Starting With The Martial Arts Holy Fire Order

Chapter 18: The Xuanming Elders

“The supreme treasure of the martial world, the Dragon-Slaying Saber. Command all under heaven, and none dare disobey.”

“Perhaps it’s because of this legend that Boyan dares to keep the Dragon-Slaying Saber hidden,” Chengkun speculated.

“It reveals his ambitious nature. No wonder the officials call him a power-hungry minister, constantly oppressing the current Mongolian Emperor.”

Gangxiang nodded.

“Exactly. Boyan has had the Dragon-Slaying Saber for years without unlocking its secret. Fearing that we Han people might seize it and overturn the Mongol empire, he found a way to make it disappear from the Central Plains entirely.”

“He plans to present the Dragon-Slaying Saber to the King of Goryeo as part of a marriage alliance between Mongolia and Goryeo.”

“What? Giving the Dragon-Slaying Saber to the Goryeo people? Outrageous! How can we stand by and watch its secrets fall into their hands?” Chengkun fumed.

Overhearing this, Ling Yihan thought to himself.

It seems Chengkun has not yet fully lost his morals. Perhaps, in the original story, it was his junior sister Lady Yang’s suicide and his failure to kill Yang Dingtian that changed him into such a ruthless person.

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At least now I know the whereabouts of the Dragon-Slaying Saber. Listening further probably won’t yield anything new. The best course is to move quickly and steal the Heaven-Reliant Sword.

He glanced at Dai Qisi, signaling her to prepare for action, indicating there was no need to listen any longer.

Dai Qisi saw his look and nodded in understanding.

As they were about to leave, Dai Qisi accidentally stepped on a loose tile, alerting Chengkun and Gangxiang inside.

“Who’s there?”

Both Chengkun and Gangxiang leaped out of the room, using their lightness skills to pursue Ling Yihan and Dai Qisi across the rooftop.

Ling Yihan and Dai Qisi didn’t want to engage them in battle, so they kept running, using their lightness skills to evade pursuit.

But just ahead, two men in their forties blocked the way.

One held a short, black staff with a forked head resembling a stag’s antlers, while the other wielded a pair of judge’s pens, their tips shining like the beak of a red-crowned crane.

“The Xuanming Elders,” Ling Yihan muttered, his eyes flashing as he recognized them.

“What?” Dai Qisi, unfamiliar with the top experts of the Central Plains, looked puzzled.

With enemies blocking them from both sides, Ling Yihan and Dai Qisi had no choice but to stop and face their four opponents.

“Listen carefully,” Ling Yihan said to Dai Qisi. “The two in front of us are the Xuanming Elders—Lu Zhangke and He Biweng. They specialize in the Xuanming Divine Palm, a deadly, ice-cold technique. If you get hit, you’ll suffer from a poison that chills the body, causing unbearable pain. Be extremely careful.”

He turned to Chengkun and Gangxiang behind them.

“You heard their names. Chengkun is a fellow disciple of Lady Yang from the Ming Cult and the master of Golden-Haired Lion King Xie Xun. He’s known as the ‘Primal Thunder Hand’ and specializes in the Primal Force and Phantom Yin Finger. As for Gangxiang, he hails from the Vajra Sect of the Western Region and excels at the Vajra Prajna Palm. One strike can shatter bones and crack stones; don’t underestimate him.”

Dai Qisi’s anxiety grew as she listened. She hadn’t expected the Prince of Ruyang’s mansion to hide so many martial experts, each as skilled as herself. The chances of her and Ling Yihan escaping unharmed seemed slim.

Gangxiang sneered.

“I’m impressed. For someone as young as you to know so much about our skills and origins—you’re no ordinary kid!”

He Biweng, the more impatient of the Xuanming Elders, snapped.

“Who are you? Why have you broken into the Prince’s mansion?”

Ling Yihan smirked, unfazed.

“Even if I said we came for a midnight snack, you wouldn’t believe me, would you?”

He drew the Dragon Sword from his storage ring and handed the Longevity Sword to Dai Qisi.

Dai Qisi, recognizing the sword’s quality from its gleaming, razor-sharp blade, felt deeply moved by Ling Yihan’s concern for her safety.

“Let’s finish this quickly!”

With a shout, Ling Yihan swung the Dragon Sword, the blade emitting a dragon-like hum as it slashed toward the Xuanming Elders.

Dai Qisi wielded the Longevity Sword and launched a fierce attack on Chengkun and Gangxiang.

The Xuanming Elders defended with their stag-headed staff and crane-beak pens, but to their shock, the Dragon Sword sliced cleanly through their weapons.

Realizing the two swords were extraordinarily sharp, capable of slicing through iron, they dared not clash directly with Ling Yihan and Dai Qisi.

In a flurry, they unleashed the Xuanming Divine Palm, Vajra Prajna Palm, and Phantom Yin Finger, all targeting Ling Yihan and Dai Qisi’s vital points.

Although Ling Yihan had profound inner strength, he hadn’t learned any intricate sword techniques. Instead, he incorporated the Great Nine Heavens Hand, passed down by Yang Dingtian, into his swordsmanship.

At first, his movements were clumsy, but as he engaged with the Xuanming Elders, his technique grew more fluid, revealing the elegance of the Great Nine Heavens Hand.

However, Dai Qisi struggled. Though armed with a treasured sword, her inner strength was weaker than Chengkun’s, and Gangxiang’s relentless attacks soon wore her down.

To make matters worse, the noise of their battle had alerted the Prince’s guards, who were now rushing toward them.

Realizing he couldn’t hold back any longer, Ling Yihan sheathed the Dragon Sword at his waist and gathered the inner force of both the Nine Yang Divine Skill and the Martial Arts of the Wedding Dress.

He struck at the Xuanming Elders with both palms.

The Nine Yang Divine Skill’s pure yang energy, combined with the ultimate power of the Martial Arts of the Wedding Dress, was a perfect counter to the Xuanming Divine Palm.

The impact of Ling Yihan’s palm strikes sent the Xuanming Elders flying several meters back, crashing to the ground and coughing up blood from severe internal injuries.

“Ah…”

A soft cry escaped Dai Qisi’s lips as she faltered, struck by Chengkun’s Phantom Yin Finger. A chilling energy invaded her body, spreading through her limbs and causing excruciating pain.

Rushing to her aid, Ling Yihan unleashed his powerful inner force, blasting Chengkun and Gangxiang backward.

Without waiting to see the outcome, he lifted the injured Dai Qisi and used his lightness skill, “Treading Snow Without a Trace,” to flee the Prince’s mansion like a gust of wind.

The Xuanming Elders, Chengkun, and Gangxiang, all injured, could only watch as Ling Yihan carried Dai Qisi out of the mansion.