Like a rotten structure collapsing, the door panel exploded inwards, followed immediately by a dark shadow shooting out from the entrance, aiming straight for She Yan's spine. Hearing the disturbance behind him, She Yan frowned, retaliated with a backhand sweep, and the dark shadow hissed as it slammed into the nearby wall, shattering into pieces—it was a stool.
"It really is you!"
An enraged voice sounded as a figure appeared in the open doorway—it was Nie Kong, who had just arrived. Seeing Hua Mei's clothes perfectly neat, Nie Kong secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but when his gaze fell upon the handsome young man by the bed, his eyes betrayed undisguised killing intent.
She Yan was exceedingly displeased. He turned to glare at Nie Kong, "You found me this quickly. You must have had Nie Fengxing tell you where I was at the 'Shu Ying Ge' (Shade Pavilion)." He paused, then sneered, "I knew that Nie Fengxing wouldn't be that obedient. This is normal; it’s just mutual utilization."
Nie Fengxing? Wasn't he locked up in the Ice Flame Cave? Had he been released? Nie Kong scoffed inwardly. He had assumed Wu Tong was collaborating with this man, never expecting it to be Nie Fengxing!
"I recall your name is Nie Kong!"
She Yan squinted, his voice a low hiss, "Nie Kong, you dare interrupt this young master while he enjoys his breakfast. This makes this young master very unhappy. When this young master is unhappy, people bleed. Too bad your blood smells too foul; it’s not as fragrant as this little beauty’s. So, go—Die!"
By the end of his speech, She Yan's tone had become sharp and fierce.
As the word "Die" fell, She Yan’s body twisted subtly like a serpent, eerily appearing before Nie Kong. His right hand lashed out fiercely toward Nie Kong's throat.
"Hiss!"
A sound of air being torn apart erupted. Nie Kong realized that She Yan's five fingers had turned pitch-black, almost inky, and a faint, fishy odor wafted toward him.
What kind of Spirit Art was this?
Nie Kong's spirit focused, his feet executing the "Fei Hua Liu Ying" (Flying Flower Shifting Shadow) technique, and he met She Yan's right hand with an angled punch. At the instant before contact, four overlapping layers of spiritual power rapidly detonated.
"Yun Hua Si Die!" (Cloud Flower Four Stacks!)
"BOOM!"
The spiritual powers clashed violently. Amidst the intense explosion, Nie Kong was forced back repeatedly.
"To withstand my first strike, no wonder you dared to come here alone!" She Yan grinned sinisterly, his body twisting as he shot toward Nie Kong. His five fingers were like iron hooks, slashing toward Nie Kong’s neck with lightning speed. As his fingers passed, a cloud of black mist diffused from between them.
Smelling the even richer stench, Nie Kong felt a slight dizziness. The "Yun Hua Si Die" he launched again seemed to lack force.
"Aiya ya ya!"
A thick wave of green energy burst forth from the Yao Chi acupoint, instantly sweeping away the black miasma that had seeped into his nostrils. Nie Kong's mind instantly cleared.
"Boom!"
Fist and claw collided like lightning!
"Hai Na Bai Chuan!" (The Sea Accepts a Hundred Rivers!)
This was the first time using this third-tier skill, and it indeed neutralized a significant portion of the surging force. However, Nie Kong showed no sign of strain outwardly. He staggered back more than ten steps, only barely managing to stabilize himself, his face flushing as if his internal blood and energy were churning violently.
"Hiss hiss, you actually managed to block my two attacks. Not bad, not bad. But your luck ends here, hiss hiss..." She Yan's words were laced with eerie laughter. His slender body writhed bonelessly, instantly and bizarrely covering a distance of nearly ten meters.
"Hiss!"
The black claw carved a strange arc through the air, enveloping Nie Kong's head. A faint glint shimmered on the five inky-black fingers.
In three successive attacks, She Yan's speed increased each time. Especially this last one, which was astonishingly fast; almost the instant the glint appeared between his fingers, the claw was less than half a foot from Nie Kong's crown. The black mist beside his palm seemed to envelop Nie Kong's head entirely.
