I Can Devour Spirits

Chapter 130: Chapter 130: The Black Hand

As Hong Yan moved, like some kind of signal, shadows flitted and intertwined within both camps,

A group of Escort Masters, almost simultaneously stepped onto their stirrups, leaped off their horses, and drew their blades towards the opposition!

The crisp sounds of weapon clashes resonated instantly!

Sun Huang, though witnessing Hong Yan’s airborne spear gaining an advantage, showed no fear and similarly leaped into the air, slashing down with a saber.

Sun Huang not only faced Hong Yan head-on but initiated a hard-fought tactic!

The weapons clashed, both figures momentarily paused, then fell from midair!

Sun Huang touched down with his toes, his body moved again, and swung his saber horizontally at the unsteady Hong Yan.

Hong Yan retreated half a step, eyes filled with bitter intention, his spear trembled like a dragon, pointing towards Sun Huang’s saber...

Duan Rong also leaped into the fray from the start of the battle, seizing the opportunity, he intercepted a gray-haired elder!

This elder was also at the Inner Breath Realm Second Level. Though vigorous in spirit, he was full of wrinkles, with greying hair and beard, fighting with the effort of an old ox plowing a field, feeling quite strained!

If Duan Rong exerted all his might, he could immediately defeat the elder, but he didn’t want to reveal his true strength, so he fought steadily, entangled with the old man. Observing the surface, the two exchanged flashing saber glints in an evenly matched duel...

Liu Ao’s expression was as hard as stone, as he was besieged by two middle-aged men!

These two were of similar stature and even their appearances strikingly similar, seemingly brothers.

Both were at the Inner Breath Second Level, whereas Liu Ao’s cultivation was at the Third Level of Inner Breath Minor Success Realm, originally expected to suppress them. Yet, their cultivation techniques resonated with each other, cooperating with seamless perfection!

Liu Ao could not take on both for the moment but wasn’t in haste. His eyes were like cold, emotionless serpents!

While entangled with the duo, Liu Ao paid attention to the complementary style of their cultivation techniques, gradually uncovering the flaw!

Their movements were clever, but after a set of moves, their figures had to intertwine and hit from opposite directions, leaving an opening in that fleeting moment.

Though Liu Ao discovered the flaw, he didn’t strike immediately, still awaiting another opportunity...

Liu Ao occasionally glanced at the battle behind him...

Not far behind Liu Ao was Duan Rong tangling with the elder, and Liu Ao was watching this side of the battle...

Suddenly, Liu Ao’s eyes shifted, his wrist twisted, the saber gleamed, swiftly severing three fingers off one brother’s right hand!

The fingers fell to the ground, and the saber in his hand dropped from his grip!

While the saber was still in mid-air, Liu Ao suddenly reversed the blade, striking the handle’s end of the dropped saber with the back of his blade, with a clink, sending it flying askew...

Amidst the fierce clash, a cold glint shot from the saber light, speeding rapidly, aiming at Duan Rong’s back!

Duan Rong caught it in the corner of his eye, feeling a chill spread to his soul!

Even the elder opposite Duan Rong saw the cold glint shooting at Duan Rong’s back!

The elder’s eyes gleamed sharply, his sleeve shook, suddenly releasing a crossbow arrow from his sleeve, targeting Duan Rong’s throat!

Two streaks of cold light, one large, one small, assaulted from both front and back like lightning!

Faced with mortality, Duan Rong’s heart became calm as a still lake, his eyes bright and clean, revealing focused and composed resolve.

His body suddenly twisted like a serpent, side-stepping with a slight backward tilt, his right wrist turning rapidly at an uncanny angle, the saber brushing close to his face, creating a saber flourish! The icy blade even grazed past Duan Rong’s nose tip!

The crossbow arrow and saber edge formed a triangle, simultaneously shooting towards Duan Rong’s face and chest, but collided perfectly with the saber flourish, with two clinks, deflecting back!

Duan Rong shifted sideward, then slightly tilted back using the Cloud Serpent Step body technique, holding back further action amidst the chaotic melee, making it hard to notice!

His wrist twisted out the saber flourish using the Bone Shrinking Technique, further concealing his method. Even someone versed in Bone Shrinking Technique would find it difficult to discern amidst such chaos.

Regarding the saber flourish technique, seemingly ordinary, it actually combined Abi Saber Technique and Wild Bull Saber Technique, as the saber spun rapidly while avoiding his nose, the blade traversing a steep and winding curve, perfectly dodging his nose!

This curve seemed ordinary, but its execution in such confined space, refined to perfection, was indeed a remarkable move!

Though Duan Rong had absorbed the Wild Bull Saber Technique and Abi Saber Technique, he didn’t have time to study their integration. Instinctively in this life-and-death refining moment, he executed them effortlessly!

It was a realization under duress!

Duan Rong narrowly escaped the kill move, nearly using all his trump cards; missing one would have cost him his life or forced self-mutilation to survive...

Duan Rong evaded the fatal strike, feeling fury rise in his heart, briefly glanced at Liu Ao, then glared at the elder before him, saber gleaming, ready to eliminate the elder first.

But just then, a loud shout from within the battleground: ”Stop!”

Hong Yan jumped aside, wielding his spear, loudly calling for a ceasefire, and Sun Huang raised his left hand, signaling the Escort Masters to halt their advance!

Hong Yan’s men all retreated, leaping away, and seeing Sun Huang unmoved, the Escort Masters ceased their attacks.

Hong Yan glanced at Sun Huang, saying, ”Escort Leader Sun! For the sake of an immoral fellow, such dire combat between us is truly undeserving!”

Sun Huang discerned Hong Yan’s intent to retreat, responded strategically: ”I’m bound by duty and cannot avoid it! Brother Hong, both of us possess equivalent strength; continuing this battle will surely bring mutual destruction, which is truly unwise!”

”What Escort Leader Sun says stands true, brother. Farewell for now! When we meet in Jianghu again, Hong will compete against Escort Leader Sun to settle this!” Hong Yan said, turning to his men, ”Brothers, withdraw!”

In truth, both Hong Yan and Sun Huang were observing the battle’s progress.

Hong Yan’s side suffered severe injuries, with fingers severed, partial limbs broken, ears cut off, clearly receiving more damage than the Escort Team. Further fighting would only escalate injuries.

On the Escort Team’s side, Escort Master Luo Fanglong’s shoulder was wounded, and Intern Escort Master Lu Feng’s left arm pierced, while the rest were unharmed, clearly sustaining far fewer losses!

Hong Yan’s group mounted their horses and departed, a middle-aged man picked up a severed half limb from the roadside, bit into it, mounted single-handedly, and followed the departing team...

Hong Yan mounted, sighing inwardly, he had indeed tried his best; with the brothers injured this way, even the Patriarch might have no grievance.

Hong Yan was risking his men’s lives for a better account before the Wang Family Patriarch! Aware of his side’s inferiority to Yuan Shun Escort Agency, yet executing this bitter sacrifice tactic!