Love & Redemption
Chapter 142: Volume 3: Heartless Xuanji - 49: Lize Palace (6)

Chapter 142: Volume 3: Heartless Xuanji Chapter 49: Lize Palace (6)

These two young people understood each other perfectly, and suddenly felt that there was nothing in the whole world that could stand in their way, nothing to worry about anymore. Even if this place was Abyss Hell, they were utterly fearless. They seemed completely indifferent to the undercurrent of tension among the crowd, holding hands as they walked aside and began to chat with each other, cheerful and entirely immersed in their own world.

Liu Yihuan suddenly burst into a hearty laugh, his laughter was infectious and spirited, which made Ting Nu smile as well. They both felt extremely delighted.

"Little Palace Master, a true gentleman doesn’t covet what others enjoy. Look at the situation, do you really intend to act as the wedge that splits the lovebirds?"

Although Liu Yihuan’s question was impolite, the logic behind it was sound. Despite being an elder of Lize Palace, he had no reason to separate lovers without cause, especially since Si Feng had already been afflicted with the Lover’s Curse and, according to the rules, could only be considered a half-disciple of Lize Palace.

The Great Palace Master’s face remained expressionless, and after a long pause, he spoke indifferently, "Senior, you speak too seriously."

Liu Yihuan chuckled, "It’s good that you know I’m speaking seriously. Let’s do this, we’ll leave right away, and you all stop pressing us so hard. As for Elder Luo... Once I get to Germu, I will release him. From then on, Yu Sifeng will have no more ties with Lize Palace. What do you say to this deal?"

The Great Palace Master smirked slightly, "Wouldn’t Lize Palace be at too great a loss then? Is senior trying to bully a junior?"

Liu Yihuan’s eyes widened in disbelief, "What! You expect me to release Elder Luo right now? That’s impossible. With so many of you around, looking fierce, Elder Luo is our lifeline. To give him back to you now, I would be the biggest fool!"

The Great Palace Master fell silent for a moment, while Elder Luo, being held by the throat by Liu Yihuan, struggled to breathe. Even so, his voice was still thunderous, as if the person being held hostage wasn’t him.

"Palace Master, don’t bother with this madman! And don’t worry about me. What sort of place is Lize Palace, to allow them such audacity!"

Liu Yihuan poked his neck with a dagger and chuckled, "Brother, fame and bravado are all pointless, your own life is what matters most. I can’t believe that after so many years, you haven’t changed a bit, always pretending to be so righteous and carefree!"

Elder Luo coldly said, "Shameless rogue! I scorn to talk to you! Palace Master, don’t mind me, take them down immediately!"

Seeing that the Great Palace Master remained silent, Liu Yihuan feared that staying too long might lead to complications, so he blew a gentle whistle to the sky. Suddenly, a huge Stone Sword flew swiftly from the horizon, wobbling to a stop by the sea, and it actually behaved like a horse, coming and going as called.

"The rest of you, get on first," he commanded.

Ting Nu nodded, leading Yu Sifeng and Xuanji onto the Stone Sword first, and they waited for him from a distance.

Liu Yihuan, holding Elder Luo hostage, slowly retreated, his eyes keenly watching the movements of everyone from Lize Palace, not missing a single one. Since the Great Palace Master had yet to issue an order, everyone hesitated to act and could only watch helplessly as he took their person to the Stone Sword.

"Ting Nu, give me the Demon-binding Rope," Liu Yihuan ordered without looking back.

Ting Nu immediately took out the rope, which had been prepared in advance. The Demon-binding Rope, with spells integrated into it, was a Magic Artifact that, once it bound someone, even those with immense mana could not exert their power. Liu Yihuan used the Demon-binding Rope to tie Elder Luo securely. Once bound by the rope, his strength was no different from that of an ordinary person, completely unable to struggle.

"Come on! Let’s go!" Liu Yihuan shouted cheerfully, turning around to lift Elder Luo and leap onto the Stone Sword when he suddenly heard Xuanji’s startled cry from the other side. He instinctively threw Elder Luo forward and turned around, ready to fight. A flash of green suddenly appeared before him, and it was the Great Palace Master taking advantage of his turn to make a move.

Liu Yihuan saw the Great Palace Master’s movements were like a ghost, lightning-fast and impossible to discern clearly, causing him to be shocked. He grabbed his dagger and held it in front of him, waiting for the attack to come close before counterattacking.

Unexpectedly, the Great Palace Master suddenly leapt into the air and shouted fiercely, "Leave the person behind!" With that leap, he soared over a yard off the ground, lightly and elegantly taking to the air. Such light body skills were truly astonishing. The crowd saw him leap over their heads, landing swiftly and reaching for Elder Luo. His sequence of actions flowed like drifting clouds and flowing water. Before they could react, he had already closed in.

Liu Yihuan hastily launched an attack, but with a light flick of his sleeve, his opponent ensnared his dagger and with a tug, the dagger flew from his hand. He was so shocked that he was at a loss for words; when he looked up, he saw his opponent leap and swoop, his green robe billowing. With a light tap on the sandy ground, not a single trace was left in the sand.

When Xuanji noticed him approaching, she immediately drew the Bengyu Sword to face the battle, only to be pulled back by Yu Sifeng. After a moment’s hesitation, Liu Yihuan had already caught up. Though his movements were not as elegant and smooth as those of the Great Palace Master, his speed was surprisingly quick. He reached out to grab at the man’s back, but the Great Palace Master skillfully leaned to the side, slipping past his arm. With a slight spread of his fingers, as if plucking strings on a zither, he raked across his shoulder.

