Chapter 206: Duel (II)
Li Hao stuck the longsword into the ground; he was in no hurry to use it. Instead, he settled in the stance for the Five Styles. Likewise, there was only Li Hao in Sun Moxian’s line of sight. He raised his staff; the two looked at each other. No one was in a hurry to attack, both were waiting for the right opening.
After a while, the crowd on the perimeter started agitating impatiently when the fight didn’t begin.
“Why aren’t they starting yet?”
“Are they playing house? Two guys looking at each other. Are they falling in love or what?” Those raising a ruckus were more from the small organizations. Not that many spoke up in the larger organizations as their hierarchy was more defined. The rank and file didn’t dare utter a peep if those in charge didn’t say a word.
Yuan Shuo gently stomped his foot on the ground. A piece of rock splintered into eight pieces and shot in all directions. The fragments moved so quickly that it was astounding!
Pfft pfft pfft! Puncture sounds echoed as the pieces connected with eight catcalling supernaturals. Half of them were dead on the spot!
The action stunned the crowd; those that survived did so with the aid of powerhouses who halted the fragment for them. Tempers rose exponentially until a long staff descended from above. Sparks crackling around the weapon, it landed with a boom!
A Sunflare was pulverized to dust—dead!
The premises instantly quieted down. Yuan Shuo had kicked the rocks and Sun Yifei flung the staff. The two powerhouses didn’t say anything, they just continued to observe the fight. The perimeter was now so silent that a pin drop could be heard in the canyon.
Hong Yitang had long withdrawn to a remote distance and snorted at the situation. It was one thing when it was just a sparring match, now both side’s prized disciples were dueling to the death. You idiots run your mouths without stop, I’d suspect they were two entirely different people if they didn’t kill you for the offense!
These two fellows might slaughter the entire crowd first if they didn’t shut up, then commence their own duel. Hong Yitang was all too familiar with their style because he’d been one of them back in the day.
Hard swallows could be heard throughout the assembly. This display of strength was too brutal! It only took a few words of opinion before the two martial masters butchered eight Darkmoons in quick succession, as well as a Sunflare!
Sunflare was the peak of Silver Moon strength. Solars were enigmatic personages who could not be fathomed. It was only on an occasion like this could they be found in abundance—they usually stayed out of sight in ordinary times.
The assembly was shocked, furious, and terrified. A Sunflare hadn’t been able to withstand a single blow through the air! This was horrifying!
......
The two in the clearing blurred into movement. They’d sensed fluctuations in each other when their masters attacked—opportunity had come!
Soundless and motionless, Black Tiger Heart Gouge!
A hand ripped through the air while a long staff jabbed for the head. Li Hao dodged adroitly and threw his head back with a howl. Tiger Roar Shakes The Heavens!
He clawed forward the second the staff hesitated and connected with a wet squelching sound. Blood and flesh flew through the air! The halted staff swiftly descended, as if pausing just to dispel Li Hao’s faltering. It smashed down on its target!
“Hup!” the young man roared and sprang off the ground. He grabbed at the staff, which created an opening for it to crash down on his head. Blood spurted in all directions, but Li Hao maintained a firm grip on the staff and didn’t let it connect with full force. Though blood dyed his face, he was utterly fearless.
Both hands clasping the qimei staff, he rose from the ground and erupted with the bear style. He followed the length of the weapon and brought his hands down in a hammer blow like he was a massive bear!
Sun Moxian shook his weapon, sending force reverberating up its length. Internal force exploded like blades, leaving bloody marks on Li Hao’s hands. The latter continued following the staff to finish his double-handed blow. It connected with a massive boom while a roaring Sun Moxian yanked away his weapon. He slammed it against the ground, shattering any rocks in its way. The fragments sprayed into the surroundings.
The two moved extremely swiftly, exchanging a dozen moves before most of the crowd recovered from two powerhouses killing those who’d given offense. Li Hao clawed bloody gouges into his opponent’s chest, whereas Sun Moxian broke the skin on Li Hao’s head.
The moment the long staff swung down, Li Hao flattened himself and followed it upward, like a water ripple. Hands and feet moving in unison, the two youngsters kicked each other on the ground. Rocks once more shattered explosively!
Smoke and sand billowed around them as Li Hao utilized the Five Styles to their extreme amid the dusty blowout. Sun Moxian was equally versed in fist and foot. While his staff was long, it was very agile. He drew it out and slammed it forward!
Li Hao suffered another blow to his chest —bones broke with a loud crunch. His fingers darted out like a sword, grabbing his opponent’s wrist to rip a large chunk of flesh out of it!
Both young men backed away. Li Hao leapt into the air before either side took another breath and kicked his leg out. A staff immediately hovered beneath his foot in response—the staff was like a spear and it wanted to run Li Hao through!
At the moment, Li Hao’s leg was so nimble that it didn’t seem human. It was more like a snake or the tail of a monkey! His leg wrapped around the staff and he curled the rest of himself around it with incredible flexibility. Waving his fists around, he punched Sun Moxian. Internal force roiled and explosive sounds tore through the air.
