Chapter 57: Gu Yiling Seeks Revenge

Jian Yichen paced slowly, then raised his hand—almost involuntarily—and shaped his fingers into a delicate orchid gesture. In a theatrical singing tone, he chanted, "So sweet, oh so sweet, if you want it sweet, sweet, oh sweet..." He blinked and looked over at Yufan.

Instantly, Yufan leaped to his feet, threw a punch into the air, and cursed, "Your head is sweet! Damn it, you lunatic!"

"Alright, alright, let's be serious," Jian Yichen said.

"That's more like it," Yufan replied, gently lowering his fist.

Star Chenzi watched the scene, struggling internally. He had long since lost control of his laughter, yet laughing felt disrespectful, while holding it in felt utterly agonizing.

He fought hard to suppress the corners of his mouth from curling upward, his gaze shifting back and forth between Jian Yichen and Yufan, finding the spectacle immensely amusing.

He gave a light cough.

Jian Yichen, seemingly entirely unaware of how ridiculous his behavior looked, became even more engrossed in his posturing. His orchid fingers fluttered gently as he performed a drama meant for no audience.

A glint of mischief flashed in his eyes.

"Jian Yichen, you bastard, you son of a bitch, get your ass over here!"

Up in the tree towering over the steps where Fang Yu and Star Chenzi were sitting, the wind rustled the leaves. Swaying back and forth, a figure perched among the branches hurled curses that seemed endless.

Jian Yichen stepped in front of Yufan. As the wind whipped up the hem of his robes, he straightened his posture and declared, "Brother up in the tree, if you have something to say, come on down and speak face-to-face. No need to hide!"

At this moment, both Yufan and the onlookers seated on the steps gained a sudden, new perspective of Jian Yichen; he actually looked somewhat masculine.

With a rustle, the tree shook, shedding a flurry of withered leaves.

Thud! A figure dropped heavily, landing squarely opposite Jian Yichen.

The shadowy figure wore a mask and garments of an unfamiliar cut and style.

"Today, you must die!" the interloper growled, his voice rising in pitch and fury.

"Why, my good sir? I have always walked an upright path, living without shame. You must be mistaken," Jian Yichen explained smoothly.

"Upright path my ass! You stole the hearts of maidens for ten miles around, you raided a vegetable patch for cabbages, and there are other things I'm too ashamed to even mention! How can you have the nerve to say that? You bastard, the number one scoundrel under heaven!" The shadowy figure could no longer contain his boiling emotions; his temper burned as fiercely as chili peppers.

"Nonsense! Do not frame me with such accusations. How could I ever steal cabbages, and how on earth could I steal anyone's heart?" Jian Yichen retorted, glancing backward for support.

"I think you definitely did..." Yufan murmured.

"Me too..." Star Chenzi chimed in.

Fang Yu offered a faint, amused smile.

***

"Hurry up and leave, don't waste your breath on a scoundrel like this!" the shadowy figure called out coldly.

"Alright, you two go ahead and fight," Yufan said, turning around and motioning for the others to clear the area.

The figure drew a small dagger from his waist, gently sliced his own palm, and chanted an incantation under his breath: "Death formula, earthly wood!"

Slowly, he pressed his open palm against the earth. "Open..."

Right beside the tree, two wooden automata slowly emerged from the ground, wielding heavy axes. The cloaked man stood atop one of them as the golems rose, causing the neighboring tree to slowly topple over.

Beneath the moonlight, the wooden giants appeared towering and menacing.

Seeing this, Jian Yichen grabbed onto Yufan for dear life and cried out, "Little Yu, don't leave me! I don't want to die!"

"Let go, I can't intervene properly with you clinging to me!" Yufan urged anxiously.

At the dark figure's low command, the wooden automata instantly sprang to life as if endowed with souls. Their heavy axes swept through the air in vicious, whistling arcs, chopping down ruthlessly toward the ground.

In the moonlight, the axe blades gleamed with a chilling frost, cleaving through everything in their path.

Yufan's pupils constricted. He swiftly pulled Jian Yichen behind him, clenching his hands into fists as sword qi surged within his body, preparing to meet the sudden onslaught head-on.

"Senior Sister, you and Star Chenzi wait for me by that thatched cottage," Yufan said steadily.

