From Fanwu to Xinghai

Chapter 13 Three-Way Melee

The night wind howled, and the rocks in the wilderness were shattered by the sword energy.

Yingqi clutched the wound on her shoulder, her gaze cold and sinister.

"Ye Jiuge." He pronounced the name slowly and deliberately, as if squeezing it out from between his teeth.

The mysterious man in black, Ye Jiuge, merely tilted his head slightly upon hearing this.

"What? You remember now?" Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chilling aura. "Back then, you personally wiped out my entire Ye family. You probably didn't expect there would be any survivors, did you?"

Lin Chen watched this scene from a distance, his heart trembling.

The entire Ye family... wiped out...

Shadow Seven... Dark Blade Pavilion...

Before he could think it through, the battle had already broken out.

Ye Jiuge moved swiftly, so fast that even Lin Chen's spiritual cultivation level perception could only catch a blurry afterimage. The short sword drew a silver arc in the moonlight, aiming straight for Ying Qi's throat.

Ying Qi snorted coldly, his right hand forming a claw, black spiritual power condensing in his palm, transforming into a ghostly hand that gripped the short sword tightly.

"Back then, your Ye family was just as overconfident," he sneered. "With only Foundation Establishment cultivation, you dared to act so presumptuously in front of the Dark Blade Pavilion."

"The Ye family's downfall was entirely their own fault."

A hint of madness flashed in Ye Jiuge's eyes.

"Yeah?"

She suddenly pulled a strand of extremely fine silver thread from her sleeve with her left hand and silently wrapped it around Ying Qi's wrist.

Yingqi's expression changed drastically.

"Silkworm silk?!"

He hastily retreated, but the silver threads had already wrapped around him like living things, spreading wildly up his arm.

"You think the Ye family only had cultivators back then?" Ye Jiuge's voice was icy cold. "You only saw the cultivation aspect of the Ye family's three-hundred-year-old hidden weapon technique."

"You'll never understand your other half."

The silver threads suddenly tightened.

Ying Qi groaned as his spiritual energy shield was torn apart by the Heavenly Silkworm Silk, and blood dripped down the silver threads.

"Despicable!" he roared, his spiritual power surging, forcefully shattering the silver threads.

Ye Jiuge had retreated to a safe area, a cold smile playing on his lips, like a hunter looking down at his prey who had fallen into a trap.

Ying Qi looked at the deep, bone-revealing wound on his arm. The Heavenly Silkworm Silk had actually broken through his three layers of spiritual energy shield. If he hadn't reacted quickly, his entire arm would have been ruined.

"You're stronger than I thought," he whispered, "but not enough."

He looked up at Uncle Chen.

"Senior brother, do you think finding an accomplice will turn the tide?"

"None of you are leaving today!"

Chen Bo remained silent, gripping the Cheng Ying sword tightly, the runes on the sword shining brightly.

"Lin Chen," he whispered, "I'll create an opportunity for you later. Do you see that cave entrance hidden by vines to the east of the pile of rocks?"

Lin Chen followed the gaze and nodded, "I saw it."

"Alright." Uncle Chen said calmly, "Ye Jiuge and I will hold off Ying Qi together. You should immediately retreat from the cave entrance."

"The cave entrance connects to an underground river. If you go downstream, you can reach Willow River Town, south of Cloud City. There, find a shop called 'Wanbaozhai' and just tell them my name."

"The manager of Wanbaozhai is an old acquaintance of mine; he will take care of you."

Lin Chen remained silent.

"Master..."

"Stop being so wishy-washy," Uncle Chen interrupted him. "You've just broken through to the Qi Refining stage of the Spirit Cultivation Realm. Getting involved in a battle at this level will only lead to your death."

"Living is more important than anything else."

Lin Chen gritted his teeth.

He was unwilling to abandon his master to fight against the peak Spirit Cultivation Realm assassin alone, but he also knew that staying would only be a burden to everyone.

"Master, you must live."

Chen Bo was slightly taken aback, then smiled.

"Don't worry, your master is very resilient."

The fierce battle resumes.

Chen Bo and Ye Jiuge attacked from both sides, their swords flashing and blades clashing, completely enveloping Ying Qi.

