Yuan's azure black eyes sharpened, their glow intensifying as he fully committed himself to the fight. The once testing exchanges had ended now, every movement was a matter of survival.
The blue haired woman, her expression twisted with anger and disdain, stared him down.
The atmosphere grew colder, the frost emanating from her crystal sword spreading rapidly. In an instant, the wound on her hand froze over, sealing itself shut.
Yet, the woman showed no reaction, as if such unnatural cold was the most normal thing in the world.
Yuan stopped playing games.
His stance shifted. He no longer tried to attack carelessly,instead, he focused purely on dodging.
After all, this was a true Bone Forging cultivator before him.
Even though his aura trembled under the sheer pressure of her cultivation, his mind remained eerily calm.
Fear?
He scoffed inwardly.
Pressure was just that,pressure.
It could not kill him. It could not weaken his blade. It could not determine the outcome of this battle.
Only strength could.
But whether the woman sensed his resolve or simply ignored it,she acted.
She raised her sword, gripping it above her shoulder, and with one fluid motion, she swung down with full force.
Yuan knew instantly,he couldn't dodge this.
His speed wasn't enough.
His power wasn't enough.
His only option was to block.
Clang!
The swords collided, a deafening metallic screech echoing through the cave.
Yuan's arms trembled violently, the impact numbing his hands.
But
He had stopped her sword.
If only for a moment.
He gritted his teeth.
Now!
Taking full advantage of the brief pause, he lifted his leg, aiming a sharp kick at her knee to destabilize her stance.
But
Crack!
His sword began to crack.
Shit.
A heartbeat later
Snap!
The blade shattered, its broken half flying through the air.
His kick landed, but
Pain exploded through his leg.
The woman barely staggered, her strength overwhelming.
And now,with his broken sword and weakened stance,he was completely exposed.
The remnant of her blade came hurtling straight for his stomach.
Yuan poured all his remaining strength into his left leg, forcing his body to step back in a desperate attempt to dodge.
And,he barely managed to evade.
But not unscathed.
The tip of the woman's sword grazed his robe, slicing through the fabric with terrifying ease. A thin, shallow cut appeared on his chest, and almost instantly
A chilling sensation spread through the wound.
Frost.
His eyes widened.
This wasn't healing frost,this was a trap.
She was freezing his blood from the inside out, aiming to weaken his organs, to slowly paralyze him until he became helpless.
Dangerous!
Yuan reacted immediately, his red aura surging to life, wrapping around the wound. The ice struggled against the regenerative energy, but the moment his aura flared stronger, the frost vanished.
No time to focus on healing.
Because the woman attacked again.
Yuan dodged, twisting his body to avoid the sharp, relentless strikes.
But he wasn't fast enough.
Small cuts appeared all over his arms, shoulders, and torso.
Thin at first,then deeper.
His body screamed in pain, the wounds stinging like fire and ice combined.
The cold seeped into his limbs, and for the first time, his movements slowed.
His mind raced, calculating ways to end this fight.
His spiritual blood reserves, nearly exhausted.
His stamina dangerously low.
It was a miracle he had lasted this long against a Bone Forging cultivator.
Tch. He truly underestimated her.
His azure black eyes darkened,rage flickering behind his gaze.
Enough.
If she wanted to kill him so badly…
Then he would burn her to ashes.
Yuan tightened his grip on his broken sword, forcing every last bit of his spiritual blood into his legs.
He abandoned the Wind Cutter Slash technique,there was no point in conserving energy now.
He had only one option left.
Unleash the Azure Basilisk Flames.
The woman's relentless assault continued, a rain of deadly sword strikes.
Yuan's body moved on instinct, dodging what he could,but at this point, he was completely overwhelmed.
She was stronger.She was faster.She had more stamina.
If only…
If only he had transformed more of his spiritual blood before taking this mission.
If only he had a true weapon instead of this damned broken sword.
If only he had...
No.
No more excuses.
No more hesitation.
