Victory

Under the gloomy canopy of the sky, blood qi churned the falling rain, enough to connect mountains and fill seas. Yet even stripped of Source Qi's enhancement and the amplification of cultivation arts, that figure in green robes still brandished the Fengyuan Sword, weaving through the talisman spells and surging against the torrent straight toward their source! Dumbfounded for a split second, Xu Yuan abruptly thrust both arms forward. *Rumble—!* The talismans detonated along the path of Xu Changge's advance, bursting into a field of glittering blood crystals. The exhaustion of Source Qi had cost both of them precise control over their strength. The shockwaves collapsed the towering courtyard walls and tore open the earth, subjecting the vast sword grounds to devastating destruction for the first time. Watching the green robes close in relentlessly and the rays of blood severed by sword glints, Xu Yuan's breathing gradually grew ragged. The talismans crafted from the black death fungal carpet were still imperfect; their power would shrink, and their concentration would degrade. Yet none of that explained how Xu Changge was getting closer and closer. Xu Changge had clearly depleted his Source Qi and couldn't even manifest his Dao charm, so why was he still able to close the distance?! Was this what sword cultivators were? This damned sword cultivator... No. It was Xu Changge who was a damned monster! Feeling the five talismans gradually losing their luster, Xu Yuan instinctively wanted to retreat, but he held his ground. Taking a deep breath, Xu Yuan stared at the formidable figure in green that hailed from the depths of his memories. A flicker of marvel shone in his eyes as he grinned. "Xu Changge! Let's see if you can actually make it in front of me today!" "..." Xu Changge's narrow phoenix eyes were calm as still water, locked onto the figure in fine robes at the far end of the barrage. The hand gripping his sword trembled from exhaustion, yet his body pressed forward regardless! Four zhang. The moment the tip of a zhang-long conical blood crystal clashed against his blade, its force was redirected, plunging it into the ground beside him. But the sea of blood brambles that erupted from the exploding crystal left the green robes with nowhere to dodge. The blade in Xu Changge's hand slashed away most of it, and nimble footwork dodged a fraction, but the remaining brambles still inflicted his first wounds. Traces of fresh blood stained the green robes, trickling down with the rainwater along the blood brambles to pool on the ground. Three zhang. Over a dozen bloody threads, an inch in diameter, were severed head-on. Yet the blood qi they turned into caused Xu Changge a wave of dizziness when inhaled into his lungs. Two zhang. A condensed Wuming spell orb arrived right before Xu Changge. The aura of death descended in an instant, yet he did not retreat. Raising his sword to meet it, before it could detonate, he traced the karmic threads in his vision; the Fengyuan Sword swept out in a subtle, profound arc, flicking it into the sky. Three zhang above the ground, the nameless black orb instantly detonated into a collapsing black hole, its gale-force winds scattering the surrounding veil of rain. One zhang. The Fengyuan in Xu Changge's hand slashed down toward Xu Yuan, who stood within arm's reach! *Clang—!* As a shrill clash of metal rang through the air, The Fengyuan Sword flew from his grasp. Spinning rapidly, it arced through the sky before plunging into the ground with a shuddering hum. A translucent blood-colored bronze mirror stood between him and Xu Yuan like an impassable chasm. It was over. Midair, the talismans fell; the black hole dissipated; the rain cascaded like a waterfall. Xu Changge looked down at his trembling palm in silence. *Step.* *Step.* Splashing through the water, Xu Yuan sauntered up to Xu Changge, clapped his elder brother on the shoulder, and praised with a light chuckle: "Xu Changge, you did well. You're the first person of the same realm to push me this far. You should feel honored—" *Buzz—!* Before the words had finished leaving his mouth, A piercing whistle cut through the air. Out of the corner of his eye, Xu Yuan saw a fist the size of a sandbag hurtling toward his face at unavoidable speed. "..." Xu Yuan. *Bang!