SWISH SWISH SWISH!

Fang Han’s attacks were like a tidal wave, one crashing after another without cease.

Relying on the terrifying mobility granted by the Wind and Cloud Escape, he constantly shifted his position, attacking from all sorts of difficult angles.

Sometimes from the left, sometimes from the right, sometimes from behind—the light of his sword was like a web of silk, completely enveloping Yin Huang.

For a moment, the area beside the official road seemed to have transformed into a chaotic scene of carnage.

Sword Qi crisscrossed through the air, carving deep gashes into the ground and trees.

Fist Seals roared and exploded, smashing crater after crater into the earth. Yin Cold Qi Force spilled out, causing the surrounding temperature to drop significantly and frost to form on the grass and trees.

The two figures clashed violently in a high-speed exchange. The unending sounds of metal striking metal and Qi Force exploding filled the air, a testament to the battle’s intensity.

Fang Han pushed his speed advantage to its absolute limit, clinging to Yin Huang like a persistent shadow, preventing his opponent’s formidable destructive power from being fully unleashed. Every time Yin Huang attacked with full force, he found his target had already vanished.

Meanwhile, Yin Huang, relying on the immense destructive power that came with his superior Cultivation, maintained an impenetrable defense.

Although Yin Huang was slightly on the defensive, Fang Han’s Sword Techniques also found it difficult to breach his guard. The two were locked in a temporary stalemate.

SWISH!

After over a hundred exchanges, Fang Han finally seized upon a miniscule, imperceptible pause in Yin Huang’s Fist Momentum as he transitioned between defensive moves.

The Flowing Wind Sword let out a sharp cry like tearing silk, its light condensing into a single line of blue-green lightning.

Wielding the fierce Sword Momentum from his Mastery of the Nine Swords of Sky Splitting, he slashed ferociously at the opening on Yin Huang’s side, moving faster than the eye could follow.

This sword strike was the pinnacle of Fang Han’s current Cultivation.

Yin Huang’s pupils shrank. It was too late to twist and block with his fists. He could only desperately surge his Protective Inner Qi to his waist to take the blow head-on.

PFFT—THUD!

The blade found its mark. First came the soft sound of tearing cloth as the clothing on Yin Huang’s side was shredded.

This was followed by a dull thud, like striking cured leather!

The condensed layer of black Protective Inner Qi on Yin Huang’s body fluctuated violently before shattering on impact.

The blade’s momentum unabated, it viciously struck a piece of black Inner Armor that was pressed tight against the skin, glinting with a dark, metallic luster.

The ear-piercing screech of metal on metal rang out!

The Inner Armor flashed brightly. It was clearly a high-quality piece of protective gear, as it managed to disperse some of the blade’s direct cutting force.

However, the immense Inner Qi and incomparably sharp "Sky Splitting" Sword Momentum contained within Fang Han’s strike were like a surging undercurrent, bypassing the Inner Armor’s defense and slamming solidly into Yin Huang’s body.

Normally, even with the protection of Inner Armor, taking such penetrating Power to the body would have undoubtedly resulted in injury. Yin Huang’s qi and blood would have been thrown into chaos, and his combat ability would have been drastically reduced.

However—

Yin Huang’s body only shuddered violently. He let out a muffled grunt as the ground beneath his feet splintered with a CRACK.

He used the immense force of the blow to slide backward, his feet plowing two deep furrows into the official road as he retreated more than ten meters.

Underneath the Inner Armor on his side, a shallow, bloody cut had appeared—barely breaking the skin. Beyond that, there were no other obvious injuries. His aura, which had been thrown into disarray for only an instant, quickly stabilized.

’His physical strength... is clearly abnormal!’

Fang Han stood with his sword, his gaze fixed on the barely injured Yin Huang, his expression as grave as ice.

This level of physical durability was definitely not something that could be achieved through conventional Cultivation.

He had either consumed massive quantities of Rare Elixirs that temper the body, like the Vajra Pill, or he had practiced a Body Hardening Technique.

Either way, it meant Yin Huang was far more difficult to deal with than he had anticipated.

