Clang!
With a resonant sword cry, Lin Xue signaled the final act!
Lin Xue had also learned the Sword-holding Combat Technique, and, in fact, the Lin family, generation after generation, had all been passionate, tragic warriors who specialized in refining the Sword-holding Combat Technique. Although this legacy didn't rank among the top throughout all of Glory, in their little patch of Chenfeng District, the "Lin Family Sword" had become a banner known far and wide.
From the first exchange, Le Yuxin immediately sensed the hidden malice lurking beneath the silky surface of Lin Xue's swordplay. If Gao Jin's Sword-holding Combat Technique was the king's blade from the official school—rigid, formal, open and direct—then Lin Xue's was the blade of a scheming hero, fusing open schemes and shadowy intrigues!
Beneath one sword flash hid yet another, the light of the scabbard-sword glimmering in and out of sight!
Lin Xue's right-hand sword attacked furiously, while her left hand kept the sword scabbard hidden, ready but not exposed, heightening Le Yuxin's sense of imminent danger. Sixty percent of her focus went to parrying, the other forty to staying alert! Compared to Gao Jin's headlong, unstoppable scabbard-sword light, Lin Xue's scabbard-sword was like a cocked and loaded gun, trigger held in check, every cell in Le Yuxin's body "clamoring in trembling alarm," yet the kill shot remained locked but never fired!
What was the most dangerous moment against a sword-holder Martial Artist? "It was always when her scabbard was brimming with power!"
That was the Lin Family Sword, righteous yet insidious! Le Yuxin only knew a little bit from Qian Yuliu's memories. Qian Yuliu had never officially crossed blades with Lin Jinyao, but during occasional sparring bouts, he had come to fully appreciate the Lin Family Sword's unparalleled uniqueness.
Because Combat Techniques were public, national knowledge, sects focusing on 'technology' as interest groups could never truly arise. At most, there were just martial arts schools functioning like "traditional culture preservation societies"—clubhouses for exchange. After all, everyone knew the best way to learn Combat Techniques was to test into a Military Academy, getting the best instruction at the lowest cost, not by randomly finding a master.
Though traditional apprenticeship was rare, passing down through one's own bloodline was common. If parents gained insights in Combat Technique, they naturally taught their children. The next generation would innovate in turn, each successive generation improving on the last. Who knew, maybe one day the Royal Academy of Yanjing would notice—then a family's private techniques could become new national standards?
In this world, few Martial Artists "hoarded their little secrets." Instead, every few years at the Combat Technique Exchange Congress, they "did their utmost to showcase their achievements," hoping the Royal Academy would favor their optimized techniques. If chosen, one gained glory for the family, a place in the Yanjing Combat Technique Hall of Fame, and maybe even a real shot at teaching at the Royal Academy—a concrete benefit worth fighting for bloody-handed.
As for hiding one's insights to ensure their line alone prospered, that was pure fantasy—if you didn't upload your thesis, did you expect no one else would? Even if everyone held back, the Royal Academy's filled with a swarm of Martial Maniacs, all day brawling and researching, endlessly pushing the envelope and optimizing Combat Techniques.
You might hide your insight today and make your family's technique 0.5 stronger than others, but what if next day, the Royal Academy released a new update and everybody else's baseline improved by 1.5? "Your precious trick would instantly become worthless."
Centuries of policy had branded "courage to innovate and willingness to serve the nation" into every Martial Artist's mind, so each family had its own custom-modified Combat Technique. And among those techniques, "only a scant few were, overall, a bit better than the government standard," while most sacrificed one area to boost another.
The Lin Family Sword was exactly this kind. Lin family disciples had to "sleep and train from childhood with their sword," using the spiritual growth in childhood to nurture both sword and scabbard. Most of their effort went into honing 'Condensing Light in the Scabbard'—until finally, this yielded a customized, mighty scabbard-sword light technique.
No need to mention the benefits, but the drawbacks were obvious too: it not only raised the learning threshold and required time, but "if the sword or scabbard nurtured since childhood broke or was damaged, all that effort went up in smoke."
In a way, this was a shortcut using external things, so the Lin Family Sword "never stepped beyond Star Engraving County of Chenfeng District, let alone onto the stage of history."
Still, though the Lin Family Sword "had its flaws," when it "came down to facing it head-on, Le Yuxin wouldn't dare underestimate its edge!"
