Perhaps provoked by Xing Chen’s earlier arrogance, Yue Che was now enveloped in an invisible aura of fury, and his fiercely maniacal gaze struck the nerves of everyone watching like a physical blow!
A head-on cavalry charge is always the most brutal and breathtaking life-or-death battle.
Under such high-speed impact, victory or defeat often comes in an instant; it tests courage and audacity above all else, followed by skill and awareness!
Even the slightest hesitation offers an opening to the opponent, especially for masters whose cultivation has reached the level of Qian Kun Da Nuo Yi Zhi!
The two mounts instantly closed the distance!
Clang! Almost simultaneously!
The two thundering mounts exploded with two magnificent shields of battle energy!
“Glacier Torrent!”
“Heavenly Dragon Fury.”
Several colossal light dragons shot out from within the energy shields at that very instant! They then slammed violently into one another!
Boom! Roar! Whoosh! Crack! What followed were earth-shattering roars and shockwaves of battle energy that swept across the entire field!
The epicenter of the light dragon collision was blasted into a terrifyingly deep crater!
“Ah! Father is using my Heavenly Dragon Fury!” Xing Ye was nearly stunned!
One must remember that Heavenly Dragon Fury was a supreme cavalry technique Xing Ye had painstakingly cultivated through countless life-and-death trials and battlefield campaigns after ascending to the status of Phoenix Sky War God!
Its sheer power had always been Xing Ye’s most cherished trump card, yet his father deployed this devastating finishing move right at the start! Not only that!
In his father’s hands, the Heavenly Dragon Fury was even more astonishing in its might—several times stronger than when Xing Ye used it himself!
“So strong, to meet it head-on and not be at a disadvantage,” Sui Yun was even more shocked: “Could this be the Prince’s true strength?” One must recall that Yue Che possessed innate divine strength!
The specialized, oversized Dragon Lance he wielded weighed over five hundred jin; most men would struggle just to carry it, let alone swing it!
Only Yue Che, with his innate divine strength, could wield it with ease, and his mount was a giant Ice Wolf King, a rare sight on the Snow Territory Continent, towering almost half a head taller than the Mammoth King!
In terms of speed, power, and agility, it was an absolute super-monster of terrifying proportions!
Furthermore, the Ice Lance Technique that Yue Che had mastered was the strongest cavalry charge technique on the Snow Territory Continent!
These three factors combined established Yue Che as the undisputed God of War on the Snow Territory Continent’s battlefields! No one had ever defeated Yue Che in mounted combat, yet Xing Chen managed to withstand his charge without yielding ground!
The two ultimate techniques clashed in the flicker of an eye, almost by chance!
This fierce exchange of mounted skills ignited the morale and fighting spirit of the onlookers!
“Go, Father!”
“Black Flag must win! The Marshal is invincible!” Silver Lake, Silver Tao, Long Xin, Long Zhan, and the other Black Flag generals cheered wildly for Xing Chen!
On the other side, You Yue and the others on Wangzuo City’s throne structure were equally stunned by the sight!
It was hard to believe that the man who had fought him to a standstill last time could now trade a single blow with Yue Che without being overwhelmed.
This level of strength made him seem like an entirely different person compared to their previous encounter! Had he deliberately concealed his power last time?
In foot combat, perhaps Sui Yun and the others could maneuver around Yue Che using speed, but once he mounted the Giant Ice Wolf King, they stood absolutely no chance of winning!
This was precisely why Yue Che held the solid fourth position among the Seven Great Spirit Bead masters!
Yet, his opponent now appeared to possess the strength to match him!
It was clear this would be a charging battle fought on equal terms!
Across the dust-swirling battlefield!
Whoosh! The two rapidly approaching mounts brushed past each other amidst deafening roars and the debris of countless exploding orbs of light!
Because of this astonishing charging speed,
neither man had a chance to launch a second attack!
However, at the instant the two lances struck!
Yue Che felt an immense force surge up through the spear shaft he gripped tightly!
