The blinding white light was unbearable. The moment Ren Yuanhao gripped his sword, his entire demeanor shifted.
"Oh? Interesting. I didn't expect that after so many years, Junior Sister would hide away in this desolate place to be a doctor. What? Did you kill too many people back then and now wish to turn over a new leaf?"
The man suddenly removed his mask, revealing a handsome, pale face with a sword scar running across it. His brows were sharp and heroic. If not for the cold, sinister glint in his eyes, this man would have been quite striking.
Physician Sha remained silent, as if stunned by Ren Yuanhao's actions. Her body trembled slightly, her gaze fixed intently on the person shielding her. The figure before her gradually merged with another, giving her a sense of hazy illusion, of time reversing.
Once upon a time, there was also someone who, with sleeves like flowing clouds and an extraordinary bearing, liked to protect her just as Ren Yuanhao did. But~
"Junior Sister, if you don't say a word, do you truly not recognize me as your Senior Brother?" The man pressed forward, now standing directly in front of Ren Yuanhao.
Ren Yuanhao shook his sword, forcing himself to calm down, and said coldly, "I'll say it again. If you're here for medical treatment, queue up honestly. If you're looking for trouble, ask my sword first!"
"Noisy! When I'm speaking with my Junior Sister, it's not your place as an outsider to interrupt!"
Without any visible movement, a flash of green sword energy appeared. Ren Yuanhao's chest was struck by a heavy force, sending him flying back two to three meters. His internal energy surged violently, causing him to cough up a mouthful of blood and collapse to the ground.
"If you lack strength, don't act tough. Trash has no voice."
The man now faced Physician Sha directly, his nose almost touching her face. Liu Yu had already retreated, attempting to help Ren Yuanhao up, and whispered, "These three fellows are trouble. They're likely cultivators. Since this is an internal sect matter, as outsiders, it's best we don't interfere."
Unexpectedly, Ren Yuanhao suddenly chuckled softly, "This doesn't sound like the elder brother I know. You once risked your life to save that child. What's the difference between then and now?"
"Hey, I say, Junior Sister, you haven't said a word since I arrived. Are you counting on these two pieces of trash to protect you?"
As he spoke, the man raised his hand, intending to forcibly remove Physician Sha's mask, but she pushed him away.
"These two have nothing to do with me; they are merely seeking medical treatment," Physician Sha said, turning to Ren Yuanhao and the other two. "You two quickly take that fellow and get out of here. Further talk is useless."
"Oh, you've come all this way, so don't leave!"
The man signaled to his companions. Seeing this, the two men beside him leaped up simultaneously and attacked. With their iron swords, they flicked their blades. Before completing half a sword flower, they were like lions baring their sharp claws, directly aiming for the vital points on Liu Yu's chest!
"Damn it, you really think I'm easy to bully!"
Liu Yu advanced instead of retreating, leaping forward. His black saber moved with wide, powerful strokes, stirring up a fierce wind. With a single crescent slash, he blocked the iron swords of the two men. His saber momentum remained undiminished, the sharp blade carrying the might of thunder, slashing directly towards the yin-yang man's waist and abdomen. The man's reaction was as swift and ethereal as a ghost. His body moved like a wisp of wind. Despite the fierce saber strike, before it could even reach him, he was like willow catkins in the wind, fluttering upwards. He actually stepped on the tip of the saber and stood there alone!
The two men on the sides, having their swords blocked by Liu Yu, knew they had lost face. They darted out from the left and right like two streams of silk, their momentum like a rainbow. Liu Yu, with the yin-yang man's foot on his saber tip, was unable to move an inch. If he insisted on drawing his saber, he might be torn apart by the swords of the two men attacking him from the sides. If he abandoned his saber, he would be unarmed against these three, and the outcome would be obvious, the victory decided, which was naturally not ideal.
In his panic, he felt a streak of white energy slash across the top of his head. In the blink of an eye, he saw Ren Yuanhao leap high into the air, sword in hand. In the dim light, he was like a beast descending from the heavens. The inch of snow reflected the white light, shining directly onto the man's bridge of the nose. This sword strike was incredibly swift, piercing directly towards the man's forehead!
As quick as thought, the man's toes tapped, and like a duckweed blown by the wind, his entire body drifted ethereally like smoke. With a casual gesture, he dodged Ren Yuanhao's sword strike. At the same instant, Liu Yu's saber retracted its force. The black light drew a semicircle, accurately deflecting the long swords of the two men on the sides.
For a moment, the forest flickered with sword light and shadow, echoing with the sounds of clashing blades.
However, this confrontation ended abruptly after only a few exchanges.
After dancing for four or five moves, Ren Yuanhao, perhaps because the anesthetic in his abdomen was spreading throughout his body with the rapid blood flow, suddenly planted his sword into the ground. He knelt on the withered branches and fallen leaves, his face as pale as paper.
"Yo, meeting for the first time, I can't accept such a grand gesture. Get up." The man struck again with a lightning-fast sword thrust, directly impacting Ren Yuanhao's sword. The metallic clang echoed like a dragon's roar. The only support, the inch of snow, was instantly knocked away four to five meters. Shaken by this impact, Ren Yuanhao coughed up another mouthful of blood.
Liu Yu, meanwhile, was being attacked by the two men from both sides, finding himself in a rather desperate situation. He couldn't break free, nor could he freely use his special abilities. Anxiety filled his heart. With a moment's distraction, two bloody gashes appeared on his chest!
"Fighting two opponents and still trying to pay attention elsewhere? You're far too presumptuous," the man sneered, walking slowly towards the inch of snow plunged into the dirt. He reached out and grasped the hilt. The touch was as cold as snow. Immediately, the corner of his mouth curled up slightly, a hint of arrogance in his voice, "Good sword. A shame it didn't follow the right owner."
He tried to draw the sword with his internal energy, expecting it to be effortless. To his surprise, even with five to six parts of his strength, the inch of snow remained unmoved. This made the breathless Ren Yuanhao laugh heartily.
"Apologies, my sword shares life's joys and sorrows with me. It possesses a pure heart. Those who are evil and sinister should not covet it. Unless you repent and turn from evil to good starting now, my sword might take pity and deign to glance at you."
"Sharp tongue. Your strength is nothing special, but your mouth is quite powerful. Since I cannot draw it, I shall simply kill its owner!"
Before the man's words had even finished, his figure moved rapidly, like mist or dust. His long sword still undrawn, he instantly appeared before Ren Yuanhao, grabbing his neck. He was lifted off the ground by a powerful force!
"Trash should know its place. Who do you think you are? I intend to take Junior Sister away. What business is it of yours?"
*Ptooey!*
Ren Yuanhao spat a mouthful of blood onto the man's face, his smile undiminished.
"I have someone important waiting for her to save. Moreover, as a woman, she is of immense importance to me. Therefore, I am determined to wade into this muddy water!"
"You have backbone. In that case, you shall go to hell and wait!"
The moment the man applied force to his hand, intending to crush the ant in his grasp, a bolt of green light flashed through the air.