Caught between the two of them, Su Han’s situation had turned from bad to a straight-up nightmare. On one side, he was trading blows with the thug, while on the other, Liu Ba was closing in like a shadow of death.

  ?"Hahaha! You little rat, just crawl into your grave already!"

  ?The man lunged forward, his blade whistling through the air as it aimed for Su Han’s vitals.

  ?Whoosh!

  ?Su Han barely managed to throw himself to the side, his Shadow Steps acting on pure instinct. His eyes locked onto Liu Ba, the leader of the Shadow-Blade Sect, who was watching with a smug, arrogant grin.

  ?Liu Ba had unsheathed a blade that glowed with a sickening, crimson light. Even from a distance, the edge looked sharp enough to slice through bone like it was butter.

  ?Su Han’s brow furrowed, a silent curse screaming in his mind. He recognized that glow immediately.

  ?'That’s a Yellow-Level High-Grade weapon...'

  ?Su Han gripped his own Wolf-Tooth Dagger. It was the same grade, which usually gave him an edge over the trash he fought, but today was different.

  ?Clench!

  ?In this god-forsaken forest, he had only seen two people with weapons of this caliber. One was the cold and stunning Lucy, the leader of the Iron-Fist mercenaries. The other was this 'Black Crow' Liu Ba, standing there with that blood-red steel.

  ?Su Han was already half-dead. The blade was still buried in his back, and blood was soaking into his trousers, making every step heavy and wet.

  ?If Liu Ba struck now with his full power, the speed would be blinding. Survival wasn't just unlikely; it was looking impossible.

  ?While parrying the thug’s attacks, Su Han’s eyes never left Liu Ba. The Sect leader was just standing there, enjoying the show with a predatory smile.

  ?Tsk, tsk.

  ?It was obvious Liu Ba was waiting for the perfect moment to strike, or maybe he just wanted to watch Su Han squirm like an insect before crushing him.

  ?The helplessness made Su Han’s blood boil, his mind racing at a hundred miles an hour.

  ?'What do I do? If I don't figure something out in the next ten seconds, I'm history.'

  ?In a desperate move, he reached into the system space and pulled out his last Yellow-Level Low-Grade healing pill. He swallowed it whole without a second thought.

  ?Liu Ba’s eyes widened for a split second, his smile faltering. He thought the kid had taken some forbidden pill to boost his strength for a final suicide run.

  ?But his eyes were sharp. He recognized the faint medicinal scent of a low-grade healer. Suddenly, he burst into a mocking laugh.

  ?"You’re even more pathetic than I thought! Swallowing low-grade trash because you're too poor for a middle-grade pill?"

  ?Liu Ba’s eyes turned a deep, murderous red as he stepped forward.

  ?"Do you really think those pebbles will save you from me?"

  ?Su Han didn't give a damn about the insults or Liu Ba’s stinking breath. His focus was on the system screen flickering in his mind.

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  ?He had 50 Store Points—the reward for killing the Four-Colored Snake. He could buy a high-grade pill right now, but it would take time to digest. Time he didn't have.

  ?If he took a pill and Liu Ba attacked instantly, the shock would ruin the medicine's effect. He needed a miracle.

  ?Then, a flash of memory hit him. The snake mission hadn't just given him points; it gave him the 'Blue Flower Armor.'

  ?Hope flickered in his chest for a heartbeat, but as soon as he looked at the item in the system, his hope turned into pure, unadulterated rage.

  ?'You piece of shit system! First that erotic pill, and now this?! Is there a single human bone in your code?'

  ?The Blue Flower Armor was... pink. Not just pink, but decorated with tiny, delicate blue flowers. It was clearly designed for a woman, with curves and a cut that no man would ever be caught dead in.

  ?Su Han’s teeth ground together so hard he thought they might shatter.

  ?Grind!

  ?Suddenly, the hair on the back of his neck stood up. A chill ran down his spine that had nothing to do with the cold forest air.

  ?He looked through the corner of his eye while blocking the thug's strike.

