Chapter 20 – Inscription Skill

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“Bang!”

As Mister Muyi was thinking, Tie Feng and Li Qi collided yet again in another dazzling shower of sparks. Both of them were violent and vicious warriors; each of their moves was met head on with another! But Tie Feng relied on a broken sword to evenly match Li Qi, and even the brilliance of the true essence that burst from his sword exceeded Li Qi’s saber by far!

“!”

In the next clash, Li Qi made a careless mistake and was scratched by Tie Feng’s sword. Although Li Qi’s armor was also a rare treasure, the opposition’s sword contained a dangerous true essence that pervaded and drilled through his body. Li Qi’s face instantly turned ash white as he almost spit a mouthful of blood!

Even Qin Xiao noticed that the sword was strange. He looked and Muyi and said, “It looks to me like I underestimated that sword. What rank of treasure would it be in the human-step?”

Muyi replied, “It definitely is a lower rank treasure within the human-step…” He tapped his fingers against his arm rest as he pondered what the possible cause was. At this moment, Qin Xingxuan who had been carefully observing the battle, opened her mouth and said, “Master, perhaps on this treasure was engraved a symbol by a great inscription master?”

Muyi said, “I also suspect this. I was thinking which master’s skills this could belong to. Even if the sword were already damaged to this state, for it to be able to command such power…”

As they talked amongst themselves, the fight on the stage was reaching its finale. Li Qi had been injured and could no longer hold back anything else. It was time to use sixth type of the ‘Five Sacred Mountains Saber Skill.’ He had just learned this skill and was saving it as his killer move in the final match, but right now he had no choice but to use it otherwise he would suffer defeat.

Li Qi crossed his saber on his chest, and the true essence within him began to rumble as he said, “Tie Feng, I acknowledge your strength, you are a true master! With your ordinary martial skills you have pushed me to the point of hurting my pride and have me use my strongest blow. But it ends now! Get ready to meet my final strike! The black dragon will descend from the mountains!”

Li Qi cried out as he poured the entirety of his true essence into his saber. The black saber suddenly shined with a brilliant and haughty orange light. Li Qi lifted the saber high up above his heads and aimed at Tie Feng, then slashed downwards in a fierce divide! At that moment, several horrifying and faint shades emerged in the air. This was the claws of the black dragon!

“He’s already managed to form the black dragon’ shades. This Li Qi is truly accomplished in the Li Family’s saber arts. Tie Feng will find it impossible to resist this strike!”

As the black dragon rushed towards him, Tie Feng knew that this was Li Qi’s strongest move. Although the black dragon contained an energy that would frighten most warriors, at this moment Tie Feng felt nothing in his heart but an incomparable calm. Without the slightest hint of fear, he gripped his sword with both hands. He could feel the thick fighting intention from the sword as if it were an old friend.

F*ck your mom! You think you’ve won but I will be the winner!

Tie Feng’s heart abandoned all needless thoughts. He let out a tremendous roar that cracked the air and compressed every last ounce of remaining true essence into his sword. The true essence in the blade had been compressed to its very limit! At this time it suddenly erupted with an overwhelming strength!

A dazzlingly bright light emitted from all degrees as a volcanic true essence erupted from that sword. It turned into a brilliant rainbow that shot forward like a blazing meteor straight into the black dragon’s shade.

Overwhelming all opposition, overwhelming all enemies, overwhelming all creation.

This was the skill of the ‘Overwhelming Rune’ – Instant Violent Strike!

“Bang!”

There was a huge explosion and the inconceivable occurred. The black dragon shade had been cut in half by Tie Feng’s blade! Li Qi was flung offstage upside down like a rag doll as he spit blood!

Qin Xiao’s eyes lit as he saw this scene. True essence had condensed into reality! How was this possible?

That bright light was clearly true essence, but to use true essence like that required at least the pulse condensation period for martial artists to use. Tie Feng was only at the bone forging boundary, so how?

At this time on the field, as soon as Li Qi had been struck off stage, Tie Feng collapsed to his knees. His true essence had been completely spent. He supported himself with this sword as he kneeled. Both eyes gazed reverently at the flames that were traced from the inscription symbol. This symbol…did it help him itself?

