Chapter 57: Jin Datong
Two blades clashed, sending a shower of sparks into the night air.
The Killer was sent flying backward by Su Hao's powerful slash.
A flicker of regret crossed Su Hao's face behind his black mask. That strike of his was incredibly powerful; he had fully expected to slice through both the man and his weapon in a single blow. But to his surprise, it had been blocked.
As expected, no high-level Master is easy prey.
"And that blade!" Su Hao's gaze sharpened, locking onto the broad, sturdy blade in his opponent's hands. That blade—it's no ordinary weapon, he thought, realizing that much of the credit for withstanding his attack lay with the Killer's blade, not the man wielding it. It was nothing like the cheap, run-of-the-mill weapon like the one Su Hao was using.
Su Hao had clearly sensed that the moment his blade struck the other's weapon, it shattered the Killer's blood Qi infused on the blade. The remaining force was then absorbed by the blade itself.
Though Su Hao had sent the killer flying, in his eyes, the man had still managed to block the attack.
"Perfect! A good challenge is just what I need!" Su Hao muttered to himself in a low voice.
The Killer staggered to his feet, blood trickling from his mouth, his face a mask of concentration. Holding his blade horizontally, he adopted a defensive stance, his wary eyes never leaving Su Hao. The Killer wasn't sure whether this masked figure was after him because of the secret he carried—or for some other reason.
He eyed the masked man warily. Standing barely 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall, with his youthful frame illuminated by the cold moonlight, Su Hao hardly looked like a threat, yet his presence was undeniably dangerous.
The Killer wasn't sure if this masked figure was chasing him because he had discovered his secret.
Wiping the blood from his lip, the Killer asked cautiously, "Who are you? Why are you attacking me?"
Su Hao didn't answer. Instead, he grinned, lunging forward and slashing with frightening speed.
«Wind Slash»
Su Hao's blood Qi roared to life, fueling his strike as his blade arced toward the Killer's neck.
"Clang∼!"
Their blades met once more, and the Killer was hurled backward by the force of the blow.
«Charge»
Not giving his opponent time to regain his footing, Su Hao charged forward like a rampaging bull.
The Killer, with no time to breathe, hastily raised his blade to block.
«Shadow Step»
But this time, Su Hao didn't strike head-on. His feet moved in a subtle, graceful pattern, turning what seemed like a reckless charge into an agile sidestep. In the blink of an eye, Su Hao slipped past the Killer's guard, moving with a fluid precision that belied his earlier brute force.
«Ghost Stab»
Before the Killer could react, Su Hao's blade lashed out from an unexpected angle, stabbing toward his throat.
'Damn it! I can't dodge this!'
The Killer had realized the danger the moment Su Hao withdrew his blade and slipped past him.
‹Barrier!›
A faint red glow flickered around the Killer's neck. Su Hao's blade met resistance, stopping just short of its mark with a metallic "Ding∼!"
A crisp metallic sound echoed. Su Hao's blade tip was stopped, unable to penetrate further.
Startled, Su Hao quickly leaped back, narrowly avoiding a desperate counterattack.
What was that red glow? It was like a thin barrier, one his blade couldn't penetrate—almost as if he had stabbed into tempered glass.
The red glow faded as the Killer gasped for air, drenched in cold sweat He had narrowly escaped death, thanks to his quick reaction and the lifesaving technique.
The brief exchange had made one thing clear: The Killer was no match for Su Hao. He was already considering his escape.
Su Hao tightened his grip on his blade and rushed forward again, preparing to strike.
‹Blinding Flash!›
The Killer raised his left hand, unleashing a burst of intense light that momentarily turned the night as bright as day.
Caught off guard, Su Hao's vision went white, as if staring directly at the sun.
He quickly raised his Blade defensively and retreated, prepared for a counterattack.
But the attack never came. When his vision cleared, the Killer was gone.
This allowed Su Hao to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Clever," Su Hao muttered, he gazed in the direction the killer had fled and chuckled softly "How did he do that? Runes?"
"You won't escape!" Su Hao said as he resumed his pursuit.
Within moments, he caught up to the fleeing Killer, slashing diagonally as he closed in.
"Clang∼!"
The Killer used the force of Su Hao's strike to propel himself forward, continuing his escape.
Su Hao chased again, but this time, he didn't rely on heavy slashes. Instead, he used a lighter, more precise cut, aiming to slice the killer's throat.
The Killer raised his blade to deflect, twisting his wrist to swing back at Su Hao.
Su Hao parried the blow with his blade.
"Ding∼!"
Their blades rang out again and again in rapid succession.
After several more exchanges, the Killer suddenly raised his left hand towards Su Hao.
Su Hao averted his eyes and leaped back, anticipating another flash.
But nothing happened.
The killer had run off again.
Su Hao had been fooled.
Without wasting time, Su Hao resumed the chase, launching relentless attacks. Each strike landed with terrifying force, driving the Killer closer and closer to collapse.
Despair clouded the Killer's features as blood sprayed from his mouth after every exchange. His organs were rattled from the blows; his body was reaching its limit.He had no idea how many times he had been struck by Su Hao's relentless assaults, and he was reaching his limit.
But even when on the brink of collapse, he had to keep enduring, because Su Hao's attacks were too swift and fierce, leaving little room for evasion or counterattack.
"Clang∼!" The Killer was knocked back once more, the powerful backlash shaking his entire body. He spat out a mouthful of blood as he crashed to the ground, unable to get up.
His Master-level blood Qi vein was ‹Control›, which wasn't much help in direct combat. The life-saving rune ‹Barrier› he had painstakingly created was gone, as was his ‹Blinding Flash›. He had no more tricks up his sleeve.
"Hm?" Suddenly, Su Hao's [Radar] detected a powerful blood Qi surge within 400 meters.
Another Master! And judging by the strength of the blood Qi, much stronger than the Killer.
"Jin Datong?" Su Hao's [Minimap] identified the newcomer as Jin Datong, the Academy's executive officer, second only to the dean, Xiao Jixuan.
Su Hao vividly remembered receiving ten gold crowns from Jin Datong when he enrolled in the academy.
Su Hao's eyes narrowed. He couldn't afford any more delays; he had to finish the job quickly and avoid confrontation with Jin Datong.
"Boom∼!" The ground exploded as Su Hao vanished from his spot and reappeared beside the Killer, stabbing down with his blade.
The killer used the last of his strength to deflect Su Hao's blade.
Su Hao lifted his Qi-infused right foot and kicked hard.
"Thud∼!" The Killer was sent flying, letting out a pained scream as blood spewed from his mouth.
With a flick of his wrist, Su Hao hurled his long blade. It pierced through the killer's chest and pinned him to the ground, immobilized.
Su Hao swiftly approached, tore the bundle from the Killer's back, and pulled out his blade.
"Splurt∼!"
Blood gushed forth once more.
Raising his blade, Su Hao aimed at the Killers's neck. Always safer to sever the head.
"Swoosh∼!"
Suddenly, a stone flew through the air, striking Su Hao's descending blade and knocking it off course. Instead of decapitating the Killer, Su Hao's blade slashed across his chest, leaving a gruesome, deep gash that almost split his chest cavity in half.
Jin Datong had arrived. Reacting instinctively, he had altered his original attack and struck Su Hao's blade mid-air.
Assessing the severity of the wounds, Su Hao figured the Killer wouldn't survive. With that assurance, he sheathed his weapon and swiftly disappeared into the shadows.
Jin Datong gave chase for a few steps but quickly turned back to the Killer. His face twisted in anger as he surveyed the gruesome injuries.
"You bastard!!" he cursed under his breath, realizing there was little he could do to save the man.