Chapter 491 - 473: Another Victory, Shock
Pei Jiuxing unslung the Profound Heavy Ruler from his back, looking at Su Yu with a refined expression. "Commander Su, your strength is formidable, and truly admirable. Especially your battle with Commander Cao Yanran—I pondered over it day and night after returning. Only now do I dare to fight you!"
"Make your move!"
Before he could even finish speaking, the Qi and Blood he had already been gathering roared to life. Accompanied by the snapping of his Great Tendons, he instantly transformed into an azure blur, appearing right in front of Su Yu.
The Profound Heavy Ruler, weighing over a hundred pounds, carried a violent Gang Force as it smashed toward Su Yu from multiple directions—shifting unpredictably from left to right. The sheer power of the strike instantly manifested dozens of black ruler shadows in the air. A furious gale wreaked havoc, kicking up a blinding cloud of dust all around them.
"So strong! The power behind this strike completely surpasses Cao Yanran’s from yesterday!"
"Going all out right from the start—Pei Jiuxing is truly a calculating veteran! This opening attack is too fast; there’s simply no time to react!" someone among the Great Commanders watching from afar couldn’t help but exclaim.
Li Jingfeng’s eyes also grew solemn. When he fought, he always preferred to maintain the demeanor of an expert, making each sword strike stronger than the last. This Pei Jiuxing was far too seasoned and calculating. Opening with an attack that had been charging for so long—he likely intended to end the battle in a single blow. Even if that failed, he would seize a crucial advantage.
Just as the Profound Heavy Ruler was about to strike Su Yu, he found himself completely enveloped by his opponent’s attack. At this moment, his Saber Stance had yet to take form. Forcing a parry would mean losing the initiative.
However, he had too many tricks up his sleeve. Breaking out of this situation would be simple.
Celestial Thunder Step!
The Thunder Power flowing through his body instantly channeled into his feet. In a flash, his figure darted to the side with astonishing speed, dodging the powerful strike like a bolt of lightning.
"BOOM!"
The Profound Heavy Ruler missed, shattering only a fading afterimage of Su Yu before crashing heavily onto the riverbank. The violent Power surged outward, instantly blasting a crater several feet wide into the ground. Flying debris and shattered rocks rained down, hitting the distant weeping willows with a CLATTER.
His long-planned strike having hit nothing but air, Pei Jiuxing quickly suppressed his shock. Sticking to his original plan, he pursued Su Yu relentlessly. At this moment, he also displayed terrifying speed. With a single step, his body flowed like a swift breeze. His footwork was light and rapid, placing his speed firmly at the absolute pinnacle of the Middle Dragon Tendon tier. Just from these two moves he had displayed, it was obvious that he was significantly stronger than Cao Yanran, and far better prepared.
One Foot Defending the River!
Catching up to Su Yu, he executed a technique completely different from the last. The Profound Heavy Ruler became like a raging black river, roaring as it smashed toward Su Yu’s head with unparalleled, savage might. Before the edge of the ruler even fell, the fierce Gang Wind had already sent Su Yu’s clothes violently flapping, and the surrounding war banners snapped wildly in the gale.
He thought, "What an excellent ruler technique!"
A hint of appreciation flashed through Su Yu’s eyes. Pei Jiuxing was overwhelmingly strong, and his fighting style was highly adaptable—completely different from Cao Yanran. If Cao Yanran embodied the ruthless and domineering absolute mastery of the Spear Technique, where every move was lethal, then Pei Jiuxing was somewhat similar to his own Demon Ape Demon-Vibrating Saber—his techniques and moves were endlessly varied. If he were to handle this attack the same way he did the last, he would lose the initiative once again, allowing his opponent to stack the momentum of his ruler strikes.
Demon Ape Heaven-Opening!
The Jiao Tendons inside Su Yu’s body snapped taut, locking his entire skeletal frame and unleashing a ferocious burst of strength. Simultaneously, the three stances—Subduing Demons, Demon-Vibrating, and Ape Demon—were unleashed together. The Demon Ape Treasure Saber let out a thrilling HUM, carving a bloody afterimage through the air as it slashed directly toward the Profound Heavy Ruler.
"BOOM!"
The collision between saber and ruler produced a deafening blast, forcing the laborers dredging the distant river channel to clamp their hands over their ears. The rampant Gang Wind scattered in all directions, kicking up massive clouds of dust that swept all the way to the grassy lawns on the distant embankment, forcing the flowers and grass to bow under the pressure.
At that moment, Pei Jiuxing felt an immense force traveling down his arms, forcing him to stumble back repeatedly. He simply couldn’t withstand it. His expression instantly turned incredibly ugly. He hurriedly retreated at full speed to evade that terrifying slash.
"Not bad. To think Brother Su held back so much of his strength yesterday! This Pei Jiuxing is quite calculating. If Brother Su had remained at his previous level of strength, he might have actually lost.
