Chapter Sixty-Four: One Against Two

On the other side, when Suo Yangcan saw the approaching figure, his eyes lit up instantly and his face broke into an exuberant smile as he strode forward.

“Big Brother, you’re here!” Standing before the tall man with a longsword slung across his back, Suo Yangcan gazed at him with unabashed adoration.

The man nodded, evidently pleased by Suo Yangcan’s deference.

“Yang, I heard you’ve pledged yourself to the Dark Demon Clan?” The man asked suddenly, as if recalling something.

At these words, Suo Yangcan looked at him in surprise, but the expression quickly faded.

“Ah, so nothing escapes you, Big Brother. I had no choice in the matter at the time; it’s a long story, too complicated to explain!” He sighed heavily, his face clouded with pain.

The man’s expression grew grave at once.

“Do you realize what a grave crime it is to collude with the Dark Demon Clan? You will become the enemy of the entire Central Divine Continent,” he said sternly after a moment’s thought.

“Surely you’re not planning to turn me over to the sect’s disciplinary hall?” Suo Yangcan exclaimed incredulously, taking a few steps back as he spoke.

The man burst into laughter. “Yang, there’s no need to be afraid. Now that you’ve crossed this threshold, it’s time I told you the truth.”

“What is it?” Suo Yangcan asked, surprise flickering in his eyes.

“In fact, I became a member of the Dark Demon Clan years ago. I’ve simply kept my identity hidden within the sect. Are you familiar with the Second Elder?” The man could barely contain his excitement.

“Don’t tell me it was you who convinced the Second Elder…” Suo Yangcan trailed off, unable to finish.

He had always thought that the Second Elder, Han Anshan, had saved him because of his own talent. He never imagined it was all due to his big brother’s influence.

“That’s right. I went to great lengths to ensure you could join,” the man said quietly.

Back then, he had tirelessly carried out missions for the Dark Demon Sect, which was why he rarely showed his face in the Heavenly Evolution Sect.

“Thank you, Big Brother.”

Suo Yangcan’s heart surged with joy. He hadn’t expected Suo Xiufu to go to such lengths for his sake, even revealing such a trump card just to rescue him.

“Let’s see how you manage to survive this time!” Suo Yangcan’s gaze shifted to Tianming.

Although Suo Xiufu hadn’t managed to land a blow on Tianming just now, Suo Yangcan was pleased to see Tianming writhing in agony.

Moreover, the two of them together were not simply twice as strong as one; united, they were likely a match for—or even a threat to—someone at the Void Meditation level. And now Tianming was burdened with a liability by his side. This was their best opportunity to strike.

Suo Xiufu also looked Tianming up and down with keen interest.

...

At that moment, Tianming, his face drawn with despair and believing Qingpo had abandoned him, suddenly felt a cool breeze stir in his arms.

“I saved her, but I won’t help you. Fate works in mysterious ways—this is not my place to intervene!” an ancient voice echoed in his mind.

Tianming realized his arms were suddenly empty; glancing down, he saw that Shu Meng had indeed been rescued by Qingpo.

“Damn you, Qingpo, just you wait!” he muttered under his breath.

Crackling with energy, Tianming rose to his feet, his fists clenched tight.

He understood that Qingpo wanted him to grow stronger through his own efforts, not by relying on others. Without such trials, even if Tianming gained immense power, others would never respect him without the bearing of a true master.

But this was a matter of survival for the Central Divine Continent—enemies were already at their doorstep, and yet Qingpo still refused to intervene. It was beyond frustrating.

As Tianming turned, the two figures in the distance were watching him with mocking eyes. One person was missing, but it did nothing to waver their murderous resolve—they were determined to kill Tianming.

“Suo Yangcan, Suo Xiufu, are you both so eager to die?” Tianming fixed them with a steely glare.

He seized the Lightning Sword from the ground and began channeling the colorless elemental energy of heaven and earth, launching a ferocious assault on the pair before him.

“Attack!” Suo Xiufu and Suo Yangcan exchanged a glance and, with perfect coordination, unleashed dark energy in a barrage toward Tianming.

Bang! Bang!

In moments, the three were locked in combat. The violet lightning sword aura constantly dispersed their dark energy. Despite being outnumbered, Tianming held his ground; every time their attacks threatened to land, the Lightning Sword would shift at a bizarre angle to parry the blow.

He owed much to the sword’s unique feature—it could automatically sense and react to enemy movements.

Now, Tianming fought like a reincarnated sword deity: every strike was steady and brimming with boundless force.

Suddenly, Suo Xiufu leapt into the air, aiming straight for Tianming’s back. Sensing the threat, Tianming knocked Suo Yangcan away, and the Lightning Sword instantly shifted to block the attack behind him.

Clang! The two swords clashed with a clear, resonant ring.

With a cold snort, Tianming’s sword flashed brighter and more intense. Sparks flew as he deftly twisted the Lightning Sword, a crackling surge racing along the blade toward Suo Xiufu, while Tianming himself slipped past and closed in on Suo Yangcan.

What?

Suo Xiufu barely managed to flip away, narrowly evading the sliding sword strike. As he turned, disbelief flashed in his eyes—such extraordinary swordsmanship from someone so young was simply unheard of.

“Is that all you’re capable of?” Tianming asked coldly, stroking the blade of his sword.

Though it had seemed he held the advantage, Tianming knew neither of them had shown their true strength. Their overconfidence had cost them a minor setback, but he knew he wouldn’t be so lucky in the next round.

“Don’t celebrate too soon, boy!” Suo Xiufu growled.

He began to channel dark energy in his hands; in an instant, a black, circular pattern rippled out from his wrist. A violent surge of darkness spread across the air like waves, withering every tree in its path until not even grass remained.

“This is... the Earthfiend Fist?” Suo Yangcan murmured in astonishment.

He had seen this earth-grade technique at the Dark Demon Clan’s branch before. It cost a hundred thousand essence stones—far too expensive for him to buy then. He never expected his brother to possess such a powerful technique.

“Die!” Suo Yangcan would not let such a golden opportunity slip by.

Blazing Light Claw!

In a flash, he became a shadow, lunging at Tianming with a claw strike so fierce it seemed to swallow all light.

Tianming, newly emerged into the world, had never witnessed such techniques. He could only defend with the Lightning Sword, relying on instinct and the sword’s abilities, for he knew no martial skills himself. Without the sword’s help, he would have been seriously wounded in the opening exchange, let alone able to repel these two.

And now, Suo Xiufu was only releasing a fraction of his power, not yet attacking in earnest. Tianming’s heart sank—Suo Yangcan was already on the offensive, and Suo Xiufu was close behind, dark energy gathering ominously in his hands...