Chapter 180: Chapter 180: Accumulating Potential (Subscribe and ask for monthly tickets!)
They were not strangers to the power of swordsmanship, yet when Shi Xiaole drew his sword, it was enough to take the breath away of the man in the blue robe and his three allies. His skill was truly extraordinary.
This extraordinary swordplay was not just a result of relentless practice, it seemed more like an innate instinct; as if the sword was nothing more than an extension of his hands.
"Hahaha, to be able to fight alongside such a prodigy, I would have no regrets even in death."
The big man in the blue robe burst into hearty laughter, with a vigorous swing of his arm, his spear swept forward, starting a fiery storm of heat.
The other two were equally inspired, the fear in their hearts transformed into an outright resolve towards facing a heroic death.
Shi Xiaole did not notice the change in his companions, for at the moment of drawing his sword, he delved deep into his own world.
Sword in his left hand, blade in his right, he tirelessly swung his weapons, slicing down the black Poisonous Stiffs in the midst of a jingling sound. Retreating backwards, Shi Xiaole positioned himself at the back, blocking any possible escape of the enemy.
As if sensing Shi Xiaole’s threat, numerous black Poisonous Stiffs threw themselves at him one after another. Some extended their arms in a tearing motion, while others spat venom, almost overwhelming him.
"Foul beasts, come and attack me if you dare."
The man in the blue robe launched a streak of spear-light, yet he too found himself surrounded. Even after knocking a black Poisonous Stiff backwards, he immediately had to face the attack of another.
As the other two were even weaker than him, they could only temporarily fend for themselves.
Whoosh.
Shi Xiaole leapt up into the air. Hovering three feet above ground, he twisted mid-air and plunged his sword into a black Poisonous Stiff at an inconceivable angle, killing it.
It was chaotic around him, but his mental strength was extraordinary. He had already locked onto specific targets, each attack striking the enemy in the same location.
"The first one."
He softly uttered three words. To the astonishment of the man in the blue robe and his allies, instead of landing back on the ground, Shi Xiaole astonishingly ascended again in the sky, this time wielding his Shattered Snow Blade towards the east.
Thud!
The second black Poisonous Stiff fell to the ground.
And then the third.
"How did he do that?"
Seeing this, the trio in blue were amazed and puzzled.
Could it be, that he memorized specific Poisonous Stiffs and each of his attacks were focused on them, not wasting a single move?
But was that even possible?
What kind of combat skills would that require?
"Such a talented lad, it would be too unfortunate if he died here."
At this moment, the man in the blue robe couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret.
On the edge of Peach Forest Town, under the leadership of two skilled fighters and the elderly man with grey hair, the residents of the town were prepared to evacuate. Just as they began, a large group of people were spotted approaching.
Upon closer inspection, the group appeared to consist of people of various ages and genders. The famous figures had a huge disparity; the weakest was only in the early stages of the Qi Absorption Realm while the dominant figure carried such a formidable aura that it dispersed the poisonous mist—indeed, he was an expert of the Xuanqi Realm!
"That’s great, the masters have arrived."
The sight of reinforcements brought optimism and shouts of excitement from the old man with gray hair and his allies.
As a few people had run in a rush from this side, coupled with the statement of the two guards leading the residents of Peach Forest Town, their hopes were kinkled that those up front—Shi Xiaole and his allies—may still have a chance to survive.
"How is the situation in the town?"
A middle-aged man asked. He was a Xuanqi Realm expert and the strongest among them.
"Senior, there have been numerous black Poisonous Stiffs spotted ahead, and we urgently need your help."
Fang Yao called out loudly.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
As soon as Fang Yao finished speaking, figures disappeared into the night.
"Song Wuji, this time I’m definitely going to kill more Poisonous Stiffs than you."
Among the marching crowd, a man with thick eyebrows spoke. He was the Zhongyue Sword holder, Li Wufeng.
Smiling at Li Wufeng’s words, Song Wuji replied, "I don’t like to listen to nonsense, I only believe in facts."
Humming in response, Li Wufeng’s body emitted an aura of killing intent.
To anyone, Poisonous Stiffs were a disaster, but for Li Wufeng, this was also an opportunity to prove himself. The next Young Heroes Meeting was to be held next year and he wanted to seize the initiative by standing out.
In front of the town.
Shi Xiaole had already killed a total of twenty-three black Poisonous Stiffs.
There were too many Poisonous Stiffs. As a result, the difficulty of killing each one kept increasing exponentially. Moreover, as the fight got more intense, the internal power needed grew larger, leaving Shi Xiaole’s face a bit pale, and his sword attacks somewhat lost their initial sharpness.
He not only had to kill but also had to block the other black Poisonous Stiffs from entering the town. From time to time, he had to rescue the other three men.
Any other person of his skill level would probably have collapsed on the ground by now.
He was beyond exhausted, making his movements subtly distorted. In the midst of the fight, Shi Xiaole’s back was savagely clawed by a black Poisonous Stiff, but it did not break the skin.
Silver silk robe.
Back in Dongfang Haoran’s cave, Shi Xiaole had gotten a silver silk shirt that was impervious to blades and spears. It was proving its worth now.
Of course, the impact of the claws couldn’t be resisted, and the force surged into Shi Xiaole’s body, churning his internal organs.
More black Poisonous Stiffs lunged at Shi Xiaole.
"Young master, your flying skills are astounding, these monsters can’t stop you. Don’t mind us, quickly leave," the bloody man in the blue robe shouted, after a tough fight with the Poisonous Stiff, laughing heartily.
