Chapter 94: Battle, Scheming

  Chen Jiu's words were arrogant, but in this place, he indeed had the capital to be arrogant. Moreover, with treasures present, if they were to engage in any humility, it was likely that even the last duck would be gone.

  "Alright, alright, Brother Chen, you really won't give in?" Li Mingyuan's anger turned to laughter. Since the day he was born, he had always been a superior person. When had he ever suffered such humiliation? Who had ever spoken to him like this before?

  "Ask them, am I worthy of obtaining a treasure? If everyone thinks I'm not worthy, then I'll take back my previous words. But if everyone acknowledges that I have the ability, and I still remain humble, then I'd be a fool." Chen Jiu gazed at the twelve-layered stone stairs.

  "I'm willing to learn from Brother Chen's superior skills, I've heard that Brother Chen is the best among everyone. If I can defeat him, won't I be able to monopolize the treasure?"

  "Don't call me brother, we're not familiar with each other. Just call me by my name, I'm sure you know it already. What's this, do you want to have a fight with me?"

  "My brother won't give in an inch, so I'll just have to make a move." Li Mingyuan said.

  Chen nodded and looked at the students behind him: "Those who are willing to help me, stand behind me, lest you be affected later."

  As soon as Chen Jiu finished speaking, a large crowd of people rushed to gather behind him.

  Chen Jiu looked at Li Mingyuan in front of him: "You are the variable in our treasure hunt this time, I will erase you, and everything will return to its original trajectory."

  "You're the odd one out, I'm the normal one!" Li Mingyuan retorted.

  "This treasure-hunting process is a grand event jointly participated by our Qingzhou Prefecture's Fangxian Dao and Academy, I remember that at that time, there was no one with such strange attire or power present. I don't care how you got in, whether it was sneaking in or forcing your way in, to me, to Qingzhou Prefecture, you are an anomaly, an anomaly that needs to be erased." Chen Jiu said, looking at his own fingers.

  "Haha, what's Qingzhou Prefecture? I've never heard of it, it must be a remote place. You're an anomaly to me, but you're also an anomaly to yourselves. I'll erase all of you." Li Mingyuan smiled lightly.

  "It's pointless to talk too much, let's see who's stronger in a fight!" Chen Jiu sighed.

  "Alright then, let me see what you're capable of, that makes you so arrogant," said Li Mingyuan.

  Chen Jiyou's right hand lightly extended his index finger, crystal clear and translucent, as if it were a natural work of art carved by the heavens. With a light tap of his finger, he pointed at Li Mingyuan.

  In everyone's eyes, Chen Jiu's fingers were very slow, so slow that the pores on them could almost be seen. His fingers were crystal clear and delicate, with almost no pores, not almost, but none at all.

  But Li Mingyuan, who was facing Chen Jiu, seemed to have met his arch-nemesis, and beads of sweat suddenly appeared on his forehead.

  The large knife in his hand flashed, but it didn't block in front of him, instead it blocked on the right side.

  The people present were stunned, and instead of attacking the open goal, they went to block the right side that had no attack. At the same time, a question appeared in everyone's mind: "Has Li Mingyuan gone crazy? Or does he want to seek death?"

  The sound of "Dang" echoed throughout the arena as Chen Jiu's fingers somehow ended up on the right side, colliding with the large knife.

  Chen Jiu's fingers struck the side of the large knife.

  Everyone present was baffled as to how Chen Jiu's fingers had reached the right side.

  Li Mingyuan retreated swiftly, stabilizing himself before wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. If not for the unique secret method of his own sect, and if he had only relied on his eyes to launch an attack, he feared that his opponent's fingers would have already become like sharp swords, slicing off his head.

  At that critical moment, the sect's secret method and his eyes conflicted, Li Mingyuan chose to believe in the sect's secret method passed down for countless years without hesitation. In fact, it was indeed his own eyes that deceived him, or rather, the sect's technique was more reliable.

  "Hmm, some of these moves are actually able to withstand my attacks." Chen Jiu said with a hint of interest.

  "This is the secret method of my sect's direct transmission, anticipating the enemy's first move. How about it, not bad?" The sect's secret method allowed him to perceive Chen Jiu's attacking trajectory, causing Li Mingyuan to let out a breath and regain his composure.

  As he spoke, Li Mingyuan made a hand gesture to the two sect disciples behind him. The two disciples promptly drew out their long swords and came to stand beside Li Mingyuan, forming a triangular formation with him.