"Ah!" Liu Yihuan didn’t know if it was real or a feint, but he let out a cry of pain and suddenly changed his technique. His arms whirled around like a windmill, completely unstructured, throwing punches wildly at the Great Palace Master. It looked less like a martial arts contest and more like the frenzied onslaught of a shrew.

For a moment, even the Great Palace Master was at a loss as to how to handle this kind of attack. Knowing full well that if Liu Yihuan decided to be unreasonable even an immortal would be momentarily stumped, he could only retreat step by step, watching with a mix of amusement and disbelief as Liu Yihuan flailed like a madman.

Liu Yihuan felt a growing coldness on the spot where he had been brushed past, as if something had penetrated his skin and was freezing his veins and muscles, making his shoulder heavier and heavier, almost like he was carrying a block of ice weighing dozens of pounds. Sensing the trouble, he knew he had been afflicted with an Ice Curse, and once it was activated, it would freeze all the blood in his veins, proceeding up to the heart, leading to certain death even for a Daluo Golden Immortal.

After swinging his arms for a long time, finally unable to bear it any longer, he clenched his teeth, slapped the Stone Sword with his hand, and yelled, "You all go first!"

The Stone Sword quivered slightly under his slap, as if ready to soar to the skies, but after a couple of shakes, it stayed put, not taking flight. Xuanji, seeing that he wasn’t following, cried out anxiously, "Brother Liu! Don’t... don’t stay behind alone!"

He ignored her as if he had not heard, his head not turning back, the cold from his shoulder slowly creeping down, rendering his body increasingly immobile. Suddenly, he revealed a sleazy smile, looking at the Great Palace Master, and said, "No wonder the palace master’s position was passed to you, impressive indeed."

With a raise of his hand, the Great Palace Master commanded sternly, "Seize them all!"

Upon this command, the Lize Palace disciples and others who had been holding back launched their attacks with drawn swords. Sharp Sword Qi filled the entire sky in an instant. Young disciples and Elders mixed together, forming a dense ocean of Sword Qi that targeted the people by the sea. It was clear that the Great Palace Master had resolved to forsake Elder Luo in order to preserve the dignity of Lize Palace. If this massive surge of Sword Qi was released, not just Liu Yihuan, but the entire beach might be turned upside down.

Liu Yihuan took a deep breath and said with a low chuckle, "This will be tough to handle, truly vicious, a fine play!"

As the words fell, he suddenly felt an intense wave of heat from behind him. He turned blankly just to see the Bengyu Sword in Xuanji’s hand ablaze once more, with countless small Fire Dragons rapidly weaving over it, eager to be unleashed. She shouted furiously, "Do not push us too far!"

With that, she swung her sword to release the Fire Dragons. The Great Palace Master had already witnessed the ferocity of her Samadhi True Fire inside the palace. This girl had her oddities, and if pushed too hard, the flames could be even more formidable than before. Samadhi True Fire was no ordinary fire; it was Heavenly Fire. The people of Lize Palace couldn’t withstand such Fierce Fire and would likely suffer heavy casualties.

With his mind racing, the Great Palace Master came up with numerous options in an instant. With one move, he dashed like a fleeting shadow and in the blink of an eye reached Xuanji’s side, reaching out to snatch her sword. Xuanji, unprepared for his swift action, involuntarily stepped back. In mid-move, he changed his technique, swept his sleeve, and unexpectedly reached for the severely injured Yu Sifeng instead.

Everyone was shocked that he was not actually trying to save Elder Luo but was targeting Yu Sifeng. Liu Yihuan and Ting Nu were both greatly startled; however, one was paralyzed by the Ice Curse and unable to move, and the other had always been weak, so they could only watch helplessly.

With a swift motion, the Palace Master grabbed Yu Sifeng by the collar and lightly hoisted him, looking ready to throw him back. Suddenly, a searing pain flashed by his face, as if licked by a tongue of fire, causing unbearable pain. Xuanji’s stern voice rang in his ears, "Let him go!"

He was certain that Xuanji was inexperienced and was confident in his own speed, paying her warning no mind and retreating several paces with a tap of his foot, ready to leap away with gathered force. However, he saw a bright fire flare before him, and countless Fire Dragons charged at him, even faster than he by several times. The Great Palace Master was truly alarmed, and with no more concern for Yu Sifeng, he flung him aside and hastily retreated, only to be a step too late when one of the Fire Dragons clamped down on his chest, grazing past. The agony of the Heavenly Fire burning him was indescribable, and even a composed man like him couldn’t help but let out a piercing scream as the pack of Fire Dragons toppled him over. He lay face-up in the sand, his fate unknown.

Seeing the Palace Master seriously injured, the people of Lize Palace were horrified, abandoning their Sword Qi as they rushed forward to check on the injuries.

Ignoring the spreading Ice Curse in his body, Liu Yihuan snatched Yu Sifeng first, and Ting Nu managed to pull both of them onto the Stone Sword. Liu Yihuan, still gasping for breath, pushed the paralyzed Elder Luo down. He tumbled several times across the sand, his eyes filled with murderous intent as he glared venomously at Liu Yihuan. With a chuckle, Liu Yihuan whispered, "Take care, Brother, we shall never meet again!" Having said that, he once again forcibly patted the Stone Sword and yelled, "Go, quick!"

Finally, the Stone Sword began to tremble slightly, soaring into the sky, and in a flash, it was hidden in the clouds, no longer to be seen. (To be continued. For the continuation of this story, please visit www.qidian.com. More Chapters available, support the author by reading the official version!)