Young hero, stay put and don't be reckless.

Chapter 80 Evenly Matched

Jiang Xun remained silent, then drew his sword and charged.

He dared not use the Spring Water Sword Technique, nor the Azure Lotus Divine Movement, relying entirely on instinct to attack upwards, using offense as defense.

The sword moves were a mess, without any discernible pattern, all wild and unorthodox—thrusting, slashing, parrying, sweeping, doing whatever was most ruthless and fastest.

He didn't care whether the moves were good or not; he only wanted to force his opponent back a step and create a gap for himself to escape.

But Ye Qingying was faster than him.

Her swordsmanship was light and graceful, and each strike perfectly blocked his attacks.

It looked like a casual wave of the hand, yet it somehow managed to break through his full-force killing move.

The sword seemed alive, with its own temperament. No matter which angle Jiang Xun attacked from, it was repelled by a resilient force.

After thirty moves, Jiang Xun was covered in sweat.

The lingering force of Chen Xu's palm strike to his chest hadn't subsided yet, and now he was being shaken by Ye Qingying's sword energy, feeling dull and aching.

His breathing became heavier and heavier, and his sword strikes became slower and slower—at this rate, he wouldn't last more than ten moves.

He gritted his teeth, his mind racing, searching for a way to escape. A direct confrontation was out of the question; he needed to find an opportunity—

Just then, a great commotion broke out outside the courtyard.

"There's an assassin!"

"Quickly! Surround this area!"

"Not a single one can escape!"

Immediately afterwards, more than a dozen men in black climbed over the courtyard wall, their movements perfectly synchronized, clearly indicating they were well-trained.

Ye Qingying's expression changed. She sheathed her sword, turned around, and with a flash of sword light, faced the nearest man in black.

The man in black parried with his sword, sparks flying everywhere.

At the same time, several men in black nearby attacked in perfect unison, slashing at Ye Qingying from different directions with three knives, the wind whistling through the air.

Several people joined forces and quickly entangled her, their swords clashing together, creating a cacophony of clanging sounds.

The remaining men in black seized the opportunity to rush into the house, their footsteps quick and rapid, their target clear.

Jiang Xun was taken aback, then realized that these people were the Golden Feather Guards.

The way they attacked and the way they coordinated were exactly the same as when they besieged the Thief Saint's master in Jiangning Prefecture.

They really were after the dragon crystal.

Without saying a word, Jiang Xun turned and ran.

Ye Qingying was entangled by the man in black and couldn't pay attention to him.

Jiang Xun climbed over the courtyard wall, and the Azure Lotus Divine Executioner appeared, disappearing into the night in a few leaps.

The shouts of battle and the clash of weapons behind me gradually faded into the distance.

He didn't return to the inn.

Clutching his chest, he wandered through the alleyways, making sure no one was following him, before heading straight for Wushan.

The mountain wasn't high, but the night was dark and the wind was strong, so climbing it wasn't easy.

The stone steps were steep and narrow. I climbed them in the dark and almost slipped several times. My hands hurt from scraping against the stone steps.

The small wound in his chest ached from the bumps, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself to climb to the top of the mountain.

The City God Temple was pitch black in the night, resembling a giant beast crouching atop a mountain.

Jiang Xun bypassed the main hall and arrived at a secluded woodshed behind the temple.

Pushing open the door, one finds a pile of dry grass and a broken incense table inside, with a small bundle hidden in the corner.

He had prepared these things yesterday: a water bag, dry food, wound medicine, and a change of clothes.

He had already planned his escape route.

Knowing his chances of winning the arena battle were slim, he had planned to secretly investigate the Meng residence to find out where the dragon crystal was hidden.

If discovered, escape to Wushan to hide.

I never expected it to cause such a commotion—not only was I caught in the act by Ye Qingying, but I also ran into a night raid by the Golden Feather Guards.

A few faint barks could be heard in the distance, then the sound faded away.

Jiang Xun lay down on the haystack and let out a long sigh. He'd rest for a while and talk to her again when it was light.

He closed his eyes, but his mind was a jumbled mess—Ye Qingying, the Golden Feather Guard, and Dragon Crystal…

In a daze, there was a sudden noise outside.

It was very light, like the wind passing through leaves, so subtle that it was almost inaudible.

But he had been in the martial arts world for so long that he was very familiar with that voice.

It was footsteps; someone was coming.

He suddenly opened his eyes, placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, and held his breath.

