Journey of True Cultivation-Chapter 69: Chaotic fight

"Just Die?" Emilia muttered softly, her voice trembling with confusion. Her eyes were wide, unable to grasp Yuan's cruel simplicity. But Yuan had no interest in her bewilderment.

Without hesitation, he dashed directly toward Anna, who was still too stunned by the truth to react in time.

Their swords clashed with a metallic ring. Anna's movements were stiff and uncertain, her mind still reeling from the revelation. Yuan's strikes, however, were swift and merciless.

At the same time, Jack's rage began to shift. His frenzied cries quieted, his wild eyes narrowing as his fury locked onto Yuan instead of the heavens.

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Without a second thought, he charged forward, rushing toward Yuan and Anna like a beast seeking vengeance.

Anna snapped out of her daze just in time to see Amalia's blood covered corpse lying motionless on the ground. The sight of her friend's lifeless body sent a fresh wave of anger and regret surging through her veins.

Gritting her teeth, she tightened her grip on her sword.

"Sorry..." Emilia whispered under her breath, her voice shaking with guilt as she glanced at Amalia's body. Swallowing her emotions, she turned her attention to the ongoing battle.

But as she looked toward the fight, her eyes widened in horror.

Jack's arm was gone.

Blood gushed from the stump where his limb had been severed, his agonized scream tearing through the air.

"AAAHHH!" Jack howled, staggering backward in pain.

Yuan moved to finish him off, his sword arcing down with lethal precision. But Anna stepped in, her blade intercepting his strike just in time.

"Tsk." Yuan clicked his tongue in annoyance. Without hesitation, he raised his leg and delivered a powerful kick to Anna's side.

He had channeled a surge of spiritual blood into the strike, making his leg feel as heavy as a mountain. The force of the blow sent Anna stumbling backward, her body nearly crumpling under the sheer weight of the attack.

As Yuan's leg slammed into Anna's, she instinctively channeled her spiritual blood to reinforce the injured limb, hoping to stabilize her balance before collapsing.

Miraculously, she succeeded. But the effort came at a cost.

Her leg throbbed with agony, her muscles trembling under the strain. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, her body struggling to endure the damage.

Even so, Anna didn't give Yuan the opening he was hoping for. Her stance remained firm, her sword poised and ready. But the blow had taken its toll.

"Her leg must be injured now... It's almost broken. One more strike, and she won't be able to walk at all." Yuan's inner smile grew cold and sharp, his eyes gleaming with ruthless calculation. But just as he prepared to strike again, he sensed the next attack coming from behind.

In an instant, he stepped sharply to the right, narrowly dodging Ron's sword as it cut through the air. Without hesitation, Yuan retaliated, his own blade lashing out to pierce Ron's chest.

But before his strike could land, another sword intercepted his own.

Emilia.

She had finally joined the fight, her weapon blocking his attack with a fierce determination.

Yuan's eyes met hers, his gaze icy and indifferent. But he didn't linger. With calculated precision, he took a step back as Anna rushed forward, her sword slicing toward him in a desperate bid to drive him away.

The brief reprieve gave Yuan just enough time to reconsider his approach.

"I couldn't kill any of the other four, but I've severely injured one. Another can't bend down or fight properly, and Anna's leg is nearly broken. They're weakening... but there are still too many of them. Should I use the Azure Snake to end this quickly?"

The thought of releasing his Azure Snake was tempting, but Yuan dismissed the idea almost immediately.

"No. Until now, I haven't killed any strong opponents without relying on it. I have to do this without the Azure Snake. But... just in case, I should be ready to use it at any moment."

Resolving himself, Yuan began to quietly form the Azure Snake beneath his sleeve.

Through relentless training, he had learned to shape and manipulate the Azure Snake anywhere along his body.

He could now conceal it until the perfect moment, hidden from view unless someone cut through his robe or struck his arm.

The trap was already being set.

As Yuan continued to use his Howling Gale Step and Wind Cutter Slash, the four of them gradually grew accustomed to his attacks.

Their coordination improved, their defenses sharpening with each clash. Yuan could see it in their eyes,determination mixed with desperation.

Recognizing their growing familiarity with his techniques, Yuan shifted his approach. He began to circulate his spiritual blood in the distinct pattern required for the Thunderclap Gale Strike.

Unlike his other techniques, this one was far more demanding. It required several moments of careful preparation before he could unleash it effectively.

His spiritual blood coursed through his right arm, spiraling around his muscles in concentrated waves.

Unlike the Wind Cutter Slash, which only required blood to support his fingertips and wrist, this technique demanded power from his entire arm.

Muscles, tendons, and bones working in perfect harmony.

As Yuan carefully prepared the Thunderclap Gale Strike, he noticed Emilia dashing toward him with Ron close behind, their weapons flashing with every strike.

Anna remained back, her eyes locked on Yuan, studying his movements with cold precision.

Yuan's eyes narrowed, his gaze turning sharp and focused.

He dodged Emilia's relentless attacks with swift steps backward, slipping to the right whenever her blade grew too close.

Ron, seeing what he believed to be a gap in Yuan's defense, lunged forward with a powerful slash.

Yuan evaded, but the sudden assault forced him to retreat several more steps. The cuts and strikes continued to rain down, leaving him with little breathing room.

The two of them coordinated their attacks well, making it difficult for him to find an opening to counter.

But for Yuan, this was ideal.

The more they pressed him, the more time he had to complete the preparation for his Thunderclap Gale Strike.

Four seconds passed. And those precious seconds allowed him to gather his spiritual blood, swirling it through his entire right arm, building the energy necessary to unleash his technique.

A decision crystallized in his mind.

