Zhang Pojun looked at Sun Yunso and smiled.
“So, you’re finally getting serious.”
He slowly rolled his shoulders, the movement almost imperceptible, before carefully resting the sword on one shoulder, its weight a familiar comfort.
“I think it’s time for me to stop holding back as well.”
A dark aura began flowing from his body.
Lei Mei’s eyes widened.
“W-What’s happening…?”
The surviving bandits immediately began cheering.
“Boss is using it!”
“That kid’s finished!”
“You’ve forced the boss to use his Seidan!”
Zhang Pojun slowly raised his sword.
The aura wrapped itself around the blade.
A strange sound echoed.
The sword’s edges started to grow sharp, jagged points, like the teeth of a fierce animal.
It changed from a normal blade into something that looked really scary.
Now it looked like the mouth of a predator, ready to attack and tear its victim apart.
The points were so sharp they seemed to be waiting to strike, making the sword look like a deadly trap.
Lei Mei covered her mouth.
“His sword.”
Sun Yunso couldn’t actually see what was happening, but he could sense the change taking place.
The pressure surrounding Zhang Pojun had risen dramatically.
“His Seidan….increased.
‘What changed?’
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through both of his eyes, catching him off guard.
Without thinking, he raised his hands to his eyes, trying to ease the discomfort.
The familiar burning sensation returned.
Without another choice he slowly closed both eyes.
Zhang Pojun blinked.
“What’s going on with you, have you lost your mind or something, why have you chosen to go blind all of a sudden?”
Sun Yunso lowered his hand.
“None of your business.
Huīhé Jiàn…”
As soon as Sun Yunso spoke, the two men suddenly disappeared.
Clang!
Zhang Pojun struck first.
His monstrous blade came crashing down like the jaws of a wild beast, carrying enough force to shatter the earth beneath it.
Sun Yunso twisted his body at the very last moment and the blade narrowly missed him.
It slammed onto the ground.
When the dust settled deep, jagged marks resembling enormous bite impressions had been carved into the earth where the blade had landed.
Lei Mei’s face turned pale.
“…What kind of sword is that…?”
Zhang Pojun took a look at the ground that was all messed up and then he clicked his tongue.
“What a shame.
“He said, lifting the weapon from the earth.” My blade missed out on what would have been an excellent meal.”
Sun Yunso remained silent.
Although he couldn’t see the blade he could clearly hear the sound it produced and the pressure radiating from it.
That weapon it’s dangerous.
Without another word, Zhang charged again.
He swung horizontally, then vertically and diagonally.
The blows were incredibly powerful, and Sun Yunso was constantly being pushed back by their sheer force.
He avoided the first, deflected and barely slipped.
“…!”
Zhang grinned.
“Run all you like!
My sword is starving!”
He raised the blade above his head.
“Let’s see if you can dodge this one!”
As he swung it down with a loud roar, Sun Yunso stood still, exhaling slowly, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to the intense action that had just unfolded.
“….Silent Current.
”
Everything slowed.
Instead of meeting Zhang’s overwhelming strength head-on.
Sun Yunso’s blade flowed around it.
Like water slipping past a boulder.
The huge blow was deflected just barely enough to avoid hitting its target.
Zhang’s eyes widened.
“…What?”
As he struggled to regain his footing, a dark blur suddenly swept across him.
Slash!
A deep gash suddenly appeared across his side, just below his ribs.
Blood splattered everywhere, staining the ground a deep red.
Zhang Pojun staggered back several steps.
His free hand instinctively pressed against the wound.
Warm blood seeped between his fingers.
The surviving bandits stared in disbelief.
“Boss…”
“He actually wounded the boss.”
Zhang looked down at the blood staining his hand then a grin slowly spread across his face.
Instead of anger he laughed.
“This is getting interesting.”
He turned to face Sun Yunso, his eyes gleaming with fierce excitement.
“You’ve finally shown me a sword that’s worthy of use to kill.”
Sun Yunso’s chest rose and fell with a slow, deliberate breath, but the ache in his eyes lingered, refusing to fade.
