The wind was still.
Even the red mist seemed to freeze as Feng Mo stared up the cliffs.
There he stood.
A figure draped in black.
Porcelain mask carved with a seven-pointed star.
Aura cold as death itself.
The Star Reaper.
Elite executioner of the sect.
A shadow whispered about in terrified silence—sent only when failure was not an option.
"Feng Mo," the voice called, smooth and low.
"You have awakened what should remain buried."
The killer dropped from the cliff like a ghost.
No sound. No ripple.
He simply appeared before Feng Mo, as if space bent to his will.
"I am to cleanse your existence."
Without another word, the Star Reaper struck.
The First Clash
Feng Mo drew Soul-Eater Fang, its edge humming with the energy of the Fourth Vein.
The two blades met—and the earth cracked beneath them.
CRACK!
WHOOOOM—
The impact unleashed a shockwave, flattening trees and splitting rocks.
Feng Mo was hurled backward but landed on his feet, blood trickling from his lips.
Too fast. Too sharp. He's using Spatial-Step Swordplay…
The Star Reaper vanished again.
But this time, Feng Mo's Echo Rebirth stirred.
He felt it—not the motion, but the imprint left behind.
I don't need to see you… I only need to feel what you were.
He spun and slashed behind him—CLANG!
He blocked a strike mid-air, reading the qi residue through his soul.
"Interesting," the assassin murmured. "The Requiem adapts. But you're still too slow.
A Duel Beyond Speed
The fight escalated—**
Sword lights carved arcs through the mist.
Illusions layered over illusions.
Every strike from the Reaper held killing intent refined through hundreds of assassinations.
But Feng Mo adapted fast.
The Fourth Vein allowed him to absorb patterns from his opponent's own technique.
He's using 13 forms in sequence. His power dips slightly at the 9th form. That's the gap.
Then he did the unthinkable—
He stopped defending.
Let the blade graze his ribs—and countered with everything.
Blood Qi Burst — Veinbreaking Fang!
BOOM—!
A massive explosion of blood qi ruptured the ravine floor. The Star Reaper was blasted back, his mask cracking slightly.
The killer stood, blood staining his sleeve.
"You injure me. Impressive. Rare."
Then he pulled out a black talisman, etched with divine runes.
"But I came prepared for monsters like you."
He slapped it to his chest.
Forbidden Soul Art: Eclipse Chain Binding!
Dark chains erupted from the ground—shadow-forged bindings meant to trap vein-based cultivators.
Feng Mo leapt back, but the chains chased his soul imprint directly.
He gritted his teeth.
"Then I'll use what you fear."
---
The Blood Tree Awakens Again
Inside his Blood Requiem space, the black tree shook violently.
From it, another bud began to bloom.
Fifth Vein – Bloodstorm Lotus (Seeded).
Feng Mo bit his thumb and smeared blood across his chest.
Let's see if forbidden chains can bind a storm.
The chains reached him—
And exploded.
A vortex of crimson wind erupted from Feng Mo's body, shredding the Eclipse Chains like paper.
The Reaper stumbled back.
"He's… evolving during battle?"
Feng Mo's eyes gleamed with red-gold light.
"You came to cleanse me. Now I'll show you what can't be erased."
Final Exchange
The two blurred and clashed again—
Feng Mo now a storm of slashes and exploding qi memory.
The Star Reaper adapting, dodging—but slower, rattled.
In one moment, Feng Mo feinted, stepped through the Reaper's blind side—
SLASH!
His blade pierced the man's shoulder.
But not the heart.
"Too shallow," the Reaper whispered, spitting blood. "You're not yet worthy of death's throne."
He pulled back, body turning translucent, soul energy dissipating.
"The sect will send another. Stronger. Smarter."
He vanished into a mist of shadow and vanished beyond tracking.
---
Feng Mo collapsed to one knee.
Breathing heavy. Blood everywhere. Wounds deep—but soul intact.
"So this is what it means… to be hunted by your own."
He stared at the cracked porcelain shard left behind.
Then tucked it into his robes.
"I will bury the Crimson Crowns. I will awaken every Vein."
"But first…"
He looked to the blood-soaked horizon.
"I'll survive."
To be continued…
---
⚔️ Chapter 11 Summary:
Star Reaper engages Feng Mo in a lethal soul-level duel.
Feng Mo awakens part of the Fifth Vein: Bloodstorm Lotus.
The battle ends in a draw—Feng Mo survives, but the Reaper escapes.
Sect now considers Feng Mo an escalating threat; more elite killers may follow.