It seems that these prodigies will either sleep eternally in this deep mountain tonight, or perish in the belly of demons.
Lingyan's steps were no longer as nimble as before, and her speed in stepping over tree branches became increasingly slow. She was unable to keep up with her strength and was hit by the branches many times.
Her breathing gradually became heavy, and finally the vines found an opportunity to entangle her feet, which she used to run, and the barbs pierced her jade-like skin, sucking her blood.
The remaining vines, as if receiving a command, swarmed towards her, as if to completely envelop her and savor her like a delicious delicacy.
"Miss Ling—"
Not far away, Chu Cheng let out a hoarse cry, but he was powerless to help.
Just as Ling Yan was about to resign herself to her fate and close her eyes, a silver light flashed past her, and the tree net that was binding her instantly turned into dust.
An unfamiliar figure appeared in the middle of the battlefield.
She was an extremely dashing-looking woman, dressed in a black, fitted martial arts uniform.
Unlike the dignified and luxurious appearance of the black brocade robes of the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion, what she exuded was a power that completely suppressed everything.
She stood there, like a mountain peak higher than the mountains, an ocean deeper than a torrential rain, and earth more solid than rock.
The silver light returned to her hand; it was a sword, a fine sword.
The sharp blade gleamed coldly in the moonlight, carrying a chilling premonition.
Her face was ashen, her arched eyebrows remained unmoved, and her dark eyes, bright as stars, stared at the mountain demon without a trace of emotion.
As if sensing some extreme danger, the mountain demon immediately sank into the ground, intending to escape.
The woman in black simply extended her right hand forward, and the black wrist guard inlaid with dark crystals shone as brightly as her sword.
The sword flashed like lightning, piercing straight through the mountain demon's rock-forged body.
The mountain demon's every movement froze, and the mountain itself came to a standstill.
The red flames flickered as if blown by the wind, then fell into eternal silence.
The mountain-like body collapsed with a crash, shattering into dust.
Under her sword, rocks and trees are equally vulnerable.
Slaying a powerful mountain demon is as easy as an ordinary person crushing an ant.
She sheathed her sword and looked at Ling Yan.
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Author's Note:
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2022-03-27 23:19:22 and 2022-03-29 23:24:11!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Anonymous (1 bottle);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 118 Swordsman and Exorcist (Part 4)
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Her brows relaxed, her cold expression softened considerably, and a joyful reunion appeared on her face.
The swaying forest fell silent, and everything returned to normal. Only the sand, gravel, broken branches, and fallen wounded soldiers testified to the fierce battle that had just taken place.
She walked up to Lingyan and knelt down.
Are you alright?
Her hand reached for the bright red bloodstains on the silver garment, her eyes revealing a deep sense of empathy and heartache.
"Thank you, heroine."
Lingyan, who had been stunned, instinctively turned to the side to avoid her touch. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly for a moment, and she thanked her politely but distantly.
The woman's outstretched hand hovered in mid-air, her expression one of disbelief. She quickly composed herself, withdrew her hand, and returned to her previous calm and composed demeanor.
"I am Gu Zhong."
Before anyone asked her, she gave her name.
Gu Zhong never expected that their reunion after so many years would be like this—his beloved had lost her memory and had no recollection of him.
However, Lingyan's amnesia was not without reason.
Her soul had already been severely damaged during her wanderings in the soul world, and she had almost single-handedly withstood the attacks launched by the system in her previous life when it was desperate.
This was an unexpected time travel, and perhaps these factors caused Lingyan to temporarily lose her memory, but the specific reasons will have to be investigated further later.
After a brief moment of distraction, Gu Zhong felt even more heartbroken.
Having traveled through so many worlds, Ayan has no memory of Gu Zhong each time she encounters him. How can she bear the sudden drop from familiarity to unfamiliarity, and what kind of repeated torment will she endure?
She protected me so many times, it's time for me to fulfill the vow I broke back then.
"Thank you, Miss Gu."
Chu Cheng struggled to his feet and knelt down, clasping his hands in a respectful gesture.
The others echoed their thanks.
"Ling Ying!?"
Ling Ying, who had been unconscious on the ground, let out a groan and slowly woke up.
He saw the unfamiliar figure in the arena, paused for a moment, his gaze shifting from the hem of the black robe to the crystal wristband, then upwards, lingering on Gu Zhong's face, unable to recover for a long time.
