57: This time, I want to be a good person

At some unknown moment, the man’s hands held a pair of iron claws, which clashed with Jiang Lan’s long blade, producing a metallic clang.

Jiang Lan’s palm also felt a slight tremor of pain.

He raised his head and looked at the man.

Since his Transmigration to this world, this was the first time someone had been able to parry his blade.

Before, no opponent had ever made him draw a second blade.

Jiang Lan took a deep breath and focused his mind.

This opponent was clearly different from those in the past.

If he didn't use all his strength, it was truly uncertain who would emerge victorious.

The man also retracted his claws.

He looked at Jiang Lan, a hint of doubt in his eyes.

This kid, could he have started Cultivating martial arts from his mother’s womb?

No, even if he had started Cultivating martial arts from his mother’s womb, this talent was simply too outrageous.

This kid looked at most in his early twenties, so he absolutely couldn't be some old monster who had lived for hundreds of years.

Early twenties, Qi Gathering Stage Level 4?

What kind of talent must that be?

He had lived for over a hundred years, killed countless people, and his Realm had only barely reached the Qi Gathering Stage Level 4.

Thinking of this, the doubt in the man’s eyes turned into ruthlessness.

Jiang Lan must die!

If he didn't die, he himself would be in danger in the future.

With such outrageous talent, if he couldn't kill him today and allowed him to Cultivate diligently for a few years under the protection of the Demon Suppression Division... then the day Jiang Lan emerged would be the day he met his demise.

He absolutely would not allow such a thing to happen.

Since he couldn't be recruited, then Jiang Lan must die!

The man raised his claws, his figure like a ghost, leaving a series of dark afterimages in mid-air, and in an instant, he appeared before Jiang Lan.

A pair of steel claws flickered eerily, appearing above Jiang Lan’s head, carrying a terrifying Aura, and plunged down fiercely.

If this strike connected, let alone flesh and blood, even a copper head and iron arm would lose a piece of iron skin.

Jiang Lan’s Blazing Sun Demon Suppression Blade was activated again, and all the True Qi in the vital points throughout his body was poured into the long blade in his hand.

On the long blade, golden-red light burst forth.

Blade and claws collided.

“Clang!”

This time, neither of them held back, both using their full strength.

The wooden floor beneath Jiang Lan’s feet exploded, wood chips flew, and his boots sank an inch into the ground.

The man, however, was sent flying backward, and after landing on the ground and retreating several steps, he barely managed to stabilize his figure.

Pulling his boots out of the ground, Jiang Lan’s eyes became even colder.

The opponent in front of him was very difficult to deal with.

If he hadn't reacted quickly, those steel claws would have landed on his head.

After the man flew backward, he gasped for a while.

“Kid, I really don’t want to keep fighting you. If you agree to join my Green Lantern Sect now, this Altar Lord will let bygones be bygones for the grievances between us.”

“Let bygones be bygones?” Jiang Lan twitched the corner of his mouth, his figure flickering as he rushed in front of the man again, his long blade striking down, “Ask the wronged souls who died by your hand if they agree.”

“Clang!”

The man’s right steel claw blocked Jiang Lan’s long blade, and his left steel claw extended, aiming directly for Jiang Lan’s heart.

At this moment, Jiang Lan also held the blade with one hand, and with a touch at his waist with his left hand, a five-inch long willow leaf flying blade was clutched in his hand.

True Qi instantly infused it, and the originally silver-glowing willow leaf blade instantly dimmed, covered in a layer of black.

Shadow Blade!

Ignoring the steel claw that was about to strike his heart, the Shadow Blade flew out of his hand, aiming directly for the man’s heart.

The moment the Shadow Blade left his hand, Jiang Lan’s long blade swept downwards, and he sprang up with the momentum, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow.

But even so, his black robe was still torn by the steel claw, and four narrow wounds appeared on his ribs.

The man had obviously also noticed the willow leaf blade attacking him.

However, he had swung his claw first, and it was too late to try and retract his strength and change direction now.

Left with no choice, he desperately twisted his body, hoping to avoid the flying blade aimed directly at his heart.

“Pfft!”

“Ha… ha…” The man’s gasping sounded like a broken bellows as he pulled the willow leaf blade from a position slightly to the right of his chest, “What a sinister trick.”

With all his strength, the willow leaf blade did not pierce his heart; instead, one side of his lung was punctured through.

However, this injury was not significant to him and would not affect his combat ability.

Jiang Lan said softly:

“If this is considered sinister, then aren’t the things you all do a thousand times more sinister than me?”

“More words are useless.”

The man’s Aura suddenly intensified, the black mist swirling around him became more pronounced, and within the black mist, the sounds of ghostly wails and wolf howls became clearer.

“It hurts… it hurts so much…”

“Mother, save Tongtong…”

“Wuwuwu…”

Although the voices were distorted, it was clear upon hearing them that the original owners of these voices were all young children.

Jiang Lan felt a tingling sensation on his scalp, and an inexplicable emotion rushed into his brain.

It wasn’t fear, nor was it anger.

It was an emotion he couldn’t quite describe.

Pity?

Sympathy?

Perhaps both, but this was far from the entirety of his emotions.

Jiang Lan looked at the black mist, silent for a long time.

Suddenly, he shook his head.

“Uncle Chen said that at times like this, it’s best to protect oneself.”

“Are you scared?” The man’s voice was sinister, “Trying to run?”

“No.” Jiang Lan shook his head again, saying indifferently, “It’s just that this time I don’t want to listen to Uncle Chen. This time… I want to be a good person.”

“What do you mean…”

Before the man could finish speaking, Jiang Lan’s figure had already vanished from his original spot.

Behind the man, Jiang Lan held the blade with both hands, the long blade glowing with a brilliant golden-red light, like a scorching sun, slashing down at the man.

“Die for me!”

The man reacted instantly, raising his pair of steel claws to meet the long blade.

But this time, there was no metallic clang.

“Sizzle!”

As the long blade fell, the sharp steel claws instantly melted into molten iron, splashing onto the man.

But before he could even cry out in pain, he saw a dazzling golden light, like a scorching sun, flash before his eyes.

“Sizzle!!!”

The golden-red light flashed, like a fleeting glimpse of a swan.

When the light dispersed, the man’s body was split into two sections: one section was his head connected to half his chest and left arm, and the other section was the rest of his body.

Witnessing this scene, Jiang Lan leaned on his long blade, half-kneeling on the ground, his eyes somewhat unfocused.

His chest wound had reopened, and fresh red blood uniformly covered half his body, then was absorbed by his long underpants when it flowed down to them.

His originally black standard-issue long underpants were stained reddish-brown.

That last strike had completely drained all the True Qi stored in the major acupoints throughout his body.

If the strike had missed, his life would essentially have been over.

But even though it hit, Jiang Lan was still not well.

This was not just a simple matter of his body being emptied.

Don’t forget, he still had wounds on his chest.

He had initially thought they weren’t too serious, but now, the four narrow wounds were deep enough to expose bone.

Barely holding on for a while, Jiang Lan felt his eyelids growing heavier and heavier.

He knew that if he simply closed his eyes like this, without anyone to save him, he might die from excessive blood loss.