Chapter 10

“Whoa— Whoa—”

Yahyun raised his arm to halt the Six Flames for a moment.

“You’d better not even think of running away from here.”

Zhang Mengqi stood behind such a Yahyun, and the Six Flames approached, radiating hostility.

“Running away? What a hurtful thing to say…”

Yahyun smiled and spread his left hand.

Whoosh!

With a faint ripple,

“Interdimensional Open!”

A black sphere’s subspace revealed itself.

Yahyun took out a tightly rolled parchment from the subspace and tore it.

Sizzle—

The strange ripple caused by tearing the parchment spread throughout the entire courtyard from that point.

“Now, no one can interfere.”

Yahyun muttered casually, raising both arms.

“Then, let’s start the party, shall we?”

Feeling the mana, or rather, the qi ripple, the Six Flames distorted his face and lunged at Yahyun.

“What kind of trick is this?”

The Six Flames struck down his sword at Yahyun’s head.

Swoosh— Clang!

Yahyun sidestepped to avoid the sword and punched the blade as it swept past his face.

“Gah!”

With the Six Flames’ short groan, the sword fell to the ground, having lost its master.

Although he had dropped his sword, the Six Flames didn’t seem too concerned.

Whoosh!

“I’ll crush your skull!”

The Six Flames burst into a killing frenzy, leaping into the air and aiming a kick at Yahyun’s head.

Iron Leg Sect.

True to the name of the sect, the Six Flames’ true skill was in kicking.

Thud!

Yahyun raised his right arm to block the kick.

Whoosh— Bang!

As if he had anticipated this, the Six Flames twisted his body in mid-air and kicked Yahyun’s chest.

Under the heavy force, Yahyun’s body was pushed back about half a meter.

Crash— Bang Bang Bang!

The Six Flames didn’t miss the moment and closed the distance in one breath, delivering three kicks. Yahyun retreated three steps backward, blocking the kicks.

Seeing Yahyun’s figure retreating, the Six Flames’ eyes gleamed.

“Hah!”

The Six Flames spotted the opening at Yahyun’s shoulder and struck down with a kick.

Bang!

With a heavy sound, one of Yahyun’s knees bent and touched the ground.

The Six Flames, who had smiled in triumph, quickly lost his grin.

The clavicle, one of the weakest bones in the human body, had not broken despite the blow infused with internal energy. Instead, he felt a significant counterforce as if he had struck a solid iron pillar.

“Is this the end?”

With a cold smile, Yahyun, who was on one knee, raised his head. The Six Flames bit his lip and leaped into the air, crossing his legs to kick Yahyun’s head.

Bang!

Just like before.

A counterforce as if he had hit a solid cliff.

The Six Flames tried to retreat quickly, but Yahyun had already grabbed his ankle and was getting up.

“Gah—”

Trying to pull his foot out of the firm grip, the Six Flames exerted all his strength but couldn’t break free.

Yahyun pulled the Six Flames towards him by the ankle. His nails, now sharp, clawed at the Six Flames’ neck.

“Gur—”

Yahyun slammed the Six Flames, who was struggling for breath, onto the ground.

Bang!

“Gah!”

Amid the heavy sound and the dust rising, the Six Flames’ groan echoed.

“You bastard!”

A roar filled with anger erupted from behind Yahyun.

It was Zhang Mengqi.

Swoosh!

Zhang Mengqi’s thick sword slashed at Yahyun’s back.

Swish—

Yahyun moved to the side as if sliding on ice and slapped Zhang Mengqi’s blade with his palm.

Clang!

The sword wobbled for a moment, but Zhang Mengqi quickly regained control and swung his sword at Yahyun’s neck and shoulder.

Clang Clang Clang Clang!

Yahyun blocked Zhang Mengqi’s sword with his hands and then leaped backward to create some space.

“You’re not very enthusiastic, are you?”

Yahyun beckoned Zhang Mengqi and the Six Flames with his fingers.

“…You bastard! I’ll tear you to pieces!”

The Six Flames’ clothes swelled with internal energy.

Bang!

The sound of his stance changed.

Whoosh—

Yahyun pushed the Six Flames’ foot away with his left arm.

“Hah!”

As if he had anticipated this, the Six Flames grabbed Yahyun’s arms and kicked his abdomen.

“Hahaha. Now it’s getting interesting.”

Yahyun blocked the kick with both hands and then scratched the Six Flames’ chest with his sharp nails.

Rip!

The Six Flames, grimacing in pain, retreated. The fabric of his chest was shredded, and four long bloodstains marked his bare chest.

Yahyun brought his finger, stained with blood, to his mouth.

“Such a pity…”

A look of regret spread across Yahyun’s face.

“What a shame.”