"What about you, Junior Brother?" Fang Yu asked, looking anxiously ahead.

"Go! I have my own way. Hurry, or I'll be distracted!" Yufan shouted, his voice ringing with urgency.

"Flurrying Sword Shadows!" he barked low. His figure instantly dissolved into several residual afterimages, weaving around the wooden golems in search of a flaw.

Yet, though the automata moved mechanically, their precision was terrifying. Every swing of their axes forced Jian Yichen's previous dodging path to be blocked, driving him back step by step.

The friction of the axe blades against the air produced a deafening roar that shook the surrounding leaves loose. Yufan summoned his Formless Sword and lunged forward, roaring at the top of his lungs!

The sword light surged toward the golems. Boom! The sword energy detonated, blasting the wooden automata into splinters.

The dark figure cursed fiercely, "You're sticking your neck out for this piece of trash? Then I'll grant you your wish!"

Swiftly weaving hand seals, the man slammed his palm against the ground. Countless chains erupted from the earth, whipping upward to bind Yufan's entire body.

"Take this!" the dark figure roared triumphantly.

Bound tightly by the sudden chains, Yufan was rendered completely immobile. Beneath the moonlight, he gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with an unyielding flame. The chains writhed as if alive, every inch radiating a frigid malice that locked him firmly in place. Not far away, the dark figure stood with a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. With a flick of his finger, the chains tightened synchronously. Yufan's muscles tensed in agonizing pain as sweat and dust mingled, dripping onto the earth.

***

Just at this critical juncture, a latent power seemed to awaken deep within Yufan. He closed his eyes and focused his mind, the sword qi around him growing so dense it nearly materialized into a visible vortex.

Suddenly, he let out a furious roar. The sword qi within him surged like a breached river, bursting outward with such violent force that it violently distorted the heavy chains, producing a sharp, metallic screech of tearing steel.

Yufan spread his arms as a spiritual ring manifested behind him, flashing forward to hover before his chest.

Grasping his sword, he silently chanted an incantation. The spiritual ring spun rapidly against his chest, and Yufan raised his hand, declaring, "I'm stepping into this. If I want to survive and make a name for myself in the Spell Sect in the future, I have to do this!"

"I'm handling this matter!" Yufan's voice was deep and resolute, every single syllable erupting from the depths of his chest, making the surrounding air tremble slightly.

Yufan shifted his stance, moving like a wild horse break-free from its reins. The sword in his hand, imbued with the majestic power of the spiritual ring, tore through the night sky, its tip pointing straight at the cloaked figure.

Wherever the sword light passed, the air seemed to be cleaved in two, leaving a brilliant, dazzling trajectory in its wake.

With a deafening crash, the sword tip slammed into a wooden wall hastily conjured by the dark figure, sending ripples visible to the naked eye across its surface. Wood chips flew in all directions as dense cracks spiderwebbed across the barrier.

Beneath the moonlight, the scene was breathtakingly striking.

Amidst the flying debris and shifting light, the dark figure's silhouette appeared blurred and sinister. His expression shifted slightly, yet he did not retreat. Swiftly forming hand seals, he muttered incantations under his breath, seemingly channeling even greater spell-bound power.

The wooden wall tottered under Yufan's relentless assault, but just as it was about to collapse, a surge of rich wood-element spiritual energy welled up from beneath the earth. Miraculously, the wooden wall repaired itself instantly, growing even sturdier than before.

Standing behind the wooden wall, the man burst into laughter. "Jian Yichen, you just wait!"

With a nimble movement, he sprang lightly onto a tree branch. The foliage trembled slightly beneath his feet before instantly settling back into stillness. He cast a parting glance over his shoulder, a chilling and triumphant smirk curving his lips through the dark night.

In a flash, his figure dissolved into a dark streak, weaving through the dense canopy before vanishing entirely without a trace.

As he departed, the sturdy wooden wall lost its spiritual support. It fractured slowly, scattering fine wood shavings and dust.

Finally, with a heavy "boom," it collapsed completely into the dirt, kicking up a billow of dust.

Silence returned to the surroundings, broken only by the distant call of a night bird piercing the stillness.

Jian Yichen and Yufan stared at each other, sharing a quiet sense of surviving a catastrophe.

Yufan retracted his spiritual ring, and the formless sword vanished into thin air...