Seeing that the sneak attack had failed, Fangsheng decisively withdrew his sword and retreated, refusing to engage in a contest of strength with the Flame Fiend. He then kept his eyes locked on the Flame Fiend's movements.
"Fangsheng, oh Fangsheng, tell me, doesn't this scene look awfully familiar to back then!" Before the voice had even faded, the Flame Fiend vanished from where he stood. His greatsword came crashing down with immense force, and Fangsheng hastily raised his blade to parry.
Though he barely managed to fend off the strike, the impact was not so easily absorbed. Feeling his arms go entirely numb from the shock, Fangsheng hurriedly fled the spot.
If he took another blow like that, he probably wouldn't even be able to keep a steady grip on his sword, Fangsheng thought with a furrowed brow. Was this the power of Tier 3 Transcendence?
"Pathetic! Pathetic, Fangsheng! You are far too pathetic!" The Flame Fiend's frantic voice rang out once more. This time, Fangsheng did not meet the attack head-on. Dodging the blow, he stepped forward with his right right and slashed fiercely with his greatsword.
The Flame Fiend caught the heavy blade in his powerful hand, looked at Fangsheng standing right before him, and scoffed mockingly, "Did you forget that I am a Flame Fiend!"
Fangsheng's expression shifted. As he let go of the hilt and prepared to make his escape, he discovered that the surrounding area had already been swallowed by towering walls of fire, cutting off any route of retreat.
The Flame Fiend tossed the greatsword down right in front of Fangsheng, then flashed a ferocious grin and said cruelly, "Nowhere left to run now. Pick up your sword and fight me to the death!"
Fangsheng picked up the greatsword and spoke his first words to the Flame Fiend since the battle began: "You just want to toy with me, so spare me the talk of fighting to the death."
The Flame Fiend was not angry. Looking at Fangsheng, he mocked, "So, are you planning to surrender?" Demons never found it shameful to bully the weak; tormenting those weaker than themselves was their absolute favorite pastime.
Without a word, Fangsheng held the greatsword level with both hands, settling into a combat stance. His actions spoke louder than words.
Seeing this familiar stance, an exaggerated smile spread across the Flame Fiend's face. He roared aloud, "Yes! Yes! That exact move!" That very move! Ever since he had perished under the fierce slash of that stance all those years ago, countless days and nights in the Abyss had been haunted by the memory of that lightning-fast strike!
Back then you said I only knew how to use brute force. Let's see if the sword technique you're so proud of can kill me once again!
Ignoring the Flame Fiend's raving, Fangsheng calmed his mind, gathered his breath, and fixed his gaze entirely on his opponent.
With a blur before his eyes, the Flame Fiend vanished. Fangsheng's stance remained unchanged; he simply sidestepped two paces to the left, effortlessly dodging the downward sweep of the greatsword.
Yet the Flame Fiend was no slouch either. Freeing his right hand, he summoned a Flame Whip and lashed it fiercely toward Fangsheng!
Wielding the greatsword in his right hand alone, Fangsheng dropped into an extreme backbend to dodge the strike. Following the promptings of his heart, he surrendered his body entirely to instinct. The white-light-infused tip of his blade swept swiftly forward in a semicircle, after which Fangsheng used the momentum to heave the greatsword high into the air.
At that moment, the Flame Fiend raised his heavy sword with his left hand, swinging it in a full arc toward Fangsheng's head! Simultaneously, Fangsheng drove his greatsword viciously downward toward the Flame Fiend's massive foot!
Splat!
The greatsword bit into flesh, and Fangsheng dropped to one knee, lowering his body to slip beneath the Flame Fiend's sweeping heavy sword! Feeling the searing heat of the blazing greatsword brush just inches above his scalp, Fangsheng gave a low shout: "Explode!"
A gentle white light manifested, bursting outward amidst the Flame Fiend's look of sheer terror!
The white light flared, enveloping Fangsheng entirely. Yet the shockwave generated by the blast caused him not a hint of harm; instead, it gently caressed his flesh, further healing his body.
As for the Flame Fiend, he had been blasted clean out of the flame barrier, looking utterly wretched with his lower body completely blown to shreds!
