"Cough, cough, cough... you little beast, to ambush me."
The man in black roared repeatedly, his face contorted, his eyes bloodshot, staring at Zhou Yan like a wild beast.
He, a dignified Martial Master, was actually ambushed by a mere Martial Disciple. This enraged him to the extreme.
Suddenly, the man in black vanished from his spot and reappeared before Zhou Yan.
This time, he wasted no time, extending his withered, ghostly claws, carrying a fierce aura, and grabbed fiercely towards Zhou Yan's head.
"Slash!"
Zhou Yan's eyes were stern. Instead of retreating, he advanced, his hand gripping the Soul Severing Blade, and slashed down.
Clang!
A metallic ring echoed. Zhou Yan's tiger's mouth went numb, and his body staggered backward.
His footing was unstable, and he retreated several steps, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"This kid has such a formidable physique."
The man in black's expression darkened. His attack had failed to subdue the opponent.
"Who exactly are you? Why are you pursuing me?"
Zhou Yan wiped the blood from his lips, his gaze fixed on the man in black.
"Hmph, brat, you've stirred up trouble and still dare to ask who I am?"
The man in black snorted coldly, his eyes filled with playful mockery.
"We've never met, so how could I have stirred up trouble?" Zhou Yan frowned.
In recent times, he had been in Nanyang County City and had not offended anyone except King Yama and Zhao Yunlong.
"Heh heh, you'll understand once I kill you."
The man in black chuckled sinisterly, his tone chilling, like a grim reaper.
"Brat, accept your fate."
The killing intent emanating from the man in black surged, and he lunged at Zhou Yan again.
"Hmph, it's not that easy to kill me."
Zhou Yan snorted, a flicker of ruthlessness in his eyes. He raised the Soul Severing Blade high and unleashed a slash.
Whoosh!
This saber strike, carrying immense saber energy, swept out like a tidal wave towards the man in black.
The saber energy roared, and where it passed, the air vibrated, emitting crackling sounds.
"What?"
The man in black's expression changed as he felt a trace of killing intent engulfing him.
"You court death!"
The man in black snorted coldly, and with a sweep of his hand, his dark green dagger cut through the air, unleashing a verdant saber energy that collided head-on with Zhou Yan's.
Boom!
The saber and blade canceled each other out, and the saber energy dissipated into nothingness.
Stomp, stomp, stomp!
Zhou Yan staggered back. With each step he took, a shallow pit was left beneath his feet.
"Heh heh, kid, I advise you to surrender. As a mere Martial Disciple, you can never defeat me."
The man in black grinned sinisterly, his body flickering as he charged at Zhou Yan again.
"You want me to surrender? A pipe dream!"
Zhou Yan's gaze was sharp. His arm trembled, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. Gripping the Soul Severing Blade tightly, he fought with all his might.
The blade danced, and Zhou Yan's footwork became chaotic. He had already taken several blows, his body bleeding profusely.
"Damn it, this kid is really resilient."
The man in black's face showed embarrassment. He had used eight-tenths of his strength in these attacks, yet he still couldn't subdue the opponent. It was utterly humiliating.
"Since that's the case, don't blame me for being ruthless."
The man in black snorted coldly, his gaze shifting towards the bed.
Immediately, fluctuations emanated from the bed, and with a ripple, dark shadows emerged from within.
"Heh heh, brat, die."
The man in black shouted coldly and reached into the bed, pulling out a handful of black poisonous needles.
In an instant, dense poisonous needles shot towards Zhou Yan, obscuring his vision.
"Ah..."
Zhou Yan's face changed drastically, and he cried out in alarm, quickly raising his saber to block.
The saber light was dazzling, like silver snakes dancing wildly, continuously striking the poisonous needles and knocking them all down.
However, the man in black had already fled, hiding in the distance, watching the scene with a sinister gaze.
His face was slightly pale; his previous use of the poisonous needles had consumed a considerable amount of his vital energy.
"This guy is too cunning."
Zhou Yan let out a long sigh, a look of dejection on his face.
The man in black's strength was unfathomable. Even if he fought to the death, he likely wouldn't be able to defeat him.
Moreover, he was currently heavily injured. If he continued to fight, he would be the one at a disadvantage.
"Little beast, I advise you to give up resisting. I can spare your life."
The man in black said indifferently, "Otherwise, you will surely die."
"Never."
Zhou Yan's expression was icy, and he refused without hesitation.
Although he was afraid, surrendering would inevitably lead to captivity, a fate he absolutely refused to accept.
"You refuse a toast and prefer a forfeit."
The man in black was furious. His gaze swept over Zhou Yan, revealing a cruel expression as he said menacingly, "Don't worry, after I extract your memories, I will refine you into a zombie to accompany me for eternity."
"Zombie?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan was dumbfounded, a look of intense dread appearing on his face.
Zombies were a designation for ancient cultivators, specializing in absorbing the essence of living beings and devouring souls, possessing formidable strength and being extremely evil.
"Hahaha, the more you know, the more painful your death will be."
The man in black threw his head back and laughed maniacally. His body moved, and he pounced at Zhou Yan again.
Blade light and sword shadows collided incessantly, ferociously, with clangs and crashes.
Zhou Yan's body swayed, retreating step by step, his face growing increasingly grim.
"Why isn't this kid dead yet!"
The man in black's face turned ashen, his eyes bulging with rage, roaring inwardly.
He had already unleashed his full power, yet he still couldn't overwhelm Zhou Yan.
"This body won't hold on much longer. I'll have to retreat for now."
The man in black sighed softly, preparing to disengage and leave.
After all, he was not a conventional martial artist; he excelled at concealed weapons, and his close-combat fighting ability was weak.
Under normal circumstances, he was confident he could subdue Zhou Yan.
Unfortunately, he had just used a secret technique, and his vital energy was significantly depleted, greatly reducing his strength.
"Trying to escape!"
Suddenly, Zhou Yan's eyes sharpened. Spotting a momentary lapse in the man in black's movements, he leaped up abruptly, swung the Soul Severing Blade, and slashed.
The Soul Severing Blade turned into a streak of light, tearing through the air, and slashed towards the man in black's neck.
"Damn you, brat!"
The man in black's expression changed drastically. He stomped his feet fiercely on the void, and his entire body soared upwards.
However, he was a fraction of a second too slow. The Soul Severing Blade descended, cutting into the man in black's shoulder. Blood spurted out, nearly severing him in half.
The man in black let out a pained cry, clutched his wound, and fled quickly.
"Hmph, I'll spare you this time. But one day, you will surely die."
The man in black snorted coldly and turned to run.
"Where do you think you're going!"
Zhou Yan roared, his footsteps shifting, and he surged forward again. The Soul Severing Blade danced in his hand, its sharp saber wind whistling like raindrops, dense and unparalleled, enveloping the man in black.
In an instant, saber light crisscrossed, and blood splattered. The man in black's figure was revealed, forced out by Zhou Yan.
Swish!
The man in black's eyes turned cold. With a flick of his sleeve, more than a dozen poisonous needles shot out, blocking Zhou Yan's path.
The poisonous needles struck the Soul Severing Blade, sparks flying. Zhou Yan was forced to retreat repeatedly.
"Brat, this time you have no escape. Take your life."
The man in black grinned ferociously, black smoke billowing from his body. He lunged like a phantom.
These poisonous needles contained potent venom. Ordinary martial artists would die immediately upon contact.
However, as these poisonous needles approached Zhou Yan, they were all blocked by the Soul Severing Blade in his hand.