novelraw Chapter 163 - 161: Jia Shidao’s Tactics
Chapter 163 - 161: Jia Shidao’s Tactics
A single, calm sentence nearly sent the entire crowd into a frenzy. The Thunderlight Hall disciples were already jumping up and down. Damn, *that* was what you call pure, unadulterated badassery!
"Wreck the Beast Hall!"
"Thunderlight will win!"
Thunderlight will win... Thunderlight will win...
This drove the Beast Hall disciples mad with rage. How dare he be so arrogant on the Beast Hall’s own turf? They’d make sure he entered standing and left lying down. Who cared if he was an Elder!
Jia Shidao’s smile held a chilling edge. ’Damn,’ he thought. ’Give him an inch and he takes a mile.’
Since he’d chosen to participate in the tournament, his Elder status was completely useless. He was courting death, so he had no one to blame but himself.
Faced with the roaring crowd, Wang Meng simply smiled, feeling at ease.
Zhou Qian was stunned for a moment, then couldn’t help but give a wry smile. "That’s Wang Meng’s style, alright. Haha, I love it!"
Not just anyone would dare to be so provocative.
But Wang Meng did.
He knew Wang Meng was doing this for him, for Zhang Xiaojiang, and for Hu Jing—to stand up for them.
Ma Tian’Er’s heart fluttered with anxiety. She couldn’t help but worry. ’Wang Meng is turning everyone against him,’ she thought. ’He...’
This worry wasn’t something she could control. As long as she knew he was doing well, Ma Tian’Er could keep her composure, but...
Wang Meng had indeed incurred the public’s wrath.
SHING...
Jia Shidao’s Long Sword left its sheath. While not an Immortal Sword like the Hundred Spirits Sword, it was definitely a rare Treasure Sword.
"Let’s hope your skills are as impressive as your words." Jia Shidao slowly released his Elemental Power, channeling it along his Spirit Beast Sword.
Eighteenth-Layer Elemental Power. A three-layer gap might not seem like much, but who was Jia Shidao?
He was one of the ten great masters among the Holy Hall’s Third Generation Disciples!
WHOOSH...
A wave of Sword Qi slashed down as Jia Shidao’s body moved in sync with his Spirit Beast Sword, lunging toward Wang Meng. The initial blast of biting Sword Qi suddenly fanned out, splitting into more than a dozen scattered streams of energy that rushed at his opponent.
This single move was enough to showcase Jia Shidao’s power. In terms of raw strength, he was superior to Qiao Qian. Though both were Sword Cultivators, Qiao Qian sought external items to gain power, whereas Jia Shidao valued the improvement of his own innate abilities.
What did Sword Cultivators practice, if not their Sword Technique?
A single strike: Scattering Flower Sword.
The corner of Jia Shidao’s mouth curled into a cold smile. ’Let’s see you handle this!’
Wang Meng did nothing. His body swayed amidst the Sword Qi, and the dozen or so scattered blades of energy that burst forth simply grazed past his body...
But Jia Shidao’s assault didn’t stop. He followed up with a grand, sweeping Sword Slash, bringing it down from above.
It was aimed perfectly at where Wang Meng had just finished his movement.
This was the power of a top-ten disciple—the Insight of a true master.
Wang Meng watched the descending Sword Qi, just... watching. This wasn’t panic, nor was it a lack of time to react. He was... waiting.
The moment the Sword Qi arrived, Wang Meng’s figure shimmered, and the attack sliced into his body.
His form dissipated.
The clamor from the Beast Hall disciples died instantly.
That was... Flying Shadow!
A high-speed Body Cultivation Skill, a terrifying movement that only the formidable physique of a Body Cultivator should be able to execute.
’An imitation?’
’How ridiculous. Such a childish and naive act.’
Jia Shidao sneered inwardly, though his face maintained its trademark, harmless smile. His Spirit Beast Sword no longer hesitated as he channeled his Elemental Qi, launching one powerful Sword Slash after another, hacking away at Wang Meng.
Wang Meng remained standing, truly waiting until the last possible moment to dodge his opponent’s attacks.
BOOM...
A miss!
BOOM...
A miss!
And again, another miss!
