Chapter Thirteen: The Sevenfold Sword Slash

“Has it really arrived?!”

Chen Fan turned his head. “I’m the fastest. I’ll go ahead and investigate…”

Just then, another cloud of red mist rose in the west, even closer than before—less than three breaths after the previous signal flare had been lit!

“So soon?!”

Chen Fan strode forward. He had not gone far when he saw the red mist rising continuously, drawing nearer and nearer.

At last, he felt the terrifying pressure coming from the horizon, as well as the thunderous roars not far away.

His steps faltered, and he stopped where he was…

At that moment, a gigantic figure tore through countless trees and obstacles, crashing toward him.

It was moving with astonishing speed!

From a distance, Chen Fan studied the enormous demon beast. Judging by the pressure it emanated, he could tell that it was a seventh-stage beast.

It was a huge fox covered in countless scarlet markings. A human leg hung from the corner of its silver-colored mouth, and it sucked the limb in like a snack before crunching and swallowing it.

“It’s a Profound Fire Silver-Faced Fox! Even if it’s a variant beast, how did such a massive demon beast enter the territory of Great Qian? Could the demon beasts causing this upheaval actually be native to Great Qian?”

Chen Fan’s thoughts raced chaotically.

At the same time, he recalled the lectures on demon beasts he had heard at the Martial Academy.

Once a demon beast reached the seventh stage, its strength no longer lay solely in its vital energy and physical power. It also possessed certain special abilities.

This Profound Fire Silver-Faced Fox could manipulate flames to a certain degree!

Chen Fan’s gaze settled on the beast’s abdomen. A huge wound, nearly as tall as a man, gaped there. Flesh writhed within it, and half of the fox’s body was stained a scorched crimson with blood.

If the seventh-stage fox had been unharmed, Chen Fan naturally would not have dared to face it alone and intercept it in advance.

But now, as he watched the fox charge toward him like a train running wild, he raised the black sword in his hand.

His second Origin Gall erupted in an instant!

He was still some distance away from breaking through to the third stage.

“Charging Sword Form—”

His frenzied true essence gathered completely upon the black sword. A blade of radiance suddenly leapt from its surface, like the dim glow of a ghostly flame.

At the same time, lightning shimmered along the blade. Chen Fan’s body stood straight as a pine, his eyes fixed upon the enormous fox in the distance as his true essence circulated ceaselessly and gathered upon the sword.

The fox’s enormous, fiery-red eyes turned toward Chen Fan. A trace of humanlike mockery flashed within them, yet its posture did not change in the slightest. Flames ignited across its body, and it charged straight at him.

“Slash!”

Boom!

The dazzling lightning was swallowed by the flames in an instant. Then lightning and fire intertwined, erupting into a searing explosion.

Amid the thunderous roar, Chen Fan’s body was hurled high into the air. His entire body was flushed red, black smoke pouring from him.

The Profound Fire Silver-Faced Fox also came to an abrupt halt amid the continuous explosions, crashing heavily into the earth.

Pfft!

Chen Fan spat out a mouthful of blood, his body flying backward.

His vital energy churned violently, and his skin felt as though it were burning. It took him quite some time before he finally managed to steady himself.

He narrowed his eyes and gazed into the distance, where the rumbling gradually subsided. A savage, bloodthirsty, furious voice emerged from within the smoke and dust:

“Human!”

Clearly, Chen Fan’s Charging Sword Form had left the fox in considerable pain.

Chen Fan was startled when he heard it.

He knew that demon beasts above the sixth stage possessed intelligence no lower than that of humans. But he had never expected that a seventh-stage beast could actually speak human language!

The smoke and dust gradually dispersed. The fox’s blood-red pupils fixed themselves upon Chen Fan. The mockery they had held before was gone, replaced by nothing but fury.

Much of the scarlet fur around its body had been burned black, ragged and uneven. Clearly, Chen Fan’s fully charged strike had wounded it severely.

Seeing this, Chen Fan felt slightly reassured. As long as his attacks were effective, as long as they could inflict damage, that was enough!

The fox abruptly raised its head and let out a long howl toward the sky. Flames around its body swelled, forming enormous fireballs that came crashing toward Chen Fan!

They moved with astonishing speed, expanding as they rode the wind, blazing fiercely as they approached.

Chen Fan, however, showed no trace of panic.

“I haven’t been idle these past few months!”

