Puchi Puchi Puchi

Confronted with the gleaming dagger, Xu Zhong instinctively evaded.

Yet, even as he skillfully evaded the black-robed man's dagger, the assailant had already raised his right foot. His body transformed into a colossal hammer, hurtling toward Xu Zhong's midsection.

A pained grunt escaped Xu Zhong as he absorbed the full force of the strike.

In a deafening thud, Xu Zhong felt his abdomen was on the brink of being pierced through.

His ribs seemed ready to shatter, and his entire form was propelled through the air.

In an instant, the black-clad assailant unleashed another attack, hurling a mighty punch at Xu Zhong's head like a cannonball.

At this precise moment, Xu Zhong heard the notification within his mind.

[Vitality+50]

[Vitality+50]

This…

A warm current coursed through Xu Zhong's body. He discerned that energy consumption is the key to the [Primal Chaos Body Formula]. Given the colossal energy expenditure he had incurred during the battle and his injuries, he had experienced a direct surge of 100 points in his vitality.

Though he sensed a partial recovery of his strength, he observed the black-clad man preparing for another punch. The assailant sneered, taunting, "Hmph, you can endure quite the beating. Let's see how much more you can take."

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Xu Zhong found himself relentlessly dominated by the black-clad adversary. Occasionally, he mustered a counterattack, but each time, it swiftly devolved into a one-sided pummeling.

Clang!

The man swatted away Xu Zhong's defensive arms, pressing a palm against his chest. In a resounding impact, Xu Zhong was sent hurtling backward, blood spurting from his mouth, utterly powerless to resist.

[Vitality+60]

While the augmented vitality was formidable, Xu Zhong knew that another blow could spell his demise.

In the ensuing moment, the man lunged at Xu Zhong again.

Upon exploiting a split-second opportunity as the assailant's punch veered wide, Xu Zhong swiftly ducked, eluding the strike. Capitalizing on the momentary misstep, Xu Zhong punched his adversary's chest.

This punch resonated with an underlying thunderous momentum.

However, the iron fist brimming with immense force found no purchase.

It was as though Xu Zhong had struck a solid metal object.

The man staggered back two paces, his gaze ice-cold. "You can fight back?"

He sensed that something was amiss.

Yet, even if that were the case…

In any event, he intended to finish off this guy here and now!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The narrow alley resounded with the tumultuous clash of physical blows.

The man relentlessly pounded Xu Zhong.

"You insignificant trash! How dare you provoke my young master? Do you crave death? Hahahaha!"

The man's fists harbored an utterly formidable force.

Each devastating strike caused Xu Zhong to feel like his flesh and bones were simultaneously imploding.

[Vitality+10]

[Vitality+10]

Despite his vitality nearing the 300 mark in this life-or-death duel, Xu Zhong couldn't find any solace, for he was perilously close to death.

Kneeling on the ground, Xu Zhong seemed drained of all strength, blood spurting from his mouth, his pupils dilating.

The man chuckled maliciously. "You're quite resilient, but your journey ends here."

The man's right arm muscles tensed, his aura expanding as he surged toward Xu Zhong's head.

In his eyes, dispatching this youth who had affronted his young master was an absolute certainty.

Regrettably, Xu Zhong was no reckless combatant. As someone who had experienced two lifetimes, he comprehended a vital principle—feign weakness to seize the advantage.

A fiery glint ignited in Xu Zhong's eyes. His aura abruptly steadied, and his emotions quelled.

Though his physical condition remained short of its peak, his aura had already reached its zenith.

He pressed his thumb against the hilt of his wooden sword, producing a resonant "clang" reverberating through the alley.

While the sound of the unsheathed sword echoed, the man pressed on, his fist primed to strike.

A tremendous force bore down on Xu Zhong like an unyielding tidal wave.

In that instant, Xu Zhong embodied unwavering fortitude in the face of the pressure from the E-rank martial artist.

Concentrate on one point and reach the peak!

This time, he drew his sword.

In a heartbeat, his profoundly concentrated Sword Intent converged at the blade's edge, the swordlight resembling a fine thread that flickered and vanished.

In the blink of an eye, the storm abated.

The menacing man froze in his tracks.

His eyes widened as he froze on the spot.

Several seconds later, the black fabric on his chest ripped open, revealing a conspicuous sword gash on his chest.

Xu Zhong refrained from any physical assault. Instead, he harnessed his sword intent to thrust directly through the man's heart, terminating him in a single, swift strike.

The inversion of life and death unfolded like a macabre jest.

Blood erupted, splattering across Xu Zhong's visage and body.

Despite sustaining a fatal blow to his chest, the physical fitness of an E-rank martial artist allowed the man in black still to manage a few parting words before his impending demise.

"How… How is this possible… Sword intent…"

Terror flickered in the man in black's eyes.

The last time he had witnessed such potent sword intent, it had emanated from a formidable C-rank martial artist.as on a powerful C-rank warrior.

Condensed Intent implied a minimum rank of D.

Only martial artists with prodigious talent could aspire to a D-rank. The majority plateaued at C-rank.

Puchi!

Xu Zhong rapidly retrieved a steel knife from the ground, thrusting it in, pulling it out, and repeating the action.

Though uncertain of the E-rank martial artist's physical resilience, Xu Zhong held steadfastly to a single conviction. As long as the man could speak, he was not wholly deceased. Thus, he had to do it a few more times.

As for the reason he didn't use his sword intent…

The reason was simple. The consumption of sword intent was overwhelmingly taxing. Particularly after aggregating his entire sword intent into a single focal point, it had nearly drained his entire being.

"You…"

The man wanted to speak, but Xu Zhong was still moving in and out of his body…

"I-I must inform you… the individual who sent me is…"

The man in black struggled to convey his message, cognizant that uttering these words might secure him a reprieve, affording him a moment's respite.

Unfortunately, Xu Zhong already knew who it was. Moreover, it didn't matter who it was.

Puchi!

Puchi!

Puchi!

Bloodstained Xu Zhong's attire a vivid crimson, each stab echoing crisply as Xu Zhong had a good time.

Afterward, he gazed upon the collapsing figure of the man in black, exhaling slowly as relief washed over him.

This encounter had been exceedingly difficult.

He exhaled and looked at the black-clothed man who had fallen to the ground without any signs of life. He couldn't help but feel his heart racing.

This marked Xu Zhong's maiden experience of taking a life.

Whether in his former existence or the present one.

Even though martial artists broke the rules with their martial arts, even if they killed someone, this kind of self-defense would not do anything. However, no matter what, whether in his previous life or this life, this was the first time Xu Zhong killed someone.

Be it psychologically or physically, Xu Zhong felt a strong sense of discomfort.

It couldn't be helped. Only by killing more people would he slowly get used to this kind of thing.