Chapter 44: A Torrential Clash in the Dead of Night

The rain falling from the heights turned into a torrential downpour. Though it was winter, it pounded like a summer thunderstorm with formidable force!

The night grew even deeper.

Raindrops splattered against the conical hat, sending up a veil of mist that seemed to chill even the robust vital energy of the warriors facing off.

Li Che’s eyes blazed with ferocity, as if the accumulated brutality of two lifetimes had finally erupted.

He lifted his head to gaze at the dark sky as crystalline raindrops hit the Cute Cow Mask, instantly shrouding it in mist and blurring his vision.

The conditions were harsh, yet for Li Che, they were the perfect blend of timing and terrain.

The freezing rain was ideal for sapping a warrior’s vitality.

And the pitch-black night was perfect for concealing one’s movements.

Combined, they created the ideal moment to gather one’s breath and strike from the shadows.

“Attack!”

In the downpour, three masked exchange-blood experts from the Lingying Sect roared and struck in an instant!

Their exploding vital energy roared and shook the air!

They turned into three crimson silhouettes, bursting up a spray of white mist in the rain as they pounded the ground and formed an encirclement. Like lightning, they raced toward the burly Ogre!

The Ogre’s nine thick tendons on its back quivered as it unleashed a force that could topple mountains. With a heavy step back, its overwhelming power sent a wall of water, over three meters tall, soaring into the air!

Its bulging back slammed hard into the brick wall of a nearby alley!

The wall crumbled instantly, sending forth a torrent of dust and debris that mixed with the rain into a murky chaos.

The trio arrived within moments, but their target had vanished.

The three Lingying Sect experts exchanged glances beneath their masks, their eyes narrowing as they sensed no trace of the Ogre’s vital energy!

“Gone?”

“Impossible… A fighter of exchange-blood caliber, with vitality that blazes like a torch in the dark, how could he simply vanish?”

“Find him!”

Being seasoned exchange-blood warriors, they all decided on the spot.

The three, initially gathered together, sprang apart and leaped over high walls, determined to gain a wider view to locate the Ogre.

Such a massive form could never hide, even in a rainy night!

Yet even as they scaled the walls and scanned intently, they still couldn’t pinpoint the Ogre’s location…

The mountain-like figure of the Ogre had seemingly melted into the rain, evaporating from sight!

“Damn, this guy is troublesome!”

“He’s not here?!”

His overwhelming vitality surged, splintering the rain and quelling the dust, yet he remained unseen—only shattered bricks lay scattered on the ground.

“Where on earth did he go?”

……

……

Guo Zhan’s vision was exceptional; even with the torrential rain hindering his sight, he caught the moment when a high wall crumbled, sending countless bricks and dust into the air.

A phantom-like figure burst forth silently.

In an instant, the flamboyant vitality of an exchange-blood warrior was abruptly reined in!

In but a single breath, it shifted from an explosive display to a subdued, controlled state!

What kind of bizarre technique was that?

No warrior could employ such a tactic. Even the finest breath-convergence skills could never achieve such effortless modulation!

Guo Zhan felt a slight chill on his scalp, his heart pounding wildly and the roaring in his ears drowning out even the pounding rain.

“He’s coming for me!”

“His target… is me!”

Guo Zhan squinted but showed no fear.

It was understandable…

A sniper lurking in the shadows posed a grave threat to any fighter, making it impossible to engage without caution.

That’s why, in battle, taking out the sniper first is common sense!

“But… how dare you?”

A cold laugh escaped Guo Zhan as his eyes filled with fierce vitality. He unleashed an eagle eye technique that allowed him to see clearly even amid the deluge, as if all were revealed in broad daylight.

He spotted the Ogre dashing along the wall that rainy night, its power momentarily subdued, barely stirring the water beneath its feet.

“Here!”

Guo Zhan let out a fierce roar!

The roar shattered the night’s silence. In the distance, the three exchange-blood experts from the Lingying Sect immediately turned their heads.

Killer intent blazed in Guo Zhan’s eyes. Since Si Mu Bai had ordered him to kill the Ogre, he was determined to give it everything he had!

His hooked fingers released a refined iron feather arrow, while the refined iron greatbow creaked as it was drawn fully. In a flash, the arrow burst forth like a stream of blazing fire!

Bang—!

The snapping of the bowstring resounded like thunder over a flat plain!

Yet the arrow’s flight remained utterly silent!

Even the air rippled softly as it silently sliced through each icy raindrop falling from the sky!

Not even a hint of deviation marred the arrow’s perfect trajectory despite the rain!

This display of archery was exquisite—timing and angle combined to produce a shot that was nothing short of perfect!

Li Che looked up coolly, his eyes behind his hat cold and devoid of emotion.

That arrow was nearly flawless…

But not quite.

As Li Che sprinted forward, he thrust out both arms, releasing a volley of wooden crossbow bolts that whistled through the air with a buzzing sound!

Sleeve Crossbow!

Quick Shot!

The wooden arrows fired from the sleeve crossbow during his run ricocheted off the explosive force of an exchange-blood warrior’s perfect shot!

This deflected the arrow’s trajectory!

The wooden arrow burst apart, shattering into a spray of splintered wood!

Yet Li Che charged ahead without a second thought, indifferent to the incoming bolts that pounded against the high wall like cannon fire, blasting massive craters!

The 【Xiangong】 Dao Fruit had reached level 3, and Li Che’s mastery of the sleeve crossbow was extraordinarily advanced.

By martial standards, his skill was at a master level—just one step away from transcendence!

“Crossbow bolt?”

