When vital energies of differing natures mixed, the consequences were always unpredictable. Historically, countless warriors had attempted to cultivate and employ two distinct forms of Dou Qi simultaneously, yet many were left utterly destroyed by the ensuing explosions. Over time, the integrated use of Dou Qi became one of the most deeply feared taboos among the continent’s martial artists, codified as common sense not to be transgressed.
This conventional wisdom was only shattered upon the advent of the Nine Luminaries Divine Truth. His genius lay in successfully inducing the two differing energies to manifest externally, displacing the explosive force away from his own body and onto his personal blade, the Dragon Shadow Sword.
Unexpectedly, this action triggered a mutation within the Dragon Shadow itself! A brand-new ultimate technique was born! Later generations would name this profound skill the Nine-Color Dragon Shadow!
The Nine-Color Dragon Shadow fused the Dragon Shadow Lightning Dou Qi with the Raging Lion Dou Qi, an unprecedented melding of techniques that showcased astonishing destructive power.
The appearance of the Nine-Color Dragon Shadow marked the entry of continental martial arts into a new realm: the integration of Dou Qi was not impossible after all.
What none could have foreseen, however, was that the creation of the Nine-Color Dragon Seal was a desperate, last-ditch gamble by the Nine Luminaries Divine Truth when driven into a corner. This fact never ceased to leave later historians simultaneously marveling at his peerless martial talent and dumbfounded by his seemingly inexhaustible good fortune. Astonishing martial talent, coupled with endless luck, forged the undefeated myth of the Nine Luminaries Divine Truth as the supreme general. — The Book of Sand—Nine-Color Dragon Shadow
Settling my mind once more, I carefully appraised the two figures before me. Undeniably, both were masters; no warrior could ascend to the rank of Sky Demon Warrior and remain weak.
Perhaps in a one-on-one duel, I would fear neither of them. But these two moved with impeccable coordination, their offensive-defensive strategy locking me down completely. Worse still, they clearly understood my Swordplay technique, rendering my fencing utterly ineffective.
Of course, defeating me would prove no simple task for them either. While the attacks from Morlo Battle-Hero carried immense force, my footwork and speed were sufficient to evade them with ease. Moreover, Morlo Battle-Dragon was cautious, clearly hesitant to commit fully, showing extreme apprehension toward my Swordplay.
In essence, we were at a stalemate—neither side could force a victory.
But I knew clearly that this delay could not continue. The remaining generals of the Proud Heaven Legion could arrive at any moment; even one additional foe would be beyond my ability to manage.
Their very behavior—their clear intent to pin me down and prevent my escape—confirmed my suspicion: they were waiting for reinforcements.
What to do? How to break this deadlock? My mind raced, calculating swiftly. The martial arts I possessed included Swordplay, the Hundred Battles Saber Art, Dragon Shadow Lightning Dou Qi, and Raging Lion Dou Qi. Of these, Swordplay was undoubtedly my most frequently used.
Yet, it seemed useless now. Since that was the case, I might as well mix every technique I knew into a combination they couldn't adapt to. Adding the speed amplification from the Gale Ring and Gale Necklace, I was confident I possessed the strength for one decisive gamble.
Having made my decision, I instinctively gripped the sword with both hands, simultaneously activating the Gale Ring and Gale Necklace. That long-absent feeling of nimble agility enveloped me once more. My stance shifted away from the characteristic 'I-step' footwork of Swordplay toward a wide, staggered stance better suited for chopping attacks.
Yes, I would attempt to fuse Swordplay with the Hundred Battles Saber Art, while simultaneously channeling the Lightning Dou Qi and Raging Lion Dou Qi, boosted by the speed of the Gale Ring and Necklace, to unleash an entirely new technique. I had no idea what the result would be. On this continent, no one dared risk activating two Dou Qi energies of differing natures at once, for the consequences were unknowable. It was like mixing two incompatible chemical compounds; no one dared test the resulting reaction lightly.
However, as someone from the modern age, possessing a fundamentally different mindset from the people of this world, coupled with my mastery over Dou Qi control, I was confident enough to manage the flow of energy within my body.
In my estimation, the most probable outcome was explosion. When disparate Dou Qi energies mingled, the likeliest result was detonation. The crucial difference was that I was certain I could choose the precise point where this explosion would be localized.
And now, I chose the Dragon Shadow Sword.
I trusted the composition of the Dragon Shadow Sword could withstand the energy of any Dou Qi detonation. With my current cultivation, it was impossible for me to destroy the Dragon Shadow Sword with Dou Qi alone. I was even certain that no one in this world possessed the ability to forcibly shatter the Dragon Shadow Sword using Dou Qi.
If it could not be blown apart, the resultant counter-force would concentrate within the blade. In that state, the Dragon Shadow Sword would become like the Blazing Great Sword that Ji Du had wielded on the Yuncheng battlefield—maintained in a state of highly condensed energy!
