The Lian Flying Sword suddenly materialized in Aksai's hand as he spun around, intercepting the dagger slash aimed at him.
Metal met metal, sending sparks flying.
Moments earlier, Aksai had contemplated which of Kaelen's subordinates to engage.
However, it seemed the decision was made for him while he was preoccupied with settling the score with Juyee.
Thanks to his keen Spirit Sense, Aksai had virtually no blind spots.
He detected Thorn lunging towards him from behind, wielding a runic dagger imbued with shadow-element Spirit essence.
Aksai had dedicated considerable time in Martial World Sharang to studying the basics of qi energy and its applications.
After about 12 years of immersion in the field, he had made subtle runic modifications to his Lian Flying Sword, enhancing its suitability for imbuing with qi energy.
When combined with the Sword Qi Arts, Aksai could amplify the lethality of the Lian Flying Sword twofold while reducing his expenditure of Spirit essence.
This refinement also improved his swordsmanship, augmenting both offensive and defensive capabilities.
Although Aksai was still some distance from crafting a fully-fledged qi-based sword, he was in no rush.
He resolved to await his breakthrough into the Argent Body Realm before embarking on such a project. For now, the modifications to the Lian Flying Sword were sufficient.
Thorn roared in a battle frenzy, his eyes ablaze with intensity as he launched a relentless assault on Aksai. With two long daggers in hand, Thorn unleashed a barrage of flying slash attacks at rapid intervals, fueled by his Spirit essence reserves.
Meanwhile, the Flying Lian Sword boasted its own inherent Spirit essence spell – the Azure Blue Razor, a blade of condensed water-element Spirit essence.
Aksai employed this innate ability to counter the onslaught of flying dagger slashes launched by Thorn, deftly parrying each attack.
"Who... who are you? Which sect do you belong to? Stop fighting someone else's war, damn it. We... we can offer you more— aaaaah!"
Thorn's words were cut off as he exchanged blows with Aksai. He wasn't really trying to recruit Aksai. If Aksai said yes to his proposal, it was for the better.
But if he could create some hesitation in the mind of his opponent because of his talk and offer, that would be even better.
However, Aksai only responded to the guy with silence. What kind of braindead Spirit cultivator accepts some chump change from someone when they had an entire treasure trove, aka a Spirit vein island, to own?
"You! It seems you don't understand the value of a favor when it is offered to you. Now face my wrath! Aaaaaaah!"
With a fierce cry, Thorn unleashed a torrent of shadow-element Spirit spells, aiming to overwhelm Aksai with darkness. But Aksai was ready, his qi-infused movements swift and precise.
Using Qi Flow Martial Arts, Aksai danced around Thorn, his steps light and nimble as he dodged the incoming spells. With Sword Qi Arts, his blade became a blur of motion, deflecting the dark energy with ease.
'Damn it. What's with these weird Spirit spells? How can he cast them one after the other without using any incantation? Is he using some kind of artifact?'
As Thorn attempted to cast another spell, Aksai struck with Qi Palm Arts, sending a wave of qi energy crashing into him, disrupting his concentration. With each strike, Aksai pressed the advantage, never giving Thorn a moment to breathe.
'Fu*ck. I will never be able to cast Spirit spells while dealing with this guy. He… he is dangerous!'
In a desperate attempt to regain control, Thorn lunged forward, his daggers slashing through the air. But Aksai was quicker, his sword flashing as he countered the attack.
As Aksai tapped into the Qi Flow Arts, his seemingly insignificant legs transformed into muscular pillars of strength. With each kick, they became whip-like and ferocious, generating immense momentum and force.
With a series of lightning-fast strikes, Aksai's kicks pounded against Thorn's body, the impact creating shockwaves that reverberated through the wooden deck of the ship. The force was so great that the wood splintered and cracked beneath their feet, unable to withstand the power of Aksai's assault. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ novel·fiɾe·net
Within just 20 or so seconds Aksai broke Thorn's defenses and overpowered him.
"Aaaaaaah! He… help! This… this is a shapeshifter demon beast. Aaaaah!"
As the blows landed, Thorn's bones shattered under the relentless assault. The cracking sound echoed through the chaos of the battle as Aksai's relentless barrage left Thorn incapacitated and writhing in agony.
Aksai aimed a precise strike at Thorn's lower left leg bone, the force of the blow aimed to shatter the bone. The impact sent a shockwave through Thorn's body, eliciting a grunt of pain.
Using the momentum, Aksai swiftly shifted his weight, using his opponent's slightly bent knee to support his ascent.
With remarkable speed and agility, the Spirit farmer ascended slightly and delivered a powerful blow to Thorn's right leg, targeting his right femur. The bone cracked under the force of Aksai's attack, sending waves of agony through Thorn's body.
Throughout the onslaught, Aksai maintained his grip on Thorn's wrists, preventing him from unleashing any more flying dagger attacks. The combination of speed, precision, and control left Thorn incapacitated, unable to mount any effective defense against Aksai's relentless assault.
Unlike his encounters with Juyee and previous opponents, Aksai couldn't penetrate the natural Spirit essence layer surrounding Thorn's body with his qi-based attacks. However, this defense did little to hinder the impact of Aksai's blunt-force attacks on Thorn.
Dealing with a late-stage Spirit Refiner proved far more challenging than facing late-stage Bronze Body martial artists due to the perpetual Spirit essence layers surrounding them.
This natural defense grew stronger as Spirit cultivators advanced into the late-stage Spirit Refining realm, setting them apart from their low and mid-stage counterparts.
Yet, despite this formidable defense, late-stage Spirit Refiners were not invulnerable. They still harbored vulnerabilities to exploit.
Thorn found his mind consumed by the pain of his injuries, causing him to lose focus and inadvertently weaken his natural defense layer.
This was precisely what Aksai had been waiting for. Sensing the opportunity, he pressed his advantage.