Fang Lian stared at the man before her, silently evaluating him.
Of all the people she had met in her life, he was by far the second most dangerous.
He still ranked far below the Matriarch, or, as she called her now, Mother.
The feeling she got when up against her mother was like a carp to a dragon.
While when up against Drog Konan, it was simply a carp against another bigger carp.
Drog Konan shot forward at lightning speed, intending to force a clash of pure physical strength.
Fang Lian had no intention of playing along.
After all, like she said, one mistake could cost her life.
She continued to evade continuously, with no windows to attack back.
Even Drog Konan couldn't help but curse.
"Stop running, you damn cockroach!"
Fang Lian remained expressionless, she knew she couldn't keep dodging forever.
If she focused solely on survival and never fought back, there was always the possibility that he would abandon her and target the others instead.
Her keeping him at bay was what the others were also hoping of her.
Just as that thought crossed her mind, the mace appeared before her.
Her pupils contracted, the attack was too fast!
Instinctively, she raised her sword.
Boom!
The impact sent her flying across the battlefield as she crashed through the trees before finally stabilizing herself.
Fang Lian's expression became serious.
How? What was that?
She hadn't sensed the attack at all. It had completely bypassed her perception.
Meanwhile, Drog Konan looked at the mace as it flew back into his hand.
Then he muttered to himself.
"Of course that worked."
A grin slowly spread across his face.
"Why didn't I use that from the beginning?"
His gaze shifted somewhere beyond normal sight.
"Keep concealing it, World Spirit."
The surrounding space remained silent but Drog Konan's confidence visibly grew.
Then he stepped forward.
Fang Lian slowly raised her sword.
For the first time since the battle began, she pointed it directly at him.
Drog Konan laughed.
"You're too proud for your own good. Die!"
The moment he moved, Fang Lian moved as well.
Sword light erupted across the heavens.
The moment she decided to attack, she used one of the Fang Family's strongest techniques.
"Tyrant Light Sword."
The world brightened and five rays of light gathered high above the battlefield.
Each one shone like a descending star.
"Starfall."
The five points of light instantly descended.
From a distance, it looked as though five suns had fallen from the heavens.
In gaming terms, this was the equivalent of opening a battle by using your ultimate while every other skill remained available.
Drog Konan grinned.
Instead of retreating, he activated his body-tempering technique.
His flesh hardened and his aura surged.
Then he charged directly toward the falling stars.
Why is he simply charging forward? What does he hope to achieve?
The thought crossed Fang Lian's mind as the five falling stars struck Drog Konan head-on.
The battlefield trembled and the lights engulfed everything.
When the brilliance faded, Drog Konan was still standing.
There wasn't even a visible wound on his body.
Not so much as a scratch.
"Is that it?"
His voice echoed across the battlefield.
"The best you can do?"
Fang Lian's pupils contracted and then he suddenly vanished once more.
Before she could react, the mace had once again slammed directly into her stomach.
Baam!
Pain exploded throughout her body.
Her vision blurred as she was launched through the air, blood spraying from her mouth.
Mountains shattered one after another before she finally crashed into the earth.
For a moment, the world spun.
Her grip on the sword nearly loosened.
Calm down.
The thought surfaced immediately.
Calm down.
She pushed herself up.
Calm down.
One hand held her stomach while the other gripped her sword.
Calm down. You can do this.
Mother is watching, you can do this.
Meanwhile, Drog Konan leisurely walked toward her.
The urgency from earlier was gone.
Now that he understood her capabilities, his confidence had returned.
"Kid."
His footsteps echoed across the ruined battlefield.
"If you had a few more years to develop..."
A smile appeared on his face.
"Perhaps our positions today would be reversed."
Fang Lian gave no response as she remained kneeling with her head lowered.
Drog Konan stopped several steps away sounding clearly dissapointed,"Hah. Giving up after a single blow?"
His smile widened,"Is your body really that weak?"
Then he took another step and suddenly a chill ran down his spine.
Every instinct in his body screamed of danger.
Fang Lian's head slowly lifted and her eyes were calm.
"Spatial Cut."
The words were barely louder than a whisper.
Space split.
Drog Konan's expression changed instantly.
Too fast, there was no warning.
The attack had no buildup, it had simply appeared.
The earth beneath his feet suddenly shifted.
The ground itself moved.
As though an invisible hand had pushed him aside.
A black line swept past his body and with a low thud, his left arm fell to the ground.
For a moment, Drog Konan simply stared.
Then blood erupted from the severed shoulder.
His expression froze as the arm remained on the ground.
The wound was filled with an unfamiliar power that prevented healing.
"Void Law...?"
His voice trembled.
"What?"
He looked at Fang Lian with undisguised horror.
Had she been hiding this from the beginning?
Had every dodge, every retreat, every exchange been preparation for this single strike?
If the World Spirit hadn't intervened at the last moment.... If the earth itself hadn't shifted his body aside.
That attack would not have taken an arm.
It would have split him in half.
For the first time since the battle began, Drog Konan no longer looked at Fang Lian as a talented junior.
He looked at her as a genuine threat.
This time, Drog Konan did not say a word as he simply took out an artifact.
Fang Lian's expression immediately became wary.
A sinister aura radiated from the black flag, causing even the surrounding spiritual energy to become restless.
Without hesitation, Drog Konan drove the flag into the ground.
The moment it took root, the sunlight was swallowed away.
The bright sky was devoured by an endless darkness until not a trace of light remained.
Fang Lian found herself completely engulfed within the blackened world.
Silence filled the darkness and within that darkness, movement appeared.
One after another, twisted figures emerged from the shadows.
They crawled, staggered, and lurched forward from every direction, their hollow eyes fixed solely on Fang Lian.
