The sun was about to set as the battle continued with the same intense ferocity. It had been going on for a quite a while neither side was backing down.

  On one side was a core senior disciple of the top ranked sect of the Jiang region the Absolute Sword sect, Su Feng. He was a peak Foundation Establishment realm cultivator.

  On the other side was the rare earth attribute second rank demonic beast with a true grade bloodline, the sandwyrm.

  Both sides were relentlessly going at each other. The body of the sandwyrm was covered with numerous scars, plenty shallow but some deep, and its rock armour had cracked in some areas.

  But Su Feng wasn't completely unhurt either. He was breathing heavily. Su Feng was once struck by its tail in the chest and few of his ribs were broken making it difficult to breathe.

  Also he was wielding his sword using his left hand as the wrist of his right hand was broken due to being grazed by a flying boulder which he barely managed to dodge. But still his eyes were sparkling with determination.

  His fighting spirit was still surging as he vowed to bring the sandwyrm down.

  All in all it could be said was that Su Feng was doing exceptionally well. There were no fatal injuries as he had been holding against the sandwyrm all alone.

  He had shown excellent proficiency in his sword skill as he was able to generate both sword aura and sword intent wounding the sandwyrm grievously. But its opponent was a second rank demonic beast.

  There is a reason demonic beast were hunted by groups with ample preparations. The durability and the vitality of demonic beasts far surpasses than that of equivalent realm cultivators.

  Also demonic beasts have overwhelming advantage over Qi and stamina. The sandwyrm being an earth attribute beast, its defence was even more resilient making it harder to even put a scratch on its body.

  But it was its misfortune that it was facing a sword cultivator, that to from a top tier sect.

  Sword cultivators often take great pride in possessing the strongest offensive ability among all cultivators. Su Feng had been repeatedly slashing through the rock armour, piercing through its tough skin making it bleed all over the place.

  "Looks like senior is on the cusp of victory."

  It had been the first time Ling Yun spoke aloud since the fighting began. He had been so enraptured by this battle that he barely paid attention to the elegant beauty beside him.

  But as the sun was about to set, the visibility had considerably decreased making it very hard for Ling Yun to follow the fight. Also he was feeling a bit shy and awkward on how to interact with her.

  Seriously, if she ignores me I will die from embarrassment.

  "Of course. Even though he maybe hopeless when it comes to woman, senior brother Su Feng is a rare genius even in our Absolute Sword sect."

  Ling Yun gave a sigh of relief as her melodic voice rang out. Even as she replied to Ling Yun, her eyes were still fixed on down below. It was evident from her voice how much pride she took in her senior brother.

  "He would soon begin his preparations for breaking into core formation realm. Once he does form a Golden Core, his name would spread throughout the region as a prodigy who achieved it under 100 years of age."

  For Ling Yun Foundation Establishment was a distant dream so all the talks of Core Formation were going over his head. Still he could understand that it would be an exceptional feat.

  Both of them stopped talking as they focused their attention back to the battle. They could feel it was soon coming to its conclusion.

  To ordinary people it would look that Su Feng was in the advantageous position. He was not that injured while the demonic beast was bleeding from multiple places.

  But any expert could recognise the danger that Su Feng was in. Unleashing these strong attacks continuously while nimbly dodging all the boulders and charges by the sandwyrm had exhausted him mentally and most importantly his Qi reserves.

  The sandwyrm though bleeding heavily was nowhere close to death. It still had lot of spirit left to fight. Knowing that the longer the battle went, the more disadvantageous it would be for him, Su Feng recklessly charged.

  Two sword slashes flew towards the sandwyrm's neck. Launching boulders at Su Feng, it took those head on. The rock armour broke exposing its skin. Su Feng again gracefully avoided the boulders showcasing his excellent movement skills closing the distance. The attacks stopped as a wall of sand rose trying to stop him.

  Like hell I would let you reform your armour and miss the chance of beheading you.

  Su Feng dove in charging through the thin sand barrier but on reaching the other side the sandwyrm was nowhere to be seen. Sensing danger he immediately jumped above as the sandwyrm emerged from the ground trying to swallow him up. He escaped by a hair breadth but the sandwyrm blew poisonous fog at him.

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  He immediately flew away and dispersed the fog but the damage was done. He had inhaled quite a bit of it and could sense it rapidly spreading throughout his body.

  The sandwyrm was quite cunning. It only spat poisonous globs in the beginning while only using his earth divine skills throughout the whole fight. When Su Feng had nearly forgotten about it, it unleashed the poisonous fog at opportune moment catching him unawares.

  Su Feng took out a third rank anti toxin pill and immediately swallowed it and concentrated on expelling the poison. He had prepared for the sandwyrm and as a senior core disciple of the Absolute Sword sect, he wasn't lacking in spiritual treasures and artifacts.

  But the sandwyrm did not give him any time to breathe. It launched another volley of boulders at Su Feng. With most of his concentration on containing and expelling the poison, he tried to dodge but was struck multiple times.

  Many of his bones were shattered making it even standing very difficult. But still Su Feng wasn't worried.

  With a grim smile he said aloud, "Okay I admit my loss." He transmitted instructions to his junior sister to take the boy and go back to the village.

