The instant the blade collided with the flaming longsword, the shock wave shattered the floor around them.
The bluestone slabs cracked between their positions, fissures spreading outward like a spiderweb across the gray-blue ground.
The scorching blast baked the edges of the rubble white. Tiny stones were hurled into the air by the impact, then landed several yards away and rolled a few times before stopping.
The lantern light swayed in the shock wave. Several lanterns were overturned by the blast, spilling oil across the stone paving and igniting small tongues of flame.
Shen Fei felt that heavy, scorching force travel from his blade into his arms and surge upward through his meridians, like a scalding river pouring into his veins.
His bones gave faint creaks under the impact. His knees buckled, and he nearly fell to his knees.
Gritting his teeth, he drew every last bit of spiritual power from his dantian to withstand the sword strike, but the overwhelming force still sent him flying backward.
His feet scraped two long, shallow tracks across the stone paving. He slid twenty feet before barely managing to steady himself.
Before he could find his footing, Shen Hong's next attack was already upon him.
Shen Hong adjusted his center of gravity as he flew backward. Swinging his right arm, he sent a flame-wreathed arc of sword energy slashing toward Shen Fei from his flaming longsword.
The sword energy curved through the night sky, dark-red flames curling along its edges as it carried a scorching gust straight toward Shen Fei's chest.
By the time Shen Fei saw the sword energy, it was already too late to dodge.
He had only just steadied himself after the previous impact, and his footing was still uncertain. Any movement would be half a beat too slow, and