Yang An tensed his arm.
Under the compression of his muscles, the wound previously pierced by Wang Gou'er's True Essence stopped bleeding.
He took a deep breath, gripping the dagger tightly.
Without a word.
He charged fiercely at Wang Gou'er. Seeing him rush over like this, Wang Gou'er's eyes blazed with fury. He threw a punch fueled by rage straight at Yang An's face. "You still won't activate your Divine Aspect! Do you actually think you can defeat me without the power of a Divine Aspect? Just how arrogant are you, boy?!"
Accompanied by the sound of tearing air and Wang Gou'er's furious roar.
The two fists collided with a resounding boom.
The pale True Essence wrapping the fist Wang Gou'er threw in anger acted like a sharp blade, once again tearing through Yang An's skin, scraping the flesh off several of his knuckles and exposing the white bone.
A piercing, agonizing pain struck him.
It felt as if a knife was scraping against his bones.
But there wasn't a ripple of emotion in Yang An's eyes. Enduring the pain, he drove power from his spine. Wang Gou'er, who thought he could easily knock him back, found that this time, he actually couldn't budge Yang An! Not only that, but a splitting pain radiated from his own fist!
It felt as if a full-force punch had hit solid steel!
Crying out in pain, Wang Gou'er withdrew his fist and stumbled backward.
He looked at Yang An in disbelief.
This guy hadn't even activated a Divine Aspect, how could he possess such strength?!
Yang An also stepped back a few paces.
Blood dripped from his fist. He looked down at his exposed knuckles, thinking to himself: As expected, with the tenfold combat power buff from the [Fated Against Tai Sui] talent, even if Wang Gou'er activates a Divine Aspect, my physical strength and speed are not inferior to his.
The only difference is True Essence.
This makes things simple. As long as I kill Wang Gou'er before his True Essence shreds my body to pieces, I win!
He was going to die by Princess Anle's hands tomorrow morning anyway.
Yang An was now a "water ghost" (someone with nothing to lose).
Since he wasn't going to survive regardless, his only desire right now was to clear all dangers for his sister and brother-in-law, dragging the Wang Family Moneyhouse down to hell with him!
Caring nothing for his own life.
Yang An flicked the bloody water from his hand and charged at Wang Gou'er once more.
Having activated his Divine Aspect yet still being repelled by Yang An, Wang Gou'er was fuming with rage, refusing to believe he was no match for him!
Meeting Yang An's fists.
Wang Gou'er didn't retreat, engaging him in close-quarters combat.
As the two clashed, their fists flew in a blur like an interwoven net. Wherever they passed, the tables and chairs in the hall splintered, the bluestone floorboards shattered, and the walls cracked!
Keke hid behind a pillar.
Watching with her little hands clenched tight, constantly cheering for Yang An in her heart.
Zheng Huaiyi, who had just crawled out from under a wooden table.
Was smacked right in his old face by a flying piece of rubble with a smack, leaving his face covered in blood. He quickly scrambled back under the table, trembling in fear.
In the blink of an eye.
The two had exchanged thirty or forty moves.
Half the clothes on Yang An's body were shredded. His chest, arms, and back were covered in wounds that looked like they were bitten by a vicious dog, flesh peeled back and stark white bones glaringly exposed.
Wang Gou'er wasn't faring much better.
He had taken several punches and slashes from Yang An. A few ribs were broken, and the tip of his left pinky finger had been chopped off.
Wang Gou'er panted heavily.
Yet the look in his eyes as he stared at Yang An shifted from ferocity to surprise, and then to elation. Having fought in life-and-death struggles year-round, he possessed extremely rich combat experience. Earlier, when fighting Yang An at the Yang house, Wang Gou'er had noticed a very uncoordinated feeling about Yang An!
He just didn't know where that feeling came from.
But fighting up to this point.
In such close-quarters, life-and-death combat, Wang Gou'er finally understood where that lack of coordination came from.
He looked at Yang An with burning eyes.
He said excitedly, "Your attacks rely entirely on overwhelming power and speed; your punches and kicks lack any systematic technique. And in a life-and-death struggle where you've been injured to this extent, you still haven't activated a Divine Aspect."
"Yang Erlang, could it be that you've never practiced martial arts at all?!"
Yang An continued to respond with cold indifference.
