A Pawn's Passage

Zhang Yuelu looked at this strange woman. “Did I miss something in my divination? I don’t think this woman is among the seven people gathered around that statue in my mirage. Or do you think she’s the mysterious person in the cloak?”

Qi Xuansu shook his head. “Although the mirage wasn’t very clear, judging from the body shape, the mysterious person wearing the cloak should be Lin Zhenyuan.”

Zhang Yuelu nodded, agreeing with Qi Xuansu’s statement.

At this moment, the woman in the green robe drew her sword and flew toward Zhang Yuelu.

Zhang Yuelu stared her down and turned her Amorphous Paper into a paper sword, leaping forward to attack.

The woman in the green robe slanted her sword and constantly changed her movements, creating an erratic energy.

To the woman’s surprise, Zhang Yuelu did not block the attack and only aimed the tip of the paper sword at her key Dantian. This time, Zhang Yuelu’s attack was sharp and fierce, completely different from the Cihang Sword Sequence.

The woman in the green robe quickly moved back to avoid Zhang Yuelu. But Zhang Yuelu’s paper sword suddenly flashed before the woman, with its tip already pointing at her throat. The woman in the green robe had no choice but to retreat further.

Zhang Yuelu followed closely behind and attacked relentlessly, making it impossible to avoid. The woman in the green robe swung her sword to block the strike, then stuck out her right palm to hit Zhang Yuelu’s head.

Seeing this, Zhang Yuelu slashed the woman’s wrist. However, the woman had a sharp eye. She stretched out her finger to flick the edge of the Amorphous Paper, then she flew backward.

Zhang Yuelu’s hand trembled while wielding the paper sword, which almost flew out of her hand with that flick. At the same time, Zhang Yuelu lost the opportunity to pursue the woman in the green robe.

The two women moved so swiftly that Qi Xuansu felt dizzy. If it were him fighting against either of the two women, he would most likely get injured within three moves.

Zhang Yuelu did not say a word but continued to strike with the paper sword, using the Sword Series in the Cihang Sword Sequence. The thunderous sounds of swords clashing continued to echo in the hall.

At this moment, Zhang Yuelu had already shot nearly a hundred swords at the woman in the green robe at a speed so fast that it was hard to catch with the naked eye.

At the same time, countless scraps of paper flew out from the body of the paper sword, swirling in the wind and turning into paper lotus flowers that fell all around them like snow.

These paper lotus flowers came from the Amorphous Paper, so the petals were as sharp as knives. When the flowers rotated, they were like spinning blades that could cut through metal and jade with ease.

All Qi Xuansu heard were the continuous clangs of metal colliding with stone. The woman in the green robe was completely hidden in the circles of sword qi. However, there were no whistling sounds. It showed how flexible her movements were.

Surprisingly, the woman in the green robe actually managed to block all of Zhang Yuelu’s sword moves without falling behind in the slightest.

The flying paper lotuses hit these sword qi circles and shattered without making any sound.

“The Taixuan Sword Heart Series?” Zhang Yuelu was surprised. This move came from the restricted technique, the Taiyin 13 Swords, which was only taught to Quanzhen Sect disciples.

This technique was the same as that of the Zhengyi Sect’s Cihang Sword Sequence, the Taiping Sect’s Beidou 36 Sword Techniques, and the Grand Master’s Nandou 28 Sword Techniques. Collectively, they were known as the Four Great Sword Techniques of the Daoist Order.

Zhang Yuelu was surprised that the woman in the green robe was a disciple of the Quanzhen Sect. However, Zhang Yuelu did not panic one bit.

Although the paper lotus flower had no effect on that woman, Zhang Yuelu took this opportunity to envelop the woman’s body with a white light using her paper sword.

At this time, Zhang Yuelu no longer adhered to the Sword Series of the Cihang Sword Sequence. Her moves became aggressive, aiming at the opponent’s vitals to deliver a fatal blow.

However, the woman in the green robe had a soft sword that moved like a spiritual snake. The sword moved without a set pattern, thrusting forward, twisting, circling around, and clashing with the Amorphous Paper. The thunderous clash of metal and rock was endless, and the sword light shone like mercury.

In just a few breaths, Zhang Yuelu continuously changed her sword moves, which were swift and sharp like lightning. Though the moment had passed, the remaining aura was still intense. However, the woman in the green robe was like a ghost without a physical form, able to defend herself and block Zhang Yuelu’s attacks effortlessly.

It was truly amazing to watch how the woman perfectly avoided Zhang Yuelu’s precise attacks.

After maintaining a defensive position for some time, the woman in the green robe thrust her sword straight at the center. However, before she could stab Zhang Yuelu, her sword suddenly underwent more than a dozen transformations, dazzling everyone’s eyes.

Zhang Yuelu only used one strike to block all the different transformations of the woman’s sword. She then tilted the paper sword and pressed it against the face of the woman’s sword, the strike perfectly timed and positioned.

The woman in the green robe concentrated her qi on the sword tip, leaving her sword face at its weakest. With a soft cling, her sword dipped upon impact.

Zhang Yuelu swung the paper sword outward and slashed the woman’s chest. The woman in the green robe had no choice but to step back slightly. At the same time, the woman drew three sword circles in front of her. The sword circles seemed like tangible circles suspended in the air, blocking Zhang Yuelu’s strike and even counterattacking.

Even so, Zhang Yuelu showed no fear at all as she evaded the sword circles effortlessly. Then she delivered a diagonal strike at the precise moment when the woman was rebuilding her energy. The woman had no choice but to retreat backward.

Immediately after, the woman drew three more sword circles and charged at Zhang Yuelu. With a flick of her wrist, Zhang Yuelu pointed at the weakest spot of the woman’s sword circles and broke them. Not only that, Zhang Yuelu thrust her paper sword at the woman, forcing the latter to leap back.

