Chapter 21: The Great Battle with Fu Hongxue (Part One)

A cold gleam swept by, the fierce blade passing so close to Yun Zhonghe’s skin that it left a sting in its wake. In the air, a few strands of violet hair drifted down on the wind.

“Are you alright?” Yun Zhonghe’s gaze shifted to the girl in his arms.

A’Zi was still dazed from the earlier shock, her eyes fixed blankly on the few strands of hair that had been cut off.

Following her gaze, Yun Zhonghe’s eyes flashed with a mix of shock and rage.

Who was this intruder? Their martial skill was astonishingly high. If he hadn’t reacted in time, it wouldn’t have been just a few strands of A’Zi’s hair, but her head itself taken by that strike.

“If you have the guts, come out and face me!” Yun Zhonghe’s furious voice, laced with inner force, reverberated through the forest as his eyes swept the surroundings.

As his shout faded, a figure emerged from the shadows. Moonlight filtered through the leaves, scattering pale spots across the man’s body, allowing Yun Zhonghe to see his features clearly.

The man was dressed in black, his left hand gripping a pitch-black blade of wrought iron. Even from a distance, Yun Zhonghe could feel the chill and heavy scent of blood radiating from the weapon.

This was a blade made for killing.

As the man drew closer, Yun Zhonghe noticed that the steps of his left and right feet were uneven—he was lame.

In Yun Zhonghe’s memory, there was only one person in the world known for such swordsmanship, who also wielded a blade in his left hand and was lame…

His eyes rose slowly to the man’s face: sharply-defined brows, striking eyes—handsome, yet utterly expressionless, his entire presence radiating a chilling indifference that warned others to keep their distance.

Who could it be but Fu Hongxue?

“Fu Hongxue, why did you attack us just now?” Yun Zhonghe demanded.

Fu Hongxue halted, his gaze locking onto Yun Zhonghe. In that instant, Yun Zhonghe’s hair stood on end, an overwhelming sense of danger rising within him, as though he had been marked by a wild wolf, sending a chill through his bones.

“Step aside,” Fu Hongxue commanded.

Yun Zhonghe was inwardly startled—how many lives had Fu Hongxue taken to acquire such a potent aura of death? Gathering his composure, he steadied his spirit and met Fu Hongxue’s gaze without fear. “And if I refuse? What will you do?”

With that, he stepped forward, true energy surging through him. A powerful presence emanated from his body, matching Fu Hongxue’s killing aura blow for blow.

A flicker of surprise appeared in Fu Hongxue’s eyes. He had heard of Yun Zhonghe’s reputation: a man said to be weak in martial arts and driven by lust. Yet now, it seemed the rumors of his lechery were true, but his martial skill was far from the feeble tales.

Fu Hongxue shifted his thoughts, slowly raising his blade and bringing it down in a slanting arc—the execution of the Annihilating Cross Blade.

In an instant, several fierce arcs of energy burst forth, sealing all possible avenues of retreat for Yun Zhonghe.

Seeing that there was nowhere to escape, Yun Zhonghe exhaled lightly, his gaze sharpening. With a twitch of his shoulder, a metallic clang resounded.

A cold light flared in the darkness.

Yun Zhonghe infused his sword with true energy, the blade humming softly. Employing the Complete Reality Sword Technique, he charged straight into the oncoming blade arcs.

Clang!

The ring of metal echoed through the woods.

At the same time, the system’s prompt sounded in Yun Zhonghe’s mind.

[Ding, congratulations to the host, your Complete Reality Sword Technique proficiency has increased. Current level: Second Tier.]

Blades and sword clashed, sparks flying as a shockwave rippled outward from the two fighters.

The firelight reflected Yun Zhonghe’s face, an excited gleam in his eyes. He fixed his gaze intently on Fu Hongxue, battle spirit surging from his chest.

Since learning the Complete Reality Sword Technique, he had struggled to improve his proficiency, no matter how diligently he practiced. Who would have thought that fighting a true master was the key to advancement? What a pleasant surprise.

“Come, then,” Yun Zhonghe called out, spirits soaring. “Let me see just how formidable your Annihilating Cross Blade truly is.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the two figures clashed, blade light and sword qi intertwining.

