Number Zero rapidly assumed a defensive stance.
The blade struck heavily against the Troll's Mallet.
Under the immense force, Number Zero slid back to absorb the blow, then swung the Troll's Mallet upward from below.
The old man effortlessly blocked it with his scabbard and thrust his right foot toward Number Zero's thigh.
Number Zero reacted swiftly, pulling her thigh back and rolling along the ground to brace herself. Springing forward once more, she swung the Troll's Mallet horizontally.
The old man casually kicked the Troll's Mallet aside and thrust his blade toward Number Zero's face.
Number Zero dodged to the side as Earth Walls rose from the soil beneath her feet, blocking his path to open up distance.
Yet the Earth Walls were like paper before the old man, easily sliced to pieces.
Deflecting the Troll's Mallet with another strike, Number Zero suddenly doubled over. The tail behind her, wrapping around the Rib Sword, thrust straight toward his face.
The unexpected attack caught the old man completely off guard. He stepped back, allowing Number Zero to break his momentum and successfully open up distance.
“This combat awareness... Are you really a Golem?”
Number Zero waved her left hand, shooting a mass of Earth Spikes toward the old man.
However, the old man ignored the Earth Spikes, looking up at the sky instead.
The needle on the Wind Whisper Compass in his hand successfully locked onto something, pointing straight up toward the heavens.
Shing!
Clang!
The sound of a sword drawing was instantly followed by a heavy collision.
A figure slashed downward from above, radiating a dense pressure of magic power.
Evenly matched!
A look of shock flashed in the old man's eyes.
“You actually dared to return... You truly look down on me.”
“I'm just taking your worthless life on my way through.”
“Freeze!”
Frost spread from Crystal Orchid onto the old man's blade.
A bone-chilling cold erupted, pressing down on him.
The mud beneath his feet rapidly solidified, freezing the old man in place.
The old man snorted coldly, effortlessly breaking free from his frozen legs. He stepped back and turned sideways, deflecting Li Xiuman's Crystal Orchid.
Then, taking advantage of the momentum, he slashed toward Li Xiuman's neck.
“Too arrogant, kid! Die!”
Li Xiuman grabbed his wand and blocked against his neck.
The blade struck the wand heavily, sending sparks flying before getting repelled. Li Xiuman felt a violent shudder run through his neck.
The wand was completely undamaged.
“That's a wand?!”
The old man felt his hands go numb from the impact.
He could swear he had never hit anything harder than this wand in his entire life.
Seizing the opportunity, Li Xiuman lunged into the old man's chest.
Number Zero charged forward as well, pincering him from the other side. She leaped into the air with the Troll's Mallet and slammed it down fiercely.
Attacked from both front and back.
The old man quickly snapped out of his shock, spreading his feet and pivoting his body.
Holding his scabbard with one hand, he blocked Number Zero's attack.
With his right hand, he slashed his sword downward toward Li Xiuman.
Li Xiuman raised Crystal Orchid at an angle to meet the descending blade.
Bang!
The collision of all three erupted in a shockwave of air.
Li Xiuman abruptly raised his head, extending his neck.
Underneath his hood, his empty sockets glared intensely at the old man, sending a chill down the old man's spine.
“Contract Summon: Deep-Sea Water Monster!”
A bleak, cold aura erupted, making the old man's skin crawl.
What was this feeling?!
The old man looked toward an empty space; his battle instincts told him an invisible monster was standing right there!
Then, his body tightened.
It felt as if invisible tentacles were wrapping themselves tightly around his body.
“Wind Sever!”
Li Xiuman used his free hand to press against the old man's head with all his strength.
It was a life-or-death moment!
The old man's heart pounded wildly. How could this be? A top-tier Tier 4 Swordsman like him was about to fall at the hands of a junior?!
Wind's Favor, activate!
Tier 3 Magic: “Wind Sever!”
Instant cast!
As the magic circle expanded right before his eyes, the old man's pupils shrank to pinpricks, and his spirit reached its peak!
“Body Limit Break!”
