SFS Chapter 42 Cleverly Seizing the Sword Orchid
Chapter 42 Cleverly Seizing the Sword Orchid
The raptor's shrill cry was so terrifying that it startled Luo Sifan, making him freeze in place.
The undisguised murderous intent served as a final warning to Luo Sifan.
Luo Sifan didn't need to look up; in his spiritual sense, the giant bird was indeed circling not far above his head.
The gale seemed to have no effect on it; on the contrary, it made the giant bird feel like a fish in water, and its attacks became even more unpredictable.
After a thought flashed through his mind, Luo Sifan slowly retreated.
A vibrant green gladiolus, about a foot tall, stood out alluringly in a crevice in the cliff three meters away.
A flower stem, over ten feet tall and surrounded by emerald leaves with scales resembling slender swords, swayed gently in the strong wind. On top of the stem were three fist-sized red fruits, containing a complex sword intent that even Luo Sifan envied.
A natural wonder.
As an alchemist and swordsman, Luo Sifan was eager to seize this item.
However, the giant bird overhead made his sword tremble with fear; the sense of impending doom was too overwhelming, so he had no choice but to feign retreat and silently observe for an opportunity.
At this very moment, another dramatic change occurred.
A chill ran through Luo Sifan's spiritual sense as two incredibly swift and deadly attacks suddenly shot out from the opposite cliff.
One in front, one behind; one weak, one strong; they came with earth-shattering force.
Two powerful arrows, far exceeding Luo Sifan's experience, locked onto the giant bird in the air and Luo Sifan respectively. The arrows were imbued with spiritual energy, making them unavoidable.
The giant bird roared angrily, abruptly turning its body away from the sword orchid, its wings shattering the air as it instantly rose into the air.
Instead of dodging, Luo Sifan twisted his body and leaped up with all his might, using his agility to soar upwards amidst the fierce wind, and crashed hard into the white light of the arrow.
A muffled sound echoed through the valley.
Luo Sifan's white dress was covered in blood, and there was a nearly foot-long blood hole in her shoulder and chest. Her almost perfect human body was suddenly twisted and miserable like tattered silk.
The arrows, the gale, and the angle and direction of Luo Sifan's leap all worked together, intentionally or unintentionally, to smash Luo Sifan's mangled corpse down to within three feet of Jianlan.
Another loud bang was heard, but it came from beneath the giant bird's feet, from the first explosive arrow shot by Senior Brother Yu.
In terms of both power and ability to locate the enemy, the exploding arrow was far inferior to the one shot at Losfan.
"Senior Brother Yu, what excellent crossbow skills!"
The bird was startled and died, and Guo Xiaoqian was so happy he almost jumped for joy and clapped his hands.
Senior Brother Yu's handsome face was sinister; those two arrows had consumed nearly half of his spiritual energy.
The sight of Luo Sifan's mangled corpse made his eyes twitch, and a surge of exhilarating pleasure welled up in his chest.
With the crossbow nocked and arrows drawn, Luo Sifan was no longer a concern. Senior Brother Yu's entire focus was on the giant bird that was flying furiously, circling in the air, poised to pounce.
"Dead bird! Come down here if you dare!"
Guo Xiaoqian, unaware of any past grudges with the giant bird, raised his hand defiantly by the pavilion, his eyes blazing with hatred, as he turned to chase after the bird's shadow in the sky.
The two people and the bird, oblivious to their surroundings, locked their spiritual senses together, struggling to maintain their stalemate, completely forgetting about Luo Sifan's mutilated corpse at Jianlan's place.
Xu Huanzhen was currently using both hands and feet, concentrating entirely on climbing the Gate of Hell, completely unaware of what was happening behind the sharp rocks.
But a sense of unease crept into his heart, and his hands and feet became somewhat restless.
Luo Sifan, lying in a pool of blood, suddenly opened her eyes, which were extremely bright, on her pale face.
The bloody hole on his shoulder and chest was instantly transformed; his skin was white and his bones were even, perfectly restored, without even a trace of blood.
With the short sword given to him by Lu Gong in hand, its blade flashed, and Luo Sifan slashed straight at the vulnerable spot in the rocky crevice of the gladiolus's root system.
Seeing that he had succeeded in an instant, even the usually calm and collected Luo Sifan couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.
In a flash, he had calculated the attacker, the giant bird, the power of the two arrows, and even himself.
The medicinal power of the Crimson Pearl Grass for regeneration was still present. He had secretly tested it before, which is why he took the risk of feigning death and planning to fall near the sword orchid after being shot by an arrow.
