Fierce Battle (2)

You Su was unaware of the changes happening to his eyes. He only felt a slight burning sensation, but this minor discomfort was nothing compared to the countless wounds on his body.

At this very moment, he was anxiously contemplating how to break through True Man Ling's flesh shield. Simply dodging wouldn't lead him to victory.

Meanwhile, True Man Ling's heart was in turmoil. He had cultivated for over a hundred years, constantly exposed to malevolent spirits captured by his master since reaching the Meridian Opening stage. He was all too familiar with that foul, putrid evil energy. You Su's eyes were undoubtedly possessed by an evil entity!

But when did the Dream Centipede gain the ability to alter human eyes? Although it held considerable authority from the Dream Master, it possessed almost no combat power. Its only specialty was inflicting bizarre dreamscapes upon its host, which was why he could tame and control it.

What confused True Man Ling even more was that the Red Meat Ghost on his body was only visible to those in the Condensing Water Realm. You Su should have only seen the Dream Centipede he had planted in him. The familiars of these two malevolent spirits were different, so why could You Su see them?

In a flash, You Su launched his attack. True Man Ling's body was covered in these grotesque, bloody muscles, with only one area left unprotected: his head.

This was also the flaw of True Man Ling's current form. If his head were also possessed by the Red Meat Ghost, he would lose consciousness and become food for it.

You Su's sword strike was imbued with his full strength, even drawing upon the Mystic Qi of heaven and earth. In his own words, the essence of this strike was extraordinary. True Man Ling, naturally, wouldn't let You Su succeed so easily, crossing his arms to block You Su's leaping sword attack.

However, this time was different from before; he wasn't unharmed. He clearly felt a tearing sensation in his arm.

This is insane! How can a blind boy from some remote town possess such high swordsmanship? What realm is this kid even in? He's already touched the threshold of sword intent? Damn it all!

True Man Ling was enraged. He grabbed You Su's wrist with one hand and struck the arm holding the sword with his palm. He intended to replicate the move You Su used to disarm him the first time they met! It was even more vicious than before. Using the immense power of this physical body, he even managed to deliver a fierce kick towards You Su's chest!

You Su regretted leaping into the air to strike. He had given his opponent an opportunity to seize his arm. Despite his excellent swordsmanship, he couldn't overcome the sheer difference in power. His right hand was pinned, unable to move, and he still had to face that earth-shattering kick.

At the critical moment, You Su gritted his teeth and released the Ink Pine Sword. He kicked True Man Ling's leg, using the immense force to twist his body. He completely disregarded the contorted pain in his right arm; no amount of agony could stop his resolve to kill True Man Ling.

He spun like a top, using the momentum to cling to True Man Ling's arm and deliver a kick with all his might towards True Man Ling's vulnerable face.

A powerful impact shot up from You Su's instep. As expected, True Man Ling was sent flying backward, releasing his grip on You Su.

You Su flipped and landed, extending his left hand to catch the Ink Pine Sword that had been released. This was all part of his plan! A single kick wouldn't kill True Man Ling; only his sword could!

The moment he caught the sword, You Su erupted with astonishing speed, pursuing True Man Ling's collapsing form. All the Mystic Qi in his body surged into his left hand and flowed into the sword. This was the most ferocious strike of the Mandarin Sword, a killing move he had practiced countless times! Today, it would be used, and even with his non-dominant hand, its power was undiminished!

The surrounding Mystic Qi vibrated intensely in response to the sword's might. With a swish, You Su plunged the sword, imbued with his full strength, into True Man Ling's head. For the first time, the sensation of the blade slicing through flesh felt intoxicating.

You Su collapsed onto the ground, utterly spent. His right arm hung limply, as if dislocated. His hair was disheveled, his body covered in blood. Under the cold moonlight, he resembled a deadly beast.

I actually did it...

You Su wanted to laugh heartily, and he also wanted to weep uncontrollably, but he was too exhausted to even muster the energy to make a facial expression.

"I painstakingly raised this Red Meat Ghost for sixty years, making me neither human nor ghost, and you just killed it like that! How are you going to compensate me?!"

A heart-wrenching roar suddenly erupted. True Man Ling wasn't dead!

You Su flinched like a startled bird. He then realized that what was under his sword wasn't True Man Ling's head, but a solid monster, entirely blood-red and covered in grotesque flesh, with no eyes! You Su quickly looked up to find the source of the voice, but saw only chaos.

You Su understood instantly. In the moment of life and death, True Man Ling had dispelled the malevolent spirit's possession and let the spirit on his body take the fatal blow. That's why You Su, who could only see the malevolent spirit, couldn't see him now, just like at the beginning of the fight.

You Su had no choice but to rely on his senses to locate him. But how could he, having overexerted himself, possibly detect True Man Ling's figure?

At that moment, thick, scarlet liquid began to spread across the ground, encircling You Su. He struggled to rise, wildly slashing with his left hand, but as soon as the liquid was cut, it would immediately reform.

True Man Ling slowly emerged from the darkness, his grotesque face bearing a massive footprint. He spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm, his eyes drooping, and snarled, "Fight, aren't you good at fighting?"

You Su ignored True Man Ling's words. The liquid clung to him like a leech, firmly binding his limbs and rendering him immobile.

"Did you think you could save them by giving it your all? Did you think you were so clever, seeing through everything and setting a trap for me? Unfortunately, I'm not like those fools who only know how to refine Qi!" True Man Ling grinned, revealing yellow teeth stained with blood foam. He laughed wantonly. "Do you know the cost of nurturing a Red Meat Ghost! But it's okay, I've already figured out how you'll compensate me."

"Among the flesh-and-blood malevolent spirits, many are only interested in female cultivators... I'll offer your Junior Sister and Mistress to them. After they've been devoured, I'll attach the malevolent spirits to you."

"That way, you can become my new pet... and you'll never be separated from your Junior Sister and Mistress, either in consciousness or in body..." True Man Ling closed his eyes and took a deep breath with his arms spread wide, as if embracing this delightful world. "You'll have to thank me properly in the future."

You Su gritted his teeth so hard his molars nearly shattered. A single drop of blood-red tear seeped from his pitch-black eye sockets.

He couldn't see True Man Ling's triumphant smirk, yet he stared intently as if he could see right through him. He recalled the face that appeared when True Man Ling transformed, vowing to remember this beast forever! He would seek revenge for all eternity, without end!

Someone, please help me, sob sob