"You're all bark and no bite!!!"
With that roar, Tang Xiu struck directly.
The great saber in his hand shimmered with crimson light before he swung it with full force.
The crimson light shot outward, splitting into countless red blade qi that surged toward Chu Feng like a swarm of crimson sickles.
That was a Seven-tiered Martial taboo secret art!!!
Seeing this, a red glow flickered beneath Chu Feng's feet. He darted and weaved through the onslaught, the deafening crack of thunder booming with every step as he evicted each and every one of the crimson blade qi.
He, too, had unleashed a Seven-tiered Martial taboo secret art — the Thunderstorm Dragon Step.
"Run. But can you run far enough?"
Tang Xiu sneered.
He stood rooted in place, observing Chu Feng like a mere spectator.
That was because the crimson blade qi seemed to possess a tracking ability, relentlessly pursuing Chu Feng wherever he went.
Even if Chu Feng dodged the first wave, the blade qi would lunge at him a second time, a third time, a fourth — endlessly, without reprieve.
Under these conditions, Chu Feng had indeed begun to lose the composure he'd shown earlier.
"Isn't that the Seven-tiered Martial taboo secret art Master Tang Xiu obtained from ancient ruins — the Life-Tracking Crimson Sickle?"
"That martial skill is truly terrifying. If it were anyone else, they'd already be dead, right?"
"Even with how monstrous this kid is, he's starting to crumble against this technique."
"Can't blame him. The Life-Tracking Crimson Sickle contains a hidden formation. It's not a simple pursuit — during the chase, the sound and trajectory of the blades disrupt a martial artist's mind. Prolonged exposure leads to disorientation and a drop in combat strength."
"Tch, the kid got careless. If he had another trump card, he should've used it to break through immediately. Dragging this out will only lead to his defeat."
The crowd murmured amongst themselves.
This technique was one of Tang Xiu's signature moves.
It wasn't his strongest martial skill, but it was his most frequently used one — he loved employing it to dismantle his opponents.
Chu Feng grew increasingly frantic. Though the crimson blade qi still hadn't managed to wound him, his evasions became more and more laborious.
Even his face had turned increasingly red, as though he were gasping for air, on the verge of suffocating.
And in his desperation to dodge the blade qi, he failed to notice that he was drawing ever closer to Tang Xiu.
Tang Xiu said nothing, but a vicious glint gleamed in his eyes as his grip on the great saber tightened.
He was waiting — waiting until Chu Feng was close enough for a single lethal strike to finish him.
At last, the distance between Chu Feng and Tang Xiu had shrunk to almost nothing.
Tang Xiu raised his hand, ready to bring the saber down.
But Chu Feng suddenly looked straight at Tang Xiu and opened his mouth.
RAOOU—
A dragon's roar erupted from Chu Feng's throat. A visible shockwave of sound hurtled straight toward Tang Xiu.
Everything happened far too quickly, and at such close range, Tang Xiu had absolutely no way to evade. The sound wave slammed into him and sent him flying backward.
By the time Tang Xiu hit the ground, he was covered in blood, his flesh torn open, completely stripped of any ability to continue fighting.
As for the crimson blade qi he had unleashed moments before, it dissipated along with the severity of his injuries.
The crowd gasped in shock.
Chu Feng had looked utterly frantic moments ago, yet now his face had returned to normal and the panic had vanished entirely.
Looking at the final result, realization dawned on them.
It had been an act. All of it — every bit of that panic — had been an act.
He had been setting up this ambush all along, waiting for the perfect moment to take Tang Xiu down in a single strike.
And the most critical part was that he had succeeded — defeating Tang Xiu in a matter of seconds once again.
"You're still alive?"
Chu Feng looked at Tang Xiu with a trace of surprise.
In his estimation, that strike should have killed Tang Xiu.
"Oh — so you have not only life-preserving pills but also a guardian formation."
Soon, Chu Feng noticed a faint layer of light enveloping Tang Xiu's body. It was a protective formation.
But this formation likely hadn't been placed by Master Tang Xiu, because it wasn't particularly powerful. With Chu Feng's current mastery of barrier arts, he could shatter it with ease.
"Please spare my son's life!"
Just then, a woman's voice suddenly rang out.
It came from Tang Xiu's body.
A phantom image materialized above him — that of a middle-aged woman.
She was most likely the one who had placed the guardian formation.
"Young master, I do not know what grievance arose between you and my Xiu'er, but I beg you — please spare his life."
The middle-aged woman pleaded.
"Are you Tang Xiu's mother?"
Chu Feng asked.
"Yes."
The woman nodded, her face taut with anxiety, every ounce of her demeanor humble and submissive.
"Did you place this guardian formation?"
Chu Feng asked.
"I did."
Tears had already begun to stream down her cheeks, her worry for Tang Xiu overwhelming her.
"I have no grudge against your son, yet he took it upon himself to kill me on someone else's behalf today. If I had lost, do you think he would have shown me mercy?"
Chu Feng countered.
The woman seemed to realize that her son had been in the wrong.
With a thud, she dropped to her knees.
"Young master, I beg you, please — please spare my Xiu'er."
"If you are willing to spare him, I will do whatever it takes to compensate you."
"Even if you want me to serve you as a beast of burden, I would gladly do so."
Tang Xiu's mother wept bitterly, her tears and sobs utterly genuine — not the least bit feigned.
Chu Feng had always been unmoved by pleas for mercy.
Only when doom was upon them did people think to beg? Where had all that resolve been before?
But the identity of the person asking gave Chu Feng pause. This was a mother, pleading for the life of her son.