Alex rode the White Dragon sword, soaring toward Blackwood Cliff. His enhanced Magneto's ability made lifting his 100-pound frame effortless, the wind whistling past as he flew.
As for Master Fang Zheng below? That could wait. After saving Dongfang Bubai, Alex might need to confront Shaolin Temple.
In the back mountain of the Sun Moon Sect, the battle raged at its peak. Leader Ren Woxing's Star Absorbing Skill marked him as a titan of the martial world.
Linghu Chong's Dugu Nine Swords, sharper than Alex's, wove an impenetrable web. His blade danced with moves crafted to shatter hidden weapons, countering Dongfang Bubai's embroidery needles with unmatched precision.
With Xiang Wentian and Ren Yingying harrying from the sides, the combined might of the four erupted in a fearsome onslaught.
Yet Dongfang Bubai remained seated on the cloud bed, wielding dozens of embroidery needles with masterful finesse. Even against four foes, he fought with serene ease, his title as the world's greatest master shining undeniable.
"Damn it, Dongfang skills are far beyond my reckoning," Ren Woxing cursed, frustration boiling. "No wonder Alex serves as his deputy leader." Despite their prolonged assault, victory eluded them.
At Shaolin, Alex had faced Ren Woxing and Zuo Lengchan alone, his prowess stunning Ren Woxing. Now, Dongfang Bubai's martial arts surpassed even Alex's.
Freed from Meizhuang's prison, Ren Woxing found the world had shifted, threatening to cast him aside.
"Ren Woxing, over a decade has passed, and your skills have barely grown," Dongfang Bubai said, his voice icy as two needles forced Linghu Chong back. "I overestimated you. If this is your limit, you'll all perish here, buried alongside Alex."
"Hahaha, you care so much for Alex? Is he your lover?" Ren Woxing, outmatched but venomous, roared with mocking laughter.
(You guys don't have any problem with it if anyone has problem with this I can change it just comment)
"Filthy words," Dongfang Bubai snapped, his face darkening. He flicked an embroidery needle at Ren Woxing.
Infused with potent inner energy, the needle shrieked through the air, its force seemingly unstoppable.
Ren Woxing, unwilling to meet it head-on, darted aside with swift steps.
But in that instant, Dongfang Bubai launched another needle, striking the first. One needle veered toward Ren Woxing, while the other curved toward Ren Yingying.
"What!? What sorcery is this?" Ren Woxing gasped.
The needle he'd dodged now swerved midair. Too late to evade, he twisted desperately, but the needle sank into his shoulder.
"Yingying, watch out!" Linghu Chong shouted, lunging to her aid. With a deft twist, he used the Breaking Arrows technique to deflect the needle.
Seizing the moment, Linghu Chong surged forward, his sword striking at Dongfang Bubai like a viper's tongue.
Enraged by his wound, Ren Woxing hefted a boulder over 100 kilograms and hurled it at Dongfang Bubai.
Dongfang Bubai, no mere master of needles, exhaled a surge of inner energy, catching the boulder and redirecting it at Linghu Chong with even greater force.
Its speed and power left Linghu Chong, already so close, no room to dodge.
"Brother Chong!" Ren Yingying cried, her voice thick with fear.
Even Ren Woxing and Xiang Wentian tensed. The Dugu Nine Swords were peerless, but Linghu Chong's inner energy was shallow. How could he withstand such a blow?
Block!
Yet, as he neared Dongfang Bubai, Linghu Chong raised his sword before him.
The boulder crashed with crushing force, but Linghu Chong's Blocking skill held firm. Astonishingly, his body didn't even quiver.
Everyone froze, baffled. How had Linghu Chong, with his limited strength, stopped it?
"Alex's technique?" Dongfang Bubai muttered, recognizing the move. When Alex ruined Yang Lianting's face, he'd used this Blocking skill to halt Dongfang Bubai's needles.
In that stunned moment, Linghu Chong's sword flashed like an antelope's horns, unleashing the final Dugu Nine Swords stance. At point-blank range, its exquisite precision left Dongfang Bubai no escape. The blade pierced his shoulder.
Bang!
In agony, Dongfang Bubai swept his hand, unleashing a wave of inner energy that sent Linghu Chong flying, blood spraying from his mouth.
In terms of the strength of inner energy, Dongfang Bubai is naturally several levels higher than Linghu Chong.
That made his shock deeper when Linghu Chong blocked the boulder moments before.
"Star Absorbing Skill!" Ren Woxing roared, seizing the chance. With a manic laugh, he unleashed his full power.
Blood gushed from Dongfang Bubai's shoulder wound, drawn out like a crimson fountain.
Drained by blood loss, Dongfang Bubai's face paled to a ghostly white…
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A sprinter might dash a hundred meters in ten seconds, but sustaining that speed over kilometers is impossible.
Likewise, though Alex once wielded Magneto's power to manipulate metal with over 200 kilograms of force, he couldn't maintain such intensity for long, let alone fly swiftly on a sword.
Before Hengshan City and Shaolin, he'd used this ability only for brief escapes. Flying dozens of miles on a sword? That was beyond him.
But now, forged by grave injury, Alex's ability had surged. He found that soaring with the White Dragon sword beneath his feet was no great strain.
Of course, faster flight increased the burden.
Guiding the sword, Alex drifted toward Blackwood Cliff. His pace was steady but far from the lightning-swift flight of legendary sword immortals.
Though his movement resembled floating, the sight left countless Sun Moon Sect disciples below agape. Many let their weapons clatter to the ground, too stunned to hold them.
"Look… someone's flying in the sky…" a disciple stammered, his steel blade falling as he gawked at the figure above.
Ding, ding, ding…
Like a spreading wave, more disciples lifted their eyes, their weapons slipping from their hands.
In the world of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, the shock of seeing a man fly was indescribable.
"A god? Has a deity descended?" some disciples whispered, dropping to their knees, gazing at Alex with reverent awe.
"No, it's a sword immortal!" another cried, eyes blazing with fervor. "I heard tales as a child—sword immortals ride flying blades. This is one! The gods are real!"
"Wait, doesn't that figure look like Deputy Leader Alex?" a sharp-eyed disciple said, squinting at the airborne silhouette.
"Deputy Leader Alex?" The words jolted the crowd. Peering closer, they saw the resemblance.
"I get it!" one shouted. "The deputy leader mastered controlling the sword with qi. They said he died falling from a cliff at Shaolin. Maybe he ascended to immortality?"
The theory spread like wildfire, seeming more plausible by the second.
"The deputy leader has returned! Bless us!" Convinced the Ghost Hand Sword Saint had transcended death, the disciples of Blackwood Cliff knelt, their fervent cries echoing with zeal.
This was the first immortal in their history.
"What's that noise?" Alex, hovering above, caught the chaotic shouts below. Glancing down, he couldn't make out the words and dismissed them.
His heart was fixed on Dongfang Bubai, praying he could hold out, unlike his swift defeat in the original tale.
"In the original story, Yang Lianting was a weakness, but not now," Alex mused, guiding his sword toward the back mountain. "With the Flying Needle technique, Dongfang Bubai shouldn't fall easily, right?"
Yet, without seeing the battle himself, unease gnawed at him.
Author's Note:
Thank you for reading this chapter! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. If you're loving the journey, please consider leaving a review on Webnovel. Your feedback means the world to me and helps other readers discover this story. It also motivates me to keep writing and improving! Just a quick moment to share your thoughts can make a huge difference. Thank you for your support!