Chapter 109: Tsk Tsk, How Fragrant

Chapter 109: Tsk Tsk, So Fragrant

With eyes flashing like lightning, the girl with the ponytail suddenly darted toward Xu Yun, her imposing aura pressing down as she scolded sharply, “If you’re looking to bring trouble on yourself, don’t blame me for being merciless.”

Xu Yun could clearly sense the fierce chill erupting from her, and a trace of incredulity flickered in his gaze. This girl’s skill was truly formidable. From the aura alone, he could judge her strength to be at least on par with the recovered Qiu Yan.

A top-tier expert, Xu Yun’s lips curled into a faint smile. No wonder she employed the “Purple Lightning Piercing the Clouds” hidden weapon technique—she really was someone who had walked out from that place.

Though pleased to meet a familiar kindred spirit, Xu Yun felt a twinge of unease. He didn’t recognize this ponytailed girl and couldn’t fathom when a woman had appeared there.

His luck with women was indeed pitiful; he’d spent twenty years in that place without seeing a single woman, and yet, in less than a year away, they had even assigned beauties.

“Am I seeing things?” Xu Yun thought, suddenly confused. There couldn’t be women in Dragon Fury, could there? Had he been mistaken? Snapping back to focus, a faint protective qi surged around him as he warily faced the ponytailed girl.

Noticing the intense scrutiny, the girl’s face flushed with varying shades of red and blue, her expression unsettled. She wondered at his reaction. When Xu Yun’s eyes locked onto hers with caution, she quickly suppressed any hidden thoughts and launched a full-powered strike straight at him.

Xu Yun lightly sidestepped; the fierce gust from her punch missed by a hair, but she spun with lightning reflexes, delivering a sweeping whip kick. Xu Yun instinctively raised his hand to block. Though her back was left wide open, he held back from striking.

Surprised, the girl realized her powerful kick had been effortlessly blocked, as if she had kicked cotton. Despite the internal force within her strike, it was completely neutralized.

Who exactly was this opponent?! She hadn’t dared imagine someone with strength surpassing hers by a wide margin.

Young warriors stepping into the realm of top-tier experts often feel invincible, their abundant inner force fueling a sense of supreme dominance. Yet that illusion shatters when they face true masters.

Xu Yun himself had once been like this. At eighteen, when he first crossed into the top-tier realm, he once believed he was unbeatable. But his master, Wang Yi, soon humbled him. On his first mission, he nearly lost his life.

Likewise, the ponytailed girl had assumed she could handle any challenge, only to realize her own insignificance after striking out.

Suddenly, Xu Yun stepped forward with a masterful footwork, vanishing in an instant before her eyes. Before she could react, his voice whispered behind her, “You can’t beat me.”

She spun fiercely, throwing a punch, but Xu Yun left only a shadowy afterimage before reappearing once more.

Stunned.

She had never encountered an opponent against whom she was utterly powerless. The overwhelming disadvantage crushed all hope of turning the tide.

This was her first mission. She had prepared fully to face Chi Xie, but no matter how formidable Chi Xie was, he was still only a top-tier expert. Now, she knew her enemy was a superlative master, far above.

“Ah!” she cried out, suddenly feeling her arms wrench behind her. No matter how she struggled, escape was impossible—Xu Yun had subdued her.

He chuckled softly and pushed her forward, calm and composed. “I told you, you lost. Tell me who you are, and I won’t kill you.”

She sneered coldly, “In your dreams!”

No sooner had she spoken than she lunged forward again. Even knowing she was hopeless, she resolutely chose to resist. She would rather die fighting than reveal a single word of her identity.

In desperation, one’s strength often surges beyond normal limits. Xu Yun didn’t underestimate her, seriously facing the relentless barrage of palm strikes.

The girl moved like a swimming dragon, her palms flipping like eagles—stabbing, piercing, chopping, lifting, sweeping, ramming, hooking—each a deadly blow.

The fierce aura emanating from her suddenly exploded with murderous intent. The once pure and sunny girl transformed in an instant into a chilling terror.

Swimming Dragon Eight Trigrams Palm!

Xu Yun was taken aback; she was using this palm technique!

The Swimming Dragon Eight Trigrams Palm was renowned for its intricate combination of twin fist and palm techniques with unpredictable footwork. It covered four cardinal and four diagonal directions, crisscrossing like the trigrams in the Book of Changes.

This technique required a deep fusion of martial skill and internal energy. Without solid inner power as a foundation, one could never grasp its essence.

Xu Yun’s surprise wasn’t that she could wield the technique, but that this very palm was the main style practiced by Silver Dragon when he was alive…

Yet even with all her might, she could not shake Xu Yun. The gap in strength was evident. Even if she managed to strike him, his protective true qi would render it harmless.

