Chapter 869: Probe (1/2, Request Moon Tickets)

A cute girl's flushed, excited face appeared in his mind.

Fang Yue didn't hesitate—he manifested a parchment and shoved the Golden Stone into it.

【Mmmmmm! Yes, so big! So hard! So satisfying!】

【Finally, finally I've eaten another Golden Stone again! So happy! So happy! Huhuhu!】

【More, more, I want even more! Fang Yue, fill my body with Golden Stones—I can handle it!!】

You're not right!

Although the parchment's wolfish words easily caused misunderstandings, its speed of consuming Golden Stones was anything but slow.

Perhaps because it absorbed the 【Linglong Eight Imagery Jade Flute】, its efficiency in absorbing and digesting Ghost Stones has greatly improved compared to before, though it still takes some time.

【Of course it's because the great and noble Parchment Master has grown stronger! Huhuhu!】

The parchment proudly crossed her arms; the sensation of absorbing Golden Stones filled her with great joy.

"Prepare for battle—this time we're facing a big one."

Still, Fang Yue had no intention of letting the parchment strike first.

On one hand, the parchment was still absorbing Golden Stones and hadn't yet reached peak condition.

On the other hand, Fang Yue wanted to test how much ground he still had to cover against a Rain-level expert.

The terrifying pressure from afar drew nearer—he no longer hesitated and fully unleashed his Human-level martial energy.

Compared to 【Heaven Sword】 Jian Wufeng, Fang Yue's energy meant nothing—but like a beacon, it was instantly and precisely locked onto.

A blade of light shot from the horizon at blinding speed, humming sharply as it landed squarely before Fang Yue.

Where the blade struck, layers of illusory golden sword shadows spread outward in concentric rings.

Only after the overlapping illusory golden sword shadows faded did 【Heaven Sword】 Jian Wufeng reveal himself before Fang Yue.

"Where is he?"

He seemed to ignore Fang Yue entirely; after landing, his energy swept the area and he asked coldly.

Yet even just this, Fang Yue felt an unbearable pressure.

Rain-level… This is Rain-level. With my current normal strength, merely standing before a Rain-level expert is already excruciating.

【Heaven Sword】 Jian Wufeng's casual, contemptuous glance seemed to contain some sword intent, directly suppressing Fang Yue and rendering his body temporarily immobile.

"This man—even among Rain-level experts—is definitely no ordinary one!"

The sensation of being suppressed by sword intent was like a nightmare pressure on the chest, but colder and sharper—like any slight movement would rip him into shreds.

Under such conditions, an ordinary Human-level martial artist would have already abandoned all hope of survival, lying there waiting to die.

But Fang Yue was different—his limits were far from exhausted!

Frozen… Heart Method!

Bone-chilling Internal Breath surged into his heart and spread through his entire body.

His body, moments ago paralyzed by sword intent, instantly regained mobility from this icy force.

Simultaneously, the emotional turmoil induced by the sword intent was fully suppressed, restoring his calm.

"Hm?"

Jian Wufeng, who had just ignored Fang Yue, suddenly showed a flicker of surprise.

"You've broken free of my 【Soul-Seizing Sword Intent】? Boy, your talent is impressive—but you've chosen the wrong path."

"I think it's you, Elder, who chose the wrong path."

Fang Yue said calmly.

Jian Wufeng froze for a moment, then sneered.

"Your strength is mediocre, but your tongue is sharp. I spared you because you're my disciple's friend—but now I see you're seeking death."

As he spoke, Jian Wufeng raised his index finger and slashed downward toward Fang Yue.

Zzzzzz!!

A blade of qi erupted from his fingertip, slicing swiftly toward Fang Yue!

Though casual, even careless, this was undeniably… a Rain-level strike!

Fang Yue moved, channeling all his Internal Breath into explosive exertion.

Frozen Heart Method surged wildly; his feet activated the Frozen Step, sidestepping with all his might.

But still too slow!

At this distance, with such a vast level gap, even with preparation, Fang Yue was half a beat late.

He estimated he could dodge the vital points—but half his body would still be struck.

Yet at this moment, Fang Yue's mind was clearer than ever.

The stronger the opponent, the more calmness is needed.

In his hand, frost condensed into a sword, aimed directly at the invisible blade of qi.

Boom!!

Jian Wufeng's invisible blade of qi shattered on impact.

Fang Yue's ice sword shattered too, reduced to half its length.

His arm still trembled with the residual shock from the overwhelming power gap.

Fang Yue understood: relying solely on ordinary martial strength, closing the gap to a Rain-level expert was still wildly unrealistic.

But this time, he finally grasped the true extent of that gap.

Though still far behind… he could now see it.

No longer like gazing into an endless abyss, as he had in the past when facing Rain-level experts.

This time, he truly felt where the Rain-level expert's power lay—and where he himself stood.

The distance between the two had become visible—visible to the eye, tangible to the touch!

"Lord Han… give me a little more time, and I'll soon catch up to your back!"

Although Fang Yue was the one at a disadvantage, he himself was unexpectedly excited, recalling the feeling from before, unable to calm down for a long time.

And the Heavenly Sword 【Jian Wufeng】 before him was once again stunned.

"To be able to block one strike of my sword—good! Very good! Placed among peers of the same age like Ruichi, you would absolutely be at the level of a prodigy, the kind that leaves the other geniuses of your generation far behind. Unfortunately, the one standing before you now is me! The one sword strike you blocked with all your might is already your limit, but for me… it's merely a casual strike!"

As his words fell, Heavenly Sword 【Jian Wufeng】 simply slashed with his right hand.

Whoosh—

Five sword qi came slashing horizontally, side by side, head-on!

Fang Yue's expression changed, and the ice sword in his hand condensed once more.

The moisture in the surrounding air was frozen by the cold qi into ice-frost particles, which gathered toward the ice sword in Fang Yue's hand, restoring it to its original state in the blink of an eye.

And this time, Fang Yue mobilized all the internal force within his body, pouring it entirely into the ice sword in his hand.

"Void Ice Sword Art!"

The Void Ice Sword Art was originally a special sword art that absorbed other compatible Martial Arts to strengthen itself.

Therefore, under Fang Yue's full operation, the might of the Void Ice Sword Art directly soared to a new height.

When the ice sword, operating the Void Ice Sword Art, slashed toward the five parallel sword qi.

(End of this chapter)