The Might of the Sword Formation

【Intelligence 3: The broken sword scattered beside Xiao Yan's skeletal remains is named the 『Laurel Sword』, and it is a spiritual embryo. The weapon was snapped during a struggle before its master's death. It contains rare ores such as purple-veined dark gold, red wutong core, and Geng-gold marrow, which can be extracted and melted down to upgrade other swords.】

“Oh?”

Shen Xiuhan's eyes flickered with interest at the notification.

Though 『Hanlin』 was incredibly sharp and could slice through iron like clay, it was, in the end, only a mid-grade precious artifact.

In the eyes of ordinary martial artists, it was already a legendary weapon, but in front of true experts, it still fell somewhat short.

If he could extract the rare ores from this broken sword and fuse them into 『Hanlin』 to raise its grade...

Even if it didn't become a spiritual embryo, reaching the high-grade precious artifact level would still provide a massive boost to his combat strength.

With this in mind, Shen Xiuhan bent down without hesitation, gathered the scattered fragments of the broken sword one by one, and swept them into his storage pouch.

Then, his gaze shifted to the final piece of intelligence.

【Intelligence 4: Jia Pingxiu, the fourth chief of Chenjian Dock, has grown suspicious of your identity and tracked you to the edge of the pool. He suspects you sneaked onto the island to search for treasure and is currently hiding in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to launch a sneak attack and steal your findings.】

“Jia Pingxiu...”

Shen Xiuhan's gaze turned cold as he looked up.

High above, a faint golden light dot hovered motionlessly by the edge of the pool, like a coiled venomous snake quietly waiting for its prey to draw near.

“Is it that fat guy who questioned me at the courtyard gate earlier?”

“It seems... the token didn't completely fool him after all.”

Shen Xiuhan frowned slightly, his mind working rapidly.

Duan Xiao was occupied with Zuo Muxian and had no spare energy to oversee the inner island.

But this was, after all, the very heart of Chenjian Dock, surrounded by hostile wolves.

Once they started fighting, the commotion would likely draw many bandits, including Blood Dhuta and the others...

If that happened, he would find himself in a perilous situation, besieged on all sides.

“So... I must end this quickly. A swift battle, a decisive kill, and a rapid escape.”

A cold glint flashed in Shen Xiuhan's eyes. He turned his head to look at the palm-sized sword array plate on the stone wall, and an idea came to mind.

Moments later, he made up his mind. Reaching out, he took down the sword-shaped array plate, channeled his force, and dove back into the pool.

The water was bone-chillingly cold, and it was pitch black. A faint blue halo rippled around his body, pushing the immense water pressure away.

“Exhale...”

Shen Xiuhan let out a breath, removed the stone slab on the wall, and floated upward, shielded by a pocket of air.

...

By the edge of the pool.

Jia Pingxiu hid in the reed marsh, his body curled into a ball, leaving only his small eyes exposed to watch the pool.

The surface of the water was as calm as a mirror, and the reeds rustled in the night wind, making him grow increasingly impatient.

“Why hasn't he come up yet...” Jia Pingxiu muttered with a frown, his palms sweating. “Could I have made a mistake?”

The thought crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it.

“Why would anyone take such a massive risk to sneak onto Dongyi Island without a clear purpose? He must be underwater!”

He steeled his resolve. Greed instantly grew like wild weeds in his heart, overpowering all his doubts.

“What kind of treasure is worth such a massive commotion? A Precious Herb? Or a predecessor's cave dwelling?”

“Ideally, it's a peerless manual... I have blood pills to eat, so I don't lack medicine. What I lack is a cultivation technique. The two sets owned by Duan Xiao and Blood Dhuta don't suit me, and they refuse to share them anyway. If I get a good technique, I'll be the second Huajin expert in Chenjian Dock!”

As he fantasized about his bright future, ripples suddenly appeared on the water's surface.

“He's coming!”

Jia Pingxiu's pupils shrank. He crouched even lower, holding his breath.

The ripples grew larger and denser, as if something was rapidly ascending from the depths.

Water sprayed in all directions as a figure burst out of the pool!

Shen Xiuhan trod on the water, his toes tapping the surface several times as he leaped into the air, landing steadily on the blue stone ground beside the pool.

Jia Pingxiu's gaze locked onto the moon-white pouch hanging from the young man's waist.

Jia Pingxiu's breathing grew ragged, his heart pounding wildly. Unable to hold back any longer, he flipped his right hand, slipping three copper coins between his fingers.