"To think you actually injured me. I underestimated you..."

Yin Huang slowly straightened up, stretching his slightly numb side.

The killing intent in his eyes was so intense it was almost tangible.

He gave a savage grin as the black qi around him roiled and surged like boiling ink, making his figure appear all the more sinister and terrifying.

He stomped down, and the ground cracked in a spiderweb pattern with a CRACK. His body shot forward like a black arrow released from a bow, pouncing fiercely at Fang Han once again.

The Black Death Qi Force on his fists condensed until it was almost solid, and he threw a series of punches that shrieked as they tore through the air.

A multitude of fist shadows formed a great net of death, enveloping Fang Han’s vital points.

He cultivated a Body Hardening Technique called the Black Death Skill, which not only gave him astonishing defensive power but also allowed him to convert his Inner Qi into a highly corrosive Black Death Qi of tyrannical might.

The main reason for ambushing Fang Han this time wasn’t the death of Shen You, nor was it the theft of over four million silver notes. The real reason was the Vajra Fruit he had failed to acquire at the auction.

The Vajra Fruit was a supreme treasure for tempering the body, and it was the key item he needed to advance his Black Death Skill to a higher level.

If Fang Han hadn’t interfered at the Jinhuang City auction, buying the Vajra Fruit at a high price and ruining his cultivation plans...

He wouldn’t have developed such a bone-deep hatred for Fang Han, wouldn’t have been willing to forsake his status as a Celestial Pride True Inheritance to ambush and kill him.

This "enmity of a blocked path" fueled his attacks, making them even more ferocious and violent. Every punch was filled with the resolute killing intent to tear Fang Han limb from limb.

SWISH SWISH SWISH—

Facing this torrential onslaught, Fang Han’s eyes were as calm as a deep, cold well.

He had already pushed his Wind and Cloud Escape to the absolute limit of his current ability. His figure seemed to have truly become a wisp of untethered, Flowing Wind, or perhaps a drifting, ever-changing strand of cloud.

His Step Technique was profound and unpredictable, allowing him to weave and dodge through the gaps in the sky-filling black fist shadows by a hair’s breadth.

Yin Huang’s fists repeatedly grazed the corner of his robes, the fierce winds they generated stinging his skin, but they could never manage to touch his actual body.

’His physical body is strong, but it’s not without weaknesses!’

Fang Han understood clearly. Yin Huang’s physical body was indeed far superior to that of other Martial Artists at the same level; it was abnormally tough.

His qi and blood were immense, granting him astonishing resilience and endurance, which made him an exceptionally tricky opponent.

However, this formidable strength was not without its limits.

If Yin Huang’s body were truly absurdly powerful, that last sword strike—even after being weakened by both his Inner Qi and Inner Armor—would never have been able to make his qi and blood roil.

More importantly, that protective Inner Armor had a limited coverage area. It couldn’t possibly protect every vital point on his body.

SWISH SWISH SWISH!

In the time it took for the thought to flash through his mind, Fang Han had already decided on his tactics.

He wouldn’t clash head-on with Yin Huang. Instead, he would fully leverage the ultimate speed and flexibility of his Minor Achievement in Wind and Cloud Escape, focusing on skirmishing and striking at any opening he could find.

His figure was as elusive as a phantom, flickering left and right, forward and back.

The Flowing Wind Sword became a green viper waiting for an opportunity to strike. Every time Yin Huang’s Fist Momentum faded or he transitioned between moves, the sword would shoot out from an incredibly difficult angle.

The sword’s light flashed, like a startled swan taking flight.

PFFT!

One strike grazed past Yin Huang’s armpit, which was slightly exposed as he threw a punch.

PFFT!

Another strike went straight for the side of Yin Huang’s neck, an area not covered by Soft Armor.

PFFT!

Yet another blade silently swept toward the back of Yin Huang’s knee joint.

...

His sword perfectly embodied the sharp "Sky Splitting" intent from his Mastery of the Nine Swords of Sky Splitting, as he exclusively targeted the areas where Yin Huang’s defenses were relatively weak.

"Damn it!"

