บท 82: Dawn Assassination
With a crisp crack, a small burst of blood splattered at my fingertips, the creature that had stealthily approached me was obliterated by my nameless martial technique. In an instant, the air around me was thick with a formidable sword intent, and the ancient blade, Gu Yue, leapt into my grasp.
A faint, ethereal blade aura erupted from the sword, a manifestation of my martial arts reaching the third level, enabling me to transform icy, chilling energy into a weapon. I had no time to employ my only known technique, the shifting sands and flying stones;
instead, I resorted to basic swordplay, slashing horizontally and vertically toward the sorcerer who had suddenly leaped from the iron well cover, shattering it as he ascended. However, fortune did not favor me this time.
The sorcerer deftly flicked his soft sword, employing an unknown technique that diverted Gu Yue's blade trajectory, and with a swift thrust, pierced the blade's light toward my throat. I desperately tilted my head, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow, but my shoulder was not spared, sustaining a grievous wound.
Although I immediately unleashed over a dozen radiant orbs of holy light, the sorcerer, with his sword in hand, deftly maneuvered, capturing all the orbs upon his blade, and smirked at me coldly.
"Do you wish for a refund? What I produce is non-returnable, with no warranty!
His blunder was a stroke of luck for me. My holy light orbs had long been mastered to the point of being manipulated at will; even after release, I could still control them.
The sorceror, unaware of this secret, was caught off guard by the explosive force of my orbs. At such close range, he had no time to retaliate, merely tossing his sword aside.
The clash of metal rang out as I released a silver dart that struck his soft sword from his grasp. I had no means to retract the now detonating holy light orbs; they would explode upon contact, causing destruction.
In an instant, we exchanged several blows, darting back and forth, until we finally separated. I was injured, and the sorcerer had lost his weapon.
I dared not let down my guard; who knew if he had a backup weapon? Without a second thought, I activated the Seven Kills North Star. Before I could fire, the sorcerer produced eight blood-red talismans from within his garments, tossing them into the air.
They flew toward me like eight razor-sharp daggers, moving with the speed of lightning. Though I had a perfect hit rate, I could only bring down one talisman, forcing me to wield both Gu Yue and the Seven Kills North Star, blocking them in an attempt to defend myself. The talismans, made of an unknown material, clashed with my weapons, producing a metallic clang.
Gu Yue could withstand it, but the Seven Kills North Star, forged from a blend of secret silver and magical gold, was left covered in fine scratches upon retrieval, indicating the talismans' extraordinary sharpness. "You are impressive, forcing me to reveal this hidden technique. This is the first time I've used my Blade Demon Summon; you have not died in vain."
"Preposterous! I have many techniques yet to be unleashed; you would not be wrong to die ten times over. Why not come and die before me?
The sorcerer remained silent, but a sinister expression suddenly crossed his youthful, handsome face.
Grasping the eight talismans, he flung them around him, causing them to swirl like birds in flight. Each talisman resembled a playing card in width, yet was over twice its length, covered in ominous designs radiating a murderous aura.
In the previous skirmish, I hadn't sensed their malignant energy, but now, I felt the oppressive presence of countless wandering souls. The eight blood-red talismans required no manual manipulation, gliding through the air with the same dexterity as Gu Yue, proving far more agile than weapons requiring a firm grip to wield effectively.
"Demon Slash One, sever!" The sorcerer commanded, and one talisman shot forth like a flash of lightning. I swung Gu Yue to deflect it, but it spiraled back around, forcing me to strike again. Realizing the dire situation, I cursed inwardly;
if all eight talismans possessed such agility, even if my swordplay were ten times faster, I could not hope to defend myself. Without further thought, I activated my holy barrier. With a whoosh, the remaining talismans were unleashed.
These talismans were sharper than any weapon, and thankfully, my holy barrier countered their malevolent nature; otherwise, I would not have survived such a fierce conflict.
I raised the Seven Kills North Star; since I could not catch him off guard, I resolved to confront him directly. I had no doubt that the power of the special attack spirit-destroying bullet would be beyond the sorcerer's capacity to withstand.
As I pulled the trigger, the sorcerer's expression shifted, and he deftly pointed to two blood-red talismans that soared toward me.
With a clash, one of my spirit-destroying bullets, sliced into three pieces by the talisman, was neutralized before it even left the barrel.
"Must you be so absurdly powerful?
That Blade Demon Summon is truly formidable!" Even the sniper's bullet had been severed; the speed of the Blade Demon Summon surpassed that of the sorcerer's swordplay.
The Seven Kills North Star vanished in an instant, replaced by a magical jade, and I unleashed three consecutive curses—pain, dizziness, and lethargy—upon the sorcerer. Upon suffering these three curses, his complexion darkened, yet his resilience was astonishing; he continued to fight me against all odds.
It was still morning, with few people on the streets; otherwise, our battle would have drawn considerable attention.
The sorcerer had come prepared, employing a relentless array of techniques that left me scrambling to respond. Were it not for the holy attribute of my Platinum Glory, which provided some resistance against his sorcery, I would have perished long ago. After over ten minutes of combat, the surrounding living beings had suffered greatly. The once lush shade trees had been drained of life by the sorcerer's spells, reduced to mere sticks. The cheerful morning birds and insects lay dead in heaps, and even an unfortunate stray cat had been drained, transformed into a mummified wretch.
Suddenly, a startled scream behind me broke my concentration. It was a voice I recognized—Fang Baichuan's younger sister, the beautiful Fang Yeyu. I recalled her trailing closely behind me, and after such a prolonged skirmish, she had not reacted. I had initially admired her cleverness, but now I wondered why she was making such a commotion. Could she not cover her mouth?
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