Battle to the Death

Tu Mu's face darkened as he stared in astonishment at Jin Mo's phantom, a chill creeping through his heart.

Jin Mo wasn't corporeal. He looked like a ghost from legend, and strange, unnatural things like him could spook even a bold, battle-hardened mercenary like Tu Mu. That was why he'd backed away, wanting to see what would happen first.

The moment he retreated, Shi Yan saw his hesitation and seized the opening. Clutching his dagger, he shot forward like a leopard and called for Di Ya Lan to attack with him.

Di Ya Lan was frightened too, but she knew the ghostly shadow had been released by Shi Yan. Bracing herself, she moved to attack Tu Mu from behind.

The pale smoke, formed from countless negative forces, coiled toward him like a venomous snake. Close behind it came Jin Mo's ghostly phantom, and in an instant they were right in front of Tu Mu.

Tu Mu's heart sank. He no longer dared hesitate. He drew upon the abundant essence of a Xiantian Third Heaven expert at the peak of his realm, activating a secret art to send it surging into his left palm. A brilliant red light burst forth.

In the blink of an eye, a red shield formed in Tu Mu's left palm, made entirely from condensed essence. It was dazzlingly bright and only the size of a washbasin, yet it radiated scorching energy and intense heat.

The shield, formed purely from condensed essence, was clearly Tu Mu's ultimate Martial Skill. Using it consumed an enormous amount of energy.

The moment it took shape, sweat appeared on his forehead. He must have spent a great deal of essence.

The shield clung to Tu Mu's left hand. Seeing the negative force Shi Yan had released rushing toward him, Tu Mu raised it without hesitation, blocking both that force and Jin Mo's ghostly phantom.

"Ts-ts-ts!"

When the white mist, filled with all manner of negative energy, and Jin Mo's ghostly shadow struck Tu Mu's shield, sparks suddenly flew.

Amid the sparks, the white smoke dissipated, and the ghostly shadow seemed to melt, scattering through the air bit by bit.

Seeing that his shield could neutralize the two strange forces, Tu Mu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He sneered viciously. "Kid, let's see what else you've got!"

A thread of cold, evil energy seeped out from the forces dissolving with a sizzling sound. Without Tu Mu noticing, it slipped into his body through his pores.

After sneering, Tu Mu suddenly froze. Confusion and panic appeared in his eyes.

A glint flashed in Shi Yan's eyes!

From the change in Tu Mu's expression, it was clear that although he had dispelled the energy attached to those negative forces, he couldn't completely cleanse the forces themselves. The negative emotions had still invaded his mind.

"Attack!"

With a roar, Shi Yan pushed his speed to the limit. His body left a faint blur in the air, and he appeared in front of Tu Mu in a flash.

His blue-glinting dagger shot toward Tu Mu's throat like lightning!

The scorching energy in Tu Mu's shield kept growing. Its intense heat seemed to jolt him out of his daze.

Tu Mu's eyes flew open!

"Roar!"

With a furious bellow, Tu Mu instantly suppressed the negative emotions flooding his mind. The battle axe in his right hand swept through an arc.

"Clang!"

Shi Yan's dagger struck the axe. A terrifying force, enough to topple mountains and overturn seas, burst from the weapon and surged along the dagger toward Shi Yan's arm.

Shi Yan's arm went numb. Realizing how abundant Tu Mu's essence was, he hurriedly pulled his dagger away from the axe.

Tu Mu ignored Shi Yan and spun around like a whirlwind, raising his axe to block Di Ya Lan's short sword as it came at him from behind. He gave a cold snort, his expression icy. "In a moment, I'm going to have my way with you!"

Shi Yan's face darkened, and the savage urge to kill inside him surged higher and higher.

As he shifted his dagger, the muscles in his legs slowly tightened beneath his trousers. Negative forces poured from the pores in his legs, shrouding them in a layer of pale mist.

As the changes spread across both hands and both feet, Shi Yan could no longer suppress the savage killing intent in his heart.

Killing Intent roiled around him. His eyes gradually reddened, and his expression turned hideously vicious. He looked like a demon crawling out of hell. Even Mu Yu Die, watching nearby, covered her mouth in terror.

"Haah! Haah!"

Panting heavily, Shi Yan stamped down hard. He felt as if boundless power lay within his feet. In an instant, his lean body shot ten meters forward!

Like an arrow loosed from a bow, swift and fierce!

Tu Mu's battle axe flashed through the air. With a series of clanging blows, he drove Di Ya Lan back step by step. Her hands, gripping the short sword, gradually went numb; the force of his fierce essence left her increasingly powerless.

A murderous aura, sharp enough to cut, suddenly came from behind. A vicious glint flashed in Tu Mu's eyes. He struck again with his axe, smashing Di Ya Lan backward until she staggered.

"Thud!"

Impatiently, Tu Mu kicked out and slammed his foot into Di Ya Lan's smooth abdomen. The blow sent her flying seven or eight meters.

Di Ya Lan fell onto her back, blood spilling from the corner of her mouth in a thin stream. Her essence was in turmoil, and for a short while she couldn't muster even a trace of strength.