As for myself, I should be safe! Since the explosion would occur externally, it could not harm me!
Seemingly unable to discern the intent behind this bizarre maneuver, Morlo Battle-Hero and Morlo Battle-Dragon grew grim, yet they clearly sensed that the situation was turning precarious.
Though the Dragon Shadow Sword's form differed from the Hundred Battles Saber, it was equally well-suited for heavy chopping strikes. As Lu Tong had noted, the Dragon Shadow Sword could perfectly execute the fundamental characteristics of both the Hundred Battles Saber Art and Swordplay.
Having resolved to fight to the death, I would yield no further ground. The Lightning Dou Qi was once again pushed to its absolute limit, simultaneously with the Raging Lion Dou Qi.
Instinctively, I drew in the power of the Raging Lion Dou Qi and channeled it into my left arm, while the Lightning Dou Qi concentrated in my right.
Now gripping the sword with both hands, the two strange currents of energy in my arms converged precisely at the hilt.
Injecting two energies of different natures, mixed with the Dragon Shadow Dou Qi originally infused into the Dragon Shadow, the Dragon Shadow Sword indeed underwent a transformation!
The azure blade began to emit a strange, nine-colored radiance. The nine Dragon Shadows upon the sword were no longer uniformly gold; instead, they became nine small dragons, each a different color.
Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple, black, white—the nine small dragons seemed to come alive, as if ready to burst forth from the blade at any moment. This bizarre spectacle stunned not only me but also Morlo Battle-Hero and Morlo Battle-Dragon.
Unable to fathom my game, let alone theirs, even I was unsure what this state entailed. But one thing was certain: the mutation of the Dragon Shadow had rendered it profoundly different from its past self. The swirling, nine-colored light indicated a powerful energy fluctuation that made me acutely aware that the Dragon Shadow Sword in my hand possessed immense power, though I could not gauge its exact measure.
But there was no time to hesitate now. Let me see the true might of the mutated Dragon Shadow!
“Roar! Go!” With an upward-level vertical chop, a move from the Hundred Battles Saber Art, I cleaved down toward Morlo Battle-Hero. Almost simultaneously as the Dragon Shadow Sword descended, four beams of strange light—red, blue, cyan, and white—shot from the blade.
I could not comprehend the speed; even in the state of the Eye of Death Urge, I couldn't track their true forms.
But I was certain they were the Dragon Shadows!
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!
The four-colored beams ripped through the air, striking the two men separately. The red and blue shadows lunged toward Morlo Battle-Hero’s throat and chest.
The white and cyan shadows flew toward Morlo Battle-Dragon’s chest and vital throat area.
This sudden, massive shift caught both Morlo Battle-Hero and Morlo Battle-Dragon completely by surprise.
They simultaneously chose defense, retreating explosively! Both of their Moon-Gazing Blades swept out two massive crescent sword auras! Intercepting, defending!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Blinding flashes of light erupted simultaneously!
Amid a series of concussions, Morlo Battle-Hero and Morlo Battle-Dragon were both driven back five or six steps. My chopping sword aura then struck the afterimage Morlo Battle-Hero had left behind.
With dull roars, the red, blue, cyan, and white Dragon Shadows emitted piercing shrieks, rocketing high into the sky! But the sheer kinetic force of the impact stunned me.
Good heavens, amazing! What terrifying power!
I had simultaneously repelled both Morlo Battle-Hero and Morlo Battle-Dragon, and I had done so using the Dragon Shadows!
In the past, although the Dragon Shadows were erratic and blindingly fast, their offensive power was never this fierce. They were equivalent to the striking force of a single thrust when I held the sword one-handed, meaning I usually employed them as auxiliary tools—a cold shot taken when the opportunity arose.
But now, the mutated Dragon Shadows were incredibly potent, having knocked back two Sky Demon Warriors who were fully defending themselves.
My rusty spear had become a cannon!
For a moment, I was dumbfounded! This was too exaggerated!
Morlo Battle-Hero and Morlo Battle-Dragon, having been repelled, their faces changed drastically! Clearly, they had not anticipated my Dragon Shadows possessing such shocking power!
However! Even as they were pushed back, they simultaneously lunged forward, clearly fearing I would launch another volley of Dragon Shadows.
"Roar! Die!"
They attacked almost as two blazing great sabers, cleaving down from above.
Hmph! Instinctively, I took a shallow step back, retreating explosively!
I seemed to vanish into thin air! Both great saber strikes missed, yet they smashed two large pits into the solid bluestone paving of the street!
Now augmented by the speed boost from the Gale Ring and Gale Necklace, my quickness was significantly faster than before! Given the speed of their saber strikes, there was no way they could hit me!
As I sidestepped the attacks, I repeated the maneuver, still gripping the sword with both hands, launching two more Dragon Shadows!
