Chapter 5: The Young Man Emerging from the Four-Stone Formation
In the blink of an eye, the ugly man had already collapsed to the ground, his face contorted in pain. Yet the remaining two men and one woman showed no sorrow in their eyes—instead, they were wild with delight!
“It’s him, it’s definitely him!”
The only woman’s gaze toward Gu Yi burned with fervor. “Such strange swordplay… this boy is no ordinary person. He must possess some extraordinary skill!”
Beside her, the little girl—who had vowed to follow Gu Yi—could no longer restrain herself and began to kowtow.
“Can you manage all three of them?” Old Chen, knowing Gu Yi’s exceptional nature, still hesitated; after all, their opponents were cultivators.
Gu Yi gave a mischievous, light laugh. “If I can’t, won’t you save me?”
There was little time for banter.
Seeing that one alone was no match, the woman floating in midair exchanged glances with her companion, and both attacked together. The final man, though one-eyed, seemed the strongest and had yet to move.
Gu Yi leaped from the carriage, sword in hand—crescent bending the bow, damn it all.
His body lacked spiritual energy now, but years of cultivation had imbued him with its essence: speed, strength, agility—all superior to ordinary folk. For those at the Meditative Stage, simply subduing him wasn’t easy; moreover, his mind still stored intricate memories of combat and sword techniques.
The Mountain Sword Style was a broad, sweeping method.
A single thrust conveyed the majesty of towering peaks;
The blade moved like the wind, bearing the weight of Mount Tai.
Previously, he had gained the advantage through swift retreat, giving no time for reaction. But this time, the two attackers were far more serious, channeling spiritual energy throughout their bodies, gripping their blades with it, slashing out with fierce power—ten times more dangerous than before.
Yet Gu Yi was unafraid. Cultivators at the Meditative Stage could not wield spiritual energy as effortlessly as their own limbs. If his speed was fast enough… they simply couldn’t keep up!
Hence, he chose the Mountain Sword.
But with both opponents infusing their blades with spiritual energy, the sword strikes were deadly. Gu Yi dared not meet them head-on; he focused on dodging.
Alongside the Mountain Sword Style, he needed a nimble movement technique—though most were designed for women with flexible waists, making his execution somewhat awkward.
In the exchange of attack and defense, two against one, Gu Yi was clearly at a disadvantage.
Old Chen watched in amazement. “A fallen cultivator without spiritual power can still contend with two Meditative Stage opponents—unbelievable.”
Just then, Gu Yi blocked the woman’s wind-laden kick with his arm, the impact sending him flying several meters back. The spiritual energy wrapped around it packed a punch—his arm was numb.
Lucky she wasn’t wearing shoes.
“Fine, observe all you want, but can you stop jinxing me?” he grumbled at Old Chen nearby.
Old Chen replied, “What?”
After the initial clash, Gu Yi paused. He had used an unfamiliar movement technique to cope with the situation, but could only defend, with no strength left to attack…
No matter what, he had to strike—even if he couldn’t defend.
During combat, Gu Yi shed his usual laziness. After quick deliberation, he made his decision!
To win with weakness against strength, he must attack their vulnerabilities.
Swish!
Gu Yi’s steps grew stronger, his sword aimed directly at the woman.
Old Chen squinted—Gu Yi was about to risk everything.
The sword’s speed was astonishing, targeting her chest. Though flat, there was still something.
The girl’s brows knit with distraction—where was he aiming?
“Careful!”
Her companion shouted.
She snapped back to attention, twisting aside to evade.
But Gu Yi pressed on, subtly turning his blade from thrust to sweep.
The woman, a cultivator after all, managed to block Gu Yi’s attack with her blade in the nick of time.
Clang!
“You—” she started to curse.
But Gu Yi had no intention of chatting. His right hand, blocked by her blade, released the hilt and reached out to grab.
Startled, the woman hurriedly retreated.
The dropped sword was caught by Gu Yi’s left hand, and with his left foot pushing off the ground, he launched forward like a rocket, aiming yet again for her chest.
This truly left the woman at a disadvantage—she worried that one slip would cost her dearly.
“Help me! This guy is shameless!”
Old Chen’s face fell. To force a Meditative Stage cultivator to cry out like that was no small feat, but still…
Even He Xian could see it clearly now—this man was no saint…
Gu Yi narrowed his eyes, smiling.
Attack was when the biggest flaws appeared.
The grotesquely ugly man, wielding his blade, rushed at Gu Yi, exposing countless openings; with a single move, Gu Yi disrupted his rhythm.
Whoosh!
Gu Yi swung his sword hilt, striking three stones from the ground—aiming at the man’s crotch!
Seeing this, the ugly man’s face paled, and he swung his blade to block.
Gu Yi, seeing the blade out of position, abandoned the woman and lunged at the ugly man’s upper body, exploiting the opening.
“Tricks of a petty thief!” The ugly man’s anger was tinged with fear.
Clang!
The strike was blocked.
Meanwhile—
Bang!
A fourth stone struck the ugly man’s crotch.
The green glow of spiritual energy enveloping him suddenly faded. His lower body stiffened, trembling pitifully.
“You thought the first attack was a feint, but both the first and second were feints…” Gu Yi was not only able to strike with his sword, but with his foot as well; in the rush, the dirt beneath him was churned, perfect for subtle maneuvers.
With a clatter, the ugly man’s blade dropped from his hand.
