Chapter 36: Thunderous Double Kill (Seeking Recommendations at Dawn)

"Blood Spirit Bandits?"

Suspended in mid-air, one hand hooked onto the beam, Xu Xuan’s face suddenly changed, a chill creeping through his heart. The mention of the Blood Spirit Bandits was enough to strike fear—even a country boy like him had heard the name. Rumor had it they were a mysterious, bloodthirsty bandit group haunting the area near Pinghua Town, specializing in ambushing cultivation caravans. In the past year or two, many caravans had been pillaged by them, leaving not a single survivor.

Once, a caravan of fifty was escorted by thirty body cultivators of the third and fourth ranks, led by a cultivator, yet the entire group was massacred—the leader included. Pinghua Town had dispatched soldiers to eradicate the bandits, but their movements were enigmatic and unpredictable. Each attempt ended in failure, sometimes even disaster. In short, the Blood Spirit Bandits were a force so elusive and formidable that even town-level powers could do nothing against them.

Now, Xu Xuan’s gaze fixed on the slender, cold-faced man wielding an unusual curved blade—Cao Fei—his heart filled with dread. Sensing the man’s vitality, Xu Xuan judged his strength to be on par with Xu Dahu, both at the fourth tier of body cultivation.

With his own abilities, Xu Xuan would ordinarily have no fear facing two opponents of this caliber. But tonight, both wielded deadly blades in the sealed darkness, making the situation perilous in the extreme.

"Attack!" Xu Dahu barked, his black iron whip sweeping through the gloom with a muffled gust, its trajectory barely discernible as it lashed toward Xu Xuan.

Xu Xuan leapt from the beam, avoiding the blow, but Cao Fei, the Blood Spirit Bandit, shifted swiftly, intercepting his landing spot with uncanny precision.

The curved blade flashed coldly through the air, its icy aura nearly grazing Xu Xuan’s skin. In the darkness, Xu Xuan shifted, employing the “Drift” technique, evading once more.

But as soon as he touched down, Xu Dahu, standing farther off, swung his iron whip with sudden force. Attacked from both sides, close and distant, the center a trap, Xu Xuan found himself in grave danger.

He had neither the advantage of timing nor terrain nor allies.

Yet Xu Xuan was quick-witted. Dodging Xu Dahu’s whip, he darted close to Cao Fei, initiating close-range grappling.

He instantly used the “Entwine” technique, his movements agile as a wildcat, clinging tightly to Cao Fei. The bandit felt the pressure mount; despite his experience and the weapon in hand, he was being suppressed.

Moreover, with the two locked in close combat, Xu Dahu, farther away, couldn’t wield his iron whip freely for fear of hitting his own ally. Xu Xuan’s shifting footwork left Xu Dahu helpless.

Even with a weapon, Cao Fei found himself forced onto the defensive. At one point, his eyes flashed cold; his vitality surged like fire, channeling inner force into his blade, stabbing faster than usual.

But he struck only empty air—Xu Xuan’s body twisted like a serpent, surpassing the limits of bone, evading by a narrow margin.

As his posture recovered, Xu Xuan swept out a kick. Cao Fei retreated hastily, but was caught partially by the blow; though not a full hit, he groaned in pain.

“Hurry up and help!” Cao Fei cried out in panic.

Xu Xuan sensed Xu Dahu closing in from behind, now abandoning his whip for close quarters. Xu Dahu attacked with inner force, but Xu Xuan, without turning, swung his arm back—sending him reeling.

Immediately, Cao Fei’s blade whistled sharply, aiming for Xu Xuan’s eyes. In the corner of the hall, Xu Xuan was beset by both men, locked in a dangerous melee.

Even with his mastery of the “Entwine” technique, weaving expertly between the two, he still faced grave peril. Especially Cao Fei’s blade—one slip could spell disaster.

Meanwhile, Xu Dahu and Cao Fei were alarmed: this young man’s strength was even more fearsome than they’d imagined. Despite their combined efforts and the advantage of terrain, they couldn’t harm him. Xu Xuan moved as freely as a fish in water, evading every attack.

“I must find a way to kill them both. If Cao Fei survives and brings more Blood Spirit Bandits, Yangmu Village will face catastrophe,” Xu Xuan thought grimly.

He recalled that half a year ago, the Blood Spirit Bandits had wiped out a small village.

In the midst of the struggle, Xu Xuan remembered the fifth tier of his breathing technique and the fifth transformation of the Dragon-Serpent art.

The fifth transformation, the “Stillness” technique, emphasized using calm to overcome motion, relying heavily on the breathing method.

With this in mind, Xu Xuan’s breathing subtly changed; his entire being grew cold, enveloped in a chill. All subjective feelings were banished, leaving only absolute reason and icy calm.

His eyes dimmed, as cold and mechanical as a lifeless machine; every movement was crisp and precise, wasting not a shred of energy and achieving maximum effect.