Tu Mu's kick had been packed with his surging explosive power, and he had released essence with the impact. He had meant to leave Di Ya Lan completely unable to fight, so he could deal with Shi Yan without any distractions.

Turning around, Tu Mu raised his battle axe and bared his teeth in a vicious grin. "Kid, I'll chop you into a hundred pieces!"

Shi Yan charged like an arrow. Using the force of his momentum, he poured all his essence into the dagger in his hand.

As he swung, countless dagger-images rained down like drops of water. A sinister, icy force spilled from the blade, enveloping Tu Mu completely.

"Hmph!"

Tu Mu drew a deep breath and swung his left-hand shield. Waves of scorching air poured from it, scattering the cold, evil energy. Then he swung his battle axe and struck Shi Yan's dagger with precision.

"Clang!"

The force of the blow made Shi Yan's wrist ache, and the dagger flew from his hand, landing dozens of meters behind him.

Tu Mu was hardly unscathed. The force surging from Shi Yan's dagger had been just as violent. After blocking the blow, he stumbled and staggered backward.

At the same time, an icy, evil, terrifying presence surged along his arm like a small snake and rushed into his mind, dragging him into some blood-soaked realm.

Shi Yan landed firmly and saw Tu Mu's eyes go hazy. Swaying, he staggered backward toward Di Ya Lan.

His dagger was still dozens of meters behind him. If he rushed over to retrieve it before attacking Tu Mu, he might miss his best chance. Tu Mu could even regain his senses by then.

The thought flashed through Shi Yan's mind like lightning. A cold glint flickered in his eyes, and he hardened his resolve. He lunged at Tu Mu, clamped both hands around his waist like iron chains, and drove forward with all his strength, pushing Tu Mu toward Di Ya Lan. Then he roared, "Raise your sword! Stab!"

Di Ya Lan lay sprawled on the ground, her body limp. At Shi Yan's shout, she saw a huge shadow falling toward her.

Without a second thought, Di Ya Lan gathered all her strength and raised the arm-length short sword in her hand high above her.

"Pfft!"

The short sword pierced Tu Mu in the back. The pain jolted him awake. He roared madly as he struggled to control his balance.

The short sword had pierced him in the back, and his body was tilting in midair, but he didn't fall onto Di Ya Lan right away.

Using the short sword to brace himself, Tu Mu somehow held himself in that slanted, falling posture without collapsing, as if his feet had taken root.

Tu Mu struggled with all his strength, only to find that Shi Yan had both his arms locked in a death grip.

Shi Yan's face was cold. He gave a mocking chuckle. "You're finished, you mangy dog!"

Still holding that position, Tu Mu bellowed, "Kid, let go of me! The short sword will pierce right through me and into your body too! Let go! You don't want to die with me, do you?"

Tu Mu was truly a fierce one. Even in this situation, he whipped up a leg in a flash and slammed his knee into Shi Yan's abdomen.

Shi Yan poured his essence furiously into both arms. He couldn't use the Dark Light Shield for the moment, so he had no choice but to activate his Petrifying Martial Soul.

Tu Mu drove his knee into him again and again, unleashing one terrifying blow after another. The petrification across Shi Yan's body seemed to concentrate entirely on his abdomen. Everywhere else quickly returned to normal, while his stomach turned gray-white and hard as iron.

Under the full force of Tu Mu, a Xiantian Third Heaven expert at the peak of his realm, Shi Yan's Petrifying Martial Soul managed to hold firm. His abdomen hurt unbearably, but he didn't even spit up a mouthful of blood. His body's defenses were monstrous.

Di Ya Lan's face changed. Only then did she realize that Shi Yan and Tu Mu were locked in a tight embrace, facing each other. If she thrust her short sword farther, or if Tu Mu came crashing down, the blade would pass through Tu Mu's body and pierce Shi Yan too, pinning them together.

The thought of Shi Yan being pierced alongside Tu Mu made Di Ya Lan afraid to move. She screamed, "Kid, let go!"

"You mangy dog, I'm shorter than you! You'll die, while the worst I'll lose is a hand!"

Shi Yan's face remained cold. He grinned and, with a sudden burst of strength, slammed himself and Tu Mu down onto Di Ya Lan. Tu Mu's eyes filled with terror.

"Pfft! Pfft!"

Two sounds of a sharp weapon piercing flesh and bone rang out, one after the other. Di Ya Lan lay on her back, with Tu Mu sprawled across her, his back toward her, and Shi Yan pressed face-to-face against him.

Just as expected, the short sword in her hand pierced both men. It went through Tu Mu's back and punctured his heart, then continued into Shi Yan's right shoulder, piercing straight through it.

With his heart pierced, Tu Mu's body jerked twice. Terror showed on his face before he slowly went still.

Shi Yan's shoulder had been pierced, but his face remained twisted in a vicious grimace. He kept both hands locked around Tu Mu and showed no intention of letting go.

Only after Tu Mu's essence dispersed and flowed into him was Shi Yan sure that Tu Mu was truly dead. Then he gradually loosened his grip and slumped down, his body drained of strength.