Even the bloody wound was created by him using sword energy to inflict self-harm, maintaining the effect for several breaths to conceal it from others.
As a result, he almost exhausted his spiritual power, and the torment of self-harm nearly made him faint.
Fortunately, all his efforts seem to have been worthwhile, and the entire gladiolus is about to become his!
The sword cleaved the cliff face as easily as crushing tofu, cutting down at the chosen angle, and everything went smoothly as expected.
Unbelievably, a burst of light suddenly erupted from the cut, Luo Sifan's face paled, and the sword in her hand slowed down tenfold, a hundredfold, a thousandfold...
My heart sank. Damn it! I was careless!
Such a precious treasure could not possibly be without a final protective mechanism; it will surely be the most powerful blow yet!
The light screen expanded rapidly, and Luo Sifan stared wide-eyed, realizing that his soul was frozen and he could not move at all.
Accepting defeat and fleeing has become a pipe dream.
As the light screen gradually became clearer, a ruthless and powerful sword aura appeared out of nowhere and cleaved down, its force enough to shatter peaks and traverse rivers.
Following the sword strike, a middle-aged Taoist priest with a jade crown on his head, a white face, and a long beard appeared out of nowhere, his hands forming a sword incantation, glaring angrily at Luo Sifan:
"Who dares to steal my treasure, you scoundrel! Die!"
The sword energy surged towards him, and it seemed that Luo Sifan was about to be annihilated.
A golden deer, with its disproportionately large antlers, suddenly leaped out of Luo Sifan's soul.
It charged fiercely towards the sword's momentum.
Both Luo Sifan and the sword-wielding Taoist were stunned.
Wherever the antlers went, the sword energy was wiped out cleanly, like a magical fishing net.
"You! You are!"
The deer's antlers pressed against his body, and the surging hatred in its large eyes startled the sword-wielding Taoist, reminding him of the deer's origins.
Before he could finish speaking, the Taoist's figure was trampled by the golden deer and shattered like a bubble.
Jinlu raised her head and glanced back at Luo Sifan before her figure gradually disappeared into the shattered light curtain.
Luo Sifan narrowly escaped death. As if in a dream, he suddenly awoke and continued to slash with his sword.
A complete gladiolus with fruit was pushed by the sword wind and collected into the mirage pearl by Luo Sifan.
Immediately, Luo Sifan leaped into the valley, riding the force of the gale, instantly plummeting a hundred feet, two hundred feet…
By the time Senior Brother Yu and the giant bird in the air reacted, Luo Sifan's figure in the gale had become a faint white dot.
The giant bird was wary of Senior Brother Yu's spirit crossbow, cursing and swearing, wanting to give chase but not daring to.
Senior Brother Yu was so angry that he kept swinging his spirit crossbow, but he couldn't lock onto Luo Sifan's whereabouts at all, and he kept cursing in anger.
Guo Xiaoqian stared blankly, as if he had seen a ghost, unable to understand how someone who was clearly dead could suddenly be alive and kicking and even steal the sword orchid!
Xu Huanzhen lay exhausted on the sharp rocks of the Gate of Hell, witnessing incredulously as Luo Sifan stole the sword orchid and fled.
"Senior Brother Yu! There's another accomplice over there!"
Guo Xiaoqian noticed Xu Huanzhen and tugged at Senior Brother Yu, who was still sulking at the bottom of the valley.
Senior Brother Yu resolutely raised the spirit crossbow in his hand and aimed it at Xu Huanzhen, who was looking up at the two of them.
"Go for it, Senior Brother Yu!"
After being tricked by Luo Sifan, Guo Xiaoqian had nowhere to vent his anger and urged his senior brother Yu to hurry up.
Xu Huanzhen seemed to have already sensed their malice, and coldly stared at the two people in the pavilion in the distance.
The Xuanji Sword on his back extended its blade several feet, poised to strike.
Senior Brother Yu held the trigger of his spirit crossbow tightly, hesitating to fire.
With the Xuanji Sword protecting him, he must be a direct descendant of the Xu family of Cangjian Mountain. With this arrow, Senior Brother Yu is 90% confident of killing this person.
But what are the consequences?
Senior Brother Yu's heart was filled with turmoil, and his expression changed several times.
Guo Xiaoqian, getting impatient while waiting, gave Senior Brother Yu's arm in a goofy way:
"Senior Brother Yu's getting tired? I'll take over!"
The finger on the trigger twitched, and Senior Brother Yu was terrified.
The arrow whistled through the air and shot straight toward Xu Huanzhen's location.