Before he finished speaking, Jiang Fan brought his palm down in a backhand strike.
Ling Wuchen instinctively raised his sword to block, but the force of that palm descended like a mountain. He and his sword were sent flying backward, his feet plowing two deep furrows in the ground.
Seeing Ling Wuchen driven back, Zhu Jiuyang hurried forward to support him.
Rather than retreating, Jiang Fan advanced to meet him.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Streaks of pale golden sword qi shot from his fingertips like a dense shower of rain.
Each streak struck precisely at Zhu Jiuyang and Ling Wuchen's weakest points...
The longer they fought, the more alarmed they became...
They felt as though Jiang Fan were a bottomless abyss. No matter how hard they pushed, they could not force him to reveal even the slightest opening...
Dozens of exchanges later.
"Hah!"
Zhu Jiuyang roared again, gathering the flames in his palm into a dazzling fireball before hurling it down.
Jiang Fan closed one hand around it, catching the fireball outright.
"What?"
Zhu Jiuyang stared in horror, almost convinced his eyes were deceiving him.
That was Lihuo essence he had condensed with all his strength, hot enough to melt gold and crack stone.
Yet Jiang Fan seemed entirely unaffected. He curled his fingers and crushed the flames out of existence.
Zhu Jiuyang and Ling Wuchen exchanged a glance, then both drifted backward.
A moment later, Zhu Jiuyang spoke gravely.
"Brother Jiang!"
"We still have one final move!"
"If you can withstand it, we'll willingly concede and offer you our Qi Luck Orbs!"
Jiang Fan smiled faintly.
"Come!"
Zhu Jiuyang clenched his teeth and slammed his hands together, spiritual power surging from his entire body like blazing flames.
Ling Wuchen took a deep breath and slowly raised his longsword overhead,