118: Chapter 116: A Sword Freezes Fourteen Provinces 118: Chapter 116: A Sword Freezes Fourteen Provinces Yue Hongling, second on the Hidden Dragon List!

Many people in the hall held their breaths in suspense.

Yue Hongling had been second on the Hidden Dragon List for half a year already, and her ideal opponent for sharpening her skills was none other than Chi Li!

And if Chi Li wanted to challenge the pride of the talented martial artists from Central Earth, defeating anyone ranked beyond tenth wouldn’t showcase his true capability—he would either directly challenge a Grandmaster from the Human List, or if he was set on the Hidden Dragon List, it would have to be Yue Hongling or Cui Yuanyong.

Who would have expected that a routine banquet hosted by the young leader of the Cao Gang could actually witness a fierce battle between the top two on the Hidden Dragon List, involving even the struggle between nations and the honor of clans!

Even Chi Li hadn’t anticipated an encounter with Yue Hongling here.

After a moment of surprise, his eyes shone with the thrill of battle, “Excellent, excellent, to face Sunset Feather in person, this couldn’t be easier!”

Yue Hongling said indifferently, “Seeking to ascend the Human List, is this your final trial?”

“Indeed,” Chi Li smiled softly, “Not to hide from you… as I traveled southward, I came across some who boasted of being ‘comparable to the Human List’ or ‘half a step to the Human List,’ and challenged them all.

I killed many but found them lacking; many were overrated.

It seems the Chaotic World Book has some credibility after all.

To have a name on the Chaotic World List really does make a difference.

Those claiming to be comparable to the Human List may not even rank close to the top of the Hidden Dragon List.

I trust Miss Yue won’t disappoint me.”

A murmur spread through the crowd.

Many near the Human List had mysteriously died recently—it was his doing!

Indeed, many “comparable to the Human List” had their reputations inflated, a product of the worldly society’s hype, but not all were undeserving of their fame.

Taoist Xuan Chong asked, “Did Daoist Yellow Crane also die by your hand?”

“Yes,” Chi Li laughed heartily, “That old Daoist’s reputation was overblown but ended up as nothing special.

What do you say?

It was a fair duel, not a sneak attack by me.

Surely the Taiyi Sect isn’t a sore loser?”

There was a hint of darkness in Xuan Chong’s eyes.

This Daoist had been very close to their Taiyi Sect but had died unexpectedly.

Xuan Chong was also investigating this matter, and unexpectedly, the case was solved just like that… The problem was, he was well aware that Daoist Yellow Crane’s strength was not mere bluster; he was genuinely close to the Human List.

Given the chance, he could have possibly entered the Human List, not just an unwarranted reputation!

In other words, Chi Li already possessed the genuine strength of a Grandmaster at the bottom of the Human List, and all that was missing was a formal challenge to someone on it… And he was only twenty-two years old!

Was Xia Longyuan’s legend going to be repeated by his hand?

Xuan Chong secretly worried for Yue Hongling… She was even younger, less seasoned than Chi Li.

Could she truly win?

Without saying more, Yue Hongling slowly drew her longsword, pointing it at Chi Li from a distance: “The sword’s name is ‘Evening Glow,’ three feet and four and two-tenths inches long.

Please proceed.”

Chi Li held his curved saber upside down and gave a slight bow in response, “Spirit Fox’s Curved Saber, it has the power to bewitch and create illusions.

Take care, Miss.”

“Whoosh!” The longsword crossed the grand hall, darting straight for Chi Li.

With this single sword strike, everyone was moved.

Tang Buqi, standing behind Zhao Changhe, had sweat streaming down his forehead, acutely aware of how far he was from matching this strike!

If his strike was described as an unending stream like the waters of spring, then Yue Hongling’s was like a slanting sun casting its rays across the sky, turning any river it touched aglow, bathing everything in brilliance.

Tang Buqi knew he couldn’t block that strike, unable to see clearly even the path of her sword—as if there was no place to hide in this hall.

It was an illusion that felt as if there was no escape anywhere in the world.

He knew that was an exaggeration, merely the sword intent drawing him, a fellow swordsman, into its realm, but it meant his spirit had been captured, and he had lost—lacking even the ability to block Yue Hongling’s sword.

In this sword intent of a sky dyed by setting sun, a dark-red saber shadow suddenly flashed in, as if a line had been carved between the long sky and the autumn waters—water remained water, sky still sky.

All could see was the curved saber horizontally blocking, clashing with the longsword, and for a moment, time seemed to halt.

What illusions attacked Yue Hongling’s divine sense at that moment remained unknown, but her gaze was still calm, without a ripple of disturbance.

