Chapter 133: The Art of Sword Control

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The dangerous aura became even clearer after Phoenix closed her eyes. Knowing that her opponent had already locked onto her presence, she frowned. Like Dragon Fly, she had killed more people than anyone could count, and her combat experience was so abundant that even Dragon Fly might not surpass her.

She suddenly changed direction and slowly began walking to the left, step by step. The Japanese sword in her hand was held level before her chest, and without realizing it, she had assumed the same posture she usually used when wielding the Xiang Yu Saber.

In the distance, a figure stood atop a tree nearly thirty feet high. Phoenix frowned when she realized that the woman blocking her path was only about twenty years old. She wore a long white dress and stood on a slender branch, swaying gently from side to side in the breeze, giving her an ethereal, almost otherworldly appearance.

Phoenix’s eyesight was far keener than an ordinary person’s, allowing her to clearly see that the woman’s features were merely average. Her bearing, however, resembled Dragon Girl’s in certain ways, carrying an air of detachment from the mortal world. Apart from her particularly sharp gaze, her entire person seemed like a celestial maiden who had descended from the Moon Palace, untouched by the filth of the earthly realm.

This was the greatest difference between Phoenix and Dragon Fly. If Dragon Fly encountered a woman blocking his path, he would certainly begin by chatting with her, teasing her with a few words before launching a despicable sneak attack while she was off guard. Phoenix was different. She habitually spoke little and acted decisively. Even now, she adhered to her usual principle.

She raised the Japanese sword in her hand. With a forceful stamp of both feet, she leaped more than ten feet into the air. After turning backward in midair, she kicked off a tree trunk behind her, using the momentum to launch herself at the woman opposite her like a roc spreading its wings.

Her opening move was a mighty downward slash, fierce and overbearing beyond description. She had already grasped the essence of the Japanese Broken Blade style—a saber technique that advanced without hesitation, regarding neither enemies nor self.

The force of her saber swept through the branches surrounding the tree where the woman in white stood, snapping many of them cleanly. A whistling sound followed, accompanied by sharp, hissing vibrations.

The girl in white calmly drew the fine-steel sword from her back. With a light touch of her feet against the branch, she rose several yards into the air. When Phoenix’s attack missed, the girl came stabbing down headfirst, sword pointed at Phoenix. The air again hissed sharply as the sword aura violently rubbed against it.

The first exchange had been merely a test. Their weapons touched lightly before immediately separating. Yet the instant they parted, they clashed again, quickly becoming locked in combat.

The white-clad woman’s swordsmanship was graceful and unrestrained. Perhaps because she was accustomed to communing with nature, her swordplay possessed the quality of overcoming form through the absence of form. From time to time, she would casually thrust out her sword, producing a killing move so exquisite that it bordered on perfection. She appeared completely at ease.

Phoenix, by contrast, kept her brows tightly knitted. The Japanese sword in her hand moved through simple, ancient-looking forms. None of her attacks seemed complicated; indeed, even a three-year-old child might have been able to imitate them. That was only how they appeared to an outsider, however. In the eyes of the woman in white, Phoenix had long since broken free from the constraints of technique and truly reached the highest realm of reducing complexity to simplicity.

The woman in white was extremely cautious and did not wish to meet Phoenix head-on. In her opinion, Phoenix was fighting like a reckless bull. A true master should possess not only profound martial skill but also pursue martial arts as a form of beauty. That was why her own swordplay was so ethereal and elegant.

Her repeated evasions only fueled Phoenix’s momentum. Phoenix drove her backward several steps with attacks that came faster and faster. The woman in white seemed to grow impatient. Suddenly, instead of retreating, she advanced. The fine-steel sword in her hand gave off a sound like a dragon’s roar as it collided violently with Phoenix’s Japanese sword.

With a clang, a weapon fell to the ground.

Phoenix’s Japanese sword had broken in the middle, splitting into two pieces. Fortunately, she herself was unharmed. She retreated at once, and when the woman in white tried to pursue her advantage, Phoenix suddenly swept out her right hand.

A streak of blue light flashed.

