Chapter 90: The Line Between Life and Death (1)
Wu Yuan handled Mo Jingchen with ease in their previous clash and naturally wasn’t too worried. He had activated the Thousand Mountains technique to defeat Xu Shouyi, but only maintained that burst state for a mere moment. The rest of the battle was fought in his normal state. Employing a hidden technique tested one's physical strength and ability to withstand the burden of the augmented power.
Sensing the imminent danger, Wu Yuan promptly activated Ghostwalk. With a burst of speed, he evaded the combined assault of Tangru and Zhushan. At the same time, he swung his saber. The blade emitted a deafening roar, brimming with boundless power!
Clang! Clang! Clang! A series of horrifying weapon collision sounds echoed. During the exchange, the strength of the two experts exploded forth as one, completely overpowering Wu Yuan. He staggered back three steps, each one cracking the cobblestones and leaving a deep imprint on the ground, before finally colliding with a wall and causing it to crumble. Only then did Wu Yuan come to a halt.
Tangru? Zhushan? His gaze turned icy cold as he glanced at the two experts obstructing his path. He had heard Lu Yuming's exclamation, and based on their weapons and strength, he determined their identities.
Grandmaster Old Yuanhu had five direct disciples. The youngest three were fairly young. The eldest disciple and the second disciple were no longer young, but both were incredibly strong. Tangru, ranked 98th in the Human Rankings, was skilled in the spear. Zhushan, ranked 121st in the Human Rankings, wielded dual hammers.
They are here for the Chu-Jiang Token? What kind of treasured object have I come to possess, that it holds such irresistible allure?
The mere material of the token spoke volumes about its worth, but despite delving deep into the annals of the fallen Chu-Jiang Empire, Wu Yuan found no trace of its origin or purpose. He could not possibly consult with other experts on this matter either, leaving him no choice but to bury his questions at the back of his mind.
However, there was no time for Wu Yuan to ponder further.
"Die!" Although Tangru was taken aback by Wu Yuan's sudden burst of speed, he reacted immediately when he realized his first spear thrust had missed its target. He lunged forward, long spear stabbing straight toward Wu Yuan. Like a thunderbolt, the spear hurtled forth!
Zhushan was not tall, but he possessed brawny limbs and bulging muscles. With unrelenting force, he swung his dual hammers in a relentless assault, crashing down on Wu Yuan like an unforgiving tide. Hammers belonged to the category of heavy weapons, capable of launching a warhorse into the air with a single strike.
"Get lost!" Wu Yuan roared, his figure blurring as he evaded the spear. With a resounding bang, the spear tip scraped his waist and embedded itself into the half-collapsed wall, causing a cascade of debris.
But Tangru was a true master of the spear. Instead of retracting his weapon after a missed thrust, he seamlessly transitioned into a sweeping motion, utilizing the power of his waist and abdomen. Sweeping A Thousand Troops! This was a common technique employed by warriors wielding spears, halberds, and large axes on the battlefield. Common, yet devastatingly effective. The best moves were not necessarily the flashiest ones. There was elegance in simplicity.
But Wu Yuan seemed to read their movements in advance. As he evaded the sweeping spear, he stomped with his left foot, propelled himself upward with the force, and narrowly escaped the impending strike. With a resounding thump, the Black Mountain Saber in Wu Yuan's grasp whistled through the air, expertly hitting the shaft of Tangru's spear at a precise angle. The collision of two forces, each bearing the weight of 200,000 catties, caused the spear shaft to tilt abruptly to the left.
Unable to react in time, Tangru's spear met the hammers, a collision that produced a resounding boom. The shockwaves reverberated in all directions, numbing Tangru and Zhushan’s arms and leaving them speechless. They thought their fighting skills were unmatched, yet Wu Yuan's skills surpassed them by far. They were like toys dancing in the palm of his hand, having their movements orchestrated by Wu Yuan, who appeared to foresee the future.
Wu Yuan landed smoothly on both feet, then leveraging the momentum from his landing, he propelled himself straight toward Tangru like a sharp arrow.
Swish! Swish! The sky filled with blade rays as he activated the Thousand Mountains secret technique.
Not good! Tangru's expression changed. He quickly pulled back his spear to defend, infusing it with power with the flick of his wrist. The spear's speed skyrocketed, leaving a trail of afterimages in the sky.
Clang! Clang! Clang! The saber and spear clashed over a dozen times. Wu Yuan attacked while Tangru defended. One advanced, and one retreated. For a while, the two experts found themselves stuck in a deadlock.
The aftershocks from the collisions caused the nearby rooftops to shatter noisily. Buildings collapsed or fractured, and the azure cobblestones on the street were blasted apart. From time to time, fresh blood and mutilated limbs were mixed in with the wreckage, remnants of the residents living in the alley.
“What’s happening?”
“Ah!”
"Run, run!" Cries of despair filled the air as scores of residents, roused from their slumber in alarm, instinctively fled their homes without even pausing to get dressed. A moment's delay could mean the difference between life and death. The destructive power of a duel between near-Savant experts was truly frightening.
Neither the collateral damage nor the devastation wrought upon homes and streets could distract the two combatants from their fierce clash, and it was undeniable that Wu Yuan held the advantage in this standoff.
"Die!" Zhushan lunged forward a fraction of a second later. Infusing his dual hammers with overwhelming force, he adapted his strategy and attacked Wu Yuan from a different angle.
Clang! Clang!
Boom! Wu Yuan, who had driven Tangru into a desperate corner, was now forced to divide his attention and began defending against Zhushan's powerful swings with his saber.
As he blocked the hammers, Wu Yuan furrowed his brows slightly. Heavy! Extremely heavy! If Zhushan's previous swing had carried the force of around 200,000 catties, it had now escalated to 250,000 catties, and it didn't stop there. Each subsequent swing from Zhushan's sledgehammer was stronger and heavier than the last. Wu Yuan's Black Mountain Saber began to tremble under the strain of the impact.
Fourth-grade superior weapons are meant for battles between first-rate Adepts, while these men display the power of near-Savant experts. My own power will only continue to increase. Once this battle concludes, I should find a way to acquire a divine weapon.
As Wu Yuan and Zhushan clashed fiercely, Tangru took the opportunity to step back. He breathed heavily, a trace of fear flashing across his eyes. Wu Yuan's full power was overwhelming, and his strikes were relentless. If not for Zhushan's timely intervention, he might have been cleaved into two by Wu Yuan.
In group battles, an inch longer was an inch stronger, and the long spear was perfectly suited for such situations. But in a duel between experts, where life and death were decided in an instant, it was the shorter weapon that posed a greater threat. Longer weapons could expose vulnerabilities, giving the opponent the opportunity to swiftly close the distance.
"Kill!" Barely catching his breath, Tangru wasted no time. Each movement of the spear flowed seamlessly into the next, a blur of rapid strikes aimed at Wu Yuan.
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