Lu Guan propped himself up with his saber and staggered to his feet.
The bones throughout his body felt as though they had fallen apart, broken bones creaking beneath his flesh.
He shook his head, forcibly suppressing the vast torrent of information surging through his mind.
He had taken in far too much information in far too short a time.
Fortunately, it had come in two installments. If the memories of the Gang Condensation Mental Art and the Four Symbols Heaven's Will Saber had flooded in all at once, he would probably have been drooling by now.
Moonlight spilled like silver across the long street.
Lu Guan's shadow stretched out, faintly overlapping the old ape's sinister shadow.
Yuan Guanshan paid no heed whatsoever to the blood-drenched Lu Guan.
Its entire body was taut, all its attention firmly locked on that gold-badge demon slayer.
As for Lu Guan, even if it stood perfectly still, he could not harm a single hair on its body. Anyone below the Inner Landscape Realm was an ant, utterly unworthy of its attention.
Lu Guan straightened and tightened his grip on his long saber.
But his palm was covered in blood, slick and slippery. The hilt slid in his hand, making it impossible to exert any strength.
He tore a strip from his hem and bound his palm tightly to the hilt, cinching the knot fast.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lu Guan glanced at the man wearing a black bamboo hat at the end of the street, then looked at Yu Qianqian.
It's Yu Qianqian, and the helper she found beside her. Judging by this ape demon's expression, that helper is strong.
But considering Yu Qianqian's revealed identity as a commandery princess, that was hardly surprising.
Or rather, it would have been wrong if he were weak.
His thoughts shifted, and a plan had already formed in his mind.
In that case, my safety is already assured...
Although I'm badly wounded, fortunately, that ape demon was so strong that it suppressed me outright before I could even use much Gang Qi.
So I still have the strength to fight.
His flesh, sinews, and bones were injured, but the reserves of Gang Qi inside him had not diminished in the slightest.
Expending all the Gang Qi in his body would be enough to unleash the move the panel called a Divine Ability: [Celestial Person One Saber Slash].
Lu Guan greatly anticipated the power of this Inner Landscape Realm saber technique.
He calmed his mind and steadied his breath, then raised his hand, pointing his saber straight at Yuan Guanshan before him.
This action drew the gazes of both people and the demon present onto him.
Yuan Guanshan's brow twitched. It wished it could slap this reckless creature before it to death.
But with a gold-badge demon slayer watching like a tiger from the side, it absolutely dared not act rashly.
Although the man was merely standing there, Yuan Guanshan could feel his saber intent locked firmly onto it.
If it dared move so much as a fraction out of line, that saber would descend like thunder.
Yu Qianqian frowned.
Looking at the blood-soaked youth with several broken ribs, she could not help letting out a long sigh.
What a battle maniac!
Ever since she had met Lu Guan, the youth had either been fighting or on his way to a fight, never resting for a moment.
She truly had no idea what he was in such a hurry for.
He was clearly so young, with boundless prospects and plenty of time ahead, yet he acted as though his days were numbered and he was rushing off to reincarnate.
"Uncle Chen." She lowered her voice, urgency creeping into her tone. "Lu Guan is too badly hurt. We can't keep letting him court death."
After a pause, she added, "He's a true genius. With proper nurturing, his future achievements certainly won't fall short of yours."
At her words, Chen Jingchou grinned.
"My lady commandery princess, geniuses are forged in blood and fire, not through empty talk."
His tone was languid and careless. Standing with his arms folded, he rested his gaze on Lu Guan as though appraising a piece of unpolished jade.
"As far as I'm concerned, a genius who hasn't grown into his potential isn't worth shit."
"Unless... he can prove his worth."
Yu Qianqian paled, instantly understanding Chen Jingchou's intentions.
The gold-badge demon slayer called out loudly:
"Boy, raise your saber and hack that old ape to death! Hack it hard!"
As his words fell, Lu Guan swung his saber without the slightest hesitation!
Yuan Guanshan was instantly enraged.
It was one thing for that gold-badge demon slayer to look down on it, but a mere Gang Condensation Realm martial artist dared act so arrogantly too?
Feeling insulted, Yuan Guanshan instinctively began mobilizing the Qi of heaven and earth-
The next second, it abruptly came to its senses.
Fuck, that damned demon slayer opposite it had sealed off all the Qi of heaven and earth!
But that did not matter. Commanding the Qi of heaven and earth was an Inner Landscape Realm method.
Apart from that method, it still had the demonic body it took pride in as a demon.
Yuan Guanshan quickly settled all its emotions. It raised its lone arm high and slammed it forward, carrying a howling wind.
Boom!
The sound of air being torn apart came rolling in.
With that palm strike, even the air was compressed into a visible wall, hurtling down toward Lu Guan with a howl.
Yet what puzzled it was that there was not the slightest trace of fear on his face.
Did he think that demon slayer would definitely save him?
What a joke!
At such close range, no one could help him!
At that thought, a savage grin spread across Yuan Guanshan's face, its fangs protruding between its lips, ghastly white as bone.
But the very next second, that savage grin froze on its face.
An intense sense of danger shot up from the base of its spine. It felt as though it had plunged into an icy cavern, and all its reason was instantly swallowed whole.
Every hair stood on end, its scalp tingled, and its heart stopped.
Why was this happening?
Had that demon slayer abandoned martial honor and attacked from behind?
At the same time, a cold smile appeared on Lu Guan's lips.
"Celestial Person One Saber Slash!"
Behind him, the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise-the Four Symbols-manifested in succession.
The Azure Dragon soared skyward, its scales gleaming like metal in the moonlight.
The White Tiger crouched on a rock and roared into the wind, its fangs fearsome, its killing intent surging like a tide.
The Vermilion Bird spread its wings, blazing flames burning on its scarlet feathers.
The Black Tortoise held dominion over the depths, tortoise and serpent coiled together, steadfast as a mountain.
The four enormous beasts condensed from Gang Qi surged and roared beneath the moonlight, illuminating the entire street as brightly as day.
Then they spun rapidly, merging into one and transforming into a faceless humanoid.
Several zhang tall, grayish-white all over, with long, slender limbs, it stood behind Lu Guan as though his shadow had been projected into the sky.
Almost in the blink of an eye, contours began appearing on the blank face.
First came the curve of the chin, then the line of the nose, followed by the brow ridge, eye sockets, and forehead.
Stroke by stroke, it was as though someone were carving it with an invisible blade.
Yuan Guanshan's eyes widened to their utmost.
It saw clearly. That face was none other than the face of the youth before it!
With icy brows and eyes, the corners of its lips slightly raised, and an indifferent gaze, it looked down upon the ape like a deity descended from heaven.
Only then did it understand where that sudden sense of danger had come from.
"No!!!"
Yuan Guanshan let out a shrill howl, filled with terror and disbelief.
The Qi of heaven and earth!
That humanoid was clearly formed from the Qi of heaven and earth!
How could a Gang Condensation Realm martial artist be worthy of wielding it?
No, that demon slayer has already sealed off the Qi of heaven and earth here. This humanoid only looks terrifying. It has no killing power at all!
At that thought, Yuan Guanshan's heart eased.
But the very next moment, the enormous phantom had already raised its hand, held its fingers together like a saber, and lightly slashed down.
How could this be?!
The old ape turned to look at Chen Jingchou.
The man wore a smile, looking utterly deserving of a beating, and uttered two words:
"Stupid monkey."
It was your access to the Qi of heaven and earth that had been sealed. What did that have to do with Lu Guan?
He was on the same side!