Chapter 40: A Clean Sweep

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a blur of motion flashed before his eyes. The green-robed youth from before instantly blocked Chen Xuan’s path, his face icy. Staring at Chen Xuan with cold indifference, he commanded, "Kneel and apologize to Heroine Jiang!"

Chen Xuan paused, casting a glance at the man before sweeping his gaze over the others standing behind him.

The two youths behind him also fixed their eyes on him, their expressions filled with frigid hostility.

The young woman in particular was livid, her face turning ashen. She let out a scornful laugh: "They say your swordsmanship is divine and call you by the nickname 'Heaven-Propping Sword.' How ridiculous and arrogant! There are so many sword masters in this world, yet none would dare call themselves that. Today, I want to see if your swordsmanship is truly so miraculous. If your skills aren't up to the mark, don't blame me for cutting out your tongue to keep your mouth from spewing filth."

Chen Xuan rolled his neck and looked back at the green-robed youth. "Do you want to die?"

Clang!

A long sword was drawn from its scabbard.

The tempered steel sword in the green-robed youth’s hand instantly rested against Chen Xuan’s neck. He said coldly, "Apologize!"

"And if I don't?" Chen Xuan asked calmly.

"Then you die. I will hack off your limbs, one by one," the green-robed youth replied coldly.

"Heh."

Chen Xuan suddenly smiled. "Young hero, you are supposed to be from the righteous path. Is this how you conduct yourself?"

"Three breaths. Apologize!" The green-robed youth increased the pressure of his sword against Chen Xuan’s throat.

Boom!

Suddenly, Chen Xuan erupted into motion. Combining 27 years of internal energy with his 920 pounds of physical strength, a wild, savage aura exploded from him. He moved with impossible speed, slamming a palm into the green-robed youth’s chest. The youth’s entire body was sent flying through the air. Before he could even react, Chen Xuan lunged after him, grabbed him out of the air, and slammed him violently into the ground.

Thud!

A dull, heavy impact echoed. The green-robed youth let out a pained shriek, vomiting blood.

The ground beneath them trembled slightly, leaving a massive crater where the youth had been smashed. His bones shattered in countless places, and his body twitched as he let out a harrowing cry.

"Ah!"

"I hate it when people point swords at my head. Do you know that? Do you know that? Don't point your sword at my head!" Chen Xuan’s voice was venomous as he pressed his hand firmly against the man’s chest.

The other three changed expressions instantly.

"You dare attack him?" the young woman shrieked.

Whoosh!

The one addressed as Brother Zhou flashed forward with extreme speed. Reacting first, he launched an attack on Chen Xuan.

Clang!

His soft sword unsheathed like a bolt of lightning, wreathed in thick internal energy. It darted back and forth like a venomous snake, moving with such speed that it left only afterimages.

A coiling soft sword!

However, Chen Xuan didn't even look at the weapon. His eyes turned cold as he charged forward, channeling his palm power to strike directly at Brother Zhou’s chest.

Clang, clang, clang!

In an instant, Brother Zhou’s soft sword struck Chen Xuan dozens of times, shredding his outer garments to pieces.

The sharp blade, reinforced with pure internal energy, left red mark after red mark on Chen Xuan’s skin, yet it failed to cause any significant harm.

Brother Zhou’s expression shifted.

"Hard-body technique!"

How could this be?

Jian Feiwu’s strongest skill wasn't swordsmanship—it was his hard-body cultivation.

After dozens of attacks yielded no results, Chen Xuan’s terrifying palm power surged forward. His palm hissed, turning as black as ink and emitting a pungent, stinging odor.

"A poison palm? Are you from the Five Poisons Sect?" he exclaimed in alarm.

In the split second of crisis, unable to dodge, he had no choice but to muster all his internal energy and strike back with his own palm.

Thud!

A muffled sound followed, but there was no explosion of energy or wind. It was as if his palm had struck a bottomless quagmire.

The next moment, Brother Zhou’s face turned deathly pale.

He felt his internal energy draining away at a frantic pace, like a breached dam. It was uncontrollable, causing his right arm and shoulder to tremble violently. Beneath his skin and meridians, air currents surged and pulsed, rushing outward uncontrollably.

He shouted in panic, desperately trying to withdraw his palm, only to find that Chen Xuan had locked his grip, preventing him from pulling away even an inch.

In just a few short moments, he had lost seven or eight years of internal energy. If this continued, he would be crippled.

"Ah!"

He screamed, focusing his mind on his Dantian to hoard his remaining energy while frantically stabbing his soft sword at Chen Xuan’s face.

The soft sword flickered like cold light, carrying sharp, powerful force aimed directly at Chen Xuan’s eyes and forehead. But as his internal energy waned, the power and speed of the sword plummeted. Chen Xuan simply closed his eyes; the blade struck him, causing neither pain nor itch.

Meanwhile, the young woman and the other youth launched a fierce assault.

