Nie Yong's mind raced as Yang Kai looked at him in confusion. His hands were clenched into fists, and his teeth ground together as the words finally escaped his mouth.
"How the fuck can't you recognize me? I am the one that attacked you in your own house the other day!"
Yang Kai blinked, his expression morphing from confusion to disbelief. "You?! There's no way that was you!" His eyes narrowed as he scrutinized Nie Yong. "You look totally different. That guy was much uglier!"
The words hit Nie Yong like a slap across the face, each syllable laced with the sting of insult. He froze, staring at Yang Kai, his face twitching as the words resonated in his mind.
"Was I really that ugly before?"
The thought burned at him, but he quickly shoved it aside.
"Well..." Nie Yong muttered, his expression turning darker, his aura shifting. He began gathering energy in his palms, spectral green flames beginning to flicker to life around his hands. "Whether you believe it or not, it doesn't matter. I'm still gonna beat your ass!"
With those words, Nie Yong shot forward, propelled by the weight of his anger and the resolve to prove Yang Kai wrong.
Yang Kai wasn't about to let him have the first move. His figure blurred as he quickly stepped forward, his cultivation surging. A dark pulse of Yin Qi began to swirl around his hand, coalescing into a smooth, black energy blade. The blade crackled with dark energy, its sharp edges gleaming. The sword emitted an aura of overwhelming malevolence as Yang Kai shouted, "Yin Blade!"
The sword of black energy pulsed with an almost liquid-like fluidity, its shape shifting and contorting as it sliced through the air, distorting everything in its path. With a determined look, Yang Kai rushed at Nie Yong, his blade cutting through the silence.
But just as the two closed the distance, Nie Yong vanished.
"Phantom Gale Wrath: Phantom Breeze Step!"
In the next instant, Nie Yong reappeared behind Yang Kai, his expression fierce and focused.
"Phantom Gale Wrath: Phantom Blaze Palm!" He roared, the energy around him pulsing as he swiftly closed the gap. His palm, glowing with green spectral flame, surged forward.
His palm slammed into Yang Kai's back, sending a wave of fiery pain rippling through his body. The green flames burned intensely, not only scorching Yang Kai's skin but even his willpower, leaving him slightly disoriented.
Yang Kai grunted, the sudden strike causing him to stumble forward. The pain radiated through his body, the ghostly energy seeping into his muscles. "Tch..." he spat, the sting of the flames registering.
But the moment he regained his footing, Yang Kai immediately spun around, his Yin Blade still crackling with dark power.
Nie Yong stood with his palms still burning with spectral green flames, his stance poised for another attack. He was eager to land the next blow and finish the fight, but something about Yang Kai's sudden composure gave him pause.
As Yang Kai steadied himself, his dark Yin Qi swirling around him like a storm, a deep voice echoed in his mind.
"My disciple... this kid... he is very, very strong... so don't rush at him carelessly... think two steps ahead... analyze... strategize..."
Yang Kai's expression shifted into one of quiet focus. He could feel the weight of his master's words reverberate through his body. He knew that, despite his own strength, Nie Yong was not someone to be taken lightly, especially in such a volatile confrontation.
"Yes, master!" Yang Kai mentally responded with a determination that made his entire body tense with energy.
He straightened, his eyes narrowing, the previous chaotic rush of battle subsiding into a more calculated focus. For the first time in a while, he was about to try something he had never been able to do before.
With a calm breath, Yang Kai exhaled slowly, letting the dark energy surrounding him condense into a single, sharp point of focus. He raised his sword, the blade crackling with the same malevolent energy that had defined his Yin Qi. Without hesitation, he planted the blade into the ground.
"Dark Abyssal Sword Art..." Yang Kai shouted with resolve, his voice echoing across the field.
The ground beneath him trembled as the black sword hummed with a sinister power. A pulse of deep, oppressive Yin Qi surged from the blade, and in an instant, the entire area around them became engulfed in a suffocating veil of pitch-black darkness.
"Abyssal Veil."
The darkness spread like an unholy tide, swallowing the world around them. It consumed the very air, casting a terrifying shadow over the battlefield. Even the faintest glimmer of light was choked out, leaving only a smothering void.
Within this shroud, Nie Yong's eyes went wide with shock. The green flames around his hands sputtered in the darkness, their flickering light completely extinguished. He reached out, but his hands brushed nothing but air—an endless sea of black.
A pulse of oppressive Yin Qi filled the air, sending a chill down his spine. The very presence of the darkness seemed to gnaw at his senses, dulling his perceptions. It was as though the very atmosphere conspired against him, rendering everything a disorienting blur.
Nie Yong gritted his teeth, his breathing slowing as he tried to adapt to the oppressive shroud. But no matter how he strained, his spiritual senses were utterly useless. The darkness clouded his vision, and even his enhanced perception was rendered useless by the eerie silence that pressed in on him.
But the despite the situation, Nie Yong was thrilled. "This... this is amazing! If I can copy this technique, I'll be completely unstoppable!"
"Yang Kai sure has found a good teacher!"
To be continued...
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So how was this chapter? Trying to make Yang Kai stronger that in my old fic, to make it more challenging for Nie Yong since you all know just how OP Nie Yong becomes later (too much).
Hope y'all a good day!