Vicious!
Shen Fan’s eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing across his face.
‘If Gu Gang’s strike lands, he’ll take my head clean off!’
“You were merciless, so don’t blame me for being ruthless!”
As the Thick-Backed Mountain-Cutting Saber descended, Shen Fan didn’t retreat.
Instead, he advanced, charging straight into the arc of his opponent’s blade.
His strength and Primordial Qi were no weaker than that of a Peak of the Third Stage of Meridian Opening Martial Disciple.
Moreover, his Fast Blade technique had reached the Great Success Realm.
As he unleashed it, countless Sword Shadows flickered into existence.
A cold light flashed under the sun, parrying the Thick-Backed Mountain-Cutting Saber before continuing its furious downward slash!
PSH!
A pillar of blood erupted as a head flew high into the air!
The expressions on Fang Jian and Fang Yu’s faces changed drastically.
Neither of them had seen how Shen Fan struck, and then—Gu Gang’s head was gone!
Shen Fan stood with his blade in hand, as cold and detached as a Butcher.
“You’re ruthless!” Fang Jian and Fang Yu drew their long swords and closed in, their eyes blazing with killing intent.
They had assumed that with Gu Gang’s Cultivation at the Peak of the Third Stage of Meridian Opening, dealing with a kid at the Third Rank of Meridian Opening would be as simple as slaughtering a dog.
But Shen Fan turned out to be a tough nut to crack, killing Gu Gang in a single counter-strike.
Even the two of them would have had to use some serious moves to kill Gu Gang, though admittedly, Gu Gang had been careless from the start.
“He tried to kill me, so of course I killed him!” Shen Fan sneered endlessly.
“You…” Fang Jian roared.
‘It’s always been us from Bai Shan Academy bullying Black Water Academy!
Since when do they get to bully us!
And he’s just a mere Third Rank of Meridian Opening, yet he dares to be so arrogant!’
“If you want a fight, then let’s fight!” Shen Fan decided to go all out.
‘Now that Gu Gang is dead, Fang Jian is no threat.
Even if Fang Yu is powerful, I’ll still take him on!’
“You killed a disciple of my Bai Shan Academy. You deserve to die!” Killing intent flared from Fang Yu.
Originally, he hadn’t wanted to fight Shen Fan, as he could see Shen Fan’s strength was not trivial.
But Shen Fan had monopolized the Red-eyed Wolf King earlier and had now killed Gu Gang.
He absolutely could not let Shen Fan go.
“Then let’s see if you have what it takes!” Shen Fan took a step forward, closing the distance with Fang Yu and Fang Jian.
“You’re courting death! Rapid Rain Sword!” Fang Jian’s long sword trembled, and a streak of silver light shot out, as fast as a sudden storm.
‘A Mid-tier Martial Skill at the Great Success Realm!’
‘To cultivate a Mid-tier Martial Skill to the Great Success Realm… his talent isn’t bad.’
“Break!”
Shen Fan roared, drawing his blade in a furious slash.
The long blade tore through the air, trailing countless Sword Shadows.
Before the shadows could dissipate, his Sword Light burst through the opposing Sword Light like a meteor in the night sky, striking the hilt of his opponent’s sword!
The Fine Steel Long Sword flew from his grasp.
Fang Jian stumbled back several steps, his face breaking out in a cold sweat.
‘He never expected Shen Fan had also cultivated a Mid-tier Martial Skill to the Great Success Realm, and his strike was even faster than the one that killed Gu Gang!’
‘Not only that, but his perception is terrifying.
He struck the precise weak point in my swordsmanship.’
However, just as he prepared to strike again, Shen Fan’s blade descended once more.
It created an Illusion Transformation of countless Sword Shadows in the air, sealing off his attack and even blocking his path of retreat.
It gave him the feeling that no matter how he tried to dodge, the blade would find its mark.
‘Is he really a Martial Disciple who just reached the Third Rank of Meridian Opening?
He seized the initiative before I could, and his strength and Primordial Qi are even greater than mine!’ Fang Jian’s face paled in horror.
With no path of retreat, he could only swing his sword in an arc, creating a Sword Curtain in an attempt to block Shen Fan’s assault.
CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG…
In the space of a single breath, Shen Fan struck more than thirty times, his blade running from the tip of Fang Jian’s sword all the way to the hilt.
The final strike swept across Fang Jian’s abdomen like a gale, leaving a deep gash.
