Standing alone a hundred zhang away, Tianyan realized the instant she was struck that it was already too late, and she no longer had the ability to resist.
Blood spilling from her mouth dyed her lips red, and the sudden injury within her body made her lose control over her suspended form. She fell towards the ground like a kite with its string cut.
However, all this failed to attract the attention of the two men confronting each other by the lake’s edge.
Although the battle had erupted for less than half a moment, the situation had already reached an end. Whoever became distracted now could face a fate beyond redemption.
Tang Ruofu’s eyes were half-closed, his gaze deep as he stared at Xu Yuan below.
Apart from the initial sword wound that burst forth, there were no other injuries to be seen on the boy’s body.
Clearly, his attack using the completed Dao Domain had been completely evaded by the opponent’s unknown instantaneous sword technique.
This meant that the opponent’s ability was not just limited to the sudden assault of the sword technique, but it also allowed him to evade all Spellcraft attacks in the moment of his disappearance.
Could there really be such a terrifying sword technique in this world?
A hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, and for the first time, Tang Ruofu felt genuinely troubled by this junior.
It wasn’t just because of the opponent’s instantaneous sword technique, but also because he didn’t understand how Xu Yuan, as a Primordial, could predict the timing of his Dao Domain activation.
The anchoring of the Xing Wu Domain was silent and unnoticed, and within Mortal Transcendence, no one could sense his method of anchoring an enemy.
Only those with Saint-level Cultivation at their peak could sense it in advance through their controlled Sacred Origin.
Could it be that this boy had mastered Sacred Origin?
Tang Ruofu was startled by this sudden thought.
No, that’s not right...
As a Semi-Saint, he could only vaguely sense that elusive Sacred Origin.
If his opponent had managed to control Sacred Origin within just a few years of entering the Primordial Realm, such innate talent would likely be unprecedented.
Thoughts in his mind surged like a stormy sea in an instant, and Tang Ruofu’s keen perception quickly led him to a clue on the young man below.
This clue slightly eased Tang Ruofu’s heart.
Aside from the wound on his chest that contained the Enchantress Divine Taoist Charm, there was another, shallower wound.
The wound was not deep, barely an inch into the flesh, but it carried the "intent" of his sword edge within it.
It seemed his Dao Domain had not failed.
However, this was not necessarily good news for Tang Ruofu.
Just as a blade penetrates skin, flesh, then bone in a process, the Xing Wu Domain also has a brief moment of delay when inflicting wounds on an enemy.
The previous Tang Ruofu didn’t care about this gap in time because once the Spellcraft was complete, even a Saint could not reverse it and could only watch helplessly as their body was destroyed.
But the problem was, the young man below had a sword technique that could evade damage.
Troublesome, and even... a feeling of helplessness.
Tang Ruofu had never thought that he, almost invincible within the realm of Semi-Saints, would feel helpless facing a junior.
Indeed, he could launch another attack using his Dao Domain to cause damage from a distance, but the boy could replicate his previous tactic, using the sword technique to evade.
As the thought passed, Tang Ruofu heard a voice tinged with laughter coming from below:
"Uncle, was that so-called trump card of yours just now?"
Xu Yuan’s narrow eyes flashed with a bewitching red light as he casually stroked his chest.
There were two wounds there, one deep and one shallow.
The deeper one had been temporarily stopped from bleeding by his healing Cultivation Technique and the strong physique of the Primordial Realm.
The shallower one could not heal at all, as the sharp sword intent attached to it prevented any healing ability.
After stroking it for a moment, Xu Yuan looked up and smiled:
"My sword technique seems to be just the right counter to your trump card. If you have no other move, then I guess I win this wager."
After a few moments of silence,
Tang Tuofu let out a long breath, gently closed his eyes, and slowly uttered:
"You win, I will let you go."
Xu Yuan seemed amused by these words, a teasing smile on his lips as he softly said, "Uncle, do you think you have the upper hand right now?"
Tang Ruofu was not bothered by the mockery in Xu Yuan’s words, opened his eyes, and calmly stated:
"The two of you are no match for me, and I don’t wish for Xia Qing to die here. Isn’t letting you leave the best choice?"
Tang Ruofu glanced at Tianyan a hundred zhang away.
The girl was still falling towards the ground, her sleeves fluttering, her blood-stained black robe adding a touch of tragic beauty amid the white mist.
"Jing He, you hold Qing’er’s life in your hands, and I hold it as well. Isn’t this a fair trade?"
"It is indeed very fair."
Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, nodded seriously, then cracked a grin and said:
"But what if I told you that Tianyan is actually much stronger than me by more than just a notch, would you believe it?"
Tang Ruofu slightly raised his eyebrows, looking at Tianyan’s debilitated figure and sighed:
"Even if she is stronger than you, what good is it now? As a cultivator of the Dao, the moment her meridians were severed, she became powerless to use her Spellcraft."
Even if you can wield tremendous spellcraft, if I incapacitate you first, then you are nothing.
As he spoke, Tang Ruofu’s lips curved into a meaningful smile: