Death

Anyone who didn't know better would think you were a True Person.

A scaled fiend that had only just completed its "Nature Root," that knew nothing but how to gobble down bloody flesh, and couldn't even hide the reek of rouge and powder after Transformation—yet it insisted on imitating immortal cultivators, hosting banquets, listening to songs, and watching dances. All those pretensions, and it never tired of them.

Still, contempt aside, his Thunderbolt strike had failed to kill Flying Light on the spot.

Even with the element of surprise, he had only torn open its neck, not taken its head off with a single stroke.

A hoarse rasp came from Flying Light's throat, like a serpent's hiss trapped deep in its windpipe.

The hand clutching its neck suddenly swept downward. Wherever its five fingers passed, a layer of fine scales grew over the sword wound's gushing blood at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The scales interlocked, blue-gold in color, their cold metallic sheen gleaming beneath the glazed lamps. They faintly exuded the sharp menace of clashing steel.

Where the scales spread, an invisible force slowly pushed out the thunderfire Li Fuchan had left in the wound, turning it into wisps of tiny electric sparks that crackled away in the air.

Within moments, the Azure-Gold Scales had sealed the horrifying sword wound completely. Only a faint mark remained, almost impossible to notice without looking closely.

Li Fuchan's pupils narrowed slightly at the sight, surprise stirring in his heart. The Gold-Gathering Secret Origin Art could be used like that?

He had spent nearly an hour grasping the essentials of that art, so he was hardly unfamiliar with its intricacies.

"Wandering Gold" was the latent aspect of Yiyou metal: roaming with its edge concealed, moving in no fixed direction.

In the "Gold-Gathering Secret Origin Art," "gathering" meant taking lightly, seizing deftly, plucking only the essence. The art was meant to govern the movement of "Wandering Gold," gathering the metal qi drifting freely through heaven and earth for one's own use.

Cultivated to Inner Vision, this art formed the Dao Fruit known as the "Gold-Gathering Current," one of the Five Aspects, signifying the drawing of metal qi like a flowing stream, coming and going freely.

Flying Light had used precisely this method when it casually conjured a blue sword earlier, condensing scattered metal qi into a blade.

But he had never imagined that this Monster could turn its own wounds into metal as well.

On one hand, it concealed the injury and reinforced the body. On the other, it relied on Wandering Gold's ceaseless movement to carry away and wash out the thunderfire that had invaded its flesh.

It was precisely because Wandering Gold could wash away thunder essence.

That he had considered switching to this path.

Now that he had seen this scaled fiend wield the art with such sublime mastery, his longing burned all the more fiercely.

Li Fuchan drew a deep breath, silently warning himself, I truly mustn't underestimate anyone under heaven. Even a scaled fiend on the outskirts of the Southern Border possesses such Dao Attainment. This Monster isn't practicing some crude devouring art. At most, that has influenced it somewhat. After completing its "Nature Root," it really did receive the true transmission of "Wandering Gold."

Flying Light slowly lowered the hand clutching its neck.

It rolled its neck, its bones giving several sharp cracks. The anger churning in its slit pupils finally overwhelmed its earlier shock. Emerald light flared, forcibly driving down the temperature in the cave.

With a turn of its right hand, the blue sword condensed from metal qi appeared out of thin air once more.

The blade trembled slightly, giving a low, lingering hum like a long serpent flicking its tongue, particularly grating in the dim Cave Abode.

Pointing its sword tip at Li Fuchan from afar, Flying Light wasted no words. "Come."

Li Fuchan obliged without hesitation. Thunderlight flashed beneath his feet, and he became a blur, moving second yet arriving first as he seized the attack.

Arcs of lightning danced along Light-Deceiving's blade as it thrust straight toward Flying Light's heart.

Flying Light brought its blue sword across to block. The clash of metal was deafening. Thunderlight and blue radiance exploded where the blades met, pulverizing every stone table, drinking vessel, and gauze curtain within several yards of them.

The female thrall ghosts standing closer did not even have time to scream before the shock wave struck them. Their forms dissolved into wisps of gray smoke, and not even their souls escaped.

Although my thunderlight naturally holds the upper hand against Monsters like this, it still can't make up for his completed "Nature Root." Trading blows head-on with a Monster whose realm exceeds mine is unwise.

