The entirety of Chu Yuntian’s body, when he moved, was nothing but crimson, devoid of any other hue.

Blood Dissolution Technique could drain every drop of blood from another person’s body, extracting the energy within for one's own use. The victim would have to endure the agony of their blood drying up, moment by agonizing moment.

Every single one of them had died only after their entire body's blood had been utterly dissolved; the indescribable pain they suffered was something no outsider could ever comprehend.

However, this was not an absolute condition, as Chu Yuntian himself was currently enduring the suffering of the Blood Dissolution Technique.

When employing the Blood Dissolution Technique upon oneself, the accompanying torment was equally severe. It felt as if all the blood in his system was boiling and burning, a scorching heat searing through his entire frame. He had an overwhelming urge to slash open his own veins just to let this seething blood pour out.

This very agony only intensified his resentment toward Zhang Yang.

Once he captured Zhang Yang, he vowed to make this young man who pushed him to such extremes taste the very essence of the Blood Dissolution Technique. He would slowly, bit by excruciating bit, dissolve every drop of blood within Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang’s expression suddenly turned grave.

Chasing Wind and Lightning felt it too; they sensed Chu Yuntian's aura surging once more, his strength not merely recovering, but climbing higher still.

"Chasing Wind!"

Zhang Yang called out softly. He couldn't afford to give Chu Yuntian any more time to recover; if Chu Yuntian’s power escalated further, they would inevitably be the ones to suffer.

This situation was different from the last time they dealt with the Elder of the Huyan family. Against that Elder, Zhang Yang could afford to maneuver around and wait for the consumption of his secret art, but not against Chu Yuntian. If Zhang Yang retreated, Chu Yuntian could flee at any moment or turn his attention to harming the others.

Today, Zhang Yang had to face Chu Yuntian head-on.

Chasing Wind lifted its head and let out a soft neigh, instantly darting toward Chu Yuntian. It wasn't far from him. A streak of white afterimage materialized on the path between them.

This was merely a phantom created by Chasing Wind’s excessive speed.

Lightning and Shadowless also moved into position, while a flicker danced constantly in Zhang Yang's eyes. He himself remained still, but suddenly, a set of silver needles appeared in his hand.

Many noble houses possessed secret arts to temporarily boost their cultivation levels within a short span, and the Zhang family was no exception.

Compared to those self-damaging secret methods, the Zhang family’s technique was remarkably gentle; at least its aftereffects were less severe, posing no risk of death or permanent loss of cultivation.

The Zhang family’s method involved piercing vital acupuncture points to stimulate the body’s latent potential.

Those who understood the human body best were those of the Medical Sage lineage. Their profound medical skill had led them to extensive research on their own physical forms, culminating in this specific cultivation method.

After the needle insertions, one’s power could be tremendously enhanced, though it would be followed by a period of weakness, the duration depending on the level of cultivation. Zhang Yang estimated his weakness would last no more than a month.

A month of reduced strength, yet no loss of his established cultivation base—this was a price Zhang Yang could accept.

Without further hesitation, Zhang Yang swiftly plunged one silver needle after another into several crucial pressure points on his own body.

The insertion points throbbed with intense pain, but Zhang Yang grit his teeth against the agony, finally driving all sixteen needles deep into his flesh.

He knew clearly that his three spirit beasts posed little significant threat to Chu Yuntian; at best, they could only occupy him momentarily. He had to seize this instant.

As the sixteen needles pierced his body, the internal energy within Zhang Yang immediately began to swell massively. The residual effects of the spiritual medicines he had consumed were rapidly activated, and the Blood Essence Pills he had taken earlier began relentlessly releasing torrents of energy.

In that single moment, Zhang Yang felt as though his meridians were about to explode.

The instantaneous burst of energy caused Zhang Yang's strength to skyrocket. The sheer volume of powerful internal energy tinged his complexion a deep red.

"Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!"

Just as he finished, Lightning shrieked from the side, and Chasing Wind fell nearby with a mournful cry.

Their combined assault was no longer posing a significant threat to Chu Yuntian. Instead, due to their own limitations, they were all now in mortal peril. Chasing Wind had just taken a heavy kick from Chu Yuntian—a rare moment when the kicker finally became the kicked.

"Move aside!"

Zhang Yang’s body trembled slightly, and all sixteen needles were flung outward. He leaped forward, the tip of his Cold Spring Sword already aimed directly at Chu Yuntian’s face.

Zhang Yang’s physical body, already enhanced to an abnormal degree by the system’s blessing, now reached an even more terrifying level of physical energy after this acupuncture stimulation.

His current speed and strength were now comparable to that of a top-tier expert in the late Fourth Layer, and his internal energy strength at this moment was sufficient to challenge a cultivator at the mid-stage.

Chasing Wind and Lightning hastily retreated to the periphery, and Shadowless ceased spewing internal energy. Zhang Yang’s body was now locked in an intense struggle with Chu Yuntian. They both understood that both combatants’ current strength far surpassed their own, leaving them unable to assist for the time being.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Chu Yuntian exchanged several direct blows with Zhang Yang, all while dodging the relentless thrusts of the Cold Spring Sword.

A thick layer of horror still plastered itself across Chu Yuntian's face, and his initial towering confidence had begun to crumble.

The Blood Dissolution Technique, when used on oneself, came with a major drawback: he was completely unable to wield weapons, especially his Flame Blade.

His current blood was effectively boiling, making his entire being unbearably hot. The Flame Blade, being the foremost divine weapon of the fire element, would likely cause him to burn himself to death before Zhang Yang could even strike if he used it now.

This was precisely why he had discarded his saber earlier.

