Martial Dao: I Can Enhance My Talents

Chapter 298: Chapter 295: Sudden Change

"SHHH—BOOM!!!"

There was no deafening explosion. It began with a faint yet grating tear, as if silk were being ripped in two.

Then came the earth-shattering explosion!

The pillar of crimson light was forcibly split down the middle by the impossibly sharp, intensely focused azure sword-light.

The two terrifying forces collided in a mad frenzy, annihilating one another. The resulting shockwave swept outward in all directions like a tsunami.

"PFFT—!"

Chu Feng took the full force of the blow. As if struck by lightning, he sprayed a large mouthful of blood.

He flew backward like a kite with a severed string, crashing heavily into the ruins dozens of yards away and kicking up a cloud of dust.

He struggled to get up, but only managed to cough up several more mouthfuls of blood.

His complexion instantly turned as pale as parchment, and his aura weakened to an extreme degree. It was clear his internal organs had been severely damaged.

Fang Han, too, was rocked by the aftershocks, forcing him back a dozen steps before he could steady himself, his own qi and blood churning.

His face was slightly pale, the arm holding the sword trembled slightly, but his gaze remained as sharp as a blade.

The verdict was clear, the battle decided!

Fang Han, victorious.

Even though Chu Feng had broken through to the Fourth Grade and his Inner Qi had become vastly more powerful, Fang Han had still managed to defeat him by relying on his superior Swordsmanship and Body Technique, overcoming a higher-ranked opponent.

’To think he cultivated a Demon Skill... he’s simply asking for death!’

Fang Han slowly exhaled a turbid breath tinged with the smell of blood, his gaze falling coldly on the struggling Chu Feng in the distance. He raised the Flowing Wind Sword again.

Chu Feng was a Celestial Pride True Inheritance of the Sect, bound by its rules. Fang Han couldn’t kill him; otherwise, he would face a strict investigation from the Sect.

But now that Chu Feng himself had cultivated a Demon Skill, the Sect would not blame Fang Han even if he killed him.

’Evil must be completely eradicated. Today, I will finish Chu Feng for good.’

"SWOOSH—!"

An astonishing killing intent filled Fang Han’s eyes as he thrust his sword forward in a swift motion.

A grim wind followed the blade, carrying his Inner Qi—which was near the Peak of Late Fifth Grade—and the ferocious Sword Momentum born from his Mastery of the Nine Swords of Sky Splitting.

The Flowing Wind Sword transformed into a streak of azure lightning that tore through the void, aiming straight for Chu Feng’s throat.

This strike was fast, precise, and ruthless. It carried his unyielding resolve to kill, to ensure the threat of Chu Feng was erased from the world!

"..."

Chu Feng’s pupils contracted sharply. For the first time, an almost despairing terror appeared in his eyes.

Heavily injured, he faced a killing strike that concentrated all of Fang Han’s Essence, Qi, and Spirit.

It was impossible to dodge, impossible to block!

Just as the tip of the Flowing Wind Sword was about to touch Chu Feng’s skin—

"VMMM!"

A low hum, one that seemed capable of shaking the very soul, suddenly rang out!

Fang Han’s vision blurred. A black shadow had appeared out of thin air between him and Chu Feng, like a phantom.

Its arrival was so fast, it far exceeded the limits of his perception!

Following that, a terrifying aura erupted—one that was bone-chillingly cold, yet as vast and boundless as the deepest ocean trench.

A hand, cloaked in the sleeve of a wide black robe, struck late but arrived first, pressing forward with a deceptively light touch.

This hand seemed to move slowly, but in reality, it was faster than thought.

From the palm, a bizarre, dark-red Qi Force, condensed to its absolute limit, surged forth.

It struck, dead center, right on the tip of Fang Han’s Flowing Wind Sword.

"CLANG—!!!"

It wasn’t the crisp clang of metal on metal, but a dull, strange boom—like a great bell being struck—mixed with the hiss of some corrosive force.

Fang Han felt an indescribable, overwhelming force surging up the blade of his sword.

Not only was the force incomparably fierce and powerful, but it also carried a yin-cold property that corroded his meridians and froze his Inner Qi.

