"Boss, is this the guy you're gonna kill? He looks pretty strong—already at the Heaven Martial Realm." Goldwing commented.
"That's right, he's definitely strong. Killing him might cost us dearly, but Old Goldwing, just watch—I'll show you how much I've improved these last few days." Evan Chu replied.
Aiden Ying glanced at Evan Chu and laughed, "Are we starting now? I've been getting a little impatient."
"So much nonsense. There's nobody around—perfect place to kill you. Come on, let me see just how strong you really are." Evan Chu finished speaking and drew the Frostbane Sword from his storage ring.
A look of utter disdain flashed across Aiden Ying's face. He also drew his own sword and immediately slashed at Evan Chu.
Evan Chu had no intention of taking that sword strike head-on. His opponent was stronger, and going toe-to-toe would only get him hurt. This was the perfect chance to test just how much his speed had improved.
As Aiden Ying's attack closed in, Evan Chu hurriedly unleashed Shifting Position. His afterimage vanished from the spot, reappearing over twenty meters away.
"Damn! That speed's not bad at all, and the distance is way better too." Evan Chu said with satisfaction, clearly much faster than before.
Aiden Ying's sword slashed through Evan Chu's afterimage. Seeing Evan grinning at him from afar, he was startled—he hadn't expected the kid's speed to be this freakish. Killing him was going to be a real headache.
He moved his feet and left a residual shadow, appearing right in front of Evan Chu. "Kid, your speed's impressive, but if all you can do is dodge, killing you won't mean much. If you're a real man, let's fight for real."
Aiden Ying was dumbfounded—the brat had actually shattered his spatial imprisonment! He never dreamed Evan Chu had been waiting for him to finish charging his martial skill, only to break free at the last second. The tactical timing was flawless, leaving Aiden completely caught off guard.
Now his martial skill was interrupted halfway, and the backlash surged like a tidal wave—a mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips as he realized Evan had been playing possum all along, perfectly aware of the consequences of breaking the domain. The setup was ruthless.
Enduring the pain tearing through his body, Aiden glared at Evan, regret flooding his heart. He frantically circulated Stellar Power from his Heaven Star Core, trying to stabilize his wounds, but the agony was relentless.
Evan Chu wasted no time. He activated Shifting Position, vanishing in a blur, and unleashed the ninth form of Windchaser Sword Codex—a long, sweeping sword shadow slashing straight at Aiden Ying with unstoppable momentum.
Evan didn't expect this sword strike to truly injure Aiden; it was a feint to force a hurried defense, setting up his real killing move: Demon-Breaking Fist. The whole fight was a tactical dance.
Seeing Evan's sword coming fast, Aiden's anger flared. Even with the backlash ravaging his body, he was still a Heaven Martial cultivator—how could some Earth Martial trash possibly threaten him?
A starved camel is still bigger than a horse—did this punk really not understand the gap? This sword would be his death!
Gritting his teeth through the pain, Aiden swung his longsword with all his strength. The two sword auras collided with a deafening boom, the energy backlash sending both fighters stumbling back several steps.
But Evan was already prepared. His left fist shot out, followed by his right—two punches less than a second apart, both aimed straight at Aiden Ying.
Aiden saw Evan's first punch and quickly countered with his own, but he never expected a second strike from Evan's other hand. Evan's split-mind technique was in full play.
Evan's left hand unleashed the third form of Demon-Breaking Fist—not especially powerful, but enough to neutralize Aiden's punch. His right hand, though, was the real killing move: the fifth form of Demon-Breaking Fist, its power surging with destructive Chaos Qi.
His split-mind technique was operating at full force. As the final punch landed, the space around his fist visibly trembled—the destructive power was overwhelming, and the impact could be felt in the air.
It all happened in a flash—even a Heaven Martial expert like Aiden couldn't react in time. Their fists collided, and just as the rebound force was about to send them flying again...
Evan's right fist—the fifth form of Demon-Breaking Fist—dispersed the rebound entirely and smashed straight into Aiden's chest, the blow landing with pinpoint accuracy.
The impact shattered Aiden's chest bones, wrecked his organs, and sent him flying dozens of meters before crashing to the ground. If he hadn't trained in body-forging arts, Evan's punch would have killed him on the spot.
Strike while they're wounded and finish them off—that's always been Evan's way. But after throwing those two punches, his Chaos Qi was nearly depleted; another Demon-Breaking Fist was impossible. His only option left was a Heart-Sword attack.
Aiden Ying struggled to his feet, horrified that an Earth Martial junior had injured him so badly. If he kept fighting, he'd be killed for sure—he had to escape.
The thought of running sprang to mind instantly. Even with shattered chest bones and ruined organs, his Heaven Martial cultivation barely let him fly.
Just as Evan prepared to unleash his Heart-Sword, Aiden threw everything he had into fleeing skyward, blood pouring from him as he shot into the air.
Aiden's sudden flight stunned Evan. He'd never considered that Aiden might run—after all, a Heaven Martial cultivator could fly, while he himself was stuck on the ground. No matter how strong he was, he couldn't chase him down.
Just as panic surged in Evan's heart, a silver light flashed at his glabella—a tiny silver sword shot out from his brow, streaking toward the sky after Aiden, cutting through the air like a shooting star.
Evan's mind sharpened as he watched the silver sword fly. The gap between Heaven Martial and Earth Martial was a chasm, but this sword was his last chance to kill Aiden before he escaped.
Aiden Ying sensed the sword's approach and tried to speed up, but his injuries slowed him down—blood rained from the sky as he struggled to escape death.
The silver sword pierced the air, locking onto Aiden's aura. Evan poured his remaining will into guiding it, determined not to let his enemy slip away.
Aiden looked back in terror, realizing the sword was faster than he could ever hope to be. The fear of death twisted his face as he tried to summon every last drop of Stellar Power to defend himself.
But the silver sword was relentless. It sliced through Aiden's defenses, piercing his heart with a flash of cold light. His body jerked, blood spraying from his chest.
Aiden Ying's eyes widened in disbelief, his body falling from the sky like a broken kite. The pride of the prime minister's house was slain in a single stroke.
Evan Chu watched the body fall, his heart surging with wild emotion—victory, relief, and the cold certainty that his path would only grow more dangerous from here.
The world seemed to quiet for a moment. Evan stood alone, the wind blowing across the barren field, the taste of blood and triumph lingering in the air.
He wiped the blood from his sword and looked to the horizon. The duel was over, but the real battle was only beginning.
With Aiden Ying dead, Evan Chu knew that his name would soon shake the entire Heavenly Dragon Empire. But for now, he turned and walked away, ready to face whatever came next.