The former Chu Yuntian, clad in a black suit and wearing gold-rimmed glasses, carrying such a black handbag, looked every bit the learned scholar.

Regrettably, what lay inside this satchel was not scholarly papers or research materials, but stacks of demonic cultivation secret manuals, alongside various healing elixirs, and the coveted secrets of the Huang family that Chu Yuntian had just seized.

Even sustaining injuries, Chu Yuntian’s sole objective—having downed a whole bottle of Ten Thousand Year Spirit Milk—was this very handbag.

As his hand reached out to grasp the black satchel, the bag abruptly flew backward on its own, tumbling to the floor.

Lightning had already caught up. Lightning had no idea what was inside the bag or what its purpose was; it only knew that whatever Chu Yuntian wanted, it must disrupt—he absolutely could not be allowed to succeed.

With no time to retrieve the fallen bag, Chu Yuntian spun back, unleashing a streak of blade light.

A hint of pain lingered on his face as the blade light sliced through the air.

The Ten Thousand Year Spirit Milk was a true treasure. A single drop was immensely beneficial to ordinary inner-force practitioners, requiring a long time to digest. For him to swallow a whole bottle directly, even as a mid-stage Fourth Level expert, was proving difficult to assimilate.

The immense power continuously battered his meridians; while it restored his strength, it also inflicted significant agony.

This was the drawback of consuming heavenly materials directly. If they were refined into spiritual medicine, neutralizing the inherent tyranny of the components, absorption would be far smoother, and this immense pain would be avoided.

“Bang! Bang!”

Sensing the return of Chu Yuntian’s power, Zhang Yang also grew considerably more cautious. He continuously unleashed inner force, engaging Chu Yuntian in a cautious skirmish.

Lightning and Shadowless did the same; they now possessed long-range capabilities and could maintain distance while attacking.

Zephyr continued to whinny agitatedly from the rear. The space upstairs was too confined for it to fully exert itself; it could only stand on the sidelines, cheering them on. After all, it lacked any long-range attack options… The walls are ruined! They are all inside!”

At the Huang family villa, everyone was presently listening intently to the live broadcast. The sword energies exchanged between Zhang Yang and Chu Yuntian were relentlessly punching large holes through the unfortunate villa’s walls.

If even the thick walls of a reinforced concrete chamber could be breached by Chu Yuntian’s strikes, let alone these ordinary partitions.

The observers, peering through the newly opened gaps, seemed to catch glimpses of movement inside.

Before long, the entire villa began to look perilously unstable. While the Huang family members felt deep anxiety, they were also astonished by the sheer combat power displayed.

In a battle of this magnitude, no one would have the time or inclination to deliberately damage the structure; such destruction could only be caused by the mere shockwaves of their fighting. If the residual force was this potent, their true individual strengths were almost unimaginable.

“Boom!”

One wall, having endured too much battering, finally collapsed. The sound alerted nearby neighbors, prompting several calls to the police and the fire department.

A few bolder individuals dared to approach, wanting to see firsthand what catastrophe was unfolding.

With one wall down, the remaining structures also seemed unstable. Seizing the opportunity, Chu Yuntian finally snatched his handbag and plunged directly through the remaining breach in the wall, leaping out.

The moment he was outside, Chu Yuntian bolted towards the city.

“Chase!”

Zhang Yang shouted, his own body shooting out rapidly, leaving an afterimage, pursuing Chu Yuntian closely.

No matter what, he could not allow this devil to escape today.

Lightning and Shadowless leaped onto Zephyr’s back. If it came to pursuit, Zephyr was unmatched; the spirit beast famed as the fastest on land was not called that for nothing.

Those curious onlookers who had rushed over were startled by the sudden appearance of these few shadows.

Some immediately retreated back into their homes, too frightened to venture out again, while two who were less concerned rushed right up to the site of the Huang family villa.

Standing outside, gazing at the savagely damaged structure, their eyes widened. They looked around in confusion; there were no bulldozers or excavators present. How could such a fine house have been demolished so miserably?

The tragic state of the villa before them bore a striking resemblance to forced demolition.

The news that Chu Yuntian had fled again, with Zhang Yang in pursuit, quickly reached the remaining members of the Huang family.

Unlike before, their hearts settled somewhat. The pursuer this time was Zhang Yang, not Chu Yuntian; this suggested Zhang Yang still held the upper hand.

Many people started praying again, fervently wishing that Zhang Yang would capture this great fiend and slay him.

Those who had previously doubted Zhang Yang now saw him as their savior in their hearts.

Chu Yuntian led the way, Zhang Yang followed close behind, their two silhouettes flashing through the landscape.

A flicker of anxiety began to cross Chu Yuntian’s face. Aided by the potent effects of the Spirit Milk, he managed to suppress the toxins in his body further and regain a significant portion of his inner force.

However, the medicinal nature of the milk was too fierce; he needed a place immediately to properly digest it, lest it severely damage his meridians.

Furthermore, the suppressed poisons were only temporarily held back; given enough time, they would inevitably resurface, especially under continuous combat. Should the toxicity explode at a critical moment, his fate would be sealed.

Chu Yuntian was anxious, but Zhang Yang was not faring much better.

