Pfft!

Another dangerously close dodge. The edge of the Short Blade grazed past Fang Han’s ear, severing a few strands of hair.

The poison spread even faster, and half of his body began to go numb. His movements couldn’t help but slow by a fraction.

’I can’t let this go on!’

Fang Han knew that if he delayed for another moment, the poison would invade his heart and he would be nothing more than a lamb to the slaughter.

A harsh glint flashed in his eyes. He frantically stimulated his Shenshu Acupoint with his Inner Qi, causing the "Poison Resistance" Divine Treasure to operate at an unprecedented speed, attempting to neutralize the potent poison.

This Divine Treasure was indeed miraculously effective, slowing the spread of the poison. But the toxin from Gou the Third was clearly no small matter; it was not something that could be completely purged in a short time.

’I have to take an antidote!’

As the thought flashed through his mind, Fang Han bit his tongue hard. The sharp pain jolted his senses, clearing his head.

He feinted with his sword, forcing Gou the Third’s attack to falter for a moment.

He executed the Wind and Cloud Escape with his feet, his figure retreating explosively. At the same time, his left hand shot into his robes like lightning and pulled out a smooth, warm Jade Bottle.

He bit the cork open with his teeth and, without looking, tipped the bottle’s sole, longan-sized Jade Dew Pill—which emanated a cool, medicinal fragrance—down his throat.

The Elixir dissolved the moment it entered his mouth. A cool, majestic Medicinal Power instantly spread, surging toward his every limb and bone.

"Jade Dew Pill?!"

When Gou the Third saw Fang Han take the Elixir, his expression turned incredibly ugly.

He naturally recognized it as the Qingxuan Sect’s famous antidote, the Holy Medicine known as the Jade Dew Pill.

Once Fang Han was cured of the poison, the situation would undoubtedly reverse!

The Inner Qi of a Late-Fourth Grade Martial Artist erupted from his body. A brown-yellow Inner Qi suffused his frame as he lunged forward, his black Short Blade stabbing straight for Fang Han’s heart.

It was a suicidal tactic, trading injury for a life, aiming to take them both down!

He had to kill Fang Han completely before the Medicinal Power could fully take effect and while his condition had yet to recover.

"CHING—"

Facing this desperate, life-or-death blow, Fang Han’s eyes were ice-cold.

The Flowing Wind Sword let out a deafening cry as the Profound Wind Technique’s Inner Qi surged through him like a raging river.

Though his left arm was still numb, there was no hindrance to the movement of his sword in his right arm.

Sky Splitting!

With a low shout, his Flowing Wind Sword, though starting later, arrived first. The tip of the blade trembled, striking with incomparable precision against the weak point on the side of Gou the Third’s incoming Short Blade.

"CLANG—!"

The sound of this clash was much more muffled, yet it contained a strange, penetrating force.

Gou the Third felt a spiraling Hidden Force travel up his Short Blade. It not only knocked his weapon aside but also tried to drill into his meridians.

It made his arm go sore and numb, halting his forward lunge.

Meanwhile, Fang Han used the momentum to float back several yards and land steadily.

The Medicinal Power of the Jade Dew Pill had now fully erupted, flowing through him like a clear spring.

Wherever it passed, the cold, numbing poison melted away like snow in the sun, rapidly dissipating.

Though it wasn’t purged in an instant, it was no longer fatal. Sensation was quickly returning to his left arm, and the circulation of his Inner Qi became smooth and surging once more.

’Damn it, his strength is recovering fast!’

Gou the Third let out a sharp cry, a vicious glint erupting in his eyes as he pounced again.

As the Short Blade danced, its black light grew brighter. Every move was part of a desperate, mutually destructive fighting style.

He tried to use his superior Cultivation to forcefully suppress Fang Han.

But the Fang Han of this moment was a different man!

The poison’s effects were greatly reduced, and his coordination of the Wind and Cloud Escape and the Nine Swords of Sky Splitting became increasingly fluid and natural.

He no longer dodged blindly. His Flowing Wind Sword transformed into streaks of azure light as he took the initiative and charged forward.

