Fang Yuan's hands grasped at empty air. He immediately raised his arms and lunged, grabbing with both hands.
His left hand caught nothing, but his right hand seized one of Bi Chentian's legs.
Bi Chentian's retreat was blocked. His other leg lashed out like a vicious flood dragon emerging from its den—fierce and swift, aimed straight at Fang Yuan's temple.
The strike carried tremendous force. If it landed, it would leave Fang Yuan dazed and dizzy, and Bi Chentian would escape without any further obstacles.
But in that very moment, Fang Yuan pulled out the Love Immortal Gu and held it before his eyes.
Bi Chentian, so frustrated he wanted to curse his mother, had his attack falter for an instant.
Fang Yuan seized the critical window of reaction. He abruptly tilted his head back, and his entire body flipped upside down underwater.
Originally, both he and Bi Chentian were oriented head-up, feet-down.
Now, with one hand gripping Bi Chentian's leg, he had suddenly reversed into a head-down, feet-up position.
Seeing this transformation, Bi Chentian's heart sank. A silent alarm screamed inside him.
This was because Fang Yuan had one hand holding his leg and the other hand clutching the Love Immortal Gu—he had no way to launch a powerful attack with his arms. But in this moment, in this exact situation, Fang Yuan had both legs free to use.
Bi Chentian, on the other hand, had one leg captured by Fang Yuan, leaving only a single leg to attack with.
In his panic, the free leg suddenly changed its movements—darting like a butterfly threading through flowers, impossibly agile. In the blink of an eye, it unleashed a rapid barrage of kicks, forming an interlocking web of leg shadows directly in Fang Yuan's field of vision.
But Fang Yuan showed no fear. His own legs swept out in kind, whipping up their own flurry of leg shadows.
The two clashed underwater, their forces colliding with each impact churning the surrounding river current into swirling eddies. Every collision of foot against foot produced muffled booms that reverberated through the water.
Bi Chentian ultimately had only one leg to work with—how could he possibly match Fang Yuan's double-legged assault?
Throughout the exchange, he took kick after kick from Fang Yuan.
Bi Chentian focused primarily on defense, his heart seething with pent-up fury: "I, an esteemed Eighth Transformation Gu Immortal, have been reduced to this state. You臭 brat! The moment I break the surface and catch my breath, you're done for!"
His arms churned violently, propelling both their bodies upward toward the river's surface.
But in the next instant, a sharp gleam flashed through Fang Yuan's eyes. One leg blocked Bi Chentian's kick, while the other foot aimed squarely at a critical area and slammed into it with full force.
"Oh!"
Bi Chentian was kicked hard by Fang Yuan—right in the crotch.
In that instant, his entire face froze. His eyes went wide as saucers. The meager breath he had left nearly burst out of him in one go.
Bi Chentian was, after all, an Eighth Transformation powerhouse. His endurance far exceeded that of an ordinary person. He gritted through the pain while his arms flailed, trying to swim upward and break the surface with his head.
Bam!
Fang Yuan landed another kick.
Bi Chentian's entire body convulsed violently. This time he could no longer hold it in, and a long chain of bubbles erupted from his mouth.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Seizing the massive opening, Fang Yuan unleashed a continuous barrage of kicks.
Bi Chentian's face was flushed crimson, his eyes shot through with blood vessels. He abandoned all thought of swimming to the surface. Instead, he turned around, determined to fight Fang Yuan to the death!
"Who has time to fight you to the death?" Fang Yuan released his grip and delivered one final kick, sending Bi Chentian flying away.
At the same time, the reactive force pushed him in the opposite direction, widening the gap between them.
Bi Chentian, finally freed, was stunned for a moment before he frantically abandoned Fang Yuan and struggled toward the river's surface.
Fang Yuan turned and used the opportunity to distance himself from Bi Chentian, successfully making his escape.
Bi Chentian's head burst above the waterline. He gasped desperately, drawing in huge mouthfuls of air.
The searing pain from his crotch continued to radiate outward, wave after wave of intense agony hammering his nerves, making his head spin.
"That damned wretch! Given the chance, I'll strip your tendons, peel your skin, crush your bones, and scatter your ashes!" Bi Chentian watched from afar as Fang Yuan swam rapidly across the river's surface, the distance between them growing ever wider—already far beyond his reach.
Only after successfully shaking off Bi Chentian did Fang Yuan slow his pace and begin to gradually recover his stamina.
He felt a numbness in the soles of his feet.
Bi Chentian's crotch was no easy target to kick. Despite possessing an Immortal's body with immense strength, and despite being the one doing the kicking, the soles of Fang Yuan's feet had gone completely numb.
Clearly, Bi Chentian had paid attention to protecting that area as well. The Wood Path Dao Marks there were far from few.
In the final moment, Fang Yuan had chosen not to fight Bi Chentian to the death.