Chapter 1068: Block. Thrust.
Chapter 1068: Block. Thrust.
At that moment, Heavy Water was already stuck fast to the Black Tortoise Shield. Tang San's movements remained astoundingly simple: He pulled back his spear, keeping the Black Tortoise Shield raised in front of him, and then thrust the spear again straight at Lan Moqian.
What Lan Moqian was experiencing was Holy Baptism, which was also exactly what it sounded like: a shower of holy energy. Though she wasn't of the darkness attribute or anything of the kind, and thus wouldn't take direct damage from the holy energy, the moment the sacred radiance engulfed her, she felt warm all over. Strangely comfortable, even. So comfortable, in fact, that… her fighting spirit took a hit. Her body grew sluggish, as if she didn't want to move. Worse still, the berserk state of her bloodline power was being pacified under the influence of the holy glow, which dramatically reduced her explosive power.
The damage was minimal, but the effect? Tremendous.
Tang San's next thrust followed swiftly, forcing Lan Moqian, who had been planning to retrieve Heavy Water, to again confront an inescapable strike.
Grief swung upward and clashed with the Holy Dragon Spear, triggering the Ninefold Shock again.
A crisp series of clangs rang out as the Holy Dragon Spear was once more deflected. But due to the lingering effects of the holy energy, Lan Moqian clearly felt her strength diminishing. And as her sword struck again, the Holy Baptism fell over her once more, soothing yet maddening.
She was beyond frustrated. This holy energy was just too damn cursed.
She bit her tongue, using the pain to shake herself back to clarity. She twisted rapidly, and Grief erupted with a storm of sword lights that surged toward Tang San like a raging tempest.
Tang San retracted his spear and thrust again, but the sword light storm knocked the spear aside instantly. Even so, the holy energy persisted, and all the sword strikes crashed harmlessly into the Black Tortoise Shield.
The shield, with Heavy Water still magnetically attached to it, seemed to expand and completely enclose Tang San's body. No matter how Lan Moqian changed angles, the Black Tortoise Shield was always in the way. All her attacks were blocked with ease.
Her sword technique, directly passed down to her by the Sword Saint Demon Emperor, undoubtedly made her one of the best sword wielders alive. Her power, speed, and reflexes were all top-tier as well. But it didn't matter how many changes she made to her footwork or blade techniques; what met her every time was the same thing. Shield block. Shield block. Shield block.
Spear thrust.
Booming clangs echoed constantly across the sky.
By this point, everyone had lost count of how many times Lan Moqian had struck Tang San. And Tang San's tactics? Always the same: Thrust, pull back the spear, thrust, pull back the spear, rinse and repeat. A simple, direct thrust, but it was undodgeable, and because Lan Moqian couldn't dodge, she had no choice but to block.
Compared to the decisive, earth-shattering clash between Mei Gongzi and Ning Chen'en, this was a completely different thing. It was a brain-grinding, relentless war of attrition.
Lan Moqian soon realized that Tang San's strategy felt very familiar. Because… wasn't this her husband's signature approach?
A war of attrition!
Block. Thrust.
The critical difference was that her husband didn't have a divine weapon like the Holy Dragon Spear. In other words, he could defend himself, but he had no way of attacking properly. Meanwhile, not only could Tang San completely defend against her, but he could also constantly pressure her with unavoidable spear thrusts, giving her no room to rest. She had to defend and retaliate without pause.
Though the attack frequency was lower than her sword strikes, roughly one thrust for every three slashes of hers, it was that one thrust that always left her feeling miserable. Especially the ongoing effects of the holy energy. It was like a parasite clinging to her bones; the longer it stayed, the more unbearable it became. Even her fighting spirit was gradually unraveling.
Tang San, meanwhile, was utterly unhurried. He was just blocking with the Black Tortoise Shield and then poking with the Holy Dragon Spear, and he looked fairly relaxed while doing so.
Block. Thrust.
This was a match between Great Demon Kings, and yet this tactic was absurdly effective. Moreover, with the Ancestral Tree's projection still active behind him, the life energy in the sky didn't decrease. Instead, it kept gathering from all directions, continuously replenishing Tang San's strength.
By complete contrast, Lan Moqian's stamina dwindled, and as her bloodline power weakened, the suppressive—well, technically, calming—effect of the holy energy only grew stronger.
This can't go on. If this dragged out any longer, I might just get worn down to nothing!
This was the first match of the finals. She absolutely couldn't lose. Only by winning could she hope to place in the top three.
With that realization, Lan Moqian's gaze sharpened suddenly. A blazing dark-golden flame erupted from her eyes.
The Flame of Life! Indeed, just like Mei Gongzi earlier, she had ignited her bloodline power!
The moment her aura flared, her speed and strength surged. The Ninefold Shock suddenly turned into a Twelvefold Shock. Like a storm, she unleashed a mad onslaught upon the Black Tortoise Shield.
Tang San's spear was now barely a factor. Every time it struck out, Grief would immediately knock it away. She even attempted to exploit the gaps in his thrusts to pierce through and strike him directly.
But the Black Tortoise Shield was like a full-on steel bubble, covering all possible angles from which Tang San might be attacked. Though the shield only appeared to cover the front, no matter how quickly or how cleverly Lan Moqian darted about, all that met her blade was shield and more shield. Her unleashed strength hit the defense like waves hit a cliff—perhaps if it continued for another hundred thousand years, it may or may not create some minor dents.
She reached out multiple times to grab Heavy Water, which was still stuck to the shield, but no matter how hard she pulled, it refused to budge. It was as if it had fused with the shield.
Her life flame blazed ever fiercer. Her attacks became more and more crazed. As for Tang San? He didn't change his approach at all. Even though his spear barely posed a threat now, getting instantly deflected every time, his rhythm never shifted.
Shield block. Spear thrust.
Block.
Thrust.
Lan Moqian was close to coughing blood. She had already brought her offensive to its peak, yet she still couldn't do a thing to Tang San. How was this possible? How?! It was nothing but a single spear and a single shield, yet she was utterly powerless!
A quarter hour passed. Then another.
Block. Thrust.
The bloodline power, physical power, and divine consciousness of a peak Great Demon King, especially one from the Behemoth clan, were incredibly vast. But even so, in a prolonged clash, especially one where said Great Demon King was burning their bloodline power as fuel, they were bound to end at some point.
Block. Thrust.
Block. Thrust.
Despair began to take hold. And as her assault stretched into the third quarter-hour, fatigue began to overtake her.
Lan Moqian knew she couldn't hold out much longer.
Am I going to lose? Am I really going to lose this match too?
Block. Thrust.
The unwillingness in her heart was overwhelming.
But as her offensive faltered, Tang San's Holy Dragon Spear struck again. Its force was not overwhelming, barely at the level of an ordinary Great Demon or Great Nymph King; Lan Moqian could still deflect it easily. However, the holy energy continued to impede her movement. Worse still, even as she grew weaker, the spear remained as steady as ever.
Block. Thrust.
Now, Lan Moqian began to understand what her husband's opponents must have felt: utter disgust. This kind of opponent was revolting. Absolutely revolting.
Block. Thrust.
Finally, her reaction was a beat too slow. The sharp spear tip sliced across her waist, leaving a gash.
Instantly, an even stronger burst of holy energy surged into her. And at that exact moment, a golden light exploded from Tang San, engulfing Lan Moqian completely.
Because the holy energy had already invaded her system, she couldn't even dodge in time.