Chapter 87 — Power Against Power

At the very top of the waterfall suspended in midair, a wisp of flame suddenly rose.

The flame was unremarkable—pale, almost transparent, burning quietly. Yet it behaved as though it had fallen into oil rather than water: with a streak of firelight, it spread swiftly along the upper edge of the waterfall.

Along the waterfall's crest, the cold, ghostly fire flickered out transparent tongues of flame.

In an instant, that silvery ribbon was set alight by the spectral fire. Every sword-ray, fluid as water, was wrapped in a shroud of flame.

Like fire, like flowers, they drifted down from the water.

The first flame-wrapped sword-ray fell silently into the water.

Bang!

A crisp detonation! A great length of the water dragon was blasted away at once, spray flying everywhere.

Bang bang bang bang bang!

The dense crackle of explosions was like New Year's firecrackers, unceasing to the ear.

Wen Fei's expression changed drastically. What kind of technique was this? Was the other's art not a water-element sword formula? How could there be fire? But there was no time to ponder; in the blink of an eye, the immense water dragon had been blasted down to less than half its length. The other's sword-rays had abruptly surged in power—all because of those flames that looked so transparent and harmless.

Suppressing his doubts, the last trace of contempt in his heart vanished into smoke. He now regarded Zuo Yan as the greatest rival of his life.

Gritting his teeth, he wildly circulated his spiritual power, snapped the Heavenly River Fan shut with a flick, and extended it to tap lightly at Zuo Yan.

*Heavenly River Prison*!

A speck of blue light emerged through the fan and drifted, seemingly unhurried, toward Zuo Yan.

Zuo Yan suddenly felt a powerful sense of danger. That speck of blue light pressed upon him far more heavily than any of Ren Qiao's earlier moves. Not daring to be careless, he stirred his mind, and at once the cold spectral waterfall hanging in the sky responded, lunging toward the blue light.

Tiny transparent flames, one after another, each harboring a sword-intent gentle as water.

It looked as though the rain of fire falling from the waterfall would envelop the blue light.

Suddenly, Wen Fei spread the Heavenly River Fan wide and bellowed: "Open!"

The speck of blue light abruptly expanded into a vast net, dropping over Zuo Yan's head. He could not dodge in time and was caught within it.

Zuo Yan felt the blue light surge before his eyes; in a blink, rippling water filled his vision, and all around was a vast, empty expanse!

This scene was all too familiar to Zuo Yan! He had practiced swordsmanship in rivers, so he knew it beyond any doubt. Now he was inside an empty bubble—and who would have thought that speck of blue light contained such immense water-force? Those transparent flames, falling into the water, still crackled with unceasing explosions, but the water was too mighty; those tiny transparent fire-like sword-rays of Parting Water were like scratching an itch through a boot—and worse, they left Zuo Yan himself in a sorry state. Terrifying pressure pressed in from all sides, and the bubble was compressed bit by bit.

Zuo Yan drew a deep breath, his heart turning cold. This was the other's ultimate move!

Yet in the next instant, his will to fight surged wildly. Though he could not compare with Wei Sheng or Shi Heng, he was no soft persimmon for these spoiled young masters to squeeze as they pleased.

Zuo Heng had noticed it too: ever since he began practicing the sword, he had gone from fearing battle at the start to swiftly no longer fearing it—and his appetite for combat had grown stronger and stronger.

That was exactly how he was now: the more he fought, the more excited he became. By this point, especially after witnessing Wen Fei's ultimate move, his fighting spirit had climbed to its peak!

Come on!

He strained his eyes wide open and roared soundlessly in his heart!

The waterfall that scattered fire like rain vanished, and the Dripping Water Sword became a streak of flowing light, returning to Zuo Yan's hand.

As if sensing Zuo Yan's fighting spirit, the blade of the Dripping Water Sword trembled faintly, like gently rippling water; its soft hiss and low hum only excited Zuo Yan further. He closed his eyes and stroked the blade as though caressing a lover.

With the waterfall gone, the crushing water around him lost its barrier and rushed straight in; the bubble burst instantly, and Zuo Yan was swept into the water.

Wen Fei could not help but show delight! Once caught in the water, were you not mere fish and meat on my chopping block?

He gave a low shout: "Rise!"

The mass of water bore Zuo Yan slowly up into the sky. It was immense, comparable to a small lake.

Zuo Yan was like a beast in a cage; no matter how he struggled, he could not break free. Wen Fei was exceedingly pleased with himself—this water prison was far sturdier than any cage of fine steel.

The outer disciples of Wukong Sect all turned pale, staring in terror at the huge shadow in the sky. The water mass climbed higher and higher, and Zuo Yan's figure within it grew ever blurrier, until only a faint outline remained.

Never mind anything else—just being slammed down from such a height would absolutely cause internal injuries!

On Xiao Guo's apple face, drained of every trace of blood, a look of resolve suddenly appeared. She burst out from the crowd and charged at Wen Fei.

"Little sister, what do you think you're doing?" A graceful figure blocked Xiao Guo's path—Tao Shuer, watching her with a smile.

"Get out of my way!" Xiao Guo's face was frantic with anger and alarm. But her angry look was like a kitten baring its teeth and waving its paws—indescribably cute.

"Oh?" Ming Dao, whose heart had been clenched tight all this while, finally relaxed. Seeing Xiao Guo's innocent, artless manner, his eyes lit up. "This girl's not bad. What's your name?"

"Get out of the way, all of you!" Xiao Guo was on the verge of tears.

A savage light showed in Wen Fei's eyes. Looking at the water mass in the sky, he snorted complacently: "Enjoy my *Heavenly River Prison* to the fullest." With that, he extended his left hand and lightly grasped at the water mass above.

The water mass in the sky shifted, and within it a giant hand savagely clutched at Zuo Yan. This fellow had put him in such a sorry state—Wen Fei had no intention of letting him off so easily. The pleasure of a cat toying with a mouse—how delightful it was!

Below, the Wukong disciples could not help crying out, their faces showing they could not bear to watch.

Despair rose on Xiao Guo's face. She knew she was no match for these two, but still...

A rare flash of resolve crossed those brimming eyes.

At that very moment, inside the water prison, Zuo Yan—blade lowered, eyes closed—suddenly opened his eyes.

For some reason, he thought of the day he had comprehended the Parting Water sword-intent, gazing at the giant water palm about to seize him, catching from the corner of his eye the vague human shapes below. He could imagine how smug the other must be right now, how excited.

But my sword formula...

Is the *Parting Water Sword Formula*!

Light blazed in Zuo Yan's eyes, his gaze as though every emotion had been drained away—cold and spectral as that transparent flame! Both hands gripped the Dripping Water Sword, and the lowered blade rose in an upward, reverse slash without the slightest warning!

*Parting Water, Burning Heaven*!

The giant water palm shattered in the first instant.

Below, Wen Fei's expression changed drastically! Impossible! How could there still be any power to strike back inside the water prison?

Gritting his teeth, he was just about to change his move when his face drained completely pale in an instant. To his horror, he discovered he had lost all control over the water prison!

Impossible!