Chapter 57 – Jin Datong

The two blades clashed, scattering countless sparks.

Murder Demon was sent flying backward by Su Hao’s powerful downward slash.

A look of regret flashed across Su Hao’s face behind his black mask. His previous strike was divine, and he had expected to cleave both the man and his blade in half, but it was blocked.

As expected, none of the high-level Grandmasters were weak.

“And that blade!” Su Hao noticed the thick Long Blade in the opponent’s hand, which was absolutely not comparable to the common goods he possessed.

In fact, most of the credit for blocking his attack should go to the blade in Murder Demon’s hand.

Because Su Hao clearly perceived that the moment his blade struck the opponent’s blade, he had broken the Blood Qi attached to the opponent’s blade, and the remaining power was caught by the opponent’s blade.

Although Murder Demon was sent flying with his blade, Su Hao felt that the opponent had blocked it.

“It’s good that he blocked! Let’s have a hearty battle!” Su Hao muttered to himself.

Murder Demon had already gotten up from the ground, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He looked at Su Hao with a serious expression, his Long Blade held horizontally in front of him, ready for battle.

He looked at the masked man in front of him with uncertainty. The person was only a little over 1.5 meters tall, and in the moonlight, it was clear that the opponent seemed young.

He wasn’t sure if the opponent was chasing him because he had discovered his secret.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and asked tentatively, “Who are you? Why did you suddenly attack me?”

Su Hao didn’t answer. A smile spread across his lips, and he suddenly burst forward, charging at Murder Demon again with another powerful strike.

“Horizontal Slash!”

Su Hao’s Blood Qi surged, and he slashed at Murder Demon’s neck again.

“Clang!”

The Long Blades clashed, and Murder Demon was sent flying back with great force again.

“Charge!”

Before Murder Demon could regain his footing, Su Hao charged forward like a savage bull.

Murder Demon hastily raised his blade to block.

“Slipping Shadow Step!”

This time, Su Hao didn’t swing down with his blade. Instead, his footwork shifted, and the powerful charge suddenly turned into a light and elusive movement as he flashed past Murder Demon’s side. This was almost the combat skill Su Hao used best and most often.

“Deceptive Stab!”

Immediately after, Su Hao’s Long Blade thrust towards Murder Demon’s throat from a tricky angle.

“Damn it! I can’t dodge!”

Murder Demon knew it was bad when Su Hao retracted his blade and flashed past him.

“Barrier!”

A faint red light flashed across Murder Demon’s body.

Su Hao’s strike landed on his throat.

‘Clink!’

A crisp clang of metal striking metal. Su Hao’s blade tip was at the opponent’s throat, yet it couldn’t advance any further.

Su Hao was startled. Before the opponent could swing his blade, he leaped far back.

What was that Red Light just now? It was like a thin Barrier; his blade couldn’t pierce it, feeling like stabbing tempered glass with a knife.

The Red Light on Murder Demon’s body slowly dissipated. He was already drenched in a cold sweat. If he hadn’t reacted quickly and used his life-saving technique, he would have died on the spot.

Through the brief exchange, Murder Demon confirmed he was no match for Su Hao and decided to retreat.

Su Hao gripped his Long Blade tightly again and lunged rapidly at Murder Demon, raising his blade to strike.

He wanted to test the opponent’s abilities again.

‘Strong Light!’ Murder Demon raised his left hand, aiming at Su Hao. Immediately, a powerful light burst from his hand, blindingly bright in the night.

Su Hao was caught off guard, as if looking directly at the sun. His vision was completely overwhelmed by white.

He immediately blocked with his blade in front of him and retreated quickly, guarding against a sudden attack.

However, to Su Hao’s surprise, the opponent didn’t seize this rare opportunity for a killing blow. Instead, he fled into the distance. This made Su Hao breathe a sigh of relief.

As Su Hao’s vision recovered slightly, he looked towards the direction Murder Demon had fled and chuckled, “How did you do that? A Rune? I’m even more curious now.”

‘You can’t escape!’ Su Hao said, then started running forward in pursuit.

In just a moment, Su Hao caught up to Murder Demon again and slashed diagonally downwards.

