C14 Swords Without Fault(last part)

Hee Zhanpeng's expression darkened as he cast a glance at his wounded palm, then licked the blood from the edge of his dagger, his gaze fixed on Chu Haoyun with venomous intensity.

A short distance away, Lin Beikong watched with a hint of surprise and a sneer on his lips. "Hee Zhanpeng, you actually got hurt by some wild kid at the eighth level of Body Forging? Now that's interesting!"

His mocking tone deepened the scowl on Hee Zhanpeng's face. He could not miss the scorn in Lin Beikong's words. A glint of cold light flashed in his eyes as he retorted, "My affairs are none of your concern."

Chu Haoyun gave Lin Beikong a measured look, his brow furrowing slightly. This man seemed even more dangerous than Hee Zhanpeng. Despite his casual demeanor, the piercing sharpness in his gaze was unsettling, like the focus of a venomous snake. Their exchange also made it clear to Chu Haoyun that they were not allies. But then, who was Lin Beikong?

Before Chu Haoyun could ponder further, Hee Zhanpeng's voice, tinged with frustrated rage, filled the air. "You've got impressive brute strength, kid. Though I have no idea how you managed it, brute strength is worthless against the augmentation of the elementary force."

With that, Hee Zhanpeng's presence diminished. A subtle wave of energy emanated from him, and a weak blue glow surrounded his dagger, signaling the presence of the elementary force. Chu Haoyun's expression grew more solemn. Hee Zhanpeng was on the cusp of the Returning to Origin Stage, and with the right catalyst, he might break through the barrier.

Determined to regain his dignity, Hee Zhanpeng resolved to dispatch Chu Haoyun with the most direct and merciless approach.

"Azure Roc's Thorn!" he bellowed. Like a roc soaring through the skies, Hee Zhanpeng lunged forward, his dagger mimicking the lethal talons of the mythical Azure Roc, hurtling towards Chu Haoyun at breakneck speed. The air split with a crackling sound, and a chilling gleam of light flashed by.

Chu Haoyun summoned the purple elementary force within him, which spiraled rapidly around the ethereal Glimmering Soul Orb. Energy pulsed through every fiber of his being. Bolstered by the elementary force, Chu Haoyun could finally discern Hee Zhanpeng's swift movements clearly.

The Thunderbolt Swordsmanship sliced through the heavens, unleashing a tempest of wind and thunder. Its velocity surged, multiplying several times over, the fractured sword shadows trailing lightning. In a flash, Chu Haoyun was surrounded by a maelstrom of sword qi, with myriad beams of light converging on a single point of chill in the sky. Concurrently, his left hand, wielding the Glacial Touch, gathered the biting cold and burst forth.

Sparks flew and stones shattered in the tumult.

Hee Zhanpeng found himself halted three feet from Chu Haoyun, his form faltering. His short dagger trembled under the onslaught of the sword's edge, barely withstanding the impact. Simultaneously, a familiar force scattered his gathered elementary force, and the wild sword force nearly snapped the dagger in two.

Could an attack at the eighth level of Body Forging actually harness elementary force? The thought raced through Hee Zhanpeng's mind. With no time for shock, he launched a punch to momentarily stem the tide of sword qi, while his dagger traced an arc of frost from below.

Chu Haoyun inwardly sneered, ready for Hee Zhanpeng's all-out assault.

The Thunderbolt Swordsmanship halted briefly, then shifted into a powerful chopping motion, intercepting the short dagger. In that same moment, the Glacial Touch struck Hee Zhanpeng's fist, the elementary force swirling rapidly, sending a chill deep into his arm. Hee Zhanpeng's body seized up as Chu Haoyun's strength, now tripled, burst forth.

With a resounding "Boom!" Hee Zhanpeng was sent flying back dozens of meters, his body carving a long trail in the earth. The intense cold made his fist quiver, and for a moment, he was bereft of sensation. His Azure Roc Technique, though formidable, required the Returning to Origin state to unleash its full potential.

