However, when Yang Hao successfully concocted the first batch of Fire Rong Pills yesterday, he adamantly refused to try them. While this reluctance was partly due to Hunyuanzi’s notorious track record of causing disasters with every alchemical experiment, the main reason was that these Fire Rong Pills contained hundreds of the spiciest ingredients known in the universe. These plants were so potent that merely being near them would make one sweat profusely and tear up uncontrollably—yet they had all been refined into these pills. The moment the fiery-red pills emerged from the furnace, the sheer intensity of their aroma knocked Yang Hao unconscious three times in a row and even caused X13’s machinery to malfunction repeatedly. Faced with such a lethal concoction, how could Yang Hao dare to consume it? It was only after Hunyuanzi’s persistent persuasion that he reluctantly agreed to keep a few on hand for emergencies.
But now, without a second thought, Yang Hao tossed one into his mouth as casually as if it were a chocolate bean.
“I’m about to die—who cares what kind of medicine it is?” Yang Hao quickly realized this was no chocolate bean. The moment the Fire Rong Pill touched his tongue, it numbed his speech within a tenth of a second. “Desperate times call for desperate measures.”
The pill had barely begun to dissolve in his mouth, yet Yang Hao’s blood felt as if it had been set ablaze, surging violently through his veins. His internal energy, like a mentos dropped into soda, exploded with such force that his limbs swelled up.
“Hoho, seems like I overdid it with this batch. The effect shouldn’t be this strong,” Hunyuanzi mused in a self-reflective tone. “Next time, I’ll have to reduce the ingredients.”
“Next time?!” Yang Hao knew full well that Hunyuanzi was using him as a test subject, yet he kept falling for it—infuriating. “Forget about next time—we might not even survive this one!”
“Ah, right!” Hunyuanzi snapped back to reality. “What are you going to do now? That supercharged ‘Polaris’ attack isn’t something you can handle. If he unleashes it, you’re done for.”
Yang Hao closed his eyes, feeling the overwhelming spiciness of the Fire Rong Pill causing his muscles to spasm. Yet, the effect was undeniable—his energy reserves surged to the point where he felt like a balloon filled to bursting.
“You taught me this,” Yang Hao gritted his teeth. Though he often appeared timid, when push came to shove, he never backed down. “When defense is impossible, we attack. If that ‘Polaris’ blast means my death, then I can’t let him fire it.”
“What are you planning?” Hunyuanzi racked his brain—most of what he had taught Yang Hao were defensive and escape techniques, with very few offensive moves.
“Your emergency training!” Yang Hao roared as the radiant glow from his opponent intensified. “Teach me any offensive technique—anything!”
“Fine! I’ll teach you the ‘Slash’ from the Five Great Sword Techniques!” Hunyuanzi, fired up by Yang Hao’s determination, responded swiftly.
Yang Hao grabbed his flying sword—the ice blade he often used—raising it high with both hands in a slashing stance.
“First step: drop the sword in your hand,” Hunyuanzi instructed urgently.
“Drop it?!” Yang Hao never questioned Hunyuanzi in critical moments. He immediately tossed the ice blade aside.
“For a sword to unleash its full potential, your internal energy must harmonize with it, amplifying its power,” Hunyuanzi explained. “The Fire Rong Pill has infused your energy with fire attributes—completely incompatible with an ice blade.”
Understanding instantly, Yang Hao snatched up the rarely used Flame Sword. As his supercharged fiery energy surged into the blade, flames erupted around it, and a brilliant sword light extended its length dramatically.
With a battle cry, Yang Hao charged at Jin De, the Flame Sword raised high.
Meanwhile, Jin De’s “Polaris” attack had reached its final stage—the golden, lethal light was moments away from being unleashed.
“Imagine yourself as the primordial god Pangu, standing between heaven and earth. Before you lies chaos. Your sword is the one supreme weapon in existence. Your strength is boundless, rooted in the earth, your strike aimed at the heavens. All your power must converge into this single slash!” Hunyuanzi not only conveyed the technique but also painted the mental imagery behind it.
