World’s No. 1 Swordsman

The unforeseen incident happened too fast and too suddenly.

It was so quick that the high monks nearby failed to react in time. Even the members of the Special Investigation Unit in charge of monitoring the Devil-Sealing Well through surveillance footage were momentarily stunned, forgetting to report or call for help.

By the Devil-Sealing Well, a Buddhist high monk launched a surprise attack, but Qing Yanzi repelled him. Without warning, Rufeng then thrust his sword straight through Qing Yanzi's heart meridian.

Neither Qing Yanzi's Flowing Celestial Robe nor his Pure Yang Immortal Arts could block Rufeng's fiend sword. Still, despite suffering a grievous wound, Qing Yanzi managed to unleash a burst of qi, forcing Rufeng back. Qing Yanzi then abruptly turned, golden light flaring wildly in his eyes. With his left hand pressed against his wound, he tried to grab Rufeng's throat with his right hand.

Rufeng burst out laughing as he leaped into the air. "Hahahaha!"

Qing Yanzi's eyes burned with fury as he chased closely behind. Several other high monks around the Devil-Sealing Well also attempted to take out Rufeng. Chains of golden light and Buddhist seals came crashing down on him.

However, disaster struck again!

A sharp whistle rang from a corner, and the chanting in the area abruptly ceased. The elderly monks who had been chanting sutras here for over two years suddenly bulged at the neck, veins swelling grotesquely across their faces.

"What's happening?!"

Bang!

Bang, bang!

Each blast signaled the rupture of a monk's neck. In the blink of an eye, they all collapsed before they could even let out a cry.

From each of their burst throats crawled out strange and terrifyingGubugs. The moment they touched sunlight, they vomited mouthfuls of blood mist and withered rapidly. Their brief lives ended as quickly as they had begun.

Qing Yanzi glanced down, horror and fury flashing in his gaze. In mere seconds, the area around the Devil-Sealing Well had turned into a pool of corpses and blood.

Rufeng, a monk of the Ziyan Temple, likely had allies hidden within. This kind ofGubug had likely been planted long ago without anyone realizing it.

In the corner, two elderly monks tucked away their wooden whistles and slowly rose to their feet. As they stood, they released their cultivation auras, revealing strength equal to early-stage Golden Core Realm cultivators. They then silently charged straight at Qing Yanzi.

"Rufeng!" Qing Yanzi clenched his jaws, fury surging in his chest as he continued his relentless pursuit.

Rufeng stood atop a bronze alms bowl, rapidly weaving hand seals. His Buddhist light condensed into a cross-shaped seal and crashed down on Qing Yanzi. However, it was useless.

Dark-golden light surged in Qing Yanzi's palm, shattering the seals that Rufeng had formed with godlike power. Rufeng retreated swiftly, still smiling as serenely as he always had.

"Wood Elder and Fire Elder, help me hold back Daoist Master Bu Yan for a while. His heart meridian is injured, and he's merely running on fumes now."

"Yes, Sect Master," the two old monks—allegedly part of the Yin-Yang All-Creation Sect's Five Elements—responded in unison.

As the two ascended into the air, the wind flared their robes outward, revealing the contrast between their facial and neck skin tones.

All this time, Rufeng had been watching the righteous sects' every move. Meanwhile, he had perfectly hidden his true identity as the yang sect master of the Yin-Yang All-Creation Sect.

Anyone would've been fooled.

What was truly unbearable for Qing Yanzi was that he had brought Rufeng into the Special Investigation Unit himself! Because of him, Rufeng got to enjoy the resources that the government had granted for two years and even assisted in the elimination of several powerful corrupt cultivators.

Qing Yanzi's eyes blazed with wrath. Despite several palm phantasms slamming into him from behind, he charged forward without pause, gaze locked firmly on the man whom he had considered his close friend.

In the blink of an eye, the four figures streaked past the rear courtyard of the Ziyan Temple. Several more palm phantasms struck Qing Yanzi in the back, causing the dark-golden light around him to flicker violently. Finally, he momentarily slowed down.

A vicious pain tore through Qing Yanzi's chest, and his forehead became slick with cold sweat. Nevertheless, he forcibly rallied his remaining enchanted power. Golden light erupted chaotically across his right palm, instantly coalescing into a talisman!

"Make haste!" Dozens of dark-golden threads shot from his palm and wove into a net that flew toward Rufeng. Rufeng swiftly dodged and chanted mantras, forming lotus flowers using the Buddhist light around him.

However, a formless vortex then appeared in Qing Yanzi's palm and seemingly caged Rufeng in six invisible walls. The lotus flowers were shattered, and Rufeng was momentarily frozen.

This was one of the most elusive Daos to comprehend for any cultivator: Qian and Kun, the Dao of Heaven and Earth.

The net closed in and instantly enveloped Rufeng. Still clutching his bleeding chest with his left hand, Qing Yanzi yanked with his right, forcefully dragging Rufeng back toward him. Qing Yanzi's pale face further twisted with rage as he raised his right hand, preparing to crush Rufeng's skull with a single strike.

Finally, Rufeng's smile disappeared.

No one could have expected that even with his heart meridian pierced, Qing Yanzi would still be this difficult to deal with. The yang sect master of the Yin-Yang Al-Creation Sect struggled with all his might, yet he still found himself helplessly pulled back toward Qing Yanzi.

At that critical moment, a flaming palm struck the hilt of the sword embedded in Qing Yanzi's back. Qing Yanzi let out a muffled grunt, his enchanted power nearly dispersing completely. Still, he gritted his teeth and gripped the blade before him.

Though the flaming palm strike stopped him briefly, he still palmed his opponent. Despite having the force of his attack reduced by half and only hitting Rufeng on the chest, it still made Rufeng vomit blood. His chest caved in, and he was blasted into the front courtyard of the Ziyan Temple.

