Chapter 183: Divine Swordsmanship
Huang Facai and Tu Baoquan were baffled by the young man’s fighting style.
He was clearly only sixth-rank. How could he be so powerful?
Shi Hao’s use of fire had been clever, the swirling flames creating a barrier between him and his two pursuers.
They tried to flank him, but he leaped over the flames, his body enveloped in a layer of ice.
One of their men, emerging from the flames, was still patting out the embers on his clothes when a flash of sword light appeared before his eyes.
He reacted quickly, retreating and unleashing a volley of poisoned darts.
Shi Hao’s sword flashed, a whirlwind of energy deflecting the darts and sending them back towards their owner.
With a series of clangs and thuds, the man, his body riddled with darts, collapsed, blood streaming from his seven orifices.
He had been killed by his own weapons.
Huang Facai and Tu Baoquan were both shocked and enraged. They hadn’t even touched him, and he had already killed five of their men.
Seeing him flee into the forest, they gave chase, the others following.
Shi Hao ran, but he couldn’t shake them off.
They were determined to kill him here and now, not just because of the Demonic Qilin Blood Poison, but also for revenge.
Logically, with Huang Facai and Tu Baoquan both being fifth-rank, and Shi Hao only sixth-rank, they should be able to catch him eventually.
But Shi Hao’s stamina seemed limitless, maintaining a steady distance, while their own men, unable to keep up, gradually fell behind.
He reached a wide river, its waters churning, the wind whipping across its surface.
He leaped onto the water and ran towards the opposite bank.
Huang Facai and Tu Baoquan also leaped onto the water, using their movement techniques to pursue him.
As they reached the middle of the river, Shi Hao suddenly turned.
With a flick of his wrist, he manipulated the water, creating a wave that surged towards them.
Huang Facai and Tu Baoquan were stunned. He controlled wind, fire, and now water?
The Three Origins Flowing Pearl Technique, a secret art of the Taisu Immortal Pavilion, normally combined the Immortal Ice, True Water, and Profound Wind Techniques. Shi Hao had already surprised them by integrating the Mysterious Charm Technique, wielding both wind and fire.
Now, he was controlling water as well. Standing on the river’s surface, they had nowhere to dodge.
Fortunately, their cultivation was high, and with two powerful strikes, they shattered the wave, sending water spraying in all directions.
But Shi Hao had already used the force of the wave to propel himself over their heads, turning and running back towards the shore he had just left.
Tu Baoquan, enraged, ran forward, his palm striking downwards, creating a geyser of water.
He then used the water column as a springboard, his fifth-rank power evident as he leaped across the river.
Huang Facai, having lost an arm in the Ba Mountains, and his movement techniques less refined than Tu Baoquan’s, had to reach the opposite bank before turning back.
As Shi Hao reached the shore, a martial artist ran towards him, trying to intercept him.
If he reached the bank first, Shi Hao would be forced back into the river.
Shi Hao, however, glared at him, and the man’s movements faltered, a momentary hesitation.
Shi Hao reached the shore, passing the man, who, recovering from his daze, attacked with his saber.
Shi Hao’s sword flashed, and after a few swift exchanges, the man, a sword through his forehead, collapsed.
Tu Baoquan, still on the river, watched in disbelief and frustration.
He couldn’t understand why his man hadn’t reached the bank in time… He should have been faster.
He had been gathering his energy, ready to strike the moment Shi Hao was intercepted, sending him into the river.
But his man’s inexplicable hesitation had ruined everything.
Shi Hao ran, having reversed his direction on the river, creating a strange situation.
Although still seemingly pursued from both sides, Tu Baoquan was now behind him, and Huang Facai was behind Tu Baoquan.
And although there were several men ahead of him, their varying speeds had spread them out.
And with the dense forest, those further behind didn’t even know he was coming.
One of them, seeing him suddenly appear, was caught off guard. Although he attacked with his full strength, Shi Hao seemed to anticipate his every move, his sword intercepting his weapon at the last moment, disrupting his attack.
Before he could recover, Shi Hao’s sword pierced his throat.
He stumbled and fell.
