Yu Liang rushed forward, blade cutting through the air in uneven arcs. He struck from the left, then the right, then brought it down hard, forcing Wang Shen to shift and turn with every swing.
Every attack was avoided with almost no effort. Wang Shen’s steps stayed light, his movements measured, like he had all the time in the world.
Yu Liang kept pressing anyway. His strikes were still sloppy at first, body sluggish from the earlier hits, but he refused to stop. Each miss only made him step in again, teeth clenched, sweat and blood mixed dripping into his eyes.
Wang Shen chuckled softly.
"Come on, come on. You can do it." He leaned back as another strike cut past his sleeve.
Yu Liang didn’t answer. He let his breathing settle for a second, then raised the blade again. This time he swung twice in quick succession — once at Wang Shen’s side, then upward toward his shoulder. Both were dodged as smoothly as before.
But as the second swing fell short, Yu Liang twisted his wrist and shifted his weight hard. The upward slash turned into a feint. The real strike cut across from the opposite direction.
Wang Shen hadn’t expected the change and was caught off guard by the unexpected move, and the blade moved so close that it touched his robe and with a tearing sound, a part of fabric separated and floated to the ground between them.
Wang Shen’s smile became thinner for the first time. He narrowed his eyes.
Even after a successful strike Yu Liang did not budge, breathing heavily as a little glimmer of determination remained in him despite his tiredness.
Wang Shen ran his fingers along the torn edge of his robes. While he remained composed, an edge was creeping into his voice.
"Really, you shouldn’t have done that... it made me very angry."
Before Yu Liang could even draw a full breath, Wang Shen’s figure blurred in his vision. It slipped to his side like a shadow.
Yu Liang’s body reacted before his mind could catch up. He hurriedly raised his blade to block but It barely came in time.
Wang Shen’s foot slammed into Yu Liang’s stomach.
"Guh!"
The force drove the air from his lungs. His body folded around the kick and In the next instant his body left the ground, launched backward like he’d been fired from a bow.
The world spun around him. His back collided with the rough bark of the tree. The crack of impact rattled his bones. The blade slipped from his fingers as he collapsed.
"Kh—cough!" "Cough!"
Air rushed out of him in a broken cough.
His sight went black for a few moments. The taste of iron filled his mouth once again. He opened his eyes against his will. Then, to Wang Shen’s mild surprise, he started to rise.
His movements were stiff, almost unnatural, like a puppet being pulled by strings. The veins across his face bulged thick. His eyes carried a faint yet unsteady glow.
Wang Shen arched a brow, lips curling.
"Ohh... a power boosting pill, is it?"
Yu Liang didn’t respond. He bent down, picked up the fallen sword, and dragged in a long, hissing breath through his teeth.
His voice came out low but clear.
"Misty Steps."
The ground under him blurred and in an instant his figure flickered forward, closing the distance far faster than before. The blade drew a sharp line through the air, aiming for Wang Shen’s side.
Wang Shen raised his arm to parry.
Yu Liang’s eyes narrowed as his stance shifted fluidly.
Flowing Water Technique.
The blade curved unexpectedly, sliding around the block like water splitting around a stone. The sudden redirection sliced across Wang Sheng’s arm. A thin line of blood appeared where the steel cut into his flesh.
Wang Shen hissed sharply. He lost his calm for the first time. His eyes burned with fury.
"YOUU PESTT!"
His voice turned ferocious. He raised his hand and a surge of energy gathered around his palm. Qi shimmered faintly in the air, distorting it with pressure.
For Yu Liang the difference was overwhelming.
A Body Tempering cultivator can only rely on muscles, bones, and endurance – all to build a body akin to a weapon. The Qi Condensation stage was an entirely new level altogether. Here, the practitioner used not physical power but spiritual power, making every blow infinitely more powerful than anything a mere body could ever deliver.
Fighting across that gap was like trying to shatter stone with bare hands while the opponent wielded a blade. There was always the chance that his body could just shatter from the strain of each fight. Even boosted by pills and techniques, the disparity was enough to crush most people into despair.
And yet, blade in hand, veins bulging, Yu Liang calmed himself and faced Wang Shen head-on and met the strike directly because even one mistake was enough to put him in a dangerous position.
The ground under his feet cracked and splintered. A sharp shockwave scattered dirt and leaves outward. Suddenly a force tore into his body, rattling his ribs and churning his organs, yet the strange power inside him healed the damage just enough to keep him standing.
But at the same time that force seemed to be getting out of control. It surged wildly through his veins, flooding his meridians with pressure that felt close to tearing him apart. His eyes reddened, bloodshot and fierce.
With a rough breath, Yu Liang raised his blade and launched another attack.
Wang Shen stepped forward to meet him with his palm covered in Qi.
The blade and palm collided with a sharp clang.
Yu Liang’s muscles strained as he pushed his body to its limit. Small tears opened across his arms and shoulders, Lines of blood burst out from the strain.
Despite that, gritting his teeth and he slashed once again.
Sparks flew as the blade struck Wang Shen’s thin Qi barrier and slid off. The same blade that had easily cut through flesh moments ago could no longer get past that layer of Qi.
Wang Shen’s smirk widened as Yu Liang’s strikes grew duller with each swing.
"See now? This is the truth. The chasm between realms isn’t something just anyone can cross."
He stepped in close. Qi pooled thickly around his fist. The pressure rolled off him like a wave, heavy and suffocating. Then, with a casual swing, he drove the punch into Yu Liang’s chest.
The impact exploded outward.
Yu Liang’s body left the ground, his frame jolted upward like a broken doll. His sword slipped slightly in his grip as the world spun beneath him.
As soon as the body of Yu Liang started falling down, some change occurred inside him. The lips of Yu Liang moved slightly, making his voice barely audible against the roaring wind—
"Flowing Water Technique: Waterfall."
A mist came out from his sword, materializing around it to make it sway in the air. The sword made groaning sounds as if it was going to break due to the burden on it.
Yu Liang gripped it with both hands. His eyes were bloodshot but unwavering. Using the momentum of the fall, he twisted and brought the mist cloaked blade crashing down with him.
Wang Shen’s eyes widened. His hand half raised, but there was no time to move.
The strike landed squarely.
It smashed through the shimmering layer of Qi that wrapped his body. The shield shattered like glass under the weight of the waterfall strike.
The blade tore downward from his shoulder, carrying not just the force of blade but an overwhelming, crushing current. Wang Shen gasped. His body jerked as the blade broke through his shoulder, shattered through bone, and continued down through his torso.
For a heartbeat the world froze around them.
Then, with a slippery sound, his body split.
From shoulder to chest the cut ran deep. The upper portion of his body slide apart from the rest and fell heavily to the ground.
Yu Liang staggered as he pulled the blade back, panting heavily. His vision blurred as he looked at the two pieces of Wang Shen lying on the ground, mist still hissing faintly around the cracked weapon in his hands.
Then, with the last of his strength spent, he collapsed beside the corpse.