The Wood Elder immediately rushed in behind Qing Yanzi and enveloped him in a cloud of poisonous mist. Qing Yanzi turned back around and glared furiously at him. With a sweep of his palm, the mist reversed in midair. The Wood Elder let out a muffled groan as he was sent flying backward.

Qing Yanzi then locked onto the Fire Elder. The fire-cloaked monk immediately retreated, eyes filled with fear and caution.

Three early-stage Golden Core Realm cultivators had surrounded Qing Yanzi, a seriously wounded mid-stage Golden Core Realm cultivator, yet he still somehow forced them into such a pitiful state. Before him, they seemed completely incapable of retaliating.

"Rufeng!" Qing Yanzi roared, his tone seething with rage. "I'll kill you today, no matter what!"

His expression was twisted with ferocity and fury. Breathing in deeply, he lunged downward again.

Rufeng, who had fallen to the ground, forcibly suppressed his injuries and tore apart the dark-golden rope binding him. He then immediately dodged to the side, completely devoid of his previous calm and certainty, and shouted something in an ancient Eastern-Land language.

In response, the ground suddenly rippled with layers of earthen waves. Individuals in tight black clothing and wielding ninjatos[1] leaped out from the earth, raised their hands, and hurled streaks of dark light toward Qing Yanzi in midair!

The group launching the second surprise attack was clearly using the signature ninjutsu of Sakura Island. Under their clothes and masks were monks who had been registered within the Ziyan Temple—monks whom Wang Sheng and Fei Lianzi had met during their visit two years ago.

It wouldn't be farfetched to believe that Rufeng had discovered the existence of the Devil-Sealing Well long ago and begun laying his plans early. He probably even caused the initial leak of devilish qi from the well himself.

Dark-golden light surged once again around Qing Yanzi, deflecting all the incoming dark light. Blood dripped from his chest and soaked the back of his Flowing Celestial Robe. Nevertheless, he completely ignored the fact that any further injury could cost him his life. With his desire to destroy Rufeng set in stone, he focused solely on closing in for the kill.

Rufeng fled into the main hall of the Ziyan Temple. Qing Yanzi broke through the hall's rooftop as he gave chase.

Seeing no other option, Rufeng gritted his teeth and unleashed a surge of dense Buddhist light. When the prayer beads in his hand unleashed a multicolored glow, he hurled them straight at Qing Yanzi.

Outside the hall, the black-clad ninjas had already rushed in to protect their master. They pounced on Qing Yanzi from all directions, completely sealing off his movements.

Seeing Qing Yanzi forced to halt again, Rufeng sneered and retreated behind the Buddha statue. Meanwhile, the Wood and Fire Elders rushed in from outside the hall. After a brief moment of hesitation, they joined the battle, seemingly confident now that Qing Yanzi had been completely cornered.

With each passing moment, Qing Yanzi's injuries worsened, but the enemies could no longer afford to stall either. The support forces from the Hua Republic were undoubtedly already on the way.

Rufeng wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Coldly, he said, "Wear him down. I'll go release the ancient devil."

The two elders agreed. The dozen or so ninjas also responded in unison. Though not particularly powerful, they were still extremely difficult to handle.

At that moment, Qing Yanzi's lips curved into a faint, self-mocking smile. "Who would have thought that one day, I would steal techniques from my own disciple?"

He lightly stomped on the ground. He slowly moved his right hand forward at first, but he soon swiftly thrust it.

A violent gust of wind erupted around him and swept through the area. Soon after, the wind instantly softened into a gentle flow. A Tai Chi diagram appeared on the ground, and strands of yin-yang qi surged out, instantly wrapping around the ninjas and the two corrupt Golden Core Realm cultivators.

Qing Yanzi had unleashed the Yin-Yang Grand Formation!

He had already pointed his right hand at Rufeng. His wrist trembled with seemingly little strength, but that subtle motion carried terrifying power.

***

As Qing Yanzi unleashed his might inside Ziyan Temple, chaos also broke out outside.

Thick, poisonous mist filled the Special Warfare Unit's outpost as gunfire blared wildly from the anti-air guns. Emerging from tree trunks and underground, ninjas made their way through the area like ghosts, taking out ordinary soldiers with minimal effort.

Within thirty seconds of the Ziyan Temple falling into chaos, the Sakura Island ninjas had appeared without warning in the Shu Mountains. They then launched synchronized attacks on all official forces surrounding the temple, fully exerting their proficiency in surprise attacks.

***

On a neighboring mountain to the east, not far from the Ziyan Temple, a military base had sprang into action. Helicopters took off in a rush, and army-green trucks sped along the newly repaired roads, racing to provide reinforcements. Unfortunately, considering the distance, they likely wouldn't make it in time to stop the destruction of the Devil-Sealing Well.

Right now, their only hope was the gravely injured Qing Yanzi.

Inside the command center of the base, the large screen had already switched to the live feed of the battle at the Ziyan Temple. Despite the intense situation, they showed no sign of panic. Everyone was focused and performing their duties.

Chi Ling, who had to lean on a nearby chair to stay upright, was no exception.

"How could Sakura Island's ninjas reach the western mountains of the Hua Republic undetected?"

Her question made both the Special Investigation Unit and the Special Warfare Unit fall silent.

Chi Ling breathed in slowly, then said in a low tone, "This is not the time to point fingers. Send out new orders. All Golden Core Realm cultivators and ambush squads at Target Point Two are to immediately support Target Point One. Stop them from destroying the Devil-Sealing Well at any cost. Leave only minimal force at the mountain peak of Target Point Two to maintain defenses and activate the grand protection array."

"Yes, ma'am!"

1. A type of sword preferred by ninjas. ☜