In terms of the intricacy of his moves, he was no longer inferior to Yang Sheng. In terms of control over his body, he was even above Yang Sheng!
But there was an insurmountable chasm between him and Yang Sheng: cultivation of primordial qi.
His attacks landed on Yang Sheng, yet they could not break through Yang Sheng's Qi-Blood Manifestation!
"Even if my Great Furnace Transformation breaks through to the fourth level now, I still won't be able to break his qi-blood defense. His body is like it has grown a thick layer of Crocodile Dragon Hide!"
Su Yun retreated, evading Yang Sheng's attack.
The Great Furnace Transformation: Qi Cultivation Chapter was divided into an upper and lower section. The upper section cultivated qi, nurturing primordial qi and circulating qi and blood. As primordial qi traveled with the blood throughout the body, it gradually strengthened the physique.
Yet the upper section's primary purpose was still to raise one's primordial qi cultivation.
The lower section of Great Furnace Transformation, Crocodile Dragon's Roar, was where one put what one had learned to use, applying primordial qi cultivation in combat and slaughter.
Beyond its use in battle and killing, Crocodile Dragon's Roar could also strengthen the physique, bringing immense improvement to the body.
The three attainments of Crocodile Dragon's Roar—Thunderclap, Manifestation, and Materialization—were all effects brought about by qi and blood strengthening the physique.
The lower section improved the physique many times faster and many times better than the upper section.
Once Crocodile Dragon's Roar reached its third attainment, the body was nearly as tough as Crocodile Dragon Hide. Even a blade strike would inflict only a minor wound that broke the skin.
That was why Su Yun's attacks could not injure Yang Sheng.
In the small grove, Yang Sheng pressed forward step by step, all manner of Unbound Moves emerging one after another.
Su Yun retreated continuously, likewise using Unbound Moves to defend himself. Yang Sheng's attacks grew faster and faster, while Su Yun's Unbound Moves became increasingly practiced. Yet no matter how exquisite his techniques became, he could not harm Yang Sheng.
The force coming from Yang Sheng's fists and feet grew stronger and stronger, forcing Su Yun to retreat continuously to dissipate it. His arms and legs became increasingly numb from the shocks, and bruises covered the surface of his skin.
"Junior Brother, your aptitude truly exceeds my expectations!"
Yang Sheng attacked wildly, his voice carrying through peals of thunder. "No wonder Mister Shuijing stayed here to teach you! Anyone worthy of making him willingly spend ten days of his time must indeed possess extraordinary aptitude—greater even than mine!"
Su Yun took one of his Unbound Moves head-on. His qi and blood churned from the impact, and he staggered backward. Yang Sheng immediately seized the opening and struck his chest with another Unbound Move.
With a ripping sound, Su Yun's clothing tore open across his chest, exposing several deep claw marks in his skin.
"Even Mister Shuijing admires your aptitude. By all rights, as your senior student, I ought to cherish talent." Yang Sheng swept a kick over with a whoosh, his qi and blood transforming into a Crocodile Dragon's Tail Sweep.
Su Yun shifted his steps and dodged, knowing that Yang Sheng's following half-move would certainly be the Unbound Move Crocodile Dragon Emerges from the Abyss. Yet Su Yun's arms were weak and sore. Though he knew the move full well, he could not block it, and Yang Sheng's half-move Crocodile Dragon Emerges from the Abyss seized him by the shoulder.
The muscles and tendons in Su Yun's shoulder twitched, but he lacked the strength to knock Yang Sheng's hand away.
Yang Sheng exerted force with his five fingers, wrenching tendons and dislocating bones. He dislocated Su Yun's right shoulder and twisted the major tendons there, then laughed. "But I suddenly realized—if I let you live, won't that mean one more competitor?"
Su Yun grunted dully and forcibly broke free from him, retreating swiftly like a Crocodile Dragon withdrawing into the abyss.
Yang Sheng came whistling toward him, like a giant crocodile riding a flood as it crashed forward.
Su Yun knew his next attack would still be Crocodile Dragon's Tail Sweep, yet he had no strength left to block it.
"There are already enough competitors in Shuofang City!" Primordial qi churned violently within Yang Sheng's chest, producing a Crocodile Dragon Thunderclap.
Just as Su Yun expected, Yang Sheng used another half-move of Crocodile Dragon's Tail Sweep. Su Yun could only raise his dislocated right shoulder to take the blow head-on, and Yang Sheng sent his entire body flying.
Bang!
He crashed into a large tree, and agonizing pain surged from his right shoulder.
Su Yun slid down to sit on the ground. He clenched his teeth without making a sound, but tears slipped from the corners of his eyes from the pain.
