Swift Lightning Step

The shadow of death, like ice water poured over his head, instantly enveloped Mo Yuan.

The chilling wind from the poisoned dagger had already pierced his daoist robe from behind, and a cold, stinging sensation spread through him.

No escape! No block!

At this critical juncture of life and death, Mo Yuan's Primordial Comprehension began to operate at an unprecedented speed.

Visions of past cultivation flashed through his mind—the profound trajectory of Heavenly Thunder Pacing the Stars, the essence of Ghost Shadow Footwork, the ethereal trace of flowing wind, the explanation of lightning's extreme speed in the Nine Heavens Thunder Talisman Grand Codex, and even the perception of subtle spatial fluctuations—all like countless fragments, colliding and merging in the crucible of desperation.

His body seemed to break free from the constraints of consciousness, following an instinctive trajectory beyond his previous understanding, reacting in a way that defied the impossible.

He didn't try to turn around, nor did he attempt a futile block. Instead, he poured all his remaining spiritual energy, along with the subtle control over his body from that wisp of Innate Spiritual Energy, into his legs.

The footwork of Heavenly Thunder Pacing the Stars beneath his feet suddenly twisted and deformed, integrating the trickery of Ghost Shadow Footwork and the tracelessness of flowing wind.

"Swish!"

He left behind a near-solid afterimage crackling with faint electricity in his original spot, while his true body shifted a mere half-foot sideways with a minuscule movement that defied logic, akin to teleportation.

It was precisely this crucial half-foot!

"Chii!"

The poisoned dagger, with a grating sound, brushed past his ribs, tearing his daoist robe and leaving a bloody groove on his side, deep enough to see bone, with flesh peeling back.

Intense pain shot through him, but he had ultimately avoided his vital heart! The chilling poison from the dagger instantly invaded the wound, attempting to spread.

A flicker of disbelief flashed in the assassin's eyes. His sure-kill strike had missed.

However, Mo Yuan's counterattack erupted in the instant when his old strength faded, new strength had yet to form, his body was off-balance, and the poison invaded him.

He didn't even look at the assassin, nor did he pay attention to the searing pain in his ribs and the rampant poison.

His entire spirit and will were focused on the profound understanding of footwork he had just gained and the Thunder Dragon Evil-Slaying Spear he held tightly in his hand.

As his body shifted slightly, passing the assassin, the arm holding the spear swung backward with an extremely awkward yet perfectly coordinated angle.

Simultaneously, the wisp of Primordial Thunder Essence Qi he had absorbed not long ago, and had not yet fully refined, was forcefully ignited and infused into the spear.

"Thunderclap... Returning Strike!"

The Thunder Dragon Evil-Slaying Spear let out a suppressed yet ferocious dragon's roar. The lightning on the spear was contained, with only the tip condensing an ultimate white-gold malevolent lightning. Like a returning horse's spear, it pointed towards the assassin's brow at a speed beyond visual capture.

This strike was devoid of any flourish, a pure embodiment of speed, timing, and resolute will! It was the entirety of his potential squeezed out in the face of death.

The assassin was still immersed in the shock of his failed kill and a moment of stiffness. He never expected his opponent to unleash such a terrifying and swift counterattack in such a predicament.

By the time he sensed that fatal point of lightning, it was already too late to mount any effective defense or evasion.

"Pfft!"

A faint yet heart-stopping crisp sound.

The spear tip precisely struck the assassin's brow.

The highly condensed Geng Metal Thunderous Evil and Primordial Thunder Essence Qi erupted instantly, like a red-hot needle piercing tofu, easily breaking through his hastily formed protective soul light, destroying his sea of consciousness, and annihilating his soul.

The astonishment in the assassin's eyes froze. His body maintained its forward momentum, standing rigidly for a moment before slumping to the ground, his life extinguished.

Silence!

The entire battlefield in the rocky forest seemed to freeze for an instant due to this lightning-fast reversal and counter-kill.

Whether it was the Netherworld Foundation Establishment cultivators battling Xuan Ji, or the remaining Black Fiend Sect disciples, they all looked on in disbelief at the youth, his ribs bleeding profusely, his face pale, yet still standing, his spear dripping with the enemy's brain matter and lightning.

Qi Refining level eight, while ambushed and critically wounded by poison, had actually killed a half-step Foundation Establishment Netherworld assassin?

What kind of combat instinct was this? What kind of power?!

"Good!"

Martial Uncle Xuan Ji, who was entangled with a Netherworld Foundation Establishment cultivator, although at a disadvantage, couldn't help but shout in praise. His spirits soared, and his attacks intensified.

Mo Yuan, however, had no time to attend to this. After killing the enemy with one strike, intense dizziness and weakness washed over him like a tide.

The wound on his ribs burned like fire, and the chilling poison was spreading rapidly along his meridians. Wherever it passed, spiritual energy froze, and flesh and blood died.

He yanked the Thunder Dragon Evil-Slaying Spear from the ground and leaned on it, barely managing to stay upright.

He quickly took out a generic Antitoxin Pill and swallowed it, then circulated his spiritual energy to try and expel the poison, but the effect was minimal.

The poison on this Netherworld dagger was clearly no ordinary one.

"System, sign in!" At the brink of death, he once again placed his hope in the system.

