Chapter 437 - 434: Kill One First
Chapter 437: Chapter 434: Kill One First
CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG—!
The sound of metal clashing exploded once more, sending sparks flying.
Zhao Ping grunted, staggering back several steps and carving deep grooves into the road with his feet.
The right arm he used to hold his blade trembled slightly. The web between his thumb and forefinger had split open, and fresh blood dripped down the hilt.
But Fang Han remained completely still.
"Impossible..."
Zhao Ping gritted his teeth, his voice hoarse.
He was at the Late Stage of Third Grade, and his combat prowess ranked among the top of the Third Grade Elders in the Pavilion.
Yet this young man, barely twenty years old, made him feel an insurmountable gap between them.
SWOOSH!
Fang Han gave Zhao Ping no chance to breathe.
He swung the Cloud Splitting Sword again. This strike was faster and more vicious than the last.
The Sword Intent not only amplified its power but also unleashed a Spiritual Shock.
A cyan-gold brilliance flowed over the blade, and the surrounding air hissed as if being torn apart.
CLANG—!
Zhao Ping’s pupils shrank. He swung his blade with all his might to block.
The Thick-Backed Machete and the Cloud Splitting Sword collided, producing a piercing roar.
An invisible Spiritual Shock shot out from the sword, stabbing straight into his mind.
He felt a violent jolt in his mind, and his consciousness wavered for a moment.
In that single instant, Fang Han’s sword broke through his Sword Momentum and drove straight in.
SHIIIIINK—!
The sword’s edge slashed across his chest. His black robe tore apart, revealing a black Soft Armor underneath that shimmered with a faint glow.
The Hidden Force contained within the sword pierced through the armor, leaving a half-foot-long gash on his chest. Blood gushed out instantly, soaking his robes.
"Aargh—!"
He cried out in pain and stumbled back, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"You really have comprehended Sword Intent..."
He looked up, staring intently at Fang Han, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible.
Yuan Ye had already brought the news of Fang Han comprehending Sword Intent back to the Netherworld Pavilion, so he had naturally heard about it.
However, he had been skeptical. After all, a Mental state like Sword Intent was a skill that few even among the Upper Three Grades Martial Artists could grasp.
How could someone as young as Fang Han possibly comprehend Sword Intent?
But what was happening before his very eyes forced him to believe.
Fang Han didn’t speak. He just stood with his sword, his gaze as calm as still water, his killing intent locked onto Zhao Ping.
Zhao Ping took a deep breath, suppressing the sharp pain in his chest as the Inner Qi in his body circulated wildly.
He knew that if he didn’t fight for his life today, he likely wouldn’t survive.
"Die!"
He roared, and a black aura surged from his Thick-Backed Machete. His body transformed into a streak of black light, lunging straight for Fang Han.
For this strike, he used a Secret Technique to burn his blood Essence, condensing his life’s Cultivation into a single blow.
Fang Han’s eyes narrowed.
He brought the Cloud Splitting Sword up horizontally before him, channeling his Wind Sword Intent to its fullest.
On the blade, an almost transparent sense of sharpness suddenly intensified, and the sword let out a clear hum.
He struck.
CLANG—!!!
The blade and sword met, and a world-shaking boom erupted.
The shockwave spread outwards, forcefully scraping off a layer of the ground.
Zhao Ping felt an irresistible, immense force surge toward him. The web of his hand tore, and the Thick-Backed Machete was knocked from his grasp.
He was sent flying backward like a kite with a snapped string, smashing heavily onto the ground dozens of feet away, blood spewing from his mouth.
He struggled to get up, only to see a cyan figure appear before him like a phantom.
Fang Han looked down at Zhao Ping, whose aura had grown weak on the ground.
"You..."
Zhao Ping opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but only managed to spit out a mouthful of blood.
The Cloud Splitting Sword fell.
A flash of sword light.
Zhao Ping’s voice cut off abruptly, and the light in his eyes quickly dimmed.
From the start of the fight to his death, it had been no more than a dozen moves.