Shi Hao continued forward, cutting down those who had fallen behind, their energy depleted, their movements sluggish.
He killed them all, his relentless pursuit enraging Tu Baoquan, who was closing in.
Although he had eliminated those pursuing him from the front, Tu Baoquan was now right behind him.
Tu Baoquan roared, unleashing a wave of poisonous energy.
The grass withered, the leaves on the trees shriveled, and the bark turned black.
Shi Hao, however, his aura intensifying with every kill, felt a surge of power.
He had been absorbing the Demonic Qilin Blood Poison, and although most of it had been integrated into his cultivation, the burning heat within him hadn’t completely subsided.
Now, with the exertion of battle, the heat dissipated further, leaving behind a residue of impurities swirling within him.
He shifted his footwork, his body spinning, his movements like a hunting cheetah, as he slashed at Tu Baoquan.
His sword, channeling a strange vortex of energy, seemed to draw the impurities from his body, unleashing them towards Tu Baoquan.
With a crash, their energies collided, and Shi Hao was thrown backwards… Despite his increased strength, he was still a rank lower than Tu Baoquan.
Tu Baoquan, however, felt a sharp, stinging sensation in his chest, as if pricked by needles.
Shi Hao crashed into a tree, which snapped, and he rolled on the ground before quickly jumping back to his feet.
They had exchanged energies, and both should have been poisoned.
Normally, even if the poison wasn’t immediately debilitating, it would still require significant effort to suppress.
But Shi Hao, having absorbed the Demonic Qilin Blood Poison, the essence of the Black Blood Crimson Serpent, nurtured by immortal ingredients, although not immune to poison, had a high resistance. Tu Baoquan’s poison had little effect on him.
The impurities from the Blood Poison, however, expelled from his body and carried by his sword energy, now coursing through Tu Baoquan’s meridians, were causing him considerable discomfort.
These were impurities even his dual cultivation couldn’t absorb, and although Tu Baoquan was stronger, he still had to expend energy to suppress them.
Given enough time, he could purge them from his body.
But Shi Hao wouldn’t give him that time. His sword flashed, and he charged forward, his attack relentless.
Three strikes, each a distinct technique, yet flowing seamlessly, a dazzling display of skill.
Tu Baoquan, struggling to suppress the impurities, was inwardly impressed… His swordsmanship is divine!
His intent guided his movements, his sword an extension of his will.
Tu Baoquan roared, unleashing his full power, his poisonous energy surging, trying to overpower him with brute force.
A resounding crash, and Shi Hao, coughing up blood, was thrown backwards.
But Tu Baoquan was also injured, a sword wound in his abdomen.
Shi Hao, kicking off a tree trunk, ignoring his own injuries, pressed his attack, his swordsmanship fierce and determined, a desperate gamble.
Tu Baoquan, realizing his opponent was willing to trade injuries, gritted his teeth and fought back.
The blood poison impurities within him surged towards his heart, disrupting his energy flow.
Several more clashes, and Shi Hao, coughing up more blood, rolled on the ground.
Tu Baoquan, his vision blurring, felt a sharp pain in his chest as Shi Hao’s sword pierced his heart.
He staggered, then collapsed with a gasp.
Huang Facai arrived, his face pale, “Brother Tu?!”
He hadn’t expected Shi Chongyun to kill Tu Baoquan so quickly.
He looked at Shi Chongyun, who, covered in blood, was struggling to his feet.
Since being surrounded by the Poisonous Sunflower Sect, Shi Hao had used his knowledge of strategy and tactics, combined with his unorthodox techniques, to fight and escape.
His initial retreat, creating distance between him and his pursuers, then his sudden reversal at the river, turning their exhaustion against them, had been a brilliant tactical maneuver.
And against Tu Baoquan, he had used the blood poison impurities to weaken him, preventing him from using his full power, then, in a desperate gamble, trading injuries, ultimately defeating him just before Huang Facai arrived.
But he was also severely injured now.
Looking at Huang Facai, his face contorted in rage, his killing intent palpable, Shi Hao smiled faintly, “Run now, and I won’t chase you.”
Leave a Reply