Chapter 301

Chapter 301: Chapter 300 All four assassins were dressed in black coats, with one tall and one short, one fat and one thin. Apart from Ye Tianchen who hadn’t returned, the remaining twelve of the Thirteen Heavenly Kings fought with all their might and still could not eliminate these four assassins quickly. This was the first challenge the Thirteen Heavenly Kings had faced since their formation.

In fact, the skills of these four assassins were indeed strong, but they were not invincible. At the very least, if Wuxue, Wang Jie, and Bao Tianglong put in their full effort, they should have been able to capture them. However, the weapons in the hands of these three were too formidable: one had an unusual dagger, the fat man wielded a black hammer, and the skinny man held a silver shield. These three weapons, each more powerful than the next, unleashed a Power of Slaughter that was truly irresistible.

When the strange dagger in the tall man’s right hand emitted a strong aura, suddenly transforming into a sword, Lin Duan, an inheritor of the Absolute Skill of the Ancient Martial Sect and possessor of the Divine Weapon, the Seven Stars Saber, was certainly knowledgeable about some legendary weapons. He exclaimed in shock the moment the dagger turned into a sword!

"Damn it, who the hell are these people? We just acquired the Taie Sword, and now the Fish Intestine Sword has appeared!" Hu Long said in amazement.

"Everyone be careful, the Fish Intestine Sword is also one of the Ancient Ten Swords, its power won’t be less than that of the Taie Sword. And the black hammer and silver shield in the hands of the fat man and the skinny man are not simple objects either!" Lin Duan tightly gripped his Seven Stars Saber and said seriously.

The Fish Intestine Sword, one of the Ancient Ten Swords and ranked eighth, is known as the Courageous Sword, signifying its formidable strength.

According to historical records, the Fish Intestine Sword, also known as the Fish Hidden Sword, is said to have been forged by the master swordsmith Ouyez for the king of Yue, using tin from Chijin Mountain and copper from Ruoye Creek. After weathering rain and thunder, it absorbed the essence of heaven and earth, leading to the creation of five swords, namely Zhanlu, Chunjun, Shengxie, Fish Intestine, and Ju Que.

Once the Fish Intestine Sword was completed, Xue Zhu, known for his talent in appraising swords akin to having a sixth sense, was invited to assess it. He sensed the message contained within the Fish Intestine Sword and thus responded: "It goes against reason and is not to be wielded. A servant may use it to kill their king, a son to kill his father." It turned out that this sword was inherently perverse and disorderly, meant for regicide and patricide, truly terrifying. Later, the state of Yue offered it as a tribute to the State of Wu, passing the sword from Yue to Wu.

Regarding the origin of the name Fish Intestine Sword, there are two theories: one theory suggests that the name comes from the pattern on the sword blade resembling fish intestines, not referring to the viscera of a live fish, but rather, if one grilled a fish, peeled off its flanks, and then looked at its intestines, the resemblance to the contours on an ancient sword blade, with their twists and turns, would be apparent. It is said that Wu Daxi of the Qing dynasty had a rubbings copy of the Warring States era Fish Intestine Sword, with its patterns fully displayed, similar to fish intestines. In fact, sword patterns could also resemble turtle scripts, mountains, flowing waves, lotus flowers, and more...

The other theory posits that the name Fish Intestine Sword derives from its compact size that could be hidden inside the belly of a fish. One possibility is that the blade of the Fish Intestine Sword is slender and flexible, able to be inserted into a fish’s mouth and navigated through its gastrointestinal tract, regaining its shape when pulled out, tough and shining. Alternatively, the Fish Intestine Sword might be among the smaller named swords, akin to a short blade or a dagger.

The famous historical story of the Fish Intestine and Zhuan Zhu speaks of how, when a black eagle swooped towards the great hall, Zhuan Zhu was simultaneously walking towards the hall with the Plum Blossom Phoenix Tail Fish dish he had prepared himself.

The sunlight flickered in the sky as the eagle flew swiftly as before. Armored soldiers lined the inside of the great hall while Zhuan Zhu strode steadily forward.

The clouds, stunned by the eagle’s momentum, scattered in all directions. Wang Liao was attracted by the scent of the dish in Zhuan Zhu’s hand, sniffed, leaned forward, and saw only the dish, not Zhuan Zhu.

The dish was called Plum Blossom Phoenix Tail Fish, where "plum blossom" referred to the winter plum and "Phoenix Tail Fish" to the fish only found in Taihu Lake during the hot summer months. The fish was to be grilled with the winter plum’s branches.

The eagle could see the outline of the great hall as the sky suddenly darkened. Zhuan Zhu reached Wang Liao’s side, placing the dish on the table as the hall’s lights continued to burn. Clouds roiled in the sky as the eagle tucked in its wings. Wang Liao swallowed saliva, eyeing the delicacy before him.

Zhuan Zhu steadily began breaking apart the fish. Accompanied by a clap of thunder, the eagle dove toward the hall from high above.

Suddenly, Wang Liao felt a fierce murderous aura shooting out from within the fish, leaving him stunned.

The Fish Intestine Sword had been unsheathed from within the fish and nestled securely in Zhuan Zhu’s hand as it surged forward. Two well-trained iron halberds crossed in front to block it, but the Fish Intestine Sword slipped through the gap and continued to thrust forward.

