Chapter 1012 - 277: Frostblade as Brush, Crafting a Brilliant Stratagem to Lure and Annihilate the Foes and Showcase Feiyang

The blood mist shimmered with a sinister sheen under the dim moonlight—this was the final struggle of a life about to fade.

However, Ancient Wood was unwilling to accept defeat just like that. He forcibly endured the cold and agony within his body, as if ten thousand blades were carving him apart; his face was twisted by pain into something near demonic, like a wounded wild beast, yet he still fought on in a desperate struggle of a trapped animal.

He once again unleashed the ultimate killing move of the "Blood Net Hand" — "Poison Dragon Pierces the Heart." His figure flickered, like a streak of scarlet lightning, carrying a momentum of reckless, all-or-nothing ferocity as he shot straight toward Shi Feiyang’s chest.

His hands were like the talons of twin venomous dragons, glinting with eerie blood light. With a sharp, piercing whistle of wind, they tore through the night sky as if to rend all things in this world, stabbing straight for the vital point of Shi Feiyang’s heart. That wind sounded like ghosts wailing and wolves howling—shrill, mournful, enough to chill the marrow.

Shi Feiyang’s face was grave as iron, like a towering mountain peak, immovable and unshakable.

He gathered all the Power in his body into his right hand. In an instant, light flared there, blazing as if a small sun had risen upon his palm.

He executed the ultimate killing move of the "Hundred Victories Saber Technique," "Peerless and Matchless." Both hands gripped the Celestial Frost Blade as he raised it high; dazzling, piercing radiance erupted along the blade, as though it had drawn all the stars of the night sky into itself, brilliant beyond compare.

Then he slashed down with a sudden, violent strike. Saber qi surged in all directions, sweeping crosswise, thrusting straight, carving diagonals; pointing up it cleaved down, pointing to the heavens it split the earth, pointing east it struck west, pointing south it attacked north, pointing at the feet it sliced the throat, pointing at the chest it severed the legs. In that instant, saber-light flickered wildly, dizzying to behold; it was as if one had stepped into a phantasmal realm of flashing blades and swords, where east, south, west, and north no longer had meaning, and front and back, left and right could no longer be discerned.

Each strand of saber qi that swept past carved a deep fissure into the ground. Even the surrounding air was shredded to tatters by that saber qi, crackling with a "pili-pala" sound. Sand and gravel on the ground were lifted and whirled up by the blade force, filling the sky, as if a doomsday storm were raging unchecked.

Seeing the terrifying power of Shi Feiyang’s strike, Ancient Wood wanted to evade but it was already too late. Gritting his teeth, he gathered all the Power in his body into his hands, attempting to meet that fatal saber head-on with his "Blood Net Hand."

There came a deafening "kacha" crash, as if heaven and earth had collapsed—the Celestial Frost Blade and Ancient Wood’s hands slammed viciously into one another.

The thunderous impact set everyone’s ears ringing; countless stones rolled down the slope, rumbling with a "honglonglong" roar.

Under the collision of such tremendous force, Ancient Wood’s hands were instantly severed by the Celestial Frost Blade. The severed hands flew off like kites with their strings cut, while blood gushed from his stumps like a fountain, spraying through the air in ghastly crimson arcs.

Those arcs of blood writhed in midair, like the trajectory of a life vanishing away.

His entire body was flung several zhang away by that enormous force, crashing heavily to the ground and smashing out a shallow pit in the earth.

Ancient Wood spat blood, his breath hanging by a thread, his eyes filled with terror and unwillingness.

He lay there like a beast in its final death throes, the flame of life about to gutter out.

Shi Feiyang’s figure flickered, like a streak of white light, and in an instant he was at Ancient Wood’s side.

He raised the Celestial Frost Blade high, gazing coldly down at Ancient Wood. There was not the faintest trace of pity in his eyes, as though he were examining a piece of worthless scrap.

At this moment, Shi Feiyang was like a judge from Hell, exuding a chilling aura; all the evils of this world would find nowhere to hide before him.

Ancient Wood stared at Shi Feiyang, using the last of his strength, his voice as faint as gossamer: "You... you kill me, the Holy Sect will never let you go... They will see to it that you die without a burial place..."

His voice was weak yet brimmed with menace, attempting to impress upon Shi Feiyang the terror of the Holy Sect. Shi Feiyang’s lips curled slightly in a disdainful cold smile as he said in a deep voice, "Hmph, what of your Western Holy Sect? Would I, Shi Feiyang, ever know fear? The many evils you’ve done today are nothing but the Holy Sect’s retribution. Be at ease on your way; I will surely uproot the wickedness of the Holy Sect and return peace to this Jianghu!"

Then Shi Feiyang gave a cold snort; his voice seemed to come from the Nine Nether Hell itself, carrying boundless majesty and dominance: "The Western Holy Sect has plagued the Jianghu for far too long, slaughtering the innocent and committing countless atrocities. Today I shall act on Heaven’s behalf, and with your blood, offer sacrifice to justice in this world! Even if the Western Holy Sect empties its nest and comes at me in full force, what have I, Shi Feiyang, to fear! This Jianghu was meant to be a realm of peace beneath clear skies and bright heavens—how could it be left for villains such as them to run amok!" With that, the Celestial Frost Blade in his hand flashed with icy light, and a spray of blood burst forth.

Shi Feiyang’s words of towering righteousness rang like a great bell, striking straight into Ancient Wood’s heart and making it tremble, while also surging like a mighty wave, shaking the spirits of Xue Hong Mountain, Xue Tielong, and Xue Qiuchun nearby.

As they gazed upon Shi Feiyang’s upright figure, their eyes were filled with admiration and awe. Xue Hong Mountain, already beaten bloody all over by the Blood Venerable, his whole body stained red, sighed inwardly: "This youth carries great righteousness in his breast and bears such grandeur of spirit—truly, he is a blessing to the Jianghu."

In the midst of extreme peril, a fighting spirit ignited in Xue Tielong’s heart, and he swore silently to himself: "In days to come, I must be like Brother Shi, fighting for justice in the Jianghu." Xue Qiuchun gazed at Shi Feiyang, her beautiful eyes brimming with adoration; her heart fluttered like a startled fawn, her cheeks tinged a faint red. It was as if all things in the world had ceased to exist, and in her eyes there remained only that tall, stalwart figure of Shi Feiyang.

When Shi Feiyang finished speaking, he swung the Celestial Frost Blade in his hand in a sudden arc, like a white beam of light cleaving through the night sky.