A dragon roared and a tiger howled; a lion's roar shook the heavens.
Their Sound Strike techniques clashed, making the mountains shudder and startling birds and beasts.
Feeling the terrifying, wildly turbulent qi dynamics before him, Lian Youming thought of many things.
Once, he had felt fear of Xue Hen, resistance, and profound wariness.
But now that he truly faced this formidable enemy, Lian Youming grew calmer than ever.
Especially after crystallizing his own intent, finding his own path, and seeing those martial men of old whose bones lay buried in the wilderness after going Northward to Exterminate Demons, all he had left was acceptance.
Encounter a mountain; become a mountain.
In this final battle, he could not spare himself. Only then could he tread beyond that long road and ascend higher.
Xue Hen slowly closed his mouth. His hollow, wooden eyes, seemingly devoid of life, trembled slightly, as though he too sensed a vast intent sweeping toward him like wind melting into rain.
This intent was not killing intent, yet it was more chilling than killing intent.
He had already seen Lian Youming's resolve. His taut cheeks quivered, and he laughed sinisterly in a low, hoarse voice like iron scraping stone. "You want to use me to prove your path?"
Lian Youming also stopped roaring. He shifted lightly on his feet and said slowly, "Come!"
The words had barely fallen when a terrifying killing aura surged before him like monstrous waves.
Xue Hen arched his insteps and raced like a nimble cat, swiftly closing in with the extraordinary footwork of Eight Steps Chasing the Cicada. He darted and shifted from side to side, so fast he seemed to teleport across the ground, almost impossible to follow with the naked eye.
Inconceivably fast.
Only five or six steps separated them,