It was a gamble that paid off; the throat is the most vulnerable spot, and the third strike among the three swords was indeed the true killing blow. Moluo Zhanxiong secretly rejoiced!
Having struck successfully, Jiuyou Shenzhen paused for not a moment, his momentum surging wildly, his ghostly figure closing in instantly.
"Roar!" How could Moluo Zhanlong allow him this easy success? Three crescent-shaped sword energies immediately swept towards Jiuyou Shenzhen's left, right, and above, forming a triangle!
This move almost sealed off every avenue of escape for Jiuyou Shenzhen!
Hah!
As if possessing eyes in the back of his head, Jiuyou Shenzhen’s forward momentum suddenly dipped low. Without warning, he skimmed the ground like a fish breaking through waves, rushing towards Moluo Zhanxiong, while the three crescent sword energies unleashed behind him sliced past his very back, heading straight for Moluo Zhanxiong!
Ah! This move again!
Who could have imagined that the intended pincer attack from front and rear would be so deftly turned by Jiuyou Shenzhen, using the leverage to transform it into a direct clash between Moluo Zhanlong’s sword energy and Moluo Zhanxiong!
More critically, under the cover of those three sword energies, Jiuyou Shenzhen's lightning-fast sword reappeared, piercing the void!
Swish, swish, swish!
Three more swords shot out simultaneously, aimed at Moluo Zhanxiong's throat, lower abdomen, and heart!
Damn it! Moluo Zhanxiong was so enraged his lungs felt ready to burst!
His long saber rotated fiercely, sweeping out a massive crescent!
Whoosh! Jiuyou Shenzhen, who had been rapidly approaching close to the ground, suddenly shifted sideways in a bizarre motion!
The golden figure vanished instantly! Along with it, those three sudden sword phantoms disappeared without a trace!
The heavy crescent swept through empty air, intercepting only the three whistling incoming sword energies!
Clang! Rumble, rumble! Amidst a dazzling explosion of light, suddenly—
Jiuyou Shenzhen's ghostly figure sprang up with a sudden rebound, soaring over Moluo Zhanxiong’s head like a white crane taking flight.
"Ah! Trouble, he's trying to escape!" Moluo Zhanxiong was greatly alarmed.
However, Moluo Zhanlong would never let him succeed so easily!
"Stop right there!" The instant Jiuyou Shenzhen rebounded upward, Moluo Zhanlong was upon him. Three raging fire sword energies, like guided missiles, pursued the figure ascending into the air!
No matter how fast a person is, they cannot outpace streaks of shooting sword energy!
Jiuyou Shenzhen, soaring mid-air, was forced to pivot and defend. His Dragon Shadow Sword whipped around violently, slashing out a giant crescent to intercept the whistling energies from behind!
Clang! Rumble, rumble! Amidst the muffled roar, the giant crescent finally collided with the three pursuing crescents.
But that brief pause was enough for Moluo Zhanxiong to recover and charge toward Jiuyou Shenzhen again! At this proximity, Jiuyou Shenzhen absolutely dared not expose his back to them!
He had no choice but to reluctantly turn and meet the attack.
What was originally a pincer attack had now transformed into a pincer formation from the left and right flanks.
Hoo! What a pity! I was so close to breaking free from their entanglement!
Strictly speaking, across those two exchanges, I held a slight advantage.
But I knew clearly that the real battle had only just begun! Evidently, these two understood my Fencing Sword techniques intimately; otherwise, that earlier strike would have surely pierced Moluo Zhanxiong’s throat!
"Accept your fate, Jiuyou Shenzhen, you cannot escape." Moluo Zhanxiong closed in rapidly. His mountain-splitting saber energy was already cleaving down upon me before he even arrived!
This strike was incredibly fast and utterly powerful; I knew for certain I could not block it head-on. I could only utilize my Fencing Step technique, executing a light sidestep!
Swish! As if anticipating this move, the saber strike, halfway through its arc, suddenly shifted into a horizontal sweep, instantly unleashing countless saber phantoms that billowed toward me!
Ah! Such a rapid change in technique!
I was utterly shocked! And I dared not relax for a second. I employed Fencing Steps combined with Fencing Movement techniques, swiftly weaving through the dense net of saber strikes! The Dragon Shadow Sword danced up and down with astonishing speed, protecting all my vital points!
Strength was not my forte. Even though I was wearing the Heavenly Demon Battle Armor now, facing Moluo Zhanxiong, an equally powerful Heavenly Demon Warrior, I was still at a disadvantage in raw power.