* Expressionless, Xu Changge planted a fist right into his younger brother's face. Lurching, Xu Yuan stumbled back two steps before catching his balance. Looking up again, there was no anger in Xu Yuan's eyes—only amusement. The fact that the blow hadn't sent him flying was proof enough of just how weak his elder brother was right now. And in such a state, he dared provoke him? Wiping away the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, Xu Yuan straightened up and smiled. "Xu Changge, seems like—" *Bang!* "..." Xu Yuan. "You son of a..." Xu Yuan cursed under his breath. Raising an arm to block, he threw a punch straight back at Xu Changge. Then— *Bang!* "Wait—" *Bang!* "Hold on—" *Bang!* "..." "..." Something was wrong. As his face swelled up bruise by bruise, Xu Yuan slowly realized what was amiss. He couldn't dodge. It seemed the Karma Dao charm was this pretentious bastard's passive ability—it didn't need Source Qi at all... The battles of the strong often concluded in the most primitive brawl. Beneath that gloomy sky, The tattered green robes advanced at an unhurried pace, While the youth in fine robes before him was beaten backward step by step, punch after punch. Until— *Smack!!* The dull thuds of a beating gave way to the crisp snap of palm catching fist. As Xu Changge swung downward once more, Xu Yuan caught the fist firmly in his grip. Slowly raising his eyes to meet the pretentious bastard's gaze, Xu Yuan parted his bloodstained lips into a grin, enunciating every word: "Crude brute of a martial artist." Then, Xu Yuan yanked hard on the captured fist, throwing his forehead forward in a headbutt. *Thud!* A shockwave rippled out, momentarily blasting away the falling rain. Blood seeped from Xu Changge's forehead. His narrow eyes narrowed slightly; reeling back in pain from the impact, he reversed his grip to seize Xu Yuan's wrist. Pivoting to brace his back against him, he executed a swift shoulder throw. *Slam!!* Debris scattered, And a crater was smashed into the hard black-brick ground. Silence lingered for a moment. Lying inside the hollow, Xu Yuan looked up at the green robes standing before him. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and laughed through crimson-stained teeth: "Are you trying to scratch an itch for me?" He wasn't just being stubborn. Though his strength was nearly spent, his injuries were already slowly healing. Just like Xu Changge's Karma Dao charm, his Life Dao charm was a passive skill; even without Source Qi, it could steadily mend his wounds at a slow crawl. Just as the thought crossed his mind, Xu Yuan saw the sole of a shoe expanding rapidly in his vision. Rolling frantically to the side— *Boom!* Scrambling to his feet, Xu Yuan glanced at the sunken footprint stamped into the crater and taunted: "Out of strength?" "You talk too much." Xu Changge gave his younger brother an indifferent glance, whipped around, and unleashed a ferocious roundhouse kick. *Thump!* A dull thud sounded. The ground under Xu Yuan's feet shattered and caved in, but his bent arms solidly blocked the strike. "My turn, Xu Changge." Seeing this, Xu Changge rushed to retract his leg, but a sudden lapse in stamina delayed him by a breath, allowing Xu Yuan to catch him by the ankle. And then— *Crash—!* Gripping Xu Changge's ankle with both hands, Xu Yuan swung him with wide, brutal sweeps, slamming him into the ground like a sack of rice. Stone fragments sprayed out. Xu Changge bent his arms to dissipate most of the impact, but immediately afterward, weightlessness struck again. *Crash!* A second time. A third time. A fourth time. Until the thirteenth time. *Crash—!* Utter exhaustion finally stripped Xu Changge of his ability to redirect the momentum, and he was slammed squarely into the ground. Xu Yuan released his grip on the ankle, panting heavily. Wounds could heal, but stamina could not. Standing alone amid the ruined sword grounds, Xu Yuan looked down at his elder brother sprawled in the crater, vigilant against any sudden move. *Clatter...* A rustle came from the rubble. Xu Changge's body trembled as he struggled to rise, but several attempts ended in failure. Drained of Source Qi, he had already suffered serious injuries under the talisman barrage, and the repeated brutal slams just now had completely depleted his remaining strength. He couldn't seem to stand anymore. Realizing this, Xu Changge fell silent for a few breaths. Looking up at the younger brother standing before him, the corners of his lips curved into a faint smile. "Changtian... you win."