Wang Meng’s figure flickered like a phantom while Jia Shidao’s swift and fierce Sword Slashes missed one after another. Crucially, Wang Meng only moved at the very last second.
Jia Shidao was starting to lose face. This was utter contempt; his opponent was simply letting him attack. The scene felt familiar... It was just like Xu Song against Hu Jing.
In terms of patience, Jia Shidao was highly ranked among the Holy Hall’s top ten. He could remain calm despite Wang Meng’s provocations, but with the momentum of the battle shifting, he couldn’t pass up this opportunity.
’Still dodging? There’s bound to be one you can’t evade!’
SWISH... SWISH...
He unleashed a Cross Sword Slash, immediately increasing the difficulty of evasion. This attack was difficult to perform; if one’s Control Power faltered in the slightest, the Sword Qi would detonate prematurely.
’And you’re still not fighting back?’
Facing the Cross Sword Slash, Wang Meng simply spread his hands, as if opening his arms to welcome the attack.
BOOM...
Wang Meng’s afterimage was sliced apart as the Cross Sword Slash blasted past him.
Wang Meng glanced coolly at Xu Song, raised his right index finger, and wagged it dismissively.
Xu Song’s already grave expression instantly turned deathly pale.
As a Bow Cultivator, he knew with absolute certainty that this was indeed Flying Shadow. It was a Bow Cultivator’s skill; for a Sword Cultivator to use it, the difficulty would increase by at least thirty percent.
And Wang Meng’s mastery of Flying Shadow was at least two levels higher than his own.
It had reached the point of turning substance into illusion.
Jia Shidao sneered inwardly. ’So arrogant, ignoring his own opponent. Fine by me. The more arrogant my opponent, the better my chances. I wish the world were full of such fools.’
His Spirit Beast Sword paused as he fully channeled his Elemental Power. Seeing that Wang Meng was just standing there, he was in even less of a hurry. This meant he could prepare his next attack perfectly.
To the victor go the spoils; the process didn’t matter. He was a man who cared only for the outcome.
The Spirit Beast Sword began to trace crosses of light, but the patterns were complex and shifted continuously as the blade let out a piercing whistle.
Jia Shidao’s figure soared into the air, the smile on his lips widening as he made two silent slashes with his sword.
But the moment the Sword Qi manifested, it let out a thunderous roar. The two streams of energy instantly intertwined, spinning at high speed as they shot toward Wang Meng.
One of the ten great Sword Techniques of the Holy Hall, usable with Elemental Power up to the Twenty Layers—Cross Chain Spin Kill!
The Cross Chain Spin Kill howled as it bore down on Wang Meng, a formidable Sword Technique formed by Elemental Power channeled through a complex Life Mark Combination.
It was hailed as an un-dodgeable Judgement Sword Technique.
’How will you dodge this time?’
Xu Song’s eyes went wide. Though he wasn’t the one fighting, his pride had been deeply stung. The Cross Chain Spin Kill was a high-level Sword Technique known for being impossible to evade. Flying Shadow could not get past it.
The surging Chain Spin Kill instantly enveloped Wang Meng. At this point, the only option was to counterattack and shatter the technique.
But that was fundamentally impossible.
To defeat a Chain Spin Kill, one either had to overpower it with a stronger attack or prevent the opponent from launching it in the first place. But Wang Meng’s Elemental Power was weaker than Jia Shidao’s, and he was already on the defensive. His defeat was certain.
The Chain Spin Kill closed in, grinding viciously into Wang Meng.
FWOOM...
Elemental Power erupted, sending dust flying everywhere. The smile on Jia Shidao’s face was far more genuine this time. ’Trying to act tough just makes you look like an idiot.’
He gave a helpless shrug. "I didn’t do it on purpose. Elder Wang’s skills were truly impressive."
BAM...
The shockwave of Elemental Power blasted the dust away. As it settled, Wang Meng brushed off his clothes. "If this is the best the Beast Hall has to offer," he said, "then it’s my turn."
The howls from the Beast Hall disciples died abruptly. ’This... this is impossible!’
The Cross Chain Spin Kill clearly hit him!
The Thunderlight Hall disciples felt as if they’d been pulled back from the brink of hell. ’Holy crap, that scared me to death! He survived even that?’
Ma Tian’Er clutched her chest. When she saw the Chain Spin Kill hit Wang Meng, she’d felt a sudden urge to faint.
