Chapter 34: Slaying Lin Hai

"Clang!"

The iron sword in Chen Chen's hand collided with Lin Hai's precious sword almost instantaneously, and the sharp metallic clashing sound quickly spread around.

"Rumble~~" Soon, even the rock walls collapsed, and dust and debris rained down from the ceiling.

"Ugh..."

Chen Chen was thrown back by the intense collision, feeling a sweet taste in his throat, but he swallowed the blood back.

"Just knowing the first move of the Nine Cuts of the Netherworld seems to be not enough!" Chen Chen's heart trembled. He had improved a lot, and so had Lin Hai. The current situation was quite challenging.

"Hmph! The Nine Cuts of the Netherworld is considered a top-tier sword technique among human-level cultivation methods. I didn't expect you to have such good taste!"

Not far away, Lin Hai, who had taken a few steps back, was equally shocked. He originally thought that after half a month of intense cultivation and a further increase in his cultivation, he would overwhelmingly crush Chen Chen.

However, when they actually engaged in combat, Lin Hai was completely taken aback by Chen Chen's performance. This time, he couldn't even make Chen Chen bleed.

"Why is it so quiet? Who won between them?"

In the rock tunnel next to the stone room, six or seven inner disciples were listening intently. Since Lin Hai had instructed them not to go there, they could only judge the progress of the duel by the sounds.

The noise had been intense just now, but now it was completely silent, making them nervous.

"Of course, it's Senior Brother Lin Hai who killed that guy. There's no other possibility!"

"That's right, Senior Brother Lin Hai is so powerful. I didn't expect him to resolve the issue with Chen Chen so quickly."

"This is what the guy deserved..."

Soon, the group of inner disciples began to reassure each other. Although they had great confidence in Senior Brother Lin Hai, they were still uneasy without seeing the battle. The silence now was even more agonizing.

"Hmph! A bunch of idiots. If Senior Brother Lin Hai really killed my brother, he would have come to gloat by now. He wouldn't just stand there!"

On one side, Wang Yue, who had his meridians and acupoints restrained, rolled his eyes and sneered. He was being held by three young men with weapons at his neck, but Wang Yue showed no fear and spoke with great contempt.

"Shut up! If you keep talking, I'll kill you!" The inner disciples glared at him, clearly irritated by his words, as if their tails had been stepped on.

"Hmph!" Wang Yue coldly snorted and turned his head away, ignoring them.

...

"Kill!"

In the stone room, the battle quickly intensified. Lin Hai charged forward with his sword again, not giving Chen Chen a chance to catch his breath.

"Thud!"

With a significant advantage in cultivation, Lin Hai's blood energy recovered much faster than Chen Chen's. His sudden attack caught Chen Chen off guard, and his shoulder was pierced, causing a splash of blood.

"Drip, drip, drip..."

The precious sword in Lin Hai's hand dripped blood, and the smug look on his face grew. He coldly laughed, looking at Chen Chen, who was holding his wound: "It seems you overperformed last time. You can't use the Nine Cuts of the Netherworld many times, hahaha..."

Lin Hai had noticed that although Chen Chen's Netherworld Ghost Slash was not weak and could match his strongest killing move among the Thirteen Lightning Swords, it was not easy to use and consumed a lot of blood energy.

"Since you are already exhausted, it's time to die. Purple Lightning Divine Thunder Slash!"

A person as ruthless as Lin Hai would not miss such a good opportunity. Taking advantage of Chen Chen's injury and retreat, he flicked his wrist, and his precious sword drew a lightning bolt in the air, charging at Chen Chen.

"Seen through, huh..." Facing Lin Hai's increasingly powerful attacks, Chen Chen felt a bitter smile in his heart.

He had practiced sword techniques for a short time and could not compare to this opponent in this field. The last time he managed to fight him to a draw was largely due to luck and the help of the mysterious mirror.

However, although the more advanced Lin Hai was becoming more challenging, Chen Chen had no intention of retreating. To save his brother Wang Yue and eliminate this major threat, he had to win this battle with all his might!

"Tidal Shadow Sword!"

Chen Chen advanced instead of retreating, his iron sword moving around his body. At first, the movements were a bit chaotic, but soon the sword shadows merged into a continuous flow, looking like waves of sword light from a distance.

With his current blood energy, Chen Chen could not use the Netherworld Ghost Slash again, so he had to give it his all and take a desperate risk!

"What is this move..."

Lin Hai's sharp sword, like a bolt of purple lightning, charged at Chen Chen. However, during this process, his eyes twitched slightly. The sword technique Chen Chen used was something he had never seen before. It didn't seem to be mentioned in the Cloud Stream Sect's library. Could it be...

"Damn! That's a sword technique derived from the Vast Sea Tidal Decision. This kid's sword talent is terrifying..." Lin Hai suddenly realized, his face showing a barely concealed envy.

Chen Chen's technique, though seemingly unstructured, had a faint taste of the Vast Sea Tidal Decision.

Having been in the Cloud Stream Sect for so many years and being an outstanding inner disciple, how could Lin Hai not have encountered the Vast Sea Tidal Decision before?

In fact, Lin Hai had discarded the Vast Sea Tidal Decision over a year ago. He never imagined that this unremarkable-looking kid could transform a lower-tier human-level martial technique into a sword technique. What kind of martial talent was this? Even the sect leader of the Cloud Stream Sect might not have such ability!

Lin Hai was greatly shaken. This kid must not be left alive!

"Kill!"

Immediately, the power of his sharp sword suddenly increased.

This was the full power of the Purple Lightning Divine Thunder Slash. Even when sparring with the top-ranked inner disciple Qi Zheng, Lin Hai had never used such full force.

