A group of twenty or so people finally rounded the corner and spotted the small figure of the youth. Yet, everyone was struck with astonishment.

On the field, a monstrous Evil Pincer Worm was wildly pursuing a blue silhouette that flitted about like an elemental spirit. However, compared to that small, delicate blue figure, the Evil Pincer Worm seemed utterly clumsy, always missing by the narrowest of margins.

“Good heavens! Such speed!” Only Big Stupid Ox among the spectators could vaguely keep track of the youth’s pace. “Even with the Evil Pincer Worm’s speed, it can’t even brush the edge of his clothes.” The Evil Pincer Worm, despite its bulk, was definitely not slow; Big Stupid Ox knew this firsthand. Had it not been for the support of his two comrades, he would have dared to challenge the creature alone, but it would have been an incredibly arduous battle. Yet here before him was this reckless youth taking on the Evil Pincer Worm single-handedly, astonishing both Big Stupid Ox and his companions.

On the field!

Whoosh! As the blue figure sidestepped, his long saber flashed out with an electric cleave.

Clang! A dazzling burst of sparks erupted instantly. In the violent impact, the tremendous recoil from the Evil Pincer Worm almost knocked the long saber clean out of the youth’s hands.

Roar! Amidst a fierce cry, the small blue-clad figure took several backward steps. Following the momentum of the blade, he spun around, his waist twisting as he swung the long saber through a full half-circle. Simultaneously, a surge of profound Dou Qi rapidly infused the weapon. Instantly, a colossal ten-meter-long Dou Qi Sword materialized in the blue-clad youth’s hands.

“Ah! It’s a Dou Qi Sword!” Big Stupid Ox gasped in horror. “What a powerful surge of Dou Qi.”

On the field.

Whoosh! The moment the Dou Qi Sword formed, the blue-clad youth harnessed the rotational power generated by his spinning waist and hips, gripping the blade with both hands, and swung the astonishingly powerful Great Dou Qi Sword toward the Evil Pincer Worm once more.

Roar! Clang! Almost at the instant the blue-clad youth’s Great Dou Qi Sword connected, the massive body of the Evil Pincer Worm coiled itself into a perfect sphere with breathtaking speed.

Boom! The Great Dou Qi Sword struck squarely against the Evil Pincer Worm’s thick, tough carapace without any flair.

Rumble! Amidst the booming impact, the blue-clad youth was knocked back several steps by the violent recoil. However, the Evil Pincer Worm struck by the Dou Qi Sword was also jolted back slightly! More importantly, a shocking, deep gash was left on its once thick, silver-bright carapace.

Roar! Having been shoved back several paces, the blue-clad youth immediately stabilized his stance and launched himself forward with dazzling footwork toward the Evil Pincer Worm. The Dou Qi Sword in his hand cleaved out again, this time aimed precisely at the deep-gashed spot on the creature’s back.

Hiss!

Sensing the youth’s intent, or perhaps fearing the terrifying power of the Dou Qi Sword in his hands, the cumbersome body of the Evil Pincer Worm executed a sudden lateral shift with astonishing speed, attempting to evade the youth’s attack. But relatively speaking, the youth was simply too fast. The Evil Pincer Worm had barely moved a fraction of a step before it was struck squarely again by the Great Dou Qi Sword.

Clang! Slash! A massive rent was torn open in the Evil Pincer Worm’s thick back armor, and black ichor sprayed out like a fountain. The creature’s enormous body merely staggered a few steps before collapsing limply onto the ground, unable to move even slightly.

Whoosh! The youth landed lightly in the distance with a nimble backflip.

“Ah! That terrifying Dou Qi Sword!” Big Stupid Ox muttered. “Such incredible speed.”

“Heavens, it wasn't even ten seconds,” the older female Daoist remarked with equal shock. “This youth is too terrifying.”

“And the angles of his strikes were precise!” The blonde female Mage’s expression grew grave. “The first slash was horizontal, and the subsequent two attacks with the Dou Qi Sword all struck the exact same spot on the Evil Pincer Worm’s back. The power of the three strikes accumulated, finally piercing the hard shell. Especially the final blow—the Dou Qi didn’t just penetrate the armor; it burrowed inside the creature, effectively shattering its internal organs through sheer vibrational force.”

“Not only that, but the saber in his hand is bizarre!” Big Stupid Ox, being a warrior, immediately noticed that the long saber was vastly different from the weapons favored by the warrior class on Fama Continent. It was neither quite a saber nor quite a sword, yet it possessed the characteristics of both. Furthermore, due to the weapon's peculiar curved shape, combined with the youth’s masterful two-handed grip and footwork, it maximized the force of every cleave. It seemed every downswing utilized his entire body’s strength without any pause or awkward transition, possessing a fluid, almost innate quality. Unquestionably, this style of swordsmanship was not one of the continental schools, but it was perfectly suited to that long blade.

“The handling of the blade and his movement technique are flawless!” The tall man named Guan, also a warrior, keenly observed the youth’s unusual mastery. “It’s completely unlike the basic swordsmanship generally used on the continent; he has pushed the limits of the most powerful cutting moves.”

