Both of Marcus Lee's feet hovered in midair, suspended, making it nearly impossible to generate force.
The world seemed to slow, as if someone had pressed a slow-motion button. His aching brain raced, analyzing every detail.
He had already anticipated that he wouldn't succeed in severing the Hand Demon's neck.
Stay calm!
To maintain his composure in such a desperate situation was already remarkable.
'I can clearly see the incoming arms, but I can't dodge them.'
'No leverage anywhere. In midair, I can't execute effective evasive maneuvers.'
'The front half of the Sunwheel Blade is buried deep in the demon's flesh. I can't pull it out right now.'
'This is bad, bad, bad!'
Before he could even take a full breath, Marcus made a decision.
He forcefully twisted to the right, using his body weight to break the Sunwheel Blade.
The momentum sent him tumbling to the right as the blade snapped.
This move allowed him to dodge most of the attacks, though his landing was awkward and ungainly.
There was no time to cry out in pain or adjust his posture. The moment he hit the ground, he rolled backward sharply.
Sure enough, several more arms erupted from the soil.
Successfully predicting the Hand Demon's strike wasn't something to celebrate. Every move came at a price.
He had just broken his own Sunwheel Blade!
With the weapon stuck in the demon's flesh, he had no choice but to snap it.
Even the Hand Demon seemed surprised at such audacity.
To a swordsman, deliberately breaking your own weapon is laughable.
Without the Sunwheel Blade, a human as weak as Marcus would have been doomed, powerless to resist.
He quickly put distance between himself and the Hand Demon and scrambled to his feet.
'About a third of the blade broke. Fortunately, the remaining part should still be usable.'
'My stamina is heavily drained. My forehead and eye sockets ache. My eyes are strained.'
'But there's good news finally, I've mastered the breathing technique!'
He adjusted his breathing. In this world where breathing techniques were key, controlled respiration could achieve incredible things.
By deliberately regulating his breath, Marcus entered a state of total concentration.
Forced oxygen intake expanded his lungs, causing mild discomfort.
As the oxygen circulated through his bloodstream, he even felt his body temperature rise. He could almost hear the rapid pounding of his heart.
His free left hand brushed against his forehead. Was it a trick of the mind, or did he really feel warmer?
It probably wasn't the awakening marks, was it?
It couldn't be a fever…
No time to dwell on it. Marcus noticed the Hand Demon pulling out the blade embedded in its neck.
The wound wasn't visibly healing at the usual rapid pace. Instead, faint purple-black veins had appeared, perhaps the leftover toxins in the blade taking effect.
The Hand Demon's terrifying regeneration had been suppressed.
If he struck once more, Marcus was confident he could sever its neck.
The Hand Demon seemed aware of this, covering the wound with even more arms.
You could never underestimate a demon's cunning.
He couldn't give it time to recover. At this point, there was no turning back. Marcus stepped forward with determination.
Every aspect of his physical ability had improved noticeably.
One minor disappointment was that Water Breathing didn't feel entirely natural to him.
'Total concentration!'
'Water Breathing, Third Form: Flowing Dance!'
Marcus exploded forward, kicking up leaves from the muddy ground. Thick, powerful arms extended from all sides and beneath him, trying to halt his advance.
In this situation, there was no time to hesitate. He unleashed the third form. He hadn't mastered every technique, much less the eleventh form invented by Giyu, but he had the first three down.
With his enhanced vision, he dodged nearly all attacks with precision.
He refrained from striking unless absolutely necessary.
In a blink, he was once again in front of the Hand Demon.
Behind him, four severed arms fell to the ground.
That was the effect of his third form.
Like flowing water, the strike continued endlessly, capable of cutting from any direction without pause.
'Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!'
The Hand Demon's pupils contracted slightly, surprised by Marcus' speed. More arms erupted from multiple directions, attempting to block his jump.
He executed a horizontal slash.
The blade flashed with deadly precision. When he recovered his senses, Marcus had already leapt into the air.
Although the first form blocked most attacks, it was only a horizontal strike, with limited coverage. The Hand Demon's arms were numerous.
For the remaining strikes, Marcus didn't dodge. His fair, youthful face now carried a touch of madness.
'Second Form: Water Wheel!'
His body spun midair, muscles coiling explosively. His blood felt like it was burning.
He could not allow this to become a prolonged fight. The demon could not be given time to recover.
The final move would decide the outcome.
Dragging it out would exhaust both his body and his eyes.
'Come on!'
Marcus silently shouted inside.