Archfiend Chapter 42

Chapter 42: Battle Royale (Seven)

"My G.o.d…" A middle-stage Qi Condensation cultivator was unable to restrain his emotions as he stood up. Subsequently, there was a second. The crowd seemed to receive some sort of directive. One after another, all of them silently stood up, their eyes completely condensed on the wordless stele!

How many years had it been?

This stone stele had towered loftily here without a single person able to shake it. As to so far that none could even make it s.h.i.+mmer! But now, someone had finally caused it to sway! At this instant, after Xu Yangyi had utilised solution eighty-nine, the stone stele of Sunnihilator, a cultivation talent that could only be chanced upon only once every hundred years, had moved!

"Shadowslay…" Firecloud's gaze carried a sliver of obsession as he looked at Sunnihilator's stone stele, and he turned his head soon after, looking at his counterpart with a sharpness like that of a sword: "What price do you want?"

"For you to consent to allow me to have him?"

"None at all." Concealed within Shadowslay's eyes was a deep wisp of burning heat: "I shall take this seedling in as my own disciple. Firecloud… From now on, how about you don't put forward your ridiculous mine?"

Firecloud didn't say anything. None would've expected that Chu Zhaonan who they were optimistically gungho about before would surprisingly reach such a bitter stage in his struggle with Xu Yangyi. None had antic.i.p.ated that Xu Yangyi was actually capable of shaking Sunnihilator's stone stele! Granted that this matter reached the ears of a Core Formation master, they would have someone come to accept him as a disciple!

However, the two people involved didn't pay attention to the stone steles, rather they cautiously looked at each other. 

"That move just now… How many times can you still put it to use?" Chu Zhaonan grinned and licked his lips with a thirst for blood: "You're a tough one… Truly strong… You give me a straight feeling like those geniuses you can only read about in the books…"

"You're very strong. Solution Eighty-Nine with Life Sacrification added on top… However…" His gaze flashed, and he raised his gun once again: "I will be the one to win this time!"

Xu Yangyi cracked his knuckles: "I can't use it many times, but it's enough to beat you." His voice not yet fallen, he suddenly brandished his right hand, and a meter-long white blade of spiritual energy attached onto his hand. Even Chu Zhaonan who was ten meters away could hear the whimpering sound of the air tearing apart!

"Severing Dragon Typhoon!" In Xu Yangyi's pupils, only a resplendent light blade was reflected within! Following the strike of the light blade, a meter-plus deep, semi-circular trench was cut into the ground by cras.h.i.+ng spiritual force!

"Bang Bang!" Two loud sounds rang out and the ground became covered in spider web-like fractures. Chu Zhaonan leapt back again, the proceeding burst of charging force sent him recoiling in retreat by twenty-odd meters. 

Xu Yangyi could not allow him to fire his gun once more! A cold edge flit across his eyes. He had forcibly resisted his opponents first bullet because he had no other method. The striking range had been too great; he simply could not dodge. 

The integration of body arts and gun arts of gun kata perfectly embodied the advantage of firearms. To take a man's severed head at a thousand paces away was a liberating transformation in accuracy control and striking range. He absolutely did not desire to test the flavor of a second shot.

"Open!" With a roar, Xu Yangyi's right hand congealed a tremendous tiger claw, the sound of his snarl shook the entire arena: "Ninety-Two… Subduing Tiger!"

Wielding scarlet tiger claw no less than two meters in size, he exerted his maximum strength as he struck towards the ground. A web of cracks appeared beneath his fist, and subsequently, countless shards of limestone were unexpectedly torn asunder in full! All of them were flying towards Chu Zhaonan's direction! Swift in chaining and numerous, claw after claw carved out a hole five meters in perimeter in front of him! Simultaneously, his body bent like a supple serpent and flew straight up! 

"Ninety-Three… Flying Star!"

Flying Star was the sole acceleration style after the ninetieth solution. In a flash, his charging speed suddenly increased by one fold! He instantaneously surpa.s.sed the speed of the stones he had flung out, his feet trampling atop the stone tiles. With every step, he drew support from this stomping force to raise his speed by another level once again! 

It was not a possibility to allow his opponent an opportunity to fire his gun again! Even if it happened, it wouldn't be like the first time where he was completely prepared! At that time, Chu Zhaonan had transformed into a terrifying and cold-blooded marksman, firing his deadliest bullet from the most beautiful vantage.

