Chapter Twenty-Six: This Feeling, This Scene

"Boom!"

With Gu Han's simple punch, a deafening explosion of air erupted through the mountain forest, startling countless birds and beasts into flight.

In that instant, the invisible void before him seemed to shatter. The surrounding air was instantly crushed, then compressed and blasted outward in all directions, forming terrifying waves of force.

Countless dead branches and fallen leaves were swept up, along with tiny pebbles and sand. Rows of waist-high wild grass were flattened. The fierce gale kicked up by his fist wind was so strong that dozens of people nearby couldn't even open their eyes.

There was a saying: if your strength is great enough, your speed fast enough, and your contact area small enough, then even light could be shattered under your fist!

Gu Han's punch, though far from reaching that level, still carried a hint of that world-shattering meaning in this moment.

"Die!"

Gu Han growled under his breath. Beneath his brows, his jet-black eyes, like polished gems, were filled with chilling murderous intent. The terrifying divine strength within him—enough to grind stone to powder, crush iron to mud, and hurl an elephant across a river—exploded in an instant through his small right fist, propelling his body toward Wang Lang at a speed far beyond normal human reaction limits.

"No! No! How is this possible! How can you be this strong!"

Feeling the terrifying gale bearing down on him, Wang Lang's heart was flooded with boundless fear. A violent twitch pulsed deep between his brows. The instinct for danger that had been forged from a lifetime spent among wolves screamed at him relentlessly:

"Danger! Danger! Danger!"

Utmost danger!

Beneath that fist, a thought surged uncontrollably from the depths of his soul: no matter what, he could not dodge this punch, could not escape it.

As if fate itself had decreed that today he must die under this blow—no matter where he fled, no matter where he hid, he could not evade the doom of being obliterated by that fist.

"Awooo!"

At this critical moment, a wolf's howl—both defiant and terrified—burst from the maddened Wang Lang's throat.

Under the grip of overwhelming fear and unwillingness, Wang Lang felt his mind become clearer than ever before. Deep within his body, it seemed a flame had ignited, burning so fiercely that his entire being ached, searing his heart until it felt like he would be reduced to ash, to dust!

"Ahhh!"

Under that scorching heat, Wang Lang screamed in agony.

But the next moment...

Pfft!

A faint sound rang through the air. Upon the snow-white long blade in Wang Lang's hand, a thin layer of fiery red gas suddenly appeared.

The moment that gas emerged, the invisible air itself seemed to catch fire, crackling and radiating waves of heat. At the same time, Wang Lang's slash instantly surged in power—both strength and speed more than doubled.

"Oh? This is... Internal Qi?"

Watching the thin, fiery red gas on Wang Lang's blade, Gu Han's mind stirred, and a term surfaced in his thoughts.

Gu Han was no stranger to Internal Qi. Not only had he seen it in his past life, but in this life as well, he had witnessed the Abbot Ben Zhen and Arhat Hall's Chief Ben Guan use it. Moreover, among the miscellaneous books in Treasure Pearl Temple's Scripture Library, Gu Han had read many descriptions of Internal Qi.

So he was certain: the fiery red gas on Wang Lang's long blade was unmistakably Internal Qi!

"They say that between life and death lies great terror, but also great opportunity. When a person faces the brink of death, they can often unleash their latent potential—even a frail old woman might lift a thousand pounds.

It seems that saying is true. Who would have thought that, by some twist of fate, I would actually help Wang Lang break through to Internal Qi today? What an ironic blunder!"

Gu Han laughed bitterly to himself, but not a trace of worry showed on his face.

Blood Tempering? Internal Qi? What did it matter?

With his current strength—enough to rank among the top experts even in the Great Accomplishment of Internal Qi realm—

Whether it was Blood Tempering or Internal Qi, the difference to him was none at all. It was merely a matter of settling things with one punch instead of two.

If I want you dead, then dead you will be!

Gu Han's heart was cold, utterly dismissive.

But compared to Gu Han, Wang Lang, who had just broken through to Internal Qi, was clearly brimming with newfound confidence.

"Haha! Jingming, this general was stuck at Blood Tempering for years, unable to break through. Who would have thought that today, by some twist of fate, you would help me reach the Internal Qi realm? So, to thank you, I now grant you death!"

Wang Lang laughed loudly, his tone dripping with condescension. At the same time, he twisted his long blade. His body, which had been mid-swing, shifted direction at an impossible angle in midair. Then, a blade technique executed with exquisite precision flowed from his hands.

Shing!

A mournfully beautiful blade-light sliced through the air, a snow-white ribbon tearing through the void like a waning crescent moon hanging high in the night sky—elegant, distant, and brimming with killing intent.

Blood Tempering Realm martial technique—Crescent Moon Saber Technique!

"Haha! Die!"

Under Wang Lang's mad and cruel gaze, his long blade finally closed in on Gu Han.

Then, under the tense eyes of the crowd, the two clashed.

Pop!

A sound like a bubble bursting rang out. In that instant, Gu Han's fist suddenly opened into a palm, slamming fiercely against Wang Lang's long blade. The fiery red Internal Qi shield—tough enough to rival refined steel armor—shattered on contact.

Without slowing, his palm landed on the blade's surface—a weapon forged by a master craftsman from the Western Regions, sharp enough to slice through iron like mud.

Clang!

Another metallic clash echoed through the air. Gu Han's palm exerted force, and the tens of thousands of jin of divine power in his single arm exploded forth, snapping the snow-white long blade in two. At the same time, his left fist shot out, slamming hard into Wang Lang's unprotected body, which was only covered by a thin layer of Internal Qi.

Thud!

A dull impact sounded across the battlefield. The next moment, everyone saw Wang Lang—who had just been so imposing, declaring he would kill Gu Han—suddenly sent flying sideways off the ground.

Like a broken doll, he tumbled backward through the air, spitting blood continuously. He flew dozens of meters, smashing through countless trees before finally crashing to the ground. There, he lay still, utterly lifeless.

The scene was just as it had been, over a decade ago.