But Wang Gou'er grew ecstatic. "Is that a tacit admission? Hahaha, never practiced martial arts, never condensed a Divine Aspect, yet you can fight head-on against a martial artist who has condensed a Divine Aspect. What a massive stroke of fortune! I am truly curious what kind of treasure you're hiding on your body?"
Saying this, Wang Gou'er pressed down on his dog-head felt hat.
When he raised his head again.
He had further activated his Divine Aspect. The black fur from the dog-head felt hat grew onto his face. The pair of canine teeth in his mouth grew longer, and his eerie green eyes were completely consumed by bloodlust.
Wang Gou'er, who originally still had a discernible human face.
Now had the head of a vicious, demonic dog perched on his neck!
The corners of Wang Gou'er's mouth split open to his ears.
He laughed maniacally, "Finally! Lord Gou's grand fortune has finally arrived. An ordinary person like you can rival a martial artist relying on this kind of fortune. Wait until this fortune falls into Lord Gou's hands, I will definitely be able to reshape my martial path! Breaking through to the seventh grade in the future is not impossible!"
"So, die for me right now!"
As the words fell.
Wang Gou'er's speed increased even further. As a cloud of dust rose from where he had just stood, in an instant, Wang Gou'er vanished from his spot. He appeared in mid-air behind Yang An, raising his Nine-Ring Broadsword high, and chopped down with a maniacal laugh!
True Essence poured into the Nine-Ring Broadsword, radiating a three-inch blade aura!
The fierce wind generated by the downward cleave blew Yang An's black hair wildly!
Zheng Huaiyi, his face covered in blood, had crawled out from under the table again at some point. Watching this scene, he shouted excitedly, "Lord Gou's signature technique, the Three Demon Hound Strikes! First Strike: Demon Claw! Lord Gou has finally gotten serious! That Yang brat is finished!"
Yang An didn't expect Wang Gou'er to have such a move.
Sensing the terrifying True Essence on the Nine-Ring Broadsword.
He didn't take it head-on. Relying on nimble footwork, he leapt to the left. The blade grazed past his ear, cutting a few strands of hair, as he narrowly dodged this perilous strike!
BOOM!
The moment the blade landed, the entire hall seemed to shake!
Keke, watching from the side, fell on her bottom. She saw that Wang Gou'er's strike had actually cleaved a ten-foot-long fissure into the ground! The shattered stone around the impact spread out like a spiderweb!
Such destructive power made her little face turn pale with fear.
"Big brother, you have to hold on, my Miss is coming soon!"
Having forced Yang An back once again.
Wang Gou'er was overjoyed.
As expected, this Yang Erlang hasn't condensed a Divine Aspect and has no way to deal with True Essence. To have physical strength rivaling a martial artist, he must have obtained an earth-shattering fortune.
With his suspicions verified.
Thinking that the good stuff on Yang An was about to be his, Wang Gou'er, filled with greed, chased after Yang An and swung his sword again. "Such a precious fortune is not fit for cheap trash like you!"
The blade fell.
After a loud crash, another ten-foot fissure appeared on the floor.
After Wang Gou'er condensed his True Essence into a blade aura.
The destructive power was too great.
Having no means to counter True Essence, Yang An couldn't take the hits head-on; he continued to rely on the dagger to dodge!
BOOM!
BOOM!
As Wang Gou'er landed consecutive strikes, fissure after fissure was carved into the floor!
But the hall only had so much space.
Under constant evasion, Yang An's space was quickly compressed to nothing by Wang Gou'er!
When Wang Gou'er missed another strike.
He had already driven Yang An into a corner. Holding his sword, Wang Gou'er mocked Yang An with a smile, "Keep running, boy. Let's see how you dodge your grandpa's strike now!"
Wang Gou'er gripped the hilt with both hands.
Changing his previous chopping style.
He twisted his waist, using his hips to drive the Nine-Ring Broadsword. With a hum, he spun around. True Essence surged, whipping up a fierce wind carrying flying sand and rocks, transforming into a tornado upon the edge of the blade!
It blew the surrounding corpses crashing against the walls.
Keke could barely open her eyes. Amidst the sky full of flying debris and dust, the howling wind around her sounded like the low growl of a hunting dog.
She forced her eyes open.