Fang Han’s gaze moved away from Zhao Ping’s cooling corpse as he scanned his surroundings.
On both sides of the road, the forces of the Qingxuan Sect and the Netherworld Pavilion were locked in a fierce battle.
The glint of blades and swords, flying Qi Force, screams of pain, and the clash of weapons wove together into a chaotic symphony.
In the overall battle, the Qingxuan Sect’s forces had a clear advantage.
The Qingxuan Sect had come prepared this time, and they had the advantage in numbers.
Furthermore, two of the Netherworld Pavilion’s Fourth Grade Stewards had already been slain by him and Elder Jin Han.
At this moment, dozens of Qingxuan Sect Stewards and disciples were surrounding and slaughtering the Stewards and disciples of the Netherworld Pavilion.
Two Qingxuan Sect disciples, working in perfect concert, intertwined their sword lights to force a Netherworld Pavilion disciple back. One of them pierced the disciple’s shoulder blade, and the other followed up with a final blow, ending his life.
A Netherworld Pavilion disciple tried to break through the encirclement, but after just a few steps, he was intercepted by a Qingxuan Sect disciple and sent flying back, severely wounded by a single sword strike.
Blood soaked the road, and the heavy stench of iron filled the air.
Fang Han’s gaze lingered on the fighting figures for only a moment before turning elsewhere.
That was where the key to this battle lay.
Over a hundred yards away, two figures were clashing fiercely.
One in a gray robe, the other in black.
The one in gray was Jin Han. The Short Sword in her hand transformed into streaks of sharp Cyan Sword Light, each thrust carrying a bone-chilling cold.
Her Sword Momentum was relentless, like an inescapable net, trapping her opponent completely.
The one in black was Ma Yuan.
The man’s face was pale, his narrow eyes as sinister as a hawk’s. As his palms flew, an inky black Inner Qi surged forth.
Every palm strike he delivered carried a terrifying might, as if it could shatter mountains and shake the earth.
Wherever the Palm Wind passed, deep furrows were carved into the ground, and shattered stones shot out like rain.
Neither of them could gain the upper hand.
Jin Han’s Swordsmanship was sharp and cunning, while Ma Yuan’s Palm Technique was fierce and domineering. The two completely different types of power collided, creating a deafening roar with every exchange.
The shockwaves spread out, devastating the ground within a radius of dozens of yards.
Fang Han’s gaze swept over the two fighters as a plan formed in his mind.
Jin Han and Ma Yuan were evenly matched. It would be difficult for either to claim victory anytime soon.
And he was the key to breaking that balance.
WHOOSH—
His figure blurred into motion as he fully unleashed the Wind and Cloud Escape.
He crossed the distance of several dozen yards in an instant.
There was no probing attack.
The Inner Qi of his Early Third Grade Cyan Profound Technique, the one hundred thousand catties of physical strength, and his sharp Sword Intent that could tear through anything—
all of it was condensed into a single strike.
The sword light was like a cyan bolt of lightning, tearing through the air as it silently slashed toward the back of Ma Yuan’s heart.
The attack came too suddenly, too quickly.
’Not good!’
Ma Yuan was focused on dealing with Jin Han’s fierce assault. By the time he sensed the attack from behind, the sword light had already arrived.
His expression changed drastically as he twisted his body to the side with all his might.
At the same time, he threw a backhanded palm strike, attempting to block.
But in the end, his reaction was a split second too slow.
SHIIIIINK—!
The sword’s edge sliced across his left side. His black robe tore apart, revealing a black Soft Armor underneath that shimmered with a faint glow.
The black Soft Armor was of extremely high quality and blocked most of the attack, but a Hidden Force still penetrated it, cutting a gash in his side.
Blood seeped out from under the black Soft Armor.
"Urk—"
Ma Yuan grunted, staggering forward several steps before he managed to steady himself.
His pale face was now slightly twisted with pain and shocked fury.
He snapped his head up, his gaze falling on the figure in the cyan robe who had delivered the blow.
The moment he saw that young face clearly, his pupils contracted violently.