Shi Xiaole did not respond.
At this moment, it wasn’t merely for the residents of Peach Forest Town, or for the three people in the blue robes. He was doing it for himself.
Since the battle began, Shi Xiaole had keenly noticed that with each sword stroke, there would be a resonance that only he could perceive. It was as if two unaligned gears, through friction, gradually meshed together.
Back in the Black Alley of Zhongshan City, his unity of man and sword had reached the intermediate stage, and the unity of man and blade was in the early stage. Now, the two had converged in a strange way.
"The path of the sword, the path of the blade, or the path of the sword and the blade combined, I haven’t decided which to follow. But having an extra way to use them is never a bad thing. It’s an opportunity to breakthrough," he thought.
The crisis was both danger and opportunity; the weak would choose to escape, while only the strong would face the challenge and find the opportunity within.
His mind became incredibly calm, everything in front of him seemed to slow down, and Shi Xiaole intently felt the rhythm of the sword, gradually becoming entranced.
"Monster, die!"
Shortly thereafter, a loud shout echoed from the distance.
The Xuanqi Realm middle-aged man led the charge, clearly seeing the situation in the field, he struck down with a palm, and the surging internal power landed behind him. With a loud bang, dozens of black Poisonous Stiffs exploded.
The two figures followed closely behind, landing in the midst of the Poisonous Stiffs, engaging in slaughter. They were Song Wuji and Li Wufeng.
The two were indeed top talents from the previous Young Hero Ranking, slaying the black Poisonous Stiffs with a few swipes, like a tiger amongst sheep.
The experts behind them also charged in, quickly turning the tide of battle.
"Reinforcements have arrived. We aren’t going to die."
The man in the blue robe and the other two were pulled away, still in shock. As if remembering something, the man in the blue robe scanned the field and was about to shout out when he suddenly froze.
At that moment, the sight of the calm youth in green lifting his hands, crossing sword and blade, then suddenly driving them into the body of a black Poisonous Stiff, killing it in just six strokes, left him speechless.
"Such a move?" The man in the blue robe’s pupils contracted.
Even a Qi Absorption Realm mid-stage expert would need dozens of strikes to kill a black Poisonous Stiff, yet Shi Xiaole had managed with only six strikes?
Of course, the Poisonous Stiff had been attacked before Shi Xiaole’s strike, so it couldn’t be proven that this move was superior to a Qi Absorption Realm mid-stage expert. But this uncertainty made it difficult for the man in the blue robe to judge the level of this move’s power.
"I wonder how far he is from the Young Hero Ranking."
Eying the commanding Song Wuji and Li Wufeng and looking back at Shi Xiaole, the man in the blue robe quietly compared them.
"So that’s how the combination of sword and blade can be used."
After a large number of Poisonous Stiffs were killed, Shi Xiaole stood on the field, the confusion in his eyes disappearing, replaced by a brightness that was hard to look directly at.
All along, although Shi Xiaole held both a sword and a blade, each had its own development, not interfering with the other. Using the left hand for the blade and the right hand for the sword was nothing more than utilizing his ability to multitask.
But now, he had found a new method of combining the sword and the blade into an attack. It was as if two completely different types of energy were combined in an odd way, resulting in terrifying damage.
This was just the early stage. There was no telling how much deeper he could go with further research.
Of course, this didn’t mean that Shi Xiaole would walk the path of combining sword and blade in the future. The combination of sword and blade improved one’s understanding of martial arts. Even if he specialized in sword or blade techniques in the future, it would still be valuable for him to delve into it.
Under the command of the Xuanqi Realm middle-aged man, everyone began to burn the bodies of the Poisonous Stiffs and retreated back to Peach Forest Town.
Because many martial arts experts had arrived, the operations against the Poisonous Stiffs greatly increased. Everyone began to discuss various possible plans.
"We’re just the first batch. In the next few days, the second and third batches will arrive, including Xuanqi Realm experts. Instead of staying here and defending passively, why not leave some people to protect the townsfolk and send another group to take the initiative, to pursue and kill the remaining Poisonous Stiffs?"
After some discussion, the middle-aged man voiced his opinion.
What kind of strength determines what kind of status.
Being a Xuanqi Realm expert, no one dared to ignore him. Moreover, what he proposed made sense. Even though there was a red Poisonous Stiff present, with him and the subsequent Xuanqi Realm experts guarding Peach Forest Town, there would be no major issues.
The key point was that the red Poisonous Stiff attracted the black Poisonous Stiffs. This meant that nearly a third of the Poisonous Stiffs that had escaped from White Water City would gather nearby, making it a perfect opportunity for a sweeping victory.
As for the Poisonous Stiffs wreaking havoc in other places, experts from those regions would rush to eliminate them.
In the hall, Li Wufeng’s eyes sparkled.
The middle-aged man’s proposal was exactly what he wanted.
In the last group of heroes competition, he ranked lower than Tao Baichuan and Song Wuji. Although he was confident that he was not inferior to them now, he was not ready to fight them openly before the next group of heroes competition.
First, the stakes were high. If he lost, it would be a big blow to his confidence and momentum.
Second, needlessly revealing his hand would benefit other competitors.
So Li Wufeng had to prove he was stronger by killing more Poisonous Stiffs.
Actually, it was not only Li Wufeng, Song Wuji, and even Tao Baichuan who would arrive later, they all felt the same way.
For many young people, or martial artists who wanted to make a name for themselves, this Poisonous Stiff crisis was indeed a rare opportunity.
