Chapter 271 - Triple-Blade Style, Rainbow World

"Worthless fool. Losing so quickly..." Garoro felt an immense headache forming as he caught sight of Dino’s corpse through his peripheral vision. He was now surrounded by three enemies.

This was completely different from Garoro’s expectations. He was well aware of how terrifying a high-level Dead Blood's regenerative abilities could be. If their core wasn’t harmed, they were practically immortal and indestructible.

This trait allowed the Dead Blood to slowly wear down opponents of similar strength. They wouldn’t die even if their opponents were much stronger. They were like sticky tar, clinging to anything they touched.

This time, Garoro had negotiated with Dino, the vice president of the Blood Spirit Society, a third stage Indestructible-Rank powerhouse. Even as per the Black Ops Agency's classification, he wasn't weak for a B-level combatant.

Garoro knew that even he would have to unleash terrifying techniques with all his might to defeat Dino. Otherwise, Dino's undead nature would allow him to regenerate. Yet, his ally had been defeated by that blond youth in such a short time! This was completely beyond Garoro's expectations. He had originally planned to tie down Feng Liusi and Saint Feinan until Dino could subdue the blond youth and come to his aid to subdue Feng Liusi together.

At worst, they could battle to a draw: one-on-one for Dino and a two-on-one for himself, which was still manageable. However, things went wrong when Dino was swiftly defeated, leaving Garoro in a dire situation.

This was an ambush by three veteran combat artists, and even Blade Demon Garoro would be doomed with the slightest misstep!

His three opponents moved at high speed, leaving afterimages in the moonlight. Their bodies shifted constantly, fluidly changing their footwork and position to keep Garoro trapped between them. They seemed intent on completely subduing and killing him.

Garoro's single eye swept across his surroundings, his right arm holding the blade in a defensive stance. Black-coloured Qi surged from his body, clashing with the Qi coming from three directions. He was locked in a struggle against multiple Qi at once.

Keeping his eyes on Feng Liusi, Garoro spoke slowly, "Three against one? You don't even have the guts to face me alone?"

"Don't bother trying to shake us. I admit that you're strong, Blade Demon. Of all the combat artists I've encountered in my travels, you're easily in the top five—perhaps even the top three. Even with one arm, you're still stronger than me. The three of us joining forces is a sign of respect for your strength. Besides, if you had more people, you would use numbers against us, wouldn’t you? Remember Eternal Island ten years ago? Your men were quite a handful..." Feng Liusi's deep voice flickered from side to side, sometimes at Garoro's left ear, sometimes at his right. One moment it was in front of him, the next it suddenly appeared behind him.

Fuck, I'd rather not have this kind of respect!

Garoro cursed inwardly, though his expression remained unperturbed. Only his eyes darkened, growing deeper and more ominous.

"Actually, I've wanted to settle the score of that arrow all those years ago. If you can wait for one more month, I'll find the perfect moment to challenge you. Of course, that's assuming you can walk away alive today," Feng Liusi added.

Suddenly, a sharp sound of rushing wind came from behind Garoro. It was the eerie noise caused by a fist cutting through the air, like a bird of prey diving at its prey.

Screech!

"Want to kill me? Even with the three of you, it won't work!" Garoro spun violently, his light purple blade cutting through the air as it slashed at the attack coming from behind him.

Zing!

The sharp, clear sound of metal clashing reverberated in the air, quickly followed by a rapid succession of strikes. Feng Liusi's punch tore through the silence, signaling the start of a violent assault by the trio. A barrage of deadly strikes ensued, from sharp hand chops at tricky angles to Qi-wrapped finger strikes and a freezing cross-shaped crystal sword. Flashes of blades and fists from all angles filled the air.

It was as if metal was being forged; golden sparks flew everywhere as their blades collided, filling the air with a clear, ringing hum. It was like the chiming of bronze wind chimes hanging from a rooftop, swaying in the wind.

Slash Blade, Pierce Blade, and Shock Blade! Three arcs of metallic light danced through the air, slicing through afterimages like fleeting rainbows—beautiful, yet deadly.

