The mountain wind blew, yet seemed to freeze in place.
The atmosphere was chillingly oppressive.
A terrifying, savage killing intent surged from the Ironback Azure Wolf, locking onto Chen Zong with relentless precision. This suffocating pressure slightly disrupted the flow of Chen Zong's Qi Blood Power. Fortunately, he had cultivated the Fierce Tiger Art to the second level and reached the fifth layer of the Qi Blood Realm. This combined strength allowed him to withstand the onslaught; otherwise, at the fourth layer of the Qi Blood Realm or with only the first level of the Fierce Tiger Art, he would have been unable to unleash even a fraction of his true power.
Sword in hand, Chen Zong assumed the Hidden Sword Stance, his aura steadily coalescing. The tiger's roar that emanated from him seemed to sharpen, gaining a piercing edge capable of shattering metal and splitting stone.
A High-Grade Level One Demon Beast, equivalent in rank to the sixth layer of the Qi Blood Realm, rivaled elite martial artists at that level—a formidable opponent. Chen Zong dared not turn his back, instead gathering all his strength to maintain a flawless defense, leaving no opening for the wolf to exploit.
His racing heart gradually calmed, his cold, sharp eyes fixed intently on the Ironback Azure Wolf, as if scrutinizing every hair on its body.
His right hand, fingers slightly splayed, unconsciously twitched.
A human-like sneer seemed to flash in the Ironback Azure Wolf's eyes. After a tense standoff lasting several breaths, it began to slowly approach Chen Zong, each step deliberate and calculated. Its aura intensified with each stride, the pressure on Chen Zong growing steadily.
Chen Zong pushed the second layer of Fierce Tiger Art to its limit, resisting the wolf's increasingly overwhelming aura. A bead of cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
Sword, blade of sharpness.
Wield the sword, not as adornment, but for self-preservation and slaying foes.
Practicing the sword is not like eating or drinking, not something to be done casually. It is not a leisurely stroll or idle chatter, not something to be taken lightly.
With the sword in hand, one must be sincere and unwavering. Between its curves and straight lines, there should be no fear, only the resolve to cut through thorns and obstacles.
Draw the sword with decisiveness, strike without hesitation.
Unconsciously, the Sword Preface Chapter of the Little Sword Manual surfaced in his mind.
Sword, sharpness, keenness, curves, straightness, resilience, fearlessness...
He murmured softly, as if speaking to himself. His aura shifted, the tiger's roar gradually transforming into the hum of a sword. The Precious Iron Sword within its sheath seemed to tremble, yearning to be drawn and display its razor-sharp edge.
Sensing something amiss, the Ironback Azure Wolf paused, a flicker of suspicion in its eyes. It resumed its advance, but at a noticeably slower pace.
Closer and closer it came.
Suddenly, the wolf leaped forward, a streak of azure lightning tearing through the air as it lunged at Chen Zong. Chen Zong saw only a flash of blue before a wave of fetid wind slammed into him, the cold glint of claws piercing the air like daggers, too sharp to meet his gaze directly.
Draw your sword!
Like divine iron clashing against the heavens, the sword's arc resembled a crescent moon slicing through the void. Chen Zong's strike met the azure shadow with a metallic clang, the sword vibrating violently. He immediately felt an overwhelming force bend the blade, surging through his arm. He retreated swiftly to dissipate the impact.
The Ironback Azure Wolf had deflected the strike with its claws, sending it rebounding.
The wolf's momentum faltered momentarily as it landed, then leaped again for a second strike.
Its speed was terrifying, its power immense, leaving Chen Zong in grave danger.
Dividing Light Shadowing!
Chen Zong unleashed a sword strike, eight blades of light sweeping forward with astonishing sharpness. The Ironback Azure Wolf dared not meet them head-on. After shattering two blades with its claws, it flipped backward to land, then darted sideways to evade the remaining strikes. It charged again, its fangs bared, aiming a vicious bite at Chen Zong's legs.
