Shi Chun, having observed this flaw, noticed that Smiling Tiger would momentarily lose his weapon for defense. Combining these observations into a strategic weakness, Shi Chun decisively seized the chance to ambush, executing his attack with precision, accuracy, and ruthlessness.

Occasional flickers of lightning illuminated the scene clearly, leaving the disciples of Yanbao Sect who were watching the battle from below astonished. They couldn't fathom how the masked figure could erupt sideways through the powerful whirlwind.

Even Xu and You, hiding in the dark, caught a faint glimpse of the event.

The strike undoubtedly caused Li Hongjiu's heart to pound with terror. He was indeed caught off guard, as Shi Chun's act defied conventional logic—moving through the air without any visible leverage in such fierce winds. Even those in the Human Immortal Realm couldn't manage such nimbleness. How had this man dashed forward like that?

At this moment, fragments of inconsistencies that Li Hongjiu had felt while watching the masked man's interactions with the Forget Love Valley group—behaviors suggesting aerial leverage—were finally validated. It was true!

What was most alarming was the specific angle the masked man chose for this attack—deceptively positioned slightly behind him. It was a move aided by the wind flow, forcing him to counterattack against the wind. There wasn't even time for him to reach for his Qiankun Bag to summon a weapon for defense.

The masked man had calculated every variable with ruthless accuracy, intending to take him out within his own domain.

This time, Li Hongjiu was left with no option but to dodge. It was evident the masked man had utilized his speed to its absolute limit.

It was an intricate interplay of leveraging wind direction and countering it, executed with dramatic flair. Suddenly, Li Hongjiu's sleeve inflated as the wind rushed through, but instead of drifting with the wind, it went against the flow, seemingly smashing into the blade's edge. The sheer unpredictability of that movement almost startled Shi Chun into hesitation—was Li Hongjiu deliberately courting death?

Then, Li Hongjiu's figure in the wind abruptly accelerated, ejecting out of the blade's trajectory in a manner too thrilling to be described in words—true peril at its peak.

BANG! A deafening explosion reverberated outside, scattering torn cloth into the air.

Shi Chun's blade still managed to graze Li Hongjiu's sleeve, triggering the blast.

Li Hongjiu, startled, glanced sideways at his now-exposed arm. Raising his bare arm, he reached out to grasp the sword that had returned to him through the wind and turned his gaze toward the masked man.

The masked man, now free of any sign of disarray, brandished his blade and chased through the wind with unrelenting ferocity, making it crystal clear: he had been feigning weakness all along!

The disciples of Yanbao Sect stared in shock—was their martial uncle actually at a disadvantage? His sleeve had been torn—had his arm suffered any harm?

They could hardly believe it; how could their martial uncle, with his vast skillset, be losing ground against this masked adversary?

Even Xu and You were stunned, sensing how extraordinary the effort behind this bout for supremacy truly was.

Watching Shi Chun charge forward with his blade, Li Hongjiu, deeply focused, gradually revealed a sly smile. Bare-chested, he raised his sword skyward, then swiftly ascended along the spiraling whirlwind. His speed was unparalleled, leaving Shi Chun struggling to keep up.

Suspended mid-air, Li Hongjiu swung his sword downward. The surrounding clouds instantly converged from all directions, pouring into the whirlwind below.

The disciples of Yanbao Sect and Xu and You could no longer see what was happening within the vortex.

The disciples of Yanbao Sect were ecstatic. With visibility obscured, how could the masked man possibly challenge their martial uncle?

Xu and You exchanged shocked glances, uncertain of what to do. Rushing in to help was out of the question; even without the cloud cover, they were no match for Li Hongjiu. Charging in now would be certain death.

The most surprised of all, however, was Li Hongjiu himself. Unable to strike Shi Chun down with a sword attack, he suddenly saw Shi Chun once again pursuing him with his blade. That was when he realized—his summoned fog did nothing to conceal his location from Shi Chun's Dharma Eye.

No matter how many sword strikes he unleashed, Shi Chun evaded them all—or when evasion wasn't possible, he would raise his blade to block at an angle.

As long as he didn't directly face Li Hongjiu's terrifying strikes head-on, the protective explosion force granted by the Demon Skill on Shi Chun's blade could deflect most of the attack's power. This turned their encounters into a competitive exchange of blows.

Yet, Shi Chun couldn't defeat Li Hongjiu outright either. Despite his tireless pursuit with the blade, he remained disadvantaged, enduring Li Hongjiu's counterattacks and unable to gain control of the fight.

But this wouldn't do—Li Hongjiu had the patience to outlast him, but Shi Chun did not. If fighters from other sects were drawn to the commotion, it would spell serious trouble.

In desperation, Shi Chun reached into his possession as he raced through the vortex, drawing out a copper mirror—the Three Corpses Mirror he had obtained from the Forget Love Valley.

Though unaware of its precise use, he had time to experiment on the spot. Taking advantage of the brief lull in Li Hongjiu's attack attempts, he hastily began to tinker.

Soon enough, with his increasingly frantic efforts, the mirror emitted a beam of dark light.

The disciples of Yanbao Sect and Xu and You all managed to glimpse the dark beam swirling out of the misty vortex. It seemed familiar—could it be…? Their expressions shifted to ones of intrigue and doubt.

Shi Chun couldn't tell if he was using the mirror correctly or effectively. For now, he confirmed it was a magical treasure lacking an Artifact Spirit and realized activating it consumed his Mana. Regardless, it glowed—so he decided to let fate run its course. He empowered his right eye's superpower to lock onto Li Hongjiu's position and directed the mirror's beam toward him.

Ideally, his haphazard use would kill Li Hongjiu outright.

As the beam enveloped Li Hongjiu, Shi Chun had no idea what he was feeling. Yet Li Hongjiu, suddenly shrouded in darkness, was completely disoriented. What was happening? Why did it feel as though he'd fallen into endless abyss?

He couldn't hear anything. He couldn't see anything.

Immediately sensing something amiss, though unaware of what might follow next, Li Hongjiu deduced the dark light was Shi Chun's doing.

The unknown is the most dangerous. He dared not hesitate and immediately ascended at full speed, refusing to give his opponent any opportunity to approach.

No matter how fast he climbed, however, the beam's range was unrelenting—it kept him trapped within its light.

Unable to free himself, Li Hongjiu pointed his sword to the sky. Instantly, serpentine streaks of lightning began to coil above.

As he soared upward, his blade met the electric currents, triggering countless bolts to convene around him.

With his sword pointing downward, the lightning cascaded like a shimmering, electrified net pulled from the heavens.

Placing his left hand on the blade, two fingers pressed in quick succession, while his bare-chested right hand gripped the sword as though drawing a bow. The writhing lightning converged, forming a monumental blade several meters wide.

The sheer power seemed capable of dispelling all illusions and eradicating anything vile. The radiant brilliance dispelled the darkness, revealing Shi Chun below—still fumbling with the mirror, his stunned expression betraying his soul-deep disbelief. The masked marauder now resembled nothing more than a ludicrous clown.

The light was overwhelming. The onlooking disciples of Yanbao Sect and Xu and You stood frozen in awe, utterly shocked by the magnificent sight, as if daylight had broken across the land. Even distant spectators turned to marvel.

"Forge my Thunder Sword, to shake heaven and earth!"

Li Hongjiu roared with icy fury as his declaration reverberated across the skies. Simultaneously, the massive blade of lightning erupted from the electric net like a true force of thunder, crashing straight down toward Shi Chun.

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