Chapter 9: Killing

Lei Ao was fast, but Alkaid was even faster.

As Lei Ao's right leg dashed straight towards the wrist of his sword-holding hand, Alkaid flicked his wrist; the sword that had initially stabbed out spun 90 degrees instantly, changing to a backhand grip.

With the sword hilt re-gripped and the blade rotating, the sharp edge turned from a horizontal thrust to a downward stab.

As Lei Ao's left foot kicked off the B pillar to retract his body violently, the cold blade fiercely penetrated Lei Ao's right calf that was kicked out.

"Hiss!"

The sword thrust downwards, and coupled with the force of the retreating figure, it instantly tore his entire right calf apart, splashing blood.

Such severe pain made Lei Ao's expression turn more ferocious than ever before.

Yet, he endured the excruciating pain of his torn half-calf, roared lowly, and his retreating figure slammed into another car's window, shattering the glass. His body flew out like a dragon escaping from the sea.

"You will die!"

A roar filled with savage brutality thundered like muffled thunder.

Almost simultaneously as he escaped "terrain", leaving the disadvantage behind, and thinking the escaped dragon could turn the tide, Alkaid also suddenly lunged forward.

But he did not proceed inside the car.

It was the roof of the car.

In the moment of lunging forward, he forcefully sprang up from his feet, his body shooting up one and a half meters like a spring, allowing him to skim over the roof as if sticking to it.

Due to the lack of momentum in the forward lunge, as his body was about to land on the roof of the sedan, his left hand burst out, pressing hard on the rooftop.

Vigor burst forth.

The steel-cast roof was actually indented by his forceful press, slightly deforming even as seen from inside the car.

Utilizing the force from this press, his body, initially destined for the roof, suddenly shifted forward two meters, quickly skimming past the lateral distance of the sedan.

So that when Lei Ao fled from the car, thinking he could turn around and attack, Alkaid's figure had already followed close behind, like a tiger pouncing on an eagle, leaping one meter above him in the air.

"You?!"

Lei Ao's pupils dilated.

Yet, the pursuing Alkaid showed no delay in his actions. His right hand's Formless Sword aimed at Lei Ao's heart and stabbed downwards again.

"Damn it!"

Lei Ao roared lowly.

It was as if some terrifying force awoken rapidly inside him.

In the moment the Formless Sword was about to pierce his body, his right hand, with incredible speed, swung and held the blade of the Formless Sword, narrowly averting disaster.

No!

Not the right hand!

At this moment, Lei Ao's entire arm had undergone distortion, nearly doubling in thickness, resembling a demon's claw more than a human arm.

Even the sharp edge of the Formless Sword couldn't tear his thick, scaled arm for a moment.

But right then, all of Alkaid's organs vibrated, and the vigor throughout his body seemed to congeal into a mass, pressing down through his arm, crushing it down like Mount Tai's overwhelming pressure.

Pill Energy!

This was the Pill Energy a Martial Saint could master when starting to break through the "inhuman" realm!

Lei Ao's eyes flashed with horror.

The next second, the violent force forcibly shook open his tightly held demon claw from the Formless Sword, the sharp blade tearing his muscles, shattering his ribs, and piercing his heart.

It was then that both men's lunging and retreating figures, having exhausted their momentum, heavily smashed into a puddle on the ground.

The huge impact caused water to splash violently in all directions.

With the blade embedded in him, Lei Ao's ferocity was fully aroused, his roar savage, as if his body contained boundless strength.

However, Alkaid's tens of kilograms heavy body employed a locking technique, firmly pressing down on him, his knee against Lei Ao's thigh, not giving any space for his muscles to stretch or expand.

Simultaneously, his left hand swiftly raised and then struck down like lightning, harshly hitting the hilt of the Formless Sword that his right hand was grasping.

"Bang!"

Even though it pierced the heart and seemed about to be pulled out by Lei Ao's demon claw, the Formless Sword, under the heavy blow from the left hand's force, fiercely penetrated his entire heart and the sharp blade even pierced through his body, nailing into the ground.

After striking the sword hilt, the left hand followed and joined the right, grasping the hilt of the Formless Sword, twisting and wringing it!

"Hiss!"

Lei Ao's violent struggle, which nearly overturned Alkaid, abruptly ceased...

The demonically transformed body seemed to be drained of all its strength and gradually, ceased to resist, falling silent forever.

Once a demon possesses a body, it can transform the physique, drastically increasing its strength.

But when it maintains a human form, it must bear the weaknesses of a human.

"Ssst!"

Alkaid pulled the Formless Sword from Lei Ao's crushed heart, and without any hesitation, he thrust another sword through his head.

This time...

This martial master did not play dead to counterattack like Xia Li had.

Because he was already deader than dead.

Alkaid let out a breath, his body sweating from every pore.

He stood up with his sword and turned around.

Behind him, the driver tasked with driving regained consciousness from the sudden change.

To speak of the duel between the two men, it seemed slow, but it was actually as fast as lightning.

From the moment Alkaid burst forth and thrust his sword through Lei Ao's calf, tearing it, to the piercing of his body and crushing of his heart, the entire process took less than three seconds.

This was a confrontation between top Martial Artists.

There were no fancy tricks.

Life and death happened in an instant.

In such circumstances, even though the driver, 'Bao', was not weak and might have the title of a Third Level Martial Artist, it wasn't until the dust settled that he reacted.

Realizing that he was no match for the ferocity displayed by Alkaid, this fiercely loyal driver to Lei Ao didn't hesitate and rapidly retreated!

His decision was unbelievably resolute.

He knew very well that only by gathering all of Lei Ao's men immediately was there a hope of avenging Lei Ao; if he faced this fierce criminal alone...

He would undoubtedly die.

"Whoosh!"

Almost simultaneously with his frenzied escape, a faint sound passed by Bao's ear.

It was the sound of a sharp weapon slicing through the air resistance.

A thought emerged in Bao's mind.

Following that, his body seemed to be struck hard, involuntarily taking rapid steps forward.

In his stride, he seemed to see a sword-like object swiftly embedded in the wall in front of him.

Concrete flew about, the hilt vibrating.

Even bloodstains were on it.

And that blood...

Bao slightly lowered his head...

Only then did he notice that during that moment, as if struck hard, his chest had been pierced, creating a bloody cavity.

That sword from before...

"I..."

He opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something.

But as his body leaned forward with inertia, taking a few steps before ultimately losing balance, he heavily crashed to the ground.

These movements had drained all the strength from his body.

It even rendered him incapable of maintaining his thoughts.

Finally...

He closed his eyes in pain and weakness.

As his consciousness completely sank into darkness at the last moment, he faintly heard a voice.

"Shanlong the first? Barely worth mentioning."