And saw Wang Gou'er spinning toward Yang An at extreme speed, slashing horizontally at his waist!
The second strike of the Three Demon Hound Strikes: Wind Tail!
Far more vicious than the first! With a much wider range! If he dared to take it, his body would be shredded by the gale of blade aura condensed from True Essence!
With walls on two sides.
Trapped in the corner, Yang An had absolutely nowhere to run. The sweeping gale pinned him firmly against the wall.
There was no other way.
Yang An could only pin his hopes on Princess Anle's dagger being tough enough. As Wang Gou'er's longsword slashed over, Yang An used his forearm to brace the flat of the dagger, taking the strike head-on!
CLANG!
Blinding sparks flashed within the gale!
Excellent. The dagger's material far exceeded the broadsword's, withstanding Wang Gou'er's slashing impact. However, the entirety of the shockwave landed on Yang An's arm, the hand holding the dagger, and more than half his body.
The immense force wrapped in the gale, along with the True Essence, ground into him simultaneously.
In an instant.
Yang An's internal organs were compressed into a knot, and he spewed a large mouthful of blood. Not just his arm, but the bones in half his body felt as if they were shattering.
His defensive stance crumbled in the blink of an eye.
He was sent flying off his feet by Wang Gou'er's broadsword, smashing through the wall behind him, half his body embedded in the masonry!
As Wang Gou'er laughed maniacally, continuously swinging his sword.
Yang An, pinned inside the wall by the broadsword, was dragged in a circle, plowing a deep, bloody trench across the two adjacent walls!
Only then was he tossed out like a broken ragdoll!!
Smashing through several wooden stools and crashing heavily onto the floor, cracking several stone tiles, Yang An landed near the corpses of a few thugs. The back that had been injured by the black eagle's talons while picking the Black Jade Lotus was now mangled to the point where his bloody spine was visible!
And that wasn't all.
Although Yang An had used the dagger to block in front of him.
When Wang Gou'er's ninth-grade broadsword, carrying gale-force winds and True Essence, swept past, it still carved an inch-deep gash across Yang An's waist and abdomen. His padded clothes were torn to shreds, and fresh blood poured out!
Having fought with tenfold combat power continuously until now.
Coupled with such severe injuries.
Yang An's vision began to darken, a loud ringing filled his ears, and the pain made it nearly impossible to stand up.
But how can I not stand up!
On the verge of losing consciousness.
He pulled the bloody chunk of meat from his shirt and stuffed it into his mouth. Swallowing it whole, he grabbed a spear from a corpse's hand and, using it as a crutch, pushed himself back up.
Seeing that Yang An could still stand.
Wang Gou'er rested his sword on his shoulder, panting heavily as he cursed, "You cheap trash really are as cheap as your sister and brother-in-law! Just as disgusting! Why won't you just die!"
Wang Gou'er was over fifty.
He wasn't young anymore, and his blood energy had receded, making him unable to actively use the power of a Divine Aspect. He could only activate it by relying on the black dog blood. However, the black dog blood had a time limit. Having fought to this point, continuously launching full-force strikes and using True Essence, Wang Gou'er was also nearing his limit.
He stared dead at Yang An, thinking to himself.
The black dog blood's duration is almost up.
The backlash from the side effects will be massive. I can't drag this out any longer. The next strike must finish this peasant off!
With this in mind.
Wang Gou'er licked the fresh blood off the blade. His eerie green eyes shone with a chilling madness, staring at his food like a starving wild dog!
Whoosh!
The sound of blazing fire echoed.
The white True Essence steamed like flames. Bathed entirely in True Essence, Wang Gou'er rested the Nine-Ring Broadsword on his arm.
He assumed a lunging stance, aiming straight at Yang An's chest!
"This... this is the third strike of the Three Demon Hound Strikes! Demon Fang!" Zheng Huaiyi cried out in terror. "How many years has it been since I saw Lord Gou use this move! The last time I saw it, he was fighting one against two, using this Demon Fang to slay two ninth-grade martial artists! To be killed by Lord Gou's strike is a true honor for that Yang brat!!"
"You're talking nonsense, big brother won't die!"
Still thinking Yang An had come to save her.
Seeing him covered in blood and injuries, yet still willing to fight Wang Gou'er to the death, Keke was incredibly moved. Crying, she ran toward him.