Another clang rang out, and a second weapon fell to the ground. This time, it was not Phoenix’s sword but the fine-steel sword in the woman’s hand.

Looking somewhat heartbroken, the woman stared at the empty hilt in her grasp and glared angrily at Phoenix. Phoenix, meanwhile, promptly drew the Xiang Yu Saber.

The Xiang Yu Saber was indeed formidable. With a single strike, it had snapped the woman’s fine-steel sword.

The woman looked at the short saber in Phoenix’s hand, its cold radiance shimmering across the blade, and seemed unable to understand what had happened. She stood there blankly, staring at the broken half of the sword lying on the ground.

Though only a few exchanges had passed, both women were astonished by the other’s formidable strength. Phoenix’s brows remained tightly furrowed, never once relaxing, while killing intent and battle lust surged between them. The woman in white, however, still maintained her composure.

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Giving her opponent no further opportunity, Phoenix once again touched her feet against the tree trunk behind her and shot toward the woman in white like a sharp arrow released from its bow.

Her body resembled an incomparably sharp spinning blade, rotating as it flew forward. Only a blurred afterimage could be seen, with a vast expanse of blue saber light at its front. That was the saber aura produced when the Xiang Yu Saber tore through the air.

The woman in white was indeed extraordinary. When the saber aura was still three feet away, she spun and flew sharply toward a nearby tree. Phoenix’s saber aura, meanwhile, cleaved through the tree where the woman had been standing, cutting the trunk cleanly in half. With a loud crack, the tree collapsed and sent noise echoing through the forest.

Phoenix was startled. She had not expected her killing move to be avoided so calmly. She did not continue pursuing, but instead twisted her body and landed on a branch as thick as a wrist. She seemed weightless; the branch did not even tremble beneath her feet.

The two women once again faced one another in a tense standoff. Phoenix disliked speaking, so she merely stared fiercely at her opponent, apparently gathering strength for another violent assault.

The woman in white finally showed a change in expression. She watched Phoenix more solemnly, then drew a short sword from behind her. The weapon was roughly two feet long, though the blade itself measured only about a foot and a quarter; the hilt accounted for nearly half its total length.

The short sword appeared unremarkable. Yet in the next instant, a pale sword radiance emerged from its blade, resembling white flames.

The woman in white waved her hand. Her body did not move, but a sword aura more than ten feet long suddenly slashed toward Phoenix.

Phoenix’s brows drew even tighter. Since entering the martial world, she had never encountered such a powerful opponent—someone capable of turning sword aura into a tangible form.

She had no time to think. Drawing upon a breath of pure inner power, she swung the Xiang Yu Saber with her right hand. A saber aura more than three feet long shot forth, but compared with the sword aura unleashed by the woman in white, it was clearly inferior.

When the two forces collided, Phoenix was driven backward. She clearly understood the difference between them and immediately tried to withdraw. The sword aura shattered her saber aura in an instant, paused for only a fraction of a second, and continued slashing toward her.

Fortunately, Phoenix had already intended to retreat. After flying more than thirty feet through the woods, she suddenly kicked a tree trunk as thick as a man’s waist. Her body rose nearly three feet, and the sword aura passed beneath her feet.

This time, it was not merely one tree that suffered. An entire stand of coral trees as thick as bowls was cut in half. The severed surfaces were smooth and clean, demonstrating the astonishing strength of the sword aura.

After several exchanges, Phoenix gradually fell into a disadvantageous position. The woman in white, however, had been provoked into anger by Phoenix. Perhaps she felt that it was unreasonable she had still been unable to defeat Phoenix after fighting for so long. Before Phoenix could steady herself, she waved her hand and sent another sword aura sweeping toward her.

After a flash of white light, Phoenix vanished from the tree where she had been standing. That tree, however, suffered the consequences: it was sliced in half at the waist.

The woman in white’s expression changed. She sent another sword aura toward a nearby tree, and Phoenix’s body appeared there exactly as expected. Yet in the very next instant, she vanished again.