No doubt, if Lin Xue didn't have this sword she'd raised since childhood, Le Yuxin "could have slapped her silly with a backhand," but the problem was—she had it! It "was like the opponent was a level or two below Le Yuxin, but she had an extra piece of top-tier gear, and that gear was a single-use burst weapon!"
To Le Yuxin, Lin Xue's scabbard-sword light "was no less than a death sentence." While Le Yuxin wouldn't die unless the strike hit a vital spot, a serious injury was almost inevitable—so he fought with utmost caution.
Sword-holding Combat Technique: Soaring Heaven and Plummeting Earth!
Lin Xue's sword light split in two, striking simultaneously at Le Yuxin's upper and lower lines. The real sword hid inside the sword light, and Le Yuxin couldn't instantly determine which side the real attack targeted.
But that didn't matter!
Biting Battle Technique: Desolate Bite, Universe Chant!
Le Yuxin's hands formed a Desolate Bite and crashed into the sword light, arcing in a grand circle. Wherever Lin Xue aimed her true blade, she'd end up ensnared by his Universe Chant Light Bite!
And then—
Flood Spit!
In a flash, Le Yuxin closed in, both palms thrusting horizontally, light exploding in a burst as he looked to seize momentum and finish the duel!
Yet, at that very moment, Le Yuxin suddenly leaped far back. Flood Spit still flared, but now not to pursue, but to guard. At once, a blanketing white veil sprang up before him, distorting the nearby light. The spectators felt as if the very air dimmed around them.
Clang!
Lin Xue's longsword ripped through the curtain of light, pointing steadily at Le Yuxin. The scabbard in her hand shimmered at the mouth with a golden glow—obviously, the power within was at full charge, set to erupt at any moment!
She hadn't fallen for it… Le Yuxin's heart sank a little.
All of the Lin Family Sword's power lay in that first strike of scabbard-sword light. Before it was used, everyone was wary; once it burst forth—game over! "Fail to win, and you're bound to lose."
As long as Lin Xue burned through her Sword Intent and let out that first scabbard-sword light, she'd never again pose a threat to Le Yuxin, and from then on she'd have to do whatever choreography Le Yuxin demanded—playing the role of the ragdoll.
So, Le Yuxin's earlier aggressive rush was calculated to force Lin Xue into panic, to trick out her scabbard-sword light. He hadn't expected, though, for Lin Xue to be so steady—if he'd really pressed the attack, she might have been sent flying from one end of the street to the other.
Yin Yinyin's belief that Le Yuxin could defeat the Lin Family's Avenger "was on the mark." Gao Jin was a non-factor, pure deadweight, Xia Lingguo was a secret Qian Yuliu fangirl for years—not Yin Yinyin's fault—and Lin Xue, the strongest Avenger on the surface, "could only threaten Le Yuxin once."
Even with injuries and depleted stamina, as long as Le Yuxin kept steady, "taking down Lin Xue wasn't that hard." What he did just now was really to test her—if he'd successfully tricked out the scabbard-sword light, the vendetta could've ended prematurely.
But, was Lin Xue the traitor? "If not, does that mean Yin Yinyin was wrong about there being a mole? If she is, what other cards does she have in hand?"
Many thoughts flashed through Le Yuxin's mind, but in the end, only one remained: "Beat her!"
"Cut off Lin Jinyao's disciples and children from ever joining White Night!"
Lin Jinyao was already dead; there was no point letting his students and children follow him into oblivion for some damned White Night—"if you can't even beat a Qian Yuliu, forget about saving the world; just go home and train a few more years, live to fight another day!"
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Claw Sword clashed with blade, sparking explosive bursts of light that made onlookers' eyes ache. Many Martial Artists in the crowd noticed that the Qian Yuliu, forced back by Lin Xue's sword net just moments before, had now suddenly reversed the situation, pressing Lin Xue back step by step!
"Even the Lin Family Sword has become a stepping stone for Qian Yuliu now…"
"He's not afraid of scabbard-sword light?"
"He failed to trick out the sword light, and now Lin Xue's scared to draw her trump card!"
As long as she didn't use her scabbard-sword light, Lin Xue simply "wasn't a match for Le Yuxin." In a head-to-head collision, Le Yuxin's Desolate Bite, Flood Spit "easily shredded" Lin Xue's sword light. In just a few exchanges, Lin Xue's situation "was already perilous"; if Le Yuxin hadn't thrown in some feints here and there, Lin Xue "would have lost long ago."
"'Still not using it? Still think I'm baiting you?… Fine, let's get real!'"
