HPDBC Chapter 86: Chapter 83: Life and Death are Decided by Destiny (Third update, please subscribe!)_1
Chapter 86: Chapter 83: Life and Death are Decided by Destiny (Third update, please subscribe!)_1
At this moment, thirty miles outside Phoenix Sun City on a plain, a great number of martial artists had gathered.
For today was the day the number one on the Star Ranking, Qin Mu, and the eighth-ranked Gu Chen, had agreed to duel.
Even though a group of martial artists had recently perished at the hands of the demon sect, today, many bold warriors had come to witness the battle. After all, if Qin Mu and Gu Chen were not afraid, then they had even less to fear.
Moreover, as days passed, the lord of Anyang County had issued an order, and the defensive forces within Phoenix Sun City had been strengthened several times over than before, always vigilant against the possible reappearance of the demon sect's martial artists.
When the day was three bamboo sticks into the morning, a group of disciples from Sunset Sword Sect arrived here, led by a man in a crimson robe, handsome in appearance with a tall and slim figure, bright eyes, and a distinct air of profound and collected energy—it was Qin Mu.
Seeing that the appointed time had arrived and Gu Chen had still not appeared, Qin Mu couldn't help but slightly frown.
"Elder Brother Qin, this Gu Chen hasn't shown up yet, could he be scared?" asked Qian Yuan in a soft voice from behind Qin Mu.
Qin Mu remained silent, offering no response, and walked to the very center of the plain himself, waiting for Gu Chen's arrival.
He was also not worried about the Gang Qi Stage martial artist from the demon sect showing up again because an elder from Sunset Sword Sect was on the way; it wouldn't be long before he arrived, and if a warrior from the demon sect dared to appear again, Sunset Sword Sect would not be polite.
This was where Qin Mu's confidence lay; otherwise, knowing he was targeted by the demon sect, how could Qin Mu dare to challenge Gu Chen so brazenly—everything was well-prepared in advance.
Quickly, a quarter of an hour passed, and seeing that Gu Chen still had not appeared, even the martial artists who had come to watch began to discuss among themselves.
Among the crowd, Yu Qiushi, Huo Zhi, and Tang Ming were also present. On the day of the sword conference, when they saw the situation turning sour, they also managed to escape in time just like Qin Mu. And by some stroke of luck, although some disciples died, they too escaped.
After it was confirmed that Qi Changyun from Canghai Sect was the remnant of the demon sect, a major upheaval happened within Canghai Sect, and everyone related to Qi Changyun was detained.
Under normal circumstances, Yu Qiushi should have hurried back to his sect after such an incident, but upon hearing of the duel between Gu Chen and Qin Mu, he chose to stay.
After all, he had a profound understanding of Gu Chen's strength, having been effortlessly defeated by him, and he was also curious if Gu Chen could match Qin Mu.
At the same time, he wanted to know just how massive the gap between himself and these two was.
It could be said that among the many martial artists present, he was one of the very few who had confidence in Gu Chen, having experienced it firsthand.
Just as everyone was getting a bit impatient, at the end of the horizon, a figure finally appeared.
"It's Gu Chen."
"Gu Chen has arrived!"
As they saw the figure in the distance, dressed in a black robe with sword-like eyebrows stretching to his temples, all the martial artists began to shout excitedly.
Whoosh!
Gu Chen moved at an extremely fast pace, his steps light and swift. With each step he took, he left an afterimage in his wake, and in just a moment, he had approached the crowd.
Facing that version of me, you would stand even less of a chance, not even worthy to face me."
His implication was clear: Gu Chen should feel fortunate that Qin Mu was still in the Meridian Opening Stage.
Gu Chen nodded, clearly not taking the words to heart, an attitude which made Qin Mu extremely uncomfortable. Now that the life-and-death agreement was signed, there was nothing holding him back, and he promptly pointed a finger at Gu Chen.
The One Yang Sword Finger of Sunset Sword Sect!
If Qin Mu had reached the Outer Qi Stage, a casual flick of his finger could unleash a sharp sword qi to kill an enemy; even now, at close quarters, the power of this technique was not to be underestimated.
In the crowd, Yu Qiushi furrowed his brow. He knew well that Gu Chen's physical body was frighteningly powerful, easily delivering strikes with astonishing force. He must have trained in some advanced kind of body strengthening martial arts. It was indeed not a wise decision for Qin Mu to engage in close combat with Gu Chen.
At this stage, not even an inferior quality treasure weapon could harm Gu Chen, let alone Qin Mu's One Yang Sword Finger.
After all, though the One Yang Sword Finger was a superior martial art, Qin Mu's cultivation level meant that he had only just managed to scratch the surface of this technique.
Gu Chen's expression remained serene, his dark eyes undisturbed by any ripples as he faced Qin Mu's One Yang Sword Finger, responding with a casual punch.
Boom!
With that casual strike, the air in front of Gu Chen seemed to bear an immense pressure, exploding outward with a thunderous noise, sending a rush of air towards Qin Mu.
Feeling the force of the strike, Qin Mu's expression darkened, and he quickly withdrew his One Yang Sword Finger, hastily sidestepping the attack.
Even so, as the blast of air grazed him, it left Qin Mu with a stinging sensation on his cheek.
His abundant combat experience allowed him to recognize that Gu Chen possessed truly astonishing strength based on that one strike.
"I thought you had some trick up your sleeve, but it turns out you're a body cultivator," Qin Mu stated coldly. That one exchange told him he might truly not be a match for Gu Chen in close combat. Unfortunately for Gu Chen, the outstanding specialty of Sunset Sword Sect was swordplay, often the bane of body cultivators.
With a ring of metal, Qin Mu drew the long sword from his waist. The blade was three feet two inches long with clear patterns, its body flickering with a cold and forbidding light.
This sword had barely been revealed, without even being swung, yet many felt a chill down their spines, those closer feeling their hairs standing on end.
"A middle grade treasure weapon!"
Tang Ming, ranked second on the star ranking list, drew in a sharp breath. As expected of Sunset Sword Sect's chosen, he had indeed been gifted a middle grade treasure weapon.
The surrounding martial artists from the Jianghu widened their eyes; they couldn't even afford an inferior grade treasure weapon, let alone a middle grade one, which they had never even seen.
Gu Chen's eyes also flashed with a hint of surprise, not expecting Qin Mu to possess a middle grade treasure weapon. From the look of it, the sword was far superior to the Red Scaled Sword at his own waist.
He hadn't immediately struck to defeat Qin Mu because he wanted to know the extent of his own power. Given how much it had grown, it was difficult to find peers who could withstand a strike from him. Qin Mu was a suitable candidate for testing his prowess.
Now aware of Gu Chen's difficulty, Qin Mu hesitated no more, preparing to finish Gu Chen with one blow.
"Shaoyang Sword Skill!"