But Zheng Huaiyi firmly grabbed her shoulder.
Unable to break free, she cried and screamed, "Let me go! If big brother dies, when my Miss arrives, she will kill all of you!"
"When your Miss arrives, she won't be able to escape either," Zheng Huaiyi chuckled heh heh.
"Die!" Wang Gou'er roared furiously.
With True Essence flowing, his body sprinted like a demon hound. His speed was so fast he seemed to turn into a black streak of light, crossing dozens of feet in an instant.
The blade edge flashed with unparalleled sharpness!
Like the fangs of a demon hound.
Aimed straight at Yang An's chest, he thrust violently, intending to impale him with a single strike!
Teary-eyed, Keke didn't dare to keep watching.
Just as she was about to close her eyes and pray.
She actually saw that Yang An, covered in blood and injuries, had stopped dodging and defending.
Holding the spear he had picked up.
He simply stood there, waiting for Wang Gou'er's blade to pierce him.
Gave up? How could that be possible!
The blood energy within Yang An was surging, a terrifying red, baleful light shining in his eyes.
Kill Wang Gou'er!
Kill them!
Kill every single one of them! Even if I have to die!!!
[Demon Lord Tai Sui] Activation.
All heavenly treasures consumed would be converted into power. The chunk of meat Yang An had just swallowed was the black eagle's heart. The heart is where the essence blood is stored, and the spiritual energy contained within it was richer than the three eagle eggs combined!
Power surged from his body like a tidal wave.
Yang An dropped the dagger.
Gripping the spear shaft with both hands, he focused all his strength. He continuously focused all his strength. His arms bulged, the muscles nearly tearing through the skin!
But he was still focusing!
He staked his absolute everything on this single strike!
The instant Wang Gou'er's blade was about to pierce his flesh, Yang An, his eyes bloodshot, brought the long spear crashing down with ferocious power!
No True Essence!
No techniques!
Not even any skill!
It was purely an outpouring of raw power, purely an outpouring of violence!
Just this one spear strike!
The moment it fell, the shaft twisted and deformed, nearly unable to bear Yang An's power! The thrusting Wang Gou'er sensed danger, as if what he was stabbing wasn't a person, but a mountain! A mountain crushing down upon him!
Both men had reached their limits.
At this moment, whoever backed down would die. Wang Gou'er roared, "So what if it's a mountain! Even a mountain, I will cleave it open! Die, Yang An!"
BOOM!
Spear and broadsword collided!
Between Yang An and Wang Gou'er erupted a deafening roar like a collapsing mountain peak! The air in the hall was blasted away, whipping up a terrifying shockwave!
The impact swept outward.
The ground beneath their feet shattered inch by inch.
Flying tables, chairs, and stools smashed directly into Zheng Huaiyi's face. Keke, clutching the jade flute, was knocked to the floor, rolling head over heels several times.
After a long while.
She finally scrambled up, covered in dirt and ash, and hurriedly looked in Yang An's direction.
She saw that in the center of the impact.
The long spear in Yang An's hand had snapped into several pieces. The white cloth wrapped around his palms had completely burst open. His body, arms, and hands were a mess of mangled flesh and blood! Covered in blood! It was a tragic sight!
But he was still standing.
Whereas Wang Gou'er could no longer stand!
Sent flying backward, the blood spewing from Wang Gou'er's nose and mouth dyed his entire face red. His Divine Aspect state had vanished, and the dog-head felt hat that never left his side had been knocked away to God-knows-where!
The hands that held the sword were an even more gruesome sight.
Several fingers had been snapped on the spot, and the muscles in both arms were torn open! Furthermore, due to the backlash from the black dog blood's medicinal power, his entire body had shriveled up as if drained of moisture, making him look twenty or thirty years older.
Lying flat on his back on the floor.
Spitting blood from his mouth, he roared hoarsely at Yang An.
"Why!"
"Why did you defeat me!"
"You don't even have a Divine Aspect, why! Why did you defeat me!"
Yang An didn't answer.
He dropped the broken spear and picked up the dagger. Simultaneously, at the end of his rope, only one thought remained in his mind.
Kill him.
Cut his head off.
Yang An stumbled unsteadily toward Wang Gou'er. Every step was shaky, as if a gust of wind could blow him over.
