Xitu did not answer. He swallowed hard, banishing the sting in his lungs, and prepared for the inevitable 2nd round. But he had let slip a dangerous opening.
Lu Fan's gaze sharpened. In an instant, he formed a few intricate hand seals—too swift for Xitu to follow. A small orb of crimson flame flickered into existence in Lu Fan's palm, burning with raw intensity.
Realizing what was coming, Xitu's heart clenched. He couldn't dodge this. There was no cover in the cave, and running was pointless because Lu Fan's Spiritual Sense would guide the spell straight to him. Xitu gritted his teeth, eyes blazing with determination, and charged forward.
A fireball formed in an instant as Lu Fan thrust his palm forward. The spell roared through the air, leaving a trail of scorching heat as it hurtled toward Xitu.
'Boom!' A concussive wave of superheated air slammed into Xitu's barrier, causing it to ripple violently. Smoke and sparks billowed around him, briefly hiding his movement from Lu Fan's eyes.
Xitu's Golden Armor barely held, its golden light flickering like a dying candle. He emerged from the smoke, chest heaving with ragged gasps. His eyes burned with fury as he swung the broken table leg down with all his might, hoping to turn the brief chaos to his advantage. Lu Fan, just finishing his spell, was momentarily stunned with his saber held downward by the hilt.
But Xitu had underestimated a Qi Foundation cultivator, especially one tested by battle like Lu Fan. As Xitu leaped into view, Lu Fan's combat instincts kicked in. He rotated his saber horizontally, intercepting the downward arc of the makeshift weapon.
'Clang!' The table leg and blade clashed fiercely. Remarkably, the wooden stick did not break. It was sturdier than either of them had expected.
At first, Xitu's momentum gave him the edge. His downward slash forced Lu Fan's saber back, driving it close to his torso.
But soon, Lu Fan's strength began to overwhelm him. The saber, once pushed back, now crept steadily toward Xitu's face with each passing second. His legs trembled, knees bending under the pressure. His posture sank lower and lower, the strain showing in every muscle. He was being overpowered, steadily losing ground in this contest of raw strength.
Lu Fan leaned in, bringing his face close to Xitu's. His savage gaze locked onto Xitu's eyes. The blade was just inches away. Xitu could feel the blue Qi coursing around its tip.
"Running out of steam, huh?" Lu Fan hissed, still steady enough to speak.
Sweat poured from Xitu's head like rain. His vision blurred, and a metallic taste coated his tongue. But Xitu knew that if he didn't act now, he would lose.
In a desperate move, Xitu decided to risk it all. He abandoned defense completely, letting Lu Fan's blade slash across his chest in a brutal sideways arc. He lunged forward, driving the sharpened table leg straight toward Lu Fan's right eye with all the strength he had left.
With a 'Crack!', the golden barrier that had once enveloped Xitu shattered entirely. Even though it had absorbed most of the force from the last strike, Lu Fan's blade with its tip glowing dimly still tore across Xitu's chest, slicing deep and sending a gush of blood spilling out.
But the sacrifice paid off. Xitu's wooden stick had plunged deep into Lu Fan's right eye, blood streaming down his face in thick streaks.
Lu Fan let out a guttural scream. "Ahh! My eye! My f**king eye!" He dropped his blade with a clatter, clutching his face with both hands, his fingers trembling as pain radiated through his skull.
Xitu's chest heaved with agony, but he still rushed forward. He couldn't hesitate—this was his only chance! Trembling violently, he snatched up the fallen saber with both hands.
Tilting the blade above his head, Xitu swung it down in a furious slash aimed at Lu Fan's torso. But before the tip could pierce flesh, Lu Fan's survival instincts flared. He raised his right arm as a shield, blocking the strike. The blade sank deep. Hot blood spurted like a crimson fountain, staining the cave floor.
Using his one good arm, Lu Fan struggled to free his trapped hand from the blade. With a painful twist, he finally pulled it loose and hurled himself sideways. His right arm dangled uselessly, torn by a deep wound near the elbow that exposed white bone. Lu Fan knew it was done for. Unless he could find a High Rank elixir, he faced a lifetime of disability.
Under normal circumstances, with the sharpness of Lu Fan's Mid Rank, Normal Grade saber and the strength of a 9th stage Vein Opening cultivator, Xitu could have easily severed Lu Fan's arm cleanly.
But now, injured and unable to use his full strength, Xitu couldn't cut through the arm entirely even if Lu Fan hadn't cast any defensive spells.
Lu Fan screamed, clutching his mangled arm. "You'll pay for this, Xitu! I'll never forgive you!" he growled through gritted teeth. "I'll make you suffer! I'll slice your body piece by piece with my saber. Slowly. And every time you're on the edge of death, I'll heal you... just so I can do it all again the next day!"
Despite his words, a flicker of panic lingered in Lu Fan's eyes. He had begun to grasp how dire his situation really was.
Xitu knew this was the final push. He had to end it now. Ignoring Lu Fan's furious ranting, he clenched his jaw and rushed forward with the saber.
The moment Lu Fan saw the look in Xitu's eyes, he finally realized the truth—Xitu intended to kill him. Panic surged through him. He turned and ran.
But the exit was behind Xitu. Lu Fan was only fleeing further into the room. After a short chase, he hit the dead end. A solid wall blocked his path.
With his right arm useless, Lu Fan couldn't form hand seals. He couldn't cast any decent spell without both hands, not at this level. His right eye was throbbing with pain, his injured arm hung uselessly at his side, and he had no weapon to fight back. Lu Fan knew he stood no chance against Xitu at the moment.
Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed behind him.
'Thud!' 'Thud!' 'Thud!' To Lu Fan, it sounded like the reaper himself was approaching.