“Lone-Sword Style Secret Art: Single God Slash!”
A burst of bloody light erupted.
Li Xiuman and Number Zero were blown backward.
A Tier 3 spell, Wind Sever, fired point-blank at the head—Li Xiuman couldn't imagine any trick that could let the old man survive that.
Yet, having heard no system notification, Li Xiuman looked toward the blast center with shock and doubt.
As the smoke cleared...
The old man, his face covered in blood, was still standing there, blade in hand.
How was this possible?!
That was a point-blank, instant-cast Tier 3 spell right to the face!
A deep, bone-deep gash now ran diagonally across the old man's face.
His left eye had been blinded.
“Haa... haa...”
Panting heavily, the old man glared at Li Xiuman.
Then, without the slightest hesitation, he turned and fled.
How could Li Xiuman let this opportunity slip? He pursued immediately, swinging Crystal Orchid to launch arcs of icy Blade Qi.
The old man ducked and dodged the Blade Qi in a frenzy.
However, the moment Li Xiuman drew near, the old man's aura completely shifted—where was any trace of his former panic?
Gripping his longsword, he executed a swift spin, unleashing a slash of the Lone-Sword Style with fluid perfection.
This old bastard was acting!
I was careless!
Damn it! Pursuing too fast, facing a Lv. 48 top-tier Tier 4 Swordsman alone in close combat, there's no way I can win!
While these thoughts raced through his mind, Li Xiuman swiftly blocked with his blade. The heavy, powerful force of the direct strike nearly knocked Crystal Orchid from his hand.
This power was even stronger than before.
Was this the effect of that Limit Break from earlier?!
He rapidly pulled back to create distance.
Defeating a top-tier Tier 4 Swordsman head-on was indeed impossible.
Earlier, he had only managed to land a combo because the old man had lowered his guard.
Now that the old man was fully cautious, that trick would no longer work.
A magic circle opened up, the red magic runes on it glowing with a vivid light.
Seeing the magic runes, the old man flinched in terror, instantly backing away and putting on that panicked look once more.
At this point, both were wary of each other, neither daring to make a reckless move.
Li Xiuman worried the old swordsman was faking weakness again to lure him in before striking.
The old swordsman was terrified by Li Xiuman's magic runes, believing Li Xiuman had already advanced into a Tier 4 Elementalist.
Pseudo-Tier 4 Magic!
Having gained enough distance, Li Xiuman unhesitatingly summoned three layers of bright red magic circles.
That terrifying mana capacity caused the old swordsman to stop hesitating—he turned around and ran for real this time.
That mana quantity and pressure were undeniable. Dammit, that little bastard really mastered Tier 4 Magic!
Watching the old swordsman flee, Li Xiuman dispelled his magic circles as well.
The battle just now had already consumed a portion of his mana.
If he actually cast Lesser Flame Spear of Judgment, his remaining mana would be completely drained.
If it failed to kill the old swordsman or missed, he would be finished without mana.
So, he needed to learn a thing or two from that old swordsman.
Run!
The battle earlier had likely drawn attention.
The old swordsman wasn't the only one pursuing him. If the other pursuers closed in, he truly wouldn't be able to escape.
Li Xiuman rushed toward the escape route he had prepared beforehand—a hidden cavern.
Inside the cavern, an intricate magic circle was drawn on the ground.
This was a teleportation magic circle designed by Li Xiuman, built to self-destruct after a single use.
Short-distance teleportation magic was restricted spellcraft, controlled exclusively by the nobility.
Long-distance teleportation magic seemed to be an ancient spell long lost to time.
Li Xiuman's teleportation magic was learned from the dungeon.
It couldn't function independently like the teleportation magic used by nobles; it required a Dungeon Core or other spatial magic items to operate.
He pulled out the Dungeon Core, holding it in his palm, and quickly stepped into the center of the magic circle.
Infusing it with mana, both the Dungeon Core and the magic circle beneath his feet began to glow bright.
“Teleport!”
His body vanished from the spot, and the magic circle exploded, destroying itself and leaving no trace inside the cavern.
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