Therefore, I absolutely dared not meet him head-on easily! But in my understanding, there was no such thing as a purely defensive killing move in fencing; once the sword transitioned to defense, it lost its characteristic agility and ethereal quality—that would be fatal. Thus, I could only desperately boost my fighting spirit! My entire being seemed to sink into a marvelous state. I could feel a strange power surging within me, emanating from my sword-wielding right hand and the armor enveloping my body. While it wasn't enough for a head-on confrontation with Moluo Zhanxiong, it was like a continuously flowing spring, providing me with a constant supply of energy.
This peculiar sensation filled me with exhilaration and solidified my resolve to fight. Since I couldn't escape, all that remained was to fight to the death. Having made up my mind, I hesitated not at all, pushing my Thunder Dou Qi to the limit I could endure! My speed increased madly!
Giving them no chance to breathe, the Dragon Shadow Longsword danced like a spirit snake, flashing and seeming to penetrate everywhere, instantly unleashing countless sharp sword phantoms! Enveloping both of them!
Roar! They seemed not to expect such rampant aggression from me!
They both roared simultaneously! Brilliant Dou Qi shields erupted from their bodies! Jingzhongyue simultaneously coiled up two massive sword energy dragons, which rolled up and down with astonishing speed, circling their entire forms!
Crack! Bang! Ding-ding-dang! A series of dense flashes of light and sparks, accompanied by crisp sounds like popping beans.
The two of them, relying on their superior reflexes and massive body-protecting Dou Qi shields, managed to withstand my stormy, lightning-fast offensive!
And taking advantage of the brief moment when I gasped for air! Moluo Zhanxiong began swinging his long saber wildly, launching a ferocious assault. Beside him, Moluo Zhanlong was like a shadow, perhaps having learned a lesson from earlier. They abandoned the front-and-rear pincer, instead adopting a flanking position, with Moluo Zhanxiong leading the offense and Moluo Zhanlong covering the defense.
Having lost the initiative to Moluo Zhanxiong, I was forced to employ my movement and step techniques, swiftly weaving through the dense saber shadows. I would occasionally seize an opportunity to launch a sharp, lightning counter-attack.
However, every thrust I launched was intercepted by Moluo Zhanlong's crescent saber! From start to finish, he didn't attack once; it seemed he was utterly determined just to defend against my fencing thrusts. Against Moluo Zhanlong, who was purely defensive, my fencing attacks could never penetrate their saber net.
Meanwhile, Moluo Zhanxiong's long saber was a tempestuous torrent, like vast river waves, every strike equally fast and heavy! It left me breathless.
For a time, sabers met swords, but neither could prevail over the other! And I still had no chance to escape.
Yes, in this situation, turning my back to them would be tantamount to suicide.
The two grew fiercer in battle, but I yielded no ground either, because I knew clearly that any sign of timidity would inevitably undermine my momentum, and duels between Heavenly Demon Warriors allow for no hesitation or retreat. Jin Yao's words echoed clearly in my mind.
Since we clashed, let's settle it with life or death. If you won't let me leave, then I'll make you die!
In the blink of an eye, a hundred moves passed. I felt the Heavenly Demon Battle Armor seemed to ignite; that ceaselessly flowing power propelled me, making me swing my sword and evade tirelessly!
And Moluo Zhanlong and Moluo Zhanxiong showed no signs of fatigue either, their fighting spirit still high, their attacks relentless!
The battle escalated endlessly, seemingly without conclusion!
"Let's see how long you can last," Moluo Zhanxiong suddenly let out a long cry: "Azure Dragon Emerges from the Sea." Jingzhongyue’s dark saber body suddenly coiled with a strange azure light, transforming into a faintly visible azure dragon, sweeping towards my waist.
This strike appeared agonizingly slow, but in reality, it was fast as lightning. The saber's phantom seemed to linger in place, while its true body was already before me.
Even judging my speed talents highly, I could not lock onto the true body of this strike. Instinctively, I executed a sideways sidestep and bolted backward!
Clang! Roar!
The empty azure dragon hissed past. The spot where I had been standing was instantly split open by this azure light dragon, leaving a massive fissure over twenty meters long, as if the entire street had been cleaved in half!
My god! What kind of move is this? There's absolutely no way to block it!
However, Moluo Zhanxiong, having missed with the move, did not pause at all, immediately stepping forward and charging at me as I retreated backward. His long saber coiled up another azure light dragon!
If this saber struck again, I wouldn't even have time to dodge!
Damn it! Pushing me too far!
"Die!" In a flash of lightning and sparks, two dragon phantoms shot out like bullets from a chamber! They instantly reached Moluo Zhanxiong's face!
Ah! He seemed not to anticipate such a sharp counter-attack while retreating! At this moment, Moluo Zhanxiong was gripping the saber with both hands to accumulate sufficient force, and the azure light dragon was only halfway formed—he didn't have time to change the technique!
His face paled with fright!
Roar! A patch of snow-bright saber light flashed out from the void!
Clink! Clink!
