Killing

"Die, old thief!"

Fang Yuan roared, his back muscles twisting like a roc spreading its wings.

Immense power surged from his back to his arms, then from his arms to his elbows, wrists, and finally to his fingertips.

Crack! Crack!

His joints popped like levers, multiplying the original force several times over.

"Eagle Claw Hand!"

Lin Leyue watched the scene, her heart pounding uncontrollably.

She had seen masters of the Eagle Claw Iron Cloth Shirt, like Yu Qiuleng, from her sect in action. But she had to admit, apart from his deeper cultivation, Fang Yuan's aura and spirit immediately surpassed Yu Qiuleng's.

Is this still the Brother Fang from before?

Lin Leyue's beautiful eyes darted about, lost in thought.

"He's... he's actually so..."

Xiao Qing's mouth hung open, completely abandoning any pretense of ladylike composure.

Only one thought occupied her mind: If this... this Fang Yuan had unleashed his full power back then, I wouldn't have survived.

In truth, she overestimated Fang Yuan.

At that time, Fang Yuan's mastery of the Eagle Claw Skill was far from as sharp as it was now. Fortunately, with the system by his side, his martial arts progress was nothing short of a thousand miles a day.

Descriptions like "a scholar should be looked at with new eyes after three days" were perfectly fitting for him.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The claw wind howled, piercingly sharp. Even before the attack landed, the rushing gale stung their faces.

"Good kid!"

Song Zhong sighed repeatedly, his face flushing red again. He moved his hands, forming a curtain of wind. "Demonic Wind Hand!"

Bang!

The Eagle Claw met the palm, and an astonishing qi explosion erupted.

Swish!

Amidst the flying dust, Fang Yuan's figure shot out, only to land steadily on the ground, a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth.

"Your internal qi... and your stamina, how can they be so strong?"

Song Zhong stood rooted to the spot, a look of bewilderment on his face. He then sneered, "Too bad... no matter how strong you are, you can never bridge the gap in cultivation level... cough cough..."

Mid-sentence, he spat out another mouthful of purplish-black blood.

"If you were a normal expert of the Six Gates, I would naturally flee... but old dog, how much longer can your body hold out?"

Fang Yuan rotated the joints of his palm, producing crisp cracking sounds.

He had heard of the Return to Life Pill's fame; it could only heal injuries once and maintain peak condition. However, the injuries sustained by Elder Li later, and even the attacks from Lin Leyue and the others before, were not without value.

"Old... old dog?!"

Song Zhong was stunned, and even Lin Leyue's eyes widened.

"You... brat, you're dead!"

Song Zhong's seven orifices were steaming with rage. As a pampered hero of the Seven Gates of Martial Arts, when had he ever been so humiliated?

Even when he was expelled from the sect before, it was a matter of disagreement leading to bloodshed.

But this brat dared to insult him so openly?

Even Lin Leyue found it hard to believe, feeling as if the world had drastically changed.

"Haha... old dog, it's not certain who will live and who will die yet!"

Fang Yuan laughed heartily and charged forward, giving Song Zhong no chance to recover. "Behold my Eagle Claw Barrage!"

Song Zhong was nearing his limit, but his foundation was still intact. If he were given a little time to recover, none of them would be a match for an internal qi practitioner.

Therefore, the only secret to victory was to press the attack relentlessly!

In this regard, Fang Yuan was very confident!

After all, he possessed nearly twice the normal person's Essence, which translated to extremely powerful recovery and stamina.

Moreover, the combined internal qi from the Black Sand Palm and the Eagle Claw Iron Cloth Shirt, both at the fifth level, was enough to help him close the gap slightly.

Chiff! Chiff!

The claw wind tore through the air, sharp as a scream.

"Impossible, how can you recover so quickly?"

A hint of surprise flashed across Song Zhong's face. He suddenly gritted his teeth. "Trying to wear me down?"

His face, once as red as blood, now began to ooze blood beads from his pores. "Blood Demon Dissolution, Soul Incineration!"

This was his ultimate secret technique, capable of suppressing injuries and boosting his final burst of strength. He had used it once before to kill Elder Li, and using it again this time placed an even heavier burden on him, making his body feel like a tattered sack.

"Die! Demonic Wind Hand -- Blood Palm!"

Song Zhong suddenly lunged forward. Blood seeped from the pores of his right hand, transforming into a crimson palm print that collided with Eagle Claw Hand from a distance.

BANG!

Amidst another deafening roar, Fang Yuan was sent flying backward. His expression changed, and he spat out a large mouthful of blood. "That was exhilarating!"

His eyes burned with fervor, and he lunged forward again. "Again!"

"This kid... is he a lunatic?!"

He had to admit, this suicidal fighting style made even Song Zhong a little fearful.

WHOOSH WHOOSH!

At this moment, sounds of people could be heard from outside, accompanied by the sound of clothing tearing through the air. Clearly, experts were rushing over at full speed.

Song Zhong's expression shifted. He turned and fled directly, disappearing into the dense jungle.

In the current situation, he could no longer kill this pair of 'adulterous lovers'. He could only lie low and wait for an opportunity.

After all, within seven days, there would surely be another chance. Especially with this young man in front of him being so troublesome, he didn't have much confidence in taking him down without recovering some strength.

"Where do you think you're going!"

Seeing Song Zhong about to escape, Fang Yuan shouted and, ignoring the gasps from behind him, immediately gave chase.

