Chapter 311: Crushing Defeat

The instant their palms met, Kunlin Shu knew something was wrong. That strange sensation from the palm strike he had landed on Niu Youdao earlier appeared again. His palm force could find no purchase on Niu Youdao's body, as though he had struck empty air. It was an utterly absurd feeling. He had clearly hit him! The man was clearly right in front of his eyes!

Yet along the force transmitted through Kunlin Shu's own palm came an interwoven surge of icy cold and scorching heat, spreading with the momentum of a prairie fire. Kunlin Shu immediately circulated his art to neutralize and obstruct it. He did not fear the scorching force. His Heavenly Fire Profound Art swiftly dissolved it. What he truly needed the Heavenly Fire Profound Art to suppress was that bone-piercing, savage cold.

Fortunately, yin and yang opposed one another. Gathering heat to dissolve the freezing force was not particularly difficult. But in the split second of a hurried exchange, where was he supposed to find the time to neutralize it slowly? One descending and one rising, the two men crossed in midair. Niu Youdao had no intention of stopping after a single palm. His other palm was already exploding forward. Kunlin Shu angrily swept out his free arm and knocked it aside.

Niu Youdao's next palm immediately stabbed through the opening. The arm Kunlin Shu had used to receive the Qiankun Palm was still busy neutralizing its force. It had gone stiff, and his reactions could no longer keep pace. How could he possibly block Niu Youdao's three palms in succession?

Bang!

Niu Youdao's palm slipped between Kunlin Shu's flailing arms and struck him squarely in the chest. Kunlin Shu's eyes flew wide. His cheeks puffed as his entire body was blasted backward through the air.

Bang!

At the instant the two passed and separated, Niu Youdao followed with a kick in midair. His foot struck Kunlin Shu squarely in the back.

"Senior Brother!"

Before that kick had even landed, the moment Kunlin Shu took the palm to his chest, Fire Phoenix below had already cried out in grief and alarm.

Kunlin Shu had concentrated his spiritual power in his chest to withstand that palm, and even that had nearly been too much. Now another heavy blow smashed into his back. The protective spiritual power around his body collapsed. He seemed to hear bones cracking inside himself. His blood and qi were smashed by the tremendous force and erupted beyond his control.

"Pfft!"

Kunlin Shu sprayed a mouthful of blood into the air and went flying. The entire exchange had happened extremely quickly.

The fireball had burst apart into ring after ring like shattered vajra hoops, and the remnants had not yet dispersed when Kunlin Shu flew straight into the collapsing flames. His clothes caught fire. His own flames turned back upon him. There was more than a little sense of a man playing with fire and burning himself.

The two had agreed beforehand that life and death were up to fate and that this would be a one-on-one fight. By rights, no one else should have interfered. But Fire Phoenix below could not simply watch Kunlin Shu die. She shot into the air and rushed toward him. Niu Youdao came plunging down through the spreading flames. His arms opened wide.

He veered toward the roof of the pavilion, flipped in midair, touched one foot against the rooftop, and launched himself away again in the blink of an eye. Once more, he flew straight toward Kunlin Shu. His gaze remained locked on his target. His face was murderous, his ferocity now completely exposed. The spectators had not yet recovered from their shock when they saw Niu Youdao attack again. Everyone immediately realized what he intended.

Kunlin Shu had obviously already been beaten into a serious injury, yet Niu Youdao was still attacking. He meant to kill him! Linghu Qiu's and Feng Entai's faces twitched.

Had he gone mad?

Only today did the two finally understand the temper of this young sworn brother. If he did not act, fine. Once he did, he intended to carry it through to the end. Only now did they understand why Niu Youdao had insisted that the three sects stand as guarantors. Kunlin Shu had enraged him past the limit of endurance. Niu Youdao intended to kill! Kunlin Shu, his clothes still burning, tumbled helplessly through the air. Fire Phoenix flew in, spread both arms, and caught him.

The flames on his body were immediately brought under her control. Movement came from behind. Fire Phoenix looked back and saw Niu Youdao pursuing them again. Flames erupted from her body. The blaze transformed into a huge bird.