The two dragon phantoms struck something like steel plates, letting out two indistinct, crisp sounds before bouncing high into the air—it was Moluo Zhanlong, standing ready, who had blocked my Dragon Shadow attacks in that brief instant!
But even so! Moluo Zhanlong looked astonished, seemingly unprepared for the incredible speed of my Dragon Shadows!
Not just them, even I was startled by the terrifying speed of the Dragon Shadows! I felt that the Dragon Shadow Sword in my hand now possessed a strange, inexplicable quality!
But one thing was certain: the Dragon Shadow Sword was stronger now than before. That was enough. Of course, these thoughts only flashed by momentarily; in the midst of fierce battle, I could not afford any distraction!
The sudden appearance of the two Dragon Shadows disrupted the attack rhythm of both Moluo Zhanxiong and Moluo Zhanlong!
And how could I miss such a rare opportunity? Coupled with the distance I had finally managed to create, it was the perfect moment for the Dragon Shadow to display its power!
My thoughts raced, and two more Dragon Shadows flew out like lightning! Aimed directly at the vital points of their throats!
They seemed not to have expected me to launch such a sharp counter-attack!
Both of them let out a muffled groan! Their long sabers swept back!
Clink, clink! Two more crisp sounds, and those two Dragon Shadows were also deflected away!
And in that gap, I had already retreated over ten meters!
The chance came so suddenly, it was almost unbelievable, but my intuition told me this was the moment to break free!
Fighting to the death was a last resort. Since an opportunity to escape had arisen, preserving my life was paramount!
If I don't go now, when will I? Without any hesitation, I stomped my feet hard, like two springs compressed to their limit!
Whoosh! With a backward thrust toward the sky, I soared diagonally backward, while my head and face remained facing Moluo Zhanxiong and Moluo Zhanlong, specifically to guard against their pursuit!
This sequence of maneuvers was executed at extreme speed!
The two seemed completely unprepared for the situation to devolve like this!
"Roar! Ah Xiong! Chasing Star and Catching Moon!" Moluo Zhanlong suddenly executed a very peculiar move. He simply leaped lightly in place, his entire body forming a strange sphere, floating above the ground, making no move to pursue me. He looked like a bouncy ball that had just sprung up!
What kind of "Chasing Star and Catching Moon" is this! I couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. It seemed I could finally escape this time.
However, I quickly lost the ability to laugh!
"Roar! Go." Moluo Zhanxiong behind him suddenly sprinted forward and then swung his massive foot!
Ah! That posture—why did it look so familiar!
Wait! Isn't that a soccer shot motion!
Could they be intending to—!
As if to confirm my suspicions!
Moluo Zhanxiong’s raised foot struck the bottom of Moluo Zhanlong's feet, which were thrust out, with astonishing speed!
Thud! A muffled, heavy explosion sounded!
With that incredibly powerful kick, Moluo Zhanxiong actually launched Moluo Zhanlong like a soccer ball! The sheer foot strength of a Heavenly Demon Warrior is immense! Coupled with the tremendous force Moluo Zhanlong generated by pushing off with both feet.
The two forces compounded!
Whoosh! Like a cannonball fired from a muzzle, the golden figure whistled through the air, instantly arriving before me! The dark saber edge cleaved directly toward my chest!
Ah! So fast! Retreating, I could only instinctively perform a backward Iron Bridge, flattening myself against the ground!
Swish! A blur of afterimages appeared! Moluo Zhanlong’s cannonball-like body instantly shot past my front! Blocking my escape route!
And Moluo Zhanxiong, who had kicked Moluo Zhanlong flying, slowly but surely advanced toward me!
"You cannot escape," Moluo Zhanxiong’s grim face revealed a cruel smile: "We specifically practiced this move to prevent you from escaping."
"Accept your fate, Jiuyou Shenzhen," Moluo Zhanlong, behind me, also closed in at an unhurried pace.
"This! This is the so-called Chasing Star and Catching Moon." I was somewhat dumbfounded, but I had to admit, this move was ruthless. The speed that erupted in that short span was definitely something I couldn't escape. Even after I had pulled back over ten or even twenty meters, they could still catch up in an instant!
"Haha, that’s right. We developed this specifically to counter your speed," Moluo Zhanlong seemed a bit smug.
"Heh, you certainly flatter me," I could only offer a wry smile. Now, here I was—unable to fight my way out and unable to flee. Although I hadn't activated the effects of the Gale Necklace and Gale Ring earlier, I knew that even if I had used their acceleration effects, I couldn't have shaken off their pursuit. The speed that erupted in that instant was simply too astonishing.
Since escaping was impossible, I might as well give up that thought! I settled my mind again, gripping the Dragon Shadow Sword tightly, and assumed a fighting stance!
Alright! Let the third round of contention begin!
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