Chapter 218: Daga Kotowaru
Li Sushang squinted at the massive crystalline structure towering before her. A thick layer of grime and dust coated its faceted surface, completely obscuring the identity of the figure trapped within. Yet, her gaze immediately locked onto a distinct silhouette encased alongside the mysterious person. It was a Xuanyuan Sword. She would recognize that legendary weapon anywhere; its design was etched into her very soul.
Instinctively, her hand drifted to her waist, brushing against the coarse cloth wrapping her own Xuanyuan Sword. She swallowed hard, a lump forming in her throat. Who on earth was this person? And what kind of terrifying power had sealed them inside this impenetrable crystal prison?
Driven by curiosity, she stepped closer and rapped her knuckles against the purple surface. The material was entirely foreign to her, cold to the touch and impossibly dense.
Thump...
A deep, rhythmic vibration echoed from within, like the beating of a dormant heart.
Crack...
Li Sushang froze. The next heartbeat brought with it a sharp, distinct fracturing noise. Right before her eyes, a jagged fissure bloomed from the very center of the crystal, spiderwebbing outward toward the surface.
She immediately darted two steps backward, her combat instincts flaring to life. Her slender fingers clamped tightly around the hilt of her wrapped blade, her eyes wide and fixed on the fracturing monolith. Even with her peerless martial arts and exceptional talent, the sheer supernatural weight of the situation sent a chill down her spine.
Crack... crack...
The fractures multiplied with terrifying speed, spreading like a web of lightning through the purple prison. Then, abrupt silence. The structural integrity had reached its absolute limit.
Li Sushang held her breath, her chest tight. A single bead of cold sweat traced a path down her temple, splashing softly against the dry earth.
In the next fraction of a second, the crystal violently detonated. Shards of purple energy blasted outward in a blinding shockwave, scattering into fine dust and finally revealing the true face of the prisoner within.
"I didn't expect it to actually succeed..." a low, masculine voice murmured through the settling dust.
Rovel slowly opened his eyes, flexing his hands. He had taken a massive gamble, using the Liangyi Immortal Art to forcibly fuse his own internal energy with the volatile Honkai Energy ravaging his system. The desperate maneuver had paid off brilliantly. Not only had he absorbed the corrupting energy that threatened to erode his physical form, but the fusion had sparked a heaven-defying qualitative evolution in his inner strength.
He clenched his fist, feeling the explosive power coursing through his veins. If he ever crossed paths with that Emperor-class Taotie beast again, he was absolutely certain he could pummel it to a bloody pulp in three punches. And if he couldn't? Well, he'd gladly swallow a bomb.
"Are... are you a human or a ghost?"
A tentative, melodic voice broke his train of thought. Rovel lifted his gaze, and his confident smirk instantly vanished, replaced by a look of sheer bewilderment.
Standing just a few paces away was a young girl with familiar features. Why was Li Sushang here? Just how long had he been trapped in a meditative trance?
A faint dusting of pink colored Li Sushang's cheeks. Taking in Rovel's striking, handsome features, the lingering dread in her chest quickly evaporated.
Oblivious to her reaction, Rovel scanned the shattered remnants of the purple crystal scattered around his boots, then glanced at the Xuanyuan Sword resting faithfully by his side. His brows knit together in deep thought. These crystalline fragments looked awfully familiar. They bore a striking resemblance to the structures he had smashed apart inside the belly of the Judgment-class Honkai Beast, Chiyou.
Was this a seal? Had he been locked away in suspended animation for decades?
His eyes widened a fraction as a realization hit him. Was this Red Kite's doing? But knowing Fu Hua's ruthless efficiency during this era, shouldn't she have executed him on the spot the moment she saw him succumbing to Honkai corruption? What on earth could have convinced the stoic immortal to spare his life and seal him instead?
Rovel shifted his intense gaze back to the young swordswoman. Catching his stare, Li Sushang jumped slightly, her posture stiffening.
"What is your name?" he asked, his tone smooth and composed.
"I... my name is Li Sushang," she stammered, her usually sharp tongue suddenly feeling heavy under his unwavering attention.
Rovel mentally sighed. So it wasn't merely a coincidental resemblance. He really had been sealed away by Red Kite for decades, waking up in an entirely different era.
"Senior, who might you be?" Li Sushang ventured, noting the deep, contemplative look on his face.
Rovel straightened his posture, projecting an aura of calm authority. "I am the second disciple of the Taixu Sword Sect, Fang Ruobai."
"The Taixu Sword Sect?" Li Sushang's eyes practically sparkled like polished gemstones. "Then it seems we share the same roots!"
That perfectly explained why this mysterious man possessed a Xuanyuan Sword.
"I am the eldest disciple of the Wushuang Sect," she declared proudly, puffing out her chest. "My master is Cheng Lingshuang, the fifth disciple of the Immortal Red Kite. Since you are from the Taixu Sword Sect, your master must be Martial Aunt Chaoyu, right? Martial Aunt Lin Chaoyu is the head disciple of the Immortal Red Kite."
"Seeing that you appear slightly older than me, I shall call you Senior Brother Rovel." Having swiftly calculated their martial hierarchy, Li Sushang respectfully cupped her hands and bowed toward him.