Its fiery wings beat once, and it shot sideways through the air, carrying Kunlin Shu as she tried to shake off the pursuit. Niu Youdao spread both arms. Wings of qi unfolded. Riding the wind, he banked sharply and swept through a rapid arc after them. At that moment, streaks of cold light hissed through the air. Bright, blade-like scales flew in sheets, as though threaded together by invisible strands of pearls.

They formed a great spiraling array, like a gigantic rotating shield standing upright in the sky, cutting between the pursuing Niu Youdao and the fleeing Fire Phoenix. Niu Youdao immediately banked and flew around it. He did not know what it was and did not dare collide with it directly. By then, Fire Phoenix had already landed outside the pavilion with Kunlin Shu in her arms.

Hu Tianhan tore away the black cloak from his body and clapped his palms together in front of his chest.

The spiraling array of scales accelerated, then streamed back through the air like beads being drawn along invisible threads. His clothing was clearly specially made. The scales returned one after another and snapped back into place across his body. When the final scale settled, Hu Tianhan looked as though he were wearing a suit of battle armor. This was the weapon of Xuanbing Sect. He had intervened because he had been the one who took the lead in giving the guarantee.

If Kunlin Shu truly died because of a guarantee Hu Tianhan had helped make, things would become awkward afterward. And the situation was already obvious. Even Kunlin Shu was no match for Niu Youdao. Fire Phoenix was probably even less so. Hu Tianhan therefore acted immediately. Of course, Niu Youdao might not necessarily have caught Fire Phoenix.

But she was carrying another person and could not fly quickly. There was no guarantee she could shake him off, while Kunlin Shu clearly needed urgent treatment. Allowing Niu Youdao to continue the pursuit was inappropriate. Niu Youdao's cultivation was not enough to sustain the wings of qi formed from spiritual power indefinitely. He had already turned back as well.

Whoosh!

He landed hard on the ground. Qin Yong flashed forward and placed himself between Niu Youdao and Fire Phoenix. Hu Tianhan had already intervened, so Qin Yong had to show some response as well.

Niu Youdao said heavily, "What is the meaning of this?"

"Do the guarantees your three sects gave no longer count?"

"Are you planning to join forces against me?"

His face was filled with killing intent. There was no trace left of the weak, submissive manner he had shown earlier.

He understood perfectly well that if the three sects intended to join forces against him, continuing to play the obedient grandson would be meaningless. The disguise had been torn away completely. Linghu Qiu and Feng Entai had already flashed over. One seized each of Niu Youdao's arms.

Again and again, they urged him, "Little Brother, forget it. Forget it!"

Qin Yong shook his head.

"Brother Niu, naturally we will not break our word."

"I only want to advise you of one thing: when you can spare someone, spare him. Exterminating him to the last breath will do you no good."

He stepped aside and pointed toward Kunlin Shu, who was sitting collapsed in Fire Phoenix's arms.

"The contest is already over."

"You have beaten him into a severe injury. He no longer has the strength to continue fighting."

"He has lost."

"This duel should end here."

Linghu Qiu sighed inwardly. He remembered perfectly well that not long ago Qin Yong had told Niu Youdao to get lost.

When would he ever have called him "Brother Niu" then?

People truly were realistic without even noticing it themselves. In the end, one's own strength was the key to winning another person's respect. Kunlin Shu was now a horrifying sight. Most of his hair had burned away. His eyebrows were gone. Half his face seemed to have been scorched by fire. The eyelid over one eye appeared burned partly shut, leaving only a narrow slit. His face had been disfigured. Most of his clothing had been charred away as well.

Blood still welled intermittently from his mouth and nose. His one good eye and the half-open burned eye both stared at Niu Youdao. His chest heaved rapidly. His breaths came rough and broken, as though they might stop at any moment. The body struck by the Qiankun Palm trembled uncontrollably.

"He lost! He lost! We won't fight anymore. You won!"