"CLING CLANG CLANK... BOOM!"

The two figures became entangled once more, but the tide of battle had already turned!

Fang Han’s sword was faster, sharper, and more cunning!

Every thrust carried a terrifying sharpness that seemed capable of tearing through anything.

Though Gou the Third’s Short Blade was sharp and his Saber Technique was treacherous, he was forced into a desperate defense under the crushing frontal assault of Fang Han’s Sword Momentum.

The reason was simple. Although Gou the Third was a Late-Fourth Grade Martial Artist, he was no genius. In terms of actual combat strength, he was only on par with Yin Huang, who was at the Early Stage of Fourth Grade.

The only reason he had been able to put Fang Han in such a sorry state at the beginning was his proficiency in surprise attacks and assassination.

Once Fang Han recovered from the initial ambush, the tables naturally turned.

Unwilling to accept this reversal, Gou the Third tried to trade blows.

But Fang Han’s Body Technique was too nimble; he was always able to dodge at the last possible second.

"RIIIIP!"

A condensed streak of azure Sword Qi shot past. Though Gou the Third did his utmost to dodge, a large gash was still torn in the robes on his chest, revealing a suit of Soft Armor that shimmered with a faint glow.

The Soft Armor was undamaged, but a Hidden Force penetrated it, shaking his qi and blood and causing a sweet taste to rise in his throat.

"BANG!"

Fang Han sidestepped a slash aimed at his chest and, with a backhand strike, chopped his sword into Gou the Third’s ribs.

The blow didn’t seem powerful, but the Hidden Force it discharged sent Gou the Third stumbling back several steps as if he’d been struck heavily. An unnatural flush appeared on his face.

The signs of his defeat were clear!

Gou the Third knew with certainty that if the fight continued, he would surely die.

’Retreat!’

He feinted a slash to force Fang Han back slightly, then turned without hesitation. Pushing his Body Technique to its limit, he fled for his life into the depths of the dense forest.

His speed was even greater than that of Yin Huang.

’Trying to run now? Too late!’

A cold glint appeared in Fang Han’s eyes.

Before breaking through to the Fourth Grade, he might have been wary of a final, desperate counterattack and let the man escape.

But now that his strength had skyrocketed after reaching the Fourth Grade, how could he allow the assassin who had nearly killed him to get away?

He fully unleashed the Wind and Cloud Escape, his figure transforming into a faint, imperceptible wisp of green smoke as he gave chase instantly.

His speed surpassed even Gou the Third’s!

One chased, one fled, and in an instant, they vanished into the vast mountain forest.

Ancient trees towered in the forest, tangled with vines, the terrain complex.

Gou the Third relied on his familiarity with the terrain and his devious Body Technique, constantly changing directions in an attempt to shake Fang Han.

He would occasionally throw poison-laced Hidden Weapons or detonate the Poison Fog Bombs he carried, trying to obstruct the pursuit.

But Fang Han’s Spiritual Sense was incredibly sharp, and the speed and agility granted by his Minor Achievement in the Wind and Cloud Escape far surpassed Gou the Third’s.

The Hidden Weapons and poison fog were all easily avoided or shredded by his Sword Qi.

The distance between them was constantly shrinking.

"SWISH!"

A streak of Sword Qi flew past, adding another bloody gash to Gou the Third’s back. Even with the protection of his Soft Armor, the Hidden Force still penetrated.

"Pfft!"

Another sword strike jabbed out. Gou the Third barely managed to block it but was jolted so hard his arm went numb, almost causing him to drop his Short Blade.

The number of wounds on Gou the Third’s body grew, and fresh blood soaked his clothes.

Even though the Soft Armor protected his vitals, the pervasive Hidden Force, which seeped through everything, continuously accumulated damage within him. His internal organs were shaken, and his breathing grew more and more chaotic.

As he fled, Gou the Third’s face grew paler and paler, while the madness and despair in his eyes grew thicker.

He could feel the shadow of death rapidly closing in on him.

After fleeing for several miles, a cliff appeared before him, blocking his path.