Its fangs were sharp and chilling, its foul, bloody stench surging like a gale.
Activating Wind-Treading Steps, Chen Zong took a swift step to the right, his Qi Blood surging as his body moved like the wind. He narrowly avoided the Ironback Azure Wolf's snapping jaws. Immediately, he took a second step, appearing behind the wolf and raising his sword in a swift arc.
Eight sword lights followed in rapid succession, all aimed at the Ironback Azure Wolf.
Chen Zong was confident that if even one of these strikes landed, the wolf—despite being a High-Grade Level One Demon Beast—would surely die.
Chen Zong was fast, but the Ironback Azure Wolf was faster. The eight sword lights carved deep, three-meter-long gashes into the ground, yet failed to strike the wolf. A foul wind roared overhead as a green blur leaped from above, its claws tearing through the air in a downward strike.
Chaotic Sword Stance!
Wielding the Precious Iron Sword with the force of three thousand pounds in his arm, Chen Zong's movements became a chaotic dance, like a butterfly flitting through flowers. The swirling motions not only obscured his movements but also formed a defensive barrier.
Sword clashed repeatedly against razor-sharp claws, the vibrations shaking Chen Zong's arm so violently he nearly lost his grip.
Fortunately, his recent consumption of demon beast flesh and bone glue had significantly strengthened his bones and tendons.
Suddenly, a blindingly fast sword light pierced through the chaos, aimed directly at the Ironback Azure Wolf's left eye.
Swift Sword Stance!
The Ironback Azure Wolf slashed with its claw, deflecting the sword's trajectory. Its other claw lunged forward, aiming to tear into Chen Zong.
Wind-Treading Steps!
Despite his evasion, the Ironback Azure Wolf's overwhelming strength and speed proved too much. Chen Zong's left shoulder was grazed by the claw, tearing his sleeve and drawing blood.
Chen Zong's brow furrowed slightly. The wound on his left shoulder burned fiercely, but he had no time to stop and staunch the bleeding.
As the Ironback Azure Wolf landed, the scent of blood ignited a crimson glint in its eyes, intensifying its ferocity. With a low growl that shook the air, it charged at Chen Zong again, its killing intent filling the battlefield.
Wind-Treading Steps!
Two consecutive steps brought him closer, and he struck with his sword.
Afterimage, Willow Sweep, Eagle Strike!
Thrusting Sword Stance!
Sword light flashed repeatedly, each strike aimed to kill. The Ironback Azure Wolf twisted its body, narrowly avoiding Chen Zong's sword strikes, and snapped its jaws, missing his leg by a hair's breadth.
With my fifth-layer Qi Blood Realm cultivation base and my Qi Blood Power, I can only use Great Perfection Dividing Light Shadowing ten times at most, or Wind-Treading Steps twenty times. I've already used Dividing Light Shadowing twice and Wind-Treading Steps three times...
The sense of impending danger surged.
His footsteps quickened as he shifted his combat style, circling the Ironback Azure Wolf and unleashing a flurry of sword strikes. The wolf spun rapidly, its claws slashing relentlessly.
This tactic could only buy him a brief reprieve. After all, demon beasts typically possessed far greater stamina than martial artists, especially higher-level ones.
Suddenly, Chen Zong's movements froze. He thrust his sword forward with lightning speed.
Swift Sword Stance!
The Ironback Azure Wolf swayed, nearly brushing against the blade as it lunged at Chen Zong, its jaws snapping viciously. Chen Zong raised his left arm, offering it to the wolf's maw. He felt the heavy iron vambrace shatter instantly as the Precious Iron Sword arced upward and crashed down.
Dividing Light Shadowing!
Eight sword beams descended in succession, their razor-sharp edges tearing through the wolf's hide and flesh, sending blood spurting.
The searing pain caused the Ironback Azure Wolf to release its grip. Its claws lashed out, shattering the final two sword beams. Chen Zong retreated swiftly using Wind-Treading Steps, but a gash still tore across his chest, leaving him drenched in blood.