Fu Hongxue, a master steeped in swordsmanship, wielded the Annihilating Cross Blade as if it were an extension of his own body. The technique was agile and ever-changing, pouring down on Yun Zhonghe like a torrential storm.

Faced with such a relentless assault, Yun Zhonghe felt immense pressure. He fought back with all his skill in the Complete Reality Sword Technique.

But in Fu Hongxue’s eyes, Yun Zhonghe’s resistance seemed little more than child’s play.

Bolstered by his powerful inner force, Fu Hongxue’s blade smashed through every defense Yun Zhonghe could muster.

With a slash, the blade struck Yun Zhonghe hard.

Blood spattered.

Yun Zhonghe’s features twisted with pain, the agony awakening a deep, savage instinct within him. He gave a thunderous shout, sending true energy surging through his veins.

As the shout faded, Fu Hongxue felt an overwhelming force burst into his body, rampaging and wreaking havoc. The countershock from their blades nearly wrenched his weapon from his grasp.

He hadn’t expected Yun Zhonghe’s internal strength to be so profound.

Fu Hongxue had no time for surprise. As he felt the blade slipping from his hand, he summoned his strength, tightening his grip around the hilt.

Seeing that Fu Hongxue would rather suffer injury than let go of his sword, Yun Zhonghe felt a surge of respect—no matter the situation, a true swordsman would never let his blade leave his side.

Yet admiration was one thing; when it came to combat, Yun Zhonghe showed no hesitation.

If the second tier of the Complete Reality Sword Technique was not enough to match Fu Hongxue, he would raise it to the third. If the third tier failed, he would push for the fourth.

The technique had nine tiers in all. He refused to believe that, by reaching the highest proficiency and combining it with his own inner force, he could not match Fu Hongxue.

With that resolve, Yun Zhonghe became a machine focused solely on battle. Each time he was driven back, he charged forward again, sword flashing.

And with each exchange, his mastery of the Complete Reality Sword Technique grew.

Fu Hongxue, too, grew ever more alarmed. At first, Yun Zhonghe’s swordplay had been unimpressive—almost powerless. But as time passed, his blade seemed to come alive, his technique becoming ever more refined.

Soon, even when Fu Hongxue fought with all his might, he could not escape a few sword wounds.

Yun Zhonghe, though at a disadvantage, was steadily evening the odds.

Watching the fierce duel, A’Zi could not help but worry for Yun Zhonghe’s safety.

The memory of Yun Zhonghe’s earlier impertinence flashed in her mind, making shame and anger surge within her. She bit her lip hard. “Let him die, for all I care. I hope Fu Hongxue chops him into pieces, and then I’ll feed Yun Zhonghe’s flesh to the wild dogs—only then will my anger be sated.”

She cursed Yun Zhonghe again and again, wishing him a miserable end.

“Hey, hey, young lady, your heart is awfully cruel. All I did was steal a kiss—did you really have to go that far?” Yun Zhonghe’s voice drifted over, tinged with helplessness but also indulgence, like an older brother resigned to a younger sister’s tantrum.

Startled, A’Zi quickly looked up.

Once more, the two clashed fiercely, their blades colliding with a resounding crash.

The force thrown off from their clash sent both men flying.

Yun Zhonghe staggered back several steps, each footfall leaving a deep imprint in the earth. The biting blade qi had shredded his robes, revealing blood-streaked skin beneath. Blood dripped down, staining his clothes crimson.

Seeing this, A’Zi could no longer restrain her worry and rushed to his side.

Only now, close up, did she realize Yun Zhonghe was drenched in blood, his entire body bearing wounds, not a single spot unscathed. Especially the slash across his back, where flesh had been stripped away to the bone.

Yun Zhonghe seemed oblivious to the pain, his wounds forgotten. When he saw A’Zi approach, a smile appeared on his face. “Don’t forget, if not for me, you’d have died twice already.”

“Is this really the time to joke?” Whether from worry or embarrassment, A’Zi snapped, irritated.

“If you really can’t win, let’s just run for it. Where there’s life, there’s hope,” she urged.

Yun Zhonghe did not answer. Instead, he turned his gaze to Fu Hongxue.

The Annihilating Cross Blade truly was a formidable technique, especially in Fu Hongxue’s hands, who had achieved the unity of man and blade. The two combined made its power simply overwhelming.