In the deep shadows of the long alley, three stones whistling through the air suddenly tore through the night sky in a triangular formation, hurtling forward without warning!
Tian Ping'an was an Anjin Rank expert, after all, and his sensory perception was extremely sharp. He shifted his feet rapidly, his body sliding sideways like a slippery loach, narrowly evading the incoming stone.
The stone grazed his cheek, the fierce wind stinging his ears. With a sharp crack, it embedded itself into the brick wall behind him, sending debris flying. However, the two men beside him possessed nowhere near his level of cultivation!
“Pfft! Pfft!”
The sounds of shattering bone erupted simultaneously as the two flying stones struck the center of their foreheads with pinpoint accuracy!
Instantly, their flesh split open, and hot blood sprayed violently.
“Ah!”
Before the cries of agony could fully escape their throats, and before they could even mount a defense, a ghostly figure in green robes dived silently from the high wall, closing the distance in an instant!
Mid-air, his blood qi surged. He swung his legs like two battering rams, creating dull sonic booms as they swept down through the air!
【Thirty-Six Paths Sky-Collapsing Kick: Intercrossing Kick】!
“Bang! Bang!”
Two muffled thuds exploded simultaneously, sounding like a heavy hammer slamming onto a drumhead! The chest bones of the two Bone Tempering Rank men instantly collapsed inward.
Their feet left the ground at the same time, and they were sent flying in opposite directions by the terrifying force, crashing heavily into the hard brick walls on either side.
“Boom!”
The walls of the entire alley trembled slightly. Plaster flaked off in showers, and dust billowed into the air.
The two men spat out mouthfuls of dark blood. Then, as if their spines had been completely removed, they slumped limply to the ground, twitched a couple of times, and went completely still.
Amidst the swirling dust, Shen Xiuhan slowly retracted his leg. With his long sword slung across his back, his green robes rustled loudly in the night wind.
He stood as straight as a pine tree. His dark eyes locked onto Tian Ping'an, who was a few paces away, his gaze resembling two unsheathed swords.
“You?!”
Upon seeing his face, Tian Ping'an's pupils contracted to the size of pinpricks, and alarm bells rang wildly in his mind. “You... have broken through to the Anjin Rank!”
Shen Xiuhan did not deign to waste words.
The packed earth beneath his feet exploded as his body transformed into a gale, lunging forward with full force!
Tian Ping'an dared not be careless. Killing intent surged in his eyes, and the newly opened Taichong acupoint vibrated violently.
A sinister, venomous surge of Anjin force surged out of his body, gathering in his right arm. His knuckles took on a terrifying, dark blue hue. Carrying a foul wind, he lunged straight toward Shen Xiuhan without dodging!
【Heart-Shattering Palm】!
Tian Ping'an's face contorted in rage as he roared fiercely, “Give me your life!”
Faced with the imposing palm strike, Shen Xiuhan's expression remained indifferent. He did not even draw his sword, simply clenching the fingers of his right hand into a fist.
In an instant, the three major acupoints of Taichong, Guanyuan, and Tinggong within his body erupted simultaneously!
An ocean of Anjin force flooded into his fist. With a low, whistling howl, he punched straight ahead with raw, unadorned power!
A clash of pure force!
In the blink of an eye, a flash of wild joy crossed Tian Ping'an's eyes.
Although his 【Heart-Shattering Palm】 was a widely circulated martial art within the Longxiang Army, its lethal power was terrifying. Once mastered to the Great Accomplishment stage, a single hit would leave the opponent either dead or crippled!
Unfortunately—
The moment they clashed, the smile on Tian Ping'an's face instantly froze.
Crack!
A tyrannical, explosive surge of Anjin force—many times denser than his own—crashed forward like raging waves beating against the shore, utterly crushing the force in his right palm!
With a sharp cracking sound, all five fingers of Tian Ping'an's right hand snapped at the knuckles. The sleeve of his entire right arm was shattered into pieces by the force, the fabric fluttering away like butterflies. His flesh ripped open, and a mist of blood erupted!
“Ah! You didn't just open your Taichong acupoint, you've...”
Tian Ping'an shrieked in agony. Clutching his broken arm, he retreated frantically, a sliver of genuine terror finally surfacing in his eyes.
This kind of overwhelming, earth-shattering power was absolutely impossible for someone who had only just entered the Anjin Rank!
“You talk too much.”
Shen Xiuhan's cold voice sounded like a death knell. He reached back with his right hand and gripped the hilt of Hanlin.
Clang!
A crisp, high-pitched sword hum echoed through the long alley like the cry of a dragon or phoenix. The long sword left its scabbard, resembling a flash of cold frost and snow suddenly appearing in the night.