Swish, swish, swish!

His body suddenly vanished, leaving behind only afterimages of lightning.

This was another great technique he had comprehended after his Three Thousand Thunder Movements reached the stage of unity. He had named it Thunderflash!

The technique fused all of his understanding of the conception of lightning. It was also the greatest trump card that gave him the courage to come early and intercept this demon beast.

Fiery light filled the sky, scattering in every direction like missiles and smashing into the ground. One blazing explosion after another erupted, and after each detonation, great flames continued to rise.

Yet amid the dense, intricate web of fire and explosions, a streak of lightning flashed with exquisite precision, deftly evading the attacks of the fireballs.

In the blink of an eye, the surroundings had become a sea of fire. Lightning coiled around Chen Fan as he drove Thunderflash to its utmost speed, yet he suffered virtually no injuries.

At the same time, the many sixth-stage experts of Feiling County finally arrived, late but in force.

When they saw the sea of fire, the lightning, and the enormous demon fox in the distance, their expressions changed drastically.

“Form the Four Directions Formation! Focus on holding the line at all costs!”

The Four Directions Formation was a relatively simple formation that linked the true essence of multiple martial artists. It could not compare with the battle formations of the Azure Python Army, and these people possessed almost no rapport with one another, making the formation far less effective. Still, it gave them a sliver of hope against the fox.

More than twenty sixth-stage martial artists condensed their true essence and crudely gathered it together. Even so, the pressure weighing upon them all was greatly reduced.

The flames ignited by the fox across the sky were blocked outside by the defensive barrier formed from the group’s condensed true essence.

Lightning flickered around Chen Fan, and in the blink of an eye he appeared behind the others. He did not enter the formation.

Given his mobility, entering the Four Directions Formation would mean abandoning his greatest advantage.

He continually stuffed pills into his mouth, restoring his true essence as quickly as possible.

When the fox saw Chen Fan’s reinforcements arrive, it roared furiously once more. Its body abruptly twisted around, and its enormous tail, wrapped in blazing fire, slammed toward the Four Directions Formation.

Boom, crack, crack!

The frenzied force crashed down like an earthquake. One after another, the twenty figures spat blood.

The true-essence barrier formed by the Four Directions Formation dimmed considerably.

Chen Fan stared at the beast with deep apprehension.

“We can’t let it attack as it pleases…”

Clutching his black sword, Chen Fan transformed into a streak of lightning and charged once more.

Chi!

Unfortunately, although Chen Fan’s Three Thousand Thunder Movements had broken through to the stage of unity, his swordsmanship had not. He could manipulate the power of lightning to a certain degree, but its killing power remained limited and naturally could not compare with the strike he had charged up for so long earlier.

The sword bathed in lightning merely carved a four- or five-inch wound across the fox’s body before it could go no deeper.

A four- or five-inch wound would have been devastatingly deep on a human. But compared with the fox, it was no more than a superficial scratch.

The furious fox swung its body, and Chen Fan was sent flying like an arrow loosed from a bow, smashing through who knew how many trees!

The fox was about to pursue him when more than twenty sixth-stage martial artists charged forward once again, blocking its path.

Within the Four Directions Formation, the true essence of the twenty men had fused into one. So long as the fox did not shatter their defenses, they could continue to hold out.

Boom!

The fox’s claw slammed down, flames coiling around it.

Within the formation, everyone spat out another mouthful of blood, yet they still managed to withstand the fox’s attack.

“Damn humans!”

The fox raised its head and let out a furious howl. Flames swelled around its body.

Chen Fan’s voice rang out at that moment. “Be careful! It’s going to launch fireballs!”

Unfortunately, the more than twenty people within the Four Directions Formation had become too large a target after forming up. Even with Chen Fan’s warning, they could not escape.

All they could do was watch helplessly as countless fireballs shot out from around the fox!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

One fireball after another struck the formation’s defenses. At the same time, the fox transformed into a blur and pounced forward, charging recklessly into them. After only a few breaths, a cracking sound rang out…

The surging flames rushed toward the more than twenty men like a fire dragon!

The corner of Chen Fan’s mouth twitched. Lightning flickered around him as his sword light cleaved toward the raging flames.

Boom!

After the massive explosion, one figure after another was sent flying.

Chen Fan coughed violently, lightning coiling beneath his feet as he steadied himself.

