Intense Battle

The full moon was serene, and the summer night grassland was strangely silent, with no chirping of crickets. Only the night wind blew, rustling the leaves, the friction sound exceptionally clear.

Under the moonlight, the two stood in a delicate balance, confronting each other.

You Su's surprise attack had succeeded by sheer luck, and he dared not attack again, merely adopting a sword stance to await a counterattack.

True Man Ling, his pupils red, stared fixedly at You Su, wishing he could hack him into a thousand pieces. His once kind face had become ferocious and terrifying.

But True Man Ling was not blinded by rage; on the contrary, he was exceptionally calm at this moment.

Recalling the young man's series of actions just now, one had to admire his acting. First, he feigned weakness to make me lower my guard, then he managed to get me to touch him, and finally, he seized the moment when my hands were extended in defense to launch a surprise attack. This plan could not be called anything but insidious. To think that I, who am always scheming against others, would actually be successfully schemed against one day.

True Man Ling tapped his chest three times with a "pa pa pa," stopping the bleeding. This sword strike had not yet injured his internal organs, but it had caused some damage. True Man Ling did not rush to attack; he sneered and asked, "When did you figure it out?"

"The first glance." You Su tightened his grip on his sword, standing ready.

"Oh? Why?"

"I used to raise dogs. That Lantern Ghost didn't look at you like it was seeing an enemy, but like it was seeing its master."

"Heh, is that all?" True Man Ling flicked his sleeve.

"The person the Lantern Ghost ate, I knew him. He was Uncle-Master He from the Sky Guard Sect."

True Man Ling froze for a moment, seemingly surprised by this answer, and exclaimed, "Weren't you blind since childhood? How could you have seen that fool?"

"I am indeed blind, but Uncle-Master He wasn't always foolish. When he offended my Master at the age of seven, he came to apologize. Master called him 'little bald bug' back then because not only was he bald, but he also had a dragon tattooed on his head. Though I never saw it, I remembered it." You Su spoke slowly, tilting his head slightly, trying to hear any subtle movements from True Man Ling more clearly. "I imagine your junior brother wouldn't just happen to be called 'little bald bug' too, would he?"

True Man Ling suddenly smiled with relief. He truly hadn't expected that he had deliberately chosen a reclusive, foolish cultivator to act out a scene, only for You Su to recognize him. This also proved a fact: this blind man had seen through his true nature at their first meeting and had been playing along all this time, just to betray him today.

"Kid, you've really given me a lot of surprises."

"You flatter me, True Man. Compared to the surprises you were going to give me, this is nothing." You Su remained neither servile nor overbearing.

"You Su, do you know, if you had obediently listened to me, your family would have merely suffered a bit, dying silently in this soundproof formation. But now, things won't be so pleasant."

True Man Ling's smile turned sinister. His face suddenly became ghastly pale, his lips and eyes splitting slightly at the corners. An old, withered face peeled away, revealing a desiccated face beneath covered in dark, blood-red lines, like it was crawling with leeches.

"I will turn you into a human pig! No! I will keep your ears! I will make you listen day and night, listen to the screams of your Junior Sister and Mistress being violated by those low-level Malevolent Spirits. How delightful..."

You Su didn't give True Man Ling a chance to continue. He had gathered his strength, and his sword, full of power, pierced through the air with a tearing sound, aiming straight for True Man Ling's heart.

True Man Ling didn't stop his frenzied laughter, his torn mouth almost reaching his ears. He formed a hand seal with his left hand, his withered fingers like dead branches, and an invisible force erupted, causing You Su's movement to momentarily halt. With his right hand, he formed a sword with two fingers and deflected You Su's powerful sword strike from the side.

In the blink of an eye, True Man Ling's fingers, which had brushed against the sword, felt a sting. He was inwardly astonished; this kid's sword possessed a quality no less than that of a spiritual sword. He truly could no longer fathom this blind man.

But on his face, he maintained a smile as if victory was assured. "What? Can't stand to hear any more? You'll have plenty to hear in the future. I've watched your Junior Sister from afar..."

Before he could finish speaking, You Su's next sword strike arrived.

You Su was not foolish; he could tell that True Man Ling was deliberately provoking him, and he had to admit, True Man Ling had succeeded.

True Man Ling quickly retreated, preparing to form another hand seal, but You Su, acutely aware of the advantage of a Sword Cultivator, pressed his attack relentlessly, leaving him no opening.

The first time he had his sword taken away, True Man Ling had merely considered him somewhat talented. It was only now, being forced into such a difficult position, that he realized You Su, holding a sword, was absolutely not to be underestimated.

True Man Ling produced a talisman from his right hand and shouted, "Explode!"

A powerful explosion erupted between them, kicking up a large amount of sand and broken grass. When the dust settled, True Man Ling's gaunt figure suddenly became extraordinarily tall, his entire body covered in explosive, blood-red muscles. Combined with his narrow head, it was extremely grotesque.

True Man Ling felt the surging power throughout his body, his expression a mixture of pain and ecstasy.

He had tamed three Malevolent Spirits in total. The Lantern Ghost and the Dream Centipede were both of the dream realm, used by him to bewitch people. This flesh-and-blood type, the Red Meat Ghost, he had hidden within his own body, feeding it with his own flesh and blood daily, so that it could possess him at a critical moment and grant him a powerful physical body. This body could even conceal his own aura.

True Man Ling grew somewhat angry. He shifted his feet slightly, and his person instantly vanished, his speed several times faster than before!

Before You Su could react, a steel fist, carrying a foul stench, arrived at his cheek, sending him flying backward. You Su quickly righted himself, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He couldn't understand why True Man Ling had undergone such a sudden and drastic change, his senses unable to keep up. Everything had still been within his calculations just moments ago.

But True Man Ling gave him no time to think. A storm of fists relentlessly shattered You Su's defenses. Even the sharpest sword was useless now; You Su was being pushed back step by step.

In an instant, You Su was astonished to find that a fierce, blood-red figure appeared in his murky vision, just like the moment he had first seen the Lantern Ghost! He knew, this was True Man Ling! He was indeed an evil cultivator who nurtured and utilized the power of Malevolent Spirits!

True Man Ling stopped, looking down at You Su with disdain, like he was watching a lamb destined for slaughter. For his next punch, he decided to control his strength, ensuring this brat would be unable to rise again. But this time, the unstoppable fist did not land squarely on You Su.

You Su had actually dodged it! At this moment, You Su had flipped behind True Man Ling and swung his sword at the True Man, but the blow felt like it struck steel, failing to penetrate even a millimeter.

True Man Ling waved his large hand, sending You Su flying while simultaneously whipping up a gust of chilling wind. He was no longer prepared to give the young man any more chances, unleashing a fierce offensive like a mountain collapsing and the sea roaring.

You Su, however, was like a grasshopper in the fields, always lightly dodging his attacks. True Man Ling was puzzled; why had this kid suddenly become so agile? It wasn't until his hidden, extremely yin-infused punch was also dodged that he couldn't help but ask:

"Can you see me, you bastard?"

It was then that True Man Ling was shocked to discover that You Su's eyes were now completely black, with no discernible pupils or whites.

In the dimly lit night, True Man Ling felt that he was the truly strange one.