Chapter 55 The Undying Man

Ren Yi walked forward unhurriedly...

The little young master showed no fear at all; instead, he smiled brightly, a smile full of bewitching charm. Glancing merely at the four figures behind him, he said, "What are you waiting for? Do it!"

The Four Chivalrous Men of Ludong exchanged a glance. The moment Ren Yi stepped across the threshold of the temple, they struck simultaneously... Shen Tianju drew a soft sword, her body soaring into the air as she slashed down toward the crown of Ren Yi's head.

Shen Tiansong lunged forward with his sword, flicking his wrist to release seven or eight cold stellar projectiles. Accompanied by a piercing whistle of wind, they flew straight toward Ren Yi's chest.

Meanwhile, Shen Tianzhu and Shen Tianbo attacked in unison, their sword techniques combining hardness and softness. One flicked the tip of his sword, sending flashing lights straight toward Ren Yi's ribs, while the other whirled his longsword, sweeping fiercely across Ren Yi's chest and flanks.

Shen Bijun cried out in extreme terror, "Watch out—!"

Before the word "out" had even faded from her lips, Ren Yi had already struck.

There were no flashy moves, merely four simple palm strikes!

The four palm thrusts batted away the hidden weapons, shattered the sword lights, and blew the four assailants backward. His palm technique held no variations, nor any follow-up moves. No matter how formidable an expert someone might be, before these four utterly unpretentious palm strikes, they were simply sent flying.

As they drifted backward like falling leaves, they lost their vitality just as quickly.

Feng Siniang attempted to move, but was restrained once more. The little young master continued to smile, his expression even brighter and more bewitching...

Abruptly, within the dilapidated temple, cold light flashed in all directions!

Like a violent rain battering spring blossoms, amidst the swirling radiance, silver gleams shone from every conceivable angle. Countless streaks of light and shadow descended like a shower upon Ren Yi.

Shen Bijun felt her eyes dazzle, her beautiful pupils locked immovably upon him.

Ren Yi remained calm and unruffled. With a flick of his sleeve and a sweep of his hand... amidst the flashing cold light and gentle palm force, he swept out with one hand. The starlight flickered and suddenly changed course halfway, racing around his body to strike toward the right side.

Following that, he opened both palms. His palm movements were as numerous as the stars in the celestial sphere and as swift as flying light. His style drifted gracefully, yet between his palms and fingers surged the momentum of galloping mountains and towering seas, of rising sand and crashing thunder, as if encapsulating the entire cosmos and reducing all creation to the center of his palms.

In an instant, the cold light flickered out of existence, accompanied by a continuous, ringing clatter of metal.

By the time Shen Bijun regained her composure, the ground was already littered with plum-blossom needles, thunder-god drills, and meteor darts.

Ren Yi paced forward slowly, now standing less than three zhang away.

The little young master stared in utter astonishment, forcing a smile as he said, "Brother Ren's martial arts are truly formidable."

Ren Yi smiled faintly. "Mediocre at best, just barely passable."

The little young master's expression shifted. "I wonder if your martial arts truly make you the peerless number one in the world!"

Immediately afterward, Ren Yi felt several bone-chilling intent-driven strikes closing in from the back of his neck!

Swords! The razor-sharp whistle of blade winds—only a sword possessing unimaginable speed could produce such a shrill shriek. What kind of sword was the most terrifying sword in this world?

No one in the present world could provide an answer, and thus no one in this world was capable of drawing their sword against Ren Yi. For they fundamentally lacked any comprehension of what truly made a sword terrifying!

Ren Yi whirled around and caught sight of seven streaks of sword light.

The momentum and radiance of those seven swords poured forth in a torrential cascade, instantly enveloping him.

The seven figures wove left and right, their sword lights flickering erratically. Their bodies spun faster and faster, coordinated to absolute perfection and acting as one, as if the seven individuals and seven swords had merged into a single strike capable of obliterating everything in existence.

The might of this combined strike was enough to shatter a person's soul!

Facing such an onslaught, Ren Yi stood as unyielding as a mountain, completely unmoved. Suddenly, the seven shouted in unison, their sword lights surging violently as their offensive burst forth like a raging, surging river. Countless overlapping sword blossoms bloomed, and rampant sword Qi crisscrossed the space. The speed with which the seven swords were executed defied description!

