The spiritual source attached to this longsword transformed into a spiritual technique and erupted.
With a loud "boom," in an instant, the longsword in the spirit swordsman's hand shot out a beam of pure light like a ribbon, slashing fiercely toward him.
Su Li knew something was wrong; dodging was too late, so he hurriedly raised the Dragon Rhinoceros Sword horizontally to block.
The ribbon-like beam of light struck the Dragon Rhinoceros Sword. Su Li felt his arms tremble violently, as if electrocuted, and his grip failed. The Dragon Rhinoceros Sword was knocked away, and his body was sent tumbling sideways.
With a "thud," he landed solidly four meters away, the Dragon Rhinoceros Sword flying from his hand, while the ground was split by a terrifying crack from that ribbon of light.
Gong Xiao and Jiang Shuijue were shocked, never expecting that in a single exchange, Su Li would have his sword knocked away and be sent flying.
In her panic, Jiang Shuijue immediately activated "Mist Maze," shrouding everything around in thick fog.
The spirit swordsman, having knocked Su Li away with one strike, was about to step forward when he suddenly noticed a rolling fog before him. Fearing the fog might be poisonous, he dared not approach and quickly retreated.
The woman also leaped up, only to find herself surrounded by dense fog, trapped within it.
Jiang Shuijue used "Mist Maze" to trap the pair, but she saw Su Li had already stood up, flexing his arm, and muttering softly, "What a formidable spirit swordsman."
"Su Li, let's get out of here." Jiang Shuijue's face showed some panic. The "Mist Maze" wouldn't last long before dissipating, and even Su Li was no match, let alone her and Gong Xiao.
"Where to? Our Crocodile-Toothed Turtle can't outrun their shark. I was careless just now."
As he spoke, Su Li picked up the knocked-away Dragon Rhinoceros Sword, drew the other Ice Python Sword with his left hand, and his muscles seemed to come alive, swelling up.
"Demon Muscle" first form: double physical consumption, double combat power.
"Drop the 'Mist Maze.'" Su Li held both swords, his expression calm. Being knocked away in a single exchange felt a bit embarrassing.
"Alright." Jiang Shuijue withdrew the "Mist Maze" while stepping back. Though she now had the Thunderclap Fist Gloves, she knew her limits and understood she couldn't intervene in this fight.
The thick fog suddenly vanished, revealing the spirit swordsman and the woman. Su Li had already accelerated, charging straight at them.
"Heh..." The spirit swordsman exhaled, gripping his emerald-green longsword with both hands, and slashed at Su Li again.
This time, Su Li didn't confront him head-on. Instead, he twisted his body, using the enhanced speed from "Demon Muscle" to circle to his flank, sweeping the Ice Python Sword horizontally.
The woman retreated, and gray armor appeared on her lower body, covering her abdomen, hips, and thighs—clearly a spiritual source equipment.
She reached her hands to her chest, energy surging and coalescing into a green bow in her right hand. Her left hand drew the bowstring, and green energy extended along it, forming a green arrow.
She pulled the bowstring, and with a "whoosh," the arrow flew out, targeting Jiang Shuijue.
Gong Xiao raised her left hand, activating "Storm Shield," and leaped in front of Jiang Shuijue.
The green arrow struck the wind shield Gong Xiao had conjured.
Using "Demon Muscle," Su Li circled to the spirit swordsman's side and swept the Ice Python Sword horizontally. The spirit swordsman raised his left hand, and a white light surged, expanding outward from his hand to form a circular light shield about a meter in diameter.
The Ice Python Sword struck the circular light shield with a "hum." The spirit swordsman grunted, and the emerald-green longsword in his right hand shot out a rainbow light again, slashing repeatedly at Su Li.
Su Li swayed and retreated, fragments scattering, as three deep cracks appeared on the ground in an instant.
Missing three strikes, the spirit swordsman suddenly leaped into the air, gripping the emerald-green longsword with both hands, and slashed down again.
This time, Su Li didn't retreat. Driven by competitive spirit, he planted his feet firmly, crossed both swords in an X, and met the descending emerald-green longsword head-on.
"Demon Muscle" doubled his strength, and with this cross-block, he unleashed nearly ten thousand jin of force.
With a loud "clang," the emerald-green longsword, now a rainbow, slammed into the crossed Dragon Rhinoceros Sword and Ice Python Sword, sparks flying. Su Li's arms trembled, and he couldn't keep his footing, staggering backward.
"Impressive. This spirit swordsman's spiritual technique, infused into the sword, can overpower my ten thousand jin of force." Su Li was astonished.
