You Su didn't realize the changes happening to his eyes, he only felt a slight burning sensation, but compared to the countless wounds across his body, it was negligible.
At this moment, he was tensely contemplating how he could cut through the flesh shield surrounding Mr. Ling. Merely dodging wouldn't help him win the battle.
Within Mr. Ling's heart, however, turmoil was brewing. Over a century of cultivating, ever since opening his meridians, he has been in constant contact with the captured evil spirits by the Master. The foul stench of that evil Qi was too familiar to him. You Su's eyes were definitely something evil!
But when did the Dreaming Centipede ever have the power to change someone's eyes? Although it held some authority granted by the Dream Master, it was practically combat-inept, its sole ability being casting bizarre dreams on its hosts, which allowed him to tame and control it.
What baffled Mr. Ling even more was that the red flesh ghost on his body, visible only to those at the Condensed Water Realm, was perceived by You Su, who should have only seen the Dreaming Centipede he implanted. How could he see everything?
In a flash, You Su had already taken the initiative to attack. Mr. Ling's body was covered with these strange blood-red muscles, except for one place that wasn't fortified—his head.
This was a vulnerability of Mr. Ling in this form; if the red flesh ghost also enveloped his head, he would lose consciousness and become its prey.
The strike from You Su's sword was packed with Qi Force, even arousing the Profound Qi around him. According to his own words, the atmosphere of this strike was extraordinary. Mr. Ling naturally wouldn't let You Su succeed easily, crossing his arms to block the sword reaching down from above.
This time, however, unlike before, he couldn't emerge unscathed. He could distinctly feel the severing sensation on his arms.
Damn it! How could this blind boy from a remote village have such advanced swordsmanship? What level is this kid at? Already touching the threshold of Sword Intent? Damn it!
Furious beyond measure, Mr. Ling gripped You Su's wrist with one hand and struck his sword-wielding arm with the other, attempting to emulate the move You Su used when they first met to seize his sword, but even fiercer. Wielding this formidable body, Mr. Ling delivered a powerful kick towards You Su's chest!
You Su regretted swinging his sword in midair, only for his arm to be restrained when his opponent seized the chance. Although his swordsmanship was remarkable, he couldn't withstand the sheer difference in strength. His right hand was immobilized, and he had to find a way to face this mountain-shattering kick.
In this critical moment, You Su released the Mo Song Sword with a clenched jaw, kicked against Mr. Ling's advancing leg, using the enormous strength to twist his body, paying no mind to his contorted right arm—no pain could hinder his determination to kill Mr. Ling.
He spun like a top, leveraging the opportunity to cling onto Mr. Ling's arm, aiming towards his vulnerable face with a leg laden with all his strength.
A strong sensation of impact traveled from the back of You Su's foot, sending Mr. Ling flying as anticipated, consequently releasing his grip on You Su's hands.
You Su twisted midair to land, stretching his left hand to catch the Mo Song Sword that was just released. He had long foreseen this! A single kick wouldn't take Mr. Ling's life; only his sword could kill him!
Upon catching the sword, You Su suddenly burst forward with astonishing speed towards Mr. Ling's collapsing figure, Profound Qi surging through his left hand and into the sword. This was the most vicious strike of the Yuan Sword and a killing move he had practiced countless times! Today, it would finally shine, even with his non-dominant hand, its power remained unaffected!
The surrounding Profound Qi violently resonated with the might of this strike. With a resounding determination, You Su drove the full-force sword into Mr. Ling's head, for the first time finding the sensation of the sword slicing through flesh intoxicating.
Finally relieved, You Su collapsed to the ground, his right arm dangling as if disjointed, his hair disheveled and body smeared with blood under the cold moonlight, resembling a beast of death.
I really did it...
You Su wanted to laugh heartily and also let out a loud cry, yet he was too exhausted even to move a muscle.
"I worked tirelessly feeding that red flesh ghost for sixty years, turning myself neither human nor ghost, only for you to slaughter it, how on earth are you going to make it right!"
A heart-wrenching voice abruptly burst out, Mr. Ling was not dead!
You Su, like a startled bird, finally noticed that it wasn't Mr. Ling's head beneath his sword but a fully blood-red creature with strange flesh but no eyes! Frantically, You Su looked up to find the voice's source, but all he saw was chaos.
You Su immediately understood—Mr. Ling had, in the moment of life and death, dispelled the evil spirit possession and let the spirit on his body take the blow, making it so that You Su, who could only see evil spirits, could no longer see him, just as when the battle started.
You Su could only rely on his perception to trace him, but how could his overtaxed self capture Mr. Ling's presence.
Meanwhile, dense scarlet liquid began to spread from the ground, surrounding You Su. Struggling to rise, You Su swung his left hand wildly, but as soon as he chopped them, they would immediately coalesce.
Mr. Ling emerged slowly from the darkness, an odd face carrying a massive footprint, drooping one eye and spitting out a mouthful of bloody phlegm, menacingly, "Fight, aren't you pretty good at it?"
You Su ignored Mr. Ling's words, these fluids sticking to him like flesh-consuming maggots, firmly binding You Su's limbs, rendering him immobile.
"You think sacrificing everything could save them? Do you think you're especially clever for seeing through everything and turning my calculation against me? Unfortunately, I'm not one of those fools focused solely on Qi Refining!" Mr. Ling's yellow teeth, stained with blood, bared maliciously as he laughed boldly, "Do you even know the cost of cultivating a red flesh ghost! But it's alright, I've already thought of how you'll compensate me."
"Among the fleshly affiliated evil spirits, there are quite a few particularly interested in female cultivators... I'll offer your junior and your Master to them, once they've been devoured, I'll attach the evil spirit onto you."
"This way you'll become my new pet... and never part from your junior sister and Master, either in mind or in flesh..." Mr. Ling closed his eyes, spread his arms, and took a deep breath, as if to embrace this delightful world, "You should thank me well in the future."
You Su gritted his teeth, nearly crushing his molars. From his pitch-black eye sockets, a single tear of blood trickled down.
Though unable to see Mr. Ling's smug expression, You Su stared as though trying to see through him altogether, vowing to remember the face that appeared after his transformation for eternity! He vowed to avenge himself, every life, endlessly!