Chapter 472: Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms

His smile just now was quite warm. What’s happening to me?

Sang Qian touched her cheek, which felt much hotter than usual.

His sister’s momentary shyness didn’t escape Sang Qian’s notice. He couldn’t help but burn with rage. Not only had that scoundrel Zu’an seduced his fiancée, but now he was even going after his sister?

This is simply outrageous!

Sang Qian’s rage surged, registering 666,666,666...

Ding Run snorted, "Let's see if your body is harder, or my blade."

As soon as he finished speaking, he swung his blade and charged. Though injured, his speed had almost returned to normal thanks to his activated ultimate move. This lunge was so fast he was almost a blur. Having learned from his previous attempts, he now sealed off all of his opponent's escape routes, confident he could kill him with a single blow.

He had wasted too much time here today, an unprecedented occurrence in his career as an assassin, which made him subtly uneasy deep down.

"Careful!" Pei Mianman and Zheng Dan exclaimed in unison. They clearly recognized the danger of this move and knew they would be unable to dodge it themselves. Unfortunately, they had already sustained considerable injuries, and Ding Run's speed was too great for them to offer any assistance. Even Sang Qian watched the scene nervously. For some reason, she felt a surge of anxiety for the man. Was it because of that warm smile he had just given?

Only Sang Qian was secretly overjoyed. He naturally wished Zu’an would be chopped into mincemeat. However, the sudden realization that if Zu’an died, they might be next, left him momentarily conflicted.

Just then, Ding Run’s eyes widened dramatically, for his sure-hit strike had missed its target. No, "missed" wasn't quite right; he had clearly pierced the opponent’s body. Yet the sensation from his blade tip told him he had struck an illusion. Upon closer inspection, he discovered there were two more Zu’ans on the field!

"Clone technique?" Ding Run, who had seen much of the world, frowned.

Zu’an secretly breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for the "Sunflower Mirage" technique, which Empress Sister had helped him refine. Thanks to her hellish training, he could now conjure three illusory figures. Otherwise, he might not have dodged that fatal strike.

Ding Run said no more, gripping his blade and resuming his assault on Zu’an.

Zu’an continued to evade with the Sunflower Mirage while seeking opportunities to counterattack. Given the disparity in their cultivation, he wouldn't have been able to dodge for long, even with the Sunflower Mirage. However, his earlier severe injuries had triggered the berserk effect of the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra, which had drastically boosted his vital energy and speed. Furthermore, Ding Run was also severely wounded. Otherwise, if he had used his ultimate move at full strength, Zu’an’s speed still wouldn't have matched his. Now, with one declining and the other surging, the gap between them had narrowed remarkably.

The more Ding Run fought, the more alarmed he became. What kind of monster was this fellow? His footwork was so elusive; not only did it cause most of his attacks to miss, but it also allowed him to seize opportunities for counterattacks. His opponent's swordsmanship appeared deceptively simple, sometimes even riddled with flaws. Yet, augmented by that ghostly footwork, those flaws vanished, and every strike became mercilessly swift and hard to defend against.

Everyone present was dumbfounded. While they now knew of Zu’an’s extraordinary abilities, fighting a world-class assassin to a standstill seemed utterly preposterous.

Zheng Dan gazed lovingly at the figure in the field, thinking, "The man I chose is truly magnificent." For a moment, she even regretted why she had married Sang Qian in Mingyue City, prioritizing the Zheng family's reputation. Eloping with A’Zu would have been quite wonderful too.

Pei Mianman was filled with shock and uncertainty. She likely understood Zu’an’s strength better than anyone present. How long had it been since they last met? His power had improved to an astonishing degree, hadn't it? No, rather, every time they reunited, his strength had improved dramatically. She considered herself a cultivation prodigy, but her cultivation speed paled in comparison to his, lagging by a vast distance. Why was that girl Chu Chuyan always so astute at judging people, always a step ahead of me... Wait, weren't they no longer husband and wife?