The spirit swordsman, now on top, let out another roar, stepped forward, and delivered an even more ferocious second strike.
Su Li still didn't retreat, again raising both swords to meet it, but his muscles swelled even more, and a terrifying, demonic face appeared behind him.
"Demon Muscle" second form.
Four times the physical consumption for a threefold increase in combat power.
This dual-sword strike unleashed nearly twenty thousand jin of force.
With a "boom," this time Su Li not only held his ground but also sent the spirit swordsman's emerald-green longsword rebounding heavily.
The spirit swordsman's eyes flashed with shock, his arms numb. In his astonishment, Su Li let out a roar like a tiger freed from its cage, swinging both swords down at his head.
Su Li was too fast; the spirit swordsman couldn't dodge. He could only roar, raising his left hand to form the circular light shield again, blocking upward.
Su Li's swords slammed into the circular light shield, and with a "crack," it shattered.
The spirit swordsman's left arm trembled, his face showing terror. The emerald-green longsword in his right hand suddenly blazed up, turning into a massive ball of green flame.
This green flame descended like a fire dragon, rolling and surging, ready to engulf Su Li.
Su Li instantly understood: the spirit swordsman had finally unleashed the sword technique within the emerald-green longsword, far more powerful than the spiritual techniques he'd used before.
Even Su Li dared not face such a sword technique with his bare body.
Without hesitation, Su Li detonated the energy within the Ice Python Sword, awakening the dormant soul of the Ice Python King, unleashing the Ice Python King's Bite.
The Ice Python Sword seemed to come alive, its scales rippling as it transformed into a massive ice python, spewing icy mist and charging into the rolling green flames.
All this happened in an instant. Both had used their strongest sword techniques, ice and fire colliding with a deafening roar. As Su Li used "Ice Python King's Bite" to block the spreading green flames, phantom legs appeared around his own, as if he had eight legs like a spider. He sidestepped and struck, the Dragon Rhinoceros Sword in his right hand sweeping horizontally.
The spirit swordsman's face froze, a mix of shock and confusion.
He couldn't believe his eyes. When he unleashed the full power of the Green Flame Sword, turning it into a sea of green fire, this human not only blocked it but also bypassed the flames, circled behind him, and... cut off his head.
The spirit swordsman's head thudded to the ground, rolling away. His headless body stood frozen, the emerald-green longsword still in his right hand.
Information appeared in Su Li's mind.
"Level 9 Spiritual Source User: Spiritual Source 27/150." Killing this spirit swordsman earned him six spiritual sources.
Meanwhile, the woman had fired several arrows from her green bow, all blocked by Gong Xiao's Storm Shield. But each arrow grew stronger, and by the fourth, the Storm Shield couldn't hold, pierced through, and then through Gong Xiao's shoulder, drawing blood.
Gong Xiao groaned and stumbled back. She had tried to close in on the woman, but the arrows were too fast; she couldn't get near.
The woman's fifth arrow was already aimed at her, ready to deliver a faster, more powerful strike to cripple her. But at that moment, Su Li used "Ice Python King's Bite" to block the spirit swordsman's green fire attack and then decapitated him with the Dragon Rhinoceros Sword.
Seeing this, the woman was shocked. She shouted, leaped back, and aimed her bow at Su Li. With another cry, the bow blazed with light, forming a nearly three-meter-long radiant arrow. She drew the bow fully, and the arrow shot out like a rainbow, reaching Su Li in an instant.
Feeling the terrifying spiritual source within, Su Li knew this arrow was the woman's ultimate strike, detonating the bow's spiritual source—a devastating attack like the sword techniques in his own blades.
The arrow's power and speed were horrifying. Su Li had just used "Spider Walk" to kill the spirit swordsman and couldn't dodge in time.
Unable to evade, Su Li roared, flipped the Dragon Rhinoceros Sword in his right hand, and unleashed "Dragon Rhinoceros Slash" within it, using a sword technique to counter the arrow's deadly strike. Since he couldn't block or parry head-on, he swung upward from below.
With a deafening "crack," the Dragon Rhinoceros Sword turned into a sword-shaped rainbow, striking the incoming radiant arrow from below.
The arrow shattered into fragments of light. The immense, scorching force jolted Su Li's right hand, his fingers splaying open, and the Dragon Rhinoceros Sword flew from his grip.
In his haste, he had used "Dragon Rhinoceros Slash" to counter the arrow's terrifying strike, but the power was insufficient. Though he barely blocked it, the sword was knocked away.
"Bam—"
Su Li stomped his foot, crouched slightly, and shot forward like a bolt of lightning.