These copper coins were different from ordinary ones; their edges were ground as sharp as blades, and thin silk threads were tied through the square holes in the center to make them easier to throw with force.

He raised his hand and flung them!

The three copper coins flew in a triangular formation, tearing through the air with a sharp screech as they shot straight toward Shen Xiuhan's face!

Shen Xiuhan snorted coldly. He planted his right leg firmly on the ground, rooting himself like an ancient tree, completely motionless.

His left leg, however, rose like a dragon lifting its head, tapping the air three times in rapid succession!

《Thirty-Six Paths Sky-Collapsing Kick: Intercrossing Kick》!

The toes of his boot struck the copper coins with pinpoint accuracy, deflecting them to the sides!

Thud, thud, thud. They embedded themselves deep into the earthen walls on either side, kicking up small puffs of dust and leaving three deep holes.

Jia Pingxiu hadn't expected to succeed with just three hidden weapons anyway.

The moment the hidden weapons left his hand, his right hand had already slipped into his robes, gripping the hilt of his blade.

“Little bastard, leave the treasure behind!”

Jia Pingxiu bellowed as he leaped into the air, his stout body moving as nimbly as an ape.

His concealed blade left its scabbard with a sharp screech, its cold light flashing like a bolt of silk as it lunged straight for Shen Xiuhan's chest!

However...

Shen Xiuhan tapped his toe lightly and drifted several feet to the left like a ghost, his movement unhurried and perfectly timed.

The blade swept past his robe, the fierce wind pressing a dent into the fabric, but it failed to even touch the hem.

Having missed his strike, Jia Pingxiu's expression changed slightly.

He whipped his head around, only to see that Shen Xiuhan had already turned to face him, staring coldly with eyes that resembled two unsheathed swords.

“I've been waiting for you.”

Shen Xiuhan's voice wasn't loud, but it felt like a bucket of ice water poured over Jia Pingxiu's head, making his hair stand on end.

Without giving him a chance to react, Shen Xiuhan raised his right hand, and a lustrous Yuan Stone materialized in his palm.

Immediately after, he flipped his left hand, revealing the palm-sized sword array plate. With a flick of his finger, he slotted the Yuan Stone perfectly into the groove at the center of the plate.

With a soft sound, the Yuan Stone fit seamlessly into the array plate.

The next instant, the entire array plate vibrated violently, emitting a low, resonant hum, like a ferocious beast that had been slumbering for years being awakened.

The humming grew louder and more rapid, vibrating so intensely that it made one's eardrums ache.

“You...”

Jia Pingxiu's face paled dramatically. A thick wave of deathly aura rushed over him, sending his internal alarms into overdrive. His feet instinctively tried to retreat.

But before he could finish his sentence...

A peerlessly sharp sword-qi erupted from the array plate!

The sword-qi was silver-white, as thin as a cicada's wing, yet blindingly bright.

It was incredibly fast. Almost the instant it left the array plate, it was already right in front of Jia Pingxiu.

Jia Pingxiu had no time to react, nor even to blink, before the sword-qi swept across his waist.

A soft sound echoed, like a sharp blade slicing through tofu, or scissors cutting through silk—clean, swift, and without the slightest resistance.

A cold sensation washed over Jia Pingxiu's waist, and he instinctively looked down.

What he saw next was an absolutely horrifying sight!

His upper body had separated from his lower body. The clothes at his waist were cleanly severed, the cut as smooth as a mirror, exposing the pale fat and bright red flesh within.

The blood seemed to delay for a beat before spraying violently from the severed wound.

Jia Pingxiu's pupils shrank to the size of pinpricks, a profound terror filling his eyes. His mouth fell wide open, a bloodcurdling shriek just about to burst from his throat!

“Ugh...”

But before he could make a sound, the second wave of sword-qi arrived.

A third, a fourth, a fifth...

Sword-light crisscrossed in silver-white arcs, weaving a dense web of death beneath the moonlight.

Jia Pingxiu's stout body trembled violently within the web of swords.

His face remained frozen in a mask of horror, his mouth wide open, his eyes bulging. His lips quivered, but he couldn't utter a single sound.

Moments later...

Seven or eight severed chunks of flesh collapsed to the ground, blood gushing out and staining the blue stones by the pool crimson.

A thick, metallic stench of blood mingled with the night wind, drifting far into the distance.