“Ah!” Fang Jian cried out in agony, clutching his stomach with both hands as he crumpled into a ball, bleeding uncontrollably.
Shen Fan had just severely wounded Fang Jian and was retracting his blade when his scalp suddenly tingled.
A wave of Cold Qi shot straight to his brain.
Danger was imminent.
He activated his Soul Eye and was shocked to see a Fine Steel Long Sword approaching like a wisp of smoke—unpredictable, hazy like a misty rain, and aimed directly at the back of his head.
‘This strike is far more advanced than Fang Jian’s swordsmanship.
It moves like a curtain of rain and smoke, making it impossible to distinguish the real blade from the Sword Shadows.
He’s definitely cultivated a High-level Sword Technique to the Peak of Small Achievement Realm.’
Fortunately, Shen Fan had activated his Soul Awakening Eye.
Locked by its flame-like vision, the Sword Shadows vanished, revealing a single, trembling blade.
It was approaching from an insidious angle, lashing out like a frog’s tongue, slowly stabbing toward the back of his heart!
His expression hardened.
‘If this strike from Fang Yu lands, it will definitely be fatal!’
His Soul Eye swept over the attack and, in an instant, found the flaw in Fang Yu’s swordsmanship!
Shen Fan’s body spun violently like a top, dodging Fang Yu’s sword.
He then used the Cloud Ladder Ascension Technique to dart forward and suddenly struck out with his Great Sorrow Palm, which was at the Peak of Minor Success, aiming straight for Fang Yu’s right chest.
Fang Yu’s breath caught in his throat.
He hadn’t expected Shen Fan to react so quickly.
His Smoke Rain Sword was a High-tier Martial Skill that, when unleashed, created countless Sword Shadows and struck with ferocious speed.
He had been certain this strike would run Shen Fan through and leave him cold!
But Shen Fan had not only dodged it, he had managed to launch a counter-attack in the heat of the moment—and his target was the exact spot where Fang Yu had been previously injured by the Red-eyed Wolf King.
Shen Fan’s attack was as swift as a pouncing Fierce Tiger; Fang Yu had no time to dodge!
“To think a disciple of Bai Shan Academy would be a petty coward who relies on sneak attacks!” Shen Fan sneered as his Great Sorrow Palm viciously left its Seal on Fang Yu’s right chest!
The power of the Great Sorrow Palm was comparable to a High-tier Martial Skill; a strike nearing the Great Success Realm could demolish a house.
Enraged by Fang Yu’s sneak attack, Shen Fan had used his full strength.
BAM!
Like a kite with its string cut, Fang Yu was sent flying backward.
He spat a mouthful of blood in mid-air before crashing heavily to the ground, unable to get back up.
Having grievously wounded Fang Yu with a single blow, Shen Fan charged forward again.
While Fang Yu was still dazed from the severe injury, he thrust his blade into his heart!
“Second Brother… You… you actually killed my second brother! How dare you kill him! How could you! My eldest brother is Fang Quan, the number one disciple of Bai Shan Academy’s Inner Courtyard! Now that you’ve killed Second Brother, my eldest brother will never let you go!” Fang Jian roared.
With that shout, the gash on his abdomen split wide open.
His intestines spilled out, and he collapsed to the ground, dead.
Shen Fan stood motionless, gazing at the three dead men.
He couldn’t quite describe the feeling in his heart.
This was the first time he had killed someone, but he knew it wouldn’t be the last.
‘It’s kill or be killed.
Just like today, if I hadn’t been strong enough, I would be the one lying dead.’ Even so, killing for the first time left a bitter taste in his mouth.
‘Mercy to your enemies is cruelty to yourself.’ Shen Fan let out a breath, sheathing his blade with trembling hands before walking to the river to wash the blood from his body.
After that, he searched the three corpses, finding over ten thousand taels in silver notes.
Finally, he took the large bags containing the Fierce Beast Materials that Fang Jian and the others had collected.
Their three bags were heavy, no lighter than his own, and he estimated they would sell for a good amount of silver taels.
‘I’ve been out for a while now,’ Shen Fan thought, gazing at the distant sky.
‘I need to go back, sell these materials for silver taels, buy some elixirs for my cultivation, and try to increase my strength again before the Outer Courtyard assessment.’ There were clouds in the sky, and beneath them lay Imperial City Black Water City.