Chapter 44: Enlightenment
At that moment, Zhou You’s voice rang out once more.
“Little Zhou, meeting you for the first time after more than a hundred years, you’ve really disappointed me.”
The elderly man surnamed Zhou wore a complex expression, scenes from the first half of his life flashing through his mind. When he first set out, he was driven only by passion, living each day on the edge of danger, but always with hope. At the border of the Great Xi, seeing that towering figure, he realized there were greater heights and stronger people beyond. Under the tutelage of his elders in the northern Gezhou, he mastered formidable skills. Upon returning to his sect, he swept through it with ruthless precision, cleansing it thoroughly and becoming the revitalizing patriarch in the history of Ran Yi Alley.
In the long years that followed, he led Ran Yi Alley to rise steadily, becoming a killer organization renowned across several neighboring countries.
But at some unknown point—perhaps due to his long tenure in power—the fiery spirit within him gradually dissipated, leaving him as he appeared now.
Reflecting on this, the white-robed elder’s expression grew solemn. He took a deep breath and declared loudly, “Junior Zhou Xuan, I humbly ask for your guidance.”
No sooner had he spoken than a sharp long blade appeared in his hand, its surface faintly tinged with a fresh red aura.
Suddenly, the old man’s figure dissolved into mist. The next instant, a long blade emerged before Zhou You, thrusting straight toward his chest.
The wooden-faced man nodded slightly, smiling as he said, “That’s more like it.”
He suddenly leaned back sharply; the blade slashed past his body. Raising his foot, he kicked out. The elder’s blade-wielding hand swung in a sharp arc backward as he staggered several steps retreating.
His entire hand trembled slightly, and his eyes, locked on Zhou You, were filled with caution.
A sudden breeze swept through the alley, lifting the elder’s robes.
Then a piercing blade light flashed, cutting through layers of void, hurtling directly at Zhou You.
Lightning flickered in Zhou You’s palm. A thunder spear shot forth, colliding head-on with the blade light, unleashing a terrifying aura that sent shivers down the spines of onlookers in the alley.
Moments later, both the blade light and thunder spear dissipated.
A long blade was suddenly handed before the wooden-faced man, and in the blink of an eye, several slashes rained down. Everyone saw the man enveloped in a storm of blade shadows, seemingly on the brink of danger.
Unfazed, Zhou You faced the omnipresent blade light head-on. Lightning arcs flickered in his palm as he struck against it.
An explosive aura erupted, blinding all nearby disciples of Ran Yi Alley with its dazzling brilliance.
---
On the third floor of the Miao Yin Pavilion, two stunningly elegant women stood by the window. One wore a purple dress, the other a pale green gown. Their gaze swept over the alley nearby, taking in everything unfolding within Ran Yi Alley.
The woman in green smiled and said, “Tsk tsk, senior sister, your lover is really something. He even broke through Ran Yi Alley’s protective formation. Without that, we wouldn’t have seen this scene at all.”
As a major sect renowned throughout the lands, Ran Yi Alley was wealthy and never sparing in setting up a protective array around their sect.
Under normal circumstances, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator standing here would see only a blur in that alley. Yet just now, Zhou You’s single stomp shattered the array, allowing onlookers an unobstructed view inside.
Purple-clad Ziying blushed. “You brat, don’t speak nonsense.”
The green-dressed woman looked her up and down with some disdain. “Look at that smirk on your face—you’re barely containing yourself.”
Then she added, “Ran Yi Alley will surely suffer great losses now. You know, it’s been decades since we’ve been here in Mo Ran City, but this is the first time I’ve seen Zhou Xuan—old bastard that he is—be beaten so badly.”
Ziying shook her head gravely. “Don’t underestimate Zhou Xuan’s methods and temperament. As long as he lives today, Ran Yi Alley will still hold sway over Mo Ran City.”
The green-clad woman considered this, nodding with some regret. “Now that you mention it, it does seem that way.”
After all, Miao Yin Pavilion had only held sway over the Ruyi District all these years, always under the watchful eyes of Ran Yi Alley.
Moreover, nearly all their moves had been observed by Ran Yi Alley’s spies.
No wonder the green-clad woman harbored such resentment toward Zhou Xuan.
---
Back in the alley, Zhou You stood tall, sending out multiple lightning arcs from his palms, darting like agile serpents from all directions toward Zhou Xuan.
The white-robed elder showed no fear. With a shout, he slammed his feet against the ground and charged forward like an arrow released from a bow, meeting the lightning head-on.
Just as the lightning was about to strike him, his long blade whipped furiously, summoning a blood-red curtain of blades.
The blade curtain collided with the lightning with a deafening roar, the brilliant light so dazzling it made people squint.
The tremendous force sent the swordsman flying back several yards, but he flipped midair and landed steadily, a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth, his gaze growing ever more resolute.
---
Zhou You said faintly, “Little Zhou, not bad.”
He glanced at the sky, now approaching dusk, then softly said, “But this all should end now.”
The next moment, he suddenly vanished from sight.
Zhou Xuan felt an immense weight on his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw a massive hand firmly gripping him. No matter how he struggled, escape was impossible.
Then, strands of spiritual energy began to flow from the hand into his body, rushing through his acupoints, meridians, and energy sea. In an instant, Zhou Xuan felt a tempest raging within.
The pain contorted his face into a grimace of agony.
In a flash, the battle that had once been a fierce exchange shifted dramatically.
Zhou Xuan sighed deeply, dropping his long blade to the ground in surrender.
The gap between him and his opponent was far greater than he had imagined.
---
Meanwhile, the upheaval within Ran Yi Alley spread rapidly throughout the entire city.
Many neighboring factions had already caught wind of the commotion.
The crowd of spectators was stirred deeply. Except for Ziying of Miao Yin Pavilion, all were curious about the identity of the suddenly appearing wooden-faced man.
After all, Ran Yi Alley was infamous for its ruthless methods, yet now it had suffered such a crushing blow. The various forces of Mo Ran City naturally rejoiced.
Yet beneath their joy lurked a sense of unease. If Ran Yi Alley had been defeated so thoroughly, any faction confronting the enigmatic man of immeasurable cultivation would gain no advantage.
None dared hope for friendship with this formidable figure; they only hoped to learn of his temperament and style to avoid provoking him in the future.
That alone was cause enough to offer prayers of good fortune.