"These two might actually be able to withstand the seventh sword of my Dragon-slaying Nine Swords!" Li Jingfeng said, standing off in the distance, turning sideways and assuming the posture of an expert offering guidance.
Gu Changfeng, on the other hand, was squatting on the mud and stone platform of the embankment, chewing on a stalk of foxtail grass. He looked like a giant brown bear. He found the match rather boring, only tossing a casual glance at it every now and then.
After repelling Pei Jiuxing with a single blow, Su Yu immediately seized the opportunity to counterattack.
The previous exchange had made the disparity in their strength crystal clear. After the tempering from yesterday’s Dragon Tendon Pill, Su Yu’s Skill Level had increased by over a thousand points. His Great Tendons and Qi and Blood Power were significantly stronger than the day before. Coupled with Mo Yuan being reinforced by the Deep Sea Cold Iron, both its sharpness and weight had increased, boosting his combat prowess even further.
Though Pei Jiuxing was substantially stronger than Cao Yanran, he still fell short when compared to Su Yu. To defeat him, he didn’t need to reveal any more of his trump cards.
Originally, Su Yu had planned that if the opponent proved too troublesome, he would use Soul-Catching to seize the upper hand. If Soul-Catching didn’t work, he would unleash his Divine Sense Heart Sound! In short, he had too many tricks and trump cards; there was no way he could lose. However, if he exposed too much during a mere sparring match, he could easily be targeted by his enemies during the actual Martial Examination. Take today, for instance—Pei Jiuxing had clearly come prepared.
"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!"
Su Yu pressed the attack, exchanging dozens of blows with his opponent in the blink of an eye. With every clash, his adversary suffered the terrifying impact of Mo Yuan, and the webbing between Pei Jiuxing’s thumb and forefinger visibly split open.
Unwilling to concede, Pei Jiuxing circled around at astonishing speed once more, trying to win with an unorthodox maneuver. Unfortunately for him, Su Yu’s Celestial Thunder Step firmly suppressed his movements. From the front, Su Yu applied overwhelming pressure, sticking to his opponent like glue and forcing him into a continuous head-on confrontation.
"Sigh, Commander Pei’s Profound Heavy Ruler has always been known for its domineering power and precision. Usually, he’s the one firmly suppressing his opponent. I didn’t expect to see this kind of situation today."
"It’s a pity, a real shame! Pei Jiuxing is a scheming veteran and overwhelmingly strong. Who would have thought he’d run into a genius like Commander Su?"
"Commander Su is truly unfathomable. Is he really from the Outer City? His previous victory over Commander Cao Yanran was already stunning enough. Who could have imagined that he still possessed such bottomless strength!"
Hearing the crowd’s discussions, a sharp gleam flashed through Li Jingfeng’s eyes. His standards were higher, yet even he had to admit that Su Yu’s Martial Arts Talent was truly breathtaking. The new Stepping Technique he displayed today, along with his significantly enhanced Qi and Blood, all proved that his strength was still improving by leaps and bounds.
He thought, "No wonder my cousin, Li Jingxuan, praises Su Yu so highly. Back when I was in the Jiao Tendon Realm, I could only cross realms to defeat those in the Little Dragon Tendon stage and dominate among them. To think he can actually cross two realms and defeat someone in the Middle Dragon Tendon stage!"
He paused in realization. "Wait, doesn’t that mean his talent is above mine?"
At that thought, Li Jingfeng’s eyes widened in disbelief. "My talent is actually inferior to his?" he wondered.
[Demon Ape Demon-Vibrating Saber Skill Level +26]
[Demon Ape Demon-Vibrating Saber Skill Level +24]
...
Firmly suppressing his opponent, Su Yu clearly felt that Pei Jiuxing’s strength was failing him. Seeing that the Skill Level for the Demon-Vibrating Saber was no longer increasing, he knew the man was on the verge of collapse. Without further hesitation, he activated the Celestial Thunder Step and instantly attacked from multiple directions. Mo Yuan roared like a bloody Flood Dragon, biting fiercely at his opponent from every angle.
"CLANG! BANG! BANG!"
After blocking three strikes, Pei Jiuxing could no longer hold on. The Profound Heavy Ruler flew from his grasp, splashing heavily into the river.
Pale-faced, he stared at his trembling hands and muttered, "I lost."
"Good match!"
Su Yu sheathed Mo Yuan. Feeling the Mo Yuan Sword Spirit conveying a sense of unfulfilled craving, he continuously soothed it until it quieted down. Now that Mo Yuan had evolved once more, its sharpness could easily sever the Great Tendons of a Dragon Tendon Mirror martial artist. That also meant the Profound Bones of ordinary Profound Bone Realm experts could no longer block his blade.
"There will be plenty of opportunities for you to drink the blood of those in the Profound Bone Realm later," he thought.
Having finally settled the Sword Spirit, Su Yu looked at Pei Jiuxing, a burning zeal flashing in his eyes.
"Commander Pei, it’s time to hand over the Dragon Tendon Pill!"