Chapter Sixty-Three: The Final Battle Begins

“Fang Mu, coroner of Jinglong County, by a twist of fate became a mystic. His cultivation level is about the Dragon Gate Realm. He wields a set of vicious stabbing techniques and a remarkably swift blade style.” As Fang Mu charged forward with overwhelming force, Yu Youde remained calm, reciting Fang Mu’s biography as if it were nothing. “And, of course, there’s that strange golden defensive technique,” Yu Youde added, his voice slow and steady. “But you are no match for me. The very fact that I can speak to you at length here means I am absolutely certain of victory.”

As he spoke, Yu Youde flicked his sleeve, and his aura shifted. Thick black miasma erupted from his body, swirling and twisting before him, condensing into a skull the size of a millstone. The skull, forged of black mist, opened its jaw and unleashed a dreadful roar—a chorus of men and women, old and young, all commingled into a grotesque cacophony that made the listener’s head throb and mind reel.

Fang Mu raised his butcher’s blade, slicing a bright arc through the air, its dazzling light piercing the gloom.

A thunderous crash exploded forth. The skull behind Yu Youde roared, and the black mist transformed into a long whip, coiling tightly around Yu Youde, blocking Fang Mu’s blade with impenetrable force.

Seeing this, Fang Mu’s left hand darted to his waist, and the Ghostly Dagger transformed into five afterimages, thrusting at Yu Youde’s five vital points. Yet the black mist whip twisted and intercepted the daggers as well.

Crimson true energy erupted, and wherever it met the black mist, a fierce red light seared. Under the assault of the red glow, the black whip grew thinner and weaker.

“This county values talent, but those who refuse to submit have only one fate—death.” From within the black skull came Yu Youde’s cold, regretful voice. A column of black mist spewed from the skull’s crown, forming a whip as thick as a barrel, striking Fang Mu’s shoulder at a sly angle.

Sensing the gust above, Fang Mu tried to withdraw his butcher’s blade and dagger to dodge, but found the black whip above the skull spinning rapidly. As it spun, a powerful suction gripped his weapons, holding them fast.

As the whip drew closer, a golden radiance erupted from Fang Mu’s body, enveloping him from head to toe.

A sharp crack rang out as the whip struck the golden light. In an instant, the brilliance of the Golden Body Art faded from resplendent gold to pale yellow.

Fang Mu staggered to his feet, shaken. That single blow had forced him to pour all his true energy into the Golden Body Art’s defense, draining a fifth of his reserves in a heartbeat.

“Die!” Yu Youde roared.

The black skull soared skyward, poised to deliver a fatal blow.

“Bagua! Bind!” At that moment, Iron Diviner, who had stood aside, finally moved.

A spectral Bagua appeared behind Iron Diviner, spreading outward and transforming into eight illusory chains that coiled around the black skull layer by layer. Bound by the “Bagua: Bind,” the black skull halted in midair.

“Hurry—” Iron Diviner began to shout, but the cry was cut off abruptly. The chains, which had seemed so solid, dissolved into nothingness in less than two seconds.

Yu Youde turned the black skull toward Iron Diviner, his voice low and menacing: “I almost forgot about you.”

A whip of black mist lashed at Iron Diviner’s chest.

In the nick of time, Iron Diviner raised his bronze compass to block the blow.

Blood gushed from his lips as the impact sent him reeling, gravely wounded by a single strike.

A flash of the butcher’s blade, burning crimson with true energy, swept through the air. The black whip poised to strike Iron Diviner was severed.

Fang Mu raised his blade before him, his expression grave.

Iron Diviner staggered back two steps, his pallor easing only slightly.

“So, you both wish to die first? I will oblige you.” The black skull cackled, its laughter chilling, as if regarding two helpless lambs before slaughter.

Explosions rippled within the black skull, and then it began to change. With every blast, another whip of black mist burst forth. Who knew how many detonations there were? In the blink of an eye, the skull’s form was utterly transformed.

It was now so densely covered in black whips that its original shape was unrecognizable. Though still locked in battle, Fang Mu could not help finding the sight absurd—the black skull now looked like a sea urchin, its spines replaced by black whips, giving it an appearance almost inappropriate for young eyes.

“Die!” howled the skull, its monstrous chorus echoing as scores of black whips rained down from above.

Fang Mu knew that if he were pierced by so many whips, he would be sent straight to the underworld—and not in one piece.

In this desperate moment, Fang Mu grabbed Iron Diviner by the collar.

Iron Diviner stared in confusion. “???”

“Run!” Fang Mu barked, and without further ado, dragged Iron Diviner with him as he fled in one direction.

The black whips struck only empty air. Yu Youde stared after Fang Mu, who in a flash was nothing but a retreating back, momentarily stunned.

“Fang Mu! You can’t escape!” Yu Youde shouted in fury. “Think you can just insult me and run? Am I some pushover? You must die today!”

The black whips moved like legs, alternately striking the ground, rapidly pursuing Fang Mu.

…

In the dense mountain forest, Iron Diviner was dragged along in Fang Mu’s grip. The treacherous terrain left him dizzy and disoriented.

“Thank you, Brother Fang, for saving me,” Iron Diviner managed to say through his confusion.

He had not expected, in so dangerous a moment, that Fang Mu would take him along while fleeing. It was a gesture that filled Iron Diviner with shame for ever doubting Fang Mu’s intentions; he resolved to think better of him in the future.

Fang Mu, focused on escape, paused at the gratitude, awkwardly trying not to show it. “No thanks needed. This is what mystics like us should do.”

Indeed, taking Iron Diviner with him was partly to save him, but mostly for other reasons—reasons akin to the old saying about running from a tiger.

Iron Diviner regarded Fang Mu’s earnest reply, feeling something amiss but unable to put his finger on it.

“Fang Mu, you cannot escape! I’ll turn you into a fiend to do my bidding!” The furious roar behind them was drawing ever closer.

Fang Mu looked back to see a massive, shadowy figure flickering ever nearer, even as he ran with all his strength. Yet, the gap between pursuer and pursued shrank with every breath.