At that moment, the more than twenty sixth-stage martial artists around him were all in miserable condition, scattered and flying in every direction. Fewer than half were able to stand again.

“This is bad…”

Chen Fan’s heart sank, and he felt utterly helpless.

His movement technique could evade the fox’s attacks, but he was simply incapable of confronting it head-on.

The Four Directions Formation of the sixth-stage martial artists from Feiling County had been broken. They had lost the means to entangle the fox.

Just as Chen Fan believed the beast was about to begin a massacre, however, its body suddenly halted. Then it shot toward another direction, completely ignoring the scattered people lying across the ground.

Chen Fan froze. Then he suddenly heard the sound of something tearing through the air beside his ear and turned around in alarm.

He saw only a streak of black light cutting across the sky. It passed before the group and, in an instant, caught up with the fox wreathed in flames.

Chi!

The fiery red radiance around the fox was completely torn apart by the sharp black light. Its body crashed heavily into the ground under the violent force, smashing out a deep pit.

Only then did Chen Fan see clearly that the black light was an arrow as large as a spear!

Black true essence extended from the arrow, and it had pierced straight through the enormous fox, which stood as tall as a two- or three-story building.

“It’s a Grandmaster! A Grandmaster has come to reinforce us!”

Everyone’s faces lit up with delight.

The Profound Fire Silver-Faced Fox raised its head and howled. A great quantity of purple blood gushed from its body.

It let out a mournful cry, yet paid no heed to the hole through its body and continued fleeing unsteadily. Its speed, however, had slowed considerably.

At the same time, a figure flashed in the distance, rapidly drawing nearer.

Chen Fan could not help but freeze.

What a terrifying arrow!

That Grandmaster was either already at the eighth stage or above, or an outstanding expert among seventh-stage martial artists. To be able to shoot straight through a seventh-stage demon beast with a single arrow, his strength was terrifying beyond measure.

Of course, the fox was already heavily wounded and had expended a great deal of its strength. Otherwise, it would not have ended up in such a state.

“Thunderflash!”

Seeing the fox’s condition, a sharp glint flashed through Chen Fan’s eyes. He gripped the sword in his hand tightly, ignoring the swelling pain caused by the surging true essence within his body.

He ignited another Origin Gall.

Swish!

His body transformed into lightning and shot toward the fox.

His three-foot sword could advance his cultivation merely by killing powerful demon beasts. If he could seize the kill on a seventh-stage demon beast, the improvement it would bring him would be beyond imagination!

Chen Fan sprinted with all his strength. After several consecutive Thunderflashes, he soon caught up with the beast.

He gripped his sword tightly.

“Charging Sword Form!”

His surging true essence poured continuously into the sword in his hand, yet he held the attack back, not releasing it.

Sensing that this insignificant human had come to harass it again, the fox’s flames swelled and coiled around its body once more, but Chen Fan evaded them one by one.

As it sensed the steadily increasing power gathering within Chen Fan’s sword, it grew even more agitated and irritated.

“Damn human.”

In order to deal with Chen Fan, it naturally had to slow its escape.

And it was in that brief instant of hesitation—

Another sound of something ripping through the air came from the distance, accompanied by another enormous streak of black light that tore across the sky!

Chi!

The black arrow-light was incomparably sharp. It shot straight into the body of the Profound Fire Fox and this time pinned it to a massive cliff beside the road!

Large mouthfuls of blood poured from the fox’s maw, while the fiery radiance around its body dimmed drastically.

“What an opportunity!”

Chen Fan’s steps slowed slightly. Seeing the Profound Fire Fox on the verge of death from its grievous injuries, he brought down the sword he had been charging for so long, aiming straight at its skull.

“Sword Qi Corrodes Heaven!”

On the pitch-black sword light, arcs of lightning compressed to the utmost degree flickered as the strike drove straight into the position of one of the fox’s eyes!

Sensing the threat, the fox desperately raised a claw to block it, but it was too late. It could only close its eye.

The black sword light, however, tore through the fox’s eyelid as easily as cutting tofu, piercing through the eyeball and plunging deep into its brain!

Even a seventh-stage demon beast had little ability to resist such an attack when severely wounded, especially when its vulnerable eye was struck.

Boom!

The fox’s eyeball exploded into a spray of blood. Flames suddenly surged around its body. It thrashed wildly, its movements frantic and violent…

But only for an instant.

Then it abruptly fell still.