By any normal reckoning of the battle, with his true qi protection gone, Yang Jing's fist should have been sliced apart instantly by the sixth strand of sword qi, flesh torn open and tendons and bones severed.
The sword qi might even have continued upward along his arm, cutting the entire limb apart inch by inch.
However monstrous Yang Jing's physical strength was, however terrifying his power, he was still flesh and blood!
Even amid his wild delight, He Jiugang retained his caution and reason, not daring to underestimate his opponent.
He knew how formidable Yang Jing was, knew that his body far surpassed an ordinary person's and could not be compared to that of an average martial artist.
An ordinary person would suffer grievous injuries once their true qi shattered, but he dared not assume Yang Jing would be the same.
He had already prepared himself for what would follow. He did not expect the remaining two strands of sword qi to cripple Yang Jing's arm outright. So long as they broke his skin, sliced his tendons and bones, and left wounds that weakened his fighting strength-preferably shaking his composure as well-that would be a tremendous result, greatly improving his chances of victory.
As long as Yang Jing was injured, he could gradually seize the initiative in the rest of the fight!
But the very next second, the sight before him froze the delight on He Jiugang's face!
The sixth brilliant, razor-sharp strand of lethal sword qi slashed viciously down upon Yang Jing's bare, unprotected fist!
The expected sight of torn flesh, severed tendons and bones, and spraying blood never appeared!
Instead, there came the piercing yet heavy, muffled clang of metal striking metal!
Clang!
A ringing crash erupted, like tempered steel striking tempered steel, metal and stone colliding!