“Ah, ah…” He reacted sluggishly, now curling up on the ground, clutching his crotch, eyes squeezed shut, rolling back and forth, beads of sweat springing from his brow.
“Hey! Are you alright?”
The woman behind him was more flustered than the ugly man—if he was seriously injured, it would be disastrous.
She began to attack wildly.
Gu Yi gestured, his left hand loosely clenched, waiting for her to approach, even carving a few wounds into the still-rolling ugly man whenever there was a gap.
“Damn you!”
The last man couldn’t sit still. With two already bested and the woman distracted, he knew she was no match.
The one-eyed man was no ordinary foe; a slight movement from him made Gu Yi tense—danger lurked behind!
In front, the woman was now furious.
A pincer attack formed, making everyone anxious.
The girl who had begged Gu Yi to take her in yesterday sprang into action, rushing behind Gu Yi, seeing the approaching blade getting closer and closer.
“Not good!” Old Chen cried out.
Gu Yi cursed the woman for acting without permission. He swung his sword, striking the girl’s back. The hurried blow lacked finesse, but even so, the extra move left him exposed—behind, the one-eyed man’s blade was nearly upon him.
Just as Gu Yi thought his speed and movement might let him barely evade, the spiritual energy wrapped around the blade let out a sharp hum!
Bang!
The blade’s aura exploded suddenly—Gu Yi had no defense, taking the full force!
“Ah!”
In a flash, both were thrown aside.
Gu Yi felt his blood surge, his chest throbbing with pain that radiated through his body.
After all, his opponent was a cultivator, and this strike was no joke.
Fortunately, his body was imbued with spiritual energy from years of practice—he could endure. The girl who had tried to shield him was worse off, vomiting blood.
There were no words left for cursing.
The last enemy, learning from Gu Yi’s relentless attacks, pressed forward before he could even rise.
Ignoring his injuries, Gu Yi immediately rolled aside—he couldn’t take another hit, only evade for now.
Bang!
After several dodges, Gu Yi stabbed his sword into the ground.
Perhaps his repeated tricks had made his opponents wary; seeing this, they paused.
“Why are you trying to capture me?”
“We wouldn’t dare! Our master wishes to invite you, sir.”
Gu Yi, enduring the pain, spat fiercely. “What nonsense are you spouting?”
He was buying time. Old Chen smiled, “Your experience in battle is indeed impressive.”
He Xian was puzzled, yet felt it was true—this annoying fellow was quite formidable.
After a brief pause to catch his breath, Gu Yi picked up his sword once more.
His posture changed—he soared into the air, sweeping, chopping, twisting, thrusting… his figure seemed to split into several shadows, painting graceful arcs with his sword.
“Mountain Sword Style! Like standing atop the summit, like swallowing rivers and mountains!”
Old Chen’s eyes shone, “Such beautiful swordplay! I must lend him my aid!”
He leapt into the air, infusing spiritual energy—instantly, the sword’s presence grew!
On the ground, the last man and woman were both shocked.
“This sword is formidable. Let’s join forces!”
The one-eyed man gripped his blade with both hands, a sudden green glow erupting from him; the woman crossed her hands in front, weaving intricate gestures.
“Master Gu! Now is the time!”
Yellow sword aura and green blade aura collided with thunderous force!
Bang!
A piercing sound—almost beyond hearing!
Gu Yi was struck by the blade’s aura, suffering another injury—a wound slashed across his thigh. The prolonged battle had drained him quickly; he could no longer stand, collapsing.
On the other side, the man and woman were also wounded by the sword’s force.
But theirs was not from a single strike.
“Phew, phew…” Gu Yi struggled to rise.
Before him, Old Chen looked at the wounds on the man and woman in silence.
Gu Yi had been cut by the blade.
His opponents had been slashed by the sword.
The difference: the sword strike had left more than a dozen wounds!
More than that, the surrounding trees, grass, and stones all bore sword marks!
“Such sword techniques!” Old Chen’s mind replayed Gu Yi’s Mountain Sword moves, his fists clenched, trembling slightly.
He couldn’t tell if it was excitement or fear.
Dragging his wounded leg forward, Gu Yi gasped, “Still alive?”
“You’ve hacked them up so badly, how could they be?”
“They’re alive.” Gu Yi saw the one-eyed man’s brows furrow, approached, and asked again, “Why are you trying to capture me?”
The battle seemed over; He Xian jumped off the carriage and ran over.
Old Chen remarked, “It’s unlikely you’ll get answers this way.”
“Tell me, and I won’t kill you.” Gu Yi ignored the warning.
“To offend… you, sir, is a crime worthy of death!”
“A real man.” Gu Yi turned to the woman—her face now marred by sword wounds. “Why are you trying to capture me? Speak, and I won’t kill you. If not, I’ll strip your clothes and hang them on the carriage to Luyang!”
Old Chen’s mouth twitched. He’d thought this scholarly young master was merely steady with occasional mischief; he hadn’t expected such unconventional methods.
The woman was now extremely weak, bleeding from multiple wounds, looking ghastly.
“Because… you are… the boy who walked… from the Four Stones Dragon Gate Array…”
Her voice was faint, but to He Xian and Old Chen, it struck like thunder!
The wounded girl suddenly began to kneel and bow repeatedly despite her injuries!
Even Old Chen, a cultivator himself, stepped back half a pace.
All eyes focused on the seemingly ordinary young man…
Gu Yi was taken aback as well—this… any old reason would’ve sufficed,
How was he supposed to respond to such a statement?