Fire Phoenix, her face streaming with tears, repeatedly admitted defeat on Kunlin Shu's behalf. His injuries were far too severe. If this dragged on, he could die at any moment. He needed immediate treatment. How could she possibly continue wasting time with Niu Youdao? The disciples of the other two sects watched and sighed inwardly.

A handsome man as elegant as carved jade had become this miserable sight in the blink of an eye. It truly fit the old saying: play with fire, and you burn yourself. If not for that, he would at most have suffered grave injuries. He would not have been disfigured like this. The killing intent on Niu Youdao's face had still not faded. Kunlin Shu had simply pushed him too far, driving him relentlessly toward death.

Niu Youdao had never intended to spare him, which was why he had struck to kill. But with things having reached this point, Niu Youdao knew he could no longer continue. He had no choice but to stop. Still, he stared at Kunlin Shu, who was barely clinging to life, and sneered.

"'Life and death are up to fate.' What a joke."

"Your fate is much better than mine."

"If I had been the one who lost, I fear there wouldn't even have been a place to bury my corpse."

"No one would have stepped forward to stop you from killing me!"

"Now you should understand why I kept yielding to you."

"Now you should understand that it isn't because you're so extraordinary."

"You were only basking in the reflected glory of Tianhuo Sect!"

"'When you can spare someone, spare him.' Well said."

"Brother Qin, I'll pass those words back to him."

"Remember this, Kunlin Shu: the life you're still breathing is one I gave you!"

Kunlin Shu's emotions visibly surged. His body convulsed violently.

"Senior Brother!"

Fire Phoenix cried out in grief as she tried to calm him, tears pouring down her face. Niu Youdao raised his eyes toward the people of Daqiu Sect and Xuanbing Sect.

"May I leave now?"

"Aiya, why so much nonsense? Go, go!" Hu Tianhan waved repeatedly for him to leave.

Today's affair had been aggravating beyond measure. If he had known Kunlin Shu would prove so unable to withstand a blow, only a ghost would have agreed to guarantee this duel. When Hu Tianhan returned, he would probably have to explain himself at length to his sect. He might even be scolded for nothing.

"Farewell!"

Niu Youdao threw down the word. Both arms shook, casting off Linghu Qiu and Feng Entai. He snatched his sword back from Linghu Qiu's hand, turned, and swept over the heads of the crowd, rapidly flying away.

Linghu Qiu and Feng Entai repeatedly cupped their hands toward the people of the three sects, then quickly flew off after him. The other spectators were still sighing to themselves. Niu Youdao's strength seemed rather unfathomable.

Kunlin Shu had lost to him in a single exchange and had barely possessed the ability to fight back at all. Yet Kunlin Shu had still dared to press him so aggressively and challenge him. A crushing defeat. The whole affair had truly become a joke. Now everyone could not help thinking again about the rumored death of Zhuo Chao.

Judging from what they had seen today, there was probably a reason Zhuo Chao had died at Niu Youdao's hands after all.

"What are you staring at? Get lost!" Hu Tianhan roared again.

The remaining spectators immediately scattered like frightened birds and beasts, flying away in every direction. Fine rain continued falling from the sky. Fire Phoenix and the others carried Kunlin Shu into the pavilion and began emergency treatment... Across Heavenly Mirror Lake, three figures skimmed rapidly over the surface. Thinking back on what had just happened, Linghu Qiu could not resist praising him.

"Little Brother, your strength is extraordinary."

"I've heard of Kunlin Shu. He's one of the outstanding figures of Tianhuo Sect's generation, yet he lost to you in a single exchange."

"This time, I suspect you won't merely become famous."

"You may truly attract the attention of those great sects."

"I'd rather not have this kind of fame." Niu Youdao mocked himself, then looked back toward Feng Entai.

"Eldest Brother, hadn't you already left?"

Linghu Qiu looked back as well.

"Right. Why did you come back to join the excitement?"

Feng Entai sighed.

"I still have to give the sect an explanation over the warhorses, don't I?"

"With an auction like this taking place, how could I not come take a look?"

[End of Chapter 311]