Her dark robes billowed.
Mei Shuangfeng was like a black phoenix tearing through clouds and silk, a frost-cold, dark silver light enveloping her right hand!
It was a claw glove!
Barbed spikes rose from the knuckles, and the sharp edges gleamed with a chilling light—it was her famous high-grade precious artifact!
『Face-Tearer』!
Bang!
Mei Shuangfeng tapped the ground with her toes, sending the pooled water exploding outward.
With a single step, her figure blurred into a series of afterimages. Instantly crossing several yards, she closed in until she was less than three feet from Duan Xiao.
“Screee!”
Accompanied by the sharp cry of an eagle, pale gold true qi erupted from the dark silver claw blades. Sharp as a physical blade, it tore through the curtain of rain and shot straight for Duan Xiao's face!
『Heavenly Mystic Eagle Force』!
“You go too far!”
Duan Xiao snorted coldly, a ferocious light flashing in his eyes. He knew there was no peaceful way out of this today.
Clap!
He slammed his palms together with a crisp smack.
In that instant, Duan Xiao's entire aura underwent a drastic transformation!
Most of his original sinister malice dissipated, replaced by the faint, solemn dignity of a Buddhist master.
『Thousand-Hand Dragon-Subduing Fist』!
With a shudder of his left arm, his true qi materialized into overlapping layers of fist shadows that blanketed the sky. As the wind from his strikes whipped up, it carried the low roar of a dragon, charging forward to meet her head-on!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Claw met fist, and muffled sonic booms erupted over a dozen times in the span of just three breaths!
Mei Shuangfeng's claw shadows were like lightning, targeting Duan Xiao's face, throat, and heart with every single strike.
Though Duan Xiao was heavily injured, this Buddhist fist technique was incredibly fierce and unyielding. Meeting her blow for blow, he actually managed to hold his ground for the moment!
In the blink of an eye, the two had clashed for over thirty exchanges.
Suddenly, a flash of agony crossed Duan Xiao's eyes, and he roared, “Get lost!”
He thrust both fists forward!
A torrent of raw force erupted like a mountain flash flood, forcefully repelling Mei Shuangfeng!
He himself stumbled back more than ten steps. The wound on his chest split open, and fresh blood gushed out, staining half his robes crimson.
Through the curtain of rain, the two faced each other from a distance, their murderous intent boiling over.
Duan Xiao's chest heaved violently. He let out a couple of low coughs and quickly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, secretly alarmed: Her martial techniques are ordinary, and she only has this kind of power because of that precious artifact... but her true qi is incredibly condensed!
She has clearly just entered the Huajin Rank, yet the quality of her true qi is actually not inferior to mine... and I broke through to the Huajin Rank months ago and have already stabilized my realm!
The cultivation method she practices must be extraordinary!
As suspicion and uncertainty warred within him, Duan Xiao's peripheral vision caught something behind Mei Shuangfeng...
The young man had actually opened his eyes, a faint, mocking smile gracing his pale face as he watched him.
Duan Xiao's heart skipped a beat in terror: No... I can't keep dragging this out!
This little beast has endless hidden cards and is incredibly bizarre. I must quickly force Mei Shuangfeng back and escape while I still can. As long as the mountain remains, there will always be wood to burn. Once my injuries are healed, it won't be too late to make a comeback!
However, before he could catch his breath, Mei Shuangfeng shattered the muddy water beneath her feet and closed in once more!
Overlapping shadows of dark silver claws, cold and sharp as blades, sealed off all his paths of retreat.
A fierce look flashed in Duan Xiao's eyes, and he snarled through gritted teeth, “You wretched wench! Do you truly think I fear you?!”
With the return of his fierce, unstoppable fist shadows, the two instantly locked in a deadly clash once again.
Deep within the dark alley.
Luo Changming hid in the shadows, his expression solemn as he stared at the intense battle outside the alley.
She actually broke through to the Huajin Rank!
To be this powerful right after a breakthrough... even if I were to reveal all my hidden cards, I might not be able to suppress her!
Moreover, she has an ambiguous, unclear relationship with the Ji family... Damn it! Why did she have to break through at this exact critical juncture?
Luo Changming's fists clenched inside his sleeves, the killing intent in his eyes flickering like a viper's tongue: Should I... simply step in to help Duan Xiao and bury all three of them here to eliminate any future trouble?
