22: A needle to send the King of Hell's letter, and work together to send Huo Xiu away!

His withered, claw-like fingers shot out from his sleeves; his five fingers spread wide, their tips wreathed in condensed Internal Energy, carrying a terrifying aura that could pierce mountains and extinguish life, aiming straight for Ximen Chuixue's heart!

Thunder Roar Finger!

Ximen Chuixue's pupils constricted slightly. His black-sheathed longsword let out a clear Dragon's cry, striking later but arriving first, its condensed Sword Intent precisely piercing Huo Xiu's outstretched wrist at the pulse point!

Pure Sword Intent, only speed is unbreakable!

"Ding!"

An extremely faint but exceptionally clear crisp sound! Like an ice bead striking iron!

The sword blade was hit by the finger force, and it trembled violently in his hand. Ximen Chuixue's figure swayed slightly, but his sword-wielding hand became as steady as a rock again.

"What formidable Internal Energy!"

"Good sword! What a Ximen Chuixue!" Huo Xiu laughed, his offensive unabated. His figure flickered like an illusion, and his other hand, hidden in his sleeve, struck out like wind and thunder.

Heavenly Thunder Palm!

Ximen Chuixue's pupils suddenly constricted!

The incoming palm seemed slow, but it was faster than a bolt of lightning, and it carried a powerful, irresistible palm force that stirred wind and thunder, instantly sealing off all his escape routes!

"Break!"

Ximen Chuixue let out a clear shout, his wrist flicked rapidly, and his black-sheathed longsword erupted with dazzling cold light!

It was no longer a single direct thrust, but like Han Mei blooming, it precisely struck the Heavenly Thunder palm shadows that Huo Xiu was sending out!

Ding ding ding ding ding —!

A series of crisp sounds, dense as sudden rain on a plantain leaf, instantly exploded!

Everyone's expression changed; every one of Huo Xiu's palms avoided the sword's edge, striking the flat of the sword.

His movement technique, Qinggong, finger technique, and palm technique were all top-tier in the world.

His Boy's Kung Fu (Tongzi Gong) made his Internal Energy supremely rigid and masculine, formidable and overbearing.

The Heavenly Thunder palm force he unleashed was like raging waves crashing against the shore, condensed and powerful to an inconceivable degree!

Ximen Chuixue only felt waves of fierce, unmatched, and overbearing counter-shock force, like giant siege hammers, violently striking along the sword blade!

His tiger's mouth instantly split open, and blood stained the sword hilt!

The arm holding the sword ached as if it would break, and his feet felt as if he were treading on cotton, continuously forced back by the relentless immense force!

He channeled his Internal Energy to his feet.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

With every step back, a clear footprint was left on the hard ground!

Eighteen moves! In just eighteen moves, Ximen Chuixue's proud sword momentum was completely suppressed by this purely overbearing palm force!

"Ximen Chuixue, your sword is fast, but not fast enough! Your Internal Energy is profound, but not profound enough! Hahahahaha, die for this old man!"

Huo Xiu laughed maniacally, his hair and beard bristling, his small figure now like a demonic god descended, pressing his advantage relentlessly!

His palms flew, palm shadows layered upon layered, like continuous thunderbolts crashing down from the Nine Heavens, carrying the power to destroy everything, completely engulfing Ximen Chuixue!

"Nine Heavenly Thunders!"

The palm winds howled, and the Qi surged, making the air in the entire small building's main hall thick and heavy!

Ximen Chuixue felt his breathing become difficult, as if he were in the eye of a storm, with immense forces on all sides capable of crushing him!

He could only push his movement technique to the extreme, like a lone boat in a storm, navigating and parrying with difficulty through the gaps of the overwhelming palm shadows, his sword light compressed to its limit, only barely able to protect his vital points.

Pfft!

Finally, there was no avoiding it! The edge of a condensed, almost solid palm wind fiercely swept across Ximen Chuixue's left shoulder!

He grunted, his body shook violently, a trace of crimson spilled from the corner of his mouth, and the shoulder of his white robe instantly tore.

Twenty moves! Ximen Chuixue was completely on the defensive, in perilous straits!

"Ximen, be careful!"

Lu Xiaofeng's figure flickered, and he shot out directly, his fingers aiming for Huo Xiu's vulnerable back heart and kidneys, which were exposed as he fully pursued Ximen Chuixue!

"Old man, take this!"

Huo Xiu's maniacal laughter abruptly ceased; it was as if he had eyes in the back of his head!

His palm strike pursuing Ximen Chuixue suddenly retracted, and his withered body twisted in mid-air at an incredible angle, his palms circling back like a great Phoenix spreading its wings, fiercely striking at Lu Xiaofeng!

Lu Xiaofeng pushed his hands to meet.

Boom!

The Qi clashed, emitting a muffled roar!

Lu Xiaofeng felt a mountain-toppling counter-shock force surge towards him, his palms feeling as if they had struck an iron wall of ten thousand feet, instantly collapsing!

His Qi and blood churned, and his body flew backward uncontrollably, performing two consecutive somersaults in the air to dissipate the force before landing steadily.

"Good palm technique, what an overbearing Five Thunder Palm!"

