The gray-robed warrior and Chang Bo quickly regained their footing and rushed back into the fray, regrouping beside Zhang Yuxi.
Weapons flashed, blades weaving together into a dense, suffocating net of attacks that left almost no room to breathe.
For an ordinary opponent, such an assault would have been fatal within moments.
But Ryan was anything but ordinary.
The Phantom Step carried him like a drifting shadow.
His figure flickered in and out of sight, leaning slightly here, twisting there, evading each strike by the narrowest of margins.
Three afterimages appeared with every movement, making it impossible to discern his true position.
Most of Zhang Yuxi's attacks struck only empty phantoms, dissipating uselessly into the air.
Seizing an opening, Ryan suddenly shifted direction. "Basic Fist!"
His fist smashed into Chang Bo's chest before the man could react.
Chang Bo was sent crashing to the ground, his vision spinning. Exhaustion from earlier battles and injuries caught up with him at once, and his combat strength plummeted.
At that very moment, Zhang Yuxi seized the opportunity.
His long sword twisted sharply, the blade thrusting forward like a living thing. "Frightening Sword, Gale Thrust!"
Spiritual energy surged along the sword, forming a rapid current of wind spiraling around the blade.
Fallen leaves drifting nearby were instantly shredded into fine powder the moment they touched the edge of the swirling wind.
Ryan's eyes narrowed. He could clearly sense the danger of this strike. If that sword pierced his body, the result would be catastrophic.
He retreated at once, his body twisting mid-step as he withdrew several meters in a flash, narrowly escaping the thrust.
But Zhang Yuxi did not stop. The sword missed, yet flowed seamlessly into the next move. "Frightening Sword, Half-Moon Slash!"
The blade arced through the air, releasing a brilliant crescent of sword light that chased after Ryan relentlessly.
Seeing the attack press forward again and again, Ryan felt a spark of irritation.
His legs kicked off the ground, borrowing the rebound force to leap backward.
In the blink of an eye, he landed against the trunk of a towering tree behind him, feet braced against the bark as he looked down coldly at Zhang Yuxi below.
Being forced back repeatedly finally ignited Ryan's anger.
"Courtesy demands return," he said with a cold snort. "Since you're so eager, let me return you with…"
His body tensed, and he launched himself downward from the tree, elbows drawn back as terrifying power gathered.
"Desolate Landslide!"
With that, Ryan descended like a falling meteor, unleashing the devastating terrestrial martial art straight toward Zhang Yuxi and the others.
Among all the martial techniques Ryan possessed, Desolate Landslide was undoubtedly the most violent and overbearing. Even among his Sky-rank skills, its destructive power stood at the very top.
The moment Ryan launched himself from the tree and descended from above, the aura he carried changed completely.
It was as if a towering mountain had fallen from the sky, bearing the weight of ten thousand pounds.
"This..."
Zhang Yuxi's expression shifted sharply.
The instant he sensed the danger, he abandoned all thoughts of dignity and immediately retreated at full speed.
With the cultivation of a nine-star Upper Elite, he had the perception and reflexes to do so.
But the remaining gray-robed warrior was not so fortunate. As a two-star Upper Elite, he lacked both the foresight and speed to escape the descending catastrophe.
By the time terror flooded his face, it was already too late.
A deafening explosion erupted as Ryan's elbow slammed into the ground. The earth collapsed inward with a thunderous roar.
Dust and stones shot into the air, and a violent shockwave spread in all directions.
The ground caved into a massive crater in an instant.
The gray-robed warrior was caught squarely within the impact zone.
The surging airwaves lifted him off his feet, crushing his internal organs before he could even scream. Flying debris tore into his body, flesh and blood splattering as he was battered by the force.
Within seconds, he stopped breathing.
Zhang Yuxi, who had barely escaped the blast radius, stared in disbelief. His teeth clenched so hard they nearly shattered, and his eyes widened with shock.
"How is this possible…?" he muttered hoarsely. "What kind of martial art is this? How can its power be so terrifying?"