No... This woman's claw techniques are ruthless. If any variable arises and ruins the grand plan I've spent years preparing, the loss would outweigh the gain!
Wait... Let's wait a bit longer. I'll watch for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. If there are truly no surprises, I will strike with a thunderous blow!
Luo Changming was deep-scheming and sufficiently ruthless, but he also had a fatal flaw.
Whenever he faced major decisions, he would always overthink!
The deeper his thoughts, the more worries he had, which instead made his actions seem restricted and hesitant.
He was well aware of this himself, yet when the moment of decision arrived, he always found it difficult to overcome.
Indeed, just as he was wavering, his eyes suddenly narrowed, and he muttered in surprise, “What is that?”
Outside the alley.
Shen Xiuhan, who was sitting cross-legged, suddenly began to glow with a deep blue light without warning!
『Dragon Gate Attraction』!
The tiny bit of qi force he had just recovered was instantly drained completely, turning his face as white as paper.
The blue light grew increasingly brilliant, slowly condensing into a pillar of light. Like a fishing line, it soared into the sky and hooked toward Duan Xiao.
Buzz...
Duan Xiao, who was in a life-and-death struggle with Mei Shuangfeng, felt his mind go uncontrollably blank for a split second, leaving only a single thought churning in his head: My opportunity... the opportunity that little beast stole from me!
The greed he had suppressed deep in his heart for so long was completely ignited in this instant!
However...
When top-tier experts fought to the death, victory and defeat were decided in the blink of an eye.
The momentary lapse in his concentration inevitably caused Duan Xiao's originally flawless fist technique to stutter for a fraction of a second.
A flaw had appeared!
The cold light in Mei Shuangfeng's phoenix eyes flared brilliantly as she precisely captured this fleeting opportunity.
Her killer move erupted!
The pale gold claw shadows suddenly retracted, converging entirely into a single point.
Her dark robes cutting through the rain and mist, her right arm drove straight through the fist shadows with a howling wind!
『Heavenly Mystic Eagle Force: Mystic Eagle Soul-Seizer』!
Ssh!
Duan Xiao's reddish-gold true qi was like thin paper before the 『Face-Tearer』, crumbling instantly upon contact.
The sharp claw drove straight in without the slightest deviation, piercing cleanly through his throat!
Instantly, the fist shadows shattered, and the dragon's roar ceased.
The turbulent shockwaves of qi that had filled the air receded like the tide.
The curtain of rain, no longer held back by the shockwaves, poured down once more, soaking the two combatants to the bone.
Duan Xiao's body froze in place, motionless.
His eyes were filled with a mixture of shock, terror, and confusion. Even as the light in his eyes began to fade, he still could not understand.
Why had his fist technique, which he had cultivated for years to Great Accomplishment, suffered such a fatal lapse...
“You...”
Duan Xiao's lips trembled, a raspy, broken sound escaping his throat as if he wanted to say something.
Mei Shuangfeng's expression remained indifferent. She didn't even care to listen, simply giving her wrist a gentle twist.
Crack!
With a crisp snap, his neck bone shattered.
The last vestige of life in Duan Xiao's eyes was extinguished.
This powerful bandit who had dominated Cloudwater Lake for over a decade collapsed like a falling mountain pillar, crashing into the muddy puddle with a heavy thud, splashing blood and water.
He was dead.
Shen Xiuhan's mind finally relaxed.
Endless exhaustion poured into every pore of his body, submerging him like a tide. He wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and sleep.
His body went limp, and he began to slump toward the cold, muddy water.
But in the next moment, Shen Xiuhan fell into a warm embrace carrying a faint, pleasant fragrance.
“Go to sleep... it will all be over when you wake up.”
His master's gentle voice echoed in his ear.
Shen Xiuhan felt instantly at peace.
Just as he was about to lose consciousness, he suddenly remembered something and pointed toward the pile of rubble that was half-buried in the corner.
“Ji... Ning...”
Before he could finish, he blacked out completely.
A moment later.
Mei Shuangfeng tapped her toes against the ground and, carrying the two unconscious boys, vanished down the end of the street in the blink of an eye.
Inside the dark alley.
Luo Changming slowly stepped out.
Standing alone in the pouring rain, he stared down at Duan Xiao's cold corpse, his gaze shifting unpredictably.
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