Catharsis

Across a deserted stretch of water, two figures stood facing each other upon the surface. Outwardly, Bai was a refined corpse, his features stiff and unyielding. In this body, he was already a pinnacle Flying Yaksha, a mere half-step from becoming a Corpse King. He watched Qin Sang, his gaze gradually turning solemn. Then, rolling his shoulders and giving his arms a shake as if warming up before battle, the corpse qi across his frame stirred and roiled. *Whoosh!* A sinister wind wailed, shattering the calm of the water. Though it was high noon and the sun shone bright, as Bai unleashed the oppressive aura of a Flying Yaksha, the ambient temperature plummeted. A biting chill spread through the air, until even the sunlight seemed to dim. *Whoosh!* All at once, the corpse qi pulled inward, sinking back into Bai's body. His flesh was emaciated like that of any refined corpse, his skin tinted a dusky greenish-black. Glimmers of corpse qi flickered across the surface, giving off a metallic luster of unyielding hardness. Though his body appeared stiff and lifeless, his movement techniques were formidable and extraordinarily agile. Ordinary cultivators found even standard Flying Yakshas exceedingly difficult to handle, and Bai was far from ordinary. On the other side, the Phoenix Wings sprouted from Qin Sang's back. His hands were likewise empty, his fists tightly clenched. Having cultivated *Heavenly Demon Metamorphosis* to the peak of the third layer, Qin Sang's physical body was in no way inferior to a Flying Yaksha's. Outwardly, however, his skin appeared no different from an ordinary mortal's—fair, smooth, and flushed with life. Yet beneath that unremarkable exterior lay astonishing explosive power. *Whoosh!* A fierce gust whipped up, and both Qin Sang and Bai vanished simultaneously. *Crash!* A colossal wave surged into the sky. Two figures materialized amid the churning water, heavy fists colliding head-on. Both men shuddered and were hurled back several tens of feet. Before their feet could even settle, they twisted their bodies and lunged at each other once more. *Rumble!* It was hard to fathom that pure hand-to-hand combat could stir up the elements, producing such a terrifying display of power. By now, the two were locked in a blur of motion. Their silhouettes were scarcely discernible, with only the dull, thunderous thuds of colliding fists echoing through the air. At their current cultivation, they commanded far more divine abilities than just this. Yet by unspoken agreement, both chose to clash with raw physical strength alone. Water spray flew in all directions, churning the entire expanse of water into chaos. Corpse qi intertwined with the cyan light of the Phoenix Wings as both fighters unleashed their full might, completely absorbed in their duel. At the start, having rarely honed martial techniques of raw physical brawn, Qin Sang lacked experience and found himself at a slight disadvantage. Even so, Bai could not overcome him easily. As time passed, Bai intentionally guided Qin Sang to draw out his true capabilities, allowing Qin Sang to fight with growing composure. His heavy strikes complemented the Phoenix Wings seamlessly—a silhouette like lightning, fists like thunder. Gradually, their contest leveled into an even exchange of offense and defense. Rarely did Qin Sang abandon all restraint to face a foe purely with his fleshly body, especially against someone as evenly matched as Bai. A deep sense of invigorating catharsis welled up within him. *Boom!* Following a ferocious collision, the two figures broke apart the instant they clashed. Corpse qi roiled violently as Bai plummeted, rebounding the moment his feet met the water's surface. Qin Sang flapped the Phoenix Wings forcefully, transforming into a streak of cyan light that soared high into the sky. After wheeling around, he swooped back down, his chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. "Impressive! That body-refining art of yours truly has depth." After the fierce clash, the scarlet glint in Bai's pupils had deepened a shade. To his surprise, Qin Sang turned a deaf ear to his praise. Eyes fixed intently on Bai as though facing a bitter enemy he had to eradicate, Qin Sang charged forward once more, fist shadows rapidly expanding in Bai's vision. Taking in this sight, Bai quietly appraised Qin Sang. A flicker of understanding stirred in his mind, and without another word, he drove his own fist forward to meet the charge. *Bang!