In the next moment, the precious sword in Lin Hai's hand, emitting purple light, stabbed into the sword shadows created by Chen Chen.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

The metallic clashing sounds continued. The power of Lin Hai's sword was extremely shocking, but when it stabbed into the sword shadows, it was like stabbing into mud, the force being absorbed and held firmly, making the collision sound somewhat muffled.

"Damn!" This made Lin Hai's face turn sour.

However, Chen Chen's situation was also not good. He had used the Vast Sea Tidal Decision to derive a sword technique, which was just a momentary whim. Using it in actual combat was very勉强, and the sword shadows, though seemingly impenetrable, were full of gaps. Each time he blocked Lin Hai's sword, the force would impact his body.

Under the impact of Lin Hai's force, Chen Chen's internal blood energy churned, causing intense pain.

"Thud!"

After a few breaths, Chen Chen finally couldn't hold on. A powerful force struck him, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, being thrown back.

"Ha ha ha, so you're just a spent force!"

Seeing Chen Chen suddenly thrown back and spitting blood, Lin Hai's face showed extreme joy and a cruel smile.

"Since you can't fight anymore, I'll send you on your way!" Lin Hai advanced with his sword, step by step. At this point, he had given up on trying to force Chen Chen to reveal the Shadow Fox Steps. His previous experience told him that this kid was also a hard nut to crack, and trying to force him to reveal his technique would likely be in vain.

At this moment, Lin Hai only wanted to end Chen Chen's life with his own hands. He had been waiting for this for over half a month.

"You have exhausted all your tricks, but I haven't even used my ultimate move. Well, in the name of being a fellow disciple, I'll let you see my master's famous technique—Crimson Blood Blaze!"

Lin Hai coldly smiled, staring at Chen Chen lying on the ground like a hunter looking at a dying prey. He stepped forward, and suddenly his smile turned cold. He leaped up, and his precious sword was instantly covered in a deep red glow.

Not only did the sword emit a red glow, but Lin Hai's eyes also turned blood red in the next moment. He laughed maniacally, like a madman.

Such a terrifying scene naturally alarmed the inner disciples in the adjacent stone room. One of them exclaimed, "That's..."

"That's... the unique technique Crimson Blood Blaze of Elder Xue, the Blood-Handed Madman. Oh my God, when did Elder Xue pass this powerful technique to Senior Brother Lin Hai?"

"It must have been recently. The last time Senior Brother Lin Hai suffered a setback at Chen Chen's hands, Elder Xue's face was tarnished, so he passed on the unique technique to help Senior Brother Lin Hai avenge his humiliation!"

"Ha ha ha, to die under this sword technique, that kid can rest in peace!"

The inner disciples quickly reacted and were all overjoyed. The Blood-Handed Madman Xue Zhenhai was well-known throughout the Cloud Stream Sect, and his unique technique was feared by all.

On the side, Wang Yue's face turned ashen. He knew how powerful that old man was. Wang Yue realized that his brother was now in grave danger, and he could only pray silently in his heart...

On the other side, Lin Hai had clearly not mastered the Crimson Blood Blaze for long, and his execution was quite clumsy, making the process not easy.

However, Chen Chen was already severely injured. Even if Lin Hai's technique was a bit slow, Chen Chen had no strength left to dodge.

"Am I going to die..."

Chen Chen felt a deep sense of injustice. He had many unfulfilled wishes and did not want to die here in vain.

However, Lin Hai's sword was too powerful. Chen Chen knew that even at his peak, he might not have been able to withstand it.

Chen Chen never imagined that in just over half a month, this guy's cultivation had increased so much, and he had even obtained such a powerful technique from his master.

"Buzz..."

Just as Chen Chen was about to get up and make a last desperate attempt, a white light flashed in his mind.

The familiar ripple appeared again, making Chen Chen extremely delighted.

The mysterious mirror in his mind did not disappoint Chen Chen. Along with a surge of powerful spiritual energy, a series of images were imprinted in his senses.

"That's..." Chen Chen's heart pounded. Soon, he finally understood what those images were.

They were the essence of the second and third moves of the Nine Cuts of the Netherworld. Initially, Chen Chen had only recorded the outline of the incomplete technique in his mind, planning to understand it gradually. He never expected that at this critical moment, the mysterious mirror would present the essence of the three moves to him.

"Ha ha ha..."

Chen Chen laughed wildly. He finally understood the true power of the Nine Cuts of the Netherworld. The real strength of the Nine Cuts of the Netherworld was not in any single move but in the combination of the moves.

The Nine Cuts of the Netherworld, when all nine cuts are used together, can destroy anything!

Although Chen Chen only had three moves now, it was enough.

"Netherworld Ghost Slash!"

With the sudden surge of spiritual energy from the mysterious mirror, Chen Chen easily performed the first move of the Nine Cuts of the Netherworld again.

"Hmph! A mere insect trying to stop a cart!" In mid-air, Lin Hai's eyes narrowed slightly, followed by a cold laugh.

Although he didn't know why this kid suddenly had the strength to use the Netherworld Ghost Slash again, even if he could, what difference would it make?

In Lin Hai's eyes, the first move of a mid-level human technique trying to match his master's famous technique was like a moth trying to stop a cart.

"Kill!"

Lin Hai's momentum did not diminish. The blood-red sword tip pointed directly at Chen Chen's heart, leaving a trail of red mist in its wake.

"Shadow Ghost Sword!"

"Dark Spring Cut!"

However, after using the Netherworld Ghost Slash, Chen Chen did not stop. This time, his entire body did not rotate with the Netherworld Ghost Slash but