Chapter 359 - 356: Defeating Duan Wuya
Chapter 359: Chapter 356: Defeating Duan Wuya
At the center of the Qi Force, two figures grunted almost simultaneously and shot backward!
One figure retreated more than ten steps, each step leaving a deep footprint in the hard ground, surrounded by a spiderweb of cracks.
His arm trembled slightly, blood seeping from the web of his thumb.
The other figure, however, retreated only a few steps before standing firm.
The dust and smoke gradually settled, and sunlight shone down once more.
Duan Wuya looked down at the hand gripping his saber. The web of his thumb was split open, and blood dripped down the hilt.
’I’m actually injured!’
He raised his head and looked at his opponent.
More than a hundred feet away, Fang Han stood with his sword in hand.
His green robes were slightly dusty and his breathing was a little ragged, but his eyes were as serene as still water and as sharp as a sword.
Beneath his feet were only a few shallow footprints, a far cry from his own wretched state.
The difference in their skill was immediately apparent.
Duan Wuya’s expression changed drastically.
"How is this possible?!"
He let out a choked roar, his voice filled with terror.
After consuming the Blood Coral, he had reached the Late-Stage Fourth Grade Limit, infinitely close to the Third Grade.
His strength already far surpassed his rank of 45th on the Celestial Pride List.
’How could Fang Han possibly suppress me in a direct clash?!’
Fang Han slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, his gaze calm as he looked at Duan Wuya.
He offered no explanation or mockery. He simply stood there quietly, sword in hand, his aura as steady as a mountain.
Duan Wuya was strong. After consuming the Blood Coral, he was infinitely close to the Third Grade, his true strength far exceeding his rank.
But his own strength also far exceeded his Celestial Pride List ranking—and by a huge margin.
His Late Stage of Fourth Grade Cultivation, the ferocity of his Great Success in the Nine Swords of Sky Splitting, his Mastery of the ghostly Wind and Cloud Escape... all these combined had pushed his true combat power far, far beyond his ranking.
"How can your strength be... so much higher than your ranking?"
Duan Wuya stared intently at Fang Han, his crimson eyes roiling with a mixture of terror, shock, and other emotions.
He opened his mouth, about to say more.
But Fang Han gave him no such chance.
SWOOSH!
Fang Han moved.
Pushing the Wind and Cloud Escape to its absolute limit, his figure transformed into a pale green stream of light, instantly crossing the hundred-odd feet between them as his Cloud Splitting Sword thrust straight for Duan Wuya’s throat.
The strike was simple, direct, and as fast as lightning!
Duan Wuya’s face contorted, and he hastily swung his saber to block.
CLANG!
Sparks flew as saber and sword clashed.
Duan Wuya felt an irresistible, immense force travel up his saber, instantly numbing his entire arm and sending him stumbling backward.
Pressing his advantage, Fang Han’s Sword Momentum was like a relentless tide, wave after wave, never-ending!
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG—!
The ear-piercing clang of metal on metal was as dense as a downpour.
Duan Wuya defended with all his might, the light from his saber protecting his vitals, but he was still forced to retreat again and again.
The web of his thumb split open further, staining the hilt red with blood. His arm grew so sore and numb he could barely feel it.
His blood and qi roiled within him, his Inner Qi in disarray. Every block felt like he was withstanding the weight of a mountain.
Thirty moves.
Fifty moves.
After a hundred moves.
Duan Wuya’s Saber Technique grew sloppy. The crimson saber he wielded no longer held its initial sharpness and tyranny.
Fang Han, in contrast, pressed on. His Sword Momentum was like a tide, each wave stronger than the last. Every thrust carried a sharpness that seemed to tear at space itself, forcing Duan Wuya back step by step.
CLANG—!
Another fierce clash.
A cold glint flashed in Fang Han’s eyes. The Inner Qi from his Profound Wind Technique surged like a river, pouring entirely into the Cloud Splitting Sword.
A green brilliance erupted from the blade. Gripping the sword with both hands, he fiercely unleashed the "Sky Splitting" strike.
This strike had no fancy Transformations, only pure, ultimate power and speed.
The sword light condensed into a single line of green brilliance. Though launched second, it arrived first, viciously striking the crimson saber Duan Wuya had raised to block.
CLANG—!
Under the terrifying power contained within this strike, Duan Wuya’s crimson saber was batted aside.
Duan Wuya’s pupils shrank. Before he could react, Fang Han’s sword, still carrying terrifying residual force, slammed viciously into his right shoulder.
PFFT—!
The Top-Grade Soft Armor on Duan Wuya’s body, which shimmered with a faint glow, rippled violently against the condensed Sword Qi. Though it nullified most of the force, a significant amount of Sword Qi still penetrated the armor.
Duan Wuya grunted, his body sent flying backward as if struck by a sledgehammer.
He crashed heavily to the ground over a hundred feet away, tumbling several times before skidding to a halt.
A piercing pain shot through his right shoulder. He looked down to see blood flowing out, staining his clothes. He was clearly injured.
"How can he be... so strong?"
Duan Wuya raised his head, staring at Fang Han with crimson eyes full of disbelief.
He had consumed the Blood Coral, reached the Late-Stage Fourth Grade Limit, and was just one step away from the Third Grade. He was confident his strength far surpassed that of the 45th-ranked person on the Celestial Pride List.
But he never imagined that even with such strength, he would be defeated by Fang Han.
He couldn’t understand. How could Fang Han, ranked 55th on the Celestial Pride List, be so powerful?
’If he’s this strong, why is he only ranked 55th on the Celestial Pride List?’
Fang Han gave Duan Wuya no chance to catch his breath.
SWOOSH!
He activated the Wind and Cloud Escape again. His body became a pale green stream of light, instantly crossing the hundred-odd feet to thrust his Cloud Splitting Sword straight at Duan Wuya’s heart.