This time, the shadows that flew out were purple and black! And their targets were both men's chests!
"Roar!" As if anticipating this move, they aborted their strikes and simultaneously drew their blades back to guard their vital chests!
Boom! Rumble!
Almost identically to the previous exchange! The two men were again forced backward three steps by the astonishing impact of the Dragon Shadows.
Heh! Interesting. It seems my mutated Dragon Shadows are quite capable! Those first two collisions clearly taught them a harsh lesson!
Since that was the case, I might as well hit them with the full force of the Dragon Shadows!
My spirit soaring, I hesitated no longer. Two-handed on the sword, I danced it high in the air. Guided by the Dragon Shadow Heart Sutra, the four Dragon Shadows currently aloft traced bizarre arcs as they dove down, plunging toward the two foes once more.
“Ah!” “Damn it!”
Seemingly aware of the Dragon Shadows' lethality, they both sprang upward explosively! Dodging away!
Swoosh, swoosh! The four Dragon Shadows missed instantly, but under my control, the other two shadows—as if possessed of eyes—carved two brilliant arcs in mid-air, intercepting the two men like guided missiles as they attempted to flee.
The speed of the Dragon Shadows was astonishing. The two men could not halt their forward momentum and had no choice but to sweep their blades at the surging Dragon Shadows!
Bang! Bang!
They both struck squarely, hitting two Dragon Shadows!
Yet, the sheer impact once again slammed them backward three steps.
“Good chance! Take another move from me!”
I still held the sword two-handed, executed a reverse sweep, pulling the remaining four Dragon Shadows toward the men’s rear!
"Roar!" "Hah!"
The two men were so shaken they couldn't stabilize their footing. Agitated and enraged by my almost rogue-like fighting style, they were rendered helpless. They could only leap into the air.
Swoosh! Swoosh, swoosh! The four Dragon Shadows instantly missed their mark, but under my direction, they all curved in four arcs, like cranes soaring toward the heavens, rising sharply to pursue the two men from behind.
"Roar!" "Damn it!"
Unable to evade, the two men simultaneously unleashed two crescent arcs, sweeping at the four violently approaching Dragon Shadows!
Bang! Boom! The four Dragon Shadows were struck head-on again, shattering and scattering.
But the remaining two Dragon Shadows, under my control, descended from above like falling meteors, crashing toward their foreheads.
This rapid succession of maneuvers was incredibly fast! The six Dragon Shadows, pulled by my will, clung to the two men like six high-speed tracking missiles.
The two men, suspended in mid-air, had nowhere to brace themselves. Their long sabers, previously used to sweep out crescent arcs to defend against the first four shadows, could not return in time for defense!
They could only hastily turn their heads aside! while simultaneously exploding their protective Dou Qi shields!
The two Dragon Shadows finally struck the men’s shoulders with flamboyant impact!
Bang! Bang!
Two brilliant flashes of light detonated in mid-air!
Like fighter jets struck by missiles!
Thwack! Thwack! Taking the full force of the Dragon Shadow impact head-on, the two men could hold out no longer, simultaneously spitting out two mouthfuls of blood! Helpless, they crashed to the ground!
But I would not let them off so easily!
My sword danced continuously. The four Dragon Shadows that had been repelled instantly adjusted their angles, converging on the two men simultaneously from four different directions!
"Roar!" "Damn it!"
Facing my ethereal, omnipresent six Dragon Shadows, the two men suffered repeated setbacks helplessly. They could only desperately sweep out four crescent arcs, blocking the four surging Dragon Shadows!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Another series of dull explosions. Their crescent arcs finally managed to intercept the charge of the Dragon Shadows, but the other two shadows, under my direction, adjusted their trajectory again, hurtling toward the space behind them!
"Damn it!" "Black Flame!" "Red Flame!"
In the air, with nowhere to flee, Morlo Battle-Hero roared!
Yip! Yip!
Suddenly, a high-pitched, piercing cry echoed through the heavens.
From the corner, two immense, blurry figures suddenly darted out! Like Boeing 747s accelerating down a runway toward the sky, they launched into the air with astonishing speed, swooping toward the two men falling from above!
Ah! The Furnace Steeds! Trying to escape?!
I reacted instantly. The remaining four Dragon Shadows flashed like lightning, blocking the path of the two Furnace Steeds!
"Roar!" As the two men landed on the backs of their steeds, they immediately swept out their crescent arcs!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The four Dragon Shadows were swept aside simultaneously, but the Furnace Steeds showed no pause. They landed and bolted immediately, vanishing down the street in a blink.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!
Losing their targets, the six Dragon Shadows, like swallows returning to their nests, flew back into the Dragon Shadow Sword. The sword instantly returned to its original solid azure color, as if nothing that had just occurred had ever happened.
They! They! They were actually driven away by me! And so easily!
I looked down at the Dragon Shadow Sword in my hand, unable to fully believe it.