"f.u.c.k!" Chu Zhaonan's eyes reddened. The recoiling force of his gun had just weakened, yet his opponent's increase in speed had went unbroken! "Heartseeker!" Without retreat, his body surged into a terrifying gra.s.s-green whirlwind once again in midair, and a legion of flame tongues jetted out at nearly the same time! The deathly flower of fire enveloped the entire venue!

"It's this move…" Below the arena stage, Gao Ye perked up like a wrapped sticky rice dumpling, his reddened eyes fixed on the stage above. It was with this move that Chu Zhaonan had surmounted all difficulties throughout his conquest! How many people had fallen beneath his hands? Now, upon running across a man of similar ruthlessness, would his opponent be able to resist?

"Pew Pew Pew!" The sound of bullets boring into flesh could be heard, and a myriad bullets crashed down without distinction! On the four walls of spiritual energy, countless ripples appeared in a twinkling. It was the rain of countless bullets. 

A scarlet tiger claw appeared once again. This time, it didn't shatter the ground, but rather directly tore apart several stones, raising them up and turning them into a stone s.h.i.+eld! Rubble flew about as the s.h.i.+eld in Xu Yangyi's hand became smaller and smaller, and the distance between him and his opponent became closer and closer! However, the path behind him had already become dyed in blood! 

From top to bottom, his entire body was aching with a burning pain, yet Xu Yanygi didn't put a halt to his plan by any means. If he stopped, then perhaps he would not have another opportunity to draw close again! In regards to a long-distance sniper, if you let the opportunity slip past by, then it was a possibility that another one would not appear.

"f.u.c.k…" He grit his teeth. A single bullet wouldn't be able to break through his defense, but now there were thousands upon thousands of  bullets. In a twist of great misfortune, his left thigh continued to be struck by five bullets on the same wound, blood already gus.h.i.+ng like a spring.

On the grandstand, Chu Tianyi's hand, which was originally over his ring, presently lowered once more. The item he possessed could not used so easily. From where he was, he could already clearly see Xu Yangyi's current situation.

His right pectoral, left thigh, and right arm — the results of the first strike of spirit bullets — had finally been torn completely asunder by Heartseeker! There wasn't a place left on his body left unscathed, merely, Chu Tianyi extremely disliked his eyes.

Amidst coolness, there was a resoluteness like that of the most seasoned hunter, not abandoning his desires in the least even under the grimmest circ.u.mstances.

He ultimately discovered a matter. He couldn't find an opportunity to put to use the Immortal Intoxication that he had obtained with great difficulty! He wasn't a warrior, he was a commanding officer. He had completely grasped the macroscope of war on the battlefield, but in the microscope of the confrontation of lone individuals… With the attention Xu Yangyi had presently drawn, even if he disposed of the latter, the matter would definitely be rendered in effective. But if he didn't take action… 

His vision landed on the spirit walls in deep worry. Victory or defeat… He dared not make claim to! As long as Xu Yangyi's eyes didn't lose their coolness and didn't abandon their resolve, Xu Yangyi would still have the opportunity to triumph...

Even he could see that this person was very strong, extremely strong! Even in his heart, he held a sliver of unwilling acceptance that perhaps in comparison to the true genius he believed his grandson to be, Xu Yangyi was still stronger! A concentrated dose of Immortal Intoxication was capable of enshrouding a range of thirty meters. If he took action now, Chu Zhaonan would be enveloped, as well.

It would be for the best for this forbidden good not to be used. He wouldn't make a move until the final juncture. Presently… The final moment was before his eyes, yet he couldn't find an opportunity to use it. 

"Boom!" At this time, a heavy sound could be heard from the walls of spiritual energy. Consequently, a heavy echo continued to ring out seven more times!

"Rapid Shadows… He can actually even use Rapid Shadows! How much frickin' spiritual energy does have stored in his sea of essence!" Luo Sanfeng slammed his fist on the side of the viewing platform, crus.h.i.+ng the stone and looked at the present scene with eyes wide open. 

"No… No way!" Not even waiting for Luo Sanfeng to finish shouting, a rank one at his side nearly yelled: "This can't be used to attack! It's for increasing speed! There's only less than five meters of distance remaining between them!"

Xu Yangyi wouldn't give Chu Zhaonan a ghost of an opportunity. Following Flying Star's increase in speed, he used Innersight without the slightest hesitation. In his sea of essence… he still had enough for three moves! Within three moves, there would be a decisive winner! 