He held out his hand and gently stroked the one inch wide flame inscription. A stream of fighting spirit continually transmitted from the inscription, and Tie Feng felt a very close, almost familial bond with it.

The referee hopped on stage and announced Tie Feng’s victory. This was a stunning upset! The talented and rising star Li Qi had been defeated by Tie Feng!

Qin Xiao looked deep at Tie Feng, and said to Muyi, “It seems I was right just now. How did the true essence change shape? How did Tie Feng do this? It likely wasn’t some martial skill.”

“It appears so!” Muyi took a deep breath. His eyes showed a trace of shock. He said, “If I’m not wrong, then that is a skill of the inscription symbol. The inscriptions could change the flow of true essence and send out skills….in the Sky Fortune Kingdom, such techniques have been nearly all lost…”

“Skill of the inscription?” Qin Xiao was stunned. He did not completely understand inscription skills, but he had seen them before. Eighty years ago when he commanded the army to fight the Eastern Sun country, he had fought their generals and seen the skills of the inscription symbols at that time.

To think that after a period of eighty years, he would see it once again! He thought on this and then said to a soldier, “Pass down the order, have Tie Feng come to see me.”

“Yes!”

…

Tie Feng had not thought that Marshal Qin would ask to see him personally. This was truly the greatest of honors! In ordinary circumstances, the military officers did not have the qualifications to see Marshal Qin directly.

Although he had passed through countless life and death situations, but as soon as he saw the marshal, an extremely heavy wave of pressure forced him to kneel. He said, “Tie Feng greets the marshal.”

“Stand up.” Qin Xiao waved. “I called you here to ask you a question. Where did your sword come from?”

“Reporting to the marshal, three months ago it was taken from the enemy after a battle.”

“Oh? Let me have a look.”

“Yes.” Tie Feng presented his sword. Qin Xiao flicked a finger on the blade as a clear sound rang in the air. Thought it was long, he could tell there was a trace of disharmony.

The sword was good, but it was broken!

Qin Xiao showed the sword to Muyi.

Muyi held the sword in his hands and locked his gaze onto the flame engraving. He reached out a hand and touched the inscription. He closed his eyes as he perceived the soul force.

Muyi stood still for a very long time. He had not said a single word but Qin Xiao patiently waited.

After a good period of time passed, Muyi finally opened his eyes. He turned and let Qin Xingxuan hold it. It was impossible for her to tell anything from it, but he only wanted her to be able to feel this master’s work.

Qin Xingxuan held the sword to her body and let her soul force sink into the flame engraved symbol. Because she was so focused, her pair of elegant eyebrows couldn’t help but gently twitch.

“How is it?” Muyi asked Qin Xingxuan.

Qin Xingxuan replied, “Xingxuan’s talent is too poor. I only sensed that it was full of incomparably mysterious symbols and lines. It should stem from the hand of a master.”

Muyi said, “It’s normal to not be able to tell. After the inscription is finished, the secret symbols and runes will be hidden in the treasure. It is difficult to see, especially with an inscription this complex and intricate. It is startling, but only if there were more than I could found out more secrets.

After Muyi said that, Tie Feng said, “Reporting to the marshal, Tie Feng purchased this inscription symbol at the shop. There were two for sale, but regrettably I only purchased one. If Master Muyi has a need, I shall go to the shop to purchase another.”

“Mm? Qin Xiao startled. “You bought this inscription? It wasn’t originally on the sword?”

“Yes. I personally engraved it yesterday.”

Muyi heard Tie Feng’s words and was immediately excited. He asked, “Where did you buy it at?”

“The city square.”

“City square?” Muyi paused. In his impression, the goods there were at most one or two hundred gold taels. How would they sell an inscription symbol, moreover, with Tie Feng’s family background, how could he afford it?

Therefore Muyi said with some doubt, “Your family is ordinary as far as I know. How did you afford such an expensive inscription symbol?”

Tie Feng hesitated and then said truthfully, “This is… at the time I purchased it, it was marked at 100 gold taels. In the end I was just able to afford this…”

“One hun-… how much was it? The usually calm Muyi’s eyes widened like saucers and he panted. “100 gold taels!? This sold at 100 gold taels!?!?”