Yu Daochen knew this guy was at the end of his rope. One strike with his Kanglong Mace would either kill him or leave him severely injured.
Just as Yu Daochen raised the Kanglong Mace for the final blow, another figure emerged from the darkness, shooting a talisman.
Yu Daochen reacted swiftly, dodging the incoming talisman, but the man immediately followed up, thrusting his dagger.
Yu Daochen parried the dagger with the Kanglong Mace, then clenched his fist and struck.
The shadowy figure mirrored his move, clenching his fist and launching an attack.
Bang!
Their fists collided, and both were forced back a step.
Yu Daochen was slightly surprised. This person was not weak, at least an expert on the Tianzi list.
The figure also sighed inwardly, acknowledging Yu Daochen's prowess as a Tianzi list contender.
When paths cross, the brave prevail. As Yu Daochen prepared to strike again with the Kanglong Mace, a chain suddenly shot out from behind, coiling around his mace-wielding arm.
"Backup!"
Yu Daochen's expression changed. He glanced behind him, but his vision was obscured, and he couldn't see what was happening.
The figure seized the opportunity and attacked fiercely with his dagger. Yu Daochen, with one arm bound by the chain, could only use his left hand to wield the Kanglong Mace and engage the attacker.
With one arm entangled and constantly needing to guard against the person behind him, he was quickly at a disadvantage. However, Tianzi list experts were not easily dealt with.
Even though Yu Daochen was on the defensive, his Kanglong Mace remained sharp, offering no quarter to the dagger-wielding attacker.
Yu Daochen seized an opening as the figure swung his dagger and delivered a sweeping kick.
The figure responded by raising his leg for a counter-kick.
Bang!
Both were forced back several steps. Yu Daochen's lips curved upwards. As long as he could create distance and buy time to cast spells, victory would surely be his.
The figure, well aware of the power of Yu Daochen's spells, lunged forward with his dagger, but it was too late. Yu Daochen put away the Kanglong Mace, formed a hand seal with one hand, took a deep breath, and spewed a torrent of flames from his mouth.
At such close range, in the narrow corridor, escape was impossible.
In a corridor, the Flame Swallowing Art was more effective than any other spell, except perhaps Zhang Xiaoqiang's Yuan Depleting Finger.
The moment Yu Daochen finished spewing flames, the figure behind him, which had remained still, suddenly charged forward.
Yu Daochen reacted with lightning speed. As he turned, his palm had already condensed into the Earth Kun Hand, aiming for the charging figure's heart.
Just as Yu Daochen's palm struck the figure, a puff of white smoke erupted. The figure then transformed into a paper effigy made from a yellow talisman, falling to the ground.
The line of sight on both sides of the corridor cleared. Yu Daochen saw that both attackers had fled and looked down at the yellow talisman paper effigy.
His guess was correct; it was merely a substitute.
Yu Daochen had sensed something was amiss earlier. This figure had only engaged him without truly attacking, leading him to suspect it was a substitute.
The figure was quite capable, controlling a substitute to attack him at a critical moment.
However, the bloodstains on the ground indicated that he too was likely injured.
Yu Daochen understood the principle of not pursuing a cornered enemy. He did not give chase but returned to his room to rest.
In a room on the fourth floor, a man around forty years old, his clothes tattered and body covered in blood, his face pale, clearly bore the marks of a fierce battle.
Beside him, a young man, covering his nose, looked at the pale-faced man. "Master, you're alright..."
Before the young man could finish, the man slapped him.
Slap!
The young man, whose nose bridge had already been dislocated by Yu Daochen's punch, gritted his teeth in pain from the blow, even though it wasn't delivered with full force.
The man glared fiercely at the young man. "Damn it, why did you have to provoke that menace?"
The young man lowered his head, not daring to breathe.
Youngsters possessed a spirit of defiance; without trying, they always wondered if the opponent was truly as formidable as rumored.
He had merely wanted to test if this peerless prodigy of the younger generation was as legendary as the rumors claimed.
But he never expected that he and Yu Daochen were not on the same level, unable to withstand even a single exchange.
The man closed his eyes and sighed. The mistake had been made, and words were of no use. Fortunately, the kid wasn't entirely foolish; he had covered his face when attacking, so his appearance wasn't seen.
Now, he could only hope that this incident would pass.
The man glared fiercely at the young man and warned him, "Next time you encounter that menace, go around him. Do you hear me?"
"Your disciple understands," the young man replied quickly.
If his master hadn't arrived in time, he would likely have been killed by the mace.
Now, he trembled at the sight of Yu Daochen and dared not meet him again.
The man tore off his ragged clothes, his heart filled with emotion.
He truly deserved to be recognized as the foremost figure of the younger generation in the martial world. It seemed his place on the Tianzi list was well-earned, with no exaggeration.
If he hadn't used that paper effigy to block some of the damage just now, he would have been lying down by now.
With such strength at his age, who knew how terrifying he would become in the future.
The young man whispered softly, "Master, that paper effigy was something I had nurtured for a long time."
The man's anger flared upon hearing this, and he delivered another slap. "You dare mention it? If you hadn't been so conceited, would that paper effigy have died?"