The tip of the soft sword was caught by Chen Xiao, its blade still vibrating and emitting a humming sound.
Seeing this, Ding Yi's expression changed drastically.
He tried to pull his sword out with force, but with its tip held in Chen Xiao's hand, it was as if it were cast in steel; it simply wouldn't budge.
Ding Yi strained with all his might, his face turning red, yet the sword tip hadn't moved an inch from Chen Xiao's fingertips.
"Kid, why are you holding my sword? You know I'm a swordsman, and you still grab my sword. Have you no shame!"
For Ding Yi to say such a thing, it was hard to tell who was truly shameless.
Chen Xiao chuckled, "Oh, you want to pull your sword out? You should have said so earlier. If you had, I would have returned it to you..."
As he spoke, Chen Xiao's fingertips moved slightly. With a snap, he had broken off the sword tip.
The tip remained in his hand, while the blade whipped back like a soft whip, striking Ding Yi directly in the face.
Fortunately, Ding Yi managed to deflect some of the force, narrowly avoiding serious injury. Even so, half his face was left red and swollen from the blow.
He was instantly astonished. He knew his treasured sword was forged from heavenly profound iron, having undergone eighty-one forging processes.
It was incredibly tough yet supple, and even heavy machinery couldn't break it.
Furthermore, when Ding Yi wielded the sword, he had infused it with his internal energy, further enhancing its resilience.
Yet, under such conditions, Chen Xiao had casually snapped it with a simple flick. What immense strength must he possess!
However, seeing his treasured sword broken, Ding Yi was blinded by rage.
"Kid, you dare to destroy my precious sword! If I don't kill you today, I, Ding Yi, am no man!"
Ding Yi, wielding his broken sword, lunged at Chen Xiao again.
Chen Xiao shook his head helplessly, "You've clearly lost, why are you still struggling?"
As he spoke, Chen Xiao flicked his finger. The sword tip he held flew directly towards Ding Yi, and with a *swish*, it pierced his shoulder blade.
*Clang—*
Ding Yi cried out in pain, and the broken sword in his hand clattered to the ground.
For a swordsman, the dropping of his treasured sword was self-explanatory.
"You..."
Ding Yi trembled all over, his face pale, glaring at Chen Xiao with venomous eyes.
Chen Xiao said coldly, "You're still not convinced?"
As he spoke, his eyes turned sharp.
Ding Yi immediately stiffened, gritted his teeth, and said, "No, I am convinced!"
Chen Xiao: "..."
This was truly a case of using the fiercest expression to utter the softest words!
"As expected of the renowned Boss Chen of Jiangbei. To fall at your hands today, I, Ding Yi, am truly convinced. However, the mountains and rivers will always flow. We'll meet again. Retreat!"
Ding Yi waved his hand, preparing to leave with his men.
Chen Xiao was not pleased. "Stop right there. When did I say you could leave?"
Ding Yi frowned, "What else do you want?"
Chen Xiao stated calmly, "You said that if you lost, you would be at my mercy. What, are you going to renege on your promise?"
Ding Yi's eyes widened, and he said with false bravado, "Chen, don't push your luck too far. You've already broken my sword and injured me. Isn't that enough?"
Chen Xiao said indifferently, "It's certainly not enough. You have a sinister appearance and a wicked heart. While I can spare your life, I cannot let you off without punishment. Today, I will cripple your martial arts, acting on behalf of heaven!"
Ding Yi was shocked. "Do you think the men I brought are mere decorations? Since you are unrighteous, don't blame me for being unrighteous. Attack him and kill him!"
With Ding Yi's command, the group of martial artists behind him charged forward.
Although their strength was not as great as his, they were all Qi realm martial artists. Even if Chen Xiao was strong, two fists were no match for four hands.
Moreover, these weren't just four hands!
However, Chen Xiao merely waved his hand, and a surge of energy shot out. The so-called Qi realm martial artists all fell to the ground, groaning in pain, clearly unable to stand.
Ding Yi finally knew fear. Chen Xiao's strength was at a level he couldn't even imagine.
Chen Xiao slowly walked towards Ding Yi. He had said he would cripple his martial arts, and he would.
Ding Yi's heart pounded. Suddenly, he waved his hand and said, "Wait a moment, Boss Chen. I am truly convinced. But do you know why I insisted on having your spiritual artifact?"
Chen Xiao snorted, "That's your business. What does it have to do with me?"
"It has everything to do with it!"
Ding Yi looked at Chen Xiao. "This matter has already spread. Everyone in Qingcheng knows you possess a spiritual artifact. And the old pavilion master of the Hidden Sword Pavilion, Wang, was injured by a spirit fox and urgently needs this artifact to prolong his life. Even if I didn't come to you, someone else would have!"
Chen Xiao, being new to the area, had never heard of the Hidden Sword Pavilion, nor did he know who Old Pavilion Master Wang was.
He said calmly, "So what? If there were a thousand or eight hundred more like you, I, Chen Xiao, would still defeat them all!"
Ding Yi sneered, "Boss Chen, you are truly arrogant. You have no idea what the Hidden Sword Pavilion is. If you don't hand over the spiritual artifact, you will be indirectly responsible for the death of Old Pavilion Master Wang. By then, everyone in the Hidden Sword Pavilion will hunt you down. Even if you flee back to Jiangbei, it will be of no use."
Chen Xiao scratched his head. "I really don't understand."
Ding Yi thought Chen Xiao was scared and became smug. "What don't you understand? You're afraid, aren't you?"
Chen Xiao scoffed, "What right do you, a defeated opponent, a nobody, have to spew such nonsense in front of me?"
As he spoke, Chen Xiao flicked his finger, sending a surge of spiritual energy into Ding Yi's body.
Ding Yi cried out in pain. After struggling for a moment, he discovered that all his internal energy was gone, making him weaker than an ordinary person.
"You, you crippled my cultivation?!"
A killing intent flashed in Chen Xiao's eyes. He said coldly, "I'll give you one breath of time. Take your men and get out of here. Otherwise, it won't just be your martial arts that are crippled!"
Ding Yi swallowed hard, cast a hateful glance at Chen Xiao, and left with his men.
However, as soon as Ding Yi and his men departed, the waiter who had served them earlier approached, trembling, and warned, "Mr. Chen, you've caused a great deal of trouble this time. I advise you to leave Qingcheng quickly!"
"Oh? What do you mean by that?" Chen Xiao asked.
The waiter pulled Chen Xiao aside and said cautiously, "Mr. Chen, you may not know this, but the Hidden Sword Pavilion is a transcendent existence throughout Jiaodong. It is a behemoth. Not only does it have numerous disciples, but its strength is also formidable. Ding Yi is merely an insignificant outer disciple of the Hidden Sword Pavilion, yet he can wield such power in Qingcheng!"
Chen Xiao was slightly surprised. "I didn't expect you, a waiter, to know so much."
The waiter sighed, his face filled with sorrow. "Mr. Chen, to be frank, my parents were killed by the Hidden Sword Pavilion!"