Quick Fight! . . .
The projectiles, both needles and knives, had initially been deflected by the defenders, only to astoundingly trace a circular trajectory, returning to the fray as if guided by an invisible hand. This uncanny turn of events held an air of surreal control.
The cyclic path taken by these weapons inadvertently played to Cha Eun Xiao's favor, yielding an unexpected tactical advantage. The concerted effort of the remaining five combatants to shield their fallen comrades grew increasingly strained, the weight of their desperation etched onto their faces.
Their trepidation stemmed from a chilling phenomenon - the lifeless bodies of their fallen comrades, those who had borne the brunt of the needles and knives, were gradually undergoing a grotesque transformation. They darkened in hue, their once-pale skin now tainted by an ominous shade.
This macabre spectacle was deeply unsettling, for by the natural order, a man's passing would halt the functioning of his body. Blood would cease its course through the veins, and even if death resulted from poisoning, the toxic influence should remain confined. Yet, here, seven cadavers defied this norm, progressively darkening, suggesting a poison of truly rare potency.
The remaining five warriors harbored a potent blend of hatred and rage, their resentment bubbling within. They couldn't help but engage in a mutinous internal monologue:
"This young man isn't as feeble as he initially appeared. In fact, he surpasses some of us in strength. Yet, he resorts to hidden weapons and poison..."
"He's a coward, unwilling to confront us face to face!"
"What a disgrace!"
It felt as if a grown man were battling a three-year-old child, with the adult wielding a firearm while the child was left defenseless.
"It's no longer about honor," they lamented. "It's about his utter shamelessness."
Their fury swelled as they continued to fend off the relentless barrage of airborne weaponry. Cha Eun Xiao leaped into the air and seized the falling long sword with a resounding clash, creating a radiant pillar of swordlight that pierced the heavens.
This radiant tower spun with menacing intent, casting forth multiple streams of light. As it descended upon the five defenders, it impacted their heads with a resounding crash.
It was a pulverizing strike.
Cha Eun Xiao, no longer wielding the sword physically, had transformed its essence into a lethal force, descending like mountains and hammers from the heavens. A direct blow from such a formidable strike would reduce anyone to a mangled mess, with their brains spilling out. However, in this case, contact with the sword hammer would render a person a mere heap of minced meat.
A collective gasp escaped the lips of the five defenders. They had fought valiantly to stave off this inevitable outcome, well aware that contact with such a strike would guarantee instantaneous obliteration, leaving behind no more than a gruesome aftermath.
Their fate would be even more wretched than that of the seven headless men.
Cha Eun Xiao's eyes brimmed with unrelenting malice as the sword completed its aerial revolution.
"Shoot, shoot, shoot..." The flying needles and knives reversed their course, streaking swiftly toward Ning Biluo's battleground.
Cha Eun Xiao didn't merely control the situation on his side; he extended his assistance to Ning Biluo as well. Yet, he didn't stop there. After the sword had made its circuit, it detached itself and thrust into the chest of one of the five defenders. The black-clad man could only shiver as the cold steel bore into his chest. Cha Eun Xiao then released the sword, leaving it embedded in the man's chest, and executed a mighty punch with his fist, striking another adversary square in the chest.
Subsequently, Cha Eun Xiao withdrew a step, his right hand extending forward to extract the sword lodged in the chest of his fallen foe. The blade's extraction was accompanied by a crimson flow, lending an eerie illumination to the sword's gleaming surface.
As the sword was disengaged from its macabre sheath, it erupted once more with luminous vitality. An inexhaustible torrent of sword breath emanated, prompting the three remaining adversaries to hastily employ their swords in a desperate parry. The long sword, relinquished by Cha Eun Xiao's grasp, embarked on a renewed trajectory.
This time, the sword served a different purpose.
– Puff! –
It cleaved through the air and carved a devastating path through a man's physique, propelling him forcibly against a wall.
Simultaneously, Cha Eun Xiao mysteriously materialized beside another opponent, his boot making contact with the man's leg. – Crack! – The leg didn't merely fracture; it was violently severed from the man's body, propelled into the distance as an ominous testament to the ferocity of the blow.
In the same moment, Bing-Er held her long sword to the Second Prince's throat. Her master's directive had been to refrain from delivering a lethal blow, yet Bing-Er was resolute in her determination to inflict suffering upon this malevolent antagonist. She raised her diminutive hand. – Pah, pah, pah, pah… – The resonating slaps rained upon the prince's visage in swift succession, a tangible expression of Bing-Er's defiance against the fiend intent on derailing her life.
On Cha Eun Xiao's side, he continued to unleash a series of enigmatic maneuvers, each resulting in the demise of his adversaries. However, after the leg-shattering kick, he appeared momentarily bereft of options, as though trapped in a momentary lull. The last of the black-clad assailants seized the opportunity, his resolve unwavering. He clenched his teeth and swayed his sword in close proximity to Cha Eun Xiao. His blade emitted an ominous azure radiance, poised to pierce a grievous chasm into Cha Eun Xiao's chest.
Unable to pivot in time to parry the strike with his weapon hand, Cha Eun Xiao appeared momentarily vulnerable. The last assailant harbored a surge of elation, believing himself on the precipice of victory. Yet, this was a fleeting illusion. Just as the menacing blade neared its mark, Cha Eun Xiao's previously unoccupied right hand burst into radiance, birthing an exquisite short sword.
In the span of a heartbeat, the two blades clashed, and Cha Eun Xiao's quick maneuver steered the oncoming weapon aside. This subtle divergence in trajectory would precipitate a profound reversal of fortune.
– Shoot! –
The errant sword grazed Cha Eun Xiao's sleeve, a testament to the black-clad adversary's full commitment to his strike. Yet, in this moment of desperation, Cha Eun Xiao demonstrated a remarkable feat of martial dexterity. He deftly maneuvered his form to sidestep the assailant and ensnare the man's neck in a vice-like grip.
With unyielding force, Cha Eun Xiao exerted pressure, initiating a powerful rotation.
– Crack! –
The unfortunate adversary's ocular orbs bulged, and the sinister sound of a neck snapping resonated. Concurrently, the short sword nestled within Cha Eun Xiao's right hand transformed into a vibrant rainbow, tinged with traces of blood. It hurtled through the air, puncturing the heart of the man whose leg had been unceremoniously dislodged.
– Puff! –
The short sword continued its inexorable journey, piercing through the man's back and embedding itself deeply within a nearby door, where it remained as a testament to Cha Eun Xiao's swift and merciless precision.