Chapter 108 Retreat

  Bang!

  When Jue's claw tore down, the ancient sword spun rapidly, shaking out a steady shockwave that shattered Jue's attack head-on. Then, with his hand holding the sword seemingly following a natural trajectory, he counterattacked again, meeting Jue with a late but swift strike, the sword tip approaching him. Jue barely avoided the pursuing sword by retreating swiftly.

  However, just as he was ready to use the retreat-to-advance tactic to wait for Qin Tianyi's next attack to fall into his trap, he found that Qin Tianyi, who had forced him back, did not have any intention of pursuing. With a movement of his body, he suddenly appeared beside Xian Naihe, and with a flash of sword light in his hand, he forced one of the female students in their group to retreat.

  "This sword technique... Heavenly Horizon Flash Sword Technique?"

  Qin Tianyi stood still in front of the flower, or moved swiftly like flowing light, striking before being struck. Suddenly, Jue's eyebrows furrowed.

  Defensive swordsmanship.

  This Qin Tianyi is actually skilled in this defensive sword technique.

  Their goal is to seize the moment, with Qin Tianyi's defensive swordsmanship, which is equivalent to taking the initiative. Even if his strength is slightly above Qin Tianyi's, relying on the advantage of defensive swordsmanship, he can easily make up for these differences.

  "Long defense must be lost, I'd like to see how long you can defend. Fang Bian, let's take action together! He is a swordsman who relies on elixirs to boost his cultivation, and his swordsmanship realm will inevitably lag behind his cultivation growth. I'll definitely find an opening to defeat him."

  He said with a smile, completely disregarding the fact that he was a top-ranked third expert on the Divine Communication List, and yet he had to join forces with someone else to deal with a swordsman who relied on elixirs to boost his abilities.

  "Yes."

  Fang Kun was one of the three great swordsmen in the five-man team. Upon hearing Jue's words, he responded with a sound and immediately went to attack Qin Tianyi together with Jue, one on the left and one on the right.

  Qin Tianyi's expression remained unchanged, and the Tiān Jì Liǔ Jiàn (Skyward Flowing Light Sword Technique), which excelled at defensive counterattacks, was executed to its utmost limit in his hands. The 2.7 spiritual mark ignited externally, sensing every subtle change in the two people's sword techniques, thereby allowing him to anticipate and prepare for his opponent's moves, striking after being struck, forming an impenetrable defense.

  Despite his repeated attacks, he couldn't gain an inch on Qin Tianyi.

  "This kid obviously doesn't have the swordsmanship of a master, but this Tianji Flowing Light Sword Technique in his hands is actually more troublesome than those with master-level swordsmanship..."

  Ji Yue let out a low, urgent curse and turned his head to glance at Xu Hu, who was at a disadvantage under Xia Bingyu's sword. He shouted loudly: "We must change from being passive to active! Because we're eager for victory, we've been rushing towards the fleeting flower of victory, so he's been waiting idly on the side of the fleeting flower, and the defensive power of Tianji Liuguang Sword Technique has been fully unleashed. If... Xu Hu, you come and entangle this kid, this kid is skilled in defensive counterattack sword technique, his attacks are lacking, you take the lead in tangling him up, Fang Meng, follow me to take down Xia Bingyu first, I want to see how you'll withstand our counterattack when I've taken care of Xia Bingyu and both of us swordsmen join forces!"

  "Yes."

  The top ten of the Divine List and those outside the top ten are ultimately quite different, Xu Hu and Xia Bingyu are both swordsmen, but clearly suppressed by Xia Bingyu's swordsmanship, danger lurks everywhere. Hearing Jue's words, he hastily agreed and retreated from Xia Bingyu's swordsmanship, rushing straight to kill Qin Tianyi.

  While Xia Bingyu was about to pursue, Qu Le and Fang Mian had already arrived simultaneously, their intertwined offensive completely blocking Xia Bingyu.

  "The means of attack is lacking."

  Qin Tianyi looked at Xu Hu who suddenly blocked himself and Mei Yue, a faint smile appeared on his face.

  The next moment, the terrifying power contained in X-01's biological armor burst out from his body. Qin Tianyi, who had been on the defensive, suddenly counterattacked. The tip of the Thousand Year Sword emitted a cold glow and shot out, instantly filling Xu Hu's field of vision.

  "Hmm!?"

  Xu Hu's expression didn't change, having made up his mind to entangle with Qin Tianyi, he didn't confront him head-on. Facing a sword that was sharp to the extreme, the sword in his hand slightly drew back, and had already diverted the sharp energy on Qin Tianyi's sword to one side. Then, he swept his sword in a circle, further enveloping Qin Tianyi, preventing him from escaping from his own sword technique.

  "Taiji Hunyuan Swordsmanship? You're executing it so clumsily?"

  At that time, Qin Tianyi had also considered this defensive sword technique, but later chose the Tiān Jì Liú Guāng sword technique that could bring out his strongest power. Although he didn't cultivate this sword technique, its strengths and weaknesses were all analyzed layer by layer in the second-level database. Now seeing Xu Hu display this sword technique, his gaze swept over it, and immediately spotted six major flaws in it.

  As soon as he moved, Qin Tianyi rushed towards Xu Hu, and with the infusion of true yuan, the Eight Directions Mirror suddenly appeared on his body's surface, relying on this defense, he was like a terrifying fierce beast, heavily crashing into Xu Hu's sword technique!

  "This is... a defensive spiritual artifact!?"

  Seeing the Eight Trigrams Mirror on Qin Tianyi's body, Xu Hu's face changed slightly, and he was about to change his sword move. However, at this time, Qin Tianyi had already rushed in front of him, like a giant rhinoceros, supporting a strong defensive cover, which completely broke through the force of this sword technique that was circular, entwining, absorbing, and twisting.