In front of him, there were three layers of Suanni Lion Armor. The first layer was pierced, the second layer was pierced, and as it penetrated the third layer, the Fish Intestine Sword found itself broken.

The sword broke, but the murderous aura did not. The Fish Intestine Sword still pressed on.

As the eagle shattered the great hall, the Fish Intestine Sword also plunged into Wang Liao’s heart.

The eagle, injured and plummeting, let out a satisfied screech.

The half-broken Fish Intestine Sword hummed a silent song to the rhythm of Wang Liao’s fading heartbeat.

Zhuan Zhu, overthrown by a barrage of blades and rain, used his last bit of strength to bestow a lonely smile onto the earth beneath his face.

...Zhuan Zhu’s assassination of Wang Liao was like a comet striking the moon...

Such is the origin and legend of the Fish Intestine Sword, a Courageous Sword, which, even broken, still exudes an unyielding Sword Qi, vowing to slay its enemy at all costs. This terrifying Sword Qi is like a river bursting its banks, tearing through the earth, like a comet striking the moon, shattering the universe.

In fact, at this time, these four Assassins were also deeply alarmed. In the past, not to mention the four of them striking together, even if any one of them made a move, easily slaughtering hundreds was a minor problem. Even when they encountered some skillful opponents, they would sweep through with their Divine Weapons; but today, among the Thirteen Heavenly Kings, apart from Lin Duan wielding the Seven Stars Saber, the rest were fighting unarmed. Now, they had yet to kill a single person, which was quite embarrassing and indeed proved that the Thirteen Heavenly Kings deserved their reputation. No wonder they managed to annihilate both the Xuanyuan family and the Ouyang family, these two great Hidden Families, overnight.

"Shorty, what are you waiting for? These twelve are no ordinary foes. Do you think we can win without using your weapons?" a tall man in black said irritably.

"Hmph, didn’t you three think you were very powerful? So, now you also need me to use my weapon?"

The short man was clearly upset. At the beginning, he had boasted that he would kill all of Wuxue’s group by himself. However, he hadn’t expected the Thirteen Heavenly Kings to be tough opponents. Just Bao Tianglong’s combat power had taken him by surprise, and Lin Duan’s attack nearly killed him, which earned him the mockery of the other three. Now, of course, he wanted revenge.

"Now is not the time for infighting. You all know our leader’s temper. If we don’t behead these twelve before he arrives, I’m afraid we’ll all lose our lives!" a fat man wielding a black hammer said coldly.

"If you want to die, Shorty, you can choose not to use your weapon!" the skinny man said coldly, glancing at Wuxue.

During the brief intense battle just now, the tall Assassin had been fighting against Lin Duan, intent on killing him to obtain the Seven Stars Saber. The fat man with the black hammer was also locked in fierce combat with Wuxue. Although the hammer in his hand contained the powerful force of thunder and lightning, which was terrifying, Wuxue’s Xingyi Boxing had become far more courageous and refined, especially after receiving guidance from Ye Tianchen, and was not to be underestimated. After a few hard clashes, Wuxue did not retreat, which annoyed the fat Assassin.

As for the short Assassin and another skinny Assassin, they were fighting everyone. Mainly, the skinny Assassin’s silver shield was both defensively and offensively powerful, large or small, difficult to penetrate, and tough to shatter, proving to be quite troublesome.

"Damn it, it’s been many years since the four of us have used weapons together. It seems we have no choice today!" the short man said in disgust.

The next moment, a fan appeared in the short man’s hand, which was very special. It seemed to be made entirely of feathers, all white, and it was unclear what creature’s feathers they were. It looked nothing like those of any animal and was quite eerie.

"Alright, the game ends here!" the short man said confidently.

Swish!

The short man made the first move, opening his feather fan and fanning it towards Wuxue and the others. Instantly, a fierce wind arose on the clearing, kicking up sand and stones, forcing people to squint their eyes, as if a tornado had appeared. Wuxue and the other twelve nearly got blown away.

"What are you few waiting for?" the short man asked in annoyance.

"Good, let’s end this quickly!"

Swish!

Another fan of his produced a sudden whirlwind on the flat ground, assaulting Wuxue and the others. The tall Assassin was the second to move. The Fish Intestine Sword erupted with a tremendous glow, and a thrust unleashed countless sword shadows in the midst of the whirlwind, terribly brave, tearing the air apart. And that was not all; following that, the fat Assassin with the hammer smashed it onto the ground. Sparks flew, and he too charged into the whirlwind. In an instant, the entire space was filled with the power of thunder and lightning intermixed with the glow of sword shadows, exerting massive pressure, making Wuxue and the others retreat involuntarily. This kind of might was downright monstrous, giving a sense of an unstoppable force.

Boom!

The skinny Assassin with the silver shield also leaped up at this moment. His silver shield instantly enlarged, covering Wuxue and the others below, and together with the massive whirlwind, pressed down on them.

"Damn it, are they even human? What do we do?" Hu Long couldn’t help but exclaim in shock.

"They’re strong. Everyone prepare for the worst," Wuxue frowned and said.

"I and Wuxue will hold off the silver shield. Lin Duan takes the lead with the Seven Stars Saber, and everyone else push back against the tornado together!" Wang Jie also said with utmost seriousness.