  He looked at the sandwyrm. Rocks were rapidly growing again from its skin to launch another volley. Su Feng was a bit disappointed in himself. Even though he knew it would be a very uneven match for him, call it the arrogance of a genius or childishness of a young man, he wanted to create his own heroic story of weak overcoming the strong.

  But the tales of giant slaying are so much acclaimed precisely because they are as rare as pheonix feathers. For each such epic, there are millions of untold stories that have ended in tragedy.

  Su Feng took out a purple bead, the size of clenched fist of a little child. It was Exploding Thunder Bomb, a third rank spiritual artifact capable of harming even newly formed Golden Core cultivators.

  Back then when he reached late stage Foundation Establishment realm, fearing jealousy over his prodigious talent, his master had given him an Exploding Thunder Bomb and a Thousand Li Escape talisman for his safety.

  Having cultivated to peak Foundation Establishment realm, Su Feng wasn't a battle crazy reckless fool. He had jumped into the fight because of these trump cards he could use if things go south.

  Su Feng at that time had arrogantly proclaimed that he would never use them. Sword cultivators take great pride in their offense and seldom use spiritual artifacts only relying on their might of the sword to piece through the heavens. But now Su Feng could only laugh at himself.

  "First you made me waste my precious pill refined by my beloved fairy Feixue herself. Now the gift given by master.

  "DIE!"

  The sandwyrm was instantly on alert as soon he took out the Exploding Thunder Bomb. With its divine sense it could glean that the purple bead was something dangerous. When Su Feng threw it, the sandwyrm immediately dived back into the ground. It immediately reformed its rock armour when suddenly-

  BOOM!!!

  There was a huge explosion shaking the entire forest. Much of the immaculate robe that adorned Su Feng disintegrated turning them into rags worn by a beggar. Su Feng wasn't unhurt himself.

  He coughed blood and then sat up waiting for the dust to settle. He was harmed that much from the shockwaves so he could imagine what must have happened in the centre.

  A huge crater had formed at the centre of the explosion. The sandwyrm laid there motionless. The rock armour that fended off his slashes was gone and even its grey skin was burnt off in countless places showing the whiteness of its broken skeleton.

  But Su Feng was flabbergasted when he sensed that it was still alive. Its alertness and great defense just barely saved its life. But Su Feng could sense it was on death's door.

  That's great, I wanted to finish it with my own sword.

  Su Feng tightly gripped his sword ready to deliver the finishing blow when the sandwyrm suddenly twitched and sand filled the crater enveloping it.

  Su Feng wanted to jump in but he remembered the previous time when he got poisoned. He tried to prove with his divine sense but the sand was obstructing him making him unable to know what was happening.

  Is it trying to escape from underground? Or is it a trap to lure me in?

  Su Feng hesitated and then took to he side of caution deciding to wait and see.

  ***

  Trump cards. Be it spiritual artifacts, high rank talismans, forbidden techniques or trap formations, in most of the fights in the cultivation world, it was the deciding factor.

  Many cultivators start by trying to probe the hidden cards of the enemy before going all out. It is the hidden ace that turns the tide.

  This is what happened here. Su Feng who was about to lose overturned the battle with a single artifact and now the sandwyrm was dying.

  But while using your trump card always remember that your opponent may also possess one.

  ***

  The sandwyrm was furious. First it was robbed and when it was about to get back his treasures another thief came and started fighting.

  It was on the verge of winning when the thief sneak attacked. And now it was half dead while it could smell its precious opportunity moving further and further away.

  UNFORGIVABLE. YOU THIEVES THINK YOU CAN TAKE BOTH MY TREASURE AND MY LIFE.

  YOU WILL GET NOTHING, NOT EVEN A PEACEFUL DEATH.

  DIE. DIE. DIE

  Taking desperate measures the sandwyrm burned its lifespan as it triggered its forbidden divine skill-

  Taboo Metamorphosis

  ***

  Su Feng had waited for five minutes but there was no movement. He swung his sword and with a guest of wind, the crater was cleared of sand. It was empty except that there was the sandwyrms skin. It was completely ruined from the battle.

  Did it molt? Looks like it escaped.

  "Well making a second rank demonic beast run away in fear by myself alone will also be a good tale."

  Su Feng nervously laughed. His master would be furious. First he started a reckless battle. And second he consumed a Exploding Thunder Bomb with nothing to show for it. It was a third rank spiritual artifact which was both very rare and expensive.

  And what was the reward? Even the skin that it had shed was completely damaged making it a junk.

  And third and most important, he took Su Ning with him on this reckless adventure.

  I'm finished.

  He turned back and started leaving when the ground started shaking. He turned around and then what he saw made his knees buckle. The sword which never left his hand the entire fight fell listless on the ground.

  His face was drenched with sweat as his eyes were wide open with dread and with his shaking lips he could only mutter, "Impossible.. it can't be.."

  The first rank sandwyrm was brown in colour capable of using only mud and sand.

  The second rank sandwyrm grey in colour gains the ability of rocks and boulders upon evolving.

  But on that night, shining with a metallic silver gleam under the moonlight, radiating an oppressive tyrannical aura was a demon king.