[Ding! Sign-in successful! Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Top-Grade Spirit Stone x1, Hundred Herbs Detoxification Pill (Superior Grade) x3, Yi Wood Longevity Art (Fragment) x1, Primordial World Remnant Aura: A Strand of Undying Life Source Qi!]

[Hundred Herbs Detoxification Pill (Superior Grade)]: Can detoxify most poisons in the world, with remarkable efficacy against cold, corrosive, and yin-based toxins.

[Yi Wood Longevity Art (Fragment)]: A fragment of an ancient cultivation art containing the power of life and healing, capable of accelerating wound recovery and nourishing the body.

[A Strand of Undying Life Source Qi]: Contains ultimate vitality, can repair physical damage, dispel negative status effects, and even resist instant-death effects to a certain extent (effects strengthen with the host's increasing strength).

"Life Source Qi!"

Mo Yuan roared inwardly and immediately guided this strand of emerald green aura, exuding rich vitality and seemingly capable of reviving the dead, into his body.

In an instant, a warm and powerful life force flowed through his limbs and bones.

The hideous wound between his ribs began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye. His frozen meridians thawed, and the cold, venomous toxins were quickly dispelled and purified by this supreme life force, as if meeting their natural enemy.

In just a few breaths, the wound on Mo Yuan's ribs had scabbed over, the intense pain vanished, and the toxins in his body were completely cleared.

Although his spiritual energy was still depleted, the injuries to his physical body had recovered by about seventy to eighty percent.

Even the fatigue from the previous battle had lessened considerably.

The effect of this undying life source qi was far beyond his imagination.

Without hesitation, he swallowed another Hundred Herbs Detoxification Pill. The medicinal power spread, further consolidating the effects.

At the same time, the information from the Yi Wood Longevity Art (Fragment) flooded his mind. Although it was only a fragment, the profound principles of life and healing methods contained within would be a great supplement to his survival capabilities in the future.

All of this, though it sounds long, actually happened in a mere few breaths.

When Mo Yuan straightened his spine again, his eyes regained their divine light, and his aura even became more refined than before, the remaining Black Fiend Sect disciples were utterly terrified.

What kind of monster is this?! He could recover instantly even when heavily injured and poisoned?!

Someone shouted, and the remaining more than ten disciples lost their will to fight, turning to flee into the dense black fog.

"Trying to escape? Thunder Arc Flash!"

Mo Yuan's eyes turned cold. How could he let them escape to report back! He flicked his fingers, and several "Thunder Arc Flash" talismans he had prepared earlier shot out, exploding amidst the fleeing disciples.

Blinding electric snakes leaped wildly, forming a net of lightning that electrocuted the disciples, leaving them charred and twitching on the ground.

On the other side, Martial Uncle Xuan Ji, seeing that Mo Yuan was unharmed, felt his heart settle. He let out a roar, and golden light surged from his Peach Wood Sword. He unleashed a secret sword technique of Mount Mao, finally forcing the Netherworld Foundation Establishment cultivator to retreat repeatedly, leaving several scorched sword marks on his body.

The Netherworld Foundation Establishment cultivator was shocked and enraged. He hadn't expected his target to be so difficult to deal with, nor had he expected the ambush assassins to be killed.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, he glared venomously at Mo Yuan and Xuan Ji before suddenly throwing a black bead.

"Boom!"

The bead exploded, turning into dense, ink-like black smoke that instantly obscured vision and also had the effect of isolating divine sense.

"Not good! He's going to escape!"

Martial Uncle Xuan Ji waved his sleeve to disperse the black smoke, but the Netherworld Foundation Establishment cultivator had already used this moment of obstruction to transform into a shadowy figure and flee into the depths of Burial Demon Valley, disappearing without a trace.

Martial Uncle Xuan Ji did not rashly pursue. The inner reaches of Burial Demon Valley were fraught with danger; one should not pursue a cornered enemy.

The battle had temporarily come to a close.

Martial Uncle Xuan Ji walked to Mo Yuan's side, looking at his healed wounds and recovered aura. His eyes were filled with shock and inquiry, but in the end, he didn't ask further. He simply patted Mo Yuan's shoulder:

"Well done! If not for your swift reaction, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

Mo Yuan panted slightly and shook his head, "This disciple was merely lucky."

He looked at the Yin Fiend Spring that was still gushing and the phantom image of the Ten Thousand Souls Banner floating above.

"Martial Uncle, this place is not suitable for lingering. We must destroy the spring node as soon as possible."

"Mm."

Martial Uncle Xuan Ji nodded, his gaze shifting to the Yin Fiend Spring, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "Let these Malevolent Spirits be utterly annihilated!"

He raised his Peach Wood Sword again, condensing all his spiritual energy, preparing to unleash his strongest attack to completely destroy this evil stronghold.

Meanwhile, Mo Yuan silently felt the strand of undying life source qi that had not yet completely dissipated within him, as well as the profound insights into footwork in his mind.

He knew that after this battle, his Heavenly Thunder Pacing the Stars had transformed, integrating his own understanding. It could now be called — Swift Lightning Step.

His strength, through the baptism of blood and fire, had once again taken a solid step forward.

And the adventure in Burial Demon Valley was clearly far from over.

The Netherworld Foundation Establishment cultivator who escaped, and the true purpose hidden behind the "Yin Fiend Spring" they were searching for, loomed like dark clouds ahead.