"...He survived that? Did you see what happened?" Fang Lufei asked, dumbfounded.
Beside him, Yao Yuan scratched the back of his head. ’Damn it, I wasn’t paying close enough attention for a second. But how could he possibly have dodged that?’
But no matter. Jia Shidao had already launched his second Cross Chain Spin Kill. The first one was a feint, meant to make Wang Meng mistake it for an ordinary Cross Slash and catch him off guard. This time, however, Jia Shidao was using his full power. Since his opponent clearly had no intention of dodging, he didn’t need to waste energy on such tricks.
A Chain Spin Kill covering a wide area blasted forth. Unknowingly, Jia Shidao’s Elemental Power had surged to the Nineteenth Layer, while Wang Meng’s remained stable at the Fifteenth Layer, without the slightest fluctuation.
Facing the now-lethal Cross Chain Spin Kill, Wang Meng still didn’t move.
Everyone’s eyes were wide. ’Will he dodge? Attack? Use a Magical Artifact? An Array Technique?’
BOOM...
The Cross Chain Spin Kill landed a solid hit, blasting a crater in the ground. Of course, the true danger of a Sword Qi attack was the damage from the Elemental Power, not the superficial physical impact.
From within the smoke and dust, a figure emerged completely unscathed, like a ghost.
This time, Jia Shidao could no longer remain calm.
Yu Lingzi was genuinely shocked. Only a handful of people in the entire arena could see clearly what had happened. It was truly Flying Shadow!
To be precise, it was the ultimate expression of Flying Shadow. To use the technique to such a degree with only Fifteenth-Layer Elemental Power was nothing short of a miracle.
’...Is he a Sword Cultivator or a Bow Cultivator???’
’I heard this Wang Meng likes to dabble in everything. Sometimes it’s Alchemy, sometimes forging...’
Xu Song was another who understood what had happened, because it involved Flying Shadow, the technique he was most skilled in and most proud of.
But now that he had truly witnessed Wang Meng’s Flying Shadow, his face had turned the color of death.
In the instant the Chain Spin Kill arrived, Wang Meng’s body had rotated along *with* it, matching its rhythm perfectly. It was a display of superb prediction and technique.
This was the pinnacle of Flying Shadow.
And yet, it was performed by a Sword Cultivator.
Wang Meng walked toward Jia Shidao step by step. Just like An Yushu had done to Zhou Qian, he was applying pressure.
After using Cross Chain Spin Kill twice in a row, Jia Shidao’s Elemental Qi was depleted. He hastily launched a few Sword Slashes, trying to force Wang Meng back.
Unfortunately, if even the Cross Chain Spin Kill couldn’t stop Wang Meng, mere ordinary Sword Slashes were completely useless.
Jia Shidao gritted his teeth and swallowed a Replenishing Essence Pill. This type of Pill wasn’t as potent as the one Zhou Qian had used, but it was enough for his needs.
Generally speaking, cultivators at Jia Shidao’s level avoided using Pills during a duel. It was too humiliating.
But compared to victory, a little humiliation was nothing.
His Elemental Power replenished, Jia Shidao immediately shot into the sky. In mid-air, his Spirit Beast Sword whistled as he brandished it, radiating brilliant light that locked onto Wang Meng.
—Sky Falling Thunder Sword!
This was Jia Shidao’s trump card. Both this and his previous technique were among the strongest Sword Techniques that could be utilized by cultivators with around Twenty Layers of Elemental Power.
Blades of Sword Qi rained down from the sky, bombarding Wang Meng relentlessly.
It was much like a Thunder Array, a vertical assault that fully demonstrated the diversity of a Sword Cultivator’s offensive methods.
It had to be said that Jia Shidao, having mastered both the Cross Chain Spin Kill and the Sky Falling Thunder Sword, was truly powerful. The number of disciples who could master such Sword Techniques could be counted on one hand. Their Life Mark Combinations were exceedingly complex, and they were specifically designed to counter all kinds of Evasion Techniques.
This Sky Falling Thunder Sword was an Array Sword technique. It locked onto its target, making evasion impossible. The only option was to defend.
A magnificent Sword Array thundered down. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian.com to vote for recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)