C8 Counterattack

After his trials in the Black Wind Mountain Range, Hua Hsing had reached the peak of the Qi Refining Stage Level Two. He could now easily defeat a mid-level three demon beast. In less than a month, he had transformed from a nobody to this level, highlighting just how much the Golden Heart had aided him.

"Golden Heart," Hua Hsing mused silently.

He wanted to store the Gale Leopard's body in his space ring, but it was already filled with other bodies and couldn't hold any more.

"I need to get a better space ring when I get back," Hua Hsing decided.

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard two sharp sounds cutting through the air. Looking up, he saw two outer sect disciples from the Azure Edge Sword Sect approaching him aggressively.

"Ma Shan, Douzhi," Hua Hsing recognized them immediately.

Ma Shan and Douzhi quickly appeared in front of Hua Hsing. With a mocking smile, Ma Shan said, "Junior Brother Hua, I didn't expect to run into you here."

Hua Hsing ignored them and turned to leave.

A glint of malice flashed in their eyes as Ma Shan called out, "Junior Brother Hua, please wait a moment."

Hearing this, Hua Hsing stopped and asked, "What do you want?"

"Senior Brother Re sent us to find you. He wants something from you," the chubby Douzhi said.

Hua Hsing asked, "What does he want?"

Hearing Re Yunzheng's name, Hua Hsing frowned slightly and inquired further.

"He wants your life."

Ma Shan's face was full of a sinister smile as he stared at Hua Hsing, as if Hua was a lamb ready for slaughter.

"Hua Hsing, we've been looking for you for a long time. Senior Brother Re wants you to stay in the Black Wind Mountain Range forever," Douzhi said coldly.

Upon hearing this, Hua Hsing's icy gaze swept over the two of them before he replied, "You're just Re Yunzheng's lackeys."

"Hua Hsing, what did you say? You're on the brink of death, and you still dare to talk tough?"

"No matter what you say, you can't stop us. Today is the day you die," Ma Shan declared.

Both Ma Shan and Douzhi were at the early stages of the Qi Refining Stage Level Three, and they thought taking down Hua Hsing would be easy.

Little did they know, Hua Hsing didn't regard them as a threat at all.

"I need to eliminate them to prevent future troubles," Hua Hsing thought to himself.

"If you want my life, then you'll have to die first."

As soon as Hua Hsing finished speaking, a long sword appeared in his hand, and without hesitation, he unleashed the first move of the Golden Light Sword Arts.

Seeing Hua Hsing make the first move, Ma Shan sneered, "You're just a Qi Refining Stage Level Two nobody, and you dare to attack us? You're asking for death."

"Douzhi, I'm giving you a chance to take him down."

Ma Shan was a bit stronger than Douzhi, so when he saw Hua Hsing make a move, he let Douzhi handle it.

"Hua Hsing, next time, don't cross people you shouldn't," Douzhi warned, drawing his sword.

"Whirlwind Sword Technique."

Douzhi unleashed his practiced technique, and a flash of sword light appeared in the sky. The two sword lights clashed, creating a loud noise. The next moment, surprise flickered across Douzhi's face.

"How is this possible?" Douzhi couldn't believe it.

When did Hua Hsing master such a powerful technique that could even withstand his Whirlwind Sword Technique?

"I didn't expect Hua Hsing to choose the Golden Light Sword Arts. What a short-sighted fool," Ma Shan sneered from the side.

Hearing this, Douzhi squinted and unleashed the Whirlwind Sword Technique again. The sword light flashed, and Douzhi quickly retreated, leaving a sword mark where he had just stood. He was shocked.

"Douzhi, can't you even handle him?" Ma Shan was a bit displeased.

"It's a bit tricky to defeat him, but I can manage," Douzhi muttered as he fought.

"Douzhi's Whirlwind Sword Technique hasn't reached perfection yet, so its power doesn't match my Golden Light Sword Arts," Hua Hsing thought. "Once he gets close, I'll use the Golden Light Sword Arts to catch him off guard and take him down."

Upon realizing his predicament, Hua Hsing decided to switch tactics, opting for the One-qi Sword instead of the Golden Light Sword Arts. Despite its power, the One-qi Sword was quickly overwhelmed by Douzhi's Whirlwind Sword technique.

"Hua Hsing, it seems you can't use the Golden Light Sword Arts anymore. It's time to finish you off," Douzhi taunted, a grin spreading across his face as he advanced swiftly, his sword poised for attack.

Feigning defeat, Hua Hsing retreated, but Douzhi wasn't about to let him escape. He closed in, ready to unleash his Whirlwind Sword technique once more.

"The timing is perfect," Hua Hsing murmured as Douzhi drew near. "Let's end this."

"Indeed, it's time for this to end," Douzhi replied confidently, certain of his victory.

In the next instant, Hua Hsing unleashed the second move of the Golden Light Sword Arts. A flash of cold light streaked across, catching Douzhi off guard. He couldn't react in time and was struck by the piercing light.

