THE HUNTER OF DARKNESS

Zhao Wen vs the Demon Finger Duo

The Heaven Sword radiated a bright blue light that pierced the sky. The energy emanating from the sacred blade surged outward, creating an intense pressure upon the Demon Finger Duo.

However, the two warriors suddenly sheathed their swords. It seemed they wanted to fight barehanded.

They realized that if they fought using sacred weapons, their chances of winning were extremely slim—perhaps even nonexistent.

“If you dare, put away your swords! Let’s fight barehanded,” Zeng Kun shouted sternly.

“Hahaha… You two aren’t in a position to make demands. But no matter, I’ll accept your challenge! Fang An, step aside. Let them feel the might of the Immortal Temple's technique,” Zhao Wen said as he sheathed his Demon Jade Sword.

Zeng Kun flinched slightly when Zhao Wen mentioned the Immortal Temple. He had heard of the temple atop Mount Arjuno. As he recalled, the leader of the Immortal Temple wielded a green sword that emitted a brilliant green light.

Now it made sense why his internal strength was still inferior to the handsome man before him. After all, he was facing the head of the oldest temple on the land of Jawadwipa.

Fang An nodded and stepped back. He, too, was curious to witness the technique of the Immortal Temple.

“Are you ready?” Zhao Wen's fingers formed a claw, signaling his use of the Dragon Claw technique.

Slowly, a green aura emerged from the fingers of the Immortal Temple’s master. Since becoming the temple head, Zhao Wen had managed to combine the Dragon Claw technique with his Demon Jade Energy. As a result, his claw strike could freeze his opponent on contact.

“Arrogant!” shouted Qiu Liang. The tall, curly-haired man dashed forward to strike. His hands moved swiftly and wildly, trying to break Zhao Wen’s defense.

Just like when he used to travel with Fang Yun, Zhao Wen didn’t launch a counterattack. He only deflected and dodged the strikes aimed at his vital points. At the same time, he studied the weaknesses of Qiu Liang’s technique.

Qiu Liang grunted in frustration. Despite launching dozens of attacks, his Demon Finger technique failed to land a single blow.

Soon, seeing Qiu Liang’s attacks fail, Zeng Kun joined the battle.

The situation became more balanced. The combined attacks of the Demon Finger Duo gradually began to pressure Zhao Wen, though so far he had only been dodging and blocking.

“Do you know what your greatest weakness is?” Zhao Wen leaned back to dodge Zeng Kun’s claw strike while simultaneously parrying Qiu Liang’s blow aimed at his stomach.

The two warriors ignored his words and kept up their relentless pressure, not even allowing Zhao Wen a moment to breathe.

“Your weakness is your obsession with defeating your enemy quickly. But unfortunately, you can’t read your opponent’s true strength,” Zhao Wen continued.

“Enough talk!” Qiu Liang barked, his frustration rising as each failed strike mounted.

“Now it’s my turn!” Zhao Wen exclaimed, having discovered their weakness.

His claw-shaped fingers slashed toward Qiu Liang’s stomach. But the tall man managed to dodge.

Unexpectedly, Zeng Kun realized too late that Zhao Wen’s attack on Qiu Liang was merely a distraction. Zhao Wen’s left claw was already aimed at his chest just as Qiu Liang moved aside.

Zeng Kun tried to pull back, but he was a moment too late. Zhao Wen’s claw raked across his left shoulder.

“Aaaakh!”

Zeng Kun slowly felt an intense cold flow into his shoulder. His left arm stiffened as if it had suddenly frozen solid.

Zhao Wen shook his head. “Never let your guard down in battle.”

Zeng Kun growled and tried to channel his internal energy to thaw his frozen arm, but it was useless—his left arm remained frozen and unmoving.

“Damn it!” he cursed inwardly. Now he could only use his right hand, and even that might not be enough to keep him alive.

While Zhao Wen kept Qiu Liang occupied, Zeng Kun finally drew his sword. He realized it was impossible to use the Demon Finger technique with only one hand, so the sword was his only option.

He moved in quickly to strike Zhao Wen from behind—but to his shock, it felt like his sword hit a solid wall, even though he was sure its tip had reached Zhao Wen’s back.

A powerful kick from Zhao Wen landed squarely on Zeng Kun’s stomach. The sturdy man stumbled backward and crashed hard to the ground.

“Impossible! What protected him?” Zeng Kun’s right hand trembled violently from the impact.

Unknown to him, the Demon Jade Shield had activated, protecting Zhao Wen from the strike.

Zhao Wen glanced briefly at the fallen Zeng Kun, then turned his attention back to Qiu Liang and resumed his assault.

“Demon Dragon Claw!”

Zhao Wen leapt high, aiming for Qiu Liang’s exposed head. But just before his claw landed, he suddenly shifted to the side and slashed at Qiu Liang’s back instead.

Caught off guard by the change in direction, Qiu Liang couldn’t react. His back was torn open. Strangely, no blood spilled from the wound—only a freezing chill surged through his body.

Zhao Wen stood four steps away from Qiu Liang’s frozen body, observing the result of his newly refined technique combined with the Demon Jade Energy.

Qiu Liang’s consciousness faded. His body stiffened like a statue, utterly motionless. Moments later, death claimed him—still standing like a frozen monument.

Zhao Wen turned to Zeng Kun, who had gotten back on his feet. “Now it’s your turn to follow him to the afterlife!”

The Immortal Temple master drew the Demon Jade Sword from his back. With a slight smile, he unleashed a long-range energy strike.

“Dew-Cleaving Sword!”

A flash of green light shot forth, piercing Zeng Kun’s body with no time to dodge. At first, Zeng Kun felt fine—but a second later, his body split cleanly in two and fell to the ground.

From a short distance away, Fang An’s eyes widened in awe at Zhao Wen’s technique. Admiration welled up in his heart again. A question lingered in his mind: If my uncle is this strong, what about my father?

No wonder people call him a legendary warrior, he thought.

The red-haired youth approached Zhao Wen, who had just defeated both of his foes. “Uncle, will you teach me that technique?”

Zhao Wen furrowed his brow and looked at Fang An. “You already wield the Heaven Sword—its power far surpasses my blade. Why do you still want to learn from me?”

Fang An chuckled lightly. It wasn’t that he doubted the Heaven Sword’s strength—he simply wanted to master a strike so silent and lethal, just like the one Zhao Wen had demonstrated.