Chapter 296
After Chan An finished speaking, there was another sword cry. The sword body trembled slightly, as if confirming its master’s impatience. But Chan An still didn’t look at it. He was still talking to Qingge Ji, “Look, since I’m here, I have to do something. Of course, it’s okay not to do anything… In any case, the choice is yours. Do you want to leave, or follow this ice block back to the Zhengqing Sect?”
He seemed to be asking a rhetorical question. Qingge Ji looked at him with an expression that questioned his intelligence. Was this a question of whether she wanted to leave? Qingge Ji really wanted to say something to retort at the Daoist, but when she met his calm eyes, she hesitated again. She opened her mouth but no sound came out. But Chan An already knew the answer.
He clapped his hands, turned around, and for the first time, met the eyes of the “ice block” he mentioned. They were slightly orange-red pupils. Qingli Chu looked directly at him, her long sword slightly raised. “Get out of the way, or die,” she uttered a few words, not as a negotiation, but as a declaration. A vast sword intent and aura surged towards them, making it hard to breathe.
Chan An took two steps, blocking in front of Qingge Ji and Chichi Su. He also blocked the tangible sword intent. His back didn’t appear particularly tall, just a normal person’s build, but it was enough to completely shield them, just barely sufficient.
“You are Foundation Establishment, and so am I,” Chan An suddenly asked. “Why do you always think you can easily handle me?”
Qingli Chu’s eyes shifted. If it were in the past, she would have been too lazy to answer. But today, her mind was a little chaotic, and she didn’t want to kill anyone, so she explained, hoping to make the Daoist retreat. “Below Golden Core, I have never lost,” was the woman’s reply. Eight simple words, showcasing her confidence and backing.
Upon hearing this, Chan An raised an eyebrow. “What, are you also invincible within your realm?” This question was rather nonsensical, and even Qingge Ji looked peculiar when she heard it. Qingli Chu slightly raised her chin. “If you put it that way, it’s not wrong.”
Before her words fell, her long sword had already been thrust out. She had already said too many unnecessary words today. Since the other party was unwilling to retreat, it was best to fight first. As for introducing oneself and shouting before a fight, Qingli Chu had no such habit. She only knew that the winner was the one who had the right to speak. This was a truth she had understood since childhood.
The sword body shone like water, just like Qingli Chu’s eyes, which only saw victory and defeat. Chan An stood in place, not dodging. Behind him were two lives; he could not and would not dodge.
Was he spacing out? Looking at the stunned man before her, Qingli Chu had a fleeting thought. However, she had never bothered with chivalry when fighting. So, she tightened her grip on the long sword, and her whole body, along with the sword, exploded with astonishing speed in mid-air. In the blink of an eye, the sword tip had already reached Chan An’s chest.
She didn’t aim for the heart. Qingli Chu didn’t intend to kill. She thought she would injure the Daoist, toss him aside, and then take the fox demon back to the sect. At this moment, Chan An seemed to snap back to reality, his eyeballs moving slightly. The long sword stopped one centimeter from his chest, unable to advance further.
“Not bad, what sword is this?” Chan An looked curious. He stepped forward, and under Qingli Chu’s shocked gaze, took the sword from her hand. Time and space seemed to come to a standstill at this moment. Qingli Chu’s body was stiff, only her mind was racing. What kind of technique was this, to be able to control time and space… It was unheard of, and extremely bizarre. She circulated her cultivation technique with all her might, even her skin oozing with a faint, unusual crimson hue. Yet, she still couldn’t move.
“Don’t be nervous,” Chan An smiled and comforted her. “You haven’t seen this before, have you? I call this move ‘Time Stop’, doesn’t that word sound fresh?” “But actually, in my world, this word is almost overused, but there’s no helping it, since it just fits so perfectly.”
Chan An held the sword and looked at it for a while, then returned it. He held Qingli Chu’s hand, placing the sword back into her fingers. After he finished doing all this, Chan An said, “Hold it steady. Your sword strike just now was too fast. Let’s do it again, I want to learn.” “I don’t know any sword techniques yet, please help me.”
Upon hearing his words, Qingli Chu’s mind felt a bit muddled. What did he mean by doing it again? What did he mean by learning? Did he think this was like eating or drinking water?! Even with her usually cold demeanor, she couldn’t help but inwardly complain furiously. But Chan An spoke very seriously, completely unlike someone joking. The scene began to rewind.
“Actually, you’ve already taught me the Demon Trapping Array, but I’m a bit greedy and want to learn a bit more, so that I won’t have nothing to teach my disciples in the future, which would tarnish my image as a master,” Chan An said with a smile. “So, please help me.”
…
…
One sword, and then another. As his sleeves fluttered, countless sword lights flashed. From nervousness and caution at the beginning, to numb repetition later on. Qingli Chu was like a controlled toy, her eyes losing their luster. This “Time Stop” was too outrageous… It was as if every punch she threw landed on thin air; no matter how much strength or sword skill she had, it was all in vain. To put it bluntly, she couldn’t even touch Chan An. This bizarre scene truly filled Qingli Chu with fear.
Finally, she exhausted all the spiritual energy in her body and fell to the ground. Her delicate body trembled slightly, but she stubbornly raised her head, looking directly at Chan An. There weren’t many emotions in her eyes, only defiance. She felt that she had not lost.
The annex fell silent, with only the woman’s panting sounds remaining. Chan An stood in place, lost in thought. This was because his consciousness had sunk into a storage bag. The storage bag contained many things. There were all sorts of weapons, flashy clothing, and of course, the most numerous were the oddly colored bottles and jars. These were all obtained by Chan An from the Demonic Path cultivators after he massacred Su Family Village. He also found a book titled “One Hundred Methods to Subdue Female Sword Immortals” inside. The book described the process of subduing female Sword Immortals in great detail. At the end of the book, there was a sentence: “Using it with the specially made Immortal Binding Rope and Immortal Suppressing Powder yields even better results. (Recorded in Shenzhou year 223: This Immortal Suppressing Powder is ineffective against cultivators above Golden Core).” The bad news was that Chan An didn’t know how to make these two items. The good news was that there were ready-made ones in the storage bag. Well, one could only say that everything happened just perfectly. However, he felt that the Immortal Suppressing Powder was a bit off, so Chan An only took out the Immortal Binding Rope. A red rope appeared in his hand. Then, with a thought from Chan An, the red rope flew out of his hand towards the female Sword Immortal who had lost her strength. In less than three seconds, she was tightly bound.
After he finished doing all this, Chan An turned around. Qingge Ji stared blankly at the scene unfolding before her, her mouth agape like a startled hen. This Daoist… why did he even tie her up? And it was the prodigy of the Zhengqing Sect. Her eyes were complicated, and she found it difficult to comment for a moment. As for Chichi Su, she wasn’t worried at all. She had never thought her master would lose.
Chan An walked over, took Chichi Su’s small hand, and said only a few words. “Returning your freedom.” “You and I are fated to part ways.”
(End of this chapter)