In the distance, Guo Zhan, stationed atop a rooftop and fixated on the Ogre’s position, narrowed his eyes.

“Crossbow bolts… they lack any true archery soul!”

As a master archer who had honed his skills for nearly thirty years and revered the art of the arrow, Guo Zhan held crossbow bolts in utter disdain.

His fingers hooked as he drew three feathered arrows from his quiver at his waist, tilting his chin while raindrops trailed down.

Drawing his bow fully, he released three arrows simultaneously!

This time, they weren’t silent—the trio of arrows tore through the air, shattering raindrops and producing a long, resounding whistle!

Yet beneath the dark high wall, the Ogre continued to fire wooden crossbow bolts emotionlessly, one after another, howling as they flew.

Bang, bang, bang!

The three arrows were deflected once more!

How could this be?

His proud archery skills were being overwhelmed by crossbow bolts!

Guo Zhan’s eyes suddenly narrowed. In the midst of the exchange, the Ogre had drawn within ten zhang of him.

Ten zhang—neither too far nor too near—but for an exchange-blood warrior, a full burst of power could quickly close the gap—a dangerously critical proximity for a fragile archer!

Bang!

With a heavy stomp, the perfected vitality of an exchange-blood warrior rippled as he began leaping across rooftops, continuously firing arrows along the way!

But soon…

A chill ran through him as he reached for his quiver, only to find it empty!

His bow… had no arrows left!

The Ogre had clearly noticed as well, suddenly accelerating as its raw vitality burst forth without restraint!

At the peak of its outburst, with a swift flick of its arm, a chain of wooden crossbow bolts erupted!

They exploded in a cascade of raindrops!

Guo Zhan gritted his teeth, cold determination flashing in his eyes. Though he was out of arrows, he reminded himself he was still a perfected exchange-blood warrior!

Even if his close combat wasn’t as refined as that of his peers…

He drew a gleaming long knife from his waist, its edge seemingly infused with vitality, and counterattacked the Ogre!

If he could just hold the Ogre at bay, the three exchange-blood warriors from the Lingying Sect would soon arrive!

Together, all four would combine their forces!

The Ogre… was doomed!

Li Che watched as Guo Zhan charged back…

And it wasn’t entirely unexpected.

He didn’t activate the 【Dragon Elephant Vajra】 Dao Fruit; instead, the 【Xiangong】 Dao Fruit in his chest hummed and pulsed, as if gripped tightly by invisible fingers!

With a heavy stomp, he shattered the blue bricks, splashing a curtain of water forward like a giant umbrella!

Mechanisms materialized in both of Li Che’s hands!

In his left hand: Guanyin Blood Lotus!

In his right hand: Muduya!

Li Che swiftly engaged the mechanism at the eye of the 【Muduya】—its internal flints clashed, sparking and igniting the fuse!

The Muduya’s eyes lit up in an instant, golden sparks dancing within its carved orbs!

In a split second, a powerful thrust erupted.

The sound blast tore through the heavens like the roar of a rocket launcher…

“Bip—”

The 【Muduya】, like a reckless bird gathering speed, hurtled toward the retreating Guo Zhan with incredible force.

Guo Zhan was on high alert, but he had never seen such a wooden bird before.

It was moving too fast to dodge!

The exchange-blood warrior’s reflexes made him instantly draw his knife with his free hand!

At the moment he sliced through the wooden bird…

An intense sense of danger surged through him!

In the split second the wooden bird shattered into fragments, its terrifying explosiveness and impact burst forth as if a long-hidden art were suddenly unleashed!

That force enveloped him instantly!

“Boom—!!!”

Blazing fire and billowing smoke formed a ripple of shattering raindrops’ shockwave, wreaking havoc all around…

In the distance, the three sprinting exchange-blood experts from the Lingying Sect came to an abrupt stop.

Li Che stood his ground, holding the mechanism-integrated Guanyin Blood Lotus in his left hand, calmly watching the scene unfold as expected…

Beneath the Cute Cow Mask covering his face, his eyes burned with an intense gleam.

“Playing with arrows…”

“What’s more interesting than blowing things up?”

But…

It still wasn’t enough.

His body lurched.

In an instant, he crashed through the storm, colliding with blood and shattered flesh—nearly losing half his life—as Guo Zhan roared in fury.

He suddenly flung out the Guanyin Blood Lotus with his left hand.

The Guanyin Blood Lotus exploded midair; as it spun rapidly, countless venom-laced wooden needles, as fine as strands of hair, rained down upon Guo Zhan, whose skin was torn and defenses all but shattered!

Guo Zhan was drenched in blood, his vitality surging wildly in a daze, and with a swing of his long knife, innumerable wooden needles were blasted apart!

Yet, in one lapse, a few managed to lodge into his bloodied, shredded skin.

In an instant…

A numbing sensation raced through his blood, spreading over his entire body!

“Breath Convergence and hidden weapons… and they’re poisoned too!”

“Even the poisoned Ogre!”

“With that… you call yourself a hero?!”

Guo Zhan felt an icy chill all over.

Between heaven and earth, a silver thread stretched out and wound around Guo Zhan’s neck, as the massive figure of the Ogre loomed behind the poisoned archer.

“I’m a demon that craves wild freedom—not some hero.”

Li Che spoke coolly.

In the next moment, he forcefully spread his arms wide!

A thousand strands of spider silk snapped tight!

Behind him…

A huge head shot upward, sending a blood column nearly three meters high into the sky!

This is the recommended third round of PK today. Whether it succeeds or not remains to be seen—please keep reading. When you reach the final page, your reading rank will appear. Keep voting to boost the new book chart! Old Li thanks you!