Zhou Yan shook his head and said, "This is a martial skill, you must have heard of it. It's called the Nine Heavens Divine Sword, a divine-level martial art, incredibly powerful. If you want to kill me, just try. I'd like to see how many moves you can block."
The young man fell silent upon hearing Zhou Yan's words. He knew very well that he couldn't withstand the opponent. Moreover, he had already taken a recovery pill earlier, and although its effects hadn't fully manifested, it was enough. He couldn't possibly unleash another powerful move like he had just done.
"I admit defeat!" the young man sighed, realizing he had encountered a master.
He dared not continue fighting, for fear of being injured.
"I can spare your life. Leave quickly," Zhou Yan said indifferently.
The young man ignored Zhou Yan and walked into the forest.
Zhou Yan did not stop him, as he disdained attacking a defeated enemy. Such a person was merely a nobody, not worth his effort.
Zhou Yan stood his ground, not pursuing. He knew that killing the young man with a single sword strike earlier must have terrified him, and he wouldn't dare to sneak attack him again.
However, just because this young man wouldn't dare to sneak attack didn't mean others wouldn't. As Zhou Yan turned, a figure suddenly darted out from behind him, charging towards him. The figure moved with incredible speed, and the sharp sword in its hand sliced through the air, emitting a dazzling cold glint.
Zhou Yan turned and saw, his brows furrowed. It was the same young man he had just defeated. He had returned, and judging by his demeanor, he intended to sneak attack again, which made Zhou Yan furious.
"Kid, die!" the young man roared, his blade slashing towards Zhou Yan's neck. Sharp sword qi whistled, tearing the air into ragged fissures.
Zhou Yan retreated swiftly, dodging the attack. At the same time, he thrust his sword towards the young man.
"Clang!"
"Chh chh chh..."
A series of metallic clashes echoed as sword tip met blade, sparks flying.
"Pfft!"
The young man's body shuddered, his robes torn open to reveal his skin, which was covered in wounds. The pain radiating from his body caused cold sweat to bead on his forehead. His injuries were severe.
"Kid, you're despicable! I attacked first, and you took the opportunity to strike me. Now that you've won, aren't you afraid of my revenge?" the young man gritted out, his face flushed red.
"Didn't you already give up resisting? I told you, you're no match for me, and you didn't believe it," Zhou Yan scoffed.
"Kid, you're ruthless. We'll see about this! I will definitely get my revenge," the young man declared through gritted teeth. He then leaped up, covering hundreds of meters in a single bound, and kicked off a tree trunk, launching himself forward like an arrow.
"Whoosh!"
The young man's figure vanished in an instant, as swift as lightning.
Zhou Yan shook his head. This young man truly lacked backbone.
Just then, a sound of rushing wind echoed from afar.
Zhou Yan looked up and saw the young man had returned. He held a dagger in his hand and was lunging towards Zhou Yan while running.
Zhou Yan's pupils constricted slightly. He could tell that the blade in the young man's hand was extremely tough and sharp, definitely not an ordinary weapon.
"I'll let you off this time!" Zhou Yan said, then turned and walked towards the edge of the mountain range.
Seeing Zhou Yan retreat, the young man breathed a sigh of relief, a cold smile appearing on his lips. "Trying to leave? Not so easy."
The young man's wrist flicked, and the blade in his hand whistled through the air, heading straight for Zhou Yan's back. The dagger's edge was sharp and emitted a chilling aura.
Zhou Yan felt the chill from behind and his brows knitted.
At this moment, it was too late to dodge, and he couldn't expose his true strength. His power hadn't fully recovered yet, and revealing it would surely attract unwanted attention.
Zhou Yan moved, twisting his body abruptly. His right leg shot out with incredible speed, striking the sharp dagger directly.
A terrifying force surged through the dagger, reaching the young man's hands.
"Bang!"
With a loud crash, the young man was sent stumbling forward, falling to the ground. The blade flew from his grasp and clattered onto the ground.
"Gasp!"
The young man spat out a mouthful of blood, clutching his chest. His face contorted in pain. His right arm had been shattered by Zhou Yan's kick, rendering his right hand useless.
The young man struggled to his feet, his face contorted with hatred in his eyes. "I will kill you!"
With that, the young man produced a pill, swallowed it, and after a moment, his injuries seemed to have somewhat healed. He limped forward, raising his blade again and lunging at Zhou Yan.
"You still haven't given up? Since you're unrepentant, I'll have to send you on your way!" Zhou Yan coldly snorted. His figure accelerated suddenly, turning into an afterimage, and he punched the young man's chest.
"Boom!"
The young man's chest caved in, a massive fist imprint appearing on his sternum. The power of Zhou Yan's punch was immense, directly injuring his internal organs and causing him to spit up blood profusely.
"Pfft!"
The young man coughed up blood again and collapsed, unable to get up.
This time, he had no strength left to rise. He lay on the ground, barely clinging to life.
The young man's injuries were too severe to be healed. Zhou Yan ignored him and continued on his way.
"You wait! I will return!" the young man gasped with difficulty, then his breath gave out. He was dead, his body left in the valley.
A gust of wind blew, rustling the grass and making the leaves whisper.
Zhou Yan continued his journey. Soon, he arrived at the foot of the mountain and saw three masked figures in black on the distant peak. Seeing him approach, the three stood up.
The leader, clad in black, spoke with a cold voice, "You are Zhou Yan?"
Zhou Yan nodded.
"Very good. You are a respectable opponent. We are from the Heavenly Dragon Cult. We heard you are strong and I am eager to test my skills against yours. Are you willing to spar with me?" the leader in black said indifferently.
"Oh, you want to spar with me?" Zhou Yan sneered, "But I have no interest in playing with you. You want to challenge me? You're tens of thousands of lifetimes too early."