697: Chapter 697 Lu Xueqi and Biyao (76)

"This can't go on," Su Han's thoughts raced. Competing in consumption with a sword puppet was the most foolish choice; the opponent had no physical limits and never tired. While his Star Power recovered quickly, his mental focus had its limits. Moreover, defending for too long would eventually lead to failure; he had to break the deadlock.

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. While parrying a diagonal slash, he formed a sword finger with his left hand. Starlight condensed at his fingertips as he suddenly struck toward a seemingly ordinary spot on Yin Kui's left ribs.

"Star Tribulation Finger!"

This strike was as fast as lightning, the finger wind sharp, pointing directly at a node where spiritual energy flowed within Yin Kui's body. This was a minor Divine Ability he had comprehended from the Primal Star Scripture, specifically designed to break through Protective Aura and spiritual energy defenses.

*Puh!*

The finger force struck solidly beneath Yin Kui's ribs. Yin Kui's body jolted, its movements stalling for a brief moment. The robes on its left ribs tore open, revealing the grayish-white skin beneath—a dull gold metal plate was actually embedded in that skin. A faint white dot appeared on the metal plate, but it hadn't been pierced through.

Su Han's pupils constricted. As expected, strengthening materials had been implanted into this sword puppet!

In that moment of Yin Kui's hesitation, Su Han seized the opportunity. Starlight surged on the starfire sword, and his sword stance abruptly changed from its previous agile and ethereal style to one that was heavy and fierce. He delivered a horizontal slash with overwhelming force, striking hard against the black longsword Yin Kui had hurriedly brought back to defend.

"Clang—!"

A louder crash rang out. Yin Kui was knocked back several steps by the strike, its feet carving two shallow furrows into the bluestone ground. But the hand holding its sword remained steady as a rock, its grayish-white eyes still hollow, as if it couldn't feel the counter-shock.

Su Han pressed his advantage, following like a shadow. He unleashed the starfire sword, fully activating the Star Moon Sword Intent. In an instant, starlight and moonlight flourished on the arena. The Sword Qi was like a reversed galaxy or cascading moonlight, enveloping Yin Kui within. Every strike contained the power to split mountains and crack stones, carrying the unique purification and evil-dispelling properties of Primal Star Power, faintly suppressing the cold and foul Heart-Corroding Sword Intent.

"What a great sword technique!"

"Su Han can actually suppress the sword puppet!"

The crowd below was invigorated. Seeing Su Han forced into a defensive position earlier had made many nervous, but seeing him suddenly explode with such momentum now, they couldn't help but cheer.

However, Su Han, at the center of the sword light, felt no ease.

His sword had indeed struck Yin Kui repeatedly, tearing its robes or leaving sword marks on its body. But no blood flowed from those wounds; only grayish-white skin like withered wood and occasional metallic glints were revealed. Although Yin Kui's movements were slightly disorganized by the continuous attacks, its parries remained steady. It even occasionally tanked non-lethal sword strikes with its body just to return a sharp, lethal blow.

What made Su Han even more wary was that as the fight continued, the cold and foul aura emanating from Yin Kui grew thicker. The dark red patterns on the black longsword seemed to come alive, pulsing slightly like blood vessels. Every time the swords clashed, a stronger corrosive force tried to invade his body. Although it was blocked by his Primal Star Power and the Sword Intent phantom, it still placed his mind under constant pressure and accelerated his Star Power consumption.

"This won't work," Su Han's thoughts raced. "I must find its core weakness. No matter how much a sword puppet looks like a person, it isn't a living being. It must have a drive core or a control hub!"

While maintaining his storm-like offensive, he pushed his Divine Sense to the limit, carefully observing every detail of Yin Kui—the connection of its movements, the flow of spiritual energy, and even the minute changes in the light within those grayish-white eyes...

Suddenly, he noticed that whenever Yin Kui made a large movement or unleashed a powerful attack, a very faint dark red light would flash beneath its robes at the center of its chest. Simultaneously, the cold aura surrounding it would fluctuate.

"There!" A sharp light burst from Su Han's eyes.

At that moment, Yin Kui, unable to land a hit for a long time, seemed to have some mechanism triggered. It suddenly abandoned all defense, taking Su Han's sword strike squarely on its shoulder. The blade sank three inches into the flesh but was stuck in some tough material. At the same time, Yin Kui's left hand lunged forward, fingers clawing like ink-black talons carrying a foul stench, aiming straight for Su Han's heart! Its right hand swung the black sword at a bizarre angle, slashing upward toward Su Han's lower abdomen!

A mutually destructive tactic! No, it was a desperate gamble to trade a minor injury for Su Han's severe injury or even death!

Gasps erupted from below. Venerable Ziyang stood up abruptly, and Ye Lingxiao and the others lost their composure.

In the blink of an eye, Su Han made a decision. He didn't pull back his sword to retreat; doing so would lose him the initiative and trap him in an even more dangerous pursuit. Instead, he stepped forward half a pace, his body twisting slightly by a hair's breadth to avoid his heart. He let the ink-black claws graze his left ribs. His robes were instantly corroded with five holes, and a burning pain shot from his skin as a cold, malicious energy tried to burrow in.

Simultaneously, his right hand released the starfire sword's hilt, while his left hand lunged out like lightning. Starlight shone brilliantly between his fingers as Primal Star Power was highly compressed, turning into five refined finger forces. Using the "Star Tribulation Finger" technique, he struck hard at the spot on Yin Kui's chest where the dark red light flickered!

"Puh! Chih!"

Two muffled sounds rang out almost simultaneously.

Yin Kui's ink-black claws left five charred gouges on Su Han's left ribs, and the power of the Heart-Corroding Demon Seed flooded in. Meanwhile, Su Han's five "Star Tribulation Finger" strikes landed solidly on Yin Kui's chest!

"Bang—!"

A low, dull thud sounded, as if hitting hard wood wrapped in leather. The robes on Yin Kui's chest exploded, revealing the grayish-white skin beneath and a fist-sized, dark red crystal-like protrusion. Now, five fine cracks appeared on the dark red crystal, and its light flickered rapidly and erratically.

Yin Kui's forward momentum came to a dead stop. It shook violently as if struck by lightning, and for the first time, a visible fluctuation appeared in its grayish-white eyes—a flash of chaos and pain in the void. The left hand reaching for Su Han fell limp, and the black sword slashing upward lost its aim, grazing Su Han's side and only tearing his robes.

Su Han endured the sharp pain in his ribs and the crazily eroding coldness in his mind. He grasped at the air with his right hand, and the starfire sword still lodged in Yin Kui's shoulder hummed and flew back into his palm. Without the slightest pause, he moved with the sword, man and blade becoming one, turning into a blazing star-moon rainbow that pierced straight toward the cracked dark red crystal on Yin Kui's chest!

"Star-Moon Rainbow Pierce!"

This was a strike where he pushed his Star Moon Sword Intent and movement technique to the limit, and it was the strongest blow he could currently unleash! As the sword light passed, the air let out a piercing scream, and the arena floor was carved with a shallow trench by the stray Sword Qi.

"Not good!" Ruthless Trace's expression changed drastically as he stood up abruptly.

On the high platform, Netherworld Master, who had been closing his eyes as if none of this concerned him, suddenly opened his grayish-white eyes. A flash of surprise and coldness crossed them. (End of Chapter)