Sun Moxian spun the staff around and slammed it down on the ground!
Li Hao followed like a shadow, twining himself around it as if a monkey. He brandished his fists, occasionally curving them into claws and sometimes balling them up, delivering an incessant barrage on his opponent.
Those around the perimeter quickly found their attention held again. Li Hao was wrapped around the qimei staff and attacking along its length. He soon clawed bloody strips from his opponent and was in turn covered in blood when slammed into the ground.
Was there any beauty to their fight?
None at all!
There was none of the artistry from the first match, just violence! Indescribable violence!
Blood and flesh flew through the air as sand and stone sprayed everywhere. The fracturing of bone and squelching of flesh...
The surroundings were terrifyingly quiet—not only due to the earlier warning, but because such gory scenes didn’t leave the crowd in the mood to discuss anything else. The only thing they knew was nerves that grew tauter the more they saw.
So this was a duel! They could understand the difference between this battle and the previous one. While the one prior had also been deadly, the two opponents had nursed too many misgivings. They didn’t go for the crotch, pierce the throat, or stab the heart. Neither did they ruthlessly gouge the chest or smash through the head with incredibly violent strokes!
Martial masters were born for slaughter. Were they still martial masters if they didn’t target weaknesses and just poked at their opponent’s strong suit?
......
Standing next to Hong Yitang, Hong Qing clenched her fists tight and stared fixedly. Her father also watched quietly, thinking back to the old days of Silver Moon’s martial world. This was how it’d been—blood was shed in the arena and to shed blood was to kill!
What sparring matches? Those didn’t exist! With the decline of martial masters after the rise of the supernatural, it’d been too long since he witnessed such a sight.
......
In the distance.
Sun Yifei watched gravely. Sun Hongxiu and her junior brother were also very nervous.
“Shameless!” Sun Hongxiu grunted before her master sent her stumbling with a slap! She lowered her head without a word.
Neither did Sun Yifei say anything. He disciplined his disciple because Li Hao’s latest hand claw had nearly connected with Sun Moxian’s private parts. While the latter evaded the blow, his pants had split open and blood was dripping down.
Was the move shameless?
It was indeed shameless!
Other people could say so, but Sun Yifei’s disciple could not! This was a duel to the death—if his own disciples found the moves dishonorable, what were they martial masters for?
The lofty martial masters of stories and legends were dead! All of the survivors had committed such deeds at one point or another. Grabbing the crotch and gouging the heart were normal moves. True martial masters could endure such tests. Those who couldn’t were dead, and nothing needed to be said about the dead.
Sun Yifei only looked on silently. This was just the beginning. His disciple’s aura was yet to be unleashed.
......
In the clearing, Sun Moxian roared before sweeping the four corners with his staff. He forced Li Hao to hop and skip, jumping to and fro like a monkey! The former panted heavily. He was covered in blood stains that’d dyed his shirt. Li Hao was in no better shape as his face was full of dust. One of his legs was twisted. It seemed to have been broken by one of the staff strikes.
Suddenly, the look in Li Hao’s eyes changed slightly.
“What should be demonstrated from the Five Styles and Qimei Staff has been put on display. Shall we get a bit more serious?” Sun Moxian regarded his opponent coldly and thrust his staff into the earth.
A rustle ran through the surroundings, but no one dared say a word. Get a bit more serious?
Li Hao took a few steps back and pulled out the longsword in the ground.
“My master is known for the Five Styles.” He flashed a grin. “I wouldn’t dare call myself of the Five Styles discipline if I didn’t fully showcase their ingenuity!”
Sun Moxian pulled out his staff in response. A surge of aura roiled through the area, sweeping away smoke and fog!
“The earth?” Li Hao’s eyes widened after he took his measure. Indeed, the earth! He sensed the ripples of the earth—Sun Moxian had comprehended the aura of the earth! What a coincidence. If it wasn’t for his teacher telling him to learn the aura of the sword, Li Hao would be using the one of earth at this moment too.
Who would’ve thought that a Qimei Staff disciple would comprehend the aura of the earth? It was slightly different from Li Hao’s—he sensed the vigorous firmness of the element! The staff seemed to be connected to the ground and its power enveloped the weapon. The earth sang with happiness when the staff was pulled out!
“Kill!” Sun Moxian’s momentum changed—he was a veteran general on the battlefield. No matter who it was in front of him, they would die from his blow!
The staff was like a spear—marvelous, intricate, and mighty. Sun Moxian was significantly stronger than before when he utilized his aura. The ground split open before the staff even connected with the earth.
Li Hao’s sharp eyes tracked it! The earth? Fantastic, I like that. His sword shot out, but it was a sword comprised of internal force!
A flash of sword light twinkled without sound and vanished. Li Hao also vanished on the spot. When he reappeared, the sword was about to stab into his opponent’s throat.
“Ghost Shadow Sword!” Sun Yifei identified slowly and looked sharply at Yuan Shuo. The old thing was adept at the Five Styles, yet passed on Ghost Shadow Sword to his disciple! This was unexpected.
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