Chapter 317: One Inch Short, One Inch Hazardous! Face-to-Face Grand Opening!

All around, warfire raged, a chaotic mess like a pot of porridge.

But in Su Ming's eyes, the whole world seemed to have fallen silent.

Only that wing‑less bird‑man remained—

Da Tian Gou!

One minute.

Three minutes.

Five minutes.

No idle talk, no wind‑up.

Su Ming moved!

The ruins beneath his feet exploded, his whole body like a cannonball fired from a barrel, sprouting up from the dry ground, leaping high.

At the same time.

Da Tian Gou also moved.

This time.

Both sides were eerily in sync, neither made a sound.

Especially Da Tian Gou.

As a thousand‑year‑old great demon emperor, he knows well.

If he can't stay still any longer, that's death.

An unsettled mind makes the blade unstable.

Since the ranged demonic arts would be countered by that kid's jumble of gadgets.

Since widening the distance would be exploited by that mudfish.

Then—

Close range!

Bayonet clash!

I'll chop you into meat mush, see how you wriggle!

Hoo—!

The crippled wing turned into a pitch‑black heavy sword, wrapped in ten‑thousand‑jin wind pressure, and slashed straight down.

Clang—!!!

Sparks burst in four directions.

Su Ming, wielding Ghost Cutter, stubbornly withstood the strike.

His tiger‑palm went numb, his bones groaned.

A single blow would split it, Su Ming relaxed his wrist.

Too long, it's in the way!

A flash of light, Ghost Cutter vanished.

Soul Dagger, emerge!

An inch long is an inch strong; an inch short is an inch risky!

Before the storm‑giant sword that opens wide and swings dozens of meters.

This dagger is so small it looks like a toy Bone-slicing Knife.

But he won the gamble.

In an instant it pierced Da Tian Gou's absolute defense inner circle.

This thing is the lightest, enters the field fastest!

"Open for me!!"

Golden light burst from Su Ming's eyes.

Pfft—!

Soul Dagger, bearing a chilling cold gleam, without any flourish, drove mercilessly into Da Tian Gou's side ribs.

Defense broken!

Before the black blood could surge out.

Su Ming's wrist twitched, the dagger spun rapidly inside the wound.

What is the dagger's advantage?

Fast! Ruthless! Toxic!

"Hmph!"

Da Tian Gou let out a muffled hum, blood spilling from the corner of its mouth.

But it didn't retreat.

Its eagle eye now calm as a dead pool, not a ripple.

Black‑feather great sword too long to counter in time?

Then just ditch the sword!

Bang—!

A knee strike, like a battering ram, slammed hard into Su Ming's abdomen.

If this blow lands solidly.

His intestines could be squeezed out of his mouth!

Su Ming's pupils narrowed slightly.

This guy…

Changed.

If the earlier Da Tian Gou was a lofty mage.

Then now he is a desperado.

To win, he will use any means!

Even if it means exchanging injury for injury, life for life!

At the moment of a hair's breadth.

Su Ming slammed his left hand down, his palm striking the knee that Da Tian Gou slammed into.

Crack!

His wrist bones gave a crisp snap, unable to endure.

But using that massive recoil, his whole body was propelled backward.

He avoided the fate of being gutted!

"Damn!"

Even so.

The penetrating shock still made his throat tingle, nearly spitting out a mouthful of old blood.

"Want to leave?"

Da Tian Gou finally spoke, his voice cold and grim.

He grasped at empty air with his right hand.

The Storm Greatsword traced a perfect crescent arc of light across the sky.

The surrounding air was instantly sucked out, forming a terrifying vacuum blade that sealed the escape route!

"Wind God Flow·Yan Return!"

The blade whirled, reaching extreme speed, directly pursuing Su Ming's flipped silhouette.

"Tsk."

Su Ming was in the air, with nowhere to draw power.

But his mind was not flustered.

At this moment, that man's voice echoed again beside his ear.

"A spear is used like that…"

"Force is transformed like this…"

Su Ming took a deep breath, and the panic in his eyes vanished instantly.

Block?

Head block?

A sword capable of beheading—blocking it would be a huge disaster!

Then…

Side step! Tuck the belly!

He curled his body to the utmost.

Screech—!