As he landed, thick, foul-smelling blood gushed from the wound, staining half his body crimson. Yet the Ironback Azure Wolf remained standing. The resilience of its hide, muscles, and bones far exceeded Chen Zong's expectations. That sword strike had failed to kill it outright.
Both man and beast were wounded.
Chen Zong endured the pain from his wound, raised his sword, and activated Wind-Treading Steps once more, his figure darting toward the Ironback Azure Wolf like a gust of wind.
Dividing Light Shadowing!
Eight razor-sharp sword beams hurtled toward the wolf, but it immediately retreated, turning and fleeing into the forest with wind-like speed.
"It's escaped..." Chen Zong withdrew his gaze and quickly retreated as well.
His injuries left him drenched in blood, attracting other demon beasts. In his weakened state, with his Qi Blood Power nearly depleted, even a Mid-Grade Level One Demon Beast would be enough to put him in serious trouble.
As he fled, he reached into his inner pocket for hemostatic powder but instead grasped a round, gray sphere etched with tiger stripes.
"A distress flare..." Chen Zong couldn't help but feel a bit speechless.
Distress flares were mandatory equipment for every martial artist working in the mines. Perhaps because he had been slaying demon beasts so easily lately, Chen Zong had completely forgotten about it.
Then again, when facing the Ironback Azure Wolf, any sudden movement could have triggered its berserk attack. Chen Zong's focus had been entirely on the wolf, leaving no room to think about the flare.
Fortunately, the battle ended in mutual exhaustion, driving back the Ironback Azure Wolf. Otherwise, the situation would have been dire.
Despite neglecting to send a distress signal and sustaining numerous injuries, Chen Zong felt surprisingly pleased. The battle had yielded significant gains, and he believed that proper reflection would greatly enhance his sword practice.
Moreover, the fierce clash had confirmed his current strength. He now surpassed most Fifth-Layer Qi Blood Realm cultivators and could likely hold his own against ordinary Sixth-Layer Qi Blood Realm opponents.
"Clan Brother, what happened to you?" Chen Zhong exclaimed in alarm upon seeing Chen Zong's injuries as he returned to the stronghold.
"I encountered a particularly strong demon beast," Chen Zong replied with a smile. "Don't worry, Clan Brother. They're just superficial wounds. I'll recover in a few days."
"If you, who can slay Mid-Grade Level One Demon Beasts, still got injured, did you encounter a High-Grade Level One Demon Beast?" Chen Zhong asked, his voice filled with shock.
By now, Chen Zhong knew that Chen Zong's cultivation base had reached the Fifth-Layer Qi Blood Realm. While surprised, he couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. Chen Zhong had entered the Clan Hall a year earlier than Chen Zong, yet his cultivation base remained at the same level.
Despite having the same cultivation base, Chen Zhong had always been confident that his strength surpassed Chen Zong's. Now, it seemed he had been mistaken once again.
"Hmm," Chen Zong acknowledged without denial.
Having hastily applied medicinal powder to stop the bleeding earlier, he now needed to properly cleanse the wound, apply other powders for disinfection and accelerated healing, and then bandage it.
The heavy iron vambrace on his left forearm had shattered completely, and the Ironback Azure Wolf's sharp fangs had left several deep puncture wounds. Fortunately, the injuries weren't too severe and hadn't damaged any tendons or bones, which would have made things far more complicated.
For the next few days, Chen Zhong took over the patrol duties while Chen Zong rested. To prevent the wound from reopening, he even refrained from practicing his sword techniques.
Though he wasn't training, Chen Zong remained far from idle. He used this time to meticulously review his life-and-death battles against demon beasts, especially his recent bloody clash with the Ironback Azure Wolf. This near-death experience had deepened his understanding of various aspects, particularly the Sword and sword techniques.
Perhaps, once my injuries have mostly healed, I'll finally be able to break through the True Sword Eight Forms to the Subtlety Realm, Chen Zong mused inwardly, feeling a strong conviction.