Gang Dao’s laughter stopped, and his expression twisted.

"Very good, you sharp-tongued little brat. You know I’m with the cult and you still dare to be so arrogant. I swear, I’ll give you some special treatment. Heh heh heh."

Yu Fei put on an impatient expression. "So much bullshit. Are we going to fight or not? Are all you cultists trash like this? No wonder you get slaughtered like dogs."

"Son of a..."

Gang Dao was livid. Usually, when he caught "cuties" who were new to the martial path, they would all panic. Some would run, some would beg for mercy, and some would foolishly try to fight back. But he’d never seen one so arrogant and despicable. He wanted to rip the kid’s mouth apart and knock his teeth out one by one.

"BOOM!"

Gang Dao stomped, and the Qi Blood throughout his body surged. The distinct aura of a Third Realm Martial Artist pressed down on his opponent.

Martial Artists walked a path of evolution. An increase in realm represented a higher degree of physical evolution. For a low-realm Martial Artist to defy their station and defeat a stronger opponent, overcoming the martial pressure was the first obstacle they had to face.

Gang Dao formed his right hand into a claw, Qi Blood flaring at his fingertips.

"Blood Eagle Claw!"

He was going to tear Yu Fei’s mouth apart.

"Little whelp, this must be your first time seeing a Third Realm Martial Artist. Now kneel!"

Using the immense Qi Blood of a Third Realm Martial Artist to pressure a First Realm one was a trick that had never failed Gang Dao. He couldn’t wait to see Yu Fei kneeling on the ground, begging for mercy.

Although Yu Fei was verbally dismissive, it was all a facade. This was his first life-and-death battle, and he was up against a Third Realm desperado. Inwardly, he was extremely vigilant.

[Spirit Intellect] made his Spiritual Power far exceed that of an ordinary person, and the quality of his soul had been raised by a full tier. The opponent’s Qi Blood pressure had no effect on him.

[Deep Sight] provided a predictive perception that completely exposed his opponent’s combat intentions. The faint, stinging sensation he felt on his face revealed the target of the attack.

His sevenfold increase in nerve reaction speed gave him a level of perception approaching the Micro-Realm, making the cultist’s movements crystal clear in his eyes.

The moment before Gang Dao’s Qi Blood erupted and he made his move, Yu Fei struck first.

Don’t move if the enemy doesn’t move. Move before the enemy if he does.

Yu Fei abandoned all defense. Capitalizing on the fact that Ruyi Shen Jin could be activated with a single thought, his heart instantly thundered. His Qi Blood circulated at high speed as his body blurred into an afterimage, brandishing a streak of azure light as he slashed toward his opponent.

He knew no Swordsmanship, yet he possessed Sword Intent at a basic level of mastery. In his spiritual space, his Sword Intent surged. A clear ring resonated with the blade in his hand, and the azure light flared, increasing Yu Fei’s speed by another thirty percent.

With the sudden burst of speed, Yu Fei’s vision slightly distorted. However, thanks to his superior nerve reaction speed and the perfectly integrated, instant-activation nature of Ruyi Shen Jin, he could still maintain firm control of the three-foot blade in his hand.

Gang Dao, on the other hand, had been careless from the start. In his mind, dealing with a little brat who had just stepped onto the martial path should have been a sure thing. But when his usually foolproof Qi Blood suppression had no effect, he instantly lost the initiative.

He had only taken a single step, the Blood Eagle Claw in his hand just about to form. He had only just reached the entry level with this martial skill; it required a moment’s preparation to use in actual combat. He definitely wouldn’t have used it in a fight against an equal, but against a mere First Realm rookie, he had been far too careless.

Gang Dao’s ferocious Qi Blood was like a newly awakened monster about to bare its fangs, but just then, a streak of azure light filled his vision. Before he could react, he felt a slight chill on his neck.

SHING! The sharp cry of the sword had just reached his ears when Gang Dao suddenly felt his line of sight rise three feet into the air.

’What is that? A familiar, yet unfamiliar, back?’

A wave of extreme terror washed over Gang Dao. He instinctively tried to move his arms but could no longer feel his body. His head fell to the ground and rolled a few times. The headless corpse, still driven by its Qi Blood, staggered a few steps before collapsing. As his vision blurred, he seemed to see the back of a young man, his sword held pointing diagonally toward the ground.