Yang Hao leaped into the air just as Jin De released the “Polaris”—a devastating beam of unstoppable force.
Closing his eyes, Yang Hao ignored everything before him—the attack, the danger. In that instant, he was consumed by his own will. Flames seemed to erupt from his body as he descended like a wrathful deity, his sword—now a several-meter-long inferno—clashing head-on with Jin De’s “Polaris.”
What followed was beyond comprehension.
Even eyewitnesses could never fully describe the spectacle. It was as if two primordial forces, forged over eons, collided in an explosion of power akin to the birth of stars or the dawn of the universe. Yet, paradoxically, the impact produced no light—only an all-consuming darkness, deeper than the blackest night.
Later, scientists from the Raymond Star’s royal court theorized that the collision had momentarily created a microscopic black hole, devouring all surrounding light and causing that brief but unfathomable darkness.
Though the process defied description, the aftermath was clear once the dust settled and the black hole vanished. Yang Hao knelt on the ground, grievously wounded—four gaping holes pierced his body, blood gushing like springs. These were the remnants of the “Polaris” that had struck him. Exhausted, his face ashen, the once-fiery Flame Sword in his hand had dimmed to a mere scrap of metal.
Yet, despite his dire state, Yang Hao had survived. His opponent, Jin De, was beyond saving. The nobleman’s body lay cleaved in two, his flesh and organs charred to cinders by the Flame Sword’s heat—rendering him unrecognizable even to his closest acquaintances.
Though Yang Hao had only learned the “Slash” technique in desperation, fate had conspired in his favor. The Fire Rong Pill had multiplied his energy reserves, the Flame Sword had amplified his fiery power, and—most crucially—his unyielding courage embodied the essence of the “Slash.” As the saying goes, “When two foes meet on a narrow path, the brave one prevails.” And so, Yang Hao had struck Jin De down in a single, decisive blow.
“I won…” Yang Hao murmured, his face pressed against the ground, laughing weakly.
Yet now, without a second thought, Yang Hao popped one straight into his mouth, as casually as tossing in a chocolate candy.
“I’m practically on the brink of death—what does it matter what kind of pill it is?” Yang Hao quickly realized this was no chocolate. Within a tenth of a second after the pill dissolved on his tongue, it numbed him so badly he couldn’t even speak clearly anymore. “Guess I’m really desperate.”
The pill had barely begun to dissolve in his mouth, yet it felt as though his blood had been boiled over by raging flames, surging violently through his veins. His internal energy, like mint candy dropped into soda, exploded outward, inflating his limbs like balloons.
“Hoho, looks like this batch might’ve been overcooked,” Mixuanzi remarked apologetically, “The effect shouldn’t be this intense normally. I guess I should reduce the ingredients next time.”
“Next time? You’ve got some nerve thinking about next time!” Yang Hao knew full well that Mixuanzi was using him as a test subject again, and he was furious at how easily he kept falling for it. “We might not even survive this time!”
“Oh right!” Mixuanzi suddenly snapped back to reality. “What are you going to do now? The enhanced ‘Aurora’ is no small matter—it’s way beyond your current capabilities. If he fires it, you’re finished.”
Yang Hao closed his eyes, feeling the scorching spiciness of the Huorong Pill coursing through his body, causing his muscles to spasm. But the effect was undeniable—his internal energy surged so powerfully that he felt like a balloon filled to the brim with qi.
“You taught me this,” Yang Hao gritted his teeth. Though he often seemed timid, when it mattered most, he never backed down. “When defense fails, we attack. If I die the moment the Aurora fires, then I must make sure it never gets fired.”
“What are you planning?” Mixuanzi puzzled, recalling the many defensive and escape techniques he had taught Yang Hao, but very few offensive ones.