This sword style was exceedingly fast and fierce, arriving in the blink of an eye. Not only was it difficult to dodge, but retreat was impossible—yet Ren Yi showed no intention of dodging or retreating whatsoever.

Clearly, they had started as seven individuals with seven swords, but in this split second, the seven seemed to fuse into a single entity. The seven swords united as one, and any flaws inherent in their individual styles vanished entirely.

There were simply no flaws left at all!

A trace of surprise flashed in Ren Yi's eyes, and a smile touched the corners of his mouth. He raised his hand and thrust out a finger, meeting the seven streaks of sword light head-on.

Striking out abruptly, his hand transformed into a single finger, piercing directly into the heart of the sword radiance...

Clearly, they had merged into one seamless whole with absolute flawlessness. Yet no one could see or imagine how that single finger had managed to pierce through.

The index finger was edge-less, yet sharper than any blade, swifter than the wind, and far more divine than any legendary divine sword!

Clang, clang, clang...

Though sparks had yet to bloom, the relentless ringing vibration of metal against metal never ceased.

Sword lights scattered in all directions, intersecting with that single finger, before spiraling, colliding, and suddenly shattering into pieces. Then, the sword radiance fell... the sword radiance dissolved completely... and the men wielding the swords collapsed!

Those who fell could only be dead men. Seven figures dressed in black lay upon the ground, each bearing a thin red line across their throats. The seven three-foot-long swords, which had previously shone with brilliant, bone-chilling radiance, were now broken into pieces.

The little young master's delicate, alluring face froze solid. A hint of surprise flickered within those eyes—far more than mere surprise, it was sheer terror. At this moment, he could no longer manage a smile.

He knew the identities of these seven men better than anyone else. They had risen to fame twenty years ago, renowned back then as the seven finest swordsmen in the world. And yet, their combined sword formation had been shattered just like that? They had simply died just like that?

Just how terrifying were his martial arts? A man like this was practically impossible to kill!

The little young master released his grip on Feng Siniang, his voice rasping out, "You... what on earth do you want?"

Ren Yi smiled faintly. "Do you have any other tricks left untried?"

Pulling a long face, the little young master said, "Facing someone like you, what other tricks could I possibly use?"

Ren Yi shook his head. "I don't believe it!"

"Swordmaster of Xiangyang" Wan Chongshan lay on the ground, his face ashen, closing his eyes as he groaned incessantly. When Shen Bijun walked over, she could not even tell where he had been injured.

He was covered in blood, his mouth repeatedly muttering the word "Aunt." Suddenly, he opened his feeble eyes and raised his right hand, as if wanting to say something.

Before he could finish his words, however, Ren Yi had already brought his palm down upon him.

Following that single strike, the man naturally fell silent.

Shen Bijun cried out in dismay, "You killed Uncle Wan? You... why did you kill him?"

Ren Yi replied, "The Dowager was abducted from the estate without alerting a single soul inside. Why do you suppose that was?"

The tips of Shen Bijun's fingers turned ice-cold as she trembled, "You... you mean..."

Pulling a long face, the little young master chimed in, "Young master is truly brilliant. Can you let me go now? I really have no more tricks left."

Hearing this, how could Shen Bijun fail to realize that she had wronged Ren Yi?

Ren Yi stated flatly, "Naturally, no."

The little young master trembled, "You... do you really want to kill me?"

Ren Yi shook his head. "You don't have to die."

Feng Siniang interrupted angrily, "What do you mean she doesn't have to die? She deserves to die a thousand times over! If you aren't going to kill her, are you planning to marry her instead?"

The little young master forced a bitter smile. "How can Siniang treat me this way? I've never harmed you."

Feng Siniang raged, "If I hadn't claimed to be this scoundrel's wedded wife, would you have spared me? You may not have hurt me, but with someone like you roaming the world, how could I ever sleep in peace?"

Ren Yi ordered, "Shut your mouth!"

Feng Siniang glared at him, but indeed did not speak another word.

Sensibly, the little young master asked, "What will it take for you to let me go?"

Ren Yi replied coolly, "I want the Cleaving-Deer Blade!"

The little young master gasped in shock, "I... I don't have the Cleaving-Deer Blade! If the blade were in my possession, I would have used it long ago."

Ren Yi said, "I know the blade is not with you, but I am also certain that you know where it is. Ten days from now, I expect you to have the blade delivered to me. Otherwise, I will pay a visit to the Puppet Manor."