"Well, well! So you know how to sneak attack just like Grandpa!" Evan Chu said, unruffled even in danger.
Stellar force instantly flooded Frostbane Sword. Facing the black-clad man's martial technique, Evan didn't hesitate—he swung the sword straight at him.
There was no time to use a martial technique. With his own stellar force and the newly awakened first layer of Starforge Body, he shouldn't be in much danger.
The black-clad man was overjoyed to see Evan attack head-on. "Kid, this time you're dead for sure! My martial technique is a Yellow-tier upper-grade skill. You really underestimated me!"
Just as he was certain Evan couldn't possibly survive his technique, something completely unexpected happened.
Evan's sword collided with his, and with a sharp metallic clang, the black-clad man's longsword shattered into several pieces.
That sword was a mid-grade spirit-tier weapon, yet it was broken by stellar force alone, without Evan even using a martial technique. The black-clad man couldn't believe it.
There were only two possible explanations: either Evan's stellar force was far too powerful, or he was wielding a legendary weapon.
But Evan's sword looked old and rusty—nothing like a legendary weapon. The only explanation was that his stellar force was simply overwhelming.
His sword was ruined, but the martial technique's attack wasn't over yet. Invisible sword-qi made of stellar force rained down on Evan.
Evan's Frostbane Sword paused for half a second, then plunged straight into the man's heart.
The black-clad man saw clearly that his martial technique had torn several large holes in Evan's clothes, but the strangest thing was—there was no blood at all.
Where the clothes were ripped, you could see a few faint blood marks, almost like whip lashes.
"How is this possible? He blocked my martial technique with just his body—how tough is this kid's physique?!"
A wave of agony shot through his chest, and his life force ebbed away rapidly. Even in death, he couldn't understand how anyone could block his martial technique with their bare body.
A cold gleam flashed across Evan's face. One down, one to go. He quickly drew Frostbane Sword, ready to face the strongest black-clad leader.
He gained a new appreciation for Frostbane Sword—it could even cut through other people's weapons. Even though the seal wasn't lifted yet, its basic properties as an ancient divine weapon were confirmed.
Meanwhile, Roxanne Lin finally finished off her opponent. It was her first kill, and she was a little scared—her face pale from the struggle inside.
Evan looked at the black-clad leader and said, "You're the last one left. Tell me who sent you, and I'll leave you a whole corpse."
Roxanne walked over, blocking the leader with Evan—one in front, one behind. "Evan, finish him quickly. The Chu Family is probably already fighting by now."
"Heh, Roxanne, killing someone has made you bold, huh? Let's do this together—see who finishes him first!" Evan grinned at Roxanne, not taking the black-clad leader seriously at all.
"You brat, you're pushing me too far! Even if I die today, I'm taking you with me!" the black-clad leader roared, furious at being ignored by two juniors.
"I'm game! Roxanne, go!" Evan shouted, launching Gentle Cloud Breeze at him.
Roxanne refused to be outdone, unleashing Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers once more. The two of them attacked the leader from both front and back with powerful martial techniques.
For most people, this kind of pincer attack only meant one thing: death.
But the black-clad leader had his own tricks. Before Evan and Roxanne's attacks could land, he swiftly struck out with both palms.
He struck with both hands at once, then dodged sideways two meters, leaving a blur behind him.
His twin palm strikes completely blocked Evan and Roxanne's attacks. The powerful force of his palms clashed with their sword-qi, and he even seemed to have the upper hand.
"So strong? This guy's a ninth-level Mystic Warrior. Careful, Roxanne!" Evan warned, sensing something was wrong.
"Evan, use your strongest attack. Don't worry about wasting stellar force—yours is enormous, so don't hold back." Luna the Sword Spirit suddenly spoke up.
Evan didn't summon Luna, but shouted angrily, "Not bad, you've got some skill! Try taking another move from me!"
Roxanne knew Evan was about to use his strongest technique. She had planned to use Ocean of Blossoms, but decided to hold back.
"Sweeping Wind!"
Evan channeled his stellar force and unleashed his strongest move at lightning speed.
A tornado erupted in front of Evan, ripping toward the black-clad leader.
It was so fast, the leader couldn't dodge at all. The ground was torn open, leaving a deep trench filled with dirt and rubble.
The leader stared grimly at the sudden tornado. "What a powerful attack!"
He could tell the stellar force hidden inside the tornado was anything but simple. Ordinary martial techniques would never be enough to withstand it.
But he had a technique that could burn his own life to boost his strength—Blood-Frenzy Reaving.
Using blood as a catalyst, he could unleash his life's potential, instantly boosting his power by at least one realm—but the consequences were severe.
Of course, every gain comes with a price—there are no free lunches. After using this move, he wouldn't be able to use stellar force for at least a month, or his meridians would be destroyed. Not even heaven-grade pills could save him then.
Most crucially, each time he boosted his power, his lifespan would drop by ten years—higher realms meant even greater loss.
In this world, a martial artist's lifespan is directly tied to their strength.
Ordinary people can live to seventy, Mystic Warrior Realm cultivators reach a hundred, and Earth Martial Realm experts can live anywhere from a hundred to five hundred years.
Once someone reaches the Earth Martial Realm, their lifespan increases dramatically. For each breakthrough in the Heavenly Martial Realm, they gain another two hundred years.
Some Heavenly Martial experts are already over two thousand years old. Once they break into the Divine Martial Realm, each advancement can add five hundred years or more—some even live for a millennium.
The stronger you are, the longer you live—everyone knows this. Many cultivate solely for long life: a hundred, a thousand, even ten thousand years!
The black-clad leader was a ninth-level Mystic Warrior. After using Blood-Frenzy Reaving, he was now at the first level of Earth Martial Realm—his power multiplied several times over.
A mist of blood appeared around him, then vanished. His expression twisted in agony, making him look terrifying.
Suddenly, his aura surged. Facing Evan's Sweeping Wind, he waved his hands, sending out a barrage of palm shadows and charged straight ahead.
The leader's sudden boost in aura shocked Evan, who shouted to Roxanne, "Roxanne, use your strongest attack—he's just broken through!"
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