Though Garoro only had one arm, his movements were lightning-fast. He always managed to counter Feng Liusi and his comrades' attacks from different angles and intents with the most suitable blade techniques. Truly, he was a genuine master of blade arts.

Cassius clashed with him several times but couldn’t land a decisive blow. He was gifted a few minor injuries for his troubles instead.

"Red Mist Finger Gun!" Cassius found a blind spot behind Garoro and seized the opportunity to strike mercilessly. His right arm whipped through the air like a shadow, and his finger shot out like a bullet, wrapped in a dark red Azure Blood Stream, spiraling as it accelerated.

Ding!

Garoro didn't even turn around. He simply thrust his blade backward through the gap between his arm and armpit as if he had eyes on the back of his head. The tip of the blade collided fiercely with Cassius's finger. The alloy blade bent slightly under the pressure but quickly retracted.

Cassius winced in pain as the blade pierced through the tip of his finger, nearly splitting it in half. Though his body was tough, it was no match for the hardness of the alloy. Garoro's forceful stab combined with Cassius's finger gun resulted in him adding power to harm himself.

Of course, this also demonstrated Garoro's sharp sense of danger and his precision.

"Quite the cunning move..." Cassius's palm trembled slightly. Had he not pulled back in time, his right hand might have been split in two by his own force. The feeling of being outmaneuvered like this, practically driving himself into the opponent's blade, was unpleasant.

Fortunately, he had only suffered a minor wound. He flexed his fist a few times, and the bloody wound on his index finger quickly restored itself within moments.

Cassius's Golem Covert Martial Arts, while not as powerful as Dead Blood regeneration, still had formidable healing abilities. As long as a major limb wasn’t severed, his body could rapidly heal flesh wounds even in the midst of battle.

Cassius was back in action in just a few breaths, using both hands to unleash various techniques and coordinating with Feng Liusi and the others to suppress Garoro.

The clouds drifted with the wind, and the pale moonlight bathed the entire street. The four figures moved like a chaotic storm, leaving destruction in their wake. Concrete cracked, trees toppled, cars flew into the air, and walls collapsed. It was as if a scene from the apocalypse had unfolded before them.

"Shock!" Garoro suddenly drew a light red longsword. His right arm swung like a pendulum, fiercely slicing through the air and striking Saint Feinan's incoming whip with tremendous force.

This strike was a hidden technique he had been holding back. The vibration frequency of this Shock Blade was at least three times more powerful than before. As the blade collided with the whip, a wave of force reverberated through Saint Feinan's weapon, traveling up to his palm and into his forearm, causing him to freeze for a moment.

"An opportunity!!!" Garoro's lone eye gleamed as he sprang forward like an arrow. He drew both Slash Blade and Pierce Blade at the same time. He wielded both blades with just one hand in an instant!

A dazzling purple and blue light exploded in the surrounding darkness as the blade lights intertwined. The sharp blades left fine glimmers of lethal Qi in the air.

"Dual-Blade Style! Scale Fire!" He unleashed a technique with a nearly inhumanly sharp aura. The blade Qi erupted around him like swarms of piranhas or floating flames. Anyone attempting to get close would be shredded to pieces by the razor-sharp blade Qi.

This was both an offensive and defensive move. The best defense was, afterall, a strong offense.

Garoro had caught the moment when Saint Feinan's body stiffened. His feet shattered the ground beneath him as he shot out of the encirclement like a spring.

Feng Liusi was the first to react. He dashed forward, trying to block Garoro, but was forced back by the dazzling blade energy. The blade that brushed past him gouged a long, narrow trench nearly ten meters across the ground.

"You want to trap me? You're still lacking." The voice flickered and disappeared, as Garoro vaulted over a nearby wall, "I'll remember today's grudge—"

Crack.

A blood-soaked hand suddenly grabbed his rising ankle, and an immense force yanked him down. Garoro turned to see Cassius squeezing his ankle! He had forcibly broken through the Scale Fire's blade energy with his body.

