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n*Shhhiiing!”

nWu Long’s saber pushed the Blood Demon aside with ease, as the high-pitched sound of metal on metal rang out, an open hand stretching toward the neck of the Transcendent.

n“Dream on!”, Linghun Mo shouted with indignation at the humiliating gesture, but his saber was flung to the side too hard, and he had to retreat instead of blocking or cutting away at that hand.

nHis feet made two tracks on the ground amid the rubble of the tower, as he looked at Wu Long, only to realize that the latter did not even move from the spot, calmly and slowly lowering the hand that was slightly stretched out as his other held the saber in a natural reclining position by his side.

n“…! You-…!”, Linghun Mo’s eyes filled with utter humiliation and fury as his previous lighthearted attitude completely disappeared.

nThe father and daughter duo behind his back were paralyzed with fear, even more reassured in their “deluded conviction” that they were facing the Grim Reaper of Lust Cultivators.

n“It seems I slightly underestimated you!”, the Blood Demon spoke while gritting his teeth, a crimson glow appearing around him, and leaped forward with his saber in both hands again “But how do you like this?! Aaah!”

n*Clang!* *Clang!* *Clang!*

nThe two sabers collided several times, as Wu Long made short precise strikes that sent away the Blood Demon’s weapon to the sides.

nNone of Linghun Mo’s saber techniques seemed to work as Wu Long remained standing in one spot while the Blood Demon was like a monkey dancing around, evading sharp attacks and making futile attempts at cutting his opponent.

nHe was not lacking in his weapon technique, in fact, it could be seen he was an experienced Saber Master, his skill just was far from enough in front of his opponent.

nHe was not lacking in physical attributes either, as both his brute strength and speed were a tad higher than his opponent, but even that could not bring him closer.

nUnable to gain advantage in raw combat without using skills, the Blood Demon begrudgingly had to start using Combat Techniques.

n“Six Slashes of Asura!”

n“Blood Fang!”

n“The Soul Devouring Strike!”

nEvery move he made, was countered with a free saber without using any particular technique, a sharp sound of metal hitting metal ringing out as weather continued to get worse, and soon, rain started falling around as Gui Xiaolan plopped onto the ground, her knees finally giving in, her father’s knees hitting the ground next, “Over, it’s over” coming from his lips as the rainwater instantly made the two look even more pitiful.

n“You bastard!!! How are you so strong?!?!”, meanwhile Linghun Mo could not understand it at all, shouting while continuing his attacks.

nWu Long did not even use any techniques, simply swinging his saber with minimal Spiritual Qi around it, but was still able to fling away his own weapon with ease.

n“Skill”

nWu Long said with barely any emotion as he continued parrying the strikes, using simple precision to counter the difference in strength and dismantle the force of combat techniques.

nTiming, angle, direction and distribution of force, construction of moves, flow, sense, insight, all of it was on simply another level…

n…one beyond the understanding of someone who only wielded the saber for a few thousand years with no constant discipline of improvement, and only occasionally taking it out to practice a few moves.

nWu Long used the opponent’s instinctual responses, drilled in skills, and habits in his favor, guiding him to do what he wanted as if a marionette on strings.

nAt the same time he used his knowledge of how human muscles worked to make the opponent constantly inhibit his own strength, as well as his knowledge of anatomy to deal internal damage.

n“I don’t believe it! I don’t believe you are stronger than me! I refuse to accept it!!!”, the Blood Demon started making larger, heavier motions, but then…

n*Clannnn~ng!*

nA high pitched sound resounded in the rainy weather as his saber left his hands and flew to the side, sinking into a large stone piece of the former tower with a *thud*.

nThe sound of rain intensified in the ears of the man who lost his weapon, as his eyes shook and turned to his empty hands.

n‘Hmm, Sublime Qi and Slaughter Qi are truly powerful… this man is stronger than Gu Zhen but I feel no pressure fighting against him, don’t feel the need to use any combat skills either…’, Wu Long calmly analyzed his progress while Linghun Mo stared at him with wide eyes, his hands still in posture of holding a saber’s handle slightly trembling.

n“Pick it up”, this phrase leaving Wu Long’s lips, piercing the sound of the rain made the Blood Demon shudder, both from humiliation, and… something else.

nA new feeling welled up within him as his gaze changed yet again. f𝚛e𝐞𝐰bo𝚟l.c𝗼m

n“Aaaah!!!!”, a shout, akin to a roar escaped the Blood Demon’s lips as an old scar on his lower arm opened up, andcrimson blood enveloped his hand stretched to the side, a line extending toward the handle of the saber and pulling it from the rubble.

nHis other hand had a similar scar, which also opened up, leaking slightly glowing, crimso-red blood.

nWu Long’s eyes shined with a glint, changing his appearance for the first time throughout the fight, but he did not say or do anything, simply watching his opponent.

nThe fight before this point resembled one with a normal cultivator, as while the Blood Demon used combat skills of the Corrupt Path, those were not much different from skills of normal cultivators in their effects, just formed from a different source.

nHowever…

n“Hahaha! Did you think I was using my full strength?! Did you really think I couldn’t use any true Corrupt Path techniques?!?!

nBlood Crown of the Executioner!!!”, Linghun Mo started laughing in an exaggerated manner, his eyes turning bloodshot and a bright red glow appearing in his iris.

nGlowing red patterns started appearing all over his skin, as his upper clothes became torn, revealing slightly growing muscles, while blood from both palms flowed up his lower arms and then at the elbows started resembling scarves in shape while flowing to the sides and then up and around him, creating a bloody halo that hovered vertically behind him, slightly above his head.

n“Eaaah! DIE!!!”, Linghun Mo raised his saber up high with both hands, and released a powerful slash, the crimson arc leaving a deep cut in the mountain and going past Wu Long who finally moved from the spot to step aside, arcs of lightning appearing around him. The arc of the slash flew into the distance and made an explosive sound as it collided with another mountain.

n“Hahahaha! Not so high and mighty now, are we?!”, the Blood Demon shouted with glee, his grin turning his face into a grimace with deep wrinkles and exposing both rows of teeth as his voice slightly changed to a hoarse, deeper sound.

n“Crimson Ray of Execution!”

nA crimson glow appeared within the center of the bloody halo, and a ray of red light shot toward Wu Long who evaded again, and then retreated as the ray moved to the side after him, turning with the direction of the Blood Demon’s body.

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