Duan Wuya’s expression changed dramatically. He hastily grabbed his saber and blocked.
CLANG!
Sparks flew as saber and sword met.
Duan Wuya felt an immense force surge through his weapon. The web of his thumb burst open, splattering blood.
The impact sent him sliding backward again, his feet carving two deep trenches in the ground.
Pressing his advantage, Fang Han’s Sword Momentum was like a relentless tide.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG—!
The ear-piercing clang of metal on metal was as dense as a downpour.
Duan Wuya defended with all his might, yet he was still forced back step by step.
Under Fang Han’s ferocious Sword Momentum, the number of wounds on his body continued to grow.
A gash half a foot long was left on his left arm where the Sword Qi had grazed him.
The tip of the sword struck him under the ribs. Although his Soft Armor protected him, the Hidden Force that penetrated it still made his blood and qi churn, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
The edge of the blade scraped across his outer thigh, peeling back flesh and leaving a bloody mess.
In just a dozen or so moves, he had sustained several more wounds.
His clothes were tattered and soaked in blood. He was a complete wreck, all of his initial composure gone.
The longer he fought, the more terrified he became.
’Fang Han’s sword... it’s too fast, too sharp, too vicious!’
Every strike carried a sharpness that could tear through anything, and every strike was aimed at his vitals.
He defended with all his might, but he still couldn’t block the inescapable Sword Momentum.
Even more frightening was Fang Han’s ghostly and unpredictable Body Technique. He always managed to evade his counterattacks by a hair’s breadth and strike from an unexpected angle.
Facing Fang Han, he felt a suffocating sense of being constrained, unable to use his full strength.
’If I keep fighting, I’m going to die here!’
Although he enjoyed slaughter and was murderous by nature, that didn’t mean he was incapable of fear.
Fear spread like wildfire through his heart, impossible to contain.
’If this continues, not only will I fail to kill Fang Han, but I’ll be the one who dies!’
’I have to escape!’
He bit down hard on the tip of his tongue. Spurred by the sharp pain, the Blood Shadow Escape Technique within him began to circulate wildly.
This was his last-resort Escape Secret Technique. It burned his blood essence and squeezed his body’s potential in exchange for a short burst of speed far beyond his normal limits.
Once used, the Secret Technique would cause immense damage to his body, requiring months of recuperation to recover.
But at this moment, a matter of life and death, he couldn’t afford to worry about that.
VMMMM—!
A bizarre, crimson light suddenly erupted from his body, so thick it was almost tangible, completely enveloping his figure.
The next instant—
SWOOSH!
His figure transformed into a streak of crimson light, moving at a speed that defied the eye. In an instant, he shot out hundreds of feet, dodging Fang Han’s attack and fleeing for his life in a single direction.
The speed was astonishing, a good thirty percent faster than even Fang Han’s full-power Wind and Cloud Escape!
In an extremely short time, he had already vanished from Fang Han’s sight.
’An Escape Secret Technique?’
Fang Han’s eyes narrowed.
Each of the Seven Sects had their own specialties. The Netherworld Pavilion had numerous Secret Techniques and was particularly adept in their use.
’Duan Wuya must have cultivated an extremely sophisticated Escape Secret Technique.’
’Spirit Smelling Technique.’
With a mere thought, Fang Han activated his Spirit Smelling Technique, which he had already mastered to the Great Success Realm.
In that instant, a flood of scent information from the surrounding world poured into his perception.
He filtered out the complex scents of grass, trees, earth, stone, and the beasts of the mountain forest, focusing all his effort on capturing the single thread of Duan Wuya’s aura.
To his perception, augmented by the Great Success of the Spirit Smelling Technique, that aura was as clear and distinct as a firefly in the dead of night.
SWOOSH!
Locking onto the direction, Fang Han pushed his Wind and Cloud Escape to its limit. His body transformed into a pale green stream of light, speeding off in pursuit along Duan Wuya’s escape route.
Although he wasn’t as fast as Duan Wuya, it wasn’t a hopeless chase.
’A speed gained at the cost of one’s physical body can’t possibly last long.’
’Once the Secret Technique wears off, Duan Wuya’s speed will inevitably drop. That’s when I can catch up to him.’
SWOOSH, SWOOSH!
The two figures, one in front and one behind, raced across the winter fields.
The speed Duan Wuya gained by burning his blood essence was indeed astonishing. For a short time, he left Fang Han far behind, the distance between them growing ever wider.
But just as Fang Han had predicted, this state could not be sustained.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the speed of the crimson streak of light up ahead slowed noticeably.
After another half-stick of incense, the crimson light vanished completely, replaced by a staggering black figure fleeing for his life.
Duan Wuya’s face was ashen, and his aura was utterly depleted.
The price of burning his blood essence was even greater than he had imagined.
At this moment, his Inner Qi was nearly exhausted, his meridians throbbed with a tearing pain, and his legs felt as heavy as lead.
If not for his survival instincts propping him up, he would have collapsed long ago.
"He’s catching up!!!"
He glanced back. Although he couldn’t see anyone, his keen senses as a Martial Artist told him that an aura was rapidly closing in from behind.
It was moving at a speed that was far, far greater than his own.
A flash of despair crossed Duan Wuya’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a spark of hope.
Ahead, the outline of a city was faintly visible.
It was Linyuan City, one of the major cities in the county.
’If I can just make it into the city, I’ll have a chance to live.’
"Faster... just a little faster..."
Duan Wuya gritted his teeth, squeezing out the last ounce of strength from his body as he desperately ran toward the city.
Following Duan Wuya’s aura, Fang Han arrived outside a city.
The city’s name was "Linyuan," a large city within Qingyang County named for its proximity to a deep gorge.