He grunted, his right arm, holding the sword, shook violently. The web of his thumb split open, and blood instantly dyed the hilt red.

His entire body was thrown back uncontrollably, as if he had been hit head-on by a charging mountain.

"THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP—!"

Fang Han’s feet stomped more than ten consecutive steps on the shattered ground.

Each step sank deep into the gravel and dirt, leaving behind a series of cracked footprints.

Only then did he barely manage to dissipate that terrifying force and stabilize his body.

A sweet taste rose in his throat. He nearly spat out a mouthful of blood but forced it back down.

He looked up, his expression more solemn than ever before.

Before Chu Feng, a figure had appeared.

The newcomer was completely enveloped in a wide, heavy black robe, their head hidden in the deep shadow of a hood.

Their face was obscured, and their body exuded a terrifying aura like that of an abyss or a prison. It spread out as if it were tangible, pressing down on the surrounding air until it seemed to solidify.

Just by standing there, they gave off an unshakeable, unbeatable, and suffocating presence.

’Upper Three Grades! And definitely not a newcomer to that level!’

Fang Han’s heart sank to the pit of his stomach. He frantically circulated the Inner Qi in his body to dissolve the Yin Cold Qi Force that had invaded it.

He held the Flowing Wind Sword defensively before him, completely on guard.

From this person, he felt a dangerous aura that was far more terrifying than that of any of the Elders in the Sect.

’Chu Feng’s cultivation of a Demon Skill must be connected to this person!’

The black-robed person did not immediately pursue Fang Han. Instead, they tilted their head slightly, their gaze sweeping over Chu Feng, who lay limp on the ground behind them, his aura weak and his face covered in blood.

That gaze, piercing through the shadow of the hood, was utterly frigid, carrying an undisguised disappointment.

"Worthless."

A hoarse, low voice emerged from under the black robe, grating and unpleasant, like sandpaper.

"You were given a shortcut like the Blood Demon Skill, yet you couldn’t even take down one of your peers. Instead, you were forced into this pathetic state... I am utterly disappointed."

Hearing this, Chu Feng’s body trembled violently, and all the color drained from his face.

He opened his mouth but couldn’t utter a single word of defense, feeling only endless humiliation.

He had originally thought that Fang Han had also cultivated a Demon Skill, but now it was clear that Fang Han had not.

To cultivate a fast-track Demon Skill and still lose to a normally cultivating Fang Han—this was the ultimate humiliation.

The black-robed person stopped looking at Chu Feng and slowly turned back around. Their unseen gaze seemed to pierce through the hood, locking firmly onto Fang Han.

Stared at by this gaze, Fang Han felt goosebumps break out all over his skin, as if being watched by a venomous snake. His sense of crisis soared.

"Kid, your name is Fang Han?"

The black-robed person spoke hoarsely, their tone betraying no emotion.

"So young, yet you possess such cultivation and combat power. Your Swordsmanship and Body Technique are both outstanding... You are a rare piece of uncarved jade."

His tone shifted, carrying a condescending, appraising, and tempting quality.

"I cherish talent. I’ll give you a chance to live. Abandon your so-called righteous Cultivation Technique and switch to the supreme Demon Skill that I will bestow upon you!"

"Take this as your pledge of allegiance, and I will spare your life. I will take you in as my disciple and teach you the true Great Dao! At that time, power and authority will be yours for the taking! What say you?"

’Cultivate a Demon Skill?’

Fang Han sneered inwardly.

’Never mind the infinite hidden dangers that come with the rapid mastery of Demon Skills, or how easily one can lose their mind and devolve into a monster that knows only slaughter.’

’The simple fact that cultivating a Demon Skill would make him a pariah, forced to spend the rest of his life in hiding, was reason enough for him to refuse.’

"We walk different paths and can never work together!"

Fang Han’s voice was cold and decisive. The Flowing Wind Sword in his hand let out a soft hum, showing his resolute attitude.

’Feigning compliance is impossible. If I agreed, the black-robed man would certainly make me switch to the Demon Skill immediately as a pledge of allegiance.’

’Most importantly, I don’t believe the black-robed man will be the final victor.’

"Stubborn fool!"

The black-robed person snorted coldly, the killing intent around them suddenly surging.

