Chapter Twenty-Six: How Do You Wish to Die?

Beyond the cliffside, the gale howled and the rain poured down like a deluge.

The man’s voice carried a touch of nonchalance, yet it was laced with undeniable regret. Lin Fei’s talent did more than just stun him; it stirred a deep sense of jealousy within him.

Lin Fei slowly stood up and said calmly, "Tell me your name."

The man in black curled his lips into a mocking smile and countered, "What meaning does that hold now?"

"It has meaning."

"I must at least know the name of the first person I have ever killed in this life."

His words were understated, yet they caused the middle-aged man in black to tense up, though he immediately dismissed the feeling as absurd. He had come tonight specifically to take the other’s life. To be intimidated by one’s own prey was, by all accounts, ridiculous.

Thus, he gripped his sword hilt tighter, his gaze turning as cold as ice.

*Boom!*

In the sky, several lightning bolts tore through the darkness, weaving into a net of electricity.

The man in black took a deep breath and asked in a low voice, "Do you know what realm I have reached?"

Lin Fei tilted his head slightly, his tone relaxed: "The peak of the Distance-Severing Realm?"

*Bang!*

With a thunderous explosion, a massive surge of sword intent erupted from the man in black. He swung his long sword forward with violent force. Several streaks of sword energy tore through the wind and rain—sharp, unstoppable, and aimed directly at Lin Fei. The sword light was pure white, shaped like shuttles and dense as rain, as if he intended to turn all the rainfall on the cliffside into a storm of blades.

Given the vast chasm between the Mortal Realm and the peak of the Distance-Severing Realm, the outcome should have been a foregone conclusion. Yet, the man had chosen to launch a sneak attack, a testament to his absolute resolve to kill.

But Lin Fei’s reaction was once again unexpected. Facing this violent onslaught, he did not retreat; instead, he pushed forward, advancing straight into the screen of blades.

Then, an incredible scene unfolded. The youth moved as if he were taking a leisurely stroll. Bending, twisting, and stepping aside, he used a few graceful turns to effortlessly weave through the raging sword energy.

Simultaneously, he bent his knees and lunged forward with a burst of speed, closing the distance to the man in black like a lightning bolt. The youth clenched his hands together into a heavy hammer and smashed them toward his opponent.

Had anyone been there to witness this, they would have been astonished by the youth’s combat instincts and his ruthless decisiveness. For when facing a sword cultivator of the Distance-Severing Realm, evasion was meaningless; their only weakness was themselves, and close-quarters combat was the key to victory.

With a crisp "slap," the man in black shifted his left hand into a palm and blocked the strike head-on. The disparity in their realms was revealed in that instant. He grabbed the youth’s arm and flung him with force, sending Lin Fei flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the stone wall on the left.

Lin Fei clutched his chest with one hand and struggled to stand, a trail of blood at the corner of his mouth, yet his expression remained as calm as still water.

The man in black looked at his slightly trembling left hand, recalling the youth’s sharp, agile footwork, and couldn't help but shake his head with a sigh: "You truly cannot be allowed to live."

As the man spoke, the wind and rain grew more violent, and the sound of the sword became low and piercing. The primitive long sword in his hand began to vibrate at high speed, emitting a faint glow. It seemed to vanish into thin air ten meters away, only to reappear instantly before the youth.

Within the lethal range of that three-foot blade, a life could be taken in the blink of an eye—this was the power of the Distance-Severing Realm. If the first attack had been a test, this was a truly fatal blow.

From afar, Lin Fei witnessed the Distance-Severing strike. His eyes instantly perceived the trajectory of the blade and anticipated its arrival. But he could not dodge. Regardless of his astonishing talent, he was, after all, still just a youth in the Mortal Realm. The gap between the Mortal Realm and the Distance-Severing Realm was like a deep chasm, impossible to bridge by any means.

And so, inevitably, a bloody hole appeared in his abdomen. This was followed by wounds to his left shoulder, right shoulder, and knees, blood spraying from the gashes. A faint mist of blood formed in front of Lin Fei.

Finally, the long sword thrust fiercely toward his brow. At the very last moment, the youth twisted his body and managed to avoid the strike, though a bloody gash was left on his cheek, and he collapsed heavily to the ground.

After delivering the strike, the middle-aged man in black kept his eyes fixed on Lin Fei, his expression grave. Only when he saw this did a faint smile touch his lips. He lifted his right hand slightly, and the long sword instantly returned to his grasp.

"Interesting, truly interesting," the man in black said. "If there were a chance, I would really like to take you as my disciple."

Though severely wounded and forced to lean weakly against the stone wall, Lin Fei suddenly laughed. He looked at the man’s undisguised smile as if gazing at someone utterly foolish.

The man in black sensed the sarcasm in that laughter and his expression turned icy: "What does it matter how high your talent is? Aren't you going to die anyway?"

The middle-aged man walked slowly toward the youth, looking down at him with an air of superiority, and said contemptuously, "If you beg for mercy, I can grant you a quick death." He bent down, adding with a mocking smile, "Or, tell me, how would you like to die?"

"When I kill, I never waste words," Lin Fei said, looking up at the sky. His voice was calm, yet carried a hint of chill. "You dared to come so close to me—have you prepared yourself to meet death?"

The man in black froze, his pupils suddenly constricting.

A sudden change occurred. Several streaks of cold light shot out from Lin Fei’s sleeves. They spiraled through the air like slender azure snakes, instantly piercing the limbs of the man in black.

The man in black instinctively struck out with his palm, sending the youth flying several yards away, but the action was already in vain.

The sound of blades piercing flesh rang out in quick succession. The man in black recoiled rapidly, crashing hard into the stone wall behind him. When the dust settled, he was pinned to the wall, limbs spread wide, unable to move.

"Is this a sword? No, this is Glazed Wood," the middle-aged man sneered, his spiritual energy erupting in an attempt to push back the wind and rain. However, a moment later, his expression went blank, and a flash of undisguised panic flickered in his eyes. He thrashed wildly, yet he could not break free from the invisible restraint.

Four small, silver-glowing swords, seemingly ordinary but carrying a strange, exotic fragrance, were embedded deep into the vital acupoints of his limbs.

"Flying Sword Technique?! This is actually the Flying Sword Technique!" The man in black widened his eyes, struggling through the intense pain as he roared, "You actually mastered this profound sword art of controlling energy?"

Lin Fei lay on the cliffside, offering no response. The aftermath of the man’s palm strike had caused him to cough up more blood, and he needed every ounce of his strength just to sit upright.

The youth struggled to lean his back against the cliff wall, then extended his hands, slowly and firmly forming a seal. The silver light of the four small swords grew even more dazzling, frantically suppressing the surging spiritual power within his opponent. He knew that if the man were to re-establish a mental connection with his ancient sword, he might truly not survive.