Swordsea Shadowfold

The Demon-Breaking Domain was a fine thing. It could dispel domain effects within its range, and if one possessed a few domains of their own, the result would be far greater than one plus one.

A reward delivered right to his door was foolish to refuse.

Chen Ling immediately intended to accept the wager.

"Xiao Wu cannot be the wager. I can agree to your other demands." Chen Ling looked at Tang San without agreeing outright.

Though he had no particular feelings for Xiao Wu, they had shared intimacy. He certainly could not simply give her away.

Besides, without a scabbard, where was he supposed to sheathe his sword? Was he supposed to find another one?

Before Tang San could argue, Xiao Wu spoke first and cut him off.

Hearing the call of the woman he loved, Tang San shuddered all over and instantly fell into a daze. The hostility in his eyes vanished completely, replaced by boundless tenderness. He turned to Xiao Wu with delight, thinking she had chosen him.

But her next words directly extinguished all his fantasies.

"Tang San, give up on that idea. I will not go back with you."

Xiao Wu's face was icy, and there was not the slightest trace of past affection in her gaze toward Tang San—only bone-deep estrangement and hatred.

As soon as her words fell, the entire venue sank into dead silence.

Tang San looked as though he had been struck by lightning. He froze where he stood, completely petrified.

Not far away, some among Shrek and the Imperial Fighting Team could not hold back their laughter. Yet given the somewhat solemn atmosphere, they restrained themselves and did not continue.

"Wh-why? Xiao Wu..." Tang San's mind was blank. Countless questions clogged his throat, impossible to swallow or speak. He felt stifled and miserable, as though he had swallowed a fly.

No matter how hard he tried, he could not understand why Xiao Wu, who had once depended on him in every way, had become so cold.

"Because—"

Xiao Wu moved with graceful steps to Chen Ling's side and, without the slightest reservation, leaned against his shoulder in an intimate yet open manner.

"I am Chen Ling's scabbard now." As Xiao Wu spoke, her face flushed crimson. She rose onto her toes and swiftly pecked Chen Ling on the lips, then leaned close to his ear and whispered a few words.

Her voice was so low that only Chen Ling could hear her clearly. No one else could even make out the shape of her lips; only Tang San, standing closest, vaguely caught a few hints.

Chen Ling: Σ(°△°|||)︴

Xiao Wu's eyes curved into crescents as she revealed a sly smile, then slowly returned to Dugu Yan's side.

Watching that bouncing figure, Chen Ling could not help but sigh.

Worthy of the Rascal Rabbit. But he liked it.

On the other side, Tang San's eyes had turned bloodshot, and he panted like a bull. Chen Ling must have forced Xiao Wu into this—look at the tears glistening in her eyes. She was practically about to cry.

Xiao Wu did indeed often cry miserably, just not for the reasons Tang San imagined.

Tang San clenched his fists so tightly that his nails nearly pierced his flesh, the killing intent in his heart thoroughly surging forth.

This man had chosen the path to death.

So what if Chen Ling was a Titled Douluo? Tang San had already made up his mind. He would fight dirty.

As long as he closed the distance and seized the moment his opponent withdrew his Soul Power protection, he had plenty of methods to kill him in a single strike.

Tang San calculated in silence. He decided that when the time came, he would first launch a covert attack with the Dragon Beard Needle. As long as it caused even the slightest delay in his opponent's Soul Power, he would have a chance to send Chen Ling to his death with the Eight Spider Lances.

Having settled his thoughts, Tang San took a deep breath, suppressed the churning hostility within him, and forcibly steadied his mind. He spoke in a deep voice. "Words are useless. Senior, make your move."

As his words fell, black light surged from his palm. The heavy Clear Sky Hammer rested steadily in his hand as he suddenly charged forward, raising his arm and delivering a powerful blow.

One strike followed another, his hammer technique progressing layer by layer. Every blow contained a mysterious rhythm, each linked to the next as their force accumulated. It was the Clear Sky Sect's Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer!

"Disorder Splitting Wind." Tang San let out a low shout. The hammer wind howled as its force stacked layer upon layer, growing ever more imposing.

Chen Ling, meanwhile, remained calm and unhurried. He raised his sword, and every slash appeared light and effortless, yet each was precise and tricky, steadily catching all of Tang San's attacks without exposing the slightest flaw.

He seemed to wield only a single Qingming Sword, but he had already silently unleashed a sword technique. Layer upon layer of sword shadows overlapped, blurring illusion and reality.

Swordsea Shadowfold!

This was the reward he had triggered from Tang Hao back then, specifically designed to counter the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer.

The most exquisite aspect of this sword technique was its ability to borrow force and build momentum. The heavier the opponent's strength and the fiercer their attacks, the more intricate the layered sword shadows became—and the stronger the backlash.

Tang San found the fight increasingly difficult. His arms were sore and numb, his tiger's mouths throbbed with pain, and every hammer swing required tremendous effort. Still, he gritted his teeth and held on, not daring to relax in the slightest.

A perfect chance. Purple light flashed in Tang San's eyes. There was no flickering around his opponent like before. This was the ideal opportunity for a sneak attack.

He deliberately swung the Clear Sky Hammer violently backward. This was a great taboo in close combat: the windup was long, and his opening was enormous. It looked like a panicked mistake, but it was actually a deliberately crafted illusion.

Using the backward swing of his arm as cover, a golden Dragon Beard Needle as thin as a hair silently shot out, tearing through the air straight toward Chen Ling's glabella!

Tang San secretly rejoiced. Even if Chen Ling dodged the vital spot between his brows, the Dragon Beard Needle would surely strike one of the acupoints on his body. As long as it delayed his Soul Power for an instant, Tang San's killing move would succeed!

The instant the Dragon Beard Needle was about to touch Chen Ling, Tang San burst into motion. The black Eight Spider Lances behind his back suddenly expanded, stabbing toward Chen Ling's heart from behind with chilling killing intent!

Whoosh—!

The two figures passed one another, and the sharp sound of air being torn apart abruptly ceased.

The next instant, a shrill scream suddenly resounded throughout the venue!

"Aah—!!!"

Tang San curled up on the ground, both hands clutching the wound on his back. Blood gushed continuously, soaking through his clothes as pain made his entire body tremble violently.

Meanwhile, the Eight Spider Spirit Bone, glowing with purple light, fell to the ground and lay motionless.

Chen Ling tilted his head slightly and parted his lips, casually spitting out the Dragon Beard Needle clenched in his mouth. It hit the ground with a crisp dinging sound.

As for the poison on it, it naturally had no effect on him whatsoever. Setting aside the Fallen Star Locust's innate ability, even his earlier Icefire Gold-Refining Body rendered this poison utterly useless against him.

The vast space was deathly silent.

Only Tang San's suppressed groans of pain and Yu Xiaogang's faint wails from not far away sounded especially clear.

Chen Ling bent down and picked up the Eight Spider Spirit Bone from the ground. He then looked at Tang San, curled up on the floor, his gaze icy and his tone full of mockery.

"As expected of Yu Xiaogang's disciple. Master and disciple truly are birds of a feather—vicious and ruthless to the extreme."

"You, Tang San, are unworthy of the Clear Sky Hammer."

Chen Ling sighed. No matter how useless Tang Hao had been, at least he had faced death calmly. As for Tang San, who knew whom he had inherited that from.

Oh, right. He had taken over someone else's body.