"Then I can’t let you live!"

Almost at the exact moment the black-robed person’s killing intent erupted, Fang Han had already pushed the Wind and Cloud Escape to its absolute limit.

The Wind and Cloud Escape, which he had nearly reached Minor Achievement in, made his figure seem to merge completely with the wind.

Transforming into a barely perceptible wisp of azure smoke, he shot out of Liangshui City without a moment’s hesitation.

’Facing an Upper Three Grades demonic master of unfathomable strength, fighting head-on is a dead end. The only way to have a sliver of a chance at survival is to rely on my Body Technique.’

"Oh? What a fast Body Technique!"

The black-robed person let out a soft sound of surprise, seemingly a little taken aback by Fang Han’s speed, but it was immediately followed by cold mockery.

"A pity. In the face of absolute power, it’s all for nothing!"

Before his voice had even faded, his figure flickered and vanished from the spot like a phantom.

The next moment, he reappeared dozens of yards away.

His speed far surpassed Fang Han’s, who was using the Wind and Cloud Escape.

The distance between the two closed rapidly, visible to the naked eye.

Feeling the terrifying aura hot on his heels, closing in fast like a shadow, Fang Han was horrified.

’The speed of an Upper Three Grades Martial Artist... is this terrifying.’

He had already pushed the Wind and Cloud Escape to its limit, yet he still couldn’t shake him.

"WHOOSH—"

Having caught up to Fang Han, the black-robed person extended his right hand from his sleeve.

The hand was pale, without a trace of blood. Its five fingers were long and slender, but now they were enveloped in a dense, blood-red Inner Qi that was too thick to disperse.

The Inner Qi roiled and condensed, instantly forming a giant, blood-red claw several yards in diameter that blotted out the sky.

The lines on the claw were distinct. It emanated a nauseating stench of blood and a terrifying pressure that could suppress anything.

Like a crimson demon mountain toppling over, it slammed down on Fang Han!

This claw strike contained the black-robed person’s will to kill. It was clear that Fang Han’s rejection had moved him to crush Fang Han completely.

Before the giant blood-red claw even arrived, the terrifying pressure was already making Fang Han’s bones creak under the strain. His movements became incredibly sluggish, as if he were trapped in a swamp!

The aura of death had never enveloped Fang Han so clearly.

Fang Han could only hope that his Spirit Smelling Technique hadn’t failed him. Otherwise, he was truly going to meet his end here today.

"Demon, you will not harm a True Inheritor of my Qingxuan Sect!"

An aged but supremely majestic, furious shout, like thunder from the ninth heaven, suddenly exploded.

Before the sound had faded, a beam of golden light shot out from the void.

The golden light was incredibly condensed, like a golden flash tearing across the sky.

Striking late but arriving first, it slashed at the vital point on the black-robed person’s back, right over the heart.

"PFFT—!"

A soft, strange sound, like a bubble popping.

Before this golden flash, the solid, thick layer of Protective Inner Qi around the black-robed person shattered on impact, as if it were made of paper-mâché.

The golden light pierced through his body without any resistance.

"Argh—!"

The black-robed person let out a shrill, pained scream. His forward-lunging figure froze abruptly, and the giant blood-red claw surrounding him instantly dissipated.

His body slid back dozens of meters. A gruesome wound appeared on him, and he violently coughed up a large mouthful of blood. His aura rapidly weakened, like an avalanche.

He turned his head in horror, looking in the direction the golden light had come from.

Not far away, an old man was now standing quietly, having appeared at some unknown time.

The old man wore the robes of a Qingxuan Sect Elder, but unlike the deep azure of ordinary Elders, his robes were embroidered with unique patterns in gold thread, signifying a special status.

His face was gaunt, his wrinkles like carved lines, but his eyes were as bright as morning stars. With every blink, a sharp light flashed, and he radiated an imposing air without being angry.

His hair and beard were both white, yet meticulously groomed and tied back with a simple Wooden Hairpin.

He was not a tall man, but he stood as straight as a pine tree, possessing the imposing and serene air of a deep pool or a lofty mountain.

It was none other than the Vice Hall Master of the Qingxuan Sect’s Law Enforcement Hall, Chen Wanjun!