"Hyah!"
Mo Tianyuan raised the reins in his left hand and snapped them sharply. The horse galloped forward at full speed.
His right hand gripped the hilt of his sword. Borrowing the momentum, Mo Tianyuan channeled strength into his toes, stepped onto the horse's back, and charged straight at Three Blades.
The sword flashed from its sheath, casting a glint of cold light through the forest.
Facing the charging Mo Tianyuan, Three Blades showed no fear. He raised his saber and met him calmly.
Before the horse had charged three zhang, Mo Tianyuan had already soared from its back.
He channeled strength into his toes and gave the saddle a light tap, shooting toward Three Blades like an arrow loosed from the string.
The instant the sword left its sheath, a cold gleam ran across its blade. Wrapped in dark crimson vitality, it stabbed straight for Three Blades' throat.
Three Blades stood where he was, the hand holding his saber making not a single unnecessary movement.
Only when Mo Tianyuan's sword tip came within three chi of him did he move—the saber swept diagonally upward, striking the middle of the blade with unerring precision.
With a crisp clang, sparks flew in all directions.
Mo Tianyuan felt a dense, heavy force travel through the saber, as if he had punched the surface of water and his strength had been stripped away layer by layer.
That single saber stroke knocked his sword off course, and it skimmed past Three Blades' shoulder.
Mo Tianyuan landed and spun, sweeping his sword horizontally. As his vitality surged, the sword wind howled, flinging dust three chi into the air.
Three Blades retreated half a step and held his saber upright before him, steadily receiving the strike. His body did not so much as sway.
"You've got