Chapter 1 Sky Still Grey

The sky was still overcast.

A palpable killing intent permeated the streets of Linlu Town, defying even the piercing north wind.

Within the wind's howl, within the murderous array…

The seven figures stood poised, arrows nocked.

Beyond the battle circle, Oda Ai and Sasaki Mei were vigilantly observing their surroundings... They knew the real threat lay only with the players; as for the Jianghu figures... they could never be a match for Heyang Xinci.

Whoosh—

In that instant, the wind ceased.

And then, the swords moved.

The first to draw her sword was Poison Spider Sword, Tang Ling.

She was the only female swordsman among the Five Great Swordsmen, renowned for her exceptional lightness skills, unpredictable swordsmanship, and unparalleled poison techniques. Sometimes... she didn't even need to wound her opponent with her sword to deliver death.

In the blink of an eye!

Tang Ling's figure had already appeared behind Heyang Xinci.

She wielded a swift, nimble sword, its tip aimed at her opponent's heart.

"The blood of a swordsman..." In the same moment, Heyang Xinci recited with a hint of melancholy, "is the most exquisite flower in the world..."

Clang—

Even as he spoke, he deflected the attack from behind with the narrow, blunted sword in his hand.

His blocking stance appeared bizarre, unlike any swordplay technique from the Central Plains. Yet, this seemingly impossible movement proved remarkably effective... Heyang Xinci, with minimal body movement, used only his wrist and the unique shape of his weapon to fend off the swift assault of a top-tier swordsman.

This single move sent a silent shock through the hearts of the six besieging him.

"And this flower... only blooms in the face of life and death..." As he uttered the latter half of the sentence, Heyang Xinci... finally drew his sword.

When he severed Luo Can's arm, he hadn't used his sword; he had used only his hand…

His earlier block didn't even qualify as "drawing his sword"; it was merely a casual defense.

His true skill was about to be revealed...

Hum—

A strange sound tore through the air.

It didn't sound like a sword, but rather the sound of a heavy, long weapon being swung.

"Careful!" The next moment, a sharp shout cut through the air, followed by a swift shadow.

The person who shouted had clearly seen Heyang Xinci's technique.

Among the Five Great Swordsmen and Feng Meiyu, only two people... could decipher this move.

The first was Purple Bamboo Hermit, Meng He, but he did not utter the warning.

So, the one who shouted "Careful!" and rushed forward was another—South Sea Hunchback Immortal, Ma Tayun.

Across the entire martial world, Ma Tayun's martial arts talent was among the best. He began learning martial arts at the age of seven, and by fifteen, he was already a renowned figure. Unfortunately, he suffered from a rare congenital disease. It was not apparent in his youth, but after the age of twenty, his back slowly began to hunch, becoming increasingly deformed. Within three years, his back resembled an upturned wok, making it impossible for him to stand upright.

Thus, a martial arts prodigy who could have achieved great heights was hampered by a physical limitation.

Fortunately, Ma Tayun didn't give up. Through years of arduous training and adaptation, he created a unique "Wok-Back Swordsmanship." Only someone with a severe hunchback like him could use this swordsmanship; normal people couldn't perform it... and found it difficult to counter.

Because 99% of "martial arts techniques" were created based on the premise that "the opponent is an upright person." If the opponent's body was different from normal, many techniques would lose their effectiveness.

For example, the same technique aimed at a person who is 1.7 meters tall might strike the heart, but aimed at a person who is 1.4 meters tall, it might just graze their shoulder. Similarly, if aimed at a person who is two meters tall, it would likely puncture their stomach or intestines.

Therefore, when fighting against a practitioner of Wok-Back Swordsmanship, even the most skilled martial artist would feel powerless. These experts, accustomed to fighting upright opponents, were unaccustomed to facing someone who was constantly bent over and had adapted to fighting in that posture.

However... Heyang Xinci's swordsmanship would not be affected by this.

"Thief, taste my sword!"

Although Ma Tayun had come for the *Jian Wu Cao Ji* (Sword Dance Manuscript), he was a righteous man. At this moment, he saw the danger in Heyang Xinci's sword technique and feared that Tang Ling would be unable to withstand it. Therefore, he immediately acted, using his unique movements, launching himself like a catapult... striking Heyang Xinci's lower ribs with his pine-patterned ancient sword.

His surprise attack could be described as "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao" (relieving the besieged by attacking the base of the besiegers). Ma Tayun thought: Heyang Xinci was, after all, fighting against many opponents. He would not risk significant injury to himself just to kill one opponent. Therefore, he would certainly try to defend against his sword, and that moment of dodging, blocking, or hesitation would be enough for the highly agile Tang Ling to escape the blunted sword's strike.

"Well done..." Seeing this, Heyang Xinci calmly replied, "I'll just take care of both of you at once..."

Hum hum—

Two more consecutive strange sounds rang out.

Heyang Xinci sank into a deep horse stance, manipulating his wrist to change his technique...

In an instant, the narrow, heavy, blunted sword disappeared from everyone's sight!

Whoosh—

In that fleeting second, the strange sound of the blunted sword suddenly transformed into the sound of rushing wind.

Then, Tang Ling and Ma Tayun's movements, along with that wind... ceased.

"Shintenchū Ittō-ryū (God-transmitted One-Sword Style) · Iai · Power Seal Flash." As he sheathed his sword, Heyang Xinci's blunted sword finally reappeared in the sight of the others.

The moment he finished announcing his technique's name, Tang Ling and Ma Tayun's bodies... were simultaneously sliced in two.

Perhaps... Heyang Xinci was right.

The lives of those two swordsmen, in the instant they vanished, transformed into two spots of bright red, blooming on the cold earth.

"What an incredible monster..." At this moment, Oda Ai, who was watching from the rear, couldn't help but mutter, "A 'drawing-sword technique without a sheath'… I've never even heard of it, let alone seen it."

"Indeed..." Sasaki Mei, hearing her teammate's words, softly replied, "Not to mention... he's using a weapon of such exaggerated size and weight..."

"Heh..." The next moment, Heyang Xinci chuckled softly, a rare occurrence, and said, "Abandoning the sheath... is the beginning of 'Iai' reaching its peak. When your wrist strength and control over power reach a certain level... the length of the hilt, the sharpness of the blade, and things like sheaths... all become meaningless."

Clearly, he had heard the conversation between the two players, so he offered them a few pointers. His ease and confidence undoubtedly stemmed from his belief in his own strength...

He had the right to be confident...

The corpses of the two great swordsmen, and the blood-stained earth before and behind him, were excellent proof of his astonishing martial skill.

"Come on, is that all?" A few seconds later, Heyang Xinci looked at the remaining four opponents and taunted them in a calm tone.

Just then, suddenly!

"Four!" A loud shout rang out from an alleyway by the street, "Let Tu lend you a hand!"