Douzhi's sword was raised high, but a trickle of blood appeared at the corner of his mouth. A gaping wound marred his chest, and disbelief filled his eyes as he stared at Hua Hsing.

"How is this possible?" he gasped, collapsing lifelessly to the ground.

By the time Ma Shan discovered Douzhi's demise, it was too late to save him.

"I'll tear you apart!" Ma Shan roared in fury, launching a swift and fierce attack.

Ma Shan and Douzhi were sent by Re Yunzheng to eliminate Hua Hsing. Ma Shan had confidently assured Re Yunzheng that they would succeed. However, not only did they fail, but Hua Hsing also managed to kill Douzhi. Ma Shan now faced the daunting task of explaining this to Senior Brother Re.

"Die!" Ma Shan shouted, unleashing his Gale Sword technique, which was noticeably more powerful than Douzhi's.

Despite Ma Shan's skill, Hua Hsing felt no pressure. He pushed the power of his Golden Light Sword Arts to the limit. The two clashed fiercely, their battle echoing loudly enough to scare away nearby creatures.

In a matter of moments, they exchanged over twenty blows. It was then that Ma Shan noticed something unusual.

"He's a monster," Ma Shan muttered in frustration. "His strength never wanes; he doesn't tire at all."

In the Qi Refining Stage, the first and most basic level for martial artists, practitioners absorb cosmic spiritual energy to strengthen their bodies. However, at this stage, they cannot store this energy, leading to significant fatigue when performing high-intensity techniques continuously.

Only upon reaching the Qi Transforming Stage does a True Core form within them, allowing them to store cosmic spiritual energy. At that point, martial artists can integrate this energy into their bodies to enhance their attacks.

At first, the two were evenly matched, but after a few minutes, Ma Shan started to feel his energy draining rapidly. In contrast, Hua Hsing showed no signs of fatigue and seemed to grow more exhilarated as the fight went on.

Finally, at the five-minute mark, Hua Hsing managed to land a blow on Ma Shan with his sword. Though it wasn't a critical hit, Ma Shan was still injured.

"Hua Hsing, you killed Douzhi. Senior Brother Re won't let you get away with this," Ma Shan shouted, swinging his sword before retreating in anger, trying to escape.

"Before that happens, I'll finish you off," Hua Hsing replied calmly, pursuing him with his sword.

Ma Shan's strength surged as he sprinted toward the edge of the Black Wind Mountain Range. He knew that once he was out of the range, Hua Hsing wouldn't dare to kill him. However, Hua Hsing's speed was astonishing.

In a flash, Hua Hsing was closing in on him. "I can't keep going like this. I'll be caught," Ma Shan thought, feeling the threat behind him.

Suddenly, an idea struck him. "There's a Demon Beast at the Qi Refining Stage Level Three ahead of us..." he muttered to himself. With that thought, Ma Shan changed his course, heading straight for the beast.

Hua Hsing also sensed the presence of the Demon Beast. He realized that Ma Shan was trying to use the beast to do his dirty work and eliminate him.

"You can't escape!"

Hua Hsing shouted, relentlessly pursuing his target. Just as he was about to catch up to Ma Shan, Hua Hsing unleashed the second move of the Golden Light Sword Arts. A cold, luminous sword strike hit Ma Shan squarely in the back.

Ma Shan spat out blood, his face pale, as his body was flung forward. As he hit the ground, a sudden roar echoed, and the earth began to tremble.

"How is this possible?"

Ma Shan felt the ground shaking, a sense of impending doom washing over him. Looking up, he saw a massive demon beast approaching, step by step.

The beast roared, extending its enormous paw to grab the severely injured Ma Shan.

"No..."

With a chilling scream, Ma Shan was torn apart by the beast. At that moment, Hua Hsing arrived, and sensing the beast's overwhelming power, he prepared to flee.

After dispatching Ma Shan, the beast swung its massive paw, as large as a small mountain, directly at Hua Hsing. Despite his best efforts to defend himself, Hua Hsing was struck, his body crashing into the ground like a cannonball.

The beast let out another furious roar, its massive claw crashing down toward the ground, aiming for the pit.

“Not good.”

Hua Hsing sensed the danger and mustered all his strength, shifting slightly to the left.

With a thunderous crash, the beast's claw missed, slamming directly into the pit, sending dirt flying everywhere.

Missing Hua Hsing only fueled the beast's rage, and it prepared to attack again.

But just then, Hua Hsing noticed a small hole where the beast's claw had struck.

“What?”

As he pondered, the hole grew larger, dirt falling away rapidly. In the blink of an eye, Hua Hsing realized there was something hidden beneath the ground.

“I have no other choice now.”

Suddenly feeling a surge of danger, Hua Hsing didn't hesitate. He punched the hole, enlarging it, and dove headfirst into the underground.

As Hua Hsing disappeared into the depths, the attacking beast hesitated, casting a wary glance at the dark void in the pit. Finally, it ceased its assault, its restless energy gradually subsiding.