The movements of the celestial woman in white grew faster and faster, while Phoenix’s movements accelerated as well. Often, the instant Phoenix appeared, sword aura would descend upon her. She would vanish again, only to reappear elsewhere before another sword aura came crashing down.

The white-clad celestial maiden moved through the forest like an immortal leaping from tree to tree, while Phoenix resembled a ghost from the depths of hell, appearing and disappearing without warning.

Trees toppled in great numbers throughout the woods. Had this not been the outskirts of Ise City, such tremendous commotion would have alarmed countless people. Even so, the disturbance had already drawn the attention of many. Thirty or fifty members of the Iga and Koga ninja clans had arrived, though they remained concealed in the darkness, watching the astonishing scene in awe.

What shocked them most was the supreme ninjutsu displayed by the black-clad Phoenix, whose movements were as unfathomable as those of a demon or deity. They were left deeply ashamed and began speculating about her origins, wondering which ninja clan had produced such an expert.

By this point, both the Iga and Koga clans understood that the mysterious ninja who had been stirring up trouble recently was undoubtedly Phoenix. Yet both great ninja clans had been eager to settle their own rivalry, so neither had pursued the matter.

Now that they were witnessing Phoenix in person, Koga Taneda and Iga Muramasa could not help forming complicated thoughts.

When they saw the woman in white unleash the legendary tangible sword aura, the people of both ninja clans were able to guess her origins. The nearly mythical legend was real after all.

As subjects of the Japanese Empire, they did not know whether they ought to rejoice or lament.

Their country possessed a mysterious and immensely powerful martial sect. That should have been a source of pride and reassurance. Yet the major ninja clans were still bound by an ancient agreement and could only submit to the rule of this mysterious sect.

Although the sect had never placed pressure upon them or assigned them tasks, they still found the arrangement deeply unpleasant. No one in this world wished to be controlled by others. Everyone wanted others to obey them rather than having to obey someone else. Anyone who truly enjoyed being ruled was either mentally abnormal or an utter fool.

Suddenly, a terrible scream came from behind a tree.

An Iga senior ninja had been lying in ambush there, but no one knew when Phoenix had discovered him. Unable to evade the succession of sword auras, Phoenix had used him as a shield.

The man had time for only one cry before his body was sliced in half at the waist. He could never make another sound. Blood splashed more than ten feet away, while colorful organs scattered through the air.

The woman in white had long known that members of both ninja families had entered the woods. She had never imagined, however, that Phoenix would think of using such a tactic against her. She hurriedly withdrew her sword aura, and Phoenix finally gained a brief moment to catch her breath.

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Leaning against a large tree, Phoenix breathed somewhat heavily. This battle was the first truly bloody struggle of her career and the only decisive battle in which she had ever fallen into a disadvantageous position.

She had heard the legends of the Water Moon Sect, but like most people, she had regarded them as nothing more than legends, assuming that the sect had long since vanished. Now, however, she could be certain that the woman in white before her was an heir of the Water Moon Sect.

She had never imagined that this legendary sect possessed such terrifying strength. What was more, she had no idea whether the woman before her was merely an ordinary disciple or one of the sect’s supreme experts.

Phoenix decided that she had to transmit this information to Dragon Fly. Therefore, she intended to escape.

Under ordinary circumstances, Phoenix’s character would never have allowed her to flee. Retreat was not in her nature. But today’s situation was unusual. First, the difference in strength between them was too great. Second, this information was too important and had to reach Dragon Fly. For those reasons, she had no choice but to withdraw.

The woman in white, however, seemed determined not to let Phoenix leave. She pressed forward relentlessly, her sword aura crisscrossing the forest and exhausting Phoenix to this state.

By contrast, the woman in white appeared completely unaffected. This left Phoenix feeling deeply frustrated.

The fate of the Iga senior ninja caused the people hidden in the darkness to draw a quiet breath. His death had been unbearably tragic.

Yet in the moment when everyone was thrown into confusion, Phoenix moved.

She had only traveled a few yards when the woman in white attacked again. With a cold snort, she did not release another sword aura. Instead, she held the short sword upright before her and began chanting under her breath.