Yet this frail appearance.
In Wang Gou'er's eyes, was more terrifying than the Grim Reaper! Than a vicious ghost! Than any demon or monster!
He stopped shouting.
He continuously pushed against the floor with his legs, scrambling backward to escape.
But Yang An still drew closer and closer.
Seeing Yang An about to catch up to him, Wang Gou'er broke down and yelled, "Zheng Huaiyi, what are you waiting for? Why aren't you attacking?! Do you fucking want me to die!"
Whoosh!
The sound of tearing air suddenly came from behind and to the side!
Yang An turned his head in shock, but the moment he turned around, a trembling, cold spearhead knocked the dagger from his hand!
This spear thrust was extremely fast and vicious.
While knocking away the dagger, the spear tip turned and pierced straight through Yang An's shoulder. The blood-stained spearhead emerged from his back, forcing him back several steps before pinning him to the pillar behind him with a dull thud!
Zheng Huaiyi, holding a dark green short spear.
Chuckled heh heh. "Oh my! This old man's eyes truly are failing! I originally meant to pierce Young Master Yang's heart, how did it veer off to the shoulder? But it doesn't matter anyway. Since you have no chance of surviving regardless, right, Young Master Yang?"
Blood flowing from the shoulder dripped down the spear shaft.
Blood trickled from the corner of Yang An's mouth. He recognized this old man with completely white hair and beard.
Zheng Huaiyi, the boss of Huichun Hall.
It was he who had colluded with Wang Gou'er, using fake medicine to scam him out of two hundred taels of silver, causing his brother-in-law Li Yan's injuries to worsen until he nearly lost both legs.
Seeing Yang An say nothing, Zheng Huaiyi twisted the spear shaft.
Flesh and blood were ground up.
A piercing pain radiated from Yang An's shoulder, bringing out copious amounts of fresh blood.
"Doesn't Young Master Yang have anything he wants to say?"
"For example, that a pharmacy owner is actually a martial artist! And a ranked ninth-grade expert to boot! Heh heh heh, it's perfectly normal that Young Master Yang couldn't have guessed it; this old man wouldn't have guessed it either if I were you!"
Zheng Huaiyi looked incredibly smug.
"Kill him quickly! This boy is wicked, don't let this drag on!" Wang Gou'er wheezed hoarsely.
"As Lord Gou commands." Zheng Huaiyi prepared to make his move.
Clenching her small fists, Keke charged over. "You pack of villains! Let big brother go!" She continuously pummeled Zheng Huaiyi's withered body.
Unfortunately, she caused absolutely zero damage.
Zheng Huaiyi smiled at Yang An and said, "Young Master Yang's face truly is handsome. Even a little girl so small has been utterly mesmerized by you, willing to risk her life for you. This old man is truly envious to the extreme."
Smack.
Like swatting a fly.
Zheng Huaiyi slapped Keke across the face.
Taking such a hit, the eleven-or-twelve-year-old girl's tender features instantly twisted in pain. Clutching her face, she fell to the ground, unable to get up.
Having been hit, Keke cried even harder.
Wailing endlessly at the jade flute in her arms, "Miss, please come quickly! Keke promises never to talk back to Miss again! It hurts so much being hit! If you don't come soon, this handsome big brother is going to die!"
Having dealt with Keke.
Zheng Huaiyi turned back to finish off Yang An. However, taking advantage of the instant he was distracted, Yang An gritted his teeth and lunged forward, allowing the spear handle to slide all the way through his shoulder.
Fresh blood mixed with shredded flesh dyed the emerald green spear shaft red.
In a flash, he pounced right onto Zheng Huaiyi's face!
Zheng Huaiyi was horrified, his hair standing on end from terror!
Before he could react, Yang An bit down on Zheng Huaiyi's neck, crushed his throat, and then tilted his head back and yanked violently.
He tore out his throat along with a chunk of flesh and skin!
His mouth full of crimson, looking like a vicious god of slaughter!
"You! You! You aren't human!!!"
As if he had encountered a vicious Tai Sui god.
Zheng Huaiyi released the short spear, clutching his neck in terror. Bloody water continuously sprayed from between his fingers. After stumbling back several steps, he collapsed dead to the floor!