White Slash

Skinny Dog let out a shrill, miserable scream.

The blade tip plunged into his neck, blood gushing out and spraying Fang Zhixing from head to toe.

"What the?!"

Third Uncle Zhao and Zhao Dazhi froze where they stood.

Fang Zhixing had suddenly stabbed his own dog to death.

What was this supposed to mean?

Father and son were both dumbfounded.

Fang Zhixing's expression was grim as his eyes fixed ahead.

The system panel suddenly blurred, then quickly came back into focus.

[2. Slay 2 lifeforms of the same level (2/2)]

[Conditions for Basic Sword-Draw Technique · Max Level have been met. Upgrade?]

"It worked!!"

Fang Zhixing was overjoyed. He had won the gamble—Skinny Dog truly was a lifeform of the same level as him, at least where their souls were concerned.

"Upgrade!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Fang Zhixing willed it.

In an instant, he entered a mysterious, profound state, as though he had fallen into a wondrous dream.

Within that dream, he tirelessly honed his Draw Blade Technique, refining the feel of the blade, the feel in his wrist, his body's posture, and his footwork.

Gradually, he achieved practice without stiffness, training without dullness, until everything fused into a single unified momentum.

The strength of his entire body condensed into one stream, building within the blade—man and blade becoming one!

A moment later, Fang Zhixing woke and slowly exhaled a long breath of foul air.

He felt incredible. Power continuously surged forth from within him.

And that was not all!

"Huh, my cold is gone!"

An indescribable comfort filled Fang Zhixing's body. Just moments ago, he had been suffering from a headache, fever, and aches all over, but now it had all miraculously vanished without a trace.

His illness had simply healed!

He had recovered without medicine!!

Fang Zhixing was deeply shaken. He spread his hands and looked them over, only to discover that the calluses he had worn into his palms had vanished too, replaced by thick, smooth skin.

It was as if he had been refreshed, reset, and upgraded to version 2.0!

"In other words, after I level up, all the injuries, illnesses, and hidden dangers accumulated in my body will be overwritten and erased."

Fang Zhixing could not help but be wild with joy.

At that moment, the system panel finished updating.

[Basic Sword-Draw Technique · Mastered]

[Burst Skill: White Slash (Lv1)]

A brilliant gleam flashed through Fang Zhixing's eyes.

Burst—just as the name implied, it meant erupting all at once.

To put it plainly, a burst skill was a sudden ultimate move that dealt massive damage.

"A burst skill—this isn't something an ordinary person can master!"

Fang Zhixing raised his head, gripped the hilt again, and pulled the blade from Skinny Dog's body.

"You..."

Third Uncle Zhao was both shocked and suspicious. "What are you doing? Why did you kill your dog?"

Zhao Dazhi bared his teeth in a savage grin. "Big Ox, don't tell me you thought we wanted to eat your dog? Idiot. What we want to eat, heh heh, is you!"

Fang Zhixing's face was frost-cold as he said indifferently, "I thought the people who killed Second Dog and Uncle Liu had been driven to it by starvation, forced to commit the cruel act of eating people. I never imagined that the murderers would be you two, father and son."

Third Uncle Zhao smacked his lips and said, "You may not understand. I've always missed that flavor. This famine awakened memories that had long been sleeping inside me. I truly couldn't hold myself back, understand?"

Zhao Dazhi immediately said, "Dad, stop wasting words on him."

With that, he walked over with his hunting knife in hand.

Zhao Dazhi stood nearly six feet tall, two heads taller than Fang Zhixing, and was built much sturdier as well.

He turned three steps into two, moving faster and faster. Then, with a sudden burst of force, he sprinted forward, arriving before Fang Zhixing. He raised his hunting knife high and brought it crashing down!

Fang Zhixing shifted sideways, drew his blade in a slanting upward sweep, and stood motionless with the tip pointing toward the sky.

Splat!

The two passed each other.

Zhao Dazhi ran two more steps forward, then looked down. A huge gash had been torn open across his belly, blood and intestines spilling out together.

"Hmm???"

Zhao Dazhi's eyes flew wide open. His mind went blank, and then sharp, overwhelming pain swept over him.

"Dazhi!!"

Third Uncle Zhao's expression stiffened. He stood agape, his face full of disbelief.

Zhao Dazhi slowly collapsed.

Fang Zhixing sheathed his blade, then shot forward in a rush straight toward Third Uncle Zhao.

"Y-you, don't come any closer!"

Third Uncle Zhao cried out in terror, stumbling backward.

"Burst Skill: White Slash!"

A cold gleam flashed. Third Uncle Zhao's vision blurred, and he vaguely saw a streak of light appear above his head before shining straight down along the centerline of his body.

White Slash was also known as White Cut.

This blade technique was plain and unadorned, yet it could display the great blade's pure, original sharpness to its fullest extent.

Fang Zhixing twisted the strength of his entire body into a single rope. Like drawing a bow to fire an arrow, he unleashed the blade's might!

Whoosh!

Third Uncle Zhao's body suddenly went rigid!

A line of blood slowly appeared, running down from the center of his brow.

Splurt!

Third Uncle Zhao's body split down the middle into two halves and fell backward.

Blood gushed out madly, flooding the ground!

Fang Zhixing panted heavily, his body trembling uncontrollably. Then he dropped onto the ground on his butt, his face slightly pale.

As expected of a burst skill. Using it once had consumed far too much stamina.

For a moment, Fang Zhixing felt utterly drained from overexertion!

"FANG! ZHI! XING!"

Suddenly, a furious roar drilled into Fang Zhixing's mind. "Fuck you, you dog-fucked bastard! You actually killed me!"

[Skinny Dog's remaining lives: 1]

Skinny Dog climbed to his feet. The puncture wound in his neck had miraculously disappeared.

He ran over, baring his teeth as he roared furiously at Fang Zhixing, spewing curses as though he wanted nothing more than to bite him to death.

Panting roughly, Fang Zhixing calmly asked, "Are you still sick?"

Skinny Dog froze. He carefully sensed his body, then exclaimed in astonishment, "What's going on? Why don't I feel bad at all anymore? I'm completely healed!"

Just as I thought.

Fang Zhixing nodded. "Your revival is definitely a full-health revival. That means no matter how severe the injuries you suffer before death are—even if you lose arms or legs—everything will be restored after you revive."

Skinny Dog suddenly understood, then bared his teeth again and shouted, "But that doesn't change the fact that you killed me once."

Without a trace of regret, Fang Zhixing said coldly, "If I didn't kill you, how could I have killed those two cannibals?"

Skinny Dog looked at the two corpses on the ground, then at Fang Zhixing's system panel. Shocked, he said, "You killed me, fulfilled the requirement, and then got upgraded!!"

Fang Zhixing nodded.

Skinny Dog fell silent. After a moment, he suddenly burst into loud laughter.

Fang Zhixing frowned and said speechlessly, "What the hell are you laughing at?"

Skinny Dog mocked him wildly. "Hahaha! So you're the same level as a dog!"

Fang Zhixing's cheek twitched. He got up and began searching the bodies.

Third Uncle Zhao did not have a single large coin on him. He only carried a dagger, a bow, and five arrows.

Zhao Dazhi had no money either. Besides his hunting knife, he had a horn bow and twelve arrows.

Fang Zhixing grabbed the horn bow.

[Cold Weapon: Horn Bow. Made from materials such as ox horn, a bamboo-and-wood core, and ox sinew. Length: 78 centimeters. Maximum range: approximately 120 meters.]

"What a fine bow!"

Fang Zhixing's eyes lit up, and his mood instantly brightened.