“Your emergency lessons!” Yang Hao shouted as the light from the opponent grew even brighter. “Teach me any offensive technique—any at all!”
“Alright! I’ll teach you the ‘Slash’ from the Five Sword Techniques!” Mixuanzi’s spirit flared up, inspired by Yang Hao’s determination.
Yang Hao instinctively grabbed a flying sword—the Ice Blade he used most often—and raised it high, preparing to strike.
“First step—throw the sword away!” Mixuanzi quickly instructed.
“Throw it away?!” Yang Hao, trusting Mixuanzi without question even at critical moments, immediately tossed the Ice Blade aside.
“To unleash a sword’s full power, your internal energy must harmonize with it,” Mixuanzi explained. “You must cooperate with it, amplify it. You took the Huorong Pill, so your energy is fire-based. It’s incompatible with the Ice Blade.”
Understanding instantly, Yang Hao grabbed the rarely used Flame Sword instead. He channeled his qi into it, and the supercharged, fiery energy surged through the blade, igniting roaring flames around it. A brilliant sword beam erupted from the blade, instantly extending its length.
Letting out a fierce battle cry, Yang Hao raised the Flame Sword high and charged toward Jinde.
Meanwhile, Jinde had reached the final stage of forming the Aurora. The radiant energy had condensed into a golden, deadly sphere, ready to fire within seconds.
“Imagine yourself as Pangu, standing between heaven and earth, facing a chaotic universe. Your sword is the ultimate weapon in existence. Your strength is boundless, supported by the earth beneath you, striking from the heavens above. All your power must be focused into this one slash!” Mixuanzi not only taught Yang Hao the technique of the ‘Slash,’ but also guided his mental visualization.
Yang Hao leapt into the air. He saw the light from Jinde’s hands dispersing—the Aurora had been fired. Countless beams of unstoppable force shot forth.
Yang Hao shut his eyes, ignoring whatever attack came his way. At that moment, there was only himself. Suddenly, it was as if flames erupted from his body. Like a celestial deity descending from the heavens, he wielded a multi-meter-long flame sword and collided head-on with Jinde’s Aurora.
It was an unbelievable sight.
Even those who witnessed it could never accurately describe the magnitude of that clash afterward. It was as if two forces that had been building for millions of years had finally collided, unleashing an explosion of cosmic proportions—like the birth of stars. Yet instead of light, the explosion produced pure, absolute darkness, deeper than the blackest night.
Later, scientists from the Royal Academy of the Raymon Star explained that the collision of these two immense forces had momentarily created a miniature black hole, which absorbed all surrounding light, resulting in that brief yet inconceivable darkness.
Though the moment itself could never be fully described, the outcome became clear once the dust settled and the black hole vanished. Yang Hao knelt on the ground, bloodied and battered, with at least four holes pierced through his body, blood gushing like springs. This was the result of being grazed by part of the Aurora’s power. Yang Hao looked pale and exhausted, having seemingly spent every ounce of strength in that strike. The Flame Sword in his hand had dimmed and shrunk into a mere scrap of metal.
Though gravely injured, Yang Hao had survived. Jinde, however, was beyond salvation. On the ground lay his once-noble body, split in two by Yang Hao’s slash. His flesh and internal organs had been charred into blackened remains by the Flame Sword’s heat, unrecognizable even to those who had known him best.
Though Yang Hao had only learned the ‘Slash’ technique from the Five Sword Techniques in a moment of desperation, fate had aligned in his favor. The Huorong Pill had multiplied his internal energy, and the Flame Sword had amplified it further due to its fire affinity. Most importantly, Yang Hao’s fearless courage—his refusal to retreat no matter the odds—embodied the very essence of the ‘Slash.’ As the saying goes, in a narrow path encounter, the brave shall prevail. Thus, Yang Hao managed to strike down Jinde in one decisive blow.
“I… won…” Yang Hao, nearly face-down on the ground, let out a low chuckle.
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