“Indeed!” Big Stupid Ox murmured. “With that kind of technique, he can multiply ordinary strength to over three times its power. That means even just ten percent of his Dou Qi energy, channeled through that handling method, could unleash at least thirty percent of its potential attack power.” Big Stupid Ox still looked dazed. “A terrifying swordsmanship, as if it were forged purely for slaughter. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe such a technique existed in this world.”

“Is this kid a monster?” The tall warrior Guan mumbled to himself.

“It won’t be long before this kid becomes the youngest Crimson Moon Warrior, second only to Long Yuan Feixue,” the young female Daoist sighed admiringly.

“I wonder which one of them is younger,” the tall Mage mused.

“It seems our worries were unnecessary!” The older female Daoist said calmly. “It is time for us to cultivate too! If we don’t wish to embarrass ourselves in the future, we must focus on diligent practice.”

.........................

Have they finally left?

They were certainly a concerned group. Only after I sensed they had gone did I allow myself a moment of rest. To be honest, the Evil Pincer Worm wasn't as powerful as I imagined. While its defense was astonishingly high, for me, possessing this Hundred Battles Saber forged by Lu Tong greatly amplified my attack power. Breaking through the Evil Pincer Worm's defense took only three strikes. This was quite unexpected. Was the Evil Pincer Worm too weak, or had I become too strong? I felt momentarily confused; things shouldn't have gone this smoothly.

After all, I had previously witnessed three masters, all at the peak of the Advanced stage, struggle considerably even when fighting together to subdue a single Evil Pincer Worm.

Thinking back, my performance seemed almost too formidable. This realization brought to mind the first encounter with the Long Xin trio in the Skeleton Cave. At that time, I was likely only at the level of a Novice Ranger, yet the attack power I displayed was ten times that of the three of them combined. The explanation for all this seemed to stem from my incomparably sharp Hundred Battles Saber Technique.

It appears that by using the Hundred Battles Saber Technique with this saber in hand, my offensive power surpasses that of warriors of equivalent profession by more than tenfold. In the past, I thought Long Xin and the others were simply too weak, causing such a huge disparity in strength. However, after today’s comparison, I realized the truth wasn't that they were weak, but that my Hundred Battles Saber Technique was truly that potent. Especially now, wielding this Hundred Battles Saber personally crafted by Lu Tong, my power has been greatly enhanced.

Damn it, it truly lives up to being a creation of the great Huang Yi; it’s a thrill to use. With this realization, the confusion in my mind vanished.

After a brief rest, I began seeking targets for further challenges. Evil Pincer Worms are not like the lesser Pincer Worms; I never intended to fight two at once. Therefore, I utilized the only technique I possessed that could vaguely be considered ranged: Assassination Sword Qi. I struck a lone Evil Pincer Worm, then lured it to an open area before finishing it off. Although it was slightly more troublesome, it was quite entertaining. It gave me the feeling of soloing a Boss in a game, only this Boss was too weak; it utterly lacked that thrilling tension of life-or-death combat.

Days passed one by one, and I lost count of how many Evil Pincer Worms fell by my hand. I never bothered counting, focusing instead on improving my saber technique and Dou Qi cultivation. However, I certainly didn't dare engage an Evil Pincer Worm barehanded anymore, so my goal was confined to finding the most efficient way to kill them using the Hundred Battles Saber.

How could I kill an Evil Pincer Worm in the shortest possible time?

I began organizing my thoughts. To eliminate an Evil Pincer Worm the fastest way, the best method would undoubtedly be to split it in half with one tremendous strike. But with my current strength, that was impossible; otherwise, I wouldn't be agonizing over this problem.

That left only one option: delivering continuous, high-intensity attacks upon the exact same spot on the Evil Pincer Worm within the shortest timeframe.

The same time, the same spot, continuous, high-intensity attacks. Thinking of this, I couldn't help but recall the fencing principle of "One Sword, Three Lines!"

Right! How could I forget? I still had Fencing as my trump card. I had previously designated Fencing as the strongest single-combat sword technique, yet I had completely forgotten about it! I must be quite dense. Relying on the Hundred Battles Saber Technique for so long had made me almost forget my original intentions. Fencing had long been established as my strongest single-combat method; what else should I use now?

With that thought, I quickly stored the Hundred Battles Saber back into my spatial pouch and unstrapped the rapier hanging from my right shoulder.

Whoosh! With the rapier in hand, my confidence soared. Moreover, this rapier was forged by the legendary master Lu Tong; both its rigidity and flexibility reached the limits of what I required. Yes, rigidity and flexibility—two characteristics that seemed contradictory were perfectly combined in this fencing sword. Normally, this sword possessed great elasticity and flexibility, like a light steel blade, but once infused with Dou Qi energy, it became incredibly hard. By controlling the intensity of the Dou Qi, I could manipulate the sword as I wished: pliant as silk, hard as metal. Having these two extreme properties allowed me to flexibly deploy many of my fencing maneuvers. This was truly a perfect fencing companion.

Of course, I knew that given the size and defense of the Evil Pincer Worm, simply piercing its outer hide wouldn't kill it. But I had conceived a solution.

