At this moment, facing a half-step First Rank Divine Path master, it would not help even if Martial Saint were standing right outside; a Divine Path master who could not even be detected by a First Rank would, against a broken-hearted Second Rank, inevitably crush them.
Gu Fangchen did not expect to turn the tide now. His only goal was to keep his life.
If the refreshed profession proved useless, he would try to rush out and appeal to the Eternal Peace Emperor for his life.
At worst he would expose the Dao of Constancy Lord's identity outright.
Even though he had no idea what scheme the Eternal Peace Emperor was playing, at this stage he would never let his own identity be revealed.
If it were exposed, chaos would follow, directly opposing the Emperor's plan.
Moreover, if he truly were a descendant of the Dao of Constancy Lord, the Emperor would surely know about his transmigration.
Therefore the Emperor would understand that Gu Fangchen possessed substantive evidence.
If Gu Fangchen begged for help, the Emperor would not ignore him.
Still, that would force a reworking of the carefully stabilized situation.
Fortunately, the profession that replaced Thief was among the few Gu Fangchen had hoped for.
In an instant, prepared from his earlier probes, the Sky-Piercing Sword of the Seventy-Two Peaks emitted a long cry. The dragon spirit formed by the blade carried the power of mountains and ley lines, once again displaying the aura befitting a quasi-Supreme-Grade Sword, and moved to intercept the flawless hand of that peerless woman.
The Matriarch's expression changed; the motion of her hand slightly slowed.
She was not truly unable to counter the sword's power, but her purpose had always been to take this sword.
Under the current clash, she naturally feared destroying the weapon.
Her brain, capable only of single-threaded operation, froze for a second while thinking; the already diminished intelligence dulled further, and in that hesitation her movement stalled.
In that single instant, all of Gu Fangchen's spiritual power was drained.
Fortunately he had prepared. He immediately bit down and crushed the pill hidden behind his molars to restore his spiritual endurance, and with his other hand he already gripped White Steed.
A fissure emitting white light instantly appeared on the Matriarch's body in Gu Fangchen's sight.
The fissure crossed her face, running across her eye.
Gu Fangchen's gaze hardened, and he made as if to raise his hand.
Hydraulic press in hand, and I'll show you the god!
The Matriarch suddenly felt a stabbing pain in her right eye. Seeing this youth before her moving coldly and fearlessly to swing a sword at her, her pupils contracted. For the first time her expression shifted significantly, as if surprised.
To her, this youth had been nothing but an ant to be wiped away with a flick.
Yet this ant beat his wings and tried to bite her.
More importantly, she had a premonition, he might actually be able to harm her.
Shi Qingguang was astonished. Even in her dulled, chaotic consciousness, a sliver of admiration arose.
It was the instinct and subconscious left in her body as a sword cultivator.
A swordsman should charge forward without hesitation!
Unbreakable and unshorn of edge!
Even if the Dao of Death consumed her body, she would not yield to any opponent; even when utterly outmatched, she would give everything and release that one stroke.
Shi Qingguang's gaze shone on Gu Fangchen; from this moment on he was no longer an ant in her eyes, but a genuine swordsman.
Regardless of cultivation rank.
Her face turned solemn. Since that was so, she would give him a dignified death,
If he died under her sword intent, then at least it would be honorable.
Her previously casual fingertip movement formed a sword-point, terrible as an avalanche.
But in truth, Gu Fangchen did not intend to meekly embrace death.
With his current strength, how could he possibly injure a half-step First Rank? He could not even touch her.
He only needed to buy time to create an opening to activate a skill.
He had already observed that although the Matriarch's strength was vast, perhaps due to a ruined formation or an incomplete resurrection, her mind had not been fully preserved.
One could even say she had not awakened.
She had come to take the Sky-Piercing Sword of the Seventy-Two Peaks to continue completing her revival.
That was Gu Fangchen's only breakthrough.
The Matriarch's mind now functioned slowly; otherwise she would have acted outright instead of pausing as she did.
So Gu Fangchen kept making moves to obstruct her thinking.
His mind rapidly ran through the Night Warden profession details.
[Night Warden (30 days)]
[Skill One: Yama's Notice (Active)]
[Description: Yama wants you dead at the third watch; who dares keep you to the fifth. Name a target to place the "Yama's Notice" on them. While active, the target's chance of instant death when attacked continuously increases; simultaneously, a passage to the Nine Nether Yellow Springs opens, teleporting you to the bottom of Yellow Springs and summoning vengeful ghosts to hunt and attack that target until one side dies, at which point you return.]
[Skill Two: Timed Flight (Passive)]
[Description: Observe the great roc in the clouds; not for chess alone will it fly. Depending on the time interval, gain different buff effects [click to view details].
The most important skill was definitely the first, Yama's Notice.
The other descriptions were irrelevant for the moment.
What could save Gu Fangchen was the clause "teleport you to the bottom of Yellow Springs."
In known cosmology there are two realms: the living world and the Nine Nether Yellow Springs.
They do not interfere; only a First Rank can cross the barrier between the two.
And since the Matriarch had only been able to place her coffin at the Yellow Springs boundary, she herself could not pass through.
So the instant he saw this profession, Gu Fangchen relaxed, knowing he did not have to expose the Dao of Constancy Lord.
Seizing the Matriarch's brief hesitation, Gu Fangchen shouted inside his mind.
Yama's Notice, activate!
He set the target as... the Qingman Tensa who had been on the Autumn Peace Road battlefield.
In the next instant, Gu Fangchen and his treasured sword vanished from the spot.
The Matriarch's accusatory finger sliced through air and then froze.
The Matriarch: "...?"
Run, he ran?
The clear-faced beauty stood blankly, staring at the now empty room in disbelief.
The swordsman who would charge on without fear, what had happened to him?!