Free Web NovelChapter 332: Chapter 169: Rematch with Dongfang Zhen, I’m a Little Like My Old Self
PFFT!
Zhang Daoxuan spat out another mouthful of essence blood. This time, the blood mist didn’t dissipate, but was completely absorbed into the twelve Flying Swords surrounding him.
His face turned deathly pale at a visible rate, yet his aura, rather than weakening, swelled in power, surging once more as if he were setting his own life ablaze!
"Sword Array, activate!"
Following a hoarse growl, the main sword, Zhenyue, flew back before him, while the other twelve blood-stained secondary swords hummed and instantly returned to their positions.
Then, with Zhenyue at its core, they formed a profound and intricate circular Sword Array.
Each sword’s position was perfect, their Sword Qi interlinking and their sharp edges converging. Its power was at least fifty percent greater than before!
In the spectator stands, Dongfang Zhen let out a soft sigh.
He had seen this move from Zhang Daoxuan before.
Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin. It was the Zhang Family’s ultimate Secret Technique, using essence blood as a catalyst to forcibly activate the Sword Array. Its power was immense, but it lasted for less than thirty seconds.
And during those thirty seconds, even he would have to steer clear of its full force.
One careless mistake, and he too would lose.
His spars with Zhang Daoxuan hadn’t all been victories. After these twenty days of special training, Dongfang Zhen knew that with the strength he’d had upon first entering the camp, he would have stood no chance against this move.
On the arena stage, as soon as the Sword Array formed, the very atmosphere seemed to shift.
The entire space was filled with a terrifying sword intent that threatened to tear everything apart. The Sword Qi that had previously only left cuts on Lin Ye had now transformed into a death storm that could annihilate all things.
Lin Ye could no longer spare the concentration to control the Purple Crystal Rhombus. Wounds rapidly multiplied across his body. His golden Gang Sha and purple crystal armor were continuously torn and pierced by the Sword Array’s frenzied assault, leaving him drenched in blood.
Just as everyone thought Lin Ye was about to be completely overwhelmed by the violent Sword Array, a clear sigh echoed from the center of the storm.
It was a sigh of dissatisfaction, tinged with a hint of regret.
The sigh came from Lin Ye.
The next moment, Lin Ye’s figure vanished from thin air amidst the swirling sword shadows.
Dongfang Zhen’s pupils abruptly shrank to the size of a pinprick!
’It’s here! Lin Ye’s signature ultra-high-speed burst!’
On the stage, Zhang Daoxuan, who had pushed himself to his absolute limit, suddenly felt the hair on his body stand on end. A needle-like sting prickled every inch of his skin.
The boiling battle intent, fueled by his burning essence blood, felt as if it had been doused by a basin of ice water in an instant, a chill running from his head to his toes.
’Death!’
The single, cold word surfaced in his mind without any warning.
In his field of vision, Lin Ye’s figure was gone.
Zhang Daoxuan didn’t have time to think, not even enough time to recall his Sword Array to defend. Relying solely on his battle-honed instincts, he moved as if guided by some unseen force, raising his main sword, Zhenyue, to block his forehead.
CRACK! This Divine Weapon, his companion for over a decade and forged from the finest materials, shattered upon impact.
The sword shattered.
Through the shattered blade, Zhang Daoxuan saw a spear tip flowing with golden energy.
The Gang Sha on the spear tip, so condensed it was almost solid, radiated a heart-stopping pressure. It hovered motionlessly right before his brow, not a hair’s breadth off.
This was the last image Zhang Daoxuan saw.
In the next instant, his consciousness plunged into endless darkness.
When he opened his eyes again, Zhang Daoxuan found himself standing in the spectator stands.
He subconsciously touched his own neck. It was completely unharmed.
But on the stage, his virtual body was now gone from the neck up. The cut was as smooth as a mirror, as if it had been instantly severed by some kind of invisible blade.
His gaze followed that invisible trajectory backward, and he froze completely.
Behind his virtual body, a massive, seemingly bottomless hole had appeared in the alloy wall.
Zhang Daoxuan was stunned, his mind a complete blank.
Beside him, Dongfang Zhen wore a similar expression.
"That just now... was that the move he used before, the one with the short burst of extreme speed?"
Nie Cang’s voice carried a tremor he himself didn’t even notice.
Yin Liulan slowly shook her head, her eyes shining with astonishing brightness.
She let out a soft breath and said, "No, that was just the maximum normal speed he can achieve at his current realm. He hasn’t even used that martial technique yet."
Nie Cang fell silent.
’Just his maximum normal speed is already that fast?!’
’And that spear thrust...’
’Previously, during the fight with Wei Shuying, I thought Lin Ye was being too harsh, that he didn’t know how to go easy on a woman. I was worried he’d give the poor girl psychological trauma.’
’Looking back now, that really was just a casual thrust from him.’
’But this, against Zhang Daoxuan’s ultimate move, this was a spear thrust truly infused with his Flowing Gang!’
Nie Cang suddenly recalled the last unlucky bastard who had taken a hit like this from Lin Ye—
the Eight-armed Chieftain of the Blood Slaughter Tribe.
Back then, that boss-level creature, along with its six Personal Guards, had been blasted into a bloody mist on the spot!
Nie Cang sucked in a sharp breath.
’Wait... does that mean the kid was holding back just now?’
’He didn’t even use his true strength?’
At this thought, Nie Cang was completely dumbfounded.
’Is this kind of performance and destructive power really something a Martial Artist who just entered the Gang Condensation Realm should have?’
While he was lost in thought, Yin Liulan had already waved her hand.
The arena stage and the entire Illusion Realm Space were swiftly repaired by a torrent of data, returning to their original state.
At the same time, Lin Ye’s condition was also reset by the system, returning him to his peak state before the battle.
Across from Lin Ye, a new figure slowly materialized.
Dongfang Zhen.
His aura was as deep as an abyss. He held his Thunder Pattern Halberd, his gaze burning as he stared at Lin Ye.
Lin Ye looked back at him, his own gaze calm, his heart devoid of joy or sorrow.
