C10 The Return of Chang Qianyu

Chang Qianyu was seething with rage. His arm had been severed by Chu Tian in full view of the public, a humiliating blow to his pride. And now, Chu Tian was openly challenging him again, stoking the flames of Chang Qianyu's already wounded ego. Known for his pride, Chang Qianyu was incensed; he was determined to kill Chu Tian and release the pent-up fury within him.

Chu Tian's actions were not just a personal affront to Chang Qianyu; they were an insult to the Coldtalons Sect itself, as Chang Qianyu was one of its esteemed elders. The members of the Coldtalons Sect present were equally enraged. They were all aware that Chang Qianyu hadn't exerted his full strength in his previous attack, considering Chu Tian to be nothing more than trash. He thought it would be wasteful to use his killer move on such an unworthy opponent, which led to his carelessness and allowed Chu Tian to exploit a weakness.

But when Chang Qianyu decided to unleash his full power, how could a mere mortal from the lower realms hope to withstand his strike? The Coldtalons Sect members, though furious, held back from intervening. They had complete confidence that Chang Qianyu would dispatch Chu Tian, who they deemed unworthy of lasting another minute. To them, intervening would be giving him too much credit.

Chang Qianyu took action, but not in the way one might expect. His body remained still, devoid of any signs of life, yet a white light began to emanate from his head, slowly rotating. It was as if something was being drawn out from within him, barely visible to the onlookers.

The spectacle unfolding before the crowd was a rarity, the likes of which many would never witness again in their lifetimes. A Seven-Vein Root Bone was a marvel seldom seen even across the vast Western Region, yet it had manifested today. The Starlight Sword was typically reserved for royal gatherings or duels among the nobility—events rarely witnessed by outsiders. Today, however, not only had the crowd seen the Starlight Sword, but they had also observed its shattering. Such an extraordinary tale would likely be met with disbelief if shared. And now, Chang Qianyu's arcane technique was even more astonishing, allowing his soul to roam outside his body—a feat beyond the wildest dreams of many, now witnessed firsthand, leaving the onlookers in awe.

In a brief moment, the vortex above Chang Qianyu's head had drawn his soul from his body, creating a blurry and semi-transparent entity. His body ceased to breathe or pulse; instead, the ghostly figure began to speak, "Chu Tian, this is the Dream Entering Scripture I've mastered. To think I would use this technique to claim your life, you can consider your existence worthwhile."

A stir rippled through the crowd.

"Dream Entering Scripture, what kind of martial arts is that?"

"I've heard of a mental discipline within the Coldtalons Sect called Dream Entering Scripture. It's said that those who master it can kill a person in their dreams. I wonder if there's a connection between this Dream Entering Scripture and the Dream Entering Order?"

While some were curious about the origins of the Dream Entering Scripture, others were more concerned for Chu Tian's well-being.

"How will Chu Tian handle this? He's such a good person; it's tragic to think he might meet his end here today."

"Indeed, it's appalling that Chang Qianyu would resort to using an advanced technique to kill Chu Tian."

"Shush, keep your voice down."

The crowd gradually settled, and everyone held their breath. They were convinced that Chu Tian would not survive Chang Qianyu's strike. They watched intently as Chang Qianyu made his move, anticipating the fatal outcome for Chu Tian.

A longsword materialized in the hovering Chang Qianyu's hand, mirroring the misty appearance of his ethereal form. Though the mist around it constantly dissipated, the sword remained shrouded, its true form never fully revealed.

Chang Qianyu struck with lightning speed, far faster than his previous attack, leaving no trace or afterimage in the air. His technique was straightforward: he grasped the sword in his right hand and swiftly slashed it towards Chu Tian.

Shen Mengxian's heartbeat halted. She was directly aligned with Chang Qianyu and Chu Tian. To her, the sword seemed to be aimed straight at Chu Tian's neck, and a single strike would mean certain death. "Chu Tian!" she exclaimed, unaware of her own cry. All she wanted was to make a sound, any sound, to quell her fear.

Chu Tian was utterly unprepared for Chang Qianyu's astonishing speed. He had never imagined a person could move so swiftly. A mere ten meters separated them, a negligible distance in combat, yet in his prior training, Chu Tian had gauged the time it would take to engage an opponent from such a range. This estimation accounted for the delay between an enemy's strike and his own response, the moment when weapons, bodies, or perceptions collided. This split-second was pivotal in combat, setting the fight's tempo and conveying vital information about the adversary's physical state, mental condition, and limits. A skilled fighter could discern all this essential data from the initial clash.

But Chang Qianyu's maneuver surpassed Chu Tian's psychological threshold, leaving him without a chance to retaliate. In plain terms, Chu Tian would have been slain instantly.

Yet, Chu Tian lived.

In the final instant, Chang Qianyu shifted his longsword half a foot to the left, the blade skimming over the hairs on Chu Tian's neck so closely that one could see a single hair split down the middle if examined closely.

A sheen of cold sweat coated Chu Tian's forehead. He had narrowly escaped death, saved only by his enemy's choice. A surge of boundless rage welled up within him.

Chang Qianyu's laughter was relentless. "The difference between you and us is clear; you're less than an ant before me. With a mere flick of my longsword, you'd be headless by now. Hahaha, do you grasp the gap between us? Had I not been careless, how could you have severed my arm? Kneel and beg my pardon, and I might leave you a whole corpse. Otherwise, I'll strip the flesh from your bones piece by piece, ensuring you rue the day you were born."

Chu Tian's retort came with a cold chuckle. "Threaten me with death? I fear not the end. What power do you hold over me?"

Kneeling to Chang Qianyu was out of the question for Chu Tian. Threats of torture were futile; they merely afforded Chu Tian the opportunity to devise a strategy. Chang Qianyu's 'Dream Order' technique appeared to involve projecting the soul beyond the body, his attacks channeled through the longsword he wielded. Despite the speed of his assault, it had a flaw: the sheer velocity prevented him from altering his attack mid-strike.

Chang Qianyu's attacks were lightning-fast. Chu Tian, even with his undivided attention on evasion, might not withstand more than three strikes before succumbing to Chang Qianyu's lethal blow. And even if he managed to dodge, his stamina wouldn't hold out—Chang Qianyu was in a soul state, not bound by physical exhaustion. In each exchange, Chu Tian's strength would inevitably wane until Chang Qianyu delivered the final blow. In essence, dodging was futile; it would merely postpone the inevitable by mere minutes.

Dodge he could not, yet predict he could.

This was Chu Tian's strategy against Chang Qianyu. Though Qianyu was swift, his moves were unchangeable. If Chu Tian could anticipate the target of the attack, he could position himself accordingly, using Qianyu's own momentum against him. The crux lay in forecasting Chang Qianyu's strikes—a task no less challenging than evasion, but within Chu Tian's capabilities.

Chang Qianyu flitted unpredictably through the air, toying with Chu Tian. He couldn't possibly know Chu Tian's thoughts; his erratic movements were meant to intimidate, perhaps finding delight in Chu Tian's horror-stricken expression.

But Chu Tian shut his eyes. Chang Qianyu's speed was such that tracking him by sight was impossible. So, with eyes closed, Chu Tian tapped into his intuition, shadowing Chang Qianyu's movements in his mind's eye, then anticipating his trajectory.

For the first time, the spectators witnessed Chu Tian not falling to his death, which left them somewhat disenchanted. They had anticipated a spectacle that never came to pass, leaving a sense of loss. Yet, when they beheld Chu Tian standing motionless, eyes closed, unresponsive to Chang Qianyu's circling presence, they collectively sighed.

"Ah, Chu Tian has resigned himself to fate. He's as good as dead."