying Xiaoxiao, who had regained consciousness, parted her lips as if intending to say something, but ultimately nothing came out...
Time became a silence in that moment. On one side, just a single person; on the other, dozens of people. Yet, strangely, the side with only one person was suffocatingly pressing down upon the larger group...
In that assembly, Ye Jingyu chose silence...
Hei Ming Shixuan looked on with curiosity, her small hands held tight by Ye Jingyu. She seemed to be pondering why they weren't leaving? However, with her handsome older brother by her side, she felt content and did not fuss over much...
Aside from them, everyone else felt an intense, chilling cold constantly radiating from Bing Ming, as if intent on freezing everything about them. Even Xiao Hua’s massive body stiffened slightly...
Of course, Ni Bo, reluctantly bearing the weight of Taotie, snorted, seemingly unconcerned by the killing aura Bing Ming exuded...
"I want to enter the cave..." Ye Jingyu broke the silence after a moment, suddenly speaking...
"Leave this place..." Bing Ming spoke no more, the same word emerging from his mouth...
"Why can they enter, but I cannot?" Ye Jingyu naturally understood Bing Ming’s meaning. He knew from Gongsun Xiangyi and Xue Hengzhi that the two had entered before, though they were scared out by the dangers within before going too deep. But now, before he had even entered, why was this fellow blocking him?
"One last time, leave here..." Hei Ming’s voice remained as cold as ever...
"I said, I am going in..." Ye Jingyu spoke coolly. Even knowing the opponent’s superior strength, he insisted on entering. Without obtaining the White Lotus Sword Canon, he absolutely could not return easily, lest Qin Yan devise some unknown accusation against him...
Admittedly, with his current power, he could go anywhere in the world, but in Yunjing, a young girl with pure, innocent eyes awaited him...
Hearing Ye Jingyu’s resolute words, Bing Ming did not speak, but his gaze grew even colder...
"Whoosh..." Suddenly, the iron sword in Bing Ming’s hand flickered, and a sharp streak of sword qi tore through the air, arriving before Ye Jingyu in an instant...
"Whoosh..." A purple gleam flashed. The Purple Moon Blade appeared in Hei Ming Shixuan’s other hand. With a slight flip, a purple blade light sliced across, shattering that sharp sword qi utterly, preventing it from harming Ye Jingyu in the slightest...
A hint of surprise flashed in Bing Ming’s eyes, but after a moment, an amused smile touched his lips. His body then shot forward, the iron sword shaking again as he lunged toward Ye Jingyu’s heart...
It was still a simple, straight thrust, devoid of any named technique, yet a dazzling cyan sword qi erupted, carrying an immense pressure toward Ye Jingyu, as if the universe now contained nothing but this single strike...
In that instant, Ye Jingyu’s mind was abruptly flooded with the memory of Dugu Qian’s strike on the Yunjing Arena several months prior...
Startling Heaven Sword...
No wonder he found that iron sword so familiar; it was identical to the one Dugu Qian wielded...
The intense sword qi and overwhelming killing intent converged, stabbing fiercely toward the stunned Ye Jingyu—this was the most brilliant strike in the heavens...
Faced with such swift aggression, everyone’s heart involuntarily quivered...
Gongsun Xiangyi almost cried out, but her mouth opened, and no sound emerged, as if this single strike had suppressed the entire world...
"Whoosh..." Just as everyone assumed Ye Jingyu was doomed, another brilliant purple blade light flared to life...
With a crisp clang, Bing Ming’s body was sent flying backward...
A lock of long hair drifted down, severed by the edge of the blade light...
Everyone was startled, staring at Hei Ming Shixuan with the eyes one reserves for monsters. To block such a terrifying strike so easily and even knock the man back—it was utterly unbelievable, wasn't it?
Only Xue Hengzhi’s expression flickered. He alone knew the true might of Hei Ming Shixuan...
Hei Ming Shixuan ignored the gazes upon her. The small hand gripping the Purple Moon Blade trembled slightly. She raised her head, her large eyes looking toward Ye Jingyu, and said in a voice filled with grievance, "Big Brother, he is too strong. Shi Xuan’s hand hurts..." As she spoke, she held up the small hand that had just held the blade, though the Purple Moon Blade had somehow vanished...
Hearing this, Xue Hengzhi’s heart clenched. His gaze toward Bing Ming held a fresh layer of terror; if this little demoness could be hurt, his strength must surely surpass his own...
Ye Jingyu lovingly grasped little Shixuan’s small hand, gently rubbing it, and whispered tenderly near her ear, "Be good, Shi Xuan. Stay to the side and let Brother handle this..."
"Mm..." Hei Ming Shixuan nodded obediently and stood behind Ye Jingyu, but her eyes once again shimmered with purple light...
"What must I do for you to let me enter?" Ye Jingyu noticed Bing Ming had ceased his assault and spoke again...
"Defeat me..." Bing Ming stated coldly, his eyes shifting from Hei Ming Shixuan to Ye Jingyu’s face...
"Heh heh... Three days..." Ye Jingyu smiled, holding up three fingers...
Everyone present was stunned—three days of what? Bing Ming pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly...