Seeking Truth with a Sword-Chapter 569 - 512 Ingredients

Chapter 569: Chapter 512 Ingredients
THUD.
He Siping, pale-faced, pushed aside the rubble and wooden beams, then stood up from the ruins.
Shen Tuyu glanced at him, his expression softening slightly. He then turned to look down at the two Zhao Ming members from his higher position and suddenly said, "Fifteen minutes."
He raised a finger and coldly continued, "Tongluo City is just over three hundred miles from the Turkic Royal Court. Cultivators from Taihao Mountain and Turkic Warriors have already sensed the intense fluctuations of Spiritual Energy here. Considering their deployment density and patrol routes, the first batch of Cultivators will arrive within fifteen minutes at the latest. More reinforcements will follow until they capture, or even execute, all outsiders in Tongluo City. Aren’t you worried?"
"Worried? Why should we be worried?" Yuan Sou said slowly. "Taihao Mountain is also aware of Zhao Ming’s existence. To them, Zhao Ming is just a group of Candle Cloud Evil Cultivators huddling together for warmth. They could annihilate us anytime if they are willing to pay a certain price. The Yu Country is different. The Academic Palace is Taihao Mountain’s real arch-nemesis. If both parties appear in Tongluo City at the same time, who do you think they will capture first? Besides..."
Yuan Sou lightly stroked the sword’s edge and chuckled sinisterly, "A fifteen-minute window is more than enough."
Before his words faded, he brandished his sword and advanced, his figure so fast that only an afterimage remained.
CLANG, CLANG, CLANG—
The sound of clashing gold and iron was incessant; in an instant, they had exchanged hundreds of blows.
Bystanders could not see the movements of the two Candle Cloud Sword Masters at all; they could only witness the continuous collapse of buildings in Tongluo City. The escaping Sword Qi wildly sliced through everything around, causing buildings to crumble and disintegrate like sandcastles assaulted by waves on a beach.
From a high altitude, the battle between Shen Tuyu and Yuan Sou looked like an invisible brush erasing the structures of Tongluo City.
"Good! Good! Good!" Yuan Sou laughed maniacally as he continued to swing his sword, his sleeves flapping violently, accentuating his slender arms. "Truly worthy of the Academic Palace Sword Sect! You are stronger than Xia Peiyan!"
Hearing this name, Shen Tuyu’s expression grew more solemn. The royal surname of the Zhou Kingdom was Xia. Xia Peiyan had once been an Imperial Palace Tributor at the Zhou Kingdom’s Imperial Palace and a Sword Study Grandmaster. He mysteriously disappeared over a decade ago, his fate presumed to be death, an event that caused a great controversy at the time.
"Did you kill him?"
"Precisely." Yuan Sou smiled. "He kept a mistress in Zhao Jun and visited her monthly. I took the opportunity to capture his mistress and young son, forcing him to duel me. As for the outcome..." Yuan Sou chuckled.
He swung his sword back and slightly opened his palm, showing Shen Tuyu the hilt. It was engraved with a dense list of names, including Xia Peiyan and many other Sword Masters Shen Tuyu recognized.
"A family of three," Yuan Sou patted his belly and smiled, "reunited in my stomach."
Madman.
Shen Tuyu’s lips moved slightly. He had wanted to say that the Nobles of the Zhou Kingdom strictly maintained their decorum, ensuring that all grudges remained on the dueling ground and did not involve wives or children. Yuan Sou, after all, was of Noble birth from Zhao Jun in the Zhou Kingdom. Killing Xia Peiyan was bad enough, but eating his family was another level of atrocity. But then he thought, Yuan Sou was capable of annihilating his own clan; there was no use arguing with such a madman.
"Help! Help me!"
"Someone help me!"
"My husband! My husband is trapped under a beam! Somebody help!"
In the chaotic Tongluo City, cries for help, screams of pain, and howls were incessant. The common people did not even know what was happening. They could only see buildings inexplicably collapsing and perfectly healthy people suddenly severed in two. If Sword Qi could rip through steel, what chance did fragile human bodies stand?
"What’s wrong? Can’t bear it anymore?" Yuan Sou noticed Shen Tuyu’s gaze and laughed. "The Sword Sect cultivators your Academic Palace produces are strong, no doubt, but they have one flaw: too soft-hearted. To Candle Cloud Cultivators, mortals are no different from ants. They’re just unlucky to encounter us."
With that, Yuan Sou swept out his sword, casually demolishing half a street. Dozens more lives were lost.
"Look. Clean and decisive." Yuan Sou sheathed his sword, his lips still bearing a radiant smile.
"..."
Shen Tuyu’s gaze grew increasingly indifferent. Suddenly, he charged forward with his sword, forcing Yuan Sou to swing his own in defense.
Their sword forms became faster as both figures soared into the sky simultaneously, moving the battlefield to high altitude.
"Are you protecting these common people?" Yuan Sou let out a loud laugh. "Go back a few hundred years, and these Turkic People were the mortal enemies who nearly annihilated your Yu Country!"
Shen Tuyu, disregarding everything else, kept swinging his sword until both were spiraling above the clouds. He then drove Yuan Sou back with another sword strike, loosened his grip on the hilt, and violently flicked his sleeve.
The Longsword slipped from his hand but did not fall. Instead, guided by his Sword Intent, it hovered above his palm.
HUM—
Azure Sword Qi surged out from the Longsword. The surrounding clouds, caught in its influence, slowly swirled around the blade like a scroll painting.
"Academic Palace Sword Study, Green Cloud Sword," Shen Tuyu said slowly, his fingers joined to form a sword technique, as he stared at Yuan Sou, whose expression was becoming increasingly solemn. "Please enlighten me."
---
Ghost Shovel looked up at the sky. The aftershocks from the battle between two Candle Cloud Sword Sect masters seemed to have shattered the water vapor. This caused the clouds already accumulating above Tongluo City to rumble with dull thunder.
Accompanied by a clap of thunder, a light drizzle began to fall from the sky.
Ghost Shovel lowered his head, looking at He Siping’s pale face among the ruins.
"Academic Palace Disciple, He Siping."
The latter flicked his Longsword, stepped onto the rubble, and said hoarsely, "Heavenly Flow Sword. Please enlighten me."
"You’re not bad." Ghost Shovel grinned, sensing the burning flame within He Siping’s heart: the tenacity to face a formidable foe without despair, constantly seeking a way to victory; the firm belief in his convictions, a spirit willing to burn itself out.
Truly, the most perfect ingredient.
The most perfect ingredient naturally evoked the strongest appetite.
Ghost Shovel’s abdomen split horizontally. From his belly grew a large mouth that wolfed down the butcher’s apron, drool wildly flowing between its teeth.
"Over the years, I’ve eaten plenty of so-called geniuses: descendants of Sword Immortals, direct disciples of Taihao Mountain, Saint Sons and Holy Daughters of the Demon Sect. However, I have yet to taste the flavor of an Academic Palace Inspector."
The Demon-like Ghost Shovel slowly bent his knees, crushing the stone slab beneath his feet to smithereens. Veins bulged on his right arm holding the Chopper, like little snakes writhing beneath the skin.
WHOOSH—
Ghost Shovel instantly vanished. He Siping swung his sword to block but was still sent flying, crashing towards a building.
However, this time, he was prepared. At the moment before hitting the wall, his left hand formed a Magic Formula.
Cloud Patrol Realm, Earth Splitting Technique!
BANG!
The wall behind him cracked open, a fissure appearing just wide enough for He Siping to pass through, preventing any impact damage.
Simultaneously, his hand formation changed.
Cloud Patrol Realm, Wind Condensing Skill!
WHOOSH—
A strong wind built up behind him, forcefully neutralizing the impact of the blow.
"Dual Cultivation of Magic and Sword?" Ghost Shovel, far from surprised, was even more delighted, his appetite growing stronger as he swung his Chopper again.
CLANG!
This strike, however, was blocked by a Longsword.
Sui Yi arrived belatedly.