A sharp glint flashed in Shen Xiuhan's eyes. With a flick of his wrist, he lunged forward, thrusting the sword!
【Flowing Cloud Swordplay: Parting the Clouds to See the Sun】!
Fast! It was a lethal strike of ultimate speed!
The sword-glow was like a streak of silver silk, suddenly tearing through the darkness. It crossed several Zhang in an instant, whistling with a fierce wind as it pierced straight toward Tian Ping'an's chest!
“Not good!”
At the critical juncture of life and death, a sharp gleam flashed deep within Tian Ping'an's eyes. Yet, he feigned a look of panic, stumbling backward repeatedly.
Clang!
A metallic clash rang out. The tip of the sword struck Tian Ping'an's chest but failed to penetrate even a fraction of an inch.
Precious armor! Shen Xiuhan's eyes flickered slightly as he realized what it was.
“Hahaha!”
In that split second, the panic on Tian Ping'an's face transformed into venomous ecstasy, and he laughed maniacally: “You ignorant brat, you fell for it! Die!”
Whoosh!
He ducked and slid sideways as nimbly as a swimming fish. Lowering his posture, he reached his intact left hand toward his lower back.
A pitch-black short blade instantly slipped into his palm.
The blade was barely over a foot long, entirely dark and non-reflective. Faint dark patterns rippled across its surface, exuding an icy, sinister aura.
With his Anjin force pouring into it, the blade struck like a lunging venomous snake, stabbing viciously toward Shen Xiuhan's wide-open ribs with lightning speed!
Within three feet, if you are bitten by my Bone-Corroding Blade, it won't matter how many acupoints you have opened. Even if you were at the Huajin Rank, you would die on the spot... Huh?!
Tian Ping'an roared in his heart, but suddenly froze!
At point-blank range, a golden light suddenly flashed in Shen Xiuhan's left eye, dancing like a ghost fire.
【Muxu Eye】!
The moment his perception slowed down, Shen Xiuhan's legs slid and crossed like swimming dragons.
He twisted his upper body at an incredible angle, narrowly brushing past the pitch-black blade to evade the fatal blow!
Using the momentum of the twist, his body leaped into the air. His right hand had transformed into an eagle claw at some point, sweeping down with a fierce wind from his fingers!
“What!?”
Tian Ping'an's eyes nearly split from their sockets. In the face of mortal danger, he desperately jerked his head to dodge. But he was ultimately a step too slow.
Five iron-claw-like fingers dug deep into the flesh of his left jaw. They clenched abruptly, and with an explosion of Anjin force, ripped violently upward!
Rip!
A palm-sized chunk of flesh from his cheek, along with half of a bloody ear, was torn rawly from his face!
Tian Ping'an's blood instantly sprayed like a fountain, splashing in all directions. It exposed his white teeth and cheekbones beneath, leaving him horribly disfigured and gruesome to behold!
“Aaaaargh! The pain!!”
Tian Ping'an let out a tragic shriek like a malevolent ghost.
Under the agonizing pain, his courage shattered completely. He twisted his body wildly, pushing his movement technique to its absolute limit, and fled toward the end of the alley without looking back!
Boom!
The sound of rushing air erupted behind him, closing in at high speed. A biting, freezing wind swept over his back, making his hairs stand on end as if he had fallen into an ice cave!
It's over, I can't escape...
Despair flooded Tian Ping'an's eyes. Gnashing his teeth, he spun around fiercely and hurled the Bone-Corroding Blade like a throwing weapon with his remaining left hand!
Whoosh!
The short blade sliced through the air, transforming into a streak of black light that flew straight at Shen Xiuhan's face.
Shen Xiuhan dodged nimbly, evading the flying blade. At the same time, the long sword in his hand turned into an elusive phantom, slashing upward diagonally from left to right.
Their figures crossed paths!
Slash!
A faint, tearing sound like ripping silk rippled through the night wind. The sword-glow filling the air suddenly vanished.
Shen Xiuhan's figure stood motionless, a Zhang behind Tian Ping'an.
He slowly straightened his posture and flicked his wrist casually, sending a trail of crimson blood droplets dripping from the frost-white blade.
Behind him, all of Tian Ping'an's movements and sounds came to an abrupt halt.
He stood frozen like a puppet, his eyes bulging out, his remaining left hand clutching his neck.
A thin red line slowly emerged across his throat.
In the next breath, the red line ruptured violently, and a torrent of hot blood sprayed out like a fountain!
Thud.
Tian Ping'an's body crashed onto the cold, muddy ground. He twitched violently a few times, his limbs spasming, and then went completely still.
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