“You are indeed very strong. To kill you, it seems I have to bleed much more,” Tang Hong said while looking into Xiahou Jie’s eyes. Taking a step forward, the hand holding the Colossal Tiger Sabre, strands of blood flowed out of her hand, its rate of flow increasing with time.


    With her step, a crack appeared atop the granite mountain. A boulder with a circumference of several zhang fell into the courtyard.


    The Colossal Tiger Sabre grew ever brighter. Facing the General’s Sword, it appeared like the true strike of a tiger - fatal and suffocating.


    The profound yet brilliant blood transformed into numerous flames, burning on the near levelled platform. Tang Hong’s expression remained indifferent, as though she could not feel pain, nor fear death.


    Xiahou Jie’s expression also remained calm, with not a sliver of terror to be seen. However, she was just a young girl who had yet to even undergo the hairpin ceremony. Unless she was a monster like Tang Hong, how could she not feel fear?


    So how could she win against such a monster?


    Only through blood for blood.


    Bitting her lips, fresh blood flowed from Xiahou Jie’s palm that gripped the General’s Sword like water flowing downstream. The cold, solemn flames burned fiercely, tempering the temperature of the courtyard.


    That cold and solemn aura was rapidly released from her body, clashing with that of Tang Hong’s and surging into the night sky.


    The experts from Mount Qingcheng finally cannot watch any longer. Even if their blood didn’t run dry, releasing such powerful Qi next to the Imperial Palace would alert the Imperial Guards. They were allowed to inflict punitive punishment without trial to anyone suspected of being a threat to the Emperor. In the past, even the current Emperor’s brother had been killed on suspicions of treason by the Imperial Guards.


    If Xiahou Jie and Tang Hong did not stop their battle and continue to allow their Qi to rise, then they would die under the blade of the Imperial Guard. Even if the Imperial Guard were to be punished afterwards, so what? The two are already dead.


    Of course, if the Imperial Guards did not intervene, the two girl’s blood would have run dry before they would separate the two. Naturally, that means they would die.


    This was a fated battle, an unavoidable battle. No matter what path they took, the end of the struggle seem to have already been predetermined. It was only that the ending was too sad, too frustrating.


    The Mount Qingcheng experts could not watch the battle reach its inevitable conclusion. If the powers behind the two girls learn that their precious disciple or daughter had died under their watch, Mount Qingcheng would be pushed into the deep abyss and never rise again.


    But to separate the two would take too long. Xiahou Jie and Tang Hong would have killed each other by then.


    The oldest among the Qingcheng experts looked at his group, before pointing to Xiahou Jie with his index finger.


    Seeing this, Yang Heng’s face instantly paled.


    Because they could not save both, they could only save one. In the end, Mount Qingcheng always had a good relationship with Mount Longhu, while other of Yang Heng, they had no connections with the Xiahou family. With the favour they gain from saving Consort Li’s daughter, perhaps they would pass through General Xiahou’s wrath.


    One of the experts took out a bamboo flute and blew into it very seriously and solemnly.


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    Hearing this sound, a sliver of anger flashed across Tang Hong’s indifferent gaze. Only a while later did it return to its dull form. She did not allow anyone to interrupt her battle with Tang Hong, but at this moment, all of her energy was dedicated towards Xiahou Jie, unable to prevent the Qingcheng experts from ‘helping’ her.


    A matter that cannot be changed can only be accepted.


    What calmed Tang Hong was that the matter that cannot be changed was Xiahou Jie’s death.


    The sound of the flute resonated. It was very elegant, but hidden within, it carried a deep killing intent.


    The sound of the flute entered Xiahou Jie’s ears, and her complexion became even paler, causing her to release the General’s Sword, allowing Tang Hong to chop at her body.


    The mental attack from Mount Qingcheng had always been powerful and terrifying. But she needs to dedicate her energy towards defending against the even more terrifying Tang Hong, forming her to take the blow directly.


    A stream of blood from her lips.


    Yet her gaze became even calmer. Without even looking at the Qingcheng experts, her hand pierced through the night wind, falling towards the observer’s platform.