With such rapid advances and retreats, the two of them had already exchanged hundreds of moves in a matter of seconds.

Qi Xuansu was dazzled by what he saw. He thought to himself, Qing Xiao is the best among Xiantian Beings. Only Heavenly Beings can defeat her. Who is this woman who can actually fight head-on with Qing Xiao without falling behind?

At this moment, Zhang Yuelu suddenly flicked her paper sword, creating a thunderous explosion next to the woman’s ear to stun the woman.

This was the Great Thunder Sword Technique from the Heart Series of the Cihang Sword Sequence, which could stun the opponent. At a high level of mastery, it could even bewitch the opponent’s mind with its melodious tune.

Zhang Yuelu continued to draw her sword. The thunderous sounds made it difficult for the woman in green to concentrate. Soon, the woman fell behind, and by accident, the wind from Zhang Yuelu’s paper sword swept across the woman’s chest, tearing the front of the woman’s green robe.

The woman wore garments beneath her green robe, so she did not flash anyone. However, the middle layer used to store important items tore open, and a golden-purple fish talisman fell out.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu’s expressions changed at the same time.

Zhang Yuelu shouted, “You’re from the Qingping Society!”

Qi Xuansu was shocked. He thought, This woman is actually a member of the Qingping Society? Are they also involved in this matter?

Although the Qingping Society was not like the other secret societies that believed in the Ancient Immortals, Qi Xuansu could not help but feel shocked at the coincidence between the Qingping Society’s dream meeting and the Lingshan Witch Cult’s Divine Kingdom.

The woman in green did not say anything. She just summoned the golden-purple fish talisman back into her palm.

Zhang Yuelu no longer hesitated. With a flash of sword light, Zhang Yuelu charged at the woman in the green robe.

The woman in green held her sword horizontally and grounded herself. When the sword light struck one meter in front of the woman, she suddenly changed her stance. Zhang Yuelu’s sword spun around and slashed toward the woman’s left shoulder. Although it was a simple strike, it was still extremely swift. Normal people would not be able to defend against it. However, the woman in green just turned slightly, moving her sword accordingly to block Zhang Yuelu’s attack.

Zhang Yuelu thrust straight ahead, with the tip of her paper sword trembling slightly. Just as she was approaching the woman in the green robe, she moved her paper sword in all directions, creating the illusion of attacking with multiple swords.

The woman in the green robe stood in place in response to the ever-changing situation. She merely drew circles in front of her and did not take the initiative to attack.

Zhang Yuelu did not collide with the sword circle. Instead, she sidestepped and struck diagonally. She stopped being on the offensive and moved into a defensive position as well. This was the strategy for a protracted battle.

The two women engaged in fierce combat. The woman in the green robe displayed majestic swordsmanship, commanding the entire space. Meanwhile, Zhang Yuelu’s swordsmanship was agile and adaptable, flowing effortlessly. Although the woman in green gradually shifted from defense to offense, Zhang Yuelu did not show any signs of defeat.

After more than a hundred exchanges, neither side gained the upper hand. Zhang Yuelu did not insist on confronting the woman in green. Instead, she leaped back several meters and shouted, “That’s one impressive Heavenly Heart Sword Technique, where the heart senses the will of heaven and the sword follows the heart.

“You initially concealed your origins with our Daoist Taiyin 13 Swords Technique. Now you’ve finally revealed your true lineage. I wonder, which Grand Libationer’s tutelage do you hail from?”

Only then did Qi Xuansu realize that the woman in the Green Robe was actually from the Confucian School. However, it made sense since members of the Qingping Society often had dual identities. Their true identities were sensitive; some were even among the core members of the Three Religions. That was why all members of the Qingping Society used fake identities within the association.

The woman in green remained silent. Suddenly, she launched another attack. Zhang Yuelu did not back down this time and met her head-on, continuing their intense duel.

Unexpectedly, the woman in green made a false move with her sword. Instead, she struck Zhang Yuelu hard with her left palm. An awe-inspiring energy immediately enveloped Zhang Yuelu’s whole body.

If Zhang Yuelu had dodged the palm strike, then she would have been injured by the woman’s sword. Zhang Yuelu used her Five Elements Qi Shield and stretched out her left palm to meet the woman’s palm strike. There was a loud collision when their palms clashed, and both of them drifted backward.

Zhang Yuelu’s sword spun and slashed horizontally at the woman’s waist. The woman in the green robe raised her sword to block the attack and channeled her qi to her left palm, striking downward. Zhang Yuelu had no choice but to flip her palm and counter the strike. Their palms made a soft clap as they touched.

The woman in green bent over and flew backward, stopping ten meters away. Zhang Yuelu felt a slight sting in her left palm, only to see a small hole that was oozing blood. She was pierced by a silver needle, and the flow of qi in her body was disrupted.

Zhang Yuelu’s expression was unchanged as she scoffed. “Great!”

The woman in green remained silent as she lunged forward and struck Zhang Yuelu with her sword. Although she had a light and flexible sword, the strike was powerful and heavy.

Zhang Yuelu raised her paper sword to block the attack. However, her arm strength weakened due to the needle prick, so the paper sword in her hand was knocked away from the impact.

Suddenly, Zhang Yuelu closed the distance between herself and the woman, charging forward empty-handed. She was elusive, like an apparition, and her attacks were unbelievably fast, defying imagination.

At that moment, the woman in the green robe was forced into a defensive position, unable to counterattack, seemingly at a disadvantage.

However, Qi Xuansu could clearly see that although the woman in the green robe appeared to be suppressed, that woman maintained an impenetrable defense. On the contrary, Zhang Yuelu gradually fell into an unfavorable position.