Chapter 61: Intense Battle

Su Hao finally understood why the killer, despite having his chest split wide open, was still jumping around, alive and kicking. It turned out that it was Jin Datong's blood qi vein at work—most likely a ‹Healing› rune and with blood crystals as supplement.

He hadn't expected this ‹Healing› rune to be so ridiculously powerful.

At this moment, Su Hao was pondering a critical question:

Should he continue fighting?

From their earlier exchanges, he was confident he could kill Jin Datong, but it would take time to create an opportunity for a single lethal strike.

After all, just injuring Jin Datong wouldn't do much, as the man possessed an absurd healing ability.

Moreover, Su Hao was deep inside the enemy's stronghold. There was no telling if anyone might come to Jin Datong's aid.

Compared to Jin Datong, Su Hao—a masked, short man—would appear far more suspicious. If the city guards arrived, they'd definitely target him first.

'Time to retreat! But not yet,' Su Hao glanced at the unconscious girl, Mei, lying to the side. He had already achieved his objective; there was no need to risk a life-and-death struggle with Jin Datong.

However, if he left now, the girl would likely be silenced by Jin Datong.

Su Hao raised the broad long blade in his hand, casually swinging it a few times, producing a "whoosh" in the air.

The more he looked, the more he liked it. This blade was his now.

Its weight and length were perfect, allowing him to slash freely without fear of it breaking.

Taking a deep breath, Su Hao launched into action, charging at Jin Datong and slashing diagonally with both hands, from upper left to lower right.

«Wind Slash»

His blood qi surged, the strike carrying immense power.

Jin Datong raised his fist to block.

"Clang∼!"

Jin Datong felt an overwhelming force hit him, sending him stumbling back several steps uncontrollably, leaving deep footprints on the ground.

Su Hao didn't follow up. Instead, he abruptly turned, ran to the girl's side, slung her over his shoulder, and with a swift slash, shattered the window before leaping out and fleeing.

Jin Datong reacted, roaring angrily, "You dwarf, don't even think about running!"

With that, he started chasing after them, each step creating a massive hole in the floor beneath his feet.

Despite carrying the lightweight Mei, Su Hao's speed didn't waver. But Jin Datong, barreling forward at full speed, wasn't far behind. Su Hao couldn't shake him off.

Su Hao's eyes turned colder. Since Jin Datong was relentlessly pursuing him, he might as well find a way to finish this once and for all.

After all, he had already killed Jin Datong's brother, making their feud a matter of life and death. There was no turning back.

Having made up his mind, Su Hao altered course, heading straight for the city's outskirts.

In the city, he couldn't fight freely. He had to be cautious about collateral damage and potential reinforcements for Jin Datong. But outside the city, it would be a different story—he could fight however he wanted.

As he passed through a thick patch of grass, Su Hao lifted Mei from his shoulder and tossed her into the bushes. She rolled into the foliage, disappearing from sight.

Then, Su Hao changed direction again, sprinting toward the city walls.

The forty-meter-high city wall posed no obstacle. He picked a spot without guards, leaped over twenty meters high, and propelled himself up further by kicking off the wall, smoothly vaulting over it.

Jin Datong followed closely behind, refusing to let Su Hao escape.

Though his fury had cooled slightly, that didn't mean he had forgotten his brother's death. He was unwavering in his resolve: no matter where Su Hao fled, he would catch up and kill him.

Among warriors, he had never feared anyone. He had a powerful belief—he wouldn't lose to any master.

But anger alone wouldn't lead him to victory. Only clear thinking would.

He knew that the dwarf ahead wasn't easy to deal with. Su Hao's blood qi was even stronger than his, so he needed to handle this carefully.

Moreover, although Su Hao's earlier blow had healed externally, Jin Datong's internal organs were still recovering.

It seemed like Su Hao had the advantage, but...

Jin Datong clenched his fists tightly. "I can still turn this around."

….

Su Hao reached an open area and stopped, waiting for Jin Datong to catch up.

The open space favored Su Hao, as he excelled in agility and speed. He could move freely without worrying about obstacles.

The night buzzed with the sound of insects, and the wind alternated between gusty and still.

The massive silver moon hung mostly hidden behind thin clouds, casting only faint light.

The two men stood opposite each other. In the dim moonlight, their outlines were barely visible—one tall and burly, the other short and nimble.

Suddenly, both men moved simultaneously, charging at each other, one wielding a blade, the other steel gauntlets.

"Ding∼ ding∼ ding∼!"

The clash of fist and blade echoed through the open field, silencing the nearby insects.

In a brief span, Su Hao and Jin Datong exchanged dozens of blows, neither gaining the upper hand.

Although Su Hao was faster, Jin Datong's raw strength and relentless attacks made it hard for Su Hao to land a killing blow.

