"However, killing moves of the fourth level and above are completely different. They require a Martial Artist to deeply integrate their own Mental Power with the killing move in order to execute it!"

"That’s why killing moves of the fourth level and above are so strange and varied. And if you want to master one quickly, the path you choose should have an extremely high degree of compatibility with your spirit, your soul, and even your fundamental nature."

"Let me give you the simplest example,"

Yunhe looked at Qin Feng and spoke more bluntly, "For instance, some people are naturally cautious and timid. When trouble arises, their first thought is to retreat behind others to protect themselves. If you have a Martial Artist like that practice an overbearing killing move that’s all about advancing relentlessly with an air of invincibility, they could train for a lifetime and likely never achieve anything. That’s because it goes against the very depths of their soul."

"But if you have them practice insidious assassination arts similar to those of the Shadow Race, which emphasize stealth, concealment, and killing in a single strike, then they might improve very quickly. That’s because this kind of killing move is in harmony with their nature."

"This is a match that comes from the depths of the soul."

Yunhe’s tone was filled with reverence. "This degree of compatibility is something an ordinary person could never see through. Only those experts of profound strength, with a deep understanding of Mental Power, can perceive it at a glance. And our mentor, Lord Yu Han, happens to be just such a person."

[Countdown: 3, 2, 1...]

After listening to Yunhe’s detailed explanation, Qin Feng felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his mind. Much of the fog clouding his thoughts about his future path had been dispelled.

He felt a sincere gratitude toward this senior, a stranger who was nonetheless willing to teach him everything he knew.

"Thank you for your guidance, senior. I have learned a great deal."

He said solemnly, clasping his fist in a formal salute.

[Begin!]

The instant the countdown ended, the gentle smile on Yunhe’s face vanished, replaced by a battle intent as sharp as a blade.

His right hand gripped the hilt of his saber as he shouted in a low voice, "Junior Brother Qin Feng, forgive my impertinence!"

CLANG!

The Long Saber left its sheath with a clear, resonant cry like a dragon’s roar!

A brilliant flash of saber light, like a waterfall cascading from the highest heavens, instantly illuminated the entire jade plaza as it slashed down toward Qin Feng’s head!

Faced with this earth-shattering slash, Qin Feng’s expression remained calm.

He didn’t choose to meet it head-on. Instead, with a flick of his wrist, the black Long Spear in his hand transformed into an agile black dragon. Its tip tapped lightly, with unerring precision, against the side of the brilliant saber light.

DING!

With a crisp sound, Qin Feng’s figure used the force of the blow to retreat, deftly deflecting the terrifying power contained within the saber light.

But Yunhe’s assault was like a ceaseless river, one slash falling just as another rose.

For a moment, the entire plaza was filled with crisscrossing saber flashes and suffused with killing intent.

Yunhe casually brought his twelve First-level Saber Techniques, all at the Perfection Realm, to bear. He integrated them seamlessly, weaving a dense, inescapable net of saber strikes that completely enveloped Qin Feng from all directions.

However, no matter how ferocious his assault or how exquisite his saber techniques, Qin Feng, at the center of the net, was like a small boat adrift on a stormy sea.

He seemed to be in constant peril, in danger of capsizing at any moment, yet he always managed to evade the most lethal attacks at the critical instant, at the smallest possible cost.

The Long Spear in his hands was no longer used for offense, but had become his sturdiest shield.

At times, it was like a Spiritual Snake emerging from its hole, cunningly striking at the weak points in his opponent’s saber technique. At others, it was like a bulwark of solid rock, steadily parrying heavy, powerful chops.

He was retreating.

One step, two steps, three steps...

He was defending, dodging, constantly falling back.

To an outsider, it would seem he had been completely disadvantaged, suppressed by Yunhe to the point where he couldn’t even fight back.

Only Yunhe himself grew more alarmed the longer they fought.

He felt as if he were striking a ball of cotton; no matter how much force he used, it was all ingeniously dissipated into nothingness.

Moreover, as the battle progressed, he discovered that Qin Feng’s every retreat and every block was not random.

His opponent’s rhythm had a strange cadence to it, one that was, without him realizing it, guiding the direction of his slashes and luring his offensive tempo.

It was as if he wasn’t the one chasing Qin Feng, but was instead being led by the nose!

"This is bad!"

By the time Yunhe realized this, it was too late.

In his pursuit of absolute suppression, he had unconsciously stepped into the most lethal trap, one meticulously laid by Qin Feng.

His old force was spent, and new force had yet to be generated.

It was a fleeting opening, one that should have been theoretically impossible to exploit.

But for Qin Feng, who had been waiting for this exact moment, it was more than enough!

’Now!’

A sharp glint erupted in the eyes of the passively defending Qin Feng!

His aura, which he had kept restrained and hidden, erupted at this instant like a volcano suppressed to its absolute limit!

His retreating steps came to a sudden halt. His back straightened like a dragon, and the Long Spear in his hand ceased all its blocking and parrying. A deep, abyss-like, dark-gold light ignited on its tip.

Self-Created Killing Move—[Dragon’s Hoard]!

VMMMM—!

An immense and profound suction force emanated from the spear’s tip.

Yunhe’s all-out slash seemed to be captured by an invisible black hole. All of its power, all of its momentum, surged uncontrollably toward that single point of dark-gold light on the spear tip!

Then, in the next instant, this devoured power, mixed with Qin Feng’s own formidable Spiritual Energy, was fiercely returned in a manner even more ferocious and condensed!