Yuan pushed his body beyond its limits, pouring every last drop of his remaining energy into his movements.
His spiritual blood surged, flowing through his legs like a raging river, fueling his every step with desperate precision.
Without it he would have died countless times already.
Every attack from the woman's crystal blue sword came closer, the biting frost grazing his skin, leaving behind small, freezing wounds that stung like needles piercing his flesh.
But he refused to fall.
His mind roared, his instincts screamed,survive.
He had no strength left to fight head on.
But he could still move.
Still dodge.
Still outlast her.
Even if his body screamed in agony, even if his breath came out ragged and short.
He would not fall.
Yuan contemplated using the Azure Basilisk Flames, he finally started paying attention to the blue haired woman's words,words he had ignored up until now. His sole focus had been on the fight, but now, he needed to stall for time to fully manifest his flames.
"Tsk, still not speaking? If you'd just damn stop for one fucking moment, I would have already killed you, you damn bastard!" The woman's furious voice echoed through the room.
Throughout the entire fight, he had barely landed a single hit on her,aside from that one minor wound on her backhand.
Yuan suddenly smiled.
For the first time, he showed a visible reaction to her taunts.
Seeing this, the woman halted her attacks, an arrogant smirk forming on her lips. Her proud gaze locked onto him, radiating absolute confidence.
"Heh, finally reacting near your end? Well, since you're already at death's door, is there something you'd like to say, brat?"
She spoke with unshakable confidence, convinced of her imminent victory.
But Yuan had already spotted his opportunity.
Beneath his sleeve, he silently began to manifest the Azure Basilisk Flames, carefully hiding the glow so she wouldn't notice.
Yuans right hand, hidden beneath his sleeve, began to feel the comforting warmth of the Azure Basilisk Flame as it slowly transformed into a flaming snake, coiling around his arm, waiting to be unleashed.
At the same time, he acted the part,his bright smile widening as he let out an exhausted sigh.
"Indeed, I stand at death's door," he said, his voice carrying a tired, weary tone.
"Who would have thought… I'd meet someone at the Bone Forging Stage here? Haa… the heavens have already sealed my fate in your hands."
With resignation painted across his face, Yuan lowered his sword completely, his posture shifting to one of defeat. His will to fight seemed to disappear, leaving him looking like a man who had given up on life.
Seeing this, the blue haired woman's smirk widened.
She snorted, looking down at him with mockery and disdain.
"So even a rat knows when to stop struggling. Pathetic. You should have bowed the moment you laid eyes on me."
She exhaled sharply, flipping her crystal blue sword in her grip.
"Surviving this long is already a miracle beyond the heavens. When you reach the afterlife, you can proudly announce that you died at my hands."
She sneered.
"Since you're being obedient in your final moments, I'll grant you a parting gift,a final piece of advice.The next time you want to learn something," her voice grew sharp, filled with scorn, "be sure not to offend someone more powerful than you."
Her eyes turned cold, her tone dripping with mocking amusement.
"With that, you may die with a peaceful soul."
With those final words, the blue haired woman lunged forward, gripping her sword tightly.
Her killing intent surged, and she dashed at him, aiming for the fatal blow.
Yuan's mind remained cold and indifferent as he listened to her speech.
But his body?
His body trembled.
The moment she charged at him, his eyes shook slightly, his expression flickering with a hint of fear.
The woman didn't hesitate.
She didn't care about his fear,only his death.
And just as her sword was about to pierce his chest
Yuan's mind snapped into action.
A small, hidden part of his consciousness, the part that had been waiting for this very moment, moved his body like a well rehearsed play.
First, Yuan took a fast step, using the last remnants of spiritual essence in his spiritual blood to channel it toward his right arm. At the same time, his entire red aura surged, converging into a single point in his arm.
The moment the crystal blue sword came slashing down, Yuan raised his right arm to block it.
A sharp tearing sound filled the air as the blade sliced into his flesh.