  Chen Jiu's previous advance and attack did not use any secret method, but rather the realm of swordsmanship, combining fast and slow, movement and stillness. To others, it may seem like the speed is very slow, but in reality, it has already reached an extreme, with speed deceiving the eyes, reaching the ultimate limit, giving people a feeling of slowness, which is actually an illusion.

  "Are you admitting defeat and looking for help?" Chen Jiu asked with a smile.

  Li Mingyuan heard this and felt a deep sense of frustration in his heart, having always regarded himself as the number one among the younger generation, yet today he had been defeated in this small place, and it was easy to imagine how stifled he felt inside.

  "You are sinister, I am just for the sake of the sect's great plan, for the sake of the ultimate treasure." Li Mingyuan argued strongly.

  "Never mind, never mind, I don't care what your reason is, in short, you are one out of three."

  "Senior brother, would you like me and Li junior sister to help you?" Yi Xiao asked.

  Chen Jiu shook his head: "All disciples have seen this stone step, as long as someone goes up, just help me block a few breaths, wait for me to draw out my hand and then strike it down."

  After finishing speaking, his right hand fingers made a light stroke in the air, and a binding force enveloped the three people.

  "Drawing a prison on the ground."

  "The Three Talents Formation" - three long swords formed an array, and surprisingly neutralized Chen Jiu's power.

  Chen Jiufu furrowed his brow. If it were a one-on-one fight, his own strength would certainly be above his opponent's. However, since the opponent had three people working together, he was at a disadvantage in terms of strength.

  However, it's okay. Although the opponent is larger in quantity than myself, after all, they are not a single person who has cultivated alone. Although there is an array that combines them into one body, they are not a complete individual and ultimately not a single entity. There will always be flaws, and their strength is mixed.

  Although his own strength was inferior to his opponent's, his pure power made him more agile than three of his opponents combined.

  During the contemplation, the opponent maintained his formation and stabbed towards Chen Jiu.

  Looking at the long sword coming straight at him, Chen Ji's right hand bent his fingers and popped them once, "ding" sound just popped the long sword open.

  This is not a boundary at all, if it weren't for the fear of being entangled by this sword and ambushed by the other two swords, taking this sword would only take a few moves.

  Indeed, after Chen Jiu opened this sword, the other two swords followed closely behind, stabbing towards Chen Jiu's face and chest.

  Chen Jiu opened the long sword at his chest, and his right hand stretched out. The crystal-like jade index finger pointed at the cultivator in front of him. As for the long sword on his face, Chen Jiu's left hand stretched out and gently pushed it away.

  Watching Chen Jiu's incoming finger, the monk was not surprised. The long sword that had been popped open by Chen Jiu for the first time stabbed down at his lower abdomen, unless Chen Jiu was willing to be a eunuch for the rest of his life, he would have to defend himself.

  In the distance, Yi Xiao clenched his fists tightly, and a fierce flame burst out of his eyes: "Despicable".

  The scholars behind him all cursed: "Despicable, too despicable! Not only do you gang up on someone weaker than you, but you also use such a dirty sword technique."

  Chen Jiubai had no choice, his body shape rose high, he couldn't retreat, once he retreated, he would inevitably be pursued by the opponent.

  "Drawing a prison on the ground."

  Three consecutive paintings of the ground as a prison, slightly stabilizing the opponent's offensive, Chen Jiu's right index finger instantly revealed a faint green color.

  "Since you three can come up with such despicable and shameless moves, don't blame me for not following the rules. This curse of mine is precisely prepared for you." Chen thought to himself.

  Three long swords stabbed towards the sky, Chen Jiu flipped over with a somersault, landed on the ground, his right hand quickly stretched out, and his body quickly slid towards the three people.

  A long sword reacted and quickly changed direction, stabbing towards Chen Jiu.

  This long sword was the monk who had previously wanted to stab himself in the lower abdomen, Chen Jiubai didn't hesitate to use his right index finger to lightly tap on the sword, and green instantly stained onto the long sword.

  The long sword generally has the monk's mana, and each time the long sword is used up, the mana will flow back. The pale green glow stains the mana and flows into the monk's Qihai Zifu.

  Chen Jiu temporarily stopped his movements, with his hands behind his back: "I don't know what faction you are from, but since you dare to use such a despicable move against me, then I won't bother talking about rules with you. From now on, it's a matter of life and death."