"Who’s there?"

Hearing the hostile voice outside the carriage call him out by name, Fang Han, who had been in a good mood after the banquet, couldn’t help but frown.

He lifted the carriage curtain, jumped down, and looked at the burly youth blocking his path.

When he got a clear look at the youth’s attire, his heart sank. A name surfaced in his mind—Lin Hu.

According to Elder Fang Yuan, Lin Bao’s older brother, Lin Hu, was the second-ranked Inner Hall Descendant of the Lin Family. After learning of Lin Bao’s injuries, it was highly likely he would come looking for Fang Han to settle the score.

This person was probably Lin Hu.

"Are you Lin Hu?"

Fang Han asked. Although he already suspected it, he still needed to confirm.

"That’s right, it’s me!"

Lin Hu was built like a bear, strong and burly, and he glared at Fang Han with a cold light in his eyes.

"Fang Han, you injured my little brother, Lin Bao. It’s time to settle that debt today!"

’It really is Lin Hu, and he’s here about Lin Bao!’

Fang Han suppressed his anger and tried to explain.

"What happened that day was that Lin Bao tried to steal my mission target first. He was the one who attacked me, and I was forced to fight back."

"Bullshit!"

Lin Hu wouldn’t listen to any explanation, cutting him off with a furious roar.

"Why would my brother covet your paltry achievement? You must be the arrogant one, bullying the weak!"

"Enough talk. Let’s see what you’re really made of! Show me just how capable the Fang Family’s Qilin’er truly is!"

Before his voice had even faded, a savage light erupted in Lin Hu’s eyes. With a CLANG, he drew his saber from its sheath!

The blade was wide and thick, glinting with a cold light. Like a tiger locking onto its prey, a sharp, domineering aura instantly fixed on Fang Han.

"If that’s how it is, then as you wish!"

Seeing that the other man was being unreasonable and insisted on fighting, Fang Han’s own anger was finally ignited.

Even a clay figure has a bit of a temper, let alone a living person.

He said no more. Taking a deep breath, the blood and qi of his Middle Stage of Bone Refining cultivation surged, and his Cyan Blade Sword flew from its sheath in response.

With the tip of his sword angled toward the ground, his entire being seemed to transform into a blade, his aura instantly becoming ethereal yet sharp.

"Take this!"

Lin Hu roared, stomping his foot hard on the ground. The bluestone pavement trembled slightly as his figure shot forward like a tiger bursting from its cage.

The Thick-Backed Saber in his hand tore through the air, carrying a dangerous aura as it chopped straight for Fang Han’s face.

This was the opening move of the Lin Family’s renowned "Mountain-Breaking Saber Technique"—Mountain-Splitting Stone-Shattering!

Before the blade even arrived, an oppressive pressure washed over him.

"Gentle Breeze Through the Forest."

Fang Han’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t dare be careless; his opponent’s strength was immense and his momentum ferocious. It was a blow he couldn’t block head-on.

His footwork shifted. Like a Gentle Breeze Brushing the Willows, he sidestepped at the last possible second, evading the most powerful point of the saber’s edge.

At the same time, his Cyan Blade Sword transformed into a cyan stream of light, a single sword strike thrusting swiftly toward a weak point in the saber’s attack.

"CLANG!"

The first clash of saber and sword erupted in a deafening roar, sending sparks flying.

Fang Han felt a vast power surge from the saber’s blade, making his arm go slightly numb. He was forced to use the momentum to drift half a step back and dissipate the Power.

Meanwhile, Lin Hu’s wrist trembled, his forward charge halted. A flash of astonishment crossed his eyes.

’He’s already broken through... to the Late Stage of Bone Refining?!’

Staring at Lin Hu, Fang Han’s expression grew more solemn.

His opponent was even stronger than Elder Fang Yuan had described. Not only had his Saber Technique reached the Great Success Realm, but his cultivation Realm was no longer the peak of the Middle Stage of Bone Refining—he had broken through to the Late Stage of Bone Refining.

He was currently only at the Middle Stage of Bone Refining, while his opponent was already at the Late Stage—a full Realm higher. One could only imagine how difficult such an opponent would be.

"Middle Stage of Bone Refining? Perfection Swordsmanship?!"

