Agony!
Unbearable agony!
Wang Xuanfeng hadn't been killed by a single sword strike, but the agony of his arm's bones broken and tendons torn was unbearable. He even lost his reason.
He charged madly at Li Shuidao. The two of them tumbled into the rushing stream and were swept downstream.
Not far downstream was a huge waterfall, and beneath it lay a deep pool.
It was Dragon Spring Pool.
The rushing river carried the two figures over the waterfall, and they crashed down hard into the deep pool from dozens of meters above.
Splash, splash...
The sound of their fall was swallowed by the roar of the waterfall.
As soon as they entered the water, they encountered a whirlpool. Its tremendous suction dragged them toward the depths of Dragon Spring Pool.
Glug, glug, glug, glug...
A stream of bubbles poured from Wang Xuanfeng's mouth.
He could swim, actually!
Though Black Mountain lay inland, it still had streams.
Streams were usually shallow and exceptionally clear, which made them all the more enticing for children to play in.
Wang Xuanfeng had known how to swim since he was little. He could even dive, but unfortunately, he'd never seen truly deep water.
The children who had seen mountain torrents and floods were all gone.
Choking on water, suffocating, in agony—and Li Shuidao's sword was coated with frog poison, too.
The end result was simple: he lost consciousness and drowned.
A Spirit Awakening Early-stage cultivator wasn't much stronger than an ordinary person. At most, he was on the level of a skilled martial artist.
A brownish-yellow scorpion crawled out of Wang Xuanfeng's wide sleeve and quickly swam toward the surface.
The scorpion moved nimbly. It soon surfaced, then flicked its tail as it swam toward the shore.
Suddenly, a sharp blade shot out of the water, swift as lightning. It pierced the scorpion straight through.
The scorpion raised both its pincers into the air, as if crying out in agony.
The sword plunged back into the water.
A head emerged from beneath the surface. It was Li Shuidao.
Once above water, he gasped for breath. He'd swallowed some water down there, but fortunately, he hadn't drowned.
At the same time, the completely unconscious Wang Xuanfeng surfaced, his body floating face-down...
In that position, he was done for.
The water in Dragon Spring Pool was calm. In the stillness of the deep pool, Li Shuidao swam hard toward the bank and soon climbed ashore.
He slumped down on the grassy bank. Only then did he have time to deal with the scorpion skewered on his sword.
Even pierced through, the scorpion wasn't dead. It was still struggling with all its might.
Earth gives birth to metal; metal gives birth to water.
Did you really think my Spirit Companion was a gecko?
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Li Shuidao's mouth. His Spirit Companion was a toad, and Scorpion Venom was precisely the nourishment it needed.
In the still waters of Dragon Spring Pool, a Jade Toad poked its head out. Its little eyes gazed eagerly at Li Shuidao—and at the scorpion he had skewered.
"Here you go!" Li Shuidao flicked his sword.
The brown scorpion fell back into the pool.
"Ribbit!" The Jade Toad cried out excitedly and leaped toward the wounded scorpion.
The palm-sized Jade Toad suddenly opened its mouth wide, and its little body swelled as if it had been inflated.
Snap.
It gulped down the scorpion, leaving only its tail sticking out. Then the big toad swallowed greedily a few times, and the entire scorpion disappeared into its mouth.
The Jade Toad quickly shrank back down. After a few hops, it reached the bank and slipped lightly into Li Shuidao's soaked sleeve.
"Brother!" Wang Tiankun rushed to the edge of Poison Dragon Pool, panic written all over his face.
Splash!
Wang Tiankun leaped into the bone-chilling Poison Dragon Pool and dragged his brother up out of the icy water.
After a great deal of effort, he finally hauled him onto the bank.
"Cousin, wake up!" Wang Tiankun was frantic, but he had no idea how to treat someone who had nearly drowned.
Just then—
A murderous intent came at him from behind. Wang Tiankun whipped around and saw Li Shuidao thrusting a gleaming long sword at his back.
It was him!
Wang Tiankun had known Li Shuidao might still be alive. What surprised him was that the man had fought his brother without suffering much damage.