‘Clang!’

Murder Demon actually fled forward, using the force of Su Hao’s strike to propel himself.

Su Hao caught up again. This time, he didn’t strike with full force but instead flicked his blade upwards, the edge grazing the throat.

Murder Demon raised his Long Blade, blocking Su Hao’s blade. With a flip of his wrist, the Long Blade in his hand drew an arc, sweeping back towards Su Hao.

Su Hao drew his blade back to block.

‘Clink!’

After several rounds of back-and-forth exchanges like this, Murder Demon suddenly raised his left hand and aimed it at Su Hao.

Su Hao was already prepared for this move. He immediately averted his eyes, stopped looking forward, and pushed off the ground, retreating from his spot.

However, nothing happened.

The Murder Demon ran away again.

Su Hao was bluffed by the opponent.

Su Hao’s expression remained calm, and he followed up again, slashing out with a straightforward strike.

The Murder Demon’s face was filled with unwillingness and despair, as well as deep fear of Su Hao. As soon as he saw Su Hao raise his blade to strike, he trembled. Because even if he blocked it, the immense force attached to the blade would make him spit blood and dislocate his internal organs. He didn’t know how many times Su Hao had struck him; he was barely holding on.

But he had to hold on even if he couldn’t, because Su Hao’s blade was fast and fierce, impossible to dodge, and he barely had any chance to counterattack.

“Clang!” The Murder Demon was sent flying again, the powerful recoil impacting his entire body. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and crashed heavily to the ground, unable to get up again.

His Grandmaster Blood Qi Rune was “Manipulation,” which offered little enhancement in direct combat. The life-saving Rune “Hardness” he had finally managed to draw was already used up, and the “Strong Light” Rune he had drawn was also gone. He had no other means of survival left.

“Hmm?” A powerful Blood Qi reaction suddenly appeared within Su Hao’s 400-meter Radar range.

A high-level Grandmaster martial artist! And judging by the intensity of the Blood Qi, much stronger than the Murder Demon before him.

“Jin Datong?” Su Hao’s Radar revealed the identity of the approaching person: Jin Datong, an executive of the Martial Arts Academy, second only in status to Dean Xiao Jixuan.

Su Hao vividly remembered receiving ten Gold Yuan from him personally when he enrolled.

Su Hao’s eyes narrowed. He couldn’t afford to delay any longer. He needed to finish this quickly and avoid encountering Jin Datong if possible.

“Bang!” The earth beneath his feet exploded as Su Hao’s figure vanished from the spot, reappearing beside the Murder Demon and thrusting his blade straight down.

The Murder Demon mustered his last ounce of strength to parry Su Hao’s Long Blade.

Su Hao raised his right foot, imbued with Blood Qi, and kicked out.

“Thump!” With a dull thud, the Murder Demon was kicked away, letting out a scream as he spat out a large amount of blood again.

Su Hao flicked his right hand, and the Long Blade flew out, piercing the Murder Demon’s chest and pinning him to the ground, unable to move.

Su Hao immediately stepped forward, ripped off the bundle from the Murder Demon’s back, and pulled out his Long Blade.

“Pfft!”

Blood gushed out again.

He raised his blade and aimed for the neck, bringing it down. Regardless of whether the opponent was already dead, it wouldn’t hurt to lop off the head.

“Swoosh—”

A pebble shot from nearby at high speed, striking Su Hao’s descending blade with precision. The immense force caused the blade’s trajectory to deviate, missing the Murder Demon’s neck and instead hitting his chest, opening a bloody gash that nearly split his entire rib cage in half.

Jin Datong, having been delayed, had rapidly approached. He had prepared an attack before seeing Su Hao. As soon as he saw Su Hao about to strike, he reflexively changed his attack, which was originally aimed at Su Hao, to deflect Su Hao’s downward Long Blade.

Su Hao estimated the injuries and figured the man wouldn’t survive, so he sheathed his blade and quickly left.

Jin Datong chased a few steps before returning to Murder Demon’s side.

Seeing Murder Demon’s惨烈的伤势 (miserable injuries), he couldn’t help but curse, “Damn it!”

(End of Chapter)