Channeling the momentum of his Howling Gale Steps, Yuan propelled himself forward with explosive speed. His body blurred as he dashed directly toward Ron.

Ron's eyes widened in confusion, his reaction a split second too slow. By the time he realized Yuan was already in front of him, it was far too late.

A single blink later, Ron's head flew high into the air, severed cleanly from his body. Yuan's arm tensed, muscles throbbing painfully, one of the consequences of using the Thunderclap Gale Strike.

Thanks to his Red Aura, the damage would heal in about ten seconds. But in a fight, ten seconds was an eternity.

While not a fatal drawback, it was still a weakness that could be exploited.

Yet, the price Yuan paid for beheading Ron was worth it.

Blood sprayed from Ron's neck, raining down upon Yuan and staining his clothes with fresh crimson. The metallic scent filled the air, sharp and nauseating.

As Ron's severed head soared through the sky, Anna and Emilia stared in horror, their eyes wide and uncomprehending.

Anna's gaze locked onto the headless corpse of her companion. Tears spilled from her eyes, her face twisted in grief and disbelief. She stood frozen, overwhelmed by the brutal reality of what had just happened.

Yuan granted them that moment of shock, knowing he couldn't strike effectively until his arm recovered. In the meantime, he could only dodge or defend, so he used those precious seconds to prepare.

With his left hand, he reached into his right sleeve and drew a small dagger coated with poison,a subtle, deadly weapon he'd been saving for just such an opportunity.

The glint of the poisoned blade brought Emilia and Anna out of their daze. As Ron's head hit the ground with a sickening thud, they both focused their attention back on Yuan.

Emilia's face paled, her eyes darting between Yuan and the dagger. But Anna...

Anna's eyes burned with fury. Any hint of composure shattered by Ron's death. Her rage boiled over, obliterating her reason.

With a scream of pure hatred, Anna lunged at Yuan, her sword flashing toward him with savage speed and power.

Yuan met her fury with a cold, mocking smile, his amusement only deepening at her emotional outburst.

And seeing that expression only fueled her rage further.

"DIE, YOU BASTARD!" Anna screamed, her voice raw and broken as she charged at Yuan, her sword slicing through the air with desperate fury.

Yuan dashed toward her as well, his dagger held in a reverse grip in his left hand. As their weapons clashed, Yuan parried Anna's sword with his own, their blades grinding against each other with a metallic screech.

Anna gripped her sword with both hands, pouring all her strength and rage into each strike. She was blind to everything but her own hatred.

Yuan exploited that.

Just as he had done before, he raised his left arm, slashing the poisoned dagger toward her exposed side.

Anna's eyes widened as she saw the blade coming for her. Instinctively, she shifted her body to dodge the strike.

But then a voice could be heard.

"DON'T DODGE! IT'S A FEINT!" Emilia's scream tore through the air.

Too late.

Anna had already moved, her focus on avoiding the dagger. In doing so, she forgot about Yuan's legs.

With ruthless precision, Yuan's foot lashed out, smashing into her shin with a force amplified by his spiritual blood.

CRACK.

A sickening snap echoed as Anna's leg bone shattered, splintering through her skin and gleaming a ghastly white.

She collapsed to the ground with a piercing, agonized scream, her body convulsing from the pain.

"AAAAHHH!!" Her cry echoed through the forest, raw and desperate.

Yuan glanced at her fallen form but didn't move in to finish her off. He didn't have the time.

Emilia was already behind him.

Her sword lashed toward him in a desperate, vengeful arc. Yuan narrowly dodged, twisting his body to the side and leaving Anna writhing on the ground.

But her screams continued to ring in Emilia's ears. Hearing that torment,seeing her friend's shattered leg sent chills racing down Emilia's spine.

Fear clawed at her chest, mingling with rage.

"WHY?!" Emilia screamed, her voice cracking with terror and fury. Her eyes burned with conflicting emotions,both desperate hatred and trembling fear.

"Is she breaking down now? Good." Yuan allowed himself a smile, his amusement evident even in the heat of battle.

He opened his mouth to taunt her, to break her resolve further, but something caught his attention.

A faint, rustling sound from behind him.

Without hesitation, his instincts flared, urging him to dodge.

Yuan leaped forward, but not quickly enough.

A blade tore across his back, leaving a deep, burning gash. Blood spilled from the wound, seeping into his clothes and staining them crimson.

Yuan glanced over his shoulder and saw something he hadn't expected.

Jack, who should have been writhing on the ground in agony was standing, his eyes wild and bloodshot, madness flickering within them.

His right arm was gone, severed at the shoulder, but his remaining hand clenched his sword with a death grip.

His gaze held nothing but pure, unrestrained rage. A desperation that cared nothing for life or death.

Yuan's eyes narrowed. He knew this type all too well. The ones who abandoned reason and threw themselves into battle with nothing but fury to guide them. They were the most irritating to kill. Predictable, yes, but relentless.

Before Yuan could act, Emilia dashed at him from the front, her sword aimed directly at his chest. Her strikes came fast, wild with anger and desperation.

With Jack lunging from behind and Emilia charging from the front, Yuan found himself boxed in. His front and back were both no go zones. His left and right held only slight possibilities.

But then Yuan remembered, Jack's right arm was gone. His left hand swings were clumsy, weak and lacking precision.

With a smirk, Yuan stepped to the right.

Predictably, both of them followed.

Their emotions were raw, their focus too narrow. It made them sloppy.

"So..." Yuan taunted, his voice dripping with sarcastic amusement. "From five to two, is it? Hehehe."

He let out a dark chuckle, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction as he watched their reactions. Emilia's fury grew, her eyes widening with both anger and fear and Jack who's madness deepen further.