’Am I dead? It hurts so much!’ He tried to speak, but no sound came out.

Gang Dao seemed to hear a single word carried on the wind. "Trash..." Then, his consciousness faded into darkness.

The sun set, and Yu Fei’s shadow, like a long, sharp sword, pierced into the sprawling shadows of the trees.

The young man raised his sword, pointing it in Mr. Qian’s direction, his killing intent laid bare.

"Trash... come out and die!"

Han Qiubai clamped a hand over her mouth, afraid she would cry out.

’This... this... Is he using some kind of cheat?!’

’He doesn’t know any Swordsmanship, yet he has Sword Intent? Don’t tell me they’ve changed the high school martial arts curriculum?’

’This is absurd! How preposterous!’

Han Qiubai’s mind was in turmoil; she could barely control her own aura.

’This is Sword Intent we’re talking about...’ She didn’t know if the world had gone mad, or if she was living in a dream!

The realm of the Sword Dao she had yearned for in her dreams had so abruptly appeared before her—in a high school student with absolutely no foundation in Swordsmanship.

’Prodigy Combat Assessment? To hell with that assessment.’

’This is a freak who has comprehended Sword Intent without ever practicing Swordsmanship. He’s still a First Realm Martial Artist, and his bone refinement isn’t even complete. If he doesn’t qualify as a prodigy, then who does?’

’As for that scumbag on the ground who got decapitated by a single sword strike? Please. It’s an honor for a mere piece of Third Realm trash to die by Sword Intent. How many "great" pieces of trash in the Inner Qi Realm have never received such an honor?’

Han Qiubai didn’t think there was anything strange about Yu Fei instantly killing his opponent. Did people not know what Sword Intent was?

’Throughout history, among the most powerful Slaughter Blade Skills, Sword Intent has always held a firm place in the top three, often even taking the number one spot.’

’With such a powerful technique, killing a weakling from the Illuminati—who only has brute Qi Blood and feeble combat power—is only natural.’

She watched the young man point his sword toward the cultist in the shadows, full of vigor, his posture tall and straight. A snapshot of this one frame would make a perfect wallpaper.

’So cool. It’s just that his posture and power application are wrong. He needs some coaching!’

Han Qiubai secretly took out her phone, went into the settings to turn off the shutter sound, then adjusted her angle and position and snapped several pictures.

Standing by the car, the greedy expression on Mr. Qian’s face froze, twisting into a stunned grimace.

He watched Yu Fei point the sword in his direction, and his heart clenched.

’Is this a trap?’

It was a trap! This was definitely a meticulously planned trap.

Mr. Qian turned and ran, swatting aside two cannon fodder grunts blocking his way. ’Bullshit high school student!’ The guy was definitely baiting a hook.

’How could a mere high school student, one who hasn’t even completed the path of the First Realm, kill Gang Dao with a single sword strike at such close range?’

’That Yu Fei must be an undercover agent from the Security Bureau, maybe even one of those lapdogs from the major universities.’

’As for why not the local Martial Arts Administration Bureau? As if those idiots are worthy!’

Mr. Qian pushed his Qi Blood to its absolute limit, summoning the same desperation he’d felt while on the run all last year, and sprinted for his life.

’Get to the county town! Get to a crowded place! If I can blend into a crowd, I’ll survive.’

He cultivated an evil art that allowed him to change his appearance in a short time. As long as he reached a crowded area, he could escape. He had relied on this trick to escape countless crises on the run; it would surely work this time, too.

"ROAR!"

’What was that?’

Mr. Qian seemed to see a blood-colored beast, radiating a primordial pressure and a resolute coldness, slam into him and shatter his body.

The crimson torrent was moving at extreme speed. It didn’t pause for even a moment after shattering Mr. Qian, continuing on its way like a bolt of red lightning.

What remained of Mr. Qian’s body was left hanging on a tree by the roadside. He understood that he had simply blocked some monster’s path, crushed like an ant underfoot without a second thought.

"Re...gret... Di... Liang... Sor...ry..."