The Cheng Ying Sword is an ancient relic. The runes on its blade can suppress the flow of spiritual energy. Every time Ying Qi tries to unleash his full power, the rune array forcibly suppresses it.

Ye Jiuge's attacks were unpredictable, and her Heavenly Silkworm Silk appeared and disappeared unpredictably, constantly draining Ying Qi's physical strength and mental energy.

The two gradually developed a better understanding of each other, and Shadow Seven slowly fell into a disadvantageous position.

"Damn it!" he roared, "You think you can kill me like this?"

He suddenly bit his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Black spiritual energy surged like a tsunami, transforming into a gigantic, ghostly figure, baring its fangs and claws, exuding terrifying pressure.

"Netherworld Blood Curse!" Ye Jiuge's expression changed drastically. "Are you insane! This technique burns away one's lifespan!"

"At worst, I'll just lose twenty years of my life!" Shadow Seven roared. "You're all going to die tonight!"

The ghostly figure suddenly lunged out.

Chen Bo blocked with his sword, and the runic light of Cheng Ying Sword collided with the ghostly shadow, emitting a piercing buzz.

He was so shocked that he staggered back three steps, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Ye Jiuge's Heavenly Silkworm Silk wrapped around the ghostly shadow, but it was instantly burned away by the ghostly shadow's black flames.

"Retreat!" Chen Bo shouted sternly.

The two retreated simultaneously.

Lin Chen was extremely anxious. The power of the Netherworld Blood Curse was too strong, and his master and his companion were no match for it.

Just then, the Time Compass in his hand suddenly vibrated violently, and golden light burst forth, illuminating his face.

A voice resounded from the depths of my mind—

"Observer, you need power."

The voice did not belong to Uncle Chen, nor to Ye Jiuge; it seemed to come from a distant time and space, drifting from the end of the river of time.

"I can grant you power once," the voice said, "but at the cost of three days of your lifespan."

Lin Chen did not hesitate for a moment.

"make a deal!"

In an instant, a strange power swept over his entire body, the mark between his brows suddenly lit up, and the projection of the River of Time appeared behind him—a vast river formed by countless golden points of light, flowing endlessly.

It was a fleeting moment, yet it left all three people present utterly stunned.

Ying Qi turned around abruptly, his pupils shrinking.

"What...what is this?!"

Lin Chen's right eye turned golden.

In his vision, everything was slowed down—Ye Jiuge's blade, Ying Qi's ghostly figure, Chen Bo's retreating steps... all as if they were being slowed down.

Time slows down.

A more powerful time deceleration than ever before!

He saw through Shadow Seven's weakness at a glance—a tiny crack had appeared in the spiritual energy shield on the left side of the Netherworld Ghost Shadow due to the side effects of the Netherworld Blood Curse.

"Master! Left side!" Lin Chen shouted sharply.

Chen Bo reacted swiftly, and Cheng Ying Sword transformed into a streak of light, piercing straight into Ying Qi's left rib.

Shadow Seven instinctively dodged, but the backlash from the Netherworld Blood Curse slowed him down by half a beat.

puff!

The Cheng Ying sword pierced into flesh and blood.

Blood splattered.

"Ah—!" Shadow Seven let out a shrill scream, and the ghostly shadow instantly dissipated.

He staggered backward, clutching his wound, his face ashen.

"You…" He stared intently at Lin Chen, his eyes filled with shock and fear, "What… what was that power just now?!"

Lin Chen did not respond. The time slowing effect faded, his right eye returned to normal, and a strong dizziness struck him—a side effect of the depletion of his lifespan.

He swayed and nearly fell over.

"Walk!"

Uncle Chen grabbed his shoulder and rushed toward the entrance of the secret passage.

Ye Jiuge followed closely behind, and in the instant of retreat, she threw out several hidden weapons to block Ying Qi's pursuit route.

"Don't run!" Shadow Seven roared, but with his serious injuries, he was powerless to give chase.

"I'll remember you!" His voice echoed in the night wind, filled with resentment and bitterness. "The Dark Blade Pavilion will never let you go!"

Inside the secret passage, the three moved forward at high speed.

Chen Bo supported Lin Chen with one hand and carried the Cheng Ying sword in the other, his steps steady. Ye Jiuge brought up the rear, alert to any movement behind them.