  ?Liu Ba had moved. The red blade was already slicing through the air, heading straight for Su Han’s throat.

  ?Slash!

  Captain Lucy’s heart skipped a beat as she watched Liu Ba’s sudden, lethal strike. Her teeth ground together so hard they nearly cracked, and her fists were clenched until her knuckles turned white.

  ?"Su Han... I’ve done everything I could," she whispered, her voice trembling. She was sure this was the end for him, but her eyes remained glued to the scene.

  ?Chen Jian let out a gutteral roar of desperation. "Su Han! Watch out!" He couldn't bear the thought of his friend being slaughtered right in front of him.

  ?Su Han didn't waste a single second on fear. His mind was working like a cold, calculating machine. With a sharp grunt, he reached back and ripped the jagged blade out of his own spine.

  ?Squelch!

  ?A fresh spray of crimson blood painted the air, and a low, pained hiss escaped his blood-stained lips. But he didn't falter. He activated his 'Nine-Time Slash' and slammed the extracted blade against Liu Ba’s incoming crimson strike.

  ?Clang!

  ?The impact was violent. Since it was a surprise parry, Su Han used the momentum to catapult himself backward. The pain was agonizing, sending white-hot sparks through his vision, but a dark, predatory smirk spread across his face.

  ?He wasn't just flying backward; he was aiming himself straight at the remaining Level 8 thug.

  ?The thug saw Su Han flying toward him and grinned like a hyena. He thought he had the perfect opening. He raised his blade, ready to carve Su Han into pieces.

  ?Chen Jian slammed his eyes shut, his fingernails digging so deep into his palms that his own blood began to drip. He couldn't watch his friend die.

  ?The other Iron-Fist mercenaries looked on with heavy hearts. Even though they hadn't known Su Han long, he had fought like a demon for them.

  ?Zheng Zhu, the cousin Chen Jian had saved earlier, had eyes burning a fiery red. "He saved my life... and now I'm too weak to do anything for him!"

  ?The Level 8 thug aimed his strike exactly where the wound on Su Han’s back was. He wanted to see the boy suffer, to watch him writhe in agony before the light left his eyes.

  ?But suddenly, a soul-chilling scream tore through the forest.

  ?Arghhhhh!

  ?Everyone snapped their eyes open. The scream didn't belong to Su Han. It was the thug!

  ?Liu Ba froze, his eyes widening in disbelief. Su Han was supposed to be a dead man, so how was his partner the one screaming?

  ?In that split second of mid-air chaos, Su Han’s hair and eyes had turned a terrifying shade of blood-red. He had tapped into the raw, primal fury of his 'Invincible Supreme Dragon' bloodline.

  ?Using the force from Liu Ba’s previous kick and the thug's momentum, Su Han twisted his body with impossible agility. He parried the thug's blade with his makeshift weapon and slammed his feet into the ground to stabilize himself.

  ?Then, with his other hand, he drove the Wolf-Tooth Dagger straight into the thug's heart.

  ?"Nine-Time Slash!"

  ?Squelch!

  ?The thug’s eyes bulged. He couldn't understand how a broken, bleeding boy could react with such explosive power and speed. He looked at Su Han one last time, seeing only a pair of cold, red eyes and a cruel, victorious smile before his world went dark.

  ?[Ding! Host has eliminated a Level 8 Body Refining expert!]

  [Rewards: 300 Experience Points, 3,000 Silver Coins.]

  [Bonus Reward: Yellow-Level Middle-Grade 'Mountain Crushing Blade' Technique!]

  ?Su Han didn't feel any joy. He knew this new technique had a heavy price—he could only use it for sixty seconds, and then he’d be drained for an hour.

  ?He stood there, blood dripping from his hair and hands, looking like a demon crawled out of hell. His red eyes slowly locked onto Liu Ba.

  ?Liu Ba’s face twisted with a rage so intense it felt like the air around him was vibrating. He pointed his crimson blade at Su Han, his eyes promising a slow, painful death.

  ?"You're dead, kid. No one is saving you now."

  ?The two stared each other down, the air between them crackling with murderous intent.