Fierce Battle

Boom!

The muffled explosion sent the mist in the mountain ravine churning as the figure on the stone seat suddenly stamped down on the mountaintop.

In an instant, terrifying force erupted from beneath his feet like a tidal wave. Xiao Ling and Xun Er felt the ground tremble faintly, then saw cracks several yards wide snake down from the peak like dormant venomous serpents. Gravel tumbled wherever the fissures spread, and the entire hundred-yard stone mountain became dangerously unsteady in the blink of an eye, as though it could collapse at any moment.

Massive boulders tumbled from the mountainside with howling winds, crashing into the ravine below with deafening booms. Meanwhile, that figure had already flashed into the air like a ghost, stopping steadily several yards before Xiao Ling and Xun Er.

The man gripped the dark-red ghost-head saber tightly in his right hand, its blade angled toward the ground. Thick blood qi slowly dripped along the weapon's patterns. His sharp eyes swept coldly over the two of them, while his lips slowly curled into a smile reeking of blood.

"It has been so many years since I last tasted human blood. I have nearly forgotten that warm flavor..."

He lightly twisted his neck, his bones giving a faint crack. His tone was casual, as if speaking to himself, but his gaze remained fixed on Xiao Ling and Xun Er like he was assessing two prey already within his grasp.

"Before we fight, I suppose I should give my name? Hmm... it has indeed been far too long since anyone mentioned it. Earlier, I sensed several groups of intruders, but the moment they felt my pressure, they vanished without a trace. You two are the first living people daring enough to stand here."

He paused, seemingly confirming something in his