Xu Dahu and Cao Fei, attacking with full force, suddenly felt something was amiss. Facing those dead-water eyes, an invisible chill pressed in.

Xu Xuan’s movements became much smaller—each step only an inch or two, his body twisting and bending like a spirit snake. These actions, though slight, were decisive, steady, and exact, as if executed by a flawless machine.

His eyes, silent as stagnant water, guided by pure reason and calm, forgot danger, forgot self, focused only on his target.

Amid the storm of Xu Dahu and Cao Fei’s attacks, Xu Xuan, within a meter, performed precise and effective motions, dodging again and again.

He barely moved from his spot, shifting, tilting, bending, twisting.

Xu Dahu and Cao Fei grew more terrified with every blow, all their fierce attacks missing. Their opponent was like a soulless machine, calculating every angle, trajectory, and escape route.

Xu Xuan’s cold, dead eyes, his emotionless face, and his flawless evasions spread through their hearts like a devil’s shadow.

Was this… even human?

Fear and chill seeped into their souls.

In this state of absolute calm, Xu Xuan felt his own power—his mental focus at its peak. Every motion harnessed his strength to the utmost; hearing, sight, touch—all senses heightened.

Under his gaze, everything seemed to move slower by several times.

Xu Dahu and Cao Fei’s attacks, seemingly deadly, appeared clumsy to him. Every flaw in their movements was exposed.

With the fifth tier of the breathing technique and the “Stillness” technique’s essence, Xu Xuan stood atop a summit, as if overlooking two clowns from the clouds.

The true terror of the ancient foundational body art, “Dragon-Serpent Nine Transformations,” was revealed for the first time.

And this was only the fifth transformation—who could imagine the horror of the final ones?

“Hah, hah!” Xu Dahu, sweating profusely, felt helplessness and fear deepen in his eyes.

Cao Fei’s movements slowed, panting, his heart filled with terror: “This kid isn’t human at all—he’s a cold, ruthless demon. Such a monster, aside from the boss, I’ve never seen one like him…”

Once Xu Xuan had entered the fifth tier of the breathing technique, merging with the “Stillness” state, he no longer attacked. Not a single offensive move—he never struck.

All his movements were confined within a meter, even half a meter.

“Stillness—using calm to counter motion… responding to myriad changes with unchanging resolve.”

Xu Xuan’s every move was steady, precise, without a hint of error, and his eyes betrayed no emotion.

Indifference—absolute indifference.

Calm and calmer still!

Dodge, always dodge!

Never attack, never act rashly!

His eyes, cold and restrained, watched the two men’s clumsy, flawed attacks as if he were a god.

As time passed, Xu Xuan even froze one foot in place, dodging every blow with only minute shifts.

Xu Dahu and Cao Fei grew more frightened, more powerless; their fear and helplessness spreading.

For the first time in their lives, facing such an opponent—they were defeated not by attacks, but by pure evasion.

They never realized that their breathing, heartbeat, every emotional fluctuation, was laid bare to Xu Xuan’s insight.

The chill in their hearts intensified…

Just as their fear peaked and retreat seemed inevitable, Xu Xuan, standing like a wooden stake, his eyes suddenly sharpened.

At that moment, Xu Dahu’s palm struck his back.

Xu Xuan did not dodge; his spine arched like a bow, absorbing the blow, then borrowed the force to lunge forward like a serpent, sidestepping Cao Fei’s blade.

“No!” Cao Fei realized too late—Xu Xuan used Xu Dahu’s attack to slip fully in front of him.

With a crack, Xu Xuan’s palm struck precisely at Cao Fei’s heart—his heart shattered, and he died before he could scream.

Most of the force of this cunning attack was borrowed from Xu Dahu’s strike, allowing Xu Xuan to slay the Blood Spirit Bandit in one move.

“Ah!” Xu Dahu cried in horror, but before he could react, Xu Xuan rebounded like a wildcat, diving forward.

Back to Xu Dahu, his body arched in midair, and without turning, he dove backward.

This saved the time of turning around; right after killing Cao Fei, he reached Xu Dahu.

Xu Dahu had no time to respond—Xu Xuan was already upon him.

As he drew near, Xu Xuan, still facing away, his arms charged with inner force, swung fiercely backward, striking Xu Dahu’s vital organs—heart, liver, stomach—all shattered by the force.

With a thump, Xu Dahu’s body was sent flying, dead before he hit the ground.

When he crashed against the wall and fell, Xu Xuan’s backward lunge finally came to rest.

Borrowing Xu Dahu’s force to kill Cao Fei, then diving backward to slay Xu Dahu—the entire sequence took less than two breaths.

And in the end, Xu Xuan was back where he’d started, as if he had never moved.

Even when Xu Dahu died, Xu Xuan was still facing away from him.

The final encounter—like a bolt of lightning, two men slain!

In the darkness, Xu Xuan’s face was as cold and mechanical as ever, his eyes like dead water, breathing rapid, back arched, standing still like a statue, his arms frozen in their backward swing…