Yin Huang was both shocked and enraged. He realized that despite his tyrannical power and defense, he felt a frustrating sense of powerlessness against Fang Han’s slippery Body Technique and vicious Swordsmanship—like punching cotton.

He was forced to devote most of his energy to protecting his own vital points that weren’t covered by Soft Armor, such as his joints, throat, and eye sockets.

Although his Fist Technique was still fierce, it had inevitably become more defensive. His assault was no longer as fluid and unrestrained as it was at the beginning.

Even though he defended himself tightly, under the onslaught of Fang Han’s Sword Momentum—which flowed like mercury, seeping into every opening—his body was still periodically slashed open by the sharp Sword Qi.

The wounds weren’t deep, but as they accumulated, he felt waves of stinging pain and a minor drain on his qi and blood. With his clothes torn in multiple places, he cut a rather sorry figure.

This scene was a serious departure from his initial plan of crushing and swiftly killing Fang Han with absolute power.

Not only had he failed to quickly take down his opponent, but he was also the first one to get wounded.

Although they were only flesh wounds that hadn’t damaged his core, he knew that in a prolonged battle, his minor injuries would accumulate. How could he not understand the principle that a long defense is bound to fail?

If this war of attrition continued, the situation would only become more and more unfavorable for him.

ROAR!

A wave of anxiety and ferocity surged through him, and Yin Huang suddenly let out a furious roar like a cornered beast, his eyes filling with bloodshot veins.

He stopped passively defending his vital points. The Black Death Skill within him began to circulate at an unprecedented, frantic speed. The black qi around his body suddenly contracted, condensing upon his fists.

His fists seemed to transform into two miniature black holes, emanating a heart-palpitating aura of consumption and destruction.

Black Death Soul Erosion!

He thrust both fists forward. This wasn’t a sky full of fist shadows but a single, ultimate strike with power far surpassing anything before.

Two black Fist Seals, condensed to their absolute limit, shot forward like two meteors. One from the left and one from the right, they sealed off most of Fang Han’s escape routes, smashing toward him with a tragic, all-annihilating aura.

Where the fist-winds passed, the air made a TSSS corrosive sound, and even the light itself seemed to dim.

This attack’s power far exceeded any of his previous moves. It was clearly one of Yin Huang’s trump cards.

His intent was to rely on the absolute difference in power to heavily wound or even kill Fang Han in a single blow!

SWISH!

Fang Han’s expression instantly became incredibly grave. He felt a fatal threat from these two Fist Seals.

Not daring to be the slightest bit complacent, he pushed the Wind and Cloud Escape to its absolute limit, his Inner Qi surging like a river breaking through a dam.

His body left behind an almost solid afterimage as his real self darted backward and to the side by a hair’s breadth, almost as if he had teleported.

BOOM! BOOM!

The two black Fist Seals grazed past Fang Han’s afterimage and slammed viciously into a pile of rubble several dozen meters away.

Amidst the deafening explosions, countless millstone-sized boulders were easily crushed and annihilated as if they were made of tofu, turning into a cloud of fine dust.

Two bottomless, scorched-black pits were left in their place, with wisps of black qi lingering around the edges, the corrosive marks shocking to the eye.

Although Fang Han had narrowly avoided a direct hit, the dispersing fist-winds still swept across his robes.

The hem of his tough, green robe instantly turned to ash, and a searing pain shot across his skin as his qi and blood churned.

He tapped his toes on the ground repeatedly, floating back another ten-plus meters before he finally dissipated the terrifying force of the impact. He stood with his sword, panting slightly.

He stared at Yin Huang with sharp eyes, his Inner Qi circulating rapidly as he prepared for his opponent’s follow-up attacks.

"Huh?"

However, to Fang Han’s surprise, after unleashing that earth-shattering strike, Yin Huang didn’t press his advantage.

Instead, he seized the moment when Fang Han had dodged and retreated, creating distance between them. His body came to a sudden halt, and then, without any hesitation, he turned around!

SWOOSH—

Yin Huang pushed his Body Technique to its limit, transforming into a blurry black line and shooting into the depths of the dense forest beside the road without a single look back.