Lin Hu’s expression also grew serious, and he cast aside his disdain.

He had originally thought that with his Late Stage of Bone Refining Realm, combined with his Mountain-Breaking Saber Technique at the Great Success Realm, he would be able to crush his opponent in a single blow. He never expected to gain no advantage at all.

The information he had received was that Fang Han had just entered the Bone Refining Realm and his Swordsmanship was at Great Success. He never imagined that in such a short time, his opponent would have already broken through to the Middle-stage and even cultivated his Swordsmanship to the Realm of Perfection.

This rate of progress was simply terrifying.

Both of them realized how troublesome the other was, and the atmosphere instantly grew more tense.

"ROAR!"

Lin Hu’s fighting spirit surged. He roared again and charged forward, the light of his saber transforming into layers of a furious tide that swept toward Fang Han.

The wind from his blade howled, kicking up the dust from the ground.

Fang Han focused his mind and pushed his Perfection Level Qingfeng Swordsmanship to its absolute limit.

The light from his sword no longer sought grand displays of power, but was instead focused on extreme condensation and precision.

Like a gentle breeze that seeps through every crack, or like willow threads that endlessly entwine, he could always, at the most critical moment, strike a weak point in the Sword Momentum, either deflecting, parrying, or counterattacking.

"CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG—!"

The dense clang of metal on metal, like rain striking banana leaves, exploded wildly in the alley. Flashes of saber and sword crisscrossed as the two figures moved with the speed of rabbits and falcons, trading blow for blow. In the blink of an eye, they had already exchanged dozens of moves.

Sharp, Powerful Qi shot out in all directions, leaving deep gashes on the surrounding walls and ground.

From the three carriages, Fang Zheng and the others scrambled down in a panic. Seeing the intense battle before them, their faces turned pale and their hearts leaped into their throats.

"Xiaohan!"

Lin Wan gripped her husband’s arm tightly, her nails nearly digging into his flesh.

"Don’t panic! Have faith in Xiaohan!"

Fang Zheng was just as nervous, but he forced himself to remain calm and stood protectively in front of his family.

The commotion here alerted nearby residents and passersby. Many people, drawn by the sound, gathered to watch from a distance, letting out periodic gasps of surprise.

"I recognize one of the fighters! It’s Lin Hu, the second-ranked of the Lin Family’s Inner Hall! He’s actually at the Late Stage of Bone Refining!"

"Who’s that fighting him? Huh? Judging by his clothes, he’s a disciple of the Fang Family... Such a young Martial Artist in the Bone Refining Realm!"

"It must be Fang Han, the Fang Family’s newly risen Qilin’er!"

"He can actually fight Lin Hu on even ground?!"

"Middle Stage of Bone Refining against Late Stage, and he hasn’t been defeated... Hiss... Fang Han’s Swordsmanship seems to be... at the Perfection Level!"

Recognizing the identities of the two combatants, the crowd of onlookers cried out in astonishment.

No one had expected that the young Fang Han already possessed the strength to contend with a veteran, top-level Inner Hall Descendant like Lin Hu.

Fang Zheng and the others, however, felt their hearts clench. The one fighting Fang Han was actually the Lin Family’s second-ranked Inner Hall Martial Artist, someone already at the Late Stage of Bone Refining.

Facing this kind of veteran, top-level Inner Hall Descendant, could Fang Han possibly be his match?

On the battlefield, more than a hundred moves had been exchanged!

With every move made at full strength, both fighters’ stamina was draining rapidly. Their breathing grew heavier, and sweat beaded on their foreheads.

Having fought to this point, with their stamina so depleted, it was inevitable that openings would appear for both of them.

"SHLICK!"

Fang Han’s Cyan Blade Sword suddenly accelerated, like a venomous snake striking from its hole, and pierced through a gap in the saber’s flashing light.

The tip of the sword grazed Lin Hu’s left arm, drawing a spray of blood and leaving behind a wound.

Almost simultaneously, Lin Hu roared. Ignoring his injury, his Sword Momentum shifted, and he countered with a swift, diagonal slash.

Fang Han was half a beat too slow in bringing his sword back to block. The saber’s edge scraped past his right shoulder, tearing his robe and leaving a bloody gash of its own.