Xu Yun moved like lightning, his hands clamping down like iron pincers on her palms, forcefully pinning her against a sturdy tree trunk.

Her fierce aura shattered instantly. The silent authority radiating from Xu Yun extinguished all her anger. No matter how she struggled, she could not budge an inch.

Xu Yun’s face lowered slowly until his nose nearly touched hers. “The Swimming Dragon Eight Trigrams Palm is impressive, but you’re still too inexperienced.”

She was shocked—how did he know the name of her technique?

Outside, it was called the Wandering Body Eight Trigrams Palm. Only within Dragon Fury was it known as the Swimming Dragon Eight Trigrams Palm. Over decades, it had been refined by numerous grandmasters, not something an ordinary person could recognize.

“How do you know?” The killing intent in her eyes flared even stronger.

“Three forms, three postures; three emptinesses, three unions; three circles, three peaks; three wraps, three sensitivities.” Xu Yun casually recited the eight essentials of the Swimming Dragon Eight Trigrams Palm. “You only grasped the first six, but failed to comprehend the last two.”

Her eyes flickered with astonishment. “Who… who exactly are you?”

“The three wraps mean you must wrap your qi, your shoulders, and both elbows. The three sensitivities mean your mind, eyes, and palms must all be keen.” Xu Yun ignored her question, continuing thoughtfully. “If you can’t achieve this, you might as well abandon this technique.”

If you can’t master it, then give it up.

Only astonishment remained in her eyes. This man before her was uttering the same words once spoken by the grandmaster Wang Yi!

“Tsk tsk tsk, so fragrant.” Xu Yun sniffed, unable to resist complimenting. Some women carried a unique scent that stirred the senses; clearly, she was one of them.

The girl’s heart jolted. Facing a man whose mouth nearly pressed against hers, she was furious. In the heat of battle, this man still dared to act so brazenly! Suddenly, she thought of something and lifted her knee sharply.

Damn!

Xu Yun, caught off guard by the knee strike, took a heavy hit. This was no trivial move; without his protective true qi, it might have been fatal. How could this fierce girl be so ruthless? He hadn’t harmed her, yet she struck so viciously!

Seizing the moment, the girl broke free from Xu Yun’s grasp. Now, she had only one choice: escape. She was no match for him.

Suddenly, all the street lamps went out. Xu Yun knew midnight had passed.

Taking advantage of the darkness, she leapt into the air. She already regretted acting on her own. Though she had solemnly promised Qinglong earlier that afternoon not to act independently, after Qinglong left to investigate the Chi Xie incident, she couldn’t resist sneaking off to the medicinal cuisine restaurant.

That night, she finally awaited the person she was to meet, but never expected his terrifying strength. Not only herself, but even Qinglong together, it was doubtful they could overpower him.

After all, there was a fundamental difference between a superlative master and a top-tier expert. A top-tier expert had opened the basic meridians throughout their body, transforming their power into internal energy, reaching peak skill. But a superlative master had all acupoints fully connected, their inner energy metamorphosed into protective true qi.

There was no way Xu Yun would let her escape. As she leapt, Xu Yun sprang up behind her, wrapping her in a bear hug, effortlessly restraining her. She was powerless to break free, firmly held in his arms.

Soft, with good elasticity… Xu Yun felt the sensation, unable to help but praise silently.

Suddenly, a streak of azure light flashed in the distance, hurtling toward Xu Yun.

Xu Yun felt a fierce killing intent unlike the girl’s—this was the aura of someone who had faced countless life-and-death battles, steeped in ruthless malice.

The azure light struck like lightning, aiming for Xu Yun’s face!

Xu Yun pushed the girl aside and swiftly retreated to avoid the blow. He wasn’t foolish enough to take that strike head-on.

After all, a dagger glowing so vividly in near-total darkness was no ordinary cold weapon. And someone capable of such precise strikes at night was no ordinary warrior.

Xu Yun was certain this opponent’s skill rivaled or even surpassed that of Chi Xie.

A tall, sturdy figure emerged from the shadows, the dagger shimmering faintly with azure light. Xu Yun’s heart trembled—how could he not recognize this weapon? The king of cold weapons—the Short Blade Autumn Water!

The burly youth who had just launched a full-force assassination on Xu Yun gave no respite, immediately following with a piercing strike aimed at the heart.

A perfect “Yama’s Thorn” move! Xu Yun marveled inwardly and dodged swiftly. Even with protective true qi, being pierced by that move would mean collapsing to the ground.

Just as the battle grew chaotic, Qiu Yan burst forth from the second floor of the medicinal cuisine restaurant. Her Dragon Abyss sword glinted coldly in the night sky as she executed “Lone Swallow Double Flight,” deftly intercepting the dagger’s ferocious thrust.

Xu Yun’s head buzzed—this situation was becoming increasingly complicated, tangled like a knotted ball of thread.