Judgment Hand was also on her last legs. She had suffered multiple wounds, and her blood qi surged chaotically. Every swing of her sword tore open the wound on her shoulder, bringing bone-deep pain.
At this point, their clash was no longer a contest of techniques or strength, but of will!
Whoever gave out first would lose!
"Die! Die! Die!!!" Judgment Hand's eyes were bloodshot, her expression crazed as she swung her Cross Broadsword wildly.
"The Thought Eye is mine!!"
An Xiaotong said nothing, struggling to hold on as though she might fall at any moment.
Judgment Hand saw the first glimmer of victory. A cruel, excited smile spread across her face, and fresh strength surged through her utterly exhausted body.
She was like a marathon runner who had spent every ounce of energy, only to catch sight of the finish line.
Yet the moment closest to victory was often the most dangerous, because victory within reach could dull one's vigilance.
An Xiaotong, who had been feigning weakness all along, seized upon that very opening.
Judgment Hand failed to notice that An Xiaotong, seemingly struggling to hold on, was deliberately making tiny adjustments to the angle of her blade with every clash.
Again and again, her Gilded Cross Sword struck precisely the same spot on the Cross Broadsword!
At some point, a hairline crack had appeared on the Cross Broadsword.
Judgment Hand remained utterly oblivious, wholly immersed in the joy of her imminent victory.
All she saw was An Xiaotong driven into a corner, with nowhere left to retreat.
Thud!
An Xiaotong's back slammed against the volcano behind her. There was no more room to evade.
Judgment Hand's face twisted into an excited, vicious grin. "Die!"
Ignoring her pain, she locked both hands around the hilt and poured everything she