"Thank you." Uncle Chen said without turning his head.

"No need to thank me," Ye Jiuge said coldly. "I'm helping you only to kill Ying Qi, not to save you."

"But I failed to kill him tonight." She paused. "Next time, I won't fail again."

Uncle Chen remained silent, looking down at the boy in his arms. Lin Chen's face was ashen, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and his breathing was weak.

"What's wrong with him?" Ye Jiuge noticed something was wrong.

"His lifespan has been overdrawn." Uncle Chen's voice was deep. "He just used a special method to consume his lifespan in exchange for power."

"His lifespan is overdrawn?" Ye Jiuge frowned. "He's only sixteen..."

"Sixteen years old," Uncle Chen repeated, his tone filled with heartache. "At this age, one should be studying in school and playing in the streets."

"But he had already become accustomed to killing and death."

Ye Jiuge remained silent.

Only the sound of footsteps and the wind remained in the secret passage.

Fifteen minutes later, the three arrived at the underground river. The water was dark and icy, gushing from the rock walls and flowing into the distance.

"If you go downstream from here, you can reach Liuhe Town in half a day," Uncle Chen said.

He looked at Ye Jiuge: "And you?"

Ye Jiuge pondered for a moment: "I'm going to investigate something. Ying Qi said that this time it was the Pavilion Master who personally named him... The Pavilion Master of the Dark Blade Pavilion hasn't made a move for many years."

Why would he be so concerned about a sixteen-year-old boy?

Uncle Chen shook his head: "That's what I want to know too."

Ye Jiuge gave Lin Chen a deep look.

"You're hiding a secret, kid," she said. "The bigger the secret, the greater the danger."

"I hope you live to see the day the secret is revealed."

As soon as he finished speaking, he flashed and disappeared into the depths of the secret passage.

Uncle Chen stared in the direction she had left, remaining silent for a long time.

"Let's go." He carried Lin Chen on his back and stepped into the dark river.

The icy river water was above knee-deep, and in the darkness, only Uncle Chen's steady footsteps could be heard.

Lin Chen was half-conscious, vaguely hearing the sound of water. In his hazy state of mind, images kept flashing through his mind—

Burning cities, collapsing earth, and a faint shadow at the end of the river of time.

That shadow... was watching him.

As if waiting for something.

"Observer..." The voice from the depths of time resounded once more, "I am very satisfied with your performance tonight."

"But remember, time is never free. The power you gain by trading three days of your lifespan must be repaid at an equal price."

"The way to repay is through growth."

"Only by becoming stronger can we make up for the time we've lost."

"otherwise……"

The sound dissipated.

Lin Chen was completely plunged into darkness.

Liuhe Town, early morning.

Sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone on the cobblestone streets of the town.

Inside Wanbaozhai, the manager, who was in his fifties, was dozing off behind the counter.

The wind chimes at the door tinkled softly.

He opened his eyes and saw a middle-aged man, soaking wet, carrying an unconscious boy into the room. His expression changed drastically.

"Brother Chen... Brother Chen?!"

Uncle Chen placed Lin Chen on a chair and leaned wearily against the counter.

"Old Zhou, could you look after him for a few days?" he said. "He suffered internal injuries and needs to rest."

Zhou Quan, the manager of Wanbaozhai, quickly stepped forward, placed his fingertips on Lin Chen's pulse, and after a moment his expression became serious.

"Lifespan overdrawn by three days... spiritual energy depleted... minor damage to meridians..." he muttered to himself, "What exactly did this child go through?"

"Don't ask anymore," Uncle Chen said. "I'm going out for a while, I'll be back in three days at most."

"He's awake. Tell him—live on."

Zhou Quan opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Uncle Chen had already turned and left.

The wind chimes tinkled softly again, and sunlight fell on the doorframe, bringing a touch of warmth.

Zhou Quan looked at the unconscious boy on the chair and sighed softly.

"It's you again, old man, dragging people into this..." he muttered under his breath. "What happened to that kid you brought last time?"

He shook his head, stopped thinking about it, turned around and took out a wooden box from behind the counter, and began to prepare medicine for treating his injuries.