The Sword Fell, the Fist Struck
"You want to kill me..."
His voice was hoarse, like sandpaper scraping, yet it carried a chilling madness, "Not enough!"
He let out a roar, detonating all the Soul Power within his body at that moment. He Electric Current Push to its limit, and blue and white lightning shot into the sky, dyeing half the sky a blinding white.
"Boom--!"
The dark clouds that had been gathering in the sky finally gave way to the force of the downpour, and a torrential rain poured down, with large raindrops pounding on the rocks and the sea, creating a continuous, pattering sound.
Rainwater mixed with blood flowed together at the foot of Bai Yushan, forming a dark red stream.
Long Qinghe's expression changed drastically.
He could clearly sense that the boy's aura had not weakened; on the contrary, it had risen to a terrifying level between life and death.
"Impossible!"
He let out a low roar, pushing the power of the Blood-Burning Technique to its limit. The broken sword energy re-condensed and charged towards the blue and white figure.
The two collided violently in the torrential rain.
This time, Bai Yushan didn't use any fancy moves. He withstood the sword's force and pressed forward, his dark fist carrying 500,000 volts of electricity, slamming hard towards Long Qinghe's face.
Thunder Way: Lightning Rushing Thunder Fist!
Long Qinghe parried with his arm, but was slammed backward several feet, the rocks beneath his feet being plowed with two deep furrows. Before he could regain his footing, Bai Yushan's second punch arrived, the blade grazing his shoulder and drawing a trail of blood.
He gritted his teeth and fought back, pointing his finger at Bai Yushan's throat with his sword, but the other man dodged it by tilting his head, leaving only a bloody mark on his neck with his fingertip.
The two engaged in close combat in the torrential rain, their sword strikes clashing with their fists, each blow stained with blood.
Blood was still seeping from Bai Yushan's chest; the gruesome gash hadn't fully healed. Every exertion aggravated the wound, bringing excruciating, tearing pain. Yet, the electric current surged wildly through his body, forcibly repairing his damaged meridians, keeping him from collapsing.
After a dozen or so moves, Long Qinghe's breathing began to become heavy.
His movements slowed down.
The duration of the Blood-Burning Technique has expired.
The blood-red lines faded rapidly from his skin, an indescribable feeling of exhaustion washed over him, his vision blurred, and the life force within him receded like a tide.
He knew he had lost.
But his hand still did not loosen its grip on the sword.
"Kid..."
Long Qinghe, panting, gave a bitter smile. "One last move. Do you dare to take it?"
Bai Yushan stood in the torrential rain, covered in blood, his scarlet eyes fixed on him, slowly clenching his fists.
"What's there to be afraid of?"
Long Qinghe concentrated all his remaining strength into the sword, dragging the longsword step by step, raindrops dripping down the blade.
He walked slowly, and with each step, the rocks beneath his feet cracked with fine lines. The power of the Blood-Burning Technique had completely faded, and his body was as withered as a piece of dead wood, his gray hair plastered to his face, and his wrinkles were full of bloodstains.
But his eyes were very bright.
It's a kind of enlightenment that comes from reaching the end of one's rope and seeing through life and death.
He felt the violent will opposite him, like a wounded beast roaring in the rain, savage, crazy, and never bowing down.
That overwhelming force made it hard for him to breathe, and even the longsword in his hand trembled slightly.
Long Qinghe suddenly stopped, looked up, and burst into laughter.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Laughter echoed through the rain, hoarse, manic, and with an indescribable sense of exhilaration.
"Great! Excellent!"
He finished laughing, gripped his longsword tightly, and flicked his wrist casually, as if he were just swatting away a mosquito.
No Soul Ring lit up, no Soul Power erupted, and there wasn't even the slightest sword light.
This sword strike was as casual as an old man in the village chopping wood.
But this one sword strike made the hairs on Bai Yushan's body stand on end instantly.
His Electromagnetic Clarity screamed wildly at that moment, and the clear perception in his sea of consciousness clearly reflected the trajectory of this sword strike.
Simple, clean, without any fancy changes, the sword cuts down diagonally from the most basic angle, but it perfectly blocks all his escape routes.
Forward, and you are the sword.
Retreat, and there is the sword.
I dodged left and right, but the sword remained there.
His body seemed to be firmly locked by the will of this sword, even the air became viscous, and every inch of his skin could feel the cutting edge.
It's unavoidable.
In Bai Yushan's scarlet eyes, there was no sign of retreat; instead, two dazzling flames ignited.
If we can't avoid it, then we won't avoid it.
He suddenly lowered his waist and stood up, his right fist slowly retracting to his waist. Dark Armament Haki spread along his arm, dyeing his entire fist a deep black. The will of Conqueror's Haki surged out like a torrent, Entanglement around his fist and colliding fiercely with the 500,000 volts of electricity.
Third Soul Skill: Thunder Pattern Possession!
Pale purple lightning patterns lit up from his shoulders, creeping along the lines of his muscles all over his body, flickering uncertainly in the downpour. The blue-white electricity was imbued with the tyrannical will of the Conqueror's Haki, its color gradually changing from blue-white to dark red, and finally transforming into a dazzling blood red.
Crimson lightning Entanglement, compressed, and condensed around his fist, emitting a deep roar, like a thunder dragon being caged and howling.
Two crimson lights crossed and condensed into a cross on his fist.
Bai Yushan roared, the rocks beneath his feet shattered, and he charged forward relentlessly to meet the descending sword.
The sword fell.
A punch is thrown.
"Boom--!!!!"
The fist and the sword collided in mid-air, and the crimson lightning and the bluish-white sword blade exploded at the same time. The violent Impact swept outwards from the two of them, shattering the reefs within a radius of ten feet. The seawater was shaken up and turned into a torrential downpour.
The longsword in Long Qinghe's hand let out a mournful cry, its blade covered with spiderweb-like cracks, before breaking apart inch by inch.
The crimson cross-shaped beam of light continued its relentless advance, slamming into his chest.
"Puff--"
Long Qinghe's body stiffened abruptly, his chest caved in, and blood mixed with rainwater gushed from his mouth. His body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto the rocks and tumbling several times before coming to a stop.
Almost simultaneously, the shattered blade also sliced through Bai Yushan's chest.
The remaining sharpness of the severed sword cut a gruesome wound diagonally across his chest, extending from his left shoulder to his right rib.
This new wound intersected and overlapped with the crack left by Azure Firmament Limitless, forming a twisted cross on his chest. His skin and flesh rolled back, and blood gushed out like a torrent, instantly turning into a pale red stream of water that was washed away by the torrential rain.
Bai Yushan groaned, staggered forward two steps, and slammed one knee heavily onto the reef. He braced himself with one hand on the ground, blood trickling down between his fingers.
His vision blurred, and the sound of rain became distant and indistinct, as if through a thick layer of water.
In the distance, Long Qinghe lay among the shattered rocks, his chest still rising and falling slightly. He gazed at the gloomy sky, his unfocused eyes showing no resentment or bitterness, only a calm that had settled.