Truly lacking in challenge!
A trace of helpless amusement touched the corner of She Yan’s lips.
Just then, She Yan suddenly noticed two points of eerie purple light emanating from Nie Kong's pupils. His consciousness wavered slightly, and his descending right claw paused momentarily. Before She Yan could understand what was happening, he saw the smile on Nie Kong’s face in a daze.
"Whoosh!"
Nie Kong’s right fist suddenly shot out, carrying immense force, striking toward She Yan’s left chest.
The dazzling patch of emerald-green glow caught She Yan’s eye, instantly bringing him back to clarity. But he saw Nie Kong’s savage punch less than half an inch from his sternum, causing his expression to change drastically. In haste, She Yan's entire body vibrated rapidly. With a series of crisp cracking sounds, his body miraculously shrank several inches.
"Bang!"
She Yan avoided a vital blow to the heart, but he could not evade Nie Kong’s determined strike. In a flash of light and thunder, Nie Kong’s right fist slammed squarely into She Yan’s left shoulder.
Po Shan Yi Ji! (Mountain Breaking Strike!)
"Crack!"
A dull sound of bone shattering erupted. She Yan screamed, his body flying backward like a discarded leather sack, crashing into the ornate chair behind him.
The chair instantly shattered. She Yan, a mixture of shock and fury, pointed his inky-black right finger vaguely at Nie Kong: "You, you..." Before he could finish his sentence, She Yan spat out a large mouthful of blood, his head lolled to one side, and he passed out completely. His handsome face still held an expression of disbelief and astonishment, as if he hadn't expected to be defeated in such a manner.
"Heh..."
Nie Kong let out a long sigh of relief, his legs shifting as he wearily sat cross-legged on the ground.
His exchange with She Yan had involved three clashes, which seemed prolonged but actually occurred in the blink of an eye—less than ten seconds in total. Yet, in those few short seconds, the intensity of the battle was no less than when he fought the One-Horned Blood Lion in the Illusory Realm.
Nie Kong had sequentially deployed his newly grasped skills: "Yun Hua Si Die," "Hai Na Bai Chuan," "Zi Ling Huan Xin" (Purple Spirit Illusory Heart), and finally, "Po Shan Yi Ji." He had successfully defeated She Yan by taking advantage of the opponent's complacency and momentary lapse in focus, but Nie Kong's own consumption was enormous; not only was his spiritual energy depleted, but his entire body felt completely spent.
"Xiang Xiang, 'Chun Feng Hua Yu' (Spring Breeze Transforming Rain)!"
Nie Kong currently lacked the strength to even move a finger. He didn't know when She Yan would wake up, nor did he know if Nie Fengxing was lurking nearby. In such a moment, he could only rely on the little fellow's innate medicinal power to recover, little by little.
"Aiya ya ya!"
The little fellow held nothing back. Its stem, leaves, and roots twisted frantically, sending waves of dense green innate medicinal power rushing out of the Yao Chi acupoint, scattering throughout Nie Kong’s body. This "Chun Feng Hua Yu" was truly extraordinary; instantly, both Nie Kong's stamina and spiritual power began to rapidly recover...
...
In the adjacent courtyard.
"Er Lin, San Mu, listen to that scream just now. It was so wonderfully satisfying," Nie Fengxing chuckled heartily, stroking his chin.
"It’s all thanks to the Third Young Master’s brilliant plan!" Er Lin flattered obsequiously.
"The Third Young Master is amazing. That kid must be finished now," San Mu added with a simple smile.
"That’s right. Once that brat is finished, it’s time for the Third Brother to make his entrance," Nie Fengxing laughed loudly, standing up and striding toward the courtyard exit.
"Third Young Master, that She Yan seems very skilled with poison. When I had someone familiar with Hua Mei lead her to a secluded spot, She Yan only produced a bit of black mist and knocked Hua Mei unconscious, almost without making a sound. Should we wait a bit longer?" Er Lin hastily reminded him.
"No matter, no matter. Counting the time, Wu Tong should be bringing people here soon. Besides, Third Brother is just going to stabilize that idiot, haha..."
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