  Moreover, Qin Tianyi grasped the exact moment when Taiji Hunyuan Swordsmanship's old power had dissipated and its new power had not yet emerged. After shattering the defensive stance formed by this swordsmanship, he didn't give Xu Hu any time to reassemble his strength. The Thousand Ancient Sword's blade was already carrying a stream of air that tore through the void as it slashed down.

  "Damn it, this kid actually has a defensive spirit artifact? What's his background?! Fang Mian!"

  Xu Hu was actually exchanging blows with Qin Tianyi for a moment, and the situation had become precarious. Jiu Le hurriedly let out a loud shout.

  Without needing to be told, Fang Yan, who apparently had a certain tacit understanding with Xu Hu and Ji Yue, sprang into action, his sword flashing as he stabbed straight at Qin Tianyi.

  This sword, apart from containing true energy, also mixed with his instantaneous sword's charging momentum. Even if Qin Tianyi could temporarily withstand the sword's edge with the Eight Directions Mirror defensive artifact, he would inevitably be shaken back by the force contained in the sword's edge, giving Xu Hu an opportunity to escape from the ancient sword's blade.

  "Great Swordsman? But where is the Spirit Sword?"

  Feeling the killing intent coming from one side of his body, Qin Tianyi didn't even turn his head. The Thousand Year Sword's momentum remained unchanged as his left hand suddenly punched out with immense force, bringing a deafening crash that heavily struck Fang Mian's sharp sword.

  "Boom!"

  Qin Tianji's fists and horseback were splattered with fresh blood, suffering injuries, but Fang Mian...

  Before Qin Tianyi's terrifying power, equivalent to a humanoid mech, the arm holding the sword was shattered with fractured bones, and the massive force transmitted through the sword surged up his body, sending him flying backwards, his internal organs severely shaken, and a mouthful of blood spurted out.

  The moment Fang Meng was knocked flying, Qin Tianyi's figure didn't flinch in the slightest. The Thousand Year Sword's blade chopped down, landing right in front of Xu Hu. Relying on the mid-grade spiritual sword's sharpness, this one strike would definitely be able to cut this swordsman into two pieces if it hit its mark.

  "True Energy Reversal, Phantom Demon Step!"

  At the critical moment, a hint of ruthlessness and determination flashed across Xu Hu's face. His body suddenly shifted, and he retreated at an incredible speed, narrowly escaping the ancient sword's fatal blow.

  Before he could re-condense his true yuan and counterattack, Qin Tianyi suddenly let out a loud roar from his mouth, and the powerful true energy burst out through the Thousand-Year Sword, transforming into sword energy that chased after Xu Hu in mid-air. Although Xu Hu raised his sword to block it at the first moment, the sword's edge still caused his aura to fluctuate violently, and the upper half of his clothes were cut and torn apart by the scattered sword energy.

  However...

  This is not the end.

  Along with Qin Tianyi's figure suddenly stepping forward, his momentum and strength seemed to have reached a certain peak at this moment. After accumulating to the limit, he aimed at Xu Hu who flew out more than ten meters away and punched out.

  "Hundred Steps Divine Fist!"

  In the void, a sudden clap of thunder.

  The airflow between Qin Tianyi and Xu Hu was torn apart in a visible way by an invisible force, the end of which directly extended to Xu Hu's body.

  Just as Xu Hu's protective aura had just been dispersed, how could he still condense a new defensive method at this moment? He stared blankly as the terrifying power of this tearing airflow slammed into his body.

  "Bang!"

  Bones shattered, accompanied by the sound of blood spewing out, all mixed together.

  Xu Hu's entire body was like a burst balloon, flying out of a distance of over ten meters, heavily hitting a large tree, and instantly breaking the waist of that tree with a thickness of one person. After that, the momentum did not decrease, and he hit the ground again, sliding out for several meters, leaving a bloody trail.

  "Kill!"

  One punch sent Xu Hu flying, Qin Tianyi let out a loud whistle, the sword blade rapidly rotated, its aura like a rainbow, and he suddenly pounced on He Yue to kill him.

  At that moment, a fierce and overwhelming aura burst forth, causing even the third-ranked strong expert on the Divine Genius List, Yue Le, to change his expression involuntarily.

  "It's you! You're that Qin Tianyi who Gu Wu Shuang fears, said to be able to knock out a great sword master with one punch!"

  At this time, Ji Yue seemed to have finally thought of something, and his face suddenly changed.

  Qin Tianyi's previous punch, although extremely powerful, still gave him confidence that in his prime, he could naturally withstand it. However, rumors from outside...

  If Qin Tianyi were to unleash his forbidden technique, he could deliver a punch powerful enough to kill even the greatest swordsmen. In the face of such power, even Gu Wu Shuang would be filled with apprehension, let alone this third-ranked cultivator who was not as strong as Gu Wu Shuang?

  Seeing Fang Jun severely injured, Xu Hu's life and death unknown, their side had already lost more than half of their men. Ji Le made a swift decision: "Retreat, retreat! Qin Tianyi, I admit defeat in this matter. This fleeting flower is yours to have, we're leaving!"

  As they spoke, Yan Zhe withdrew from the battle circle with Xia Bingyu and rushed towards Xu Xue at the fastest speed.

  As he gave the order, the other two great swordsmen who were entangled with Lixi and Xiaoyuequan also retreated, supporting Fang Meng, and in an instant, they had all left.

  As for this, Qin Tianyi and Xia Bingyu did not forcibly pursue them.

  After all, with his strength ranking third in the Immortal Cultivation Ranking List, if he really wanted to leave, even if Fang Tianyi was still here, he would not be able to stop him.