Blood splattered, and a deep wound formed, the sword embedding itself into his arm.
For a split second, the blue haired woman's eyes flickered with confusion.
Then
His right sleeve burst open.
A wave of azure flames erupted from his arm, rushing straight toward her.
With only centimeters between them, she couldn't react in time.
The flames latched onto her robe.
FWOOSH!
The Robe ignited in patches first, small embers formed. Then, they spread. Then, they devoured
The once majestic fabric turned into nothing but embers, revealing her devilish curves beneath.
But as she Realized this,it was already too late
there was no time for embarrassment.
No time to be flustered.
Because
The flames didn't stop at her clothing.
The moment the fabric turned to ash, the azure fire shifted and twisted, forming into a serpentine shape
A burning azure snake.
It wrapped around her body, coiling like a living creature, and then
It began to burn.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
A piercing scream echoed through the cave.
The woman collapsed to the ground, writhing in pure agony, her hands gripping her own body, trying desperately to extinguish the flames.
The Azure Basilisk Flames did not just burn.
They devoured.
It was an never ending destructive flame that would only stop by its owner command.
No water could put it out. No ordinary method could extinguish it.
The moment the fire touched her bare skin, her shrieks turned from rage to agony.
She stumbled backward, hands clawing at her body, desperately trying to extinguish the unquenchable fire.
But it was useless.
Yuan didn't move.
He didn't smirk.
He didn't mock her.
He simply stared, his azure eyes watching her suffering with eerie indifference.
Even as his own blood spilled onto the cave floor.
The crystal blue sword embedded in his arm began to freeze his flesh, icy energy spreading like veins of frost, threatening to consume his entire limb.
No pain. No hesitation. No fear.
His eyes, once black with a hint of azure, now glowed pure azure, shimmering with an inhuman coldness.
Without a single change in expression, he reached for the handle of the crystal sword.
And then
With one swift motion, he ripped it from his own arm.
SPLAT.
more Blood splattered onto the cave floor.
His wound remained open, but even as the freezing energy tried to spread, Yuan's red aura surged, beginning to fight off the cold.
His expression never wavered.
Pure indifference.
It was as if he felt nothing at all.
The blue haired woman continued to scream, her voice raw with agony, as she rolled on the ground, thrashing in desperation.
But after just a minute, her struggles faded.
The woman's screams finally faded into silence.
Her body stopped moving.
And then, silence
If Yuan didn't know better, he would have thought she was dead.
But he knew the truth.
She wasn't dead.
She had simply lost the will to live,crushed by the overwhelming pain of the Azure Basilisk Flame.
Her breath was faint, her body twitching slightly, but her mind was shattered. She had lost
"Tsk."
Yuan clicked his tongue, his azure eyes flickering before slowly shifting back to their usual black azure hue.
For a brief moment, his mind staggered as if waking from a trance.
Then
A sharp wave of pain coursed through his entire body.
He gritted his teeth, but the ache throbbed relentlessly, every cut and wound reminding him of the brutal battle.
Yet, amid the pain, his gaze fell upon the motionless woman lying before him.
The once proud cultivator, now charred and broken, her body wrapped in fading azure flames,twisting and coiling like a serpentine entity.
Without hesitation, Yuan raised his right hand.
The azure flames responded immediately, detaching from the woman's body, slithering through the air like a living serpent before returning to his palm.
As the flames merged back into his hand, Yuan willed his red aura to flow over his injured arm, slowly closing the gaping wound left by the crystal sword.
Meanwhile, his left hand remained firm,gripping the crystal blue sword that once belonged to the woman.
The quasi spiritual weapon was now in his possession.
Yuan exhaled slowly, his voice barely above a whisper, hoarse with exhaustion.
"I won."
His vision blurred. His legs felt like they belonged to someone else. And yet… he moved forward.
there was no time for rest.
Step by step, he dragged himself forward,each step slow, deliberate,approaching the burned woman who now lay in ruins before him.