The vacuum blade skimmed his chest, the clothing burst instantly, and a blood groove was torn across his torso!

Pain!

Burning pain!

But he didn't even blink an eye.

Because…

Using the wind pressure of that sword, he surged forward again!

That half‑meter gained by trading severe injury let him, like a ghost, press against Da Tian Gou's face again.

This move is truly handy!

"Collect some interest!!!"

Su Ming's mouth curled into a blood‑stained grin.

The Soul Dagger in his hand was no longer a simple thrust.

It transformed into a cascade of black light across the sky!

Swish swish swish swish swish!

Five strikes per second!

A bit more than the Sword Princess's four breaks per second!

Heart, throat cut, eye stab, wrist slash, tendon pick!

Where it's lethal, strike there; where it's soft, cut there!

What martial virtue?

What glory?

He doesn't understand!

This dagger is so light, it feels as if it grew from his hand.

Will follows the heart's movement!

Da Tian Gou's brows knit tightly, his whole body convulsing.

Unbearable!

He was originally a demon emperor renowned for his speed.

But at this moment, the storm greatsword he once boasted about, at this close‑quarters distance…

…instead became a burden.

He couldn't even unleash it!

Completely jammed!

Every time he tried to swing, Su Ming blocked his wrist with an extremely cunning angle.

Or he struck directly at the joints and soft ribs.

This human…

…is like a dog‑skin plaster you can't shake off nor chew away.

Disgusting to the extreme!

"Get out!!"

Da Tian Gou finally broke through his defense, roared, and his entire demonic aura erupted without reservation.

Boom—!

Black demonic wind, centered on him, exploded outward indiscriminately.

He wants to re‑establish distance and regain the rhythm!

Bang!

Su Ming's whole body was blasted away again.

"Cough cough…"

Su Ming staggered to his feet, taking several steps back before steadied.

It hurts.

That close‑range flurry just now.

It seemed ferocious, but in fact it was draining his remaining stamina.

His hand trembled, as if he had Parkinson's.

His tiger‑palm was completely shattered, blood dripping down along the Soul Dagger.

Fortunately.

The Da Tian Gou opposite him felt even worse!

His injuries were deeper!

This exchange was a blood‑gain for him!

The Da Tian Gou's body bore fine cuts, black demonic blood staining half of his torso red.

Yet the murderous intent in his eyes grew even stronger.

"Human…"

Da Tian Gou slowly closed his eyes.

"I admit, I underestimated you."

"Your combat instinct, your ruthlessness— even among samurai a thousand years ago, they were top‑tier."

"But…"

Da Tian Gou suddenly opened his eyes and smiled.

"How much longer can your body hold out?"

He is a demon, possessing a robust physical regeneration.

But Su Ming is human, a mortal flesh, a body of blood and meat.

Each drop of lost blood counts down his life.

"How long?"

Su Ming stretched his body, which was about to fall apart.

"Hold out until I send you into a coffin…"

"That should be enough."

"Is that enough…"

In the sky, the wind stopped.

Not a natural lull.

Above the ruins, Da Tian Gou hovered halfway in the air, not rushing to attack.

He savored that sentence.

Unexpectedly…

He felt a trace of fear!

As one of Takamagahara's three great demon emperors, a top‑tier being once worshipped by countless peoples.

Now, on this blood‑spattered human, he sensed a scent that made even his soul tremble.

Power!

Potential!

If this bug were allowed to live…

Ten years?

No!

Perhaps only three to five years.

When this bug truly matures, when it crosses the threshold between mortal and deity…

When the time comes.

I'm afraid the whole Takamagahara.

will be pierced straight through by his spear!

This one...

Must not be spared!

"Huh..."

Da Tian Gou slowly exhaled a breath of foul air.

The eagle eyes that were usually tinged with a hint of arrogance and ferocity now became unusually calm.

"Human, although I really don't want to admit it."

"But you, indeed, are far stronger than those worthless ones below."

He gestured with his hand toward the so‑called many masters of Sakura Country, his tone indifferent.

"To show respect to you, and also for the eternal legacy of my Takamagahara..."

"I, the Emperor, have decided..."

"Huh!"

"Dedicate yourself!"

"Light an incense stick for this world...!"

Buzz——!!!