"Clang!∼"

Su Hao's blade met Jin Datong's gauntlet, sparks flying from the impact. Both men exerted force, pushing each other back to resume their standoff

Su Hao studied his opponent, searching for weaknesses and openings.

His agility gave him an edge in close-range combat, but Jin Datong's size, strength, and fearlessness made it hard to create an opening. On top of that, Jin Datong didn't fear injuries, often using a eye-for-eye approach in combat.

Su Hao's key to victory would be finding a way to create an opportunity for a one-hit kill.

Jin Datong, on the other hand, was also analyzing Su Hao, thinking about how to lure him into exposing a flaw.

"You're the trickiest opponent I've ever faced, shorty," Jin Datong said. "But tonight, you die. One punch, and I'll smash you to pieces."

Su Hao didn't respond, unwilling to reveal any hint of his identity.

While Jin Datong taunted, Su Hao quietly prepared two runes—‹Blinding Flash› and ‹Barrier›.

‹Blinding Flash› could catch Jin Datong off guard, though he might expect it, making it less effective. ‹Barrier›, on the other hand, could save his life at a critical moment or help in a trade of blows.

Su Hao began pacing, pretending to look for an attack angle, while focusing on his runes.

Once his runes were fully prepared, Su Hao made his move.

Almost at the same moment, Jin Datong launched his attack.

Su Hao slashed with his blade, the strike carrying immense power and forcing Jin Datong back two steps. Su Hao immediately leaped away from his original position.

Changing angles, he launched another attack.

After exchanging more than ten rounds of this hit-and-run tactic, Su Hao grinned. His setup was complete.

Suddenly, he stopped, scanning his surroundings out of the corner of his eye. Gripping his blade with both hands, he took a deep breath.

"Boom∼!"

The ground beneath him shattered as Su Hao shot forward like a cannonball

«Leaping Cleave»

A mighty slash descended.

Jin Datong raised his left gauntlet to block. As fist and blade met, Jin roared, twisting his left arm outward, deflecting the blow.

Su Hao's blade sliding along Jin's gauntlet and sparking as it scraped down, while Jin's right gauntlet came crashing toward Su Hao.

Su Hao's pupils contracted. Faced with the incoming punch, he instantly released his left hand from the blade, switching to a one-handed grip.

‹Blinding Flash›

The rune ‹Blinding Flash› activated, momentarily blinding Jin Datong. At the same time, Su Hao adjusted his blade for the follow-up strike.

"Boom∼!"

"Shing∼!"

Su Hao was struck squarely in the chest, sent flying backward. Although most of the impact was absorbed by his last second activation of the ‹Barrier› rune, the powerful shock still made it thought his chest, causing a trickle of blood to seep from the corner of his mouth.

Jin Datong's left arm was severed at the shoulder, falling to the ground.

One punch for one arm.

Both men were gravely injured, yet neither made a sound.

Su Hao flipped back onto his feet, clutching his chest and staggering, pretending to be on the verge of death. Meanwhile, he began drawing a second ‹Barrier› rune.

Jin Datong's punch had hit Su Hao's ‹Barrier›, but Su Hao wasn't sure if Jin Datong had noticed that. So, he decided to feign injury—if Jin believed he was gravely wounded, it would give Su Hao the upper hand.

Using ‹Blinding Flash› and then ‹Barrier› in quick succession, Su Hao's goal was to use the flash to block Jin's vision and conceal the activation of the ‹Barrier› rune.

"A barrier?" Jin Datong glanced at his severed arm, blood still pouring out, then frowned at Su Hao's performance, momentarily hesitant.

That sensation of hitting a barrier was one he had experienced many times before, so he wasn't mistaken. But Su Hao certainly appeared severely injured.

Jin Datong hooked his severed arm with his foot, tossing it up and catching it in his right hand. He aligned the severed end with his shoulder.

"‹Heal!›"

In no time, the arm reattached. However, while the flesh had joined, the bones remained broken. His left arm hung limply at his side, rendering it unusable for the time being.

Seeing that Jin Datong wasn't attacking, Su Hao knew he wouldn't fall for the trick easily.

But it didn't matter. From the start, it was Jin Datong who had been chasing him relentlessly. All Su Hao needed to do was pretend to flee, and Jin would undoubtedly pursue.

Clutching his chest, Su Hao staggered away, pretending to be gravely injured and barely able to keep moving.

Jin Datong immediately roared, "You think you can run, you bastard!"

He immediately gave chase, quickly catching up to Su Hao. His massive body bore down on him, and with tremendous force, he swung his right fist.

'The dwarf's barrier rune was already used once; there's no way he could use it again!' This time, Jin's punch, driven by fury, would smash Su Hao to pieces.

Su Hao turned his head, his eyes calm and cold.

At that moment, Su Hao and Jin Datong's gazes met.

Both men looked at each other with the same expression—as if they were looking at a dead man.