freenovelworld Chapter 97 Testing
Chapter 97 Testing
The knife came fast and fiercely, its sharp wind instantly sweeping up in front of Xie Yan, encompassing his entire body within the attack range.
The blade flashed, accompanied by the whistling wind, and went straight for his face without hesitation.
This unexpected and sudden attack caused the expressions of the three members of the Purple Cloud Manor to change drastically.
They never expected Xiang Qingsheng to launch such a sudden and unexpected attack.
But Xie Yan seemed to have anticipated his move and was not surprised. She simply turned slightly to the side and dodged the menacing blade.
However, Xiang Qingsheng's knife continued its momentum, and with a turn of the blade, it slashed at Xie Yan once more.
This time, his movements were as fast as lightning, mixed with powerful internal energy, making it impossible for anyone to see his actions clearly.
Unexpectedly, Xiang Qingsheng, a seemingly gentle and refined young man, used such a fierce and domineering swordsmanship.
Moreover, his knife was different from Li Yong's.
If Li Yong's sword was merely superficially powerful, then Xiang Qingsheng's sword was both powerful and gentle, its strength several times greater.
Xie Yan's expression also became slightly serious.
With a strange twist of his body, he narrowly avoided the lightning-fast slash at an incredibly unbelievable angle.
Although he dodged the blade, the sharp wind still grazed his body, tearing his clothes and leaving small streaks of blood.
Chu Ling, who had been calmly observing the battle, gripped the jade fan in his hand.
Just as Xiang Qingsheng's next strike was about to come, Xie Yan finally drew his sword.
With a clang, the longsword was drawn, drawing a dazzling streak of light in mid-air.
The sword flashed and struck Xiang Qingsheng's blade with perfect precision in an instant.
With a clang, the moment the swords clashed, a deafening sound of metal striking metal was heard, causing the surrounding air to ripple several times.
The three members of the Purple Cloud Manor also came to their senses at this moment, and upon seeing this, they hurriedly stepped forward, "Brother Dongfang, what is the meaning of this?!"
They wanted to stop the two, but dared not join the fight rashly, so they could only stand aside and worry anxiously.
But Dongfang Shuo seemed to have anticipated all of this, his expression unchanged, he simply raised his hand to stop them from going forward.
"It's alright, you may step back. I know what I'm doing."
As he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Xie Yan, as if trying to see through her.
On the other side, a hint of surprise flashed in Xiang Qingsheng's eyes.
He hadn't expected Xie Yan to possess such profound internal strength, capable of completely catching his strike with seventy percent of its force, and even causing his tiger's mouth to go numb, almost making him lose his grip on the hilt.
But Xiang Qingsheng did not retreat. His fighting spirit intensified, and he once again swung his sword at Xie Yan.
For a moment, the entire courtyard was filled with the clanging sound of clashing blades.
Xiang Qingsheng's swordsmanship was incredibly powerful; each strike carried the force of thunder, almost cleaving the air itself.
However, Xie Yan's swordsmanship was even more exquisite, and she was able to cleverly block Xiang Qingsheng's attacks from unexpected angles each time.
The two figures moved constantly in the courtyard, and the afterimages between them were dazzling to behold.
It wasn't until Dongfang Shuo spoke again that he said, "That's enough."
As soon as he finished speaking, the two of them stopped abruptly.
Xiang Qingsheng's knife was only a palm's distance from Xie Yan's face, but Xie Yan's sword was already pressed against Xiang Qingsheng's throat, and another half inch would have pierced his neck.
Although the outcome was undecided, it was clear to anyone with eyes that if it had truly been a matter of life and death, Xiang Qingsheng would likely have been the first to lose.
"Good, good, truly heroes emerge from among the young."
Dongfang Shuo looked at Xie Yan with admiration in his eyes.
He clapped his hands and nodded, saying, "One can judge a person by their sword. I observe that your swordsmanship is upright and peaceful, yet your sword intent is powerful, and your inner strength is profound, far surpassing that of Qing Sheng."
"But you left room for maneuver when you made your move, stopping short of harming him in the slightest. This kind of composure is beyond the reach of ordinary people."
Upon hearing Dongfang Shuo's words, the three members of the Zixiao Manor breathed a sigh of relief.
Then he turned to look at the three people, including the Master of Zixiao Manor, and smiled again: "Qingyun and I exchanged letters, which described in detail the thief's movements. So from the moment you made your first move, I could tell that it wasn't him."
"However, this matter is of great importance, and I have to act with caution, which is why I made that probing move just now."
As Dongfang Shuo spoke, Xiang Qingsheng sheathed his sword, bowed to Xie Yan, and said, "I was very rude just now, please forgive me, Young Master Xie."
Xie Yan also sheathed her sword, smiled at Xiang Qingsheng, and said, "Not bad, it'll do as morning exercise."
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Shuo laughed again and said to Xie Yan, "Indeed, your temperament suits my taste quite well. I wonder if you have come here with the intention of running for the leader of the alliance?"
The implication of these words is clear: Dongfang Shuo has taken a liking to Xie Yan and wants Xie Yan to become his son-in-law.
Everyone was taken aback upon hearing this. Xiang Qingsheng remained expressionless, but his grip on the hilt of his knife tightened.
Chu Ling's expression darkened, and his hand, which was patting the fan, paused.
He never expected that before he even got the girl, someone would dare to poach her right in front of him.
The three members of the Purple Cloud Manor suddenly changed their expressions and looked at Dongfang Shuo in horror.
You're trying to snatch food from a tiger's mouth!
The Purple Cloud Manor Lord's hand, which was holding his beard, trembled slightly, and he quickly stepped forward to change the subject.
His smile looked somewhat forced. "Oh right, I forgot to introduce you to Brother Dongfang."
With trembling hands, he lifted the object towards Chu Ling and said, "This is Prince An."
"What? Your Highness?" Dongfang Shuo and Xiang Qingsheng were taken aback and turned to look at Chu Ling.
Chu Ling's expression had returned to normal, a faint smile appeared on his lips, and he nodded slightly to Dongfang Shuo, saying, "I have long admired Alliance Leader Dongfang's name, it is a pleasure to meet you."
The three members of the Purple Cloud Manor felt a chill run down their spines, fearing that their ancestor might say something inappropriate.
Sure enough, before Dongfang Shuo could react, Chu Ling glanced at Xie Yan lightly and said meaningfully, "I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint Alliance Leader Dongfang, he's one of my men."
The three members of the Zixiao Manor felt a chill run down their spines, but fortunately, Dongfang Shuo obviously didn't notice the deeper meaning of these words. Instead, he thought that Xie Yan had joined Chu Ling's ranks and couldn't marry at will.
"I see. I didn't expect that young friend Xie is already one of the prince's men."
Dongfang Shuo sighed regretfully, "I was being presumptuous."
Upon hearing this, Xie Yan raised an eyebrow slightly, glanced at Chu Ling, but did not offer any explanation.
Seeing that Xie Yan did not refute, Chu Ling's smile deepened.
Seeing the two exchanging glances, Shen Yulin and the other two felt as if their eyes had been dazzled again, and they were too exhausted to speak.