Though they were a step behind, their skill and perception were formidable. Seeing Chen Xuan’s hard-body technique, the young woman struck with ruthless intent, thrusting her sword directly toward Chen Xuan’s groin.

The other youth’s hands danced, cold frost surging from his palms, coating them in a layer of white ice crystals.

Splat!

The girl’s sword pierced through Chen Xuan’s pants at the groin, yet not a drop of blood emerged.

Her pretty face twisted in shock. "You're a eunuch?"

At the same time, the other youth seized the moment Chen Xuan’s eyes were closed and lunged forward, striking at the center of Chen Xuan’s chest with his "Ice God Palm."

A cold glint flashed in Chen Xuan’s eyes. He shifted his left palm and struck back with full force.

"Don't touch him! He can drain internal energy!" Brother Zhou yelled.

The youth’s expression changed, but it was too late to retract his strike. Chen Xuan’s poisonous palm was already upon him, pungent and stifling. If he tried to pull back now, he would surely be killed on the spot.

Thud!

Another muffled sound. Like before, there was no gust of wind, only the sound of contact.

The moment the youth’s palms touched Chen Xuan’s left hand, he felt his internal energy gushing out like a flooded river. His meridians and flesh trembled, convulsing as if dozens of vermin were clawing their way out.

Terror-stricken, he focused on his Dantian and yanked his hands back.

But as he withdrew, the toxic substance from the "Energy Dissolving Technique" rushed along with his retreating energy into his own body.

"Ah!"

The youth screamed. His face turned a deep, bruised purple in an instant, and his skin began to blacken, rot, and ooze pus. He rolled on the ground in agony.

This was the horror of the Energy Dissolving Technique!

If you receive the palm strike, you are either drained of energy and crippled, or, when you attempt to retract your energy, the toxic residue invades your body, poisoning you to death.

The only reason Gao Ziling had been fine the night before was that she had also practiced the *Five Poisons Heart Manual*; her own energy was naturally imbued with toxins, and Chen Xuan’s Energy Dissolving Technique was fueled by that same manual.

If Chen Xuan had coated his palms with additional poisons, even Gao Ziling would have died. However, applying poison to his palms created a dependency; he would have to increase the dosage every day. Even one day of interruption would cause the toxins to backfire, resulting in excruciating pain. Therefore, Chen Xuan rarely used extra poisons for his training.

At this moment, Chen Xuan’s gaze shifted to the young woman beneath him, his eyes filled with malice.

"Bitch!"

He kicked out with brute force, his foot lashing toward the girl’s head. If he hadn't mastered the technique to retract his vitality into his abdomen, he would have truly been left childless by her.

The girl’s eyes widened, and she scrambled back, her sword moving like a rainbow as she stabbed a dozen times in an instant, leaving afterimages as she struck at Chen Xuan’s foot and chest.

Clang, clang, clang!

Over a dozen strikes rang out with dull thuds, leaving a dozen tiny red spots on Chen Xuan’s body. But Chen Xuan’s kick connected with her wrist, making her grunt as she nearly dropped her sword.

Terrified, she turned and fled.

*Jian Feiwu, the 'Heaven-Propping Sword,' is actually a mole for the Five Poisons Sect!* She had to bring this news back; she could not die here.

Seeing her flee, Chen Xuan’s eyes turned icy. He hurled Brother Zhou at her and unleashed his "Eight Steps to Chase the Cicada" movement technique, sprinting toward her.

Brother Zhou, weak and drained, had no strength to resist as he was tossed like a ragdoll. Having lost eighty to ninety percent of his decades of hard-won energy, his meridians were limp and his limbs powerless; he could only tumble helplessly toward the girl.

Hearing the rush of wind, the girl looked back and was struck with horror.

She dodged, continuing her frantic escape.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, another gust of wind came from behind.

She looked back and her hair stood on end. What kind of monster was this?

Bulging muscles, protruding veins, a massive frame—he looked like a humanoid elephant. Was this really that Jian Feiwu?

Thud!

A scream tore through the air as the girl was slammed by the transformed Chen Xuan. Like a broken sack, her bones crackled, and she went flying, spitting blood.

Chen Xuan strode over. Ignoring any sense of chivalry, he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her like a scarecrow back to the green-robed youth, slamming her onto the ground with a dull thud.

"Ah!"

The girl shrieked in agony, clutching her head as she writhed. Clumps of her black hair were ripped out, and blood dripped onto the ground. Her head was left half-bald.

Chen Xuan grabbed the green-robed youth by the collar, grinning hideously. "So this is the woman you were licking? For a woman like this, you have no brain? You wanted me to apologize to her? You wanted me to kneel? Do you even have a brain of your own? Look at your pathetic state now—do you still want to lick her? Go ahead, keep licking! You were just showing off, were you? Did a pig eat your brain? You dare provoke me? I’m so humble, yet you provoke me? Huh!"

He slapped the youth across the face with all his might.

*Crack!* A mouthful of teeth went flying.

"Spare me! I know I was wrong! I won't lick her anymore!"