    She was not a Qi Manifestation state cultivator yet, so she could not hurt her enemy without any technique. This was simply swinging her hand at the night.


    But in her hand was a black scabbard.


    Since the beginning of this match, she had actually been accumulating in order to deliver Tang Hong a fatal strike with pure essence. She had poured everything into this black scabbard.


    The black scabbard left her hand and fell onto the observer’s platform, producing a muffled bang.


    This bang sounds like dropping heavy luggage after carrying it for a long time. Compared to the flute, it lacked any form of finesse.


    But once the flute came in contact with it, it broke.


    The complexion of the old expert became pale. In the next moment, the scabbard crashed into his stomach, forcing out blood. His rib bones were immediately broken, and he was forced back over ten zhangs.


    To seemingly throw something so casually yet injure a peak Heart Purification expert was truly extraordinary and proved that Xiahou Jie had reached an unimaginable level of strength. However, she also paid a great price for this.


    Tang Hong’s voice arose once more and her gaze brightened up like never before. Abandoning the tiger palm barrier, she formed her right hand into a tiger’s claw.


    The Qingcheng expert had indeed suffered a great blow like this, but it had helped her gain the best opportunity in the entirety of the night.


    Pu! Pu! Pu! The dozen or so Qi arrows penetrated Tang Hong’s body.


    Tang Hong’s expression did not change, as if she could not feel pain at all.


    Four fingers stabbed towards Xiahou Jie like the final strike of a tiger.


    A sound of shrieking ensued. This was the sound of the General’s Sword piercing deeper through the platform.


    But in the end, the platform around the General’s Sword crumbled, unable to root the weapon in place.


    The General’s Sword that left the ground was like a general thrown off his horse. It fell onto its sides.


    The tiger claw pushed the sword aside, stabbing at the right-left part of Xiahou Jie’s chest, ready to penetrate through her flesh, muscles, bones and even her soul.


    Clang!


    The noise sounded extremely similar to that of a guqin. But this was not the scholarly side of the courtyard; it was filled with hot blooded martial artists - where could the guqin come from?


    Naturally, there was no guqin in the courtyard, but there was a string in the courtyard. Even though there was one string, when it was tightened and someone played it with their fingers, the string could also make a melodious sound.


    That string was on the bow. The bow in the hand of Jing Wen.


    Naturally, the sound also came from the bow.


    However, Jing Wen seemed a bit hurried with how he plucked the bowstring. He used so much strength that the ox tendon broke into two and turned grey.


    However, Jing Wen would not aimlessly pluck his bowstring. An arrow flew towards Tang Hong’s hand that had formed the claw.


    But would Tang Hong be victim to the same trick twice? Of course not. But she could not stop her plunge towards Xiahou Jie. Diverting her left hand to protect the right, she allowed the arrow to penetrate through it!


    The next moment, a finger-sized hole appeared in Tang Hong’s hand, and deep blood flowed rapidly. However, Tang Hong’s moment did not slow in the slightest.


    Facing the impending claw, Xiahou Jie silently stood on the platform, her hair slightly blowing in the night wind. She subconsciously lowered her eyes and did not know what to say.


    Just what kind of posture was one meant to take when facing their death?


    Pit pat. Pit pat.


    The sound of heavy footsteps appeared in the courtyard. Perhaps a few of the more skilled cultivators noticed it, not none of them thought it to be significant.


    They all knew that Xiahou Jie was about to die, so they ignored the lingering sound.


    But once the sound stopped, they could no longer ignore it.


    A little Daoist that was not wearing any shoes appeared and stood at the edge of the courtyard. A piece of paper was in his hand and was immediately unfolded.


    Before Zhou Aimin could even speak, Linghu Qiang had also appeared behind him.


    Zhou Aimin said in a slightly trembling voice, “His Majesty decree that you two immediately stop fighting!”


    The martial artists could disregard Zhou Aimin, but they could not ignore the former Minister of War. Immediately, the courtyard became silent, and the dust on the destroyed platform settled.


    The spent blood continued to burn for some time, before the chilling cold and fierce heat finally fused and disappeared, becoming a brilliance that illuminated the entire city.