Sang Qian, too, was utterly captivated. If she hadn't just exchanged blows with Ding Run, she might have suspected he was already at the end of his tether, his strength having significantly declined. Yet, he had effortlessly injured the three women combined just moments ago. I consider myself a standout among my peers, yet this man, barely older than me, how did he achieve all this?

Sang Qian watched, utterly shocked, but then he quickly turned to the three women beside him. Seeing the soft, adoring gaze of his fiancée, his lungs felt like they would burst from rage. The other stunning beauty nearby also looked at Zu’an with evident admiration, and even his own sister wore an expression of pure worship. He must have had the worst luck imaginable to cross paths with this man.

Sang Qian’s rage surged again, registering 555,555,555...

At this point, Ding Run was equally enraged. He had been attacking for so long without subduing his opponent, and he was already feeling the weakness from his severe injuries. He couldn't sustain his ultimate move indefinitely; continuing like this would be truly perilous.

He then flew into mid-air, and the blade in his hand, no longer swift and fast as before, began to move slowly. Zu’an, however, dared not show the slightest carelessness, for as Ding Run’s blade movements slowed, the surrounding air seemed to become perceptibly heavy. Ding Run’s blade moved slowly; every inch it covered left a lingering dark red afterimage. As he continued to weave his blade, his entire body seemed enveloped in a swirling vortex of crimson shadows.

"Bloody Storm!" he roared, and then the countless blade shadows cascaded down like a rain of blood.

"You're so good at dodging, aren't you? I've filled this entire area with blade energy. Let's see where you'll hide now!" Furthermore, to prevent his opponent from escaping with that strange teleportation technique, he directly enveloped the women in his attack. "You can escape, but these women will surely perish. Having just witnessed his opponent disregard his own life to shield Zheng Dan, he knew that beneath his outwardly frivolous demeanor, this man was deeply sentimental and likely incapable of fleeing alone. Then let's all die together!"

As they gazed at the "blood rain" of dark red blade tips filling the sky, the pupils of the three women below were almost stained crimson. Their faces drained of color. They wanted to dodge, but the area was so vast, there was no time. The only thing they could do was gather their remaining vital energy and erect a defense as best they could. However, they also knew that an ultimate move from a world-class assassin was not something they could possibly withstand.

Just then, a figure suddenly appeared before them. Zheng Dan immediately cried out, "A’Zu, get out of here, don’t worry about me!"

Pei Mianman’s eyes softened slightly. "She's right. I'm already grateful you're here. But don't you dare die, or Chu Yan will surely come after me."

Sang Qian opened her mouth but said nothing. The others were his close confidantes; anything she said at this moment would seem inappropriate.

Zu’an chuckled, "Why are you all so pessimistic? I still have a trump card up my sleeve!"

Ding Run, still in mid-air, sneered. For a mere cultivator who had just reached the fifth rank, fighting him to this point was already a miracle. What other trump cards could he possibly have? The three women also looked bewildered. They didn't believe he could possibly have another solution, yet his expression and tone carried an inexplicable power that made them instinctively trust him.

At this moment, Zu’an’s smile vanished. Gazing at the rain of blood about to descend, he plunged his sword into the ground, then adopted a strange stance with his hands, declaring solemnly, "Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms! Dragon in the Field!" A resounding dragon’s roar echoed, and then a colossal red dragon materialized in mid-air. Its body, dozens of zhang long, exuded an inexplicable might. The crimson rain filling the sky was insignificant compared to the colossal dragon; its massive body blocked every drop. The crimson rain, condensed from sharp blade energy, dissolved upon contact with the dragon scales covering the red dragon’s body.

Seeing that the crimson rain above their heads had been completely blocked, Zu’an instantly recalled the red dragon’s form into his Glazed Orb. He then cleared his throat and declared, "Now, behold the second stance of my Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms: Flying Dragon in the Sky!"