Le Yuxin swatted away the sword light Lin Xue sent his way, closed in with a sudden double palm thrust, as if about to release Flood Spit. But just as the crowd suspected another feint—he drove his open palm hard into Lin Xue's chest, unleashing full force!
The strength sent Lin Xue "staggering back, her insides boiling, blood surging." Before she could cough up the blood, Le Yuxin's finishing blow was already upon her!
Biting Battle Technique: Desolate Bite!
Le Yuxin grabbed for Lin Xue's throat, light bursting with explosive force, power ripping the air—one grasp strong enough to break stone, shatter bone, smash gold!
As long as Lin Xue kept retreating, Le Yuxin's left-hand Flood Spit, accumulated for so long, "would blast her straight into the crowd," ending this vendetta once and for all!
No matter who the traitor was, "it would all be over!"
Yet—
Lin Xue did not back down!
She bit her lip until blood ran to keep her mind clear, steadied herself, and twisted her grip to thrust the sword scabbard at Le Yuxin!
As Le Yuxin's hand clamped down on Lin Xue's throat, her sword scabbard pressed hard against his chest!
A nearly piercing, electric terror shot through Le Yuxin's body—the scabbard light trembled on the verge of erupting, no time to dodge, no way to block!
But Lin Xue, your throat's in my hand!
And yet, when Le Yuxin met Lin Xue's calm eyes, he realized he'd gotten it all wrong from the start.
Lin Xue was not the traitor.
Nor was Lin Xue clinging to vain hope or certain she could beat Qian Yuliu.
She "had shown up to go down together with Qian Yuliu."
That's why she had never dodged his tests and feints or drawn her scabbard-sword light.
She had waited until Le Yuxin committed to his full power—"then she could create a perfect opening, sealing off Le Yuxin's escape." Though it came "at the cost of her life."
So, what now?
"Kill Lin Xue?"
"Le Yuxin severely wounded?"
Or should Le Yuxin spare Lin Xue, and after dying himself, take over her body, becoming a beautiful girl Avenger starting a brand-new life?
All the words in Le Yuxin's mind condensed into a single curse:
Lin Jinyao, Qian Yuliu, you two bastards should have gone to hell long ago—now I'm left to clean up your damn mess!
In a flash, Le Yuxin released all the strength from his right hand; left hand's Flood Spit blazed out like a tidal wave, landing heavily on Lin Xue's abdomen!
At the same instant, Lin Xue's grip on the scabbard trembled, the overflowing light at the mouth of the scabbard suddenly dissipated. Hit hard by Le Yuxin, her weapon slipped from her grip, and with a gasp, she collapsed to the ground.
It was over.
Lin Xue did not use her scabbard-sword light. Le Yuxin did not kill Lin Xue. This vendetta ended in the most perfect way possible.
Le Yuxin let out a long, heavy breath, his whole body relaxing, deciding he "needed some time off for a Medical Bureau massage today." Glancing at Lin Xue's pale face on the ground, he walked over, intending to help her up.
Suddenly, a shrill sword cry split the air, followed by a furious roar: "Qian Yuliu, don't you dare kill my niece!"
Le Yuxin batted away the oncoming sword light, cursing, "Lin Xuen, get lost!"
The attacker was Lin Xue's uncle, Lin Jinyao's younger brother, Lin Xuen. His sword flashed as he charged, voice breaking with rage, "You've already won the vendetta and the Lin Family ancestral estate is yours. Why must you wipe us out to the last?"
"I didn't!"
Lin Xuen's Combat Technique didn't even match Lin Xue's. Le Yuxin, bored by a few quick exchanges, knocked aside his sword with Universe Chant, then hammered Flood Spit, just wanting to drive the man back and call it done!
But Lin Xuen refused to back off. His sword traced a whirling flower, swinging straight for Le Yuxin!
Damn, did everyone in the Lin family have a "mutual destruction" fetish?
But you? Are you even worthy? What the hell are you even worthy of?
Le Yuxin was certain his Flood Spit would send Lin Xuen flying "before that sword fell." Since the guy didn't know his place, Le Yuxin wouldn't show any mercy!
In that instant, a wave of icy terror pierced Le Yuxin to the core.
"A surge of unstoppable fear—a powerful premonition, an existential threat—spread through Le Yuxin's Spirit, infecting every corner of his body!" Every cell screamed in protest, commanding him to dodge, to escape, now, fast, right now!
"In a flash, Le Yuxin realized the source of his terror—"
Someone in the distance was aiming a sniper rifle at him!