For the first time, fear crept into Zhang Yuxi's gaze as he looked at Ryan. They were both Upper Elites, and Ryan's cultivation was even lower than his, yet the destructive force he unleashed was several times greater.
The imbalance made Zhang Yuxi's heart pound with unease.
The entire battle had unfolded in an incredibly short span of time. Aside from Chang Bo, who had already lost his combat ability, Zhang Yuxi was now the only one left standing. All his subordinates had been killed by Ryan.
Meanwhile, from a distance, the members of the Red Scorpion Mercenary Corps stood frozen, mouths agape.
They were so stunned by Ryan's overwhelming strength that none of them could speak. If someone were struck directly by that attack, the result would be nothing short of horrifying.
Shang Jiao's beautiful eyes remained fixed on Ryan. No one could tell what she was thinking, but from time to time, a faint, unconscious smile curved at the corner of her lips.
"You're the only one left," Ryan said calmly. He withdrew his hands, casually brushed the dust from his sleeves, and looked at Zhang Yuxi with a relaxed smile.
"So what?" Zhang Yuxi replied in a low voice. "You can't kill me."
He knew that this hunt had completely gone awry.
What was supposed to be a smooth operation had instead led them straight into disaster, all because of this unexpected variable named Li Wei. Still, Zhang Yuxi firmly believed that Ryan could not kill him.
After all, he was a nine-star Upper Elite, his cultivation still higher than Ryan's. More importantly, he still had a trump card he had not yet used.
"Really?" Ryan smiled faintly, his confidence unmistakable. "Then let's make a bet."
"What bet?" Zhang Yuxi asked, his eyes narrowing.
"Whether I can kill you or not," Ryan replied lightly.
As the words left his mouth, his figure moved. His body split into four overlapping afterimages, flickering in and out of sight as he rapidly closed the distance.
"Only you?" Zhang Yuxi sneered coldly, raising his sword. "I admit, you're strong. At your age, you must be a core disciple of some great family to possess such cultivation and such terrifying martial skills. But killing me? You're still far too naive."
He tightened his grip on the sword and pointed it at Ryan, his killing intent surging. "Let me show you what the Wolf Sky Mercenary Corps truly has. No matter who you are or what background you come from, once you provoke us, there is only one outcome—death!"
"The World-Shaking One Sword!"
A deep hum resonated from Zhang Yuxi's blade as he shouted the name of his technique. The long sword trembled violently, as if it had come alive.
In a surreal sight, the blade split into two, then four, hovering in midair.
Zhang Yuxi's lips then moved as he muttered incantations, his fingers forming rapid seals. At his command, the four swords vibrated, then suddenly merged back together.
When they fused, the weapon was no longer an ordinary sword.
Instead, A colossal greatsword appeared, nearly five meters long and half a meter wide, floating ominously in the air. Its edge radiated a chilling sharpness that could be felt even from afar, as though anything beneath it would be cleaved in two without resistance.
"This..."
Ryan's eyes flickered with surprise when he saw the giant sword, but he did not stop advancing.
Retreat had never been an option for him.
On the path to becoming strong, obstacles were inevitable. If he turned back every time he encountered danger, he would never reach the peak.
That said, he was not reckless. Facing this terrifying greatsword, Ryan knew it was Zhang Yuxi's ultimate killing move. Neither Heavenly Star Palm, Wind Blade, nor even Desolate Landslide could be used carelessly against such an attack. This was likely a Sky-rank martial art of exceptional power, and taking risks here would be foolish.
Then his eyes lit up.
"This is it."
After a brief moment of thought, Ryan made his decision. He would use his ultimate finishing technique. It was costly, but safety came first. As long as he lived, everything else could be regained.
"Since I made this bet with you," Ryan said, his gaze firm, "I will definitely win it."
His fists clenched tightly as he leapt into the air. This was the unmistakable prelude to his finishing move.
"Mountain Splitting!"
Ryan roared as he reached a height of three meters, then slammed his elbow downward with terrifying force.