With a sharp cry, the short sword flew from her hand and shot toward Phoenix’s back with astonishing speed, as swift as lightning.

Phoenix seemed to have eyes in the back of her head. She twisted in midair and veered sharply in another direction.

Unfortunately, the short sword seemed to have eyes of its own. After pausing briefly, it continued pursuing Phoenix. Whenever it changed direction, there was at least a slight delay.

Phoenix was startled. Was this the legendary art of sword control? Could there truly be people in this world who were like immortals?

She had no time to think. Phoenix turned again, but the short sword closed in once more.

She made more than ten turns through the woods, yet she could never shake the sword’s pursuit. From the corner of her eye, she saw that the woman in white remained not far behind her. Each time Phoenix turned, the woman slightly changed the position of her hands, and the flying sword changed direction accordingly.

Phoenix was astonished. Sweat poured from her body as exhaustion overtook her. The woman in white had also begun to perspire slightly, but she was in far better condition than Phoenix.

Clearly, the woman had preserved much of her strength at the beginning. Now that she had revealed her ultimate technique, she immediately forced Phoenix into an extremely wretched state.

Phoenix’s thoughts raced. She seemed to understand that escaping today would be nearly impossible. She stopped fleeing and instead began circling toward the woman in white.

The three of them formed a triangular pattern: Phoenix pursued the woman in white, the woman followed behind the flying sword, and the flying sword relentlessly pursued Phoenix.

Phoenix leaped toward a large tree. Suddenly, instead of continuing forward, she twisted back at an extremely tricky angle.

The flying sword came shooting toward her with tremendous force. Though the danger was immense, Phoenix finally managed to evade it. The blade plunged into the tree trunk.

Phoenix had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. How could she possibly let such a rare chance slip away?

The Xiang Yu Saber in her hand transformed into a streak of blue light. Man and saber became one as she shot toward the woman in white.

This was her final killing move—and a desperate gamble.

Unexpectedly, the woman in white remained completely calm. With a change of hand gesture, the short sword passed straight through the tree trunk and turned back at astonishing speed, shooting directly toward Phoenix’s back.

Naturally, no matter how fast the flying sword was, it could not move faster than Phoenix herself. Before it reached her, Phoenix’s saber aura had already struck.

The woman in white retreated through the air. With a twist of her body, she avoided Phoenix’s killing move at an angle so strange that it was almost impossible to imagine, then struck toward Phoenix from afar with a single palm.

The woman’s palm force was scorching hot. Though she was still several yards away, Phoenix could already smell something burning.

Daring not to meet the attack head-on, Phoenix gripped the saber with both hands and slashed toward the flying sword shooting in from the side.

She had no other choice. The flying sword was already close, while the woman’s palm force had yet to arrive. She was caught between attacks from front and back.

The only way to resolve the crisis was to knock down the flying sword before the woman’s palm force reached her. Only then would she have a chance to turn and deal with the woman’s attack.

Her long career as an assassin allowed Phoenix to remain calm even in such a perilous situation. She calculated that since the woman in white was attacking her directly, the flying sword was no longer under her control. Although it maintained its original trajectory, its strength had to be greatly reduced.

Breaking the flying sword was therefore entirely possible. The woman’s palm strike, however, was what truly made Phoenix wary.

As expected, Phoenix swung the Xiang Yu Saber.

With a clang, the short sword was knocked flying and embedded itself in a nearby tree trunk.

Phoenix hurriedly turned around. She no longer had time to swing the saber with both hands, so she thrust out her right hand, gathering all her strength into a single palm strike.

Her palm met the woman in white’s palm force head-on.

With a thunderous boom, the two powerful forces collided.

The woman in white was thrown backward several yards. When she landed on a tree trunk, her body only swayed slightly.

Phoenix, however, let out a muffled groan and was hurled through the air. A mouthful of blood sprayed from her lips, and she instantly lost consciousness.

She fell to the ground, still gripping the Xiang Yu Saber tightly in her hand. A few traces of blood remained at the corner of her mouth, but she lay utterly motionless.

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