The direction Chu Yuntian fled was towards the city. What worried Zhang Yang most was the possibility of a crazed Chu Yuntian unleashing slaughter upon the ordinary citizens.

Battles between inner-force practitioners strictly prohibited harming non-combatants, and Zhang Yang utterly refused to see anyone suffer because of their conflict.

“Zephyr!”

Seeing the white blur flash past his flank, Zhang Yang immediately bellowed. Zephyr instantly understood, slightly slowing its pace, and Zhang Yang leaped onto its back.

A lance of sword energy shot out from the Cold Spring Sword, causing the fleeing Chu Yuntian to abruptly alter his escape vector.

He could not allow Chu Yuntian into the city; he had to force him out.

Several consecutive bursts of sword energy finally compelled Chu Yuntian to change direction, momentarily retreating toward the suburbs.

Having been forced off course, Chu Yuntian surprisingly did not head back toward the city. Instead, he spun around and rapidly fled toward the outskirts, in the direction of a barren mountain devoid of human habitation.

The one most delighted by Chu Yuntian’s change of course was Zephyr.

The city severely restricted its abilities. Only in uninhabited areas could it truly unleash its full potential. It was already growing weary of fighting confined to these streets and eagerly hoped Chu Yuntian would lead them somewhere open.

Fifteen minutes later, the city lay behind them. Under the calculated pursuit of Zhang Yang and Zephyr, Chu Yuntian was finally driven to the edge of that desolate mountain.

Upon arrival, Chu Yuntian abruptly stopped, planting his curved saber on the ground.

Beneath his disheveled hair, his eyes glinted with ruthless aggression and savagery. He stood there, staring fixedly at Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang, still mounted on Zephyr, paused at a distance, also fixing his gaze on Chu Yuntian.

“Young man, it seems today you are determined not to let me go—you must kill me?”

Standing there, Chu Yuntian slowly inquired, his voice hoarse. Hearing such a sound in the deep night instilled a sense of terror.

Zhang Yang offered no reply, merely nodding quietly.

Naturally, Chu Yuntian could not allow himself to be captured. If he were allowed to live, numerous dangers would follow; for his own sake, and for others, this fiend could not be permitted to remain in this world.

“Good, very good!”

Chu Yuntian actually began to laugh. He dropped both his handbag and the Flame Saber to the ground, a look of madness flashing in his eyes.

“In all these years, you are the first to drive me to this extreme. Young man, whoever you are, this shall be your honor. I never imagined that I, a man of the mid-stage Fourth Level, would be pushed to the brink of life and death by someone like you!”

As Chu Yuntian spoke, he raised both hands. They had turned entirely blood-red. As he talked, his entire face seemed to flush red, even his irises were now a deep crimson.

Zhang Yang remained silent, but his expression sharpened.

He understood well that many cultivators possessed desperate, last-resort techniques they wouldn't use unless absolutely necessary. This appearance of Chu Yuntian suggested he was preparing to deploy such a secret move.

He did not know what Chu Yuntian’s ultimate technique was, but regardless, he dared not show the slightest complacency; Chu Yuntian was, after all, a mid-stage Fourth Level expert.

“Chirp chirp chirp!”

Shadowless suddenly cried out, spitting a burst of inner force. Chu Yuntian merely swayed slightly, easily dodging the attack.

As he shifted, the hair on his head began to turn red, as did all the exposed skin on his body.

“You are honored to witness the highest doctrine of the Blood Liquefaction Art—the Blood Liquefaction Art. It liquefies not only the blood of others but can also convert the energy of one’s own blood. Today, I shall trade one level of my cultivation for half of my own blood. Young man, you have brought this doom upon yourself; blame no one else!”

Chu Yuntian spoke slowly, yet his eyes burned with towering hatred.

The Blood Liquefaction Art could certainly dissolve the blood of others, but applying it to oneself was a self-damaging process, albeit one that offered a temporary surge in combat prowess at a steep cost.

After liquefying this portion of his blood, Chu Yuntian’s cultivation was certain to fall back to the early stage of the Fourth Level.

More than that, this injury might permanently stunt his advancement, meaning his peak strength from this point onward would be locked at early Fourth Level—never again reaching the mid-stage, let alone striving for the later stages or Great Perfection.

He had hesitated for a long time before making this decision.

His opponent possessed the heavenly horse spirit beast; escape was impossible. The steed’s speed was simply too great, and the coordination between the one man and three beasts was too seamless. He knew he stood no chance of victory relying on his current state.

He couldn’t escape, and he was poisoned. Continuing to flee only guaranteed a death by toxicity.

In that case, he might as well gamble everything. Even if his cultivation dropped, it was better than losing his life. With his life intact, he could seek vengeance—vengeance against the Huang family, against this young man’s kin, and against the Long family from before.

Even as an early Fourth Level practitioner, he would still possess formidable strength, becoming the nightmare of these people. He had already planned it all: he would not only kill Zhang Yang but slowly torture to death everyone connected to Zhang Yang, and the Huang family members would also be made to suffer agonizing torment to wash away the bitterness in his heart from this day.

Second chapter update. The next chapter will be posted around 9:30 PM. We are currently short about twenty more votes to break one hundred for the day. Friends, could you please give Xiao Yu twenty more votes of support, okay? RQ