One-Slash Kill

In a certain ruined world. Quan Juehua slowly opened his eyes; his injuries had finally healed once again. This time, while mending his wounds, he had also split his attention to make numerous arrangements, such as planting his own eyes and ears within various factions—many of whom were themselves high-ranking figures within those organizations. After all, the higher their standing, the more they feared death. Even across boundless distances, his divine intent could easily commandeer their bodies, thereby forcing them into countless unequal contracts. For the most part, those people had all become his running dogs. With a single thought, he could grant them life, and with a single thought, he could bring about their death. "The three Chen brothers are finally coming out." Moments later, Quan Juehua learned of the latest intelligence through the contract placed upon Hattori Hanzo. If it could be said that he previously knew nothing of the three Chen brothers, he was now thoroughly familiar with them. The only reason his knowledge was not exhaustive was that the three Chen brothers had hardly ever fought while in the Slay-Quan Alliance, let alone gone all out. Thus, their true capabilities could only be known once they clashed. They would make a delicious feast—fitting opponents to mark his return to the world. ... ... Humans instinctively sought out familiar environments in which to linger, or even settle down. After leaving the Slay-Quan Alliance, the three Chen brothers had journeyed through numerous worlds before finally settling temporarily in one reminiscent of ancient times. After all, Quan Juehua had yet to show himself, leaving them with no target for their vengeance. Only when Quan Juehua emerged once more to stir up trouble would they be able to avenge their grudges. However, this world was rather peculiar: the martial artists of its pugilistic world were either earth-shatteringly ugly or earth-shatteringly handsome. Consequently, the martial sphere was split into two factions: the Ugly Alliance and the Beauty Alliance. The two factions frequently clashed over trivial matters, leaving the three Chen brothers utterly dumbfounded. They could only marvel at the sheer diversity of existence, astounded that such a bizarre realm existed across the myriad worlds. After residing there for a while, out of boredom, the three Chen brothers obtained the secret cultivation manuals of this world. After reading them, their expressions grew peculiar, and none of them dared to cultivate them. This was mainly because the arts of this world supposedly originated from two divine manuals. Later, someone obtained both manuals simultaneously and, after forty-nine days, comprehended a technique that combined the merits of both: the Divine Art of Mutable Good and Evil. This art automatically determined whether the practitioner would become handsome or ugly based on their character and moral disposition. As more and more martial artists practiced this art over time, new variations were continually derived, but they all fundamentally retained one defining trait: the practitioner would either turn ugly or turn handsome. Thus, the pugilistic world of this realm eventually came to be what it was today. "Eldest Brother, I think we should pass on this. Let's just stick to meditating. There's really no need to practice their methods," Chen Xiaozhao said, setting down the manual in his hand and giving Chen Dahai an embarrassed grin. Chen Huohai chimed in, "Third Brother has a point. Cultivating these techniques won't make us any stronger anyway. There's no point at all." "If that's the case, let's forget it." Chen Dahai was secretly uneasy as well; if practicing it made him turn ugly, that would be far too humiliating. So he went along with them. It was worth noting that the three of them no longer looked like old men. Back in the Slay-Quan Alliance, they had learned how to alter their appearances, easily reverting their naturally aged bodies back to their youthful states. Had their world not been destroyed by Quan Juehua, and they returned calling themselves the Three Octogenarian Elders, the believers at the foot of the Great Snow Mountain would probably have branded them as frauds. In the days that followed, the three brothers once again entered a state of single-minded cultivation. "Those who hunt tigers must balance life and death on a razor's edge. How could you relax for even a single breath?" Suddenly, while all three were immersed in cultivation, a pitch-black pointed blade pierced into Chen Xiaozhao's chest with utter, staggering suddenness. At that moment, Quan Juehua's voice transmitted through the spatial barrier. Chen Xiaozhao's eyes widened. He stared in disbelief at the blade thrust into his chest, then looked toward his equally stunned older brothers. Trembling, he tried to say something, but in the next instant, the blade generated a colossal suction, devouring him whole in a flash. "Third Brother!" Chen Dahai and Chen Huohai bellowed simultaneously. The entire process had taken less than a second. Just like that, Chen Xiaozhao was ambushed and instantly killed. Quan Juehua had not thrust this blade after entering the world. Instead, he had calculated Chen Xiaozhao's position from outside the world and struck unexpectedly across the world's boundary, instantly stabbing Chen Xiaozhao to death from beyond. As the blade was slowly withdrawn, a gaping hole was left in space. Beyond the hole was Quan Juehua's face. He smiled and said, "You caught this old man off guard with an ambush once, and now I have returned the favor. We're even!" With that, he vanished once more. Chen Dahai and Chen Huohai combined their mental intent to strike together, but hit only empty air. Then they gave chase beyond the world, only to see Quan Juehua standing tens of thousands of meters away, waving at them before vanishing again an instant later. "You dog!" Chen Dahai immediately pursued him, with Chen Huohai following close behind. By now, both brothers were enveloped in a layer of mental strength—frenzied and violent, ready to lash out the moment Quan Juehua dared draw near. Unfortunately, they had never anticipated that Quan Juehua would launch a sneak attack, let alone that he could track them down. Thus caught off guard, Chen Xiaozhao had perished in an instant ambush. From then on, Quan Juehua would intermittently appear in the distance, waving at them. In truth, Chen Dahai and Chen Huohai were well aware of the deception—it was almost certainly a trap. But Chen Xiaozhao was their brother. With old grievances compounded by fresh blood, they would plunge ahead without hesitation even if a mountain of blades and a sea of fire lay before them. Eventually, Quan Juehua halted in an expanse of void, wielding his Malevolent Blade, Dream's End, as he gazed from afar at the pursuing Chen Dahai and Chen Huohai. "Quan Juehua, you old dog, pay with your life!" From countless light-years away, Chen Dahai and Chen Huohai instantly forged their mental strength into sharp swords, slashing at Quan Juehua from the left and right. "That depends on whether you have what it takes to claim it!" Quan Juehua chuckled softly, and in the next moment, he raised his hand and unleashed Fierce Saber, Severing Strike. A terrifying arc of black saber light slashed horizontally toward Chen Dahai and Chen Huohai, colliding midair with their mental swords. Because there were two mental blades, the clash churned the three forces together, forming a black flower that lingered for a good while before slowly dispersing. Before the two brothers could attack again, Quan Juehua swung blade after blade as if executing basic attacks, sending countless dense waves of saber energy slicing toward them. In truth, executing Fierce Saber, Severing Strike didn't consume much of Quan Juehua's energy at all; he could easily spam it as regular attacks. When he was prepared, Chen Dahai and Chen Huohai were mere babes in his eyes. Their offensive intent was far too obvious—even more transparent than Zhang Shou's. A pair of glass cannons, posing even less of a threat than Zhang Shou armed with the Grand Blaze Sky-Burning Saber. Their only trick was catching someone off guard on the first encounter; stripped of that element of surprise, Quan Juehua had a hundred ways to play them to death.