Shen Wang felt that incorporating Fireball Talismans into his attacks made them more flexible and effective.
The only thing to be careful of was hurting himself, so he used them as tactically as possible.
Three Low-Level Fireball Talismans left the old man with no space to dodge left or right, forcing him to retreat backward.
Shen Wang noticed the swordsman was about to counterattack, so he decided to deal with the weaker one first. He threw two darts over his shoulder while his Black Death Blade gleamed, burning with Fire Spiritual Power, as if it were ablaze.
The swordsman had just been hit by the darts and, after catching his breath, intended to counterattack. Seeing another two black rays shooting towards him, he cursed under his breath and hastily deflected the darts, only to see a glowing blade slashing towards him, prompting him to block instinctively.
He was forced down on one knee by a powerful chop from Shen Wang, the blade pressing hard onto his shoulder with a crunch, cutting in.
Amidst the screams, Shen Wang sidestepped, swung his blade to slit the man’s throat, then flickered behind him and lifted him up.
A rapier flew in from a distance, piercing the swordsman’s chest, blood splattering everywhere.
Opposite him, the old man holding the rapier walked over disheveled and charred all over.
His entire body glowed, and his crimson True Qi rolled like flames.
Seeing the powerful Innate True Qi of the opponent condense so solidly, having withstood the explosive aftermath of the Fireball Talismans, Shen Wang narrowed his eyes slightly.
He knew this must be a top-level grandmaster, likely only a step away from a Grandmaster.
"Didn’t expect to encounter someone who both practices Immortal and Martial cultivation, with an exceptionally strong physique. Seems like our luck is a bit poor."
The old man looked at the deceased Old Fourth and sighed, "Please, spare this old man."
While saying these pleading words, the old man’s eyes showed no sign of relaxation. Suddenly, his smoking pipe emitted thick smoke as he viciously flung it towards Shen Wang.
As the smoking pipe flew out, thick smoke billowed with fiery sparks. Destructive energy surged from within the pipe, causing cracks to appear.
Similarly, Shen Wang threw out an Intermediate Fireball Talisman, retreating in a flash.
The Intermediate Fireball Talisman exploded, and the smoking pipe detonated with even greater ferocity.
Amid the tremendous noise, nearby trees were instantly shattered, while metal fragments from the smoking pipe shot out, embedding into the surrounding earth and tree trunks, covering a destructive range of ten zhang.
If not for Shen Wang stepping back twenty zhang and using the Fireball Talisman’s explosion to block some of the debris, he might have been injured.
"A one-time secret artifact like a grenade?"
Shen Wang frowned, using his mind to lock onto the direction the old man escaped before he flickered in pursuit.
The difference between a cultivator and a martial artist became apparent. Although the old man ran fast, he couldn’t escape Shen Wang’s sensory range.
In contrast, Shen Wang’s powerful physique made his Wolf Step incredibly fast, appearing behind the old man in just three breaths, delivering a chopping strike.
The old man blocked the Black Death Blade, forcing a halt and showing a nasty expression, "You didn’t flee at full speed before!"
"Heh, even with carrying someone I could hang on to you, what do you think?"
Shen Wang lightly lifted the Black Death Blade, "You’re a Ninth Grade Grandmaster, right? At close range, any cultivator below Mid-stage Foundation Establishment would be in danger. But now, it seems you’re just so-so."
Through the encounter with this old man, Shen Wang further affirmed that he had Grandmaster-level strength. As for the cultivators’ means, they might be lacking, but the talismans were enough to compensate.
The old man knew he couldn’t escape, holding his rapier as he turned to Shen Wang, "My Red Smoke Sword has slain Foundation Establishment cultivators before. If you force me, don’t blame me for taking you down with me."
The next moment, his True Qi boiled like red smoke, his power suddenly surging, charging at Shen Wang like a fierce beast.
Shen Wang raised his blade to block the strike, neither hurried nor slow, keeping the opponent’s frantic, swift sword light locked outside.
His saber technique seemed open and aggressive, but each move had various changes, combining his excellent Spiritual Power and Insight. Even though his opponent’s sword technique was intricate and deceptive, dealing with it was not difficult.
However, as the opponent fought, the surrounding smoke thickened, affecting his senses and vision, giving him a sense of foreboding.
He didn’t let it continue, exploiting a flaw, rolling his blade to deflect the rapier with sheer strength, slicing a wound on the opponent’s arm.
The other roared, stepping back two steps, the surrounding red smoke suddenly converging with the sword body, thrusting fiercely at Shen Wang.
The old man murmured lowly, a fiery sword qi wreathed in smoke shot rapidly towards Shen Wang.
This was actually a Martial Arts Divine Technique, condensing his Essence, Qi, and Spirit, fierce and frenzied, with considerable offensive power.
Shen Wang chuckled lightly, his Black Death Blade twitched, Spiritual Power coursed through following the Black Death Blade Heart Method, its domineering strength swelling his arm muscles and bones. The Black Death Blade emitted a hum as he gripped it with both hands to chop down.
A terrifying blaze condensed into Flaming Blade Qi, longer than a zhang, its fiery aura fierce like a tiger descending the mountain, slicing through the air with a roar.
The noticeably larger blade qi struck the sword qi, shattering it with a crack, then with a slicing sound, it cut into the old man’s body.
The latter’s Protective True Qi shattered, his body trembled and staggered back, a bloodstain appearing on him, pointing at Shen Wang, "Second... Second-Grade Divine Techniques!"
Afterward, he coughed up a mouthful of blood, his body crumbling, collapsing to his death in disbelief.