Chapter Fourteen: Sacrificing Eight Hundred to Kill a Thousand

Yet he was keenly aware that the other's sword was not meant to harm, but to probe. If he could not withstand this initial test, the two would undoubtedly join forces against him at once, and his situation would become dire.

Were it only this youth in white, he would not be overly fearful. Judging by the youth's swordplay, the force was derived from his considerable cultivation and the ancient sword aura inherent to his blade, lending it such power. But from the perspective of sword techniques, the youth seemed almost entirely ignorant.

In the brief moment his thoughts twisted and turned, the sword aura, thick with ancient might, howled toward him from all directions. Laced within the powerful energy were strands of chilling cold, and before it even fully closed in, he was forced to retreat step after step.

After backing away some four or five paces, the Gray Crane realized he could show weakness no longer. With a sweeping gesture of his left hand through the void, the thick, bone-white club appeared once more in his palm. His eyes, cold as stars, fixed unblinkingly on the sword aura hurtling toward him from Zuo Dan. Suddenly, his pupils contracted, and with a thunderous shout, he swung the bone weapon. Pure, concentrated demonic energy surged forth, clashing and tangling with the sword aura before him in a fierce, inseparable struggle.

In truth, the demonic power within his weapon was no ordinary force. Though not as formidable as the ancient sword aura of the Azure Dragon Sword, it had nonetheless steeped for a thousand years in the blood abyss of Cangwu's wilds, absorbing the essence of countless living souls. The resentment and rage contained within was immeasurable.

Such demonic energy, born of wrath and grievance, was indeed formidable. It was enough, at least, to withstand the yet-unformed Azure Dragon sword aura wielded by Bai Mu, holding it at bay for a time, though to triumph over it was as difficult as ascending the heavens.

This fellow truly has not regained his full strength! Ling Yan watched as the Gray Crane Ancestor was driven back again and again by the Azure Dragon sword aura, a pleased smile appearing on her face.

Unable to restrain herself, she twisted gracefully, her slender jade wrist flicking as she swept her Jade Cold Flute. At once, countless shadowy images of the flute manifested, like thousands of icy blades, racing to reinforce the Azure Dragon sword aura.

Already hard-pressed to withstand the sword aura, the Gray Crane Ancestor now found himself beset by these cold flute shadows as well. Overwhelmed, the demonic energy within the bone club began to wane, and it seemed he could not last a quarter of an hour before being struck down by the combined force of flute and sword.

But at that very instant, as the Gray Crane Ancestor’s mind raced, Bai Mu—still exultant—felt the Azure Dragon sword aura within his inner cauldron once again surge forth like a flood gate thrown open, ripping through his organs with blades of pain.

A guttural cry escaped his lips.

Bai Mu gave a muffled groan, collapsing helplessly to the ground with the Azure Dragon Sword in hand. Instantly, the myriad sword shadows vanished.

The Gray Crane Ancestor, already resolved to a desperate struggle, found the pressure upon him suddenly alleviated. The cold flute shadows alone could not kill him, and now that Bai Mu was stricken, Ling Yan’s focus was shaken; she could fight no further.

Seizing the moment while his foes were wounded and disordered, the Gray Crane Ancestor swung his bone staff with all his might. A pitch-black vortex appeared instantly at the tip, and in seconds, its powerful suction drew in all the frigid flute energy encircling him.

Ling Yan had already rushed to Bai Mu’s side. Seeing his face pale as gold paper, she was at a loss for what to do.

“Bai Mu, what happened? Why did you collapse so suddenly?” she asked, holding him close, her face etched with worry.

Feeling the warmth of her embrace and the faint fragrance of her presence, Bai Mu’s pain was diminished by more than half, though the sensation of being flayed alive still lingered. Gradually, however, the pain lessened, and he guessed the sword aura was finally subsiding back into his inner cauldron.

“I... it seems the sword aura inside my cauldron attacked my organs again,” Bai Mu answered through gritted teeth.

“Why would your sword aura act up again? Wasn’t it already dispelled back in the forest hut?” Ling Yan muttered in confusion, recalling the old hunter's actions there and growing ever more suspicious, though she could not pinpoint the flaw.

The Gray Crane Ancestor put away his bone staff, his wicked smile taunting them. “The boy lacked integrity, and now Heaven punishes him. What goes around comes around!”

“Nonsense!” Ling Yan glared, fury in her voice. “If Heaven punishes anyone, it would be fiends like you who steal souls in dreams for your cultivation. Speak one more word, and I’ll shatter your cauldron and destroy your cultivation!”

“What bravado, little girl! Your friend is wounded, and you think you alone can defeat me? Utter fantasy!”

“Don’t pretend to be weak. Had Bai Mu not been struck by his own sword aura just now, you’d already be a corpse. Yet you dare boast before me!”

The Gray Crane Ancestor’s face flickered, his teeth grinding audibly. Clearly, Ling Yan’s words had struck a nerve. Once a domineering figure in the wild realms, never daunted even by ancient gods, he now found himself repeatedly threatened by a mere girl, and yet there was nothing he could do about it.

But when his gaze fell upon Bai Mu’s wan face, a gleam of delight appeared in his eyes. “Clever girl. You’re right, my power is far from what it once was. Since you’ve seen through me, there’s no need to hide it further. If you’re interested, why don’t we strike a deal?”

At this, Ling Yan’s brows arched coldly. “You are at the end of your rope. Even without Bai Mu, I could kill you alone. What right have you to bargain with me?”

“Indeed!” the Gray Crane Ancestor nodded earnestly. “When I fled from Cangwu, my strength was greatly diminished. I don’t know what sect you hail from, or which ancient god’s descendant you may be, but for one so young your cultivation is profound. If today you are determined to kill me, you very well might succeed. But if you press on blindly, I must warn you: ‘To kill a thousand enemies is to lose eight hundred of your own!’”

“Hmph!” Ling Yan’s face darkened, and she gave a cold, dismissive laugh.

Yet in her heart, she agreed. After all, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Even if she could slay the Gray Crane here and seize his cauldron, it would cost her dearly—perhaps even her life. It was hardly worth the risk.

The Gray Crane Ancestor, who had lived for millennia in the wild realms since cultivating a human form from a crane, had seen countless people. One glance at the girl’s expression told him she was already wavering.