Since going blind, he had suffered far too much—tripping, hitting his head, falling into pits, being ridiculed and cursed by "people." Over the years, he had learned to endure pain.
He knew crying out would not make him feel any better, and tears were not useful in the slightest. They would only invite mockery and taunts.
But this injury hurt too much.
"With one fewer competitor, I'll have one more chance to climb upward!"
Yang Sheng charged in again. All kinds of Unbound Moves erupted from his fists and feet. To Su Yun's senses, Yang Sheng's qi-blood and momentum resembled a Crocodile Dragon with four or five heads and numerous tails—powerful, twisted, and bizarre!
Su Yun struggled to his feet and faced that ever-growing monstrous creature head-on, but he no longer had the strength to contend with Yang Sheng.
"Don't kill Brother Xiaoyun!"
Su Yun heard Qingqiu Yue's voice, then saw a little Crocodile Dragon sent flying by the Crocodile Dragon monster.
"Brother Xiaoyun, run!"
Su Yun heard Li Xiaofan's voice, then saw a little Crocodile Dragon charge forward, only to be trampled beneath the Crocodile Dragon monster's foot, vomiting blood without end.
"Xiaoyun, live and avenge us and Huqiu Village!" Flower Fox's voice rang out.
He saw another little Crocodile Dragon pounce upon the Crocodile Dragon monster's legs, then saw a fourth Crocodile Dragon climb onto the monster's back.
He knew they were Flower Fox and Bu Ping. He knew they were desperately buying him time to escape.
Su Yun felt a tearing pain in his heart and a scorching burn in his lungs. His eyes suddenly turned sore and swollen, tears flowing down, yet he still could not see anything.
He could only continue to "see" that enormous Crocodile Dragon monster through its qi-blood and momentum, watching it beat the two little Crocodile Dragons until they vomited blood and their bodies twisted.
He panted heavily as he "saw" the enormous Crocodile Dragon monster leap into the air, sprouting more heads and more tails as it lunged at him!
Yang Sheng's Crocodile Dragon's Roar was nearly perfect, powerful enough to drive one into despair!
Su Yun forcibly raised his nearly ruined right arm and flung it hard. His primordial qi and blood surged against his dislocated arm, forcibly driving the bones back into place and restoring the displaced tendons!
The unprecedented pain made him cry out hoarsely.
The cry seemed capable of helping him break through his fear of death, bringing to his mind the scene of the Divine Crocodile Undergoes Tribulation and the Immortal Sword Smites Divine Crocodile.
That was his nightmare.
As his agonized cry rang out, the Immortal Sword from that nightmare came flying once more.
"Ah—"
Su Yun swung up his right arm. His arm seemed to overlap with that Immortal Sword as it met the vicious, ferocious Crocodile Dragon monster with its many heads and tails!
His right arm used none of the Unbound Moves of Crocodile Dragon's Roar. It simply slashed straight across.
This slash was utterly ordinary, yet it passed through the gaps between Yang Sheng's Crocodile Dragon's Roar Unbound Moves.
Yang Sheng's techniques shifted again and again, yet he failed to stop this sword strike.
"Is this swordsmanship?"
Yang Sheng looked puzzled. "Did Mister Shuijing teach it to him?"
The blade edge of Su Yun's right palm struck his throat. Yang Sheng heard a crack, and his expression changed slightly.
Using his right arm as a sword, Su Yun swept through with the force of crushing dry weeds and rotten wood. He pulverized Yang Sheng's protective qi-blood, severed the cartilage of his Adam's apple, and cut through his vocal cords.
Yang Sheng heard the whistle of wind again. It was the sound caused by the rupture of the great arteries on either side of his Adam's apple, as qi and blood struck his eardrums.
Then he heard another crack. It was the sound of Su Yun's palm blade cutting through his throat and striking his fourth cervical vertebra.
The cartilage connecting his fourth cervical vertebra to the third and fifth vertebrae was violently shattered by the force of this sword strike!
As the force of Su Yun's sword strike settled in, Yang Sheng's fourth cervical vertebra protruded two inches and four-tenths from the back of his neck.
Bang!
His body slammed into a tree beside him. Struck by his fourth cervical vertebra, the bark on the far side of the tree suddenly exploded, as though it had been sliced open by a sharp blade.
The tree shook violently with a rustling roar, and countless leaves drifted down.
He raised a hand to clutch his throat, but darkness filled his vision.
Mister Shuijing was biased. He taught him a sword technique that breaks Crocodile Dragon's Roar... The thought in his mind gradually dimmed as blood ceased to flow.
Yang Sheng's eyes widened. His corpse slid limply down the tree and collapsed into a sitting position on the ground.
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