Volume One: The Emperor's Sword Chapter 131: One Against Three

After emerging victorious, Lando climbed the tree trunk with the agility of a civet cat. She first plucked a cocoon from within reach. Then, remembering Yun Que’s instruction to pick the larger ones, she climbed higher and reached toward a cocoon the size of a watermelon.

The Transformation Realm was governed by natural restrictions; the higher one climbed, the more intense the sword rain became. Ordinary disciples dared not climb these trees, as they were easily pierced through their straw cloaks by the falling blades. Despite the canopy, the leaves provided no shelter from the relentless storm of swords, which dripped through the foliage and onto the ground below. Thus, most winners usually chose the lowest cocoons, as they were the easiest to reach and presented less danger.

Lando’s ascent drew a chorus of low gasps. She wore almost no sword-qi cloak, and the fact that she had managed to fight in the sword rain was already startling enough; that she now dared to climb so high was even more audacious. Many onlookers waited to see her make a fool of herself, expecting her to be severely wounded by the sword rain. Instead, she climbed over five zhang with ease, reaching the heart of the trunk. After grabbing the watermelon-sized cocoon, she hesitated for a moment, then decided against plucking it. Instead, she slid down the trunk and casually snatched a smaller cocoon on her way down.

Upon landing, Lando crossed the stream and returned to Yun Que’s side.

"Here, that makes two."

Lando handed the cocoon to Yun Que, keeping a mental tally of their haul, wondering when she would finally be able to trade for the Spirit Jade Bow.

"Why didn't you pick the large one?" Yun Que asked in a low, dissatisfied voice as he stowed the cocoon away.

"The large cocoons don't contain Green-Silk Silkworms," Lando huffed.

"Then what is inside them?" Yun Que asked in surprise. With the Silkworm King born, the cocoons on the tree should have been filled entirely with Green-Silk Silkworms; there shouldn't have been anything else.

"I don't know, but it’s definitely not a Green-Silk Silkworm," Lando insisted.

Yun Que grew increasingly suspicious. Lando possessed a Beast Spirit Root and was adept at communicating with exotic creatures like the Ant Queen and Green-Silk Silkworms; her innate perception should not have been wrong. If the cocoon didn't contain a silkworm, what could it be?

As Yun Que pondered this, three figures stepped onto the clearing beneath the tree. They were all disciples of the Yan Kingdom Sword Palace: two men and one woman. One of them was Yi Hongwen. During this period, the morale of the Yan Sword Palace had soared, and disciples had been constantly heading to the tree to challenge others, enjoying a high win rate and gathering a significant harvest. Even a disciple of Yi Hongwen’s mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivation had gained the courage to issue a challenge.

The three landed almost simultaneously, making it difficult to tell who had arrived first. Once Yi Hongwen steadied himself and glanced at the other two, his eyelids twitched. They were both Sword-Scions, one from the South Courtyard and one from the West, both at the late-stage Qi Refinement level.

"I arrived a half-step late. You two fight it out; I'll come back next time." Yi Hongwen knew his own limits; he knew he couldn't win, and he certainly wasn't about to force a fight.

Before he could retreat, another figure stepped onto the clearing. It was Tie Ye, the Chief Sword-Scion of the Barbarian Sword Palace.

"No need to leave. I’ll take on all three of you by myself!" Tie Ye boasted loudly. "Two at a time is too slow. It’s getting late, so let’s pick up the pace. If you three attack together and win, you can each take a cocoon. If I win, I take three."

Three against one! Tie Ye’s entrance changed the rules of the fight. It shifted from the previous one-on-one duels to a challenge match, and he had asked for a three-on-one brawl right off the bat. His arrogance was so extreme that even Yi Hongwen found it unbearable. The three members of the Yan Sword Palace exchanged glances, and their hearts were moved. The situation clearly favored the larger group!

It was true that Tie Ye was a Chief Sword-Scion, but no matter how strong he was, he was still only at the tenth level of Qi Refinement. In a one-on-one, none of the three had any hope of winning. But if they attacked together, it was a different story. The two Sword-Scions were at least at the eighth level of Qi Refinement, and with Yi Hongwen’s sixth level, they were not at a disadvantage against a tenth-level opponent. A peak-stage Qi Refinement cultivator could only control one more flying sword than a late-stage one—meaning four swords in total. But the two late-stage Sword-Scions and the mid-stage disciple could command a combined total of eight flying swords! Eight against four—they had double the number of weapons. As long as their swordsmanship wasn't too weak, they had a real chance of defeating him.