"Fang Han?!"
His voice was hoarse, filled with uncontrollable shock and anger.
He had, of course, heard that name before.
The twenty-year-old who ranked first on the Celestial Pride List, had killed Yuan Zhan, and had fought Yuan Ye to a standstill.
But he never expected to meet Fang Han here, at this moment, and in this manner.
A bad feeling rose in his heart, and he quickly looked into the distance.
There, Zhao Ping’s corpse lay silently in a pool of blood, devoid of life.
In that instant, his face turned extremely ugly.
’How long has it been since the caravan was attacked?’
’Barely a few moments!’
’A Late Stage of Third Grade Elder couldn’t even last a few moments against Fang Han?’
"Ma Yuan, today is the day you die!"
Giving Ma Yuan no chance to breathe, Jin Han raised her Short Sword again. A Cyan Sword Light, like a bolt of silk, shot straight for Ma Yuan’s throat.
At the same time, Fang Han also moved.
The Cloud Splitting Sword slashed out from the side, Sword Intent erupting, aimed straight for Ma Yuan’s waist.
The two of them, one in front and one behind, coordinated perfectly.
Jin Han’s sharp and cunning Swordsmanship tied him down from the front.
Fang Han’s incomparably sharp Sword Intent harassed him from the flank.
Ma Yuan’s face was ashen. He thrust out both palms, sending black Palm Seals to meet their attacks.
BOOM! BOOM—!
Two massive explosions erupted almost simultaneously.
Ma Yuan was blasted back several steps.
He gasped for air, his gaze darting between Fang Han and Jin Han, his eyes filled with gravity.
’Jin Han alone was his equal.’
’And now there’s Fang Han, whose strength is comparable to a Second Grade expert—’
"Die!"
A vicious resolve formed in Ma Yuan’s heart. He roared and took the initiative to attack.
He shot out both palms, bombarding Jin Han with a rapid-fire barrage of black Palm Seals that forced her to pull back her sword and defend.
At the same time, he spun around and lunged straight at Fang Han.
Black Inner Qi gathered wildly on his right palm, condensing until it was almost solid, before he struck.
The palm strike was fast and vicious, aimed directly at Fang Han’s face.
Fang Han’s eyes narrowed. Instead of retreating, he advanced.
He brought the Cloud Splitting Sword up horizontally, fully activating his Wind Sword Intent as he met the attack with his own strike.
CLANG—!
The palm and sword met with a dull, heavy boom.
An invisible Spiritual Shock shot out from the blade, stabbing into Ma Yuan’s mind.
Ma Yuan felt a violent jolt in his mind, and his consciousness wavered for a moment.
He knew from the intelligence reports that Fang Han had comprehended Sword Intent and that it came with a Spiritual Shock, but he never expected it to be so powerful.
This momentary lapse was potentially fatal.
Jin Han seized the opportunity, her Short Sword transforming into a streak of cyan light as it stabbed toward the back of Ma Yuan’s heart.
Ma Yuan struggled back to his senses with all his might. Feeling the fatal sharpness behind him, his face contorted in horror.
He threw himself to the side, dodging the vital point.
But Jin Han’s sword was too fast.
PFFT—!
The tip of the sword stabbed into his right shoulder. Although it was blocked by the black Soft Armor, the residual force pierced through and still left a wound.
He grunted, stumbling forward several steps.
PFFT—
Fang Han pressed his advantage, swinging the Cloud Splitting Sword in an upward arc. The blade sliced across the outside of Ma Yuan’s right arm, leaving a deep gash.
Blood spattered.
Wounded twice in quick succession, Ma Yuan’s stance was now somewhat unsteady.
But he was a Second Grade Martial Artist, after all. His experience was vast, and though he was at a disadvantage, he didn’t panic.
Gritting his teeth against the intense pain, he thrust out both palms, sending two black Palm Seals toward Fang Han and Jin Han respectively, forcing them both back several steps.
Using this brief opening, his figure drifted backward, creating distance between himself and his two opponents.