Chapter 1058
Throughout his time as a sword cultivators, Chidi had battled against many opponents that outmatched him in size. Larger humans weren’t particularly different, though their increased reach still provided some challenges. The largest animals were the size of small buildings. Then true beasts with cultivation grew to even greater scales, culminating in distortion beasts which often appeared incomprehensibly large.
Then sometimes he fought against smaller opponents. Wolves, for example. Both those of Fuzz’s bloodline, and wild creatures that had not yet grown beyond the normal limits. Occasionally, he had to battle against insects, some in swarms and many venomous.
Thus, Chidi was used to fighting against opponents of all sizes. But he still hadn’t fought against a sword cultivator that was a mere few hands tall. The actual size of his furry opponent’s blade was closer to a dagger, but the way it was wielded made things quite clear to Chidi what it truly was.
He recognized the styles of his opponent, despite the required differences due to the meerkat’s body. Chidi had never personally battled against Ty Quigley- though he planned to, since he had this opportunity to visit the lower realms. However, the style was extremely straightforward, thrusts and cuts and a focus solely on bringing down the enemy. That was combined with Chikere’s style. Though Deep Purr didn’t actually have multiple blades, he made Chidi feel like he was being assaulted by a hundred at once.
Blades clashed repeatedly as they parried, dodged, and countered each other’s moves. The meerkat was good, tuned into the world around him. Chidi had no doubt that if he was actually a threat to the locals, the danger he faced would be amplified manyfold. It was a weakness, but not one he could blame him for. Deep Purr chose what was important to him, and it wasn’t winning duels with random visitors.
The flow of his energy was clear to Chidi. The only difficulty was once more getting used to natural energy. He had trained with natural energy all the way until Integration, which made his process of attuning to the energy much easier… but it was still different. Just as formations performed differently with the different energies, Chidi had to not only read the flow but figure out how to control it.
The whole time he did so, he was constantly battered with attacks. His ankles were most at risk, and not in a playful or joking manner. It was absolutely sensible for the meerkat to attack his lower legs, and he had no doubt that his opponent could cut any enemy down to size. It was difficult for him to attack a small target on the ground, and the footwork his tiny opponent had meant he was constantly darting around Chidi or through his legs. Only quick reactions kept his legs safe.
He had already dropped into his lowest stance, but that brought more of his body close enough to target, with the meerkat able to extend his energy or leap through the air- in a manner that he was also able to control his descent. He became the blade, arcing up and down in a manner too deadly to ignore.
Chidi was fairly sure Deep Purr had declined to take several opportunities that would have resulted in his victory. Perhaps he simply wanted to make their first battle last as long as possible. Chidi was of a similar opinion… but he had to at least see how his opponent reacted to his complete technique.