Gou the Third stopped dead in his tracks. He gazed at the mist-shrouded abyss below, the color draining completely from his face.

He turned slowly, his back to the cliff, and looked at Fang Han, who had been shadowing his every move and had now closed to within a hundred feet.

Fang Han stood there, sword in hand. His green robes fluttered slightly in the mountain wind. His eyes were calm as still water, yet they carried a chilling, resolute killing intent.

"Fang Han, since you won’t give me a way out, then let’s die together!"

His escape route cut off, a hysterical madness and venomous hatred erupted in Gou the Third’s eyes.

He knew there was no hope of survival today.

Since he couldn’t escape, he would drag his opponent down with him!

He activated a Desperate Secret Technique. Ignoring the damage to his body, he frantically poured his Inner Qi into the black Short Blade, pushing far beyond what his meridians could withstand.

The Short Blade’s black light immediately flared, emitting a humming vibration. An extremely violent, chaotic, and destructive aura began to spread.

The muscles all over his body bulged, veins popping on his skin. His aura climbed at an unnatural rate, faintly touching the threshold of the Peak of Fourth Grade.

"Let’s die together!"

Gou the Third let out a beast-like roar as his figure transformed into a streak of bloody, black light.

Man and blade became one. He carried a tragic, world-destroying momentum, like a meteor crashing to earth, as he charged ferociously toward Fang Han.

His speed and power had both reached the peak of his entire life! This was a true technique of mutual destruction!

’He’s really going all out.’

Facing this suicidal blow, Fang Han’s pupils shrank slightly, but he showed no signs of panic.

He had long anticipated that his opponent would make a desperate final stand and had prepared for it.

Sky Splitting!

He roared silently in his heart as the Inner Qi in his body circulated madly, pushed to its absolute limit, and poured into the Flowing Wind Sword.

The Flowing Wind Sword let out a shriek that seemed to tear the very sky. The azure light on the blade’s body retracted, and a faint, transparent ripple that distorted the air appeared upon it.

He did not dodge or evade, but met the attack head-on!

The tip of his sword struck with incomparable precision toward the very core of the bloody, black light!

"BZZZT—PFFT!"

There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a soft yet grating sound, like cloth being forcibly ripped down the middle.

Time seemed to freeze in that instant.

The moment the bloody, black light touched the sword’s tip, it was like a punctured balloon; the violent energy instantly dissipated.

Gou the Third’s charging figure froze abruptly in mid-air, the madness and ferocity on his face solidifying.

He looked down at his chest in disbelief.

The tip of the Flowing Wind Sword had, at some unknown point, pierced through the dual defenses of his Protective Inner Qi and Soft Armor, and was now resting on his heart.

There was no large wound, but a Hidden Force—condensed to the absolute extreme and imbued with a terrifying Realm of tearing and penetration—had already surged into his heart meridian like countless fine needles, grinding it to dust.

"Ah..."

Gou the Third opened his mouth, letting out a few indistinct syllables. The light in his eyes faded rapidly, and his body fell forward limply, hitting the ground with a THUD that stirred up a small cloud of dust.

The black Short Blade in his hand fell to the side with a CLATTER, its light completely gone.

"CRACK!"

After confirming Gou the Third was dead, Fang Han flicked his wrist, about to return the Flowing Wind Sword to its scabbard.

However, just as the tip of the blade was about to touch the mouth of the scabbard—

An extremely faint, yet piercingly clear cracking sound came from the body of the sword.

"Hm?"

Fang Han’s movements froze as his gaze fixed upon the sword.

On the dark-azure body of the blade, starting near the hilt, several fine, web-like cracks silently appeared and spread rapidly.

The next moment, the Flowing Wind Sword silently broke into several pieces in his hand, leaving him holding nothing but a bare hilt.

The remaining fragments clattered to the ground, the sound especially jarring in the silent forest.

The shards landed on the leaf-strewn ground, catching the last rays of the setting sun filtering through the gaps in the trees. They reflected a final few glimmers of dull light before falling completely still.