With a light flick of her longsword, the curved saber that had forced Xuan Chong to a stumbling retreat couldn’t achieve any effect, as the tip of her sword already pointed at Chi Li’s throat!

A look of intense admiration flashed in Chi Li’s eyes.

His footwork seemed miraculous, almost like instantaneous movement, as he swiftly moved to Yue Hongling’s side, his curved saber also aimed at her throat.

Fast, too fast… this peculiar curved saber, this strange footwork!

The swords and saber crossed paths, and the two stepped back, facing each other.

In that brief exchange, people could only hear the “ding ding ding ding” of swords and sabers colliding.

Those with lesser cultivation couldn’t capture the swift exchange of techniques at all, unable to see clearly!

Even Zhao Changhe couldn’t see clearly.

Yue Hongling had held back too much during their sparring session.

This was her true kung fu, after all—a master of the Mystical Gate Eighth Layer, a level that Zhao Changhe, still at the Fourth Layer, could not fully comprehend.

However, he could tell that Yue Hongling’s hands were slightly trembling, seemingly not as powerful as her opponent’s.

In this series of exchanges, she was subtly at a disadvantage.

Chi Li might not have reached the Mystical Gate Ninth Layer either, but he was likely on the brink, having accumulated just that bit more than Yue Hongling…

Number one on the Hidden Dragon List, his reputation is well-deserved; the Chaotic World Book never misranked anyone!

He is the foremost among the younger generation!

In both potential and actual strength!

Chi Li looked back at Yue Hongling, his eyes flashing once again with intense admiration.

“As I’ve traveled, among those with equal or lesser cultivation, Miss Yue is the only one who has made me feel an instant sense of mortal danger.

I am impressed,” he said.

Yue Hongling responded indifferently, “The feeling is mutual.”

Chi Li’s words then suddenly became subdued, audible only to Yue Hongling, “But people from Central Earth like you should not be allowed to live.”

As the words settled, the Curved Saber rose again.

The spectators’ vision became peculiar once more, watching an odd arc that seemed to circumnavigate countless miles yet also appeared to head straight to its destination—a bizarre spatial illusion that could make one feel stifled and stiffened, unable to comprehend this mysterious and mystical arc.

At the arc’s center, a point of sword light burst forth, blanketing the feeling of profound mystery in an instant.

A sword light cold as ice shone through the universe, draining color from thousands of miles of rivers and mountains.

Neither space nor trajectory mattered, because all I want is your life; it doesn’t matter where your saber falls.

Just like the previous combat between Ba Tu and Tang Buqi, this time Yue Hongling was the one betting on this instant life-or-death moment!

Yue Hongling’s voice echoed by Chi Li’s ear, still those four words, “The feeling is mutual.”

—People from Central Earth like you should not be allowed to live.

—The same goes for heroes from the Alien Clan like you.

Chi Li truly admired this woman’s valiant decisiveness; to think that a mere competition could actually lead to mutual destruction!

Is this really a woman?

At this critical juncture, a wild and fierce power blew in with a whistle, smashing between the two like cleaving mountains and breaking peaks.

It was a Big Broadsword, about four to five feet long, regardless of Sunset Feathers or Demon Foxes from the grassland; anyone who didn’t move aside would be split in half.

“Clang!” The Longsword and Curved Saber barely touched and then retracted, as both fighters swiftly backed away.

The Broadsword landed precisely between them, spanning the universe.

Onlookers clearly saw a fresh sword wound beneath Chi Li’s ribs, from which blood was freely flowing.

Similarly, Yue Hongling’s left shoulder was nearly cleaved open by the Curved Saber, her blood flowing profusely.

Both were wounded!

If it weren’t for the Broadsword that had timely intervened, they might have truly perished together!

Chi Li, admiring the wound beneath his ribs, muttered, “In these fourteen states of the vast Central Plains, among the younger generation, this sword alone reigns supreme.”

Yue Hongling didn’t respond, her beautiful eyes gazing toward the source of the Broadsword.

It was Zhao Changhe with a stern expression on his face.

Why the stern face?

Because I wanted to die alongside someone?

What’s it to you…

Don’t you know that under this kind of energy attraction, both sides are likely to subconsciously strike towards you, do you have no regard for your own life?

Chi Li also turned to look at Zhao Changhe, his expression showing a bit of bewilderment, “Brother, you sure have guts, not afraid to die…

Could it be because…”

Everyone else also realized what had just happened.

Without the timely intervention of the Broadsword, someone might have died.

The thrower of the Broadsword had impressive eyesight, sure, but he truly wasn’t afraid to become the target of their combined attack, to lose his life like this…

It was then that people remembered something.

They’d heard that Zhao Changhe had a secret affection for Yue Hongling…

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