Clang!
A sharp ring rang out.
Wang Tiankun drew the curved saber at his waist and blocked Li Shuidao's sneak attack.
His strike blocked, Li Shuidao swung again. He had no technique to speak of, relying only on a surge of reckless courage and the two lines of instruction the sword-stall owner had taught him.
Cold light flashed along the blade. For a moment, silver streaks filled the air, as if he were hacking wildly enough to kill even a master swordsman.
Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang...
Saber and sword clashed in a ringing flurry.
Though Wang Tiankun wielded a short saber, his body was exceptionally nimble. Not only did he easily fend off Li Shuidao's wild slashes, he even began to counterattack with ease.
This was the Serpent's Flexibility technique!
It was the innate Divine Ability of a Spirit Companion that was a venomous snake.
Wang Tiankun hadn't mastered it, but Li Shuidao was no great fighter either. His Wind Catching Eye was of little use in a close-quarters fight.
For now, it was two amateurs pecking at each other.
But Wang Tiankun's innate Divine Ability was clearly better suited to close combat.
Seeing Li Shuidao's momentum begin to flag, Wang Tiankun suddenly stepped forward.
His curved saber was too short; he had to get close to Li Shuidao to do any real damage.
This slash struck Li Shuidao's body. It didn't cut deep, but it was a good start. Wang Tiankun had begun his attack, and it was already paying off.
He didn't overreach in his eagerness to make his blade faster. He wasn't looking for a single killing blow, just to land hits without leaving himself exposed. If he kept slashing, he'd finish his opponent eventually.
His swordsmanship is mediocre, and he's relying entirely on reckless courage. Victory is mine!
Just as the thought flashed through his mind, Li Shuidao raised his leg and kicked Wang Tiankun squarely in the belly.
Wang Tiankun's attention had been fixed entirely on Li Shuidao's gleaming long sword. He never imagined that after landing a successful blow, he'd be kicked in the stomach.
Splash!
Wang Tiankun fell into the water again.
Now Wang Tiankun was in the water, and Li Shuidao was on the bank. It was like stabbing a drowning dog with a sword.
Thrust, thrust...
Li Shuidao struck Wang Tiankun twice in quick succession. Blood covered the blade.
Two bloody holes appeared in Wang Tiankun's neck and shoulder. With no choice, he swam toward the depths of the pool, hoping to climb ashore on the other side of Dragon Spring Pool.
You think you can get away? Not a chance!
Wang Tiankun had been scheming against him. Li Shuidao was filled with murderous intent; he would not let this go today.
Splash!
Li Shuidao leaped into the water.
Wang Tiankun fled ahead, with Li Shuidao in pursuit.
Both of them were swimming.
Wang Tiankun had been poisoned by the frog poison on Li Shuidao's sword, while Li Shuidao had been poisoned by the snake venom on Wang Tiankun's saber.
Though neither was in danger of dying from the poison, their minds grew foggy and stars swam before their eyes.
Poisoned, choking on water, wounded, locked in a fierce struggle, their lives hanging by a thread.
They clashed in the water, but their blades touched only a few times before both nearly drowned at once.
Glug, glug, glug...
Bubbles poured from both their mouths. Wang Tiankun rolled his eyes back and passed out, while Li Shuidao's consciousness sank into a haze.
The two of them nearly drowned at the same time in the middle of Dragon Spring Pool, their bodies sinking...
Once Wang Tiankun and Li Shuidao had both passed out from drowning, only their Spirit Companions could decide the final victor.
A thumb-thick black venomous snake crawled out of Wang Tiankun's sleeve. It took aim at Li Shuidao's neck and bared its fangs.
Just as the snake was about to bite Li Shuidao's neck, a nimble tongue shot out, coiled around it, and swallowed it whole.
The toad's eyes were fierce, and its rough skin looked like rock. Its cold exterior was covered in scales like a lizard's.
It crunched on the snake's body as it quickly gulped it down.
With a series of glugs, the snake disappeared into the toad's belly, as easily as if it were eating noodles.
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