Yamamoto Ichiryu fell right into Ye Bufan's trap. As soon as Ye Bufan left, Yamamoto Ichiryu's killing intent surged, wanting to pursue his victory.
Though Yamamoto Ichiryu was fast, Ye Bufan relied on his unique Chaos Step to maneuver through the forest, evading and circling, leaving Yamamoto Ichiryu with no immediate way to capture him.
However, Ye Bufan wasn't just running; he seized every opportunity to strike at Yamamoto Ichiryu, preventing him from focusing on anything else.
"Baka!" Yamamoto Ichiryu felt Ye Bufan was toying with him, and the longer the fight dragged on, the more agitated he became.
"Be agitated, you'll be even more so in a moment," Ye Bufan thought with a hidden chuckle.
"Whoosh—"
Ye Bufan unleashed his Sword Domain again. Within the domain, Yamamoto Ichiryu heard the whistling of flying swords all around, yet he could neither see nor sense any of them.
"Break!" Ye Bufan shouted. Instantly, Yamamoto Ichiryu felt a pervasive pressure from all directions. Blood began to seep from his arm, shocking him greatly.
"Boy, what kind of hidden weapon are you using?" Yamamoto Ichiryu asked, looking at Ye Bufan.
"Just some ordinary means of attack."
Ye Bufan grinned, but Yamamoto Ichiryu didn't believe him. He paused for a few seconds to ponder, and then reached a conclusion.
"Mental power sorcery? Hmph, you almost fooled me," Yamamoto Ichiryu sneered. "It seems you acquired quite a few good things in that Taiyi Divine Sect's secret realm."
With that, Yamamoto Ichiryu's eyes gleamed with greed.
Ye Bufan immediately sensed he was locked on. However, he remained calm, leaping into the air and breaking free from Yamamoto Ichiryu's lock. Yamamoto Ichiryu, thinking Ye Bufan was fleeing, leaped up and pursued him.
"Sword Moves the Mountains and Rivers?"
Mid-air, Ye Bufan launched a sudden attack. Yamamoto Ichiryu was startled. Seeing Ye Bufan closing in, he roared.
"Huntian Demonic Chant!"
All his vital energy vibrated at a specific frequency in his throat, unleashing a sonic attack on Ye Bufan.
The sword energy, shaped like a giant sword, collided with Yamamoto Ichiryu's sonic waves. Ye Bufan felt the sword energy tremble, on the verge of being scattered by the sound.
Undeterred, Ye Bufan remained composed. He still had plenty of trump cards compared to before.
Empowered by Ye Bufan's vital energy, the sword energy became even sharper and sturdier. With a resolute sword heart, the sword energy remained unbroken. Ye Bufan took a deep breath. In that moment, he was a sword in the heavens and earth, a sharp weapon within his Sword Domain. Sword and self became one, and his aura transformed.
The sword energy clashing with Yamamoto Ichiryu's sonic attack instantly dissipated. Following this, Ye Bufan transformed into a colossal sword and charged at Yamamoto Ichiryu. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth within his Sword Domain converged towards him, breaking through Yamamoto Ichiryu's sonic attack in an instant and piercing towards him.
"Fall!" Ye Bufan's sword strike came down, leaving Yamamoto Ichiryu nowhere to dodge. He could only brace himself to receive the attack head-on.
Yamamoto Ichiryu immediately enveloped himself in his vital energy. A deafening explosion followed as the two energies collided. The ground where Yamamoto Ichiryu stood was instantly blasted into a massive crater.
Amidst the rubble, Yamamoto Ichiryu stood his ground, but he was covered in wounds, with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
Ye Bufan's gaze sharpened. He hadn't expected a late-stage Core Formation expert to possess such physical resilience. Even in this state, he had only inflicted minor injuries on his opponent.
"Boy, I must admit, your training as an early-stage Core Formation cultivator is impressive. You should be proud to have injured a mid-stage Core Formation expert," Yamamoto Ichiryu said. "Have you used up all your trump cards? Now it's my turn."
Yamamoto Ichiryu rose with great confidence. Ye Bufan vanished from his original position.
"Trying to escape? Not so easy!" Yamamoto Ichiryu sneered coldly. "You will pay for injuring me."
"I never said I was escaping." Ye Bufan suddenly descended from the sky. Yamamoto Ichiryu was momentarily confused. He hadn't sensed Ye Bufan's presence at all, yet Ye Bufan had appeared out of nowhere.
This sudden, unexpected move left Yamamoto Ichiryu no chance to react, not even to gather his vital energy. The Broken Sword and the Black Tortoise Sword descended instantly.
"Two Sleeves of Green Snakes!"
"Bang—"
Yamamoto Ichiryu took Ye Bufan's full force attack on the ground, spitting up blood. Gritting his teeth against the intense pain, he endured the strike.
"Boy, you die!"
Yamamoto Ichiryu roared. Amidst Ye Bufan's attack, a samurai sword appeared in his hand. As he swung the sword in mid-air, a sword aura emerged, mitigating the damage Ye Bufan's attack inflicted upon him.
"Ichiryu Blade!"
Yamamoto Ichiryu slashed at Ye Bufan. The samurai sword in his hand enlarged several times. The blade energy and Ye Bufan's sword energy clashed head-on, evenly matched.
However, Yamamoto Ichiryu was, after all, a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator. Even a starving camel is bigger than a horse. Despite enduring Ye Bufan's two attacks without being critically wounded, he could still retaliate.
"Cannot afford to linger," Ye Bufan reminded himself. His vital energy and the opponent's were not meant for sustained engagement; otherwise, he would eventually be worn down and defeated.
Seeing this, Ye Bufan changed his tactic. Stepping with his Chaos Step, he moved towards another direction.
In Yamamoto Ichiryu's eyes, Ye Bufan was attempting to flee. He would not allow him such an opportunity. He unleashed all his power, flying swiftly and blocking Ye Bufan's path.
"Kid, trying to run? Not that easy." Yamamoto Ichiryu swung his samurai sword at Ye Bufan several times, each blow aimed at his vital points.
Ye Bufan dodged incessantly. Empowered by the Chaos Step, Yamamoto Ichiryu could not predict Ye Bufan's next move or location. The two became locked in a stalemate within the forest.
"Boom—"
As they were locked in a tense battle, behind them, the Sakura Island camp suddenly erupted in flames, accompanied by explosions.
Yamamoto Ichiryu seemed to realize something. He glared ferociously at Ye Bufan. "Boy, you're playing a trick!"
Ye Bufan smiled slightly. "My little diversion, compared to your Sakura Island's premeditated sneak attack, is like a mere trifle, isn't it?"
"I'll kill you!" Yamamoto Ichiryu roared, charging forward with his sword.
"If you don't go back now, you'll suffer even greater losses. By then, it will truly be too late," Ye Bufan said, watching Yamamoto Ichiryu.
Yamamoto Ichiryu froze, glanced back at the encampment, then looked at Ye Bufan. Finally, he turned and rushed back towards the camp at full speed.