Chu Zhaonan was twenty-odd meters apart from him. As long as he gave his opponent an opportunity, the loser would be him! Three moves and twenty meters. The time of life or death was swiftly approaching. 

Speed. What he needed now was speed. Of the martial arts in the world, there were none that could not be broken through with sheer speed. He held absolute faith that as long as he stuck close, his counterpart could not be his match.*

First move, Rapid Shadows. 

The Rapid Shadows this time wasn't directed towards himself. The stone tiles he had flung out before weren't only so simple as to obstruct his opponent's line of sight, but also to speed up through Flying Star. The batch of stones he had already tossed behind at this moment formed a large stone that he stamped on seven times in succession! Drawing on this connecting force, his speed soared once more! 

Chu Zhaonan's complexion changed. He was completely aware of his opponents thought process. He also understood that now was the time of mortal combat. His opponent couldn't allow him an opportunity to take off once again! 

In a flash, all that remained was five meters. The killing intent in his opponents eyes was palpable, and Chu Zhaonan seemed to have looked upon a beast king charging towards him. As long as hesitation existed, the stage below would be torn apart into rubble!

The final four meters!

The second move...

In his heart, Xu Yangyi mouthed it silently to himself and the muscles of his entire body swelled sharply. His chest veins warped again and the surface flushed red.

Life Sacrification!

"He can still use Life Sacrification?!" Luo Sanfeng's eyeb.a.l.l.s almost popped out. He could only use the move once. He hadn't expected that now that both sides had thrown caution to the wind, Xu Yangyi would actually use Life Sacrification a second time!

The next move would determine the victor...

Many people wordlessly stood up. They hadn't antic.i.p.ated the decisive battle between two initial-stage Qi Condensation cultivators would surprisingly be so bitter. They could've compared pointers and taken care not to over do things, but these two desired victory. Easing up was simply an impossibility! This battle had already surpa.s.sed the scope of the initial stage of Qi Condensation!

Three meters!

Both of Chu Zhaonan's arms violently trembled, and a decisive look was revealed in his eyes. Tightly gritting his teeth, his originally handsome appearance had unexpectedly become somewhat savage in this moment. The two guns in his hands roared, and his whole body's spiritual force rushed forth without charge from both guns!

Chu Tianyi stood up, his heart like a burning fire. He wanted to make a move, but couldn't find an opportunity! He wasn't a warrior, so he was unable to catch sight of a golden opportunity within these fleeting moments!

Two meters!

"Severing Dragon Typhoon!" Xu Yangyi raised his head towards the heavens and roared. White spiritual energy encased both of his hands and shot out like the lightedges of a mecha samurai, forming dual blades of spiritual energy that were two meters in length! Carrying a courageously advancing might, he hacked towards Chu Zhaonan with all of his spiritual force!**

Under the circ.u.mstances of Life Sacrification, the spiritual force within his body was frantically dissipating. If this strike was unsuccessful, then he would die righteously! 

"Swis.h.!.+" At the sides of his a pair of meter-deep scars were carved out by his spirit blades! It was like the knell of a death G.o.d and a charging martyr, mingled together, it was a terrifying death. Xu Yangyi chopped through the wind and broke past waves, clearing all that was before him!

One meter!

Already, the two terrifying blades of spiritual energy were reflected in Chu Zhaonan's pupils. Under the additional support of Life Sacrification they weren't simple lightedges, but were like a pair of unvarnished sharp swords.

His hair fluttered back in the breeze by the tsunami-like might of the desire of victory being directed at him by Xu Yangyi who was emitting spiritual force from his entire body. His tattered-to-rags camouflage clothing on his body made a whipping noise. 

Firecloud tightened his grip on his arm rest. Shadowslay straightened out his body.

Over ten thousand gazes converged on stage. The exchange of masters were as fleeting and ephemeral as the blink of an eye. Life or death spelled the spark of a flint. This decisive battle which lad lasted for half an hour was on the verge of welcoming the final curtain call!

Who would be the last one standing?

Zero meters!

* 天下武功，唯快不破 - I am unsure if this is a phrase from a book, but from my understanding it is something along the lines of "As long as one is fast enough, they can break past any opponent's techniques". I tried to stick to original Chinese to really paint that image. 

** Mecha samurai here might actually be another anime reference, but I am unsure. The characters 机甲武士 do mean Mecha samurai, but also refers to an old 90s anime based on robot samurais.