Staring at the three before him, Xu Mu judged that the hardest to kill would actually be Fang Chu—after all, he was the protagonist.
Swish!
Fang Chu attacked first. This man had ruined his plans again and again; he would leave Xu Mu's life here forever.
At two meters out, Fang Chu suddenly stopped and stomped the ground.
Swish, swish!
Two sand spikes shot up beneath Xu Mu's feet—
—but Xu Mu had already leapt skyward. He'd watched Fang Chu fight Liang Yi earlier.
"Hurry up and strike! While he's airborne, he's a sitting duck!"
Zhao Gang folded his arms, grinning as he reminded them.
Liang Yi merely cast him a cool glance—she knew.
She tightened her grip on her longsword and let her qi erupt.
"Circular Break Slash!"
Whoosh!
Her body spun; a blue, oval-shaped blade of qi tore toward Xu Mu's landing point.
Seeing this, Fang Chu sneered as well. He slammed one foot down.
Rumble!
Sand spikes surged up at Xu Mu's projected landing spot, waiting to skewer him.
Just as they thought his life was finished, all three were dumbstruck—
Xu Mu performed a second jump in midair, not landing where expected but flashing straight to Fang Chu's face.
Swish!
His dark-red Illusionary Sword blasted forth in a vicious arc.
Fang Chu's eyes widened. He retreated as yellow motes flared around him.
Hum—
A thick wall of suspended sand formed before him.
Bang!
In an instant, the Illusionary Sword pierced through the sand wall.
Fang Chu blanched. The barrier from his Earth-Grade technique, Earth-Dragon Art, couldn't stop it?
Just then, Zhao Gang—who had been watching—flashed in front of Fang Chu.
He drew his sword; green light sheathed the blade.
Crack!
One slash shattered Xu Mu's dark-red Illusionary Sword midair.
[Fate Points -20]
Black characters flickered above Fang Chu's head.
"Illusionary Sword? So you're from the Demonic Sword Sect?"
Zhao Gang smirked. "Looks like I'll have to step in."
Fang Chu couldn't hide his delight.
"Hahaha! Xu Mu, you really are a sinner—everyone wants you dead!"
"I find it strange too," Xu Mu replied.
He held a black longsword in one hand and a dagger in the other. Today he planned to use the Heaven-Grade technique he'd once employed—Starshift—which transfers damage dealt to him onto someone else. It was built for fighting outnumbered. He needed at least three opponents, since the transferred damage couldn't reflect back onto the caster.
This setup was perfect.
"Xu Mu, kneel and call me Grandpa, then hand over your sister and your wife, and I'll spare you,"
Fang Chu jeered, hatred etched deep.
"Hmph. The three of you—come together. I, Xu Mu, fear none of you."
Swish!
Liang Yi struck first. Anyone who knew so much about the Immortal Research Institute had to die.
Xu Mu met her head-on. Longsword and dagger crossed and clashed. Liang Yi's heart pounded—so he didn't only ambush? His combat skill was terrifying. In pure technique, she fell behind at once.
At that moment, Fang Chu launched a sneak attack with the Earth-Dragon Art.
Swish, swish!
Spikes of sand shot up all around Xu Mu, stabbing inward.
Hum—
Xu Mu's figure vanished from before their eyes.
"Don't panic! We can't see him, but when he casts a technique, the qi he emits will give him away!"
Liang Yi called to the other two.
Swish!
Her eyes flew wide—she blinked away, clutching her backside. Her fingertips came away smeared with blood.
"So what if you 'know'? Most people still react half a beat too slow,"
Xu Mu said, twirling his dagger. "Liang Yi, you should realize I spared your life."
"Xu Mu!"
Liang Yi roared. He could have killed her, but merely sliced her rear—an unbearable humiliation.
Just then, Zhao Gang flashed above Xu Mu and chopped down.
"Ghost-Cleaving Slash!"
Green radiance coated his blade.
Rumble!
A green pillar of light, thicker than a man, crashed down onto Xu Mu.
Xu Mu immediately triggered his Heaven-Grade technique—Starshift.
Silver motes shimmered around him like a midnight sky.
Flash!
In an instant, the green pillar struck—and vanished in half a second.
Still airborne, Zhao Gang froze. Why had his attack suddenly disappeared?
As Zhao Gang dropped, Xu Mu surged up to meet him. The man couldn't move midair; Xu Mu could.
Swish!
His dagger didn't slice—it stabbed straight into Zhao Gang's butt, then Xu Mu sprang away.
"Can't hold it in—so storing an attack burns that much qi, huh? Fine, let's release it."
As Xu Mu spoke, a green pillar plummeted from above—onto Fang Chu's head.
"What the—?!"
Fang Chu looked up. Too late to dodge. He flared his qi to blunt the blow and wrapped himself in sand.
Boom!
Even so, his defense blew apart; the force blasted him away.
[Fate Points -30]
Whatever else, Zhao Gang was Heavenly Sword Sect's senior brother—a late Mystic Art Realm expert.
Xu Mu lunged at Fang Chu to finish him. Fang Chu's clothes were torn, chin dripping blood. He scrambled up, eyes blazing.
"Xu Mu! You think that's my limit?"
Sand around them lifted and spiraled, coiling about Fang Chu's body. This was the very Heaven-Grade technique whose training had once driven him into qi deviation, forcing three years of suppression.
As Fang Chu activated the move, Xu Mu was already upon him. The longsword slashed; Fang Chu arched back to evade—
Swish!
A dagger punched into Fang Chu's thigh. The sword slash had been a feint; the dagger was the real strike.
"Damn!"
Fang Chu yanked the dagger free and glared at the other two. "Let's kill him together!"
But Liang Yi and Zhao Gang didn't move. Their mouths were dry, cheeks flushed—they clearly felt unwell.
Fang Chu frowned. He knew this feeling all too well—he'd been "steeled" by it before.
"Xu Mu! Your dagger is poisoned—Spring Night Grass!"
"What?"
Liang Yi and Zhao Gang both jolted.
As a woman, Liang Yi could not remain—she bolted into the distance.
Zhao Gang and Fang Chu raced after, especially Fang Chu, who now desperately needed a woman.
They chased and fled, blood pumping faster; within moments the Spring Night Grass had begun to affect their brains.
Sensing disaster, Zhao Gang realized his body was losing control. He bellowed:
"Women of the Heavenly Sword Sect! I'm Zhao Gang—come to me!"
At that moment, night fell.
"Don't run!"
In the pitch black, Zhao Gang grabbed Fang Chu's arm and slammed him to the ground. He was at his limit—if he didn't "release," he might not be able to move at all.
"You bastard! Let go—I'm a man!"
Fang Chu cursed.
Zhao Gang sneered.
"Do you know my name?"
"I don't care if you're a man or a woman, human or ghost—I'm Zhao Gang."