C11 A Great Escape

As Zhang Yu listened to the exchange between Liu Neng and another, a fiery rage without a name ignited within him.

So they were the true villains all along!

The old adage holds that a gentleman's revenge can wait ten years. The old Zhang Yu might have been powerless, even knowing the murderer stood before him. But ever since he embarked on the path of cultivation, the game had changed.

Zhang Yu had no concept of repaying evil with kindness. His creed was simple: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

His eyes narrowed, mirroring a cheetah poised to leap at its prey, and in a flash, Zhang Yu bared his lethal fangs and claws.

With a "Puff!" blood sprayed like a furious bloom of red.

The Liu family members, who had been fawning over Liu Neng just moments before, met their end in an instant. A smile still lingered on their lips, even in death.

The abrupt turn of events caused Liu Neng's face to drain of color, his eyes bulging with shock.

"Ah, it's you! How can this be?!" Liu Neng cried out, staring at Zhang Yu, who stood before him radiating an icy chill.

"Surprised? Curious how I narrowly escaped death, or shocked that I dispatched a lackey with a single sword stroke?" Zhang Yu asked coolly.

"How did a nobody like you become so formidable? It's impossible!" Liu Neng blurted out in disbelief.

"Nothing is impossible," Zhang Yu countered with a sneer. "Have you forgotten the humiliation you dealt me last time, and the words I spoke?"

"You overheard us? It seems today won't end amicably. Come, Zhang Yu, show me what you've got." Liu Neng lunged at Zhang Yu before he could finish his taunt.

With a "clang," Zhang Yu blocked Liu Neng's assault with ease. While Liu Neng remained at the same level of martial prowess, Zhang Yu had quietly surpassed him.

Feeling the formidable shock from the clash of weapons, Liu Neng was taken aback, realizing that Zhang Yu truly possessed the strength to end him. In a rare moment of humility, he pleaded, "Zhang Yu, I was wrong before. Spare me today, and I swear to repay you generously in the future."

"Recompense? Are you suggesting I round up some Liu family heavyweights to beat me into submission?" Zhang Yu scoffed.

"Ha, Brother Zhang, you're kidding, right? I wouldn't dare," Liu Neng stammered, his attempt at a smile more pained than any grimace.

"Enough talk. Your life ends today!"

"Zhang Yu, I've said all I could to dissuade you. If you're set on a fight to the bitter end, then bring it on." Liu Neng's frustration was palpable as Zhang Yu remained unfazed.

But since Zhang Yu had mastered the art of Shape Moving Shadow Changing, Liu Neng couldn't lay a finger on him, let alone stand a chance in a fight. Within three moves, Zhang Yu had a sword at his throat.

"The fish might die, but the net won't break," Zhang Yu declared icily, staring down at the defeated Liu Neng. "It's time for you to join your unfortunate brother, Liu Feng."

"Zhang Yu, Master Zhang, hold on, please hold on. I have a Treasure Map and the Demon Crystals the Liu family has recently hunted. They're all yours if you spare my life. I'm begging you!" In the face of his impending doom, Liu Neng pleaded desperately, abandoning all pride.

"There's no need. I'll obtain them with or without you. Now, be on your way, and don't keep Liu Feng waiting," Zhang Yu replied with a smirk.

"Zhang Yu, you bastard, you'll not die well! I'll haunt you as a ghost if I must," Liu Neng cursed, devoid of any hope for survival. "Laugh all you want. My Third Uncle will avenge me."

"You won't be around to see that day," Zhang Yu retorted. As he raised his sword to deliver the final blow, an enraged bellow erupted, "You animal, stop!"

Liu Zhong, Liu Neng's third uncle, had unexpectedly arrived just in time.

A glimmer of hope sparked in Liu Neng's eyes, previously resigned to his fate. He bellowed, "Third Uncle, save me!"

"Pfft!" Liu Neng's words were abruptly cut short as Zhang Yu ruthlessly decapitated him. Without sparing a second glance at Liu Neng, whose eyes brimmed with defiance, Zhang Yu snatched the bag Liu Neng had been carrying and bolted. He was acutely aware that he was no match for a Martial Master; fleeing was the only sensible option.

From a distance, Liu Zhong's eyes nearly burst with rage as he watched Liu Neng's head tumble across the ground. "Zhang Yu, you little bastard, you can't run forever. There's no place on earth where you can hide! Once I get my hands on you, I'll slice you into pieces, one by one," Liu Neng bellowed furiously after the fleeing Zhang Yu.

Zhang Yu paid no mind to Liu Zhong, who was yapping and pursuing him like a rabid dog. He just kept sprinting through the dense forest, startling flocks of birds into flight as he passed.

"You little bastard, once I catch you, I'll flay you and rip out your sinews to quell the fury in my soul," Liu Zhong's voice echoed behind Zhang Yu once more.

Zhang Yu's heart raced with anxiety as Liu Zhong drew nearer. He was outmatched and couldn't outrun him. He needed to find a way to slow down Old Dog Liu, or it was only a matter of time before he'd be overtaken.