Of the three forms of the "Thunder Escape Sword Art," the last two require Sword Qi and sword essence respectively. I can't use either, but fortunately, I know a thing or two about dealing with scaled fiends.

Their swords swept apart, and both retreated half a step, their heels plowing deep furrows through the blue jade floor.

Before Li Fuchan had steadied himself, he thrust again. Thunderlight condensed into a single line at his sword tip, aimed straight for Flying Light's throat.

"Answering Lightning, Flying Thunderlight."

[Jiao-Driving Lightning] empowered him in an instant.

For a moment, Flying Light had nowhere to dodge and took the thrust squarely.

Its chest was pierced, and thunderfire raged through its organs.

Flying Light stared at Li Fuchan with its narrow eyes, its gaze filled with unending shock.

In this day and age, how could such Thunderbolt exist anywhere but overseas? And this thunderfire's malice toward me is far too strong. It's suppressing at least a tenth of my Dharma Power, leaving me unable to use it. Damned beast!

It was stunned.

Li Fuchan was equally astonished by Flying Light's true body.

Just what is this old fiend? It took two solid sword strikes from me and actually endured them both.

Flying Light was simply too tough. Li Fuchan decided to release the Thunder Sigil condensed from the Purple Firmament Thunder-Script Treasure Talisman Register, manifesting his Outer Scenery. The "Lightning-Struck Wood" swayed behind him as he unleashed lightning to strike it, instantly suppressing Flying Light another measure, while pressing his assault.

They exchanged more than a dozen moves.

Li Fuchan spotted an opening.

Light-Deceiving swept upward from below, its edge scraping past Flying Light's ribs and trailing sparks.

Those sparks landed on Flying Light's red brocade robe, igniting several clusters of thunderfire, only to be extinguished by the blue-gold radiance surging from its body.

Two figures darted back and forth through the Cave Abode, swordlight weaving like threads as thunder rolled.

The glazed lamps overhead had long since failed to withstand the tremors. They shattered and fell one after another, filling the air with glass fragments.

Crisscrossing sword cuts and scorch marks covered the blue jade floor. Not a single stone table along either side remained intact. Wine and fruit mingled with flesh, bones, and bloody water, spilling across the floor.

The cultivators and Monsters fortunate enough to escape the devastation had already shrunk back to the cave's edges. They pressed themselves tightly against the walls, wishing they could embed themselves in the stone.

Fei Cai hid far away, his eyes brimming with excitement as he watched.

Fight, keep fighting. The longer you stay tangled up with each other, the better.

Flying Light had suffered wound after wound. Thick-skinned and sturdy though it was, sooner or later this Thunder Cultivator would whittle it to death, one sword stroke at a time.

A vicious gleam flashed through its slit pupils. It seized the offensive, turning into a blue streak that shot straight at Li Fuchan's face.

The blue radiance in its hand swelled explosively, its sword attack incomparably fierce.

Seeing the ferocity of its charge, Li Fuchan dared not be careless. He brought Light-Deceiving across and met it head-on.

The two swords met.

The next instant, that seemingly peerless blue radiance suddenly disintegrated the moment it touched Light-Deceiving's edge, scattering into countless fine flecks of metal qi. Li Fuchan's sword cut through empty air. His force went awry, and his body involuntarily pitched slightly forward.

No!

Alarm bells clamored in his heart, and his pupils abruptly contracted.

In that hairbreadth moment, Flying Light's head suddenly swelled and twisted. The face still bearing traces of rouge and powder tore apart in the blink of an eye, becoming a monstrous maw covered in fine scales.

The blue radiance that had dispersed was nothing but bait. It had been waiting for the instant Li Fuchan's sword struck empty air and left his defenses wide open.

A foul wind struck his face.

Li Fuchan felt his vision go black as the enormous maw swallowed his entire head.

The crunch of fangs snapping shut rang out alongside a muffled roar, echoing through the Cave Abode.

His headless body stiffened for a moment, Light-Deceiving still held in a horizontal guard. Then it toppled straight backward, slamming heavily onto the rubble-strewn floor and throwing up a cloud of dust.

Deathly silence filled the cave. Only a low whimper came from Flying Light's throat, sounding like it was chewing bones—or laughing.