From afar, Lin Beikong's gaze sharpened. He hadn't anticipated Hee Zhanpeng's defeat. Catching sight of the trembling arm from the corner of his eye, he regarded Chu Haoyun with newfound gravity, gripping his short dagger more firmly. His eyes narrowed, as if attempting to pierce Chu Haoyun's very soul.

Nearby, Ning Chen and his companion wiped the sweat from their brows. They were astonished that the boy they had dismissed as worthless could push Hee Zhanpeng to such extremes. In their recollection, once Hee Zhanpeng brandished his dagger with that spectral speed, his adversaries were usually doomed to a swift demise.

Unexpectedly, Chu Haoyun was not only able to match Hee Zhanpeng's speed, but he also surpassed him in strength. A trace of fear crept into their hearts, and they instinctively took a few steps back without a word.

Meanwhile, unnoticed by the crowd, a shadow had emerged at the edge of the rubble. It watched the battlefield intently, as if sensing something. Then, with a sneer, it said, "Who would have thought Zong Ji would meet his downfall here? This place doesn't intimidate me. Let them fight! I'll just wait to clean up the mess. Heh!"

"Damn it!" Hee Zhanpeng cursed furiously, his forehead veins bulging menacingly. He was dumbfounded that he was being overpowered by someone at the eighth level of Body Forging.

Before his tirade could continue, Chu Haoyun demonstrated an even more astonishing speed. His figure blurred, leaving behind a trail of afterimages as his sword thrust forward, rapidly magnifying in Hee Zhanpeng's eyes.

With a roar of shock and rage, Hee Zhanpeng's presence erupted, the elementary force he wielded gushing out uncontrollably. His eyes wild with frenzy, the cracked short dagger in his hand began to glow intensely. Behind him, a vague shadow of a roc spread its wings, and in that moment, his speed surged.

He appeared behind Chu Haoyun in a flash, a vicious grin spreading across his face as he thrust the dagger towards Chu Haoyun's back with lethal intent.

Lin Beikong's brow furrowed, and he murmured to himself, "Has he lost his mind? To completely dissipate the only bit of elementary force he had..."

His comment was cut short as his pupils dilated in disbelief, echoing Hee Zhanpeng's sentiment, "How is this possible?"

Hee Zhanpeng, having unleashed his elementary force, saw his speed skyrocket. He had been confident he could easily overpower his opponent, but his dagger passed right through Chu Haoyun's back as if striking an afterimage, and he lunged forward in the momentum of his attack.

An afterimage? Hee Zhanpeng was in disbelief.

"Flash!" The chilling voice of Chu Haoyun echoed like a call from the abyss, causing Hee Zhanpeng's pupils to constrict.

With the infusion of elementary force, the attack range of Flash extended to eighteen steps, and its speed tripled. Even Lin Beikong, with his exceptional vision, could only perceive a series of afterimages.

"Puchi!" A sword tip burst through Hee Zhanpeng's chest, spurting a scorching, crimson arc of blood.

A flawless strike, the essence of Flash.

Chu Haoyun hadn't anticipated that his explosive power, increased threefold, could also amplify his speed. He had only intended to experiment with Flash, never expecting it to succeed. The velocity was so intense that even he struggled to adjust. It was simply too swift! His sole regret was that after channeling the tripled power into his speed, he could no longer enhance his strength.

The art of Flash, with its unparalleled speed, was an unstoppable killing technique. Only by pushing beyond the limits of speed could one truly master Flash.

"Ah!" Hee Zhanpeng couldn't come to terms with his demise. Could he really have been defeated so easily? His final frenzy unleashed a roar that echoed to the heavens, and with eyes wide open in disbelief, he collapsed into the dust.

Lin Beikong had not foreseen Hee Zhanpeng's abrupt end. His usually composed demeanor shifted subtly as he leaped forward to confront the pair. His profound gaze settled on Chu Haoyun as he spoke earnestly, "You've truly surprised me. It appears Chen Yiming was indeed slain by you."

"Are you Chen Yisheng?" Chu Haoyun, sword in hand, hastily backed away to stand protectively by the unconscious Qin Bing. He eyed Lin Beikong with caution, recalling Qin Bing's earlier words, and felt a deep unease settle in.