Chapter 322: Whetstone
"Die!"
Yan Qingshan let out a thunderous shout, his breath rising fiercely, as the iron long spear in his hand suddenly transformed into a silver dragon, enveloped with boundless killing intent, thrusting straight toward the opponent’s back.
This spear strike condensed all his tenfold power of True Essence.
The Tier Five warrior merged with the spear, carrying a resolute and fierce determination.
A self-sacrificing strike!
Though Yan Qingshan seized a rare opportunity with considerable confidence to slay the slippery opponent in one stroke,
but a trace of suspicion and confusion lay hidden in his heart.
The black-robed elderly man surnamed Wei was an assistant whom Yan Qingshan hired at a great expense.
The two had collaborated multiple times before, with a considerable understanding of each other.
The black-robed elder’s cultivation and strength were somewhat inferior to Yan Qingshan, but his insidious cunning and expertise in ambushes, poisoning, and schemes made him a terribly troublesome figure.
Combining forces, Yan Qingshan would primarily attack using the Burning Spear Technique, while the black-robed elder was responsible for harassment and support.
Never had they encountered resistance below Tier Six!
Yet today, facing Zhang Yuan, the young Dharma Guardian Divine General, their usually victorious strategy failed.
Not only that, Zhang Yuan surprisingly, in a most unfavorable situation, counter-killed the black-robed elder!
Yan Qingshan did not even see clearly what killing move or technique the opponent employed.
At that moment, he indeed felt the urge to cease and withdraw!
Stopping the losses in time was indeed a wise move.
But the strong will forged from hundreds of battles and his dignity as a Tier Five warrior made Yan Qingshan forcibly suppress his inner defeatist sentiments and panic.
He did not abandon the opportunity created by his comrade’s sacrifice, decisively thrusting this spear strike!
At the next moment, Zhang Yuan, who had just slain the black-robed elder, suddenly turned, facing the iron long spear thrusting from behind, wielding the Taowu Saber in his hand.
This fierce weapon suddenly emanated a dense evil Qi; its blade, having beheaded countless heads before, cleaved through the air, instantly breaking the magnificent spear’s momentum, precisely and viciously slashing the spearhead.
Clang!
The collision of saber and spear erupted into a deafening clang.
In an instant, sparks flew, Qi burst apart!
Yan Qingshan’s charge halted abruptly; the spearhead dipped, pointing to the ground.
While Zhang Yuan withdrew his saber and took three large steps back!
On the surface, in this first true confrontation, Yan Qingshan appeared to have gained the upper hand.
But in reality, this Tier Five warrior felt an inexplicable shock!
Because Zhang Yuan’s saber not only disrupted his spear momentum but also the contained power was astonishingly incredible, almost knocking down the iron long spear.
Although Yan Qingshan was not renowned for divine power, his Burning Spear Technique had entered the hall, his robust True Essence being among the top within Tier Five.
Giving it his all in a hasty clash, merely matching equally; such an outcome was entirely beyond Yan Qingshan’s expectations.
This Tier Five warrior took a long breath, his deep eyes instantly regaining composure and calmness.
"Kill!"
He roared once again, the combat spirit recently dampened, climbed back to its peak.
The lowered long spear rose high once more, in an instant unleashing hundreds of fierce rapid spear shadows, covering Zhang Yuan with a blazing fire momentum.
The aggressiveness and killing intent shrouded the sky!
Confronting the fierce enemy’s fierce assault, Zhang Yuan did not elude using the Carefree Travel Body Technique this time.
He boldly swung his saber, plunging unhesitatingly into the dense spear shadows.
The collision between both sides reached its most intense peak!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The repeated clashes between the long saber and long spear emitted non-stop explosive sounds, seemingly endless.
The primitive forest that rarely saw footsteps suffered greatly under such fierce and wild battle.
Tree after tree creaked and fell.
Countless fallen leaves danced in the sky, only soon to be pulverized to dust by the splashing Qi forces.
Zhang Yuan and Yan Qingshan’s figures interspersed in the forest, sometimes crossing, sometimes diverging, with Burning Spear Momentum and Wind and Cloud Saber Momentum frequently clashing, raising a multitude of dust and rubble from the ground!
A spear’s killing intent stirred; a saber’s evil Qi exposed; the two Profound Soldiers contended against each other.
"Kill!"
Yan Qingshan held the spear with both hands, roaring angrily as he leaped, striking downward at Zhang Yuan’s head from above.
The long spear swept down, whistling through the air, as if a thousand troops were trampling toward Zhang Yuan.
Zhang Yuan did not dodge, suddenly raising his saber to parry!
Clang!
Yet another loud noise erupted; Zhang Yuan’s feet sank deeply into the mud.
Yan Qingshan seized the opportunity to retract the long spear.
He did not continue attacking.
Instead, he gave Zhang Yuan a deep look, then turned to leave.
This Tier Five warrior realized that Zhang Yuan was not only an opponent capable of measuring evenly against him but that continuing the fight might not yield any benefit.
What Yan Qingshan feared most was Zhang Yuan’s earlier means of killing the black-robed elder.
He didn’t dare gamble that Zhang Yuan’s killing move could only be used once!
Furthermore, although Zhang Yuan’s cultivation realm lagged significantly behind Yan Qingshan, his saber technique and cultivation technique were by no means weak, coupled with a terrifying innate divine power.
Despite Yan Qingshan appearing nonchalant on the surface, actually both his palms were cracked from the shock.
Only by relying on the True Essence’s lock did they not bleed!
If not retreat now, when?
But Yan Qingshan’s desire to leave still had to await Zhang Yuan’s consent.
"Stay here!"
Seeing his opponent retreat, Zhang Yuan immediately let out a deep shout, his whole being abruptly soaring into the air, chasing after the Tier Five warrior.
To Zhang Yuan, Yan Qingshan was certainly an excellent whetstone.
Having just entered Tier Five, Zhang Yuan undoubtedly would not match the adversary in terms of cultivation foundation, but the support from the Divine Nest Host significantly narrowed the gap, even exceeding it greatly.
Yan Qingshan’s spear technique was formidable, upright, and robustly aggressive, fighting him akin to facing a thousand troops and horses, demanding a will of determination to contend against him.
Moreover, the iron long spear in his hand could also unleash Battle Array Killing Intent.
Like adding wings to a tiger!
Yet it was precisely this formidable enemy that honed Zhang Yuan’s Nine Blades of Wind and Cloud, Soul Will, and Sword Technique Profound Communication.
Every round of confrontation with Yan Qingshan deepened his understanding of his saber technique, saber momentum, and even Martial Arts.
Zhang Yuan didn’t even want the battle to end too quickly.
After all, such adversaries are rare.
If Yan Qingshan knew Zhang Yuan’s thought at this very moment, he’d probably spew blood on the spot.
But this Yan Family Tier Five warrior was not such a simple character!
Having leaped ten steps ahead, he suddenly halted and swiftly turned to stab the airborne Zhang Yuan.
Counterattack!
This spear strike was simple and direct, devoid of fancy variations, yet the speed, force, and fierceness surpassing previous hundred strikes, imbued with a hint of True Intent of Martial Arts.
In a split second, it was about to pierce Zhang Yuan’s abdomen!
But at this critical moment, Zhang Yuan, seemingly without leverage in the air, suddenly swept sideways to the right.
Just narrowly evading Yan Qingshan’s deadly strike!