"Hey! Snap out of it!"
His companion, unable to bear it any longer, tugged at his sleeve.
"Ahem, I am but a humble student, Ling Ying of the Ling family. May I ask for your name, young lady?"
No one present expected that Ling Ying could be so lustful.
They immediately tried to seduce this fiend, who was a mountain demon who could kill a whole group of them with a single sword strike and was someone that ordinary people could not easily approach.
That's probably the advantage of fainting; ignorance is bliss.
“…”
Gu Zhong gave him a cold look, then looked at Ling Yan.
"My cousin isn't very bright, please forgive him."
Ling Yan gave an awkward smile.
"Who are you calling brainless! Hmm!"
Ling Ying suddenly became angry, and it looked like another argument was about to break out. The others, who couldn't stand it, quickly stepped forward and covered his mouth.
"Young Master! Stop talking!"
Lingyan ignored the commotion among the boys who had just escaped death. She drew another arrow from the quiver on her back and threw it into the night sky—this time as a distress signal.
"Everyone is injured to some extent and unable to move around. How about we rest here for a while and wait for our family to come looking for us?"
Although it was phrased as an inquiry, it was delivered with an unquestionable tone of statement, which was the best course of action for them at the moment.
"As Miss Ling commands."
Chu Cheng was the first to agree with her.
"If Miss Gu has nothing urgent, could you please help them to the end and wait until our rescuers arrive before leaving?"
Even though the woman who suddenly appeared was behaving strangely and made Ling Yan feel quite uncomfortable, she could only bite the bullet and make her request.
If this group of people were to encounter any more demons, they would become someone's meal in the blink of an eye.
"good."
Gu Zhong naturally agreed to Ling Yan's request without hesitation.
Dry branches and leaves picked up from the ground were used as fuel to set off a bonfire in the center of the area, surrounded by people.
In the darkness illuminated only by the faint moonlight, it provided people with ample warmth and security.
The group, who had just experienced a fierce battle, breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground, not wanting to lift a finger, let alone engage in any further conversation. The scene became extremely quiet for a moment.
Perhaps feeling that the atmosphere was too strange and dull, Chu Cheng changed the subject and turned to Gu Zhong.
"Where is Miss Gu from? She's so capable; I've never heard of her before."
While praising him, they secretly investigated Gu Zhong's true identity.
"A rootless duckweed, nothing more than a nameless nobody."
Finding a giant tree near Lingyan, Gu Zhong casually leaned against it and answered indifferently, his lowered eyes glancing at Lingyan beside him.
"Miss Gu's sword... doesn't look like a magical weapon?"
Sensing that she was unwilling to say too much about her origins, Chu Cheng fixed his gaze on the sword that Gu Zhong was holding in his arms, which had already been sheathed in a black dragon-patterned scabbard.
"A sword is a sword. What magical weapon can compare?"
With a sneer and a flash of fierceness in his eyes, Gu Zhong's reply sounded very contemptuous, making everyone present feel uncomfortable.
However, it is true that the demon, whom no amount of magical artifacts could defeat, was killed by her with a single sword strike. It is no wonder that others look down on them and put on an arrogant and superior attitude.
"Speaking of swords, I recall some records—it is said that three hundred years ago, there were no magic spells in the world, and people could only use metal objects to exorcise demons. Those skilled in this art were called swordsmen, and there were indeed people who could defeat a hundred demons with their swords."
Unfortunately, as magic rose to prominence, swordsmanship declined. It is truly a pity that I did not witness Miss Gu's heroic figure today; I wonder if I will ever see her again…”
Ling Ying suddenly interjected, her manners now more polite than when she spoke to Ling Yan.
Upon hearing his words, Gu Zhong suddenly raised her eyes and looked at him with piercing gaze. Ling Ying was stunned by her gaze, her face involuntarily turning red, and she lowered her head somewhat embarrassed.
"There aren't many people who know about swordsmen these days."
Gu Zhong pursed his lips and said this, indirectly confirming his identity.
Are all swordsmen this powerful?
Lingyan asked curiously, as she had never heard of the term "swordsman" before. There were too many ancient traditions that had been lost to time.
It would be a lie to say that Gu Zhong's sword strike didn't amaze her.