"Fine! We’ll fight you, three against one. We’ll limit it to the time it takes to brew a cup of tea. Don't go back on your word if you lose!" The female disciple, Han Ning, was the third Sword-Scion of the South Courtyard, at the eighth level of Qi Refinement and on the verge of breaking into the ninth. Yi Hongwen and the other disciple agreed as well. The three began to channel their flying swords, preparing for the fray.

"Go, Cousin!" Han Jiao cheered from within the crowd of the Yan Sword Palace. Han Ning was her cousin, and Han Jiao had full confidence in her. She knew that Han Ning’s sword skills were excellent, second only to Mu Qingyao in the South Courtyard, and she could even fight the second-ranked Sword-Scion to a draw. Now, with three against one, she was sure her cousin’s side would prevail. The other Yan Sword Palace disciples were equally confident, believing the outcome was a foregone conclusion.

"That guy Tie Ye is so arrogant," Yun Que muttered from behind the crowd.

"He is very strong! My brother is terrified whenever he mentions Tie Ye; he’s almost afraid of him," Lando noted from the side.

"Your brother is quite timid, then," Yun Que remarked.

"My brother is not timid at all! Tie Ye is just that strong. Those three are doomed to lose," Lando insisted stubbornly.

Their quiet conversation drew strange looks from a nearby barbarian, who eyed Yun Que with clear hostility. To dare call the son of the Barbarian King arrogant—was he even on their side?

"What are you looking at? You’re on the wrong team," Yun Que retorted, glaring back. He took Lando and left the barbarian group, standing instead behind the crowd of the Yan Sword Palace, and took the opportunity to discard his barbarian outer cloak.

Having lured and killed several barbarians earlier, he was already starting to arouse suspicion. Staying any longer would only risk exposure, so it was better to find a safer spot to watch the show.

In the clearing, Tie Ye let out a wild laugh and gestured for his opponents to attack. Han Ning, Yi Hongwen, and the third disciple unleashed their swords in unison! Eight flying swords, imbued with biting sword-qi, struck out with full force. Tie Ye, remaining calm, pulled out a heavy greatsword and, with a sudden burst of power, met the incoming eight streaks of light.

A roar of collision erupted! In the blink of an eye, the crowd heard the crisp sound of shattering metal. Blood splattered across the clearing! Tie Ye, with his own strength, had shattered all eight flying swords!

Han Ning was sent flying backward, vomiting blood as she crashed into the crowd. The other West Courtyard Sword-Scion was decapitated on the spot, his body falling beneath the Silkworm King tree. Yi Hongwen, who had suffered the lightest injuries, stood frozen for a moment before scrambling to crawl across the stream. He fled back to his own camp like a stray dog, his soul shaken and his appearance utterly disheveled.

The surrounding area fell into a dead silence. The disciples of the Yan Sword Palace, in particular, stood with their mouths agape, unable to believe what they had just witnessed. Two late-stage Sword-Scions and one mid-stage disciple had not even lasted a single exchange. One dead, two wounded!

"Is this the extent of the Yan Sword Palace’s talent? It’s pathetic—worse than the stray cats and dogs on the street." Tie Ye stood under the tree, not immediately plucking the cocoons, but pointing disdainfully at the Yan Sword Palace contingent. "Send three more! And send someone stronger—don't send weaklings to embarrass yourselves!"

This ignited the fury of the Yan Sword Palace disciples. *Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!* Three figures landed in the clearing. All three were Sword-Scions. Without needing to announce their names, they immediately launched a joint attack on Tie Ye. The honor of their palace was at stake; if they were defeated like this, if Tie Ye were allowed to humiliate them three-on-one, no disciple of the Yan Sword Palace would ever be able to hold their head high again. Even if they had to give up on the Green-Silk Silkworms, they had to defeat Tie Ye!

The three Sword-Scions fought with high morale, determined to reclaim their palace's dignity. Working together, they did indeed last slightly longer than the previous trio, but only by a fraction. Within ten breaths, Tie Ye emerged victorious once more, his heavy sword stained with blood. Of the three Yan Sword-Scions, two were dead and one was wounded!

Now, the Yan Sword Palace’s camp went completely silent. The anger on the disciples' faces had vanished, replaced only by a profound, chilling fear.