Without his weapon, Chu Yuntian was inherently disadvantaged against Zhang Yang. Yet, what worried him most was the direct clash of sheer power.

Even though he employed the Blood Dissolution Technique, his ultimate strength had not broken through to the late stage of the Fourth Layer; this was primarily due to his prior grievous injuries and the lingering poison.

This also hampered the full efficacy of the Blood Dissolution Technique, leaving him capped at the peak of the mid-Fourth Layer.

After Zhang Yang administered the needles, he possessed the initial strength of the mid-Fourth Layer. One was at the peak, the other just beginning, creating a discernible gap. However, this gap was not insurmountable, especially considering Zhang Yang possessed not one, but several divine weapons.

Unfortunately, Chu Yuntian had no retreat now that he had activated the Blood Dissolution Technique on himself. This self-inflicted harm was immense; he had to kill Zhang Yang and the spirit beasts currently present.

Only by succeeding in this could he carve out a path to survival for himself.

"Bang!"

Zhang Yang’s arm was carelessly struck by Chu Yuntian, leaving a dark bruise, but Chu Yuntian’s thigh was simultaneously grazed by the Cold Spring Sword, opening a deep, bleeding gash.

The blood dripping from Chu Yuntian’s wound actually sputtered and smoked upon hitting the ground, an unnervingly bizarre sight.

"Crack!"

Chu Yuntian’s shoulder was swept by Zhang Yang’s internal energy, causing him to stumble, but Zhang Yang was immediately struck back by Chu Yuntian's counter-attack on his forearm, leaving the limb numb and nearly unusable.

Time crawled by. The redness on Chu Yuntian’s body grew steadily more intense, but Zhang Yang’s attacks grew fiercer in tandem.

At this point, both men understood: this was a race against time. Victory belonged to whoever could last the longest.

Gradually, both accumulated numerous injuries, but overall, Chu Yuntian appeared significantly more wretched than Zhang Yang. The sword qi from the Cold Spring Sword had inflicted more than one wound upon him.

The most grievous was the one across his abdomen—that single strike had nearly cleaved him in two.

Thankfully, Chu Yuntian had managed to evade the full force, but a deep, gaping wound remained on his stomach. From the outside, one could vaguely glimpse some of his intestines and internal organs. Had Chu Yuntian not violently suppressed the area with internal energy, he would have been utterly incapable of fighting by now.

Even so, this injury gravely impacted him; his ability to fend off Zhang Yang’s onslaught had waned, and his offensive movements had diminished.

"Crack!"

Chu Yuntian was knocked to the ground yet again. Lightning and Chasing Wind let out sharp cries, clearly ecstatic.

Zhang Yang’s Cold Spring Sword followed instantly, but just as he swung, Zhang Yang was suddenly seized by a wave of dizziness, a profound weakness akin to complete exhaustion washing over him.

This startled Zhang Yang internally. The power boost granted by the acupuncture was almost entirely depleted.

This wave of energy spent, even spiritual medicines couldn't replenish it now.

Zhang Yang’s swing with the Cold Spring Sword wavered, and the momentary instability was immediately noticed by Chu Yuntian. A flicker of elation sparked in Chu Yuntian's heart, but before the joy could fully bloom, a sliver of terror pierced his own core.

He discovered that his own strength had become incredibly thin. The power derived from dissolving half his blood was similarly reaching its point of exhaustion.

The duration of their secret techniques was nearly at its end for both of them.

If it had been just the two of them when their techniques wore off, the result would naturally have been a mutual destruction. However, the enemy side still possessed three formidable spirit beasts. A look of despair involuntarily crept onto Chu Yuntian’s face.

"Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!"

"Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!"

Lightning and Shadowless also detected Zhang Yang’s sudden decline and began yelping. Chasing Wind bounded swiftly to Zhang Yang’s side, clamped its powerful jaws onto Zhang Yang’s tunic, and rapidly retreated.

Pulled back by Chasing Wind, Zhang Yang slowly managed to straighten up, leaning heavily on his sword to remain upright.

The power granted by the acupuncture was entirely spent. His body possessed almost no reserves left. His dantian held only a meager trickle of internal energy, slowly recovering—and Zhang Yang had no idea how much of that he could reclaim.

He knew for certain he would not possess Fourth Layer cultivation for at least a month.

Seeing Zhang Yang relying on external support just to stand, Chu Yuntian couldn't help but offer a bitter smile.

He slowly pushed himself up, but his legs buckled immediately. The deep crimson hue covering his entire body rapidly faded, his hair gradually reverting to black, and his eyes returned to normal. Finally, his face became deathly pale.

His lips, especially, were cracked and white, giving him the unmistakable appearance of someone who had suffered massive blood loss.

His condition stunned Chasing Wind and Lightning for a moment, before they quickly shifted back to joy. Just moments ago, they had been poised defensively, fearing Chu Yuntian might launch a desperate attack while Zhang Yang was weakened. Now, there was no need; Chu Yuntian’s situation was no better than Zhang Yang’s.

Realizing he couldn't stand, Chu Yuntian slumped back down, only managing to lift his head to gaze at Zhang Yang, who stood not far away.

"You have won. In all my years of cultivation, I have slain at least a thousand people. I understand perfectly that one day, I too would meet my end at another's hands. This is retribution. But I have one final question, one I hope you can answer so that I might die with peace in my heart!"

Chu Yuntian spoke slowly, never taking his eyes off Zhang Yang. He was indeed without strength, and Zhang Yang was likewise depleted. But Zhang Yang still had his three spirit beasts, any one of which could easily finish him off right now.

Third update. Next chapter scheduled for around midnight; Little Feather will try his best to release it sooner. RQ