Yahyun clicked his tongue in disappointment.

Although he had a cruel side due to his innate nature and life experiences, everyone has such a side. It’s how and to what extent one expresses that cruelty that determines whether a person deserves to die.

At the very least, the Six Flames had maintained the minimum level of humanity one should have.

Swoosh!

Meanwhile, Zhang Mengqi aimed at Yahyun’s neck.

Clang!

Yahyun turned his body and blocked Zhang Mengqi’s sword again.

However, Zhang Mengqi was not someone who had risen to the position of deputy leader of the Iron Leg Sect in Nanzhou just because he was a sworn brother. He possessed the appropriate martial prowess.

Whoosh—

A blue sword aura (sword qi) rose from the sword he swung at Yahyun, and the sword’s cry echoed.

“Die!”

With explosive internal energy, the speed of the sword piercing Yahyun’s waist was incomparably fast.

‘Got it!’

Zhang Mengqi’s eyes gleamed.

His sword had perfectly pierced Yahyun’s waist.

Even if he twisted his body to avoid it, he would still suffer severe injuries. Zhang Mengqi thought that this one move would end Yahyun’s life. At that moment, he saw Yahyun smiling at him.

Clang!

The heavy sound of metal clashing.

A strange black sphere had a sword protruding from it, blocking Zhang Mengqi’s sword.

“What… what is this?”

Yahyun retreated and pulled out a two-handed sword from the subspace.

A crude and plain shape with an unusually sharp blade.

It was Yahyun’s cherished weapon, named “Yayue (Night Moon).”

“What kind of sorcery is this?”

The two-handed sword Yahyun held, with its thick blade, was not something that could be hidden. And seeing the strange sword being pulled out from the black sphere, Zhang Mengqi naturally believed it was sorcery.

“This is not sorcery, but magic.”

Yahyun, seemingly invigorated by Zhang Mengqi’s sword qi, answered kindly and raised the two-handed sword. He then swung it once and assumed a unique stance, as if aiming for a one-hit kill.

“I’ll sever your head in one strike!”

Regardless of the reason for what had just happened, Zhang Mengqi, determined to kill, burst into a killing frenzy and swung his sword at Yahyun.

Swoosh!

The sound of the sword cutting through the air, caused by the sword qi, became fiercely different.

Yahyun lowered his stance and swung the two-handed sword to clash with Zhang Mengqi’s sword, which was repeatedly slashing at him.

Bang Bang Bang!

The more they clashed, the sterner Zhang Mengqi’s expression became.

He had expected to decapitate Yahyun in one go, but instead, he was being pushed back by the strong force in the two-handed sword.

“Hah!”

Seeing Zhang Mengqi being pushed back, the Six Flames attacked Yahyun’s rear with a powerful shout.

“Such a pity…”

Yahyun lay down.

Crack!

The Six Flames’ foot stabbed into the ground where Yahyun had lain.

Lying on the ground, Yahyun slid backward as if on ice, creating distance, and then got up like a zombie.

Zhang Mengqi’s gaze fell on the two-handed sword, Yayue, that Yahyun held.

“What a fine sword.”

His voice was filled with greed.

A sword that didn’t even chip when clashing with a sword infused with sword qi, a famous sword, or even a divine sword, that could hardly be found in all of Central Plains.

With this sword, he could let go of the sword he had used for a lifetime.

No, with its thick blade, he could slightly modify his sword techniques and use it without letting go of his current sword.

“I’ll tear your body apart, but I’ll cherish this sword.”

Zhang Mengqi’s voice made Yahyun’s eyes narrow, then turn cold.

And he slowly opened his mouth.

“Because of those words…”

The cold expression on Yahyun’s face disappeared.

“…it’s no longer fun.”

Yahyun took a slow step to the side. The shadow cast by the courtyard pavilion covered his body.

“Just relying on a shadow? Hand over your head!”

Zhang Mengqi, filled with confidence, raised his sword and infused it with sword qi.

Whoosh—

The sword qi, filled with killing intent, emitted a cold cry.

Zhang Mengqi, emitting a sword cry, focused on the shadow beside the pavilion.

Flash!

For a moment, Yahyun’s figure was revealed in the shadow.

“Die!”

Whoosh— Boom!

The sword qi, which had been swirling around the sword, suddenly became neat, and the tangible qi took shape.

Sword Threads!

The essence of Zhang Mengqi’s confidence was the Sword Threads.

Swoosh!

Zhang Mengqi’s sword, containing the sword threads, slashed through the air and cut through Yahyun’s shadow.

Thud!

With the sound of flesh being pierced and the burning pain, Zhang Mengqi’s eyes widened. Looking down at his abdomen, where the pain was felt, he saw a sword blade protruding from his stomach.

# 11