The hand that had closed around Garoro’s ankle was especially damaged. Its flesh was shredded and torn to the point where bone was visible. If not for his incredibly strong physique and dense muscle and skin, Cassius's entire arm would have been completely shredded.

𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

He doesn't fear losing his limbs?!

Just as that thought crossed Garoro's mind, he was lifted into the air and slammed into the ground like a sandbag.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The concrete slab groaned, cracking and leaving human-sized craters where Garoro had been slammed. Garoro's upper body felt like it was falling apart. He could hear his bones creaking under the repeated impacts. His chest felt tight and painful as he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Is this guy insane? Using a move that injures himself as much as it hurts his opponent!

Garoro's body was still enveloped in the blade energy of his Dual-Blade Style Scale Fire technique. If Cassius remained this close, his flesh would likely be sliced away! Even if Cassius's body survived intact, his hand would likely be reduced to bare bone.

He's treating me like a punching bag, damn it!

Garoro suddenly slashed at Cassius's head, forcing him to throw Garoro away. He spun 360 degrees midair before landing back on the ground. No sooner had he found his footing than the three shadows surrounded him once again, trapping him inside their triangular formation.

"Goddammit!" Even the usually aloof and indifferent Garoro couldn't help but curse under his breath. How could these three be so troublesome? He had been one step away from escaping, only to be trapped again. Wasn't the blond guy worried about crippling his body and ruining his future in Covert Martial Arts?

Garoro quickly glanced at Cassius and saw him in a pitiful state. His clothes were torn and he was bleeding heavily. His once handsome and refined face was now marred with deep scars, making him look like a demon under the moonlight. His muscular body was covered in cuts, and his hands were particularly gruesome, with white bone exposed through the shredded skin.

Faint strips of flesh hung from his hands, dripping blood.

How ruthless!

Blood trickled from the corner of Garoro's mouth. His internal organs were clearly injured. His breath was labored as he stared at Cassius, a mix of anger and grudging admiration in his eyes. Yet that admiration immediately turned into exasperation as he noticed something.

The wounds on Cassius's body were rapidly knitting together.

No wonder he dared to exchange injuries with me. He had this up his sleeve all along! This healing speed is too fast!

"You're a dark creature!" Garoro blurted out in shock.

To his surprise, Cassius shook his head solemnly and said, "It's Covert Martial Arts."

Covert Martial Arts, my foot! I don't believe you!

Garoro hadn't seen Cassius use any Covert Martial Arts techniques. This was clearly a natural ability of his body. This was a regeneration ability on par with the Dead Blood!

Cassius responded to Garoro's disbelieving expression with a sharp look that seemed to say, believe what you want, I don't care.

Though it was modeled after the Golem, which was a dark creature, and though he wasn't entirely sure how the technique was formed, it was still Covert Martial Arts. It was just a bit strange and more unusual than traditional styles.

Garoro glared at Cassius. "Covert Martial Arts or not, your healing ability is strong. But if I use my Triple-Blade..."

"Cassius, enough with the talking. Let's go all out!" Feng Liusi interrupted sharply as he charged forward.

Saint Feinan attacked at the same time. Cassius shrugged and lunged forward.

They've seen through me! They won't even give me a moment to breathe?

Garoro's sense of urgency grew as he struggled to catch his breath amidst the trio's relentless assault. The main issue was the arm he had lost ten years ago. Now, he could only use his Dual-Blade Style in normal situations, and his strongest form, the Triple-Blade Style, came with a steep cost.

Even though he had trained hard over the past ten years and accumulated experience, wielding with one arm would never match the power of wielding with two.

The three dark figures charged at their quarry in unison. The violent momentum of the battle stirred the surrounding air, causing dust and debris to swirl like a fierce wind. Wind and smoke billowed, the earth rumbled, and the dust rose and spun in the air.

Garoro slowly closed his eyes, seemingly making some kind of decision. Just as Feng Liusi and the others came dangerously close, he suddenly opened his single eye.

Zing!

The three long blades at his waist were drawn simultaneously: Slash, Pierce, Shock.

"Triple-Blade Style, Rainbow World!"