Pffft!

A wound more than half a meter long appeared across Ding Qiu's chest.

However, Ding Qiu was, after all, a supreme expert. As he regained his composure, the longsword in his hand thrust forward, piercing Bai Xiaofan's chest.

The sword tip emerged from Bai Xiaofan's back!

Bam!

The two clashed fiercely, their palms colliding with a thunderous crack. Bai Xiaofan's body was sent flying backward, landing heavily on the ground.

His face paled completely, devoid of any trace of blood, resembling a corpse that had been lifeless for days.

As for Ding Qiu, though injured, his condition was far better than Bai Xiaofan's.

The knife wound on his chest, though over half a meter long, wasn't very deep—his bones weren't even exposed.

Even so, Ding Qiu's complexion also turned pale, no longer as spirited as before!

The surrounding crowd, witnesses to this sudden twist, were completely stunned.

They weren't surprised that Ding Qiu had injured Bai Xiaofan with a sword strike.

What shocked them was the fact that Bai Xiaofan had managed to injure Ding Qiu with a blade. They simply couldn't understand.

How could this happen?

That Bai Xiaofan had lasted this long against Ding Qiu, even forcing Ding Qiu to draw his weapon, was already astonishing enough, wasn't it?

And now, to actually wound Ding Qiu—this... this couldn't possibly be real, could it?

You've got to be kidding—you're merely a half-step Nascent Soul cultivator!

Since when did a half-step Nascent Soul become capable of fighting a half-step Divinity Transformation with such intensity?

This is too far-fetched!

"Bai Xiaofan!"

Xiao Mei, who was busy searching for ways to break through the formation, saw Bai Xiaofan grievously injured—stabbed through the chest with a sword. Alarmed, she immediately rushed over to Bai Xiaofan's side, holding him tightly and shouting in distress.

"Cough... cough... I'm fine, just a minor wound!"

Bai Xiaofan coughed a few times, spitting out several mouthfuls of blood. He comforted the worried Xiao Mei while hastily taking out several Jade Talismans, crushing them, and pressing them against the wound on his chest.

"You're hurt so badly, yet you call it a minor wound. So, does that mean you'd only consider it a serious injury if you were dead?"

Xiao Mei, upon hearing Bai Xiaofan's words, glared at him reproachfully and used her hands to carefully help him up.

"You silly girl. I'm just afraid you'd worry too much,"

Bai Xiaofan murmured with affection, gently brushing Xiao Mei's nose with his finger.

His large hand, already smeared with blood, left specks of blood on the tip of Xiao Mei's nose as he did so.

"You two really are affectionate, aren't you? Don't fret; soon enough, you'll be together forever!"

Ding Qiu, watching Bai Xiaofan and Xiao Mei behaving as if they were on a leisurely outing rather than in battle, sneered with a sinister grin, mocking them.

"But I will admit, you injuring me truly surprised me. Murderer—remember this moment; it may just be the peak of your life!"

As his words fell, Ding Qiu swung his arm, his longsword thrusting toward Bai Xiaofan once more.

This strike aimed to end Bai Xiaofan's life instantly, giving him no chance to resist or struggle!

"I'll…"

"Step aside!"

Just as Xiao Mei moved to push Bai Xiaofan out of harm's way and use her body to block Ding Qiu's attack, she felt a powerful force shove her away entirely.

In the next moment, Bai Xiaofan stepped forward, meeting Ding Qiu's incoming strike head-on. Stretching out his hand, he sent a powerful technique toward Ding Qiu!

As Bai Xiaofan made the strike, a faint golden glow enveloped him entirely.

A massive "Battle" character floated in front of Bai Xiaofan's hand, perfectly merging with the technique he unleashed, slamming into Ding Qiu's chest.

Thwack!

A mouthful of fresh blood burst out from Ding Qiu's mouth as he was flung backward like a missile!

While still airborne, he spat out several more mouthfuls of blood—a clear testament to how devastating Bai Xiaofan's strike had been for him!

Meanwhile, Bai Xiaofan stood firmly in place, as though he had never moved.

But anyone could clearly see the deep, bone-exposing wound that had appeared on Bai Xiaofan's abdomen—a sword wound!

This was caused by Ding Qiu's fresh strike just moments earlier!

Despite the severity of the wound, Bai Xiaofan acted as if he didn't feel it at all, standing tall like a pine tree fearlessly enduring the harshest winter storm.

Thud!

Ding Qiu's body smashed heavily into the ground, cracking the stone tiles beneath him!

He struggled to rise, his body swaying as if the slightest breeze could topple him.

The disciples of the Venom Sect all stood dumbfounded, jaws agape so wide that a fist could fit inside.

Initially, they thought Bai Xiaofan injuring Ding Qiu with one strike was already shocking enough, and that today's events would end with Ding Qiu piercing Bai Xiaofan's chest with his sword.

But who would have expected that, in the blink of an eye, Bai Xiaofan would deliver a palm strike that sent Ding Qiu flying!

And judging from Ding Qiu's condition, his injuries seemed extraordinarily severe—almost fatal.

Though Bai Xiaofan had taken another sword wound to his abdomen as payment,

No one believed Bai Xiaofan was at a disadvantage compared to the now trembling Ding Qiu.

The Venom Sect disciples felt the overwhelming fighting spirit emanating from Bai Xiaofan's body—a force so intense it seemed as though it could pierce through the heavens. This immense aura left their legs weak and trembling, filling them with an urge to kneel and worship Bai Xiaofan!

In that moment, Bai Xiaofan didn't seem like the enemy of their Venom Sect but rather a war god, standing tall and evoking both awe and fear!

Within the Mountain Protection Array, Ding Qiu and Xiao Mei equally felt Bai Xiaofan's transformation, their shock matching, if not exceeding, that of the Venom Sect disciples around them.

Especially Ding Qiu, who bore the brunt of Bai Xiaofan's fighting spirit—he felt it more acutely than anyone else.

The two of them were undoubtedly mortal foes, yet somewhere deep in Ding Qiu's heart, a sudden illusion took root—a feeling that he shouldn't resist, that he ought to kneel down and beg for mercy!

This wasn't what Ding Qiu wanted.

Examining his body, riddled with countless damaged meridians from Bai Xiaofan's strike, Ding Qiu forcibly rallied his spirit, fixing his gaze on Bai Xiaofan.

This was the Mountain Protection Array, and he had the formation's support. Soon, his injuries would heal completely, while Bai Xiaofan...

He'd still be in his current state. When that time came, killing Bai Xiaofan would be a breeze!

Moreover, the powerful technique Bai Xiaofan had just used must have drained a tremendous amount of energy. His physical condition was bound to be poor now, rendering him incapable of pulling off another strike at the same level of ferocity!

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