Chapter 51: Falling into Obsession
At Heishui River, towering waves surged into the sky, and the air was thick with killing intent.
Explosions shook the cliffs on both riverbanks—earth and stone crumbled and plunged into the churning waters.
Amidst the crashing spray and falling debris, a long spear shot up like a dragon leaping from the depths. Ferocious and unstoppable, Meng Xueli charged forward, riding the wind and waves. With a single strike, he knocked an enemy into the air and broke through the encirclement of black-clothed assailants, darting toward the riverbank.
Jing Di and his teammates saw this scene and could hardly believe their eyes. They couldn’t believe that was really Meng Xueli.
More enemies appeared on the opposite cliffs, leaping across the river to join the fight.
“Snap out of it!” Meng Xueli’s voice, infused with spiritual energy, pierced through the deafening roar of the water. “Detonation talismans!”
“Coming, coming!” Liu Jing snapped out of his daze and hastily fired four talismans into the river.
Meng Xueli dodged the resulting splash, sighing helplessly. “I said cover me with the talismans, not blow me up.”
“Sorry, sorry!” The array master apologized while quickly correcting his aim. This time, he got it right.
Three disciples from Han Shan soared into view, taking up positions in a triangle formation and forming a sword array to assist Meng Xueli. But Jing Di’s sword was even faster. Ice Mirror Jade Wheel finally revealed its true edge—like a dazzling full moon. Wherever the blade passed, blood spattered.
Jing Di’s teammates sprang into action. Xu Sanshan flipped onto the back of his tiger. The golden-eyed white tiger let out a thunderous roar that echoed through the forest. Seven or eight long-armed giant apes leapt out from the trees, charging into the enemy ranks alongside the white tiger and its master.
Zheng Mu shouted, “Vajra Subdues the Tiger Fist!”
His arms glowed faintly gold, shining like polished stone, and his fists whistled through the air like thunder.
Song Qianyi formed hand seals. With her at the center, grass and trees sprouted rapidly around her. Bushes rose to shield her like armor, and long vines lashed out like iron whips.
Seeing this, Liu Jing laid down a spirit-gathering array beneath her feet.
These five were undoubtedly elite disciples from their respective sects. Once they joined the fray, the previously deadlocked battle quickly tilted in their favor.
Meng Xueli’s pressure eased significantly. Hundred Generations of Time flowed and shifted gracefully—his attacks were as smooth and powerful as a rushing stream.
Though outnumbered, the eight of them were emboldened by Meng Xueli’s momentum and fought more fiercely with each passing moment.
The battlefield at Heishui River became a maelstrom of blood and chaos. The roar of the river, explosions, beastly howls, and agonized screams mingled into a single, terrifying cacophony.
“Retreat!”
More than half of the thirty-some black-clad assassins had fallen. The leader gave the order, throwing down an explosive talisman as he began to withdraw.
They had hidden beneath the water and in the forest, waiting for the perfect moment to ambush, hoping to strike a fatal blow. But Meng Xueli had slipped through their trap. Underestimating him had cost them dearly—they lost the advantage in an instant and paid a heavy price.
The three from Han Shan, heated from battle, were just about to burst through the mist and pursue, swords at the ready.
“Don’t chase. It could be a trap.” Meng Xueli blocked their path with his spear. “They’ll come back.”
As the water spray settled, the teammates gathered.
Zhang Suyuan, being the more level-headed one, quickly regained his composure. “Who were those people?”
Meng Xueli shook his head. “No idea. Anyone hurt?”
All three shook their heads.
Meng Xueli stood by the riverbank, using his silver cloak to wipe down Hundred Generations of Time. His mind slowly cleared.
These people didn’t look like disciples participating in the competition. Their cultivation techniques revealed no sect affiliation. They seemed more like specially trained assassins.
He recalled the rogue cultivator team he met on the first day in the secret realm. Their leader, Qing Dai, mentioned someone was trying to kill him. At the time, he hadn’t taken it to heart.
The people who came to kill him today might be the same ones who harmed Ji Xiao—or perhaps they simply coveted the relics Ji Xiao left behind.
He had made many enemies in the demon realm. Now, even in the human world, some wanted him dead. But he was used to it—when debts pile up, you stop worrying. When soldiers come, you block them; when floods arrive, you build dams.
Jing Di sheathed his sword and looked around the ravaged battlefield. The surging river had turned red with blood, carrying broken limbs away with the current. The thrill of victory was beginning to fade.
From last night until now, he had been beaten with sticks, struck by lightning, thrown around, stepped on, and then dragged into a brutal fight. He had suffered more in a day than in his entire twenty-plus years of life.
He hadn’t even had the chance to hold the beauty’s hand before nearly losing half his life.
Just as he was beginning to recover, the beautiful flower transformed into a man-eating blossom. He was so stunned that he stood there in a daze, lost in his own mind.
Once he came to his senses again, a chill ran down his spine.
If Ji Xiao Zhenren hadn’t died, Meng Xueli would still be quietly feeding fish and tending flowers on Changchun Peak, untouched by worldly affairs.
When people spoke of him, they would only say he was Ji Xiao’s Dao companion. No one would have known that the Han Shan Sword Sect had hidden such a formidable individual.
With no one injured, the teammates sheathed their weapons, tidied their clothes, and gathered around Meng Xueli, speaking to each other through sound transmission.
Xu Sanshan: “Did he get scared stiff?”
Song Qianyi: “Of course. He probably imagined a sweet confession scene like ‘a gift of flowers leaves fragrance in the hand,’ but now he’s stuck with ‘a lingering sense of dread.’”
Liu Jing sighed, “Makes sense. How could a sword sovereign’s Dao companion be a mere mortal?”
Jing Di looked at Meng Xueli’s cold profile and suddenly felt something stir in his heart. “No, I like him even more now. I’m still going to pursue him.”
Xu Sanshan: “What did you say?!”
Zheng Mu: “Amitabha! You’ve been possessed by a demon—wake up at once!”
Huge shoutout to @_nyanmaru_ on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