How could he possibly let the other party get away?

Even though he knew the properties of the Return to Life Pill, this world was too vast. He couldn't guarantee that Song Zhong wouldn't have some fortuitous encounter and return with a vengeance. Until he saw Song Zhong die with his own eyes, Fang Yuan would never be at ease.

And was there a better opportunity than the present?

At this moment, the opponent's combat power was undoubtedly at its lowest. He couldn't even take down a mere fifth-level Fang Yuan immediately. This was the perfect time to kill him.

If he missed this chance, he might not get another.

SWISH SWISH!

Deep within the mountain forest, the two figures, one after the other, ran for an unknown distance.

"This old ghost truly has endless stamina. I wonder if it's due to some pill?"

Seeing that the distance wasn't closing but rather widening, Fang Yuan felt speechless.

"Old dog, don't you want to know how your precious son died?"

He glanced around, his eyes darting, and then shouted.

"What?"

As expected, upon hearing this, Song Zhong, who had been fleeing wildly, froze as if struck by lightning. He slowly turned around, his sharp eyes fixed on Fang Yuan. "What do you know? Speak quickly!"

They were still some distance away from the main group. Even if he was delayed for a little while, it would be enough to escape. This concerned the true culprit, and Song Zhong immediately made up his mind.

"Who killed that little mongrel... hehe..."

Song Zhong stopped, but Fang Yuan's footsteps didn't slow. He caught up, forming his hands into eagle claws and striking down. "Go ask your son yourself, and you'll know everything!"

"You scoundrel!"

Song Zhong's expression turned cold. "Do you really think I can't kill you?!"

He raised his palms, the centers slightly concave, carrying an immensely powerful force.

BANG!

As fist and claw met, Song Zhong's expression suddenly changed. "That's not right... you..."

He retreated repeatedly, looking at his hands. Several clear blood holes had appeared on his palms, and black blood was flowing out.

"You used poison... No... this is a poisonous technique... Black Sand Palm... So it was you!"

His eyes turned blood red, and he lunged forward. However, halfway there, he lost strength and collapsed onto the ground.

"I hate you! I hate you so much!"

Song Zhong roared, looking at his hands where black energy was spreading, then at Fang Yuan, his gaze seeming to want to flay him alive and tear out his tendons.

If he had known that the killer of his son was right before him, Song Zhong would not have had so many reservations earlier. He would have dragged Fang Yuan down with him, even if it meant mutual destruction.

But now, he had been ambushed and had no strength left to fight back.

"You took the Seven-Day Return to Life Pill first, and then repeatedly used secret techniques to boost your own Essence. Your entire body was already ruined... Now, under my Black Sand Palm, you have no chance of survival. Next year, this day will be your death anniversary!"

Fang Yuan's expression was icy. He took out another King of Hell's Post and swallowed it.

Song Zhong was indeed worthy of being a master of the Three Perils Pass. Although he had hidden the Black Sand Palm's power within his Eagle Claw and wounded him, he was still counterattacked by the opponent's internal energy. The poison from the mutated Pearl-tailed Snake partially flowed back, harming both himself and others.

But he had the King of Hell's Post, a miraculous antidote, so he was naturally fearless.

Song Zhong did not have such good luck.

"Please, old sir, rest in peace!"

Fang Yuan stepped forward, looking at Song Zhong, who could no longer speak and was making gurgling sounds. His expression was indifferent. "I am also very helpless... Song Yujie repeatedly sent his subordinates to trouble me. If I didn't fight back, should I have obediently waited to die?"

"As for you, Old Master Song, you were also a great threat to me. I cannot let you remain in this world for another day!"

Although the Return to Life Pill had miraculous effects, it was by no means an unsolvable problem. For instance, several legendary spirit pills and divine pills could completely save Song Zhong's life.

Fang Yuan naturally didn't want any more complications. Even though this hope was extremely slim, he didn't want to leave any hidden dangers.

"Please, old man, rest in peace. Remember not to provoke me in your next life!"

Fang Yuan nodded and swung his right hand down.

Pfft!

Blood splattered.

Outside the forest, hurried footsteps sounded one after another.

"There are footprints, over there!"

"That old thief Song Zhong is up ahead, he can't escape!"

A group of martial artists surrounded them. Leading the way were Lin Leyue and two Gui Ling Sect protectors.

"Leyue, your friend went alone to chase Song Zhong?"

A female protector shook her head. "Sigh... How unwise! That old thief is cunning and treacherous, and his martial arts are also formidable. I fear he might have already met a terrible end?"

"Fang Yuan... he wouldn't!"

Xiao Qing chirped from the side. Anyone who had seen Fang Yuan confront Song Zhong would have much more confidence in him.

"Hmph... Song Zhong is a master of internal arts. Do you understand internal energy? Ordinary internal energy realms would crumble at the slightest touch... No matter how greedy he is, he's still dead..."

Another protector snorted coldly. Seeing Lin Leyue look over, he immediately stopped talking.

"Huh? There's someone!"

The vanguard stopped, looking as a young figure slowly emerged from the dense forest. Who else could it be but Fang Yuan?

"Brother Fang!"

Xiao Qing excitedly stepped forward. "Where is that old thief Song Zhong?"

"Here!"

Fang Yuan raised his right hand, and Song Zhong's ferocious head immediately appeared, drawing a wave of uncertain gazes.

"This old thief is already dead?"

The two protectors stared blankly, both in disbelief.