* Forcing Qin Sang back with a heavy strike, Bai's figure flickered, retreating several tens of feet. He drew out the corpse soul bead and swallowed it whole. Instantly, corpse qi surged over him, and a beast-like snarl tore from his throat. In the next breath, an eerie transformation overtook Bai's appearance. His flesh twisted and tightened, withered muscle adhering starkly to the bone. Corpse qi converged upon his hands, causing the nails of his ghostly claws to sprout wildly—pitch-black as ink and brimming with deadly corpse poison. His skeleton popped with sharp snaps, his frame instantly shooting up several inches. At the same time, jagged fangs protruded from his jaws, lending him a monstrous visage. In that moment, Bai's appearance looked nearly as terrifying as the Corpse King from the Immortal Tomb. A flash of surprise crossed Qin Sang's eyes at the change, yet without the slightest hesitation or fear, he attacked again. *Swoosh!* A dark light flashed. Bai crossed his arms, and before Qin Sang could even decipher the motion, phantom claws materialized across the surrounding void, leaving him no room to evade. With a booming crash, the ghostly claws engulfed Qin Sang. He was hurled backward, and though he took no injury, his posture was visibly battered. Bai gave him no quarter. Shrouded in churning corpse qi, he closed in instantly, moving even faster than Qin Sang. His ghostly claws were lethally sharp, as durable as magic treasures, and laced with virulent poison, posing an immense threat. Qin Sang harbored no doubts that if those claws struck home, they would breach his defenses and leave him gravely wounded. In an instant, ghostly claws blotted out the sky. Bai seized the absolute advantage, his momentum swelling ever fiercer without a shred of mercy. As the clash reached this pitch, the overt tumult actually quieted compared to before. Forced on the defensive and hemmed in by swirling corpse qi, Qin Sang found his room to maneuver shrinking by the second, his predicament turning dire. Just then, a furious roar erupted from within the corpse qi! It was a cry that sounded as though it had been pent up for far too long. Accompanying it was the hum of a sword—clear, lingering, and shaking the nine heavens! The next instant, the billowing corpse qi was cleaved straight down the middle by a ray of sword radiance. The beam was dazzling, carrying an aura of boundless, piercing sharpness. Qin Sang stood tall and proud, bathed in the sword light. The ebony sword hung inverted, unswung, yet wherever its sword momentum reached, the surrounding sea of phantom claws was sliced clean away in a single breath. Such was the might of sword momentum. Beneath its blade, nothing could stand—cleansing the world and clearing the boundless sky! Seeing this, Bai was genuinely astonished. There was no longer any need to continue the spar. Bai reined in his corpse qi, his form reverting to its former appearance, and cupped his hands. "Congratulations, Fellow Daoist, on comprehending sword momentum!" Qin Sang recalled the spirit sword and slowly exhaled a long breath, saying earnestly, "Thank you!" Walking the path of cultivation was, in the end, a solitary journey. Friends and family could not keep pace with one's strides; perhaps after a single closed-door seclusion, they would already have turned to dust and bone. Senior Sister Qingjun's approach had been untrammeled and detached: *Aside from myself, all are mere passersby.* Qin Sang had understood that truth long ago, and he had witnessed it many times over. Even so, when two seniors who had been both mentors and friends passed away before his eyes one after the other, how could he remain untouched? Bai had naturally sensed this, but as a fellow seeker of the Great Dao, he knew Qin Sang needed no comforting words. Proposing a spar to give Qin Sang an outlet to vent his feelings had been enough. With the battle finished, the stifling gloom in Qin Sang's heart had dispersed. Even so, Bai had never imagined that Qin Sang would seize upon this very moment to comprehend sword momentum, taking another stride forward in the way of the sword! With his aura returning to calm, Qin Sang descended before Bai. Remembering Bai's earlier transformation, he asked curiously, "Fellow Daoist, have you deciphered the corpse soul bead?" Bai shook his head. "I can only borrow a fraction of the Corpse King's power through it for now. I am still far from truly deciphering it."