His fingers instinctively tightened around the hilt of his sword, the familiar grip a comforting presence in his moment of turmoil.
‘This has to end.’
“Huīhé Jiàn….”
A dark energy emanated from him, pooling around the sword like a shadow came to life, and the metal appeared to absorb it, growing darker by the second.
“…Blackened River.”
Zhang Pojun’s smile faded.
“…!”
Without another word, Sun Yunso swung.
The blade seemed pretty normal, just a simple black curve moving quietly across the field where the battle was happening.
Zhang Pojun’s instincts screamed danger.
He quickly jumped out of the way, raising his rough sword to block the incoming blow.
But his weapon broke into pieces right away.
The top part flew high up into the air.
“…What?!”
The black slash continued forward without slowing.
It raced across the mountain pass before striking the cliff in the distance.
A loud noise boomed through the valley, it was so loud it felt like the ground was shaking.
Then suddenly, the side of the mountain cracked open, like a big split in the earth.
A huge chunk of rock started to move, slowly at first, and then it fell apart, crashing down into the valley below.
This made a massive cloud of dust rise up into the air, blocking out the sun.
The dust just kept getting bigger and bigger, filling the whole valley with a thick, cloudy fog.
Lei Mei could only stare.
“A…
mountain?”
Even Lei Shun’s calm expression cracked slightly.
“Oh my…..gosh.”
The dust swirled upwards, filling the air with a thick haze.
Zhang Pojun gazed out at the mountain, its peak split in two, a stark division that seemed to echo the turmoil that surrounded him.
He threw his head back and laughed.
His laughter echoed louder than the collapse itself.
“This is the real deal, a true showcase of Seidan expertise!”
As the last of his words faded away, a warm liquid suddenly splattered onto the ground.
His laughter came to an abrupt halt and he turned his head to the left, his eyes scanning the area to see what had happened.
“…Hm?”
There was nothing there.
His left sleeve fluttered in the cold wind.
Thud.
Zhang Pojun’s smile suddenly faded away as he stared at the spot where his left arm had been severed, now lying on the snow behind him.
The remaining bandits stared at their leader in horror.
“B-Boss!”
They didn’t hesitate, rushing towards Zhang Pojun in a split second, trying to shield him from harm, but before they could even take a few steps, a faint flash of blue lightning suddenly streaked through the air.
It lasted only an instant.
“…?”
The outlaws stood frozen in place, and then, almost imperceptibly, thin trails of blood began to seep out across their bodies.
It was as if time itself was slowing down, and one by one, each of the remaining outlaws crumpled to the ground, their lifeless forms sinking into the snow.
Zhang Pojun’s eyes narrowed.
“…What?”
He slowly turned his head.
Lei Shun stood a few meters away, his face a picture of calmness.
He still had one finger raised, as if frozen in time, his expression unwavering.
Small flashes of blue light flickered around it, then vanished into thin air.
“So…”
Zhang Pojun smiled despite everything.
“It really was you.”
Lei Shun lowered his hand.
“I had hoped to stay hidden.”
“So you’re the cultivator he couldn’t sense.”
A laugh escaped Zhang Pojun’s lips.
“Hahaha…
I should’ve known.”
His eyes shifted toward Sun Yunso.
“Looks like I underestimated both of you.”
Sun Yunso didn’t say a word, he just started walking towards Zhang Pojun.
Zhang Pojun saw him coming and tried to lift what was left of his sword, but it was too late.
Shiiing.
Sun Yunso emerged from behind, his movements smooth as he slid his sword back into its scabbard, a calm expression on his face.
“May your soul descend into the deepest depths of hell.”
Click.
The blade locked into place and for a single moment nothing happened.
Zhang Pojun’s eyes widened.
“…Heh.”
His head slowly detached from his body, separating from his neck in a gruesome manner.
It rolled away, coming to rest on the ground after a few moments, finally stopping its macabre journey.
He stood there for just a moment, and then his body gave out, falling to the ground beside it.
The boss of the Black Fang Bandits had been killed.