"Hmph! Lu Xiaofeng, your Qinggong is not bad!" Huo Xiu snorted coldly, about to press his advantage.

A silent, soft gust of wind, like a fine spring night rain, quietly brushed against the Jade Pillow acupoint at the back of Huo Xiu's neck!

This gust of wind carried no trace of smoke or fire, it was Hua Manlou's Flowing Cloud Flying Sleeve.

"Youngster of the Hua family! You are still too green!" Huo Xiu snorted coldly, forcibly gathering his Qi, and struck out with a backhand palm, the palm wind like a raging wave, directly hitting Hua Manlou!

Although Hua Manlou could not see, his senses were extremely keen. He waved his folding fan, rapidly drawing circles in front of him, layers of soft Qi like silkworms spinning silk, attempting to dissipate this fierce strike!

Bang!

The folding fan in his hand shattered with a snap! Hua Manlou grunted, suffering a minor setback, and retreated several steps.

Zheng —!

Triple speed!

Lu Jiuyuan had been waiting for an opportunity to strike, and now that opportunity had just appeared.

Both Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou had to clash head-on with him to consume Huo Xiu's Internal Energy.

And at this moment, after forcefully repelling the three masters with three consecutive full-power strikes, a subtle flaw appeared during the moment he recovered his Qi.

Lu Jiuyuan's figure faded in everyone's sight! Only a faint afterimage, formed by torn air, remained in place! Speed, extreme speed.

Rainbow Piercing the Sun! A raised hand thrust!

Sword light! Only one sword light!

It discarded all variations, all defenses, compressing speed and power, will and decisiveness, all into this single, beyond-limit thrust!

Fast! Extremely fast! Pure killing!

In Huo Xiu's cloudy eyes, an emotion named "shock" finally erupted for the first time! This sword made him feel a hint of death's threat.

But if it was just like this, it was far from enough.

A single embroidery needle in Lu Jiuyuan's left hand also disappeared simultaneously.

"No—!" A cry of extreme horror was caught in his throat.

Pfft!

A subtle sound, yet it echoed very clearly in the deathly silent hall.

Huo Xiu's furiously striking palm froze in mid-air, the rage and horror on his face instantly solidified.

His palm tightly gripped the Guhong Sword blade; the sword's edge was three inches from his throat, unable to advance another hair's breadth.

But on his glabella, a vivid red dot was slowly oozing crimson blood.

"You can grasp my sword, but can you grasp my needle?"

Lu Jiuyuan plunged the sword into Huo Xiu's throat and calmly asked, "Now, this sword has killed you!

Stinky fish and rotten shrimp? Heh heh!"

Lu Jiuyuan sneered as he withdrew the sword, then pulled out a coarse cloth handkerchief from his in my arms (huaili), wiped the blood from the sword, and threw the handkerchief onto Huo Xiu's face.

"He's dead!" Lu Xiaofeng stepped forward, squatted down to examine him, his finger tracing over the glabella, then feeling the top of the head and the back of the skull.

What an overbearing needle technique, this is the true Finger Flicking Divine Skill; in comparison, Mr. Jian Er's methods were far inferior.

He searched his body, but found nothing, how stingy!

"Alas, after all this trouble, and so many deaths, this storm is finally over."

"To witness a true master, this trip was not in vain!"

Ximen Chuixue's voice remained cold. His black-sheathed longsword was already sheathed, his gaze sweeping over Huo Xiu's corpse, finally resting on the Guhong Sword in Lu Jiuyuan's hand.

"If your heart is entirely on the sword, your sword will be stronger; if it is entirely on the needle, your needle will be stronger.

Being distracted will only prevent you from reaching the Peak in any path."

With that, he turned and walked towards the exit where Zhu Ting had re-raised the iron bars. His white-as-snow figure appeared particularly solitary in the dim light.

"This place is filthy, disgusting."

"Ximen!" Lu Xiaofeng called out.

Ximen Chuixue's steps did not falter, leaving only a detached remark: "If you make a choice, the gates of Wanmei Villa are open, welcome to spar with swords."

As his voice faded, he had already disappeared outside the door.

Lu Jiuyuan walked to the window and pushed open a decorative window that was well-protected by iron bars.

"Old Nine, what are you planning to do next? After this incident, your name will be known throughout the world." Lu Xiaofeng asked:

"Find a place to practice sword." He looked at the last struggling ray of sunset in the sky, his voice calm:

"A series of bloody battles, I have benefited greatly. I need to properly settle and transform it into my own strength."

Holding the Guhong Sword, its four-sided blade was smooth and clean. His fingertips brushed over the cold sword's spine, feeling its dormant sharpness.

"My sword is fast, but not fast enough. Strong, but not strong enough."

"That's good too." Lu Xiaofeng nodded, his tone a little more relaxed,

"Your skills, forged in battle, should indeed be properly settled.

If you need help, or want a drink, you know where to find me."

Lu Jiuyuan nodded slightly, as a response.

"I'm leaving."

He no longer looked at Lu Xiaofeng. His figure flickered, like a wisp of smoke merging into the twilight, silently darting out from the open window. In a few leaps, he disappeared into the vast night.