Chapter 48

Chapter 48 In the Central Plains murim, one could not ignore the existence of the Sichuan Tang Clan and the Five Poisons Sect when it came to dealing with poison. Both were unmatched in their expertise with Poison Arts, but their methods were so different that pitting them against each other was difficult. Whereas the Sichuan Tang Clan synthesized various poisons to create a single, ultimate poison for their hidden weapons, the Five Poisons Sect used countless combinations of toxins from the insects they bred and controlled to achieve even greater effects.

The realm of the Formless Poison and the Soul-Destroying Enhanced Thousand Poisons were said to have been lost to time, with legends claiming they were deadly enough to overwhelm even the people with the most poison-resistant physiques.

Thankfully, the Fifth Shadow’s Augmented Poison Energy doesn’t seem to be at that level. But it is still strong enough to penetrate a poison-resistant body. With my self-detoxification ability, it will take me four seconds to neutralize it. By then, it may melt my bones and muscles.

Leonard was already at a significant disadvantage in terms of internal energy, so he sighed deeply at the idea of also dealing with poison. He let his sword droop slightly.

The black augmented sword energy turned red. The Black Tortoise Qi was the strongest in terms of defense among the Five Elements, but the Vermillion Bird Qi was the best at resisting poison. There was a reason extreme yang energy was considered the natural enemy of Poison Arts.

He used the Crimson Burning Dual Swords. The two crimson augmented sword energies unfolded like the wings of a bird.

“What a cheap trick!” the Fifth Shadow shouted fiercely and charged forward, sensing a change in Leonard’s augmented sword energy.

Resembling a giant snake, the dark green augmented sword energy tore through the night air and overturned the innocent white sand beach as it sought an opening. The flow of the sword and the augmented sword energy felt off from the start. If Leonard hadn’t seen it when he had fought the Twelfth Shadow, the strike could have been dangerous.

Leonard’s dual swords precisely severed the flow.

Five Elements Style, Two Swords Style

Vermillion Bird First Form: Blazing Explosion

One sword struck the snake’s neck, while the other fell upon the shadow emerging behind it. The simultaneous strikes from the Crimson Burning Dual Swords forced the enemy back—this move was called the Explosive Double Waves.

The attack abruptly cut off the flow of the dark green Aura Blade, and the advancing shadow knight was halted. A storm of shockwaves engulfed him.

Even though the explosion of augmented qi was at close range, the knight still withstood it by deploying another augmented energy shield. As long as it wasn’t a direct hit from the augmented sword energy, he could endure several blows.

The shadow knight, shrouded in a dark green shield, stepped forward and unleashed another attack.

Shadow of Snake

The Aura Blade, now several meters long, detached from the sword and then lunged forward like a real snake.

Leonard’s dual swords responded with a brilliant display, like fluttering wings.

Five Elements Style, Two Swords Style

Vermillion Bird Twenty-Fourth Form: Fire Bird Explosion

The Fire Bird Explosion was more complete with two swords than one; it was as if the technique was originally designed to be used with dual swords.

An ultimate form within the top three of the 36 Vermillion Bird Forms emerged.

The construct of red augmented sword energy resembled a bird, appearing like a phoenix or a firebird. It soared elegantly and seized the head of the snake trying to coil around its master, tearing it apart effortlessly.

The difference in skill between Leonard and the Fifth Shadow lay in the perfection of their augmented qi techniques.

“Go,” Leonard ordered.

After tearing apart the Shadow of Snake, the firebird shot forward, obeying Leonard’s command.

Whoosh!

It dived with a sonic boom. The Fifth Shadow evaded quickly and swung his sword. A direct hit from a mass of augmented qi couldn’t be blocked even with an augmented energy shield, not to mention that the Fifth Shadow hadn’t yet revealed all his cards.

Shadow of Basilisk

A colossal lizard, far surpassing Shadow of Snake in scale, enveloped the shadow knight. It was an augmented qi technique combining both defense and annihilation. The dark green basilisk’s tail struck the firebird, which retaliated by clawing the basilisk’s head. Because they were not living beings, neither had vital points, and they couldn’t suffer mortal wounds. They would attack until the augmented qi making up their bodies was exhausted.

Half of my internal energy is already gone...

Leonard checked his dantian and noted the remaining energy, all while observing the battle between augmented qi. Despite not being a Transcendence Tier knight, he had been using Augmented Sword Assimilation and augmented qi techniques. This had drained and taxed his body, which was the price he had to pay for not having the proper cultivation level.

Two minutes remained until the Mass Teleport would activate. To endure that long, Leonard needed to either use a more defensive stance or inflict significant injuries on his opponent.

The former is not an option.

The Red Vermillion Qi specialized in offense. Using it defensively would make exchanges like this impossible, and utilizing any other energy would allow the poison energy to infiltrate his body, leaving him unable to endure.

He had no choice but to attack more powerfully and fiercely.

I’ll use ninety percent of my remaining internal energy in one strike.

Leonard’s eyes darkened. If necessary, he would use three swords or more. As the fight between the dark green basilisk and the firebird approached the end, Leonard resolved to continue attacking until one of them fell.

Life and death hung in a balance. It was in these moments that a martial artist’s true nature shone. The closer to death, the stronger Leonard became. His battle-hardened self reveled in the scent of blood.

Boom!

The firebird exploded under Shadow of Basilisk’s repeated strikes, scattering flames.

The shadow knight emerged from the remnants of the basilisk, his expression pale from the exertion of using augmented qi techniques. He glared at Leonard with a grim face.

“I never imagined you could do so much.”

“...”

“What have you bastards done to your blood? How many sins have you committed to wield such techniques at your age and rival an experienced Swordmaster?”

