Naked Sword Art

Xiao Fang watched his father carefully as he began to think. He was finally convinced that he was no match for him at his current strength. However, his goal was never to defeat Xiao Jianhong, but to kill Lady Xu.

Xiao Fang finally raised his sword again as if to say he wasn't going to give up.

Xiao Jianhong already knew how stubborn Xiao Fang was, but seeing the curse mark spread to his face, he assumed it would be affecting his rationality by now.

"It's about time I end this," Xiao Jianhong said.

Xiao Fang became tense when he heard those words, but what he didn't expect to see was a familiar lightning aura around his father's body. However, unlike Xiao Fang, Xiao Jianhong's lightning seemed to have advanced to another level.

'That's-'

Before Xiao Fang could even finish that thought, his father suddenly appeared in front of him, coming as fast as a bolt of lightning.

Only pausing for a brief moment, Xiao Jianhong watched as Xiao Fang fell back in slow motion from his perspective.

Seeing his father hesitate, Xiao Fang acted quickly.

[ Illusory Clone ]

[ Misdirection ]

[ Solid Clone ]

Xiao Jianhong eventually raised his sword to stab Xiao Fang, but the moment he did, his lightning sword only punched a large hole through his [ Illusory Clone ].

"This..."

Xiao Jianhong was a bit surprised that Xiao Fang had saved his illusory techniques until now, but he didn't think it would make a difference.

Seeing Xiao Fang still falling behind his [ Illusory Clone ], Xiao Jianhong followed through with his attack and stabbed that Xiao Fang as well. However, the moment he did, Xiao Fang quickly grabbed his sword, holding it in place before thrusting his sword at his father's head.

[ Stealth ]

Movement technique: [ Drifting Cloud, Rising Wind ]

Xiao Jianhong effortlessly tilted his head to the right to dodge Xiao Fang's sword, but the moment he did, he suddenly felt something rush right past him, but the sword he just dodged blocked his view from seeing what it was.

Xiao Jianhong turned his head to the left to see what it was, but before he could, he suddenly saw a sword being held to his neck.

Xiao Jianhong calmly looked to his right to see who was holding the sword, but it was none other than Xiao Fang.

"It seems you've learned quite a bit from the Black Paradise sect, but do you think a clone can stop me?"

Since Xiao Jianhong could feel his sword stabbing into Xiao Fang earlier, he assumed the one holding the sword to his neck was nothing more than another [ Illusory Clone ].

However...

In the next moment, the [ Solid Clone ] standing next to Xiao Jianhong pressed its sword to his neck, making him bleed.

Xiao Jianhong's brows became knitted before looking back at the [ Solid Clone ] he stabbed earlier. Seeing it fade back into illusory Qi, Xiao Jianhong realized that the version of Xiao Fang he had stabbed earlier was just another clone.

"Then this..."

Xiao Jianhong thought out loud as he looked back at the [ Solid Clone ] standing beside him, but the moment he did, he heard a loud explosion coming from the Patriarch's throne where Lady Xu was sitting. Looking back at the throne, he saw the real Xiao Fang having his sword stopped by the powerful barrier formation surrounding the throne.

Lady Xu smirked as she smoked her pipe. After blowing out a puff of smoke she said,

"You're quite skilled for a man your age. However..."

Lady Xu's eyes suddenly turned red, then several ribbon-like roots started shooting up from the ground beneath Xiao Fang's feet.

[ Solid Clone ]

Xiao Fang quickly dodged them as he jumped back, but he eventually threw his sword at Lady Xu like a spear.

Since there was no Qi on the sword when he threw it, it easily passed through the barrier formation that protected her. However, still sitting on the throne with her legs crossed, Lady Xu effortlessly dodged the incoming sword simply by tilting her head to the side.

Seeing Xiao Fang in the air, Lady looked away as she caressed the sword that stuck into the throne chair next to her head. In the next moment, all the ribbons coming out of the ground quickly mummified Xiao Fang's body.

'I got you,' she thought.

Lady Xu eventually turned her head from Xiao Fang's sword to look at her husband. She was going to make a snarky comment to him about her being able to stop Xiao Fang when he couldn't, but the moment she looked down to look at her husband, she realized that he wasn't there. Before she could look around for him, she suddenly saw Xiao Fang standing in front of her as he came out of [ Stealth ].

Xiao Fang's eyes were no longer violet but blood red as the curse mark had spread to his face.

Grabbing Lady Xu by the neck, Xiao Fang choked her as he took out his sword that was still stuck on the throne that he threw at her earlier.

"Die."

Without hesitation, Xiao Fang pulled out his sword from the throne then swung it down on Lady Xu.

Lady Xu raised her arms in fright as she closed her eyes, but the sword never came. When she opened her eyes again, she saw Xiao Fang's hand had stopped, but not because he wanted to.

Holding Xiao Fang's wrist, Xiao Jianhong also held a dagger to Xiao Fang's neck.

"Xiao Fang... let go of her neck," Xiao Jianhong said calmly.

Xiao Fang knew from his tone he would kill him if he did anything to Lady Xu, so Xiao Fang turned his attention back to Xiao Jianhong, but before he could try anything, Xiao Fang felt his legs being wrapped by a tough ribbon-like substance, the same kind he was running from just a few moment earlier, so he knew it was Lady Xu's doing.

In the next moment, the ribbon-like substance quickly wrapped Xiao Fang's body, completely restraining him.

Xiao Fang tried to break free from it, but he eventually felt all his Qi being drained from his body. Soon enough, Xiao Fang became so weak he could hardly move a muscle.

Once it was over, Xiao Jianhong finally sighed.

"It's done."

Lady Xu suddenly created a formation circle then began drawing inscriptions into it using her spirit Qi. Once she was done, the circle glowed when she made it stick to Xiao Fang's mummified body.

"Now it's done," Lady Xu said.

"Did he hurt you?" Xiao Jianhong asked.

"Um, it feels alright. How does it look?" She replied before raising her chin to let him see.

Unexpectedly, Lady Xu didn't even have a mark on her neck.

"Amazing, there isn't even a mark," Xiao Jianhong said.

"Really? Maybe he had a change of heart after seeing how pretty I was up close," Lady Xu joked.

"No, that doesn't sound like him. Once he sets his mind on something, he doesn't quit no matter what," Xiao Jianhong said in a serious tone. "Are you sure that you feel okay?" he asked again.

"I think so... I'll get someone to check my pulse just to be safe."

"Good, you do that," Xiao Jianhong nodded. "In the meantime, I'll deal with this," he said as he looked back at Xiao Fang's cocooned body.