The door to the woodshed was pushed open from the outside.

The moonlight shone in, illuminating a thin figure—dressed in black, with a cold expression, and eyes that shone frighteningly bright in the darkness.

Tuoba Feng.

Jiang Xun was stunned.

"What are you doing—"

"I've been following you ever since I left the Meng residence." Tuoba Feng's voice was calm, as if he were talking about something trivial.

Jiang Xun felt a chill run down his spine.

Has he been following me ever since I left the Meng residence?

How come he didn't notice anything?

How skilled is this person in terms of lightness of movement?

"Why are you following me?" He sat up straight, his hand still on the hilt of his sword.

Tuoba Feng walked into the woodshed and stood opposite him.

The moonlight shone in from behind him, casting a long, dark shadow, like a drawn sword.

He stared straight at Jiang Xun and said, enunciating each word clearly: "Hand over the Dragon Crystal."

"I didn't take it," Jiang Xun denied without even thinking.

Tuoba Feng didn't say anything, he just looked at him.

His eyes were as calm as a stagnant pool, revealing neither belief nor disbelief.

"I'm serious." Jiang Xun spread his hands, his face sincere. "I don't even know what dragon crystals look like, how can I possibly offer them?"

Tuoba Feng remained silent.

The next instant, he suddenly made his move—without any warning, the sword was already drawn.

With a single, sharp thrust, the sword aimed straight for Jiang Xun's face.

Caught off guard, Jiang Xun dodged to the side, the sword energy grazing past his ear before embedding itself deeply into the wooden wall behind him with a "thud."

A few strands of hair fell onto her shoulder.

"You…" Jiang Xun stood up abruptly, sword in hand, a surge of anger rising from his feet. "Don't you have any sense of reason?"

Tuoba Feng did not answer, and struck again with his sword.

This sword strike was faster and more ruthless; the tip of the sword trembled, creating three sword flowers that targeted the throat, chest, and lower abdomen.

Jiang Xun had no time to think. He used the Azure Lotus Divine Art and his figure flickered, barely managing to dodge the attack.

With a flash of sword light, the Spring Water Sword Technique was unleashed, turning defense into offense.

The cramped woodshed was instantly filled with the glint of swords, and the dry grass was whipped up by the sword wind, flying everywhere like a golden snow.

Jiang Xun fought with increasing confidence, and all the frustration he felt when fighting Ye Qingying at the Meng residence was now released.

The swordplay was like flowing water, continuous and relentless, each move faster and more ruthless than the last.

After about forty moves, he suddenly felt something loosen inside his body.

That felt very strange.

Like stones blocking a riverbed being washed away by a flood, allowing the water to flow freely again.

Internal energy surged from the dantian, flowing down the meridians and into the sword, causing the sword tip to vibrate with a buzzing sound.

The sword's momentum suddenly changed; it was no longer the gentle flow of water, but the raging torrent of a rushing river.

Each sword strike carried immense power, the sword energy surging, causing the air in the entire woodshed to tremble.

Spring Water Sword Technique, Fifth Level, Azure Waves.

Jiang Xun himself was startled.

He had been practicing this sword technique for some time, but he was stuck at the fourth level and couldn't get past it, like there was a thin layer of paper between them that he couldn't break through no matter what he did.

I never expected that I would be forced into a fight by Tuoba Feng tonight, and I would break through to the next level without even realizing it.

The sword light shone brightly, and the air was thick with moisture, shrouding the entire woodshed in a hazy mist.

The moonlight refracted through the sword's gleam, shattering into countless shimmering fragments.

A hint of surprise flashed in Tuoba Feng's eyes, and his sword moves changed accordingly, becoming more ferocious than before, with each strike carrying the chill of the northern wind and snow.

He swept his sword horizontally, the sword energy like a crescent moon, slashing down at the waist.

Jiang Xun neither dodged nor yielded, but blocked with his longsword. The two swords collided, sparks flying.

He changed his move accordingly, sliding the tip of his sword down the opponent's blade to slash at Tuoba Feng's sword-wielding fingers—this was the "going with the flow" technique from the Spring Water Swordplay, using the opponent's force against them, a very clever move.

Tuoba Feng flicked his wrist, drew his sword back, and at the same time struck out with his left palm, the palm wind chilling.

The two moved swiftly and agilely within a small space, their swords clashing, the sound of metal striking metal as dense as rain.

After exchanging more than a dozen blows, they were evenly matched, neither able to gain the upper hand.