She was absolutely thrilled. To think she would stumble upon a senior brother from the exact same martial lineage while out on a simple sword-testing journey!
Rovel kept his expression perfectly neutral, choosing not to correct her assumptions. Her enthusiastic introduction had just handed him a wealth of critical information. The Seven Swords of Taixu had still fractured. Lin Chaoyu had still gone on to rebuild the Taixu Sword Sect, and the peerless genius Cheng Lingshuang had still traveled to the harsh lands of Mobei to establish the Wushuang Sect.
Which meant... the tragic master-slaying incident had still occurred.
A fleeting shadow passed over Rovel's eyes. Despite all his efforts, it seemed his presence in this era hadn't been enough to alter the tragic fate of Mount Taixu.
Pushing down the bitter realization, he decided to probe further, needing to confirm the exact timeline. "Red Kite... where is she now?"
"Grandmaster Red Kite?" Li Sushang blinked owlishly, tilting her head. "The legends of the Jianghu say she reached absolute perfection in her cultivation twenty years ago and ascended to immortality."
She stared at Rovel in mild disbelief. She always considered herself woefully out of touch with current events, usually relying on the exaggerated tales of teahouse storytellers to learn about the martial world. She certainly hadn't expected this senior brother to be even more clueless than she was.
Still, the name 'Fang Ruobai'... it tickled the back of her mind. Had she heard a storyteller mention it before? Could this handsome Senior Brother Rovel actually be a legendary figure of the martial world?
"Senior Brother, how exactly did you end up sealed inside that crystal?" Li Sushang asked, her curiosity bubbling over.
"...I honestly don't know," Rovel replied, shaking his head slowly.
He stepped forward and stretched his limbs, his joints popping satisfyingly. The ominous purple markings that had previously marred his flesh were completely gone. His skin, once deathly pale from severe Honkai erosion, had regained its healthy, vibrant tone. Even better, he could feel the Honkai Energy within him flowing with a smooth, obedient rhythm, completely under his absolute command.
Had his body evolved? Was he now functioning on the level of a Pseudo-Herrscher?
Pushing the theory aside for later, he bent down, retrieved his Xuanyuan Sword from the dirt, and securely strapped it across his back.
"Then, Senior Brother, what brings you to the territory of the Golden Sand Gang?" Li Sushang pressed, eager to solve the mystery.
"The Golden Sand Gang?" Rovel paused, a massive, invisible question mark forming above his head. "What on earth is that?"
Li Sushang stared at him, completely rendered speechless. Seeing his genuine confusion, she seriously began to wonder if he had suffered a severe blow to the head while trapped inside that crystal.
"Sigh, never mind..." She waved her hand dismissively before her expression brightened, suddenly remembering her original objective. "Senior Brother, I wonder... how good is your martial strength?"
"It should be... decent enough," Rovel replied with an ambiguous, modest shrug.
"I thought so! After all, you carry a Xuanyuan Sword, which means you must be Martial Aunt Chaoyu's personal disciple, right? Your strength definitely can't be bad." Li Sushang clasped her palms together in front of her chest, closing one eye in a cute, pleading gesture. "Could I ask you for a tiny favor?"
"Feel free to speak," Rovel nodded, amused by her antics.
"I came out here this time to test my sword skills. My master tasked me with assassinating the leader of the Golden Sand Gang. The problem is, there are over a hundred thugs in their ranks. If I go in alone, cutting them down one by one is going to be incredibly tedious." Li Sushang scratched her cheek sheepishly. "So..."
"You want me to run interference and create an opening so you can duel the Golden Sand Gang's leader one-on-one, right?" Rovel finished her thought, nodding in perfect understanding.
"Exactly! That's it!" Li Sushang beamed, nodding vigorously.
"That doesn't sound too difficult..." Rovel mused, rubbing his chin as if he were fully prepared to agree.
"In that case, let's go—"
"But I refuse!" Rovel interjected sharply, cutting her off before she could even take a step.
Li Sushang froze.
Rovel's posture shifted, his facial features suddenly casting dramatic, sharply defined shadows as he looked down at her. "One of the things I, Fang Ruobai, love to do most is to look down upon those who think they have the upper hand, and say 'No' straight to their faces."
"Eh?" Li Sushang let out a confused squeak, completely derailed by his sudden, intense shift in personality. She couldn't fathom why this senior brother, who had been perfectly amiable just a second ago, was suddenly acting so bizarrely dramatic.
"Since you practice the Taixu Sword Qi, the absolute supreme martial art of the cultivation world, you shouldn't have to worry about a bunch of mere gang members," Rovel stated matter-of-factly, dropping the dramatic pose.
"But it'll still be super troublesome with that many people..." Li Sushang crossed her arms over her chest and puffed out her cheeks in a childish pout. Even though the Taixu Sword Qi granted her an overwhelming advantage against ordinary cultivators, dealing with endless waves of cannon fodder rushing her from all sides would be incredibly annoying.
"Troublesome? Just kill them all, right? It's only a hundred or so people." Rovel shrugged nonchalantly, casually delivering a statement that was nothing short of terrifying.
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