The three onlookers stared dumbfounded at the Flame Fiend's tumbling, recoiling form. The Cultist, in particular, clutched his head and roared in utter disbelief, "How can this be! How could Lord Flame Fiend be defeated by a weak mortal!"
Seizing the opportunity, Lewan used the longsword Fangsheng had dropped to run it straight through the Cultist's heart. As the Cultist's face twisted in agony, she wrenched the blade free and swung it down to finish him off.
With the coup de grâce delivered and the Cultist's vital signs entirely extinguished, Lewan scooped up her sword and rushed hurriedly to Fangsheng's side, asking anxiously in Chinese, "Did you finish off the Flame Fiend, and watch out for the Administrator!"
Fangsheng shook his head helplessly. Winning that fight had only been possible thanks to the Goddess of Radiance's favor—there had simply been no time for a finishing blow!
If he hadn't surrendered his body to instinct, coupled with the Holy Radiance scattered by the Goddess of Radiance, he probably would have died right here!
Drawing her crossbow, Lewan motioned for Fangsheng to remain on guard against the Administrator. She had finished off the Flame Fiend; although she desperately wanted to know how Fangsheng had managed to defeat him, now was hardly the time for idle chatter!
Infusing her bolt with the last of her Holy Radiance, Lewan took aim at the Flame Fiend, who appeared to have passed out, and squeezed the trigger.
The bolt flew forth, and just as it was about to strike the Flame Fiend, the seemingly unconscious creature snapped instantly awake, dodging the attack with a rolling maneuver.
Flapping his bat-like wings, the Flame Fiend rushed to the side of the dead Cultist, devouring his flesh and blood to replenish his energy.
A staggering sight unfolded: the moment the Flame Fiend made contact with the Cultist, his blown-to-shreds lower body began regenerating at a blinding pace!
His legs fully regenerated in moments, the Flame Fiend flashed at blistering speed to Fangsheng's side and brought his greatsword down in a ferocious slash. Fangsheng hastily raised his blade to parry.
Though he blocked the blow, the greatsword emitted a groaning wail of unbearable strain. Alarmed, Fangsheng abandoned the weapon and fled.
Making a ragged escape, Fangsheng stared grimly at the Flame Fiend. Without the Holy Radiance and without a weapon, he genuinely had no idea how to deal with this monster anymore.
Beside him, Lewan pulled a greatsword from her spatial pouch and asked, "Do you still have stamina?"
Fangsheng nodded slightly, but suddenly feeling the rush of fierce wind beside him, he hurriedly tackled Lewan to the ground, barely dodging the Flame Fiend's follow-up whip strike.
Snatching the greatsword from Lewan's hands, Fangsheng scrambled to his feet and raised the blade to meet the Flame Fiend's downward strike head-on! Seeing that Fangsheng had blocked the blow, Lewan scrambled away, knowing full well that had she not been right behind him, Fangsheng would never have chosen to take that hit brute-force.
Sensing that Lewan was clear, Fangsheng immediately sidestepped and lashed out with his greatsword. To his utter surprise, however, the Flame Fiend beat his wings and ducked out of the way!
Understanding the reason behind the opponent's evasion instantly, Fangsheng held the greatsword in his right hand and pointed his left finger at the Flame Fiend, shouting, "Dodging the blade of a mere mortal—you truly are a disgrace to all Flame Fiends!"
The Flame Fiend sneered, offering no verbal reply as he lunged at Fangsheng. This time, however, the Flame Fiend fought with extreme caution, while Fangsheng fought with ferocious aggression to avoid exposing his true condition!
Watching Fangsheng adopt such a fierce and unrelenting offensive, the Administrator frowned. While he was no master swordsman, he could clearly tell that Fangsheng held the upper hand and was pressing the Flame Fiend back!
If this kept up, things were going to get complicated...
Anxiety gripped Lewan as she watched the two trade blows amidst a flurry of flashing blades! Just moments ago, she had sensed that the aura of Holy Radiance on Fangsheng had completely vanished! Furthermore, she had no power of faith left; once Fangsheng's stamina gave out, it wasn't hard to imagine what would happen next!
Clasping her hands tightly against her chest, Lewan prayed over and over again.