Wu Feng flipped the stolen steel blade and rested it on his shoulder. His gaze locked fiercely onto Qingyang Zi as he asked in a hoarse, killing-intent-laden voice:
"Old bastard, are you afraid of death?"
Qingyang Zi frowned slightly, then let out a cold laugh. "You want to kill me?"
His tone was full of disdain, as if he were looking at an ignorant child who didn't know the height of the heavens.
"Of course!" Wu Feng grinned, but his eyes grew even colder. "You captured me and planned to sell me to the East Spirit Continent to be refined into pills. Today, I'm settling this debt with you!"
"Just you?" Qingyang Zi sneered, his aura rising slightly. "A mere mortal dares to talk about killing me in front of this old man? You really don't know your own limits."
"How will we know without trying?" Wu Feng lowered his stance, his body slightly crouched like a tiger ready to pounce. "This rotten life of mine only follows one principle: One rotten life—if you don't like it, then fight!"
Qingyang Zi's expression darkened, his voice turning vicious. "I advise you to drop this ridiculous idea. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind breaking your arms and legs, cutting out your tongue, and then tying you up and taking you away. You might sell for fewer spirit stones, but at least it'll save me a lot of trouble."
"Hahahaha!" Wu Feng burst into loud, rough laughter. There was not a trace of mirth in his eyes. "Then I'm even more relieved! I'm not even afraid of death—why would I be afraid of becoming a cripple?"
Before his words even faded, Wu Feng shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. The steel blade in his hand drew a cold flash of light as he slashed viciously toward Qingyang Zi's face.
The blade carried a howling wind and the murderous aura accumulated from half a lifetime of slaughter—brutal and ruthless.
Qingyang Zi lightly shifted his footwork and instantly retreated two steps. While dodging the blade, his right palm shot out fiercely, sending a condensed burst of energy straight toward Wu Feng's chest.
This palm strike was far more powerful than the one he had used on the knight earlier.
Wu Feng had been prepared. The moment he saw it coming, he twisted his body into a roll. The energy blast grazed past his shoulder, kicking up three feet of dust behind him.
Before he could even steady himself, he twisted his wrist, changing the slash into a thrust. A cold glint flashed as the blade stabbed straight toward Qingyang Zi's heart—fast and deadly.
Qingyang Zi's expression changed slightly. Not daring to be careless, he retreated again while his left palm gathered a whirlwind and slapped viciously toward Wu Feng.
A crisp clang rang out. Wu Feng raised his blade to block. The moment the blade met the wind palm, a massive force traveled through the weapon into his body. He felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer. His entire body was sent flying backward, and he staggered several steps before barely regaining his footing.
At the same time, a violent, churning pain erupted in his chest, as though he had been rammed by a galloping horse. He let out a muffled groan, and a trickle of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth.
He raised his head to look at Qingyang Zi. Instead of fear, his eyes burned with even stronger fighting spirit.
This old bastard was strong, but not invincible. That last strike had clearly consumed quite a bit of his energy.
Qingyang Zi, having landed a successful blow, did not press the attack. Instead, he took out a small jade bottle from his robes, poured out a vermilion pill, and swallowed it.
The pill dissolved instantly upon entering his mouth. His previously somewhat pale face gradually regained its healthy color, and the fatigue from the fight mostly disappeared. His breathing became steady and long once again.
Wu Feng watched all of this and the corner of his mouth curled into a mocking smile.
Just as he had expected—this old thing was strong, but his stamina was lacking. As long as he could drag the fight into a war of attrition, he still had a chance.
He licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, gripped the steel blade tightly, and charged toward Qingyang Zi once more.
"Stubborn fool!" Qingyang Zi shouted coldly. Green light exploded around his body as an invisible wall of wind instantly formed.
Wu Feng swung his blade down fiercely. The edge struck the wind wall with dull thuds, but he could not break through the thin barrier. Instead, the rebound force numbed his arms.
Qingyang Zi stood behind the wind wall, his eyes icy. His right palm repeatedly shot out, sending wave after wave of energy blasts toward Wu Feng.
Relying on the agile movements honed from years of deadly combat, Wu Feng twisted and dodged through the barrage of energy attacks. He occasionally took a weaker hit head-on. Though his whole body ached with pain, he continued to relentlessly press Qingyang Zi, never giving him a chance to catch his breath.
"Bang!"
Another energy blast struck Wu Feng's shoulder. He staggered back two steps and spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground, dyeing the dust red.
Yet he was like an unkillable monster. He whipped his head around, his eyes fierce as a tiger's, and charged forward with his blade once again.
A trace of impatience gradually rose in Qingyang Zi's heart.
He had never expected that a mere mortal's body could be so tough and his tenacity so terrifying. After taking several of his energy strikes, Wu Feng had not only not fallen, but was actually growing fiercer the more he fought.
What made him even more wary was the murderous aura surrounding Wu Feng—that vicious, blood-soaked killing intent accumulated from mountains of corpses and seas of blood. It was actually affecting the flow of his own qi.
He raised his hand and slapped Wu Feng flying once more, then stood with his hands behind his back. Although his breathing remained steady, the earlier composure was gone.
"Still want to fight?" Qingyang Zi asked coldly. "My patience is running thin."
Wu Feng climbed up from the ground and roughly wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. "This is nothing yet! I haven't even forced you to use that fire-summoning trick of yours! Weren't you acting all high and mighty? Today, let me see just how much real skill those little tricks of yours actually have!"
With that, he let out a loud roar. All the murderous aura in his body erupted at once. The steel blade danced wildly in his hands as he launched a frenzied assault on Qingyang Zi.
The blade strikes fell on the wind wall like a violent storm. Every slash was delivered with full strength, shaking the surroundings so badly that dust flew and grass and trees snapped.
Qingyang Zi watched the frenzied Wu Feng and shook his head helplessly.
He had not wanted to use Spirit Fire so easily. For one, it consumed a great deal of spiritual energy. For another, if he missed, this excellent "merchandise" called Wu Feng would be completely ruined, resulting in a heavy loss.
But now, if he didn't show some real ability, he really wouldn't be able to subdue this fierce bandit.
"Mortal, since you insist on seeing it, this old man shall grant your wish!"
Qingyang Zi's eyes turned cold. He slowly raised his left palm. A thread of red light gradually gathered in his palm, then rapidly expanded into a fist-sized ball of spirit fire that danced and burned in his hand.
The temperature of the spirit fire was extremely high. Even before it drew close, the surrounding air had already become scorching hot.
"Good!" Wu Feng saw this and, instead of retreating, laughed loudly. "Today, if you have the ability, burn me to death! Otherwise, don't even think about dragging me to that damned East Spirit Continent!"
Killing intent flashed in Qingyang Zi's eyes. He had run out of patience.
"Since you're seeking death, this old man will fulfill your wish!"
With that, he flung his hand forward. The spirit fire in his palm shot toward Wu Feng like an arrow.
Wu Feng had predicted it. The instant the spirit fire was launched, he twisted his body sharply to the side. The flame grazed past his shoulder and slammed heavily into a large tree behind him.
With a deafening boom, the tree instantly ignited. Raging flames spread rapidly, the branches crackling and popping as thick smoke billowed upward.
A flash of astonishment crossed Qingyang Zi's face.
He had never imagined that a mere mortal's reaction speed could be so fast—he had actually dodged it.
"I knew I could dodge it," Wu Feng said with a cold smile, his voice filled with murderous intent. "You'd better have some other tricks. Otherwise, today—you're the one who's going to die!"