The solution was actually quite simple: upon piercing the Evil Pincer Worm’s hard armor, I would infuse my Dou Qi into its body, using the immense energy fluctuation to directly shatter its internal organs. Wouldn't that work?

With this realization, I eagerly sought out an Evil Pincer Worm to begin testing.

I held the rapier lightly in my right hand, flicked it a few times, and then channeled Dou Qi into the blade. Soon, the tip, which had been trembling slightly, ceased its vibration, and the entire sword became unbelievably rigid. After practicing a few movements to adjust to the weight and length of the fencing sword, I launched my attack against the Evil Pincer Worm.

Hiss! Sensing my rapid approach, the Evil Pincer Worm immediately adopted a fighting stance, lowering the hard, sharp, crescent-moon-like horns atop its head and charging wildly toward me.

Hmph! I exerted a slight force, my speed spiking. Electric Steps! Charge! Three consecutive thrusts.

In the instant of the swing, a subtle flash of electric light erupted, then vanished into nothingness.

Slice! With only a slight resistance, I felt the rapier penetrate the creature’s tough outer armor.

Almost simultaneously with the penetration, my Dou Qi flowed rapidly along the slender blade and drilled into the Evil Pincer Worm's massive body.

Whoosh! As I completed the final thrust, I used Electric Step to retreat swiftly.

Slice! Hiss! The Evil Pincer Worm let out a cry of despair before collapsing onto the ground. There was no external sign of the damage it had sustained, but from the thumb-sized puncture hole, a jet of blood shot out like a high-pressure water cannon. I knew its internal structure had been violently pulverized by the potent Dou Qi.

A single approach and retreat, combined with three thrusts, had easily dispatched an Evil Pincer Worm.

It truly is the strongest single-combat fencing technique; the results are astonishingly good! I was overjoyed. In fact, I had only slightly modified the movement of the "One Sword, Three Lines" technique, concentrating all three strikes—which originally targeted different points—onto the exact same spot. Considering the incredible penetration power of my newly modified Fencing technique, three strikes landing almost simultaneously on the same point—the resulting force was imaginable. A rapid succession of three piercing thrusts in such a short time—no matter how tough the defensive armor, it couldn't withstand it.

The principle was the same as a modern super-composite armor-piercing round! Even tanks with excessively thick armor couldn't withstand a sustained piercing shot.

And all of this was accomplished in less than a single second. To an observer, it seemed the Evil Pincer Worm was killed by a single thrust.

The final conclusion was clear: the piercing attack of the Fencing technique’s "Three Thrusts, One Point" could not be resisted even by the perversely defensive Evil Pincer Worm. And the time it took me to kill one was just one second.

Having tasted success, I couldn't stop myself. I decided on a new goal: to use the Fencing technique to kill the maximum number of Evil Pincer Worms, thereby achieving the crowd-clearing efficiency of the Hundred Battles Saber.

Though I clearly understood that the unique attack pattern of the Fencing technique could not surpass the monster-killing efficiency of the Hundred Battles Saber Technique, I believed I could still achieve further improvement upon the current foundation! The key to all this lay in how fast my sword extended and how strong the force behind the strike was.

With this in mind, I hesitated no longer and immediately charged toward a group of clustered Evil Pincer Worms.

Noticing my approach, several Evil Pincer Worms immediately rushed toward me.

Hmm! Five in total, spaced about two to three meters apart. It seemed I could employ a tactic of isolating and defeating them individually based on the spatial gaps, although the time available was extremely brief. However, I had absolute confidence in my speed.

Whoosh! The first creature had only just lowered its head for a charge when I killed it instantly with three lightning-fast thrusts augmented by powerful Dou Qi penetration. The time taken was only half a second. Next was the second creature—also three thrusts, a penetrating attack, and it was down.

Then, after about two seconds, the third creature immediately entered the range of my strike. While slightly shifting my footwork to dodge the Pincer Worm’s charge, my lightning-fast triple strike hit its forehead, right between the two horns.

Slice! At the moment the high-pressure blood column erupted, I was already gliding toward the fourth Evil Pincer Worm, locking onto the strike point, again between the two closest horns.

Three consecutive thrusts, followed by a lean to the side—I didn't wait for the final result before moving to engage the fifth Evil Pincer Worm. Again, three rapid thrusts struck the creature’s forehead.

Slice! Clang! High-pressure blood pillars shot skyward! Only then did the fourth and fifth Evil Pincer Worms collapse almost simultaneously.

Calculating the time, it seemed to be less than seven seconds total.

Damn, this is truly abnormal! I marveled to myself. It seems that as long as the numbers aren't too large, I can attack several Evil Pincer Worms simultaneously. However, it wasn't as effortless as dealing with regular Pincer Worms using the Hundred Battles Saber. I had to constantly maintain high-speed movement while precisely managing the distance between each worm, only utilizing the spatial gaps to implement the tactic of defeating them one by one in rapid succession.

Although it was slightly complicated, it was thrillingly dangerous—a great way to train my reflexes, I realized.

Thus, I began challenging groups with even larger numbers of Evil Pincer Worms.