Chương 26: Curses (Part II)

Wielding two swords, Lucian blocked Xu Hua's slash with the blade in his left hand and used the momentum to step aside, swinging the short sword in his right hand toward Xu Hua's arm. He had thought he would successfully hit his opponent, but he failed to account for Xu Hua's sword mastery. Xu Hua gripped his double-edged longsword, muscles tensed, and pushed Lucian back with explosive strength. Then, he followed up with two consecutive swings.

The Curse of Gluttony's modifications to my body have reduced both my reach and strength, Lucian analyzed as he avoided the strikes, his eyes narrowing. But more importantly, how is this man a Sword Master? Facing the relentless sequence of swipes, slashes, and thrusts from Xu Hua's blade, Lucian relied on experience, predicting each attack and using precise footwork to reposition. As they moved through the house, wooden furniture splintered, and the fresh corpses of the elders stained their boots.

Xu Hua's movements aligned his body and sword seamlessly, allowing him to attack without clear openings. Besides, he was also using a breathing technique to sustain his stamina. During these few seconds of battle, his strikes aimed at the neck and navel, showing his resolve to kill his opponent as fast as he could! This is entirely different from the previous bandits, whether cultivators or beggars, Lucian observed, still able to think amid the exchange.

Part of him wanted to understand the difference and grasp the hidden mechanisms of cultivation. After all, if Xu Hua were a cripple, he should be weaker than Xin Fang, in Lucian's view! When another chair shattered, Lucian used the distraction to kick a wall and sidestep, spinning to avoid three consecutive crosswise strikes. Qi Gathering and Qi Refining. Is this the difference a single realm creates? Could it be that even after being crippled, his body kept permanent modifications?

Lucian attempted to counterattack, seeking to exploit any mistakes with his superior agility, yet Xu Hua left no room for that. His body is stronger than those two cultivators I killed near the Bai Clan's camp by several times, Lucian noted inwardly. And he does not appear to be using Qi. Hmmm, could this be the real consequence of being a cripple? Does he lack those Qi techniques? Lucian evaded another strike, part of his attention on the distant noises outside, and other mildly distracted by his own thoughts.

Mages who lose their Mana Core become weaker than mortals, while Qi leaves strength behind! Scoffing, Lucian deactivated the Rune of Greed after it finished drawing the elders' scattered blood toward himself and refining it into Blood Essence. Good, he thought coldly. I will learn more about this Qi of yours and use it to kill you later, Arthur! A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Blood Essence surged within him, and the crimson eye on his palm burst as the elders' blood was fully siphoned, leaving only shriveled remains and fragments of organs behind. Meanwhile, Xu Hua's eyes were bloodshot, his mind consumed by rage. To him, Lucian was a cultivator skilled in spiritual techniques, and any hesitation would mean death, so he didn't dare to speak or make unnecessary moves.

He believed Lucian had already used such a technique to manipulate him into revealing information, so he was inwardly prepared for any other mental tricks. Thus, he ignored the blood flooding toward Lucian In Xu Hua's view, it was nothing more than deception meant to instill fear and force hesitation. Holding firm to that belief, he continued circulating the Two-Leaf breathing technique, sustaining his stamina and endurance even without Qi to empower his strikes.

And Lucian, now with more Blood Essence, commanded it to force his blood to enhance his physique. Doing this in the middle of a battle brings me back to my first hundred years, he thought nostalgically. His movements became more dexterous and swift. He started to shift from pure defense to pressing forward with his own slashes. Even so, Xu Hua remained unshaken. Each strike Lucian delivered was met with faster, simpler movements, as if the swordsman was always one step ahead.

Their footsteps echoed through the house. Broken fragments of vases, chairs, stools, cabinets, and benches scattered across the wooden floor. How many years, Lucian thought as his heart pounded. How many years has it been since I was forced to fight like a mortal to this extent? And if I make any mistakes, the Curse of Wrath will activate! I'm sure of it! How... How thrilling! Outside the house, the growing noise became impossible for him to ignore, a cacophony of groans and crawling sounds reaching his ears.

This body will not withstand a stronger use of the runes, Lucian considered, arriving at a single conclusion. What a shame to rely on the same move again. It's boring, but necessary. A crimson rune formed within his mind, the image of four fingers grasping a neck at the center of shifting sigils. Devilish Arts: Boon of Lust – Out of Touch Empowering the rune with Blood Essence, Lucian locked eyes with Xu Hua for a brief instant as their blades clashed.

In Xu Hua's vision, the world turned red, and a soft voice called from behind him.

"Father," the voice said in a pained tone.

"Save me." Lucian's figure vanished from his sight. But Xu Hua did not turn. Instead, he stepped forward and drove his shoulder ahead, blocking a cold blade that was aimed at his heart! Blood spilled as the invisible blade hit him. Then, Xua Hua lowered his stance and slashed upward at the empty crimson air! Next, a cutting noise and a dull thud rang out, followed by a metallic clang that settled into a rattling echo. After the noise, the crimson world shattered, and Xu Hua saw reality.

Before him, Lucian stood in surprise. One short sword had pierced Xu Hua's shoulder instead of his heart, messing up Lucian's plans. Most importantly, on the ground lay a severed forearm, with a left hand still gripping the other short sword. Struggling to remain upright, Xu Hua scoffed. He saw Lucian's expression shift from surprise to sorrow, then to resignation, which, in his view, meant his opponent had accepted death!

Xu Hua also noticed that a conspicuous amount of blood was spilling out of Lucian's severed elbow. Given that no human could have so much blood, he believed it was a backlash of a forbidden body technique.

"Your spiritual techniques are powerful, but my Sword Heart is stronger," Xu Hua said through clenched teeth.

"Blame yourself for being heartless. You are not worthy of holding a sword. Die, demonic scourge!" Xu Hua swung his double-edged long sword, aiming for Lucian's neck. However, instead of flesh, the blade met a palm formed of viscous black liquid. On Lucian's back, a massive black rune marked with six dark splatters ignited across his skin, glowing as though it had been carved into his flesh. Curse of Wrath Next, Xu Hua reacted purely on instinct.

He released his blade, turned around, and kicked the ground, attempting to flee!