It wasn’t a question. The Fifth Shadow rambled on with his preconceived answer without considering his opponent’s reply. His narrow-mindedness reminded Leonard of the Blood Cult’s zealots, who believed that all living beings were sinners and needed to atone with blood.

To this man, the Cardenas were an unforgivable lineage of sin, and their strength was an unacceptable malevolence.

“Do not try to understand these fanatics.”

Leonard recalled his old friend’s advice.

“Mock them. Do not use logic when criticizing them. Rather, spit in their faces like a ruffian.”

Following Zhuge Ming’s suggestion, Leonard chose his words carefully so as to be as insulting as possible.

“Who knows? Maybe we offered your mother as a sacrifice or something.”

The Fifth Shadow was momentarily stunned, realizing he had never been insulted like this in his life. “I will kill you. You, of all people, will never escape!”

“You speak as if you haven’t been trying to kill me,” Leonard said, continuing to mock the shadow knight to the end. His words shook his opponent as he calmly raised his dual swords side by side.

From here, one step would decide life and death. The resolve emanating from Leonard’s determination caused even the enraged shadow knight to tense up momentarily.

As the breath of the two swordsmen settled, the beach became a place where no one could breathe. The tension in the air was pulled so taut that even the sound of a leaf falling could snap it. However, humans couldn’t live without breathing. Someone unconsciously exhaled the breath they had been holding in.

Boom!

The two swordsmen clashed blades, shockwaves booming behind them. In one step, they had reached the speed of sound; in two, they had entered the realm of supersonic speed.

This was a sword fight between two people who had the strength of the Transcendence Tier. Their eyes couldn’t keep up with their movements, causing their world to be monochrome.

One strike, five strikes, twelve strikes. The two of them fought at a terrifying speed, exchanging attacks in rapid succession. A stabbing strike split into five, tearing Leonard’s ear and spilling blood tainted black by poison.

Leonard responded by slashing twice and stabbing once. Then, he stomped on the Fifth Shadow’s foot and swung his sword at his neck. Though deflected by the shadow knight’s augmented energy shield, the attack was still a direct hit possessing augmented sword energy. This caused the Fifth Shadow’s flesh to be torn, as the energy shield hadn’t been able to completely block it. Sёarᴄh the novёlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The area a meter around them turned into a slaughtering hell. Anything within would be chopped to pieces, leaving only the two combatants to wield their lethal killing intent freely.

I’m half a step ahead, Leonard concluded accurately.

The Fifth Shadow’s swordsmanship and combat experience were substantial, but he couldn’t surpass Leonard in a one-on-one battle. Without the difference in internal energy, Leonard would have cut him down within five minutes.

Leonard would never lose when it came to reading moves. In a fight at the level of Transcendents, it wouldn’t be strange for the difference of half a step to cost a person’s life three times over.

The battle, which was at a stalemate, gradually tilted toward one side.

“Ugh!”

Wounds that had been mere scratches deepened, severing muscle fibers and weakening Leonard’s grip. If he fell back any further, he would be in an irreversible situation.

Sensing this, the shadow knight’s eyes gleamed.

“Shock Bound!”

Leonard, pressing like a storm, was suddenly flung back. The shadow knights’ enchanted armor allowed for single-use magic like Shock Protection to be inscribed on it. Once used, it couldn’t be activated again for a while, but the shadow didn’t mind. He put his life on the line.

A snake emerged from the shadows.

Shadow of Hydra

The dark green Aura Blade expanded to its maximum and split into nine strands, each amplified with murderous power. This was the Fifth Shadow’s ultimate technique, his greatest and strongest move.

That’s more like it. I anticipated this moment, Leonard thought.

Leonard knew about the shadow knight’s enchanted armor and predicted that the Fifth Shadow would resort to this method when cornered. Leonard’s two swords glowed a fierce red, as if they had been dipped in a forge.

If he had endured just ten seconds longer, my internal energy would have been fully exhausted and I would have been defeated... but he lacked patience.

Leonard would lose in a war of attrition, but in a battle with a final blow, he had a chance. He had charged all three of his swords with the Vermillion Bird Qi and had been waiting for this moment. Despite the pain from squeezing out his empty dantian, Leonard had shown no sign of discomfort on his face.

It was an all-or-nothing moment. The nine-headed dark green monster descended mercilessly.

Now!

Leonard used a Three Swords Style technique, hoping to end the fight.

Five Elements Style, Three Swords Style

Vermillion Bird Extra Form: Three-Legged Crow’s Flight

In ancient legends, the three-legged crow symbolized the sun. The three-legged crow was also said to be the son of Di Ku, one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, and the embodiment of the sun itself. The Dianchang Sect’s Sun-Striking Sword Art was derived from the tale of Hou Yi, the God of Archery, who had shot down nine of the three-legged crows. Putting aside the complicated legend, in essence, the three-legged crow was synonymous with the sun.

The first sword—a Crimson Burning Sword shone brightly and soared. The augmented qi surrounding it was round like a bead, reminiscent of an Augmented Qi Sphere. Nevertheless, against the nine-headed beast, it seemed like a weak and faint light.

The second sword—another Crimson Burning Sword joined the first, merging and exponentially amplifying its size and power. The light and heat were so intense that only a few, including Bradley, could bear to look at it directly. Even those present felt their energy shield burn from the aftermath of Leonard’s technique, despite having broken through to the External Force Tier.

The third sword—the final Crimson Burning Sword was more intense than the previous ones, and it joined the sphere created by the first two, expanding it once more.

It was a miniature sun! The small, sun-like Augmented Qi Sphere resisted the monster trying to engulf it, radiating heat and light. Hundreds of rays tore into the monster, but Shadow of Hydra endured, biting into the sun with its nine heads. Unable to withstand the heat, its body swelled.

Kaboom!!!

A massive explosion shook the heavens and earth.