In a sudden shift, Zhang Yu veered towards an area known to be inhabited by Demon Beasts. "I just hope these creatures can stall Old Dog Liu," he thought to himself.

"Awoo!" The moment he incited the Demon Beast's aggression, Zhang Yu didn't hesitate; he took off running. Liu Zhong, hot on his heels, unwittingly became the new outlet for the Demon Beast's wrath. Yet, with his limited cultivation, Zhang Yu dared not provoke any truly formidable Demon Beasts, fearing he'd get hopelessly ensnared. So, the Demon Beasts he encountered were mostly low-level, first and second-tier creatures, which posed minimal hindrance to Liu Zhong, who had already ascended to the Martial Master Stage.

"This little guy is incredibly slippery. Just the other day, he was nothing but a useless waste, and now he's suddenly so formidable? He's clearly at the Peak Martial Artist stage, yet Liu Neng was taken down in just a few moves. His speed is barely slower than mine. There must be some secret he's hiding. Once I catch him, I'll extract those secrets from him. Who knows, I might just stumble upon a huge stroke of luck!" Liu Zhong, hot on Zhang Yu's heels, mused to himself.

As time ticked away, Zhang Yu could feel the spiritual energy in his body depleting rapidly. With no other choice, he hastily pulled out the Third Grade Demon Crystal he'd gotten from Liu Feng and clutched it in his hand. Activating his cultivation technique, he began absorbing the pure spiritual qi into his system. Wiping the sweat from his brow, his anxiety grew by the second.

Five miles, three miles, one mile... As he ran, Zhang Yu could almost sense the spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from Liu Zhong.

Then, abruptly, Zhang Yu came to a halt.

Confronted with a cliff blocking his path, he felt a surge of frustration. Looking down, all he saw was a dense fog obscuring the bottom.

"Haha, looks like luck's on my side today. Keep running, you little bastard!" Liu Zhong, having caught up, taunted Zhang Yu, who was trapped by the cliff, "Or why not take a leap? Though I'm not sure if you'd survive the fall."

With no options left, Zhang Yu shook his head in resignation.

"Old Dog, how's the taste of my dust? Enjoying it?" Zhang Yu shot back defiantly.

"Keep up the act. I'm curious to see how long you'll hold out. Let's see if you're still smiling when I'm done flaying you!" Liu Zhong's face fell at the insult, his expression darkening like a storm cloud ready to burst.

"But I must admit, I'm intrigued. How have you managed to cultivate such strength, and how does your spiritual energy sustain you for so long? I've expended a good deal of my own spiritual qi, yet you seem to be brimming with vigor. Tell me your secrets, and I might just spare your life today. What do you say?" Liu Zhong eyed Zhang Yu, his voice dripping with a seductive menace.

"Will you spare me? Let's be honest, I didn't just kill Liu Neng; Liu Feng also met his end at my hands. If you're after my secret, you'd do better to finish me with a sword. Come on, Old Dog Liu, show me what you've got," Zhang Yu taunted with a sneer.

As Zhang Yu repeatedly taunted him with 'Old Dog,' Liu Neng could no longer contain himself and retorted, "You little bastard, let's see how tough you are when the time comes!"

Gripping his short sword tightly, Zhang Yu rapidly channeled the Creation Divine Arts. He was acutely aware that he was facing the most perilous battle of his life.

"Ha! Witness my blade!" With his spiritual energy surging, Zhang Yu executed the Shape Moving Shadow Changing technique and lunged at Liu Zhong.

Their weapons met with a resounding "Bam!" The force of the clash sent shockwaves that left the surrounding vegetation in tatters.

Liu Zhong was taken aback to feel the force of Zhang Yu's strike—a peak Martial Artist—threatening to match that of a Warrior Peak. "You're full of surprises, you little bastard. To think a mere Martial Artist could battle across such a vast divide in realms—I can't help but admire that. But you've reached your limit. Today, you'll experience the true might of a Martial Master."

As Liu Neng bore down on him with relentless force, Zhang Yu felt a wave of exhaustion. The gap between their levels was simply too wide.

"It looks like today is the day I die. But even so, I'm determined to leave Old Dog Liu with a memory he won't easily forget," Zhang Yu resolved within himself.

"Old Dog, brace yourself for my final strike!" With those words, Zhang Yu mustered all the spiritual energy within him, channeling it into his trembling short sword, which seemed on the brink of shattering under the immense power.

A dazzling beam of light shot towards Liu Neng, and Liu Zhong let out a thunderous yell, countering with the Liu Family's signature fist technique.

The sound of "kacha" filled the air as Zhang Yu's short sword, unable to withstand the collision with Liu Zhong, snapped in two. The overwhelming force of the blow struck Zhang Yu squarely in the chest.

Propelled backward, Zhang Yu coughed up a mouthful of blood and was sent tumbling down the cliffside.