This staggering power made his hand numb and both arms ache intensely, almost losing all sensation!
If not for Yue Che’s formidable willpower!
That single lance strike would have surely knocked his Dragon Lance flying!
After just one exchange, Yue Che broke out in a cold sweat!
My heavens!
This strength is just too astonishing. I am renowned for my power, and in the Snow Territory Continent, no one can meet my charge head-on in mounted combat!
Yet this opponent possesses strength equal to mine!
This completely defied Yue Che’s understanding!
It was hard to fathom that this slender knight harbored a monstrous strength disproportionate to his frame!
But Yue Che, a veteran of countless battles, knew this was no time for astonishment!
Almost instantly upon passing the opponent!
Yue Che’s Giant Ice Wolf King executed a light sideways pivot, adjusting its body mid-sprint at high speed.
It then exerted force to change its direction of impact in a manner that completely defied the laws of physics!
However, as he adjusted his alignment, he found that the opponent, man and mount combined, had already surged forward!
The adversary had adjusted the trajectory of his mount even sooner than Yue Che!
Ah! How is this possible!
The Giant Ice Wolf King is celebrated globally for its power and agility, yet the opponent’s mount managed to adjust its posture and position faster than the Ice Wolf King in the moment they brushed past each other during the charge!
This meant that the strange beast possessed speed and agility comparable to the Giant Ice Wolf King, perhaps even matching its strength! This realization sent a tremor through Yue Che’s heart!
The Giant Ice Wolf King hadn't even fully initiated its maneuver yet!
The opponent was already thirty meters away!
Clearly, this adversary, both man and mount, surpassed his wildest expectations!
Yue Che rapidly adjusted his mount’s position and body posture! Holding his lance forward, he assumed a defensive stance!
“Good lad, I clearly underestimated you,” Yue Che grunted grimly, staring hard at the rapidly charging knight, grinding his teeth!
“Realizing it now is too late.” The massive white shadow instantly lunged: “Take this—Purple Lightning Dragon.”
The blurred spear shadow exploded into three strange purple streams of light! Resembling three small purple lightning dragons!
Simultaneously attacking Yue Che’s chest, thigh, and the flank of his mount!
Ah! Such fast spear-tip speed, such utterly dominant sword energy!
“Ice Stone Body Guard.”
Though surprised, Yue Che neither dodged nor retreated! He swung his Dragon Lance in a sudden horizontal arc, drawing a huge, magnificent semicircle. The dense battle energy instantly condensed into an invisible wall of energy! It was as if an ice stone had materialized out of thin air, placed directly before the three purple electric dragons!
Clash! Rumble!
The three flying little dragons struck the surface as if hitting tempered steel!
A dull, heavy roar erupted!
And the massive ice stone shattered instantly!
“Ah, that’s my ultimate technique, Purple Lightning Dragon.” Xing Zhan jumped up excitedly, shouting loudly: “Father looks so cool, even better than when I use it.”
“Hmph, of course,” Xing Ye exclaimed excitedly: “He is our father, truly outrageously strong.”
“With the big fellow, the Dragon Shadow Sword, plus the Phoenix Sky War Armor,” Silver Tao stated seriously: “The Old Marshal is now in his absolute strongest state. Even if Yue Che is stronger, he is destined to lose.”
“…” Sui Yun remained utterly aghast, staring fixedly at the two mounts crossing paths on the field, not daring to draw a full breath!
He feared missing even one detail of their movements!
This kind of transcendent mounted combat duel was not something seen often!
For Sui Yun, who was crazed about martial arts, this was an invaluable opportunity for on-the-spot observation.
On the field!
Whoosh!
The white shadow swept past like the wind!
The second round also ended without a clear victor!
However, the drumming and shouting from the crowd grew more intense; everyone was spurred into a frenzy by this heart-stopping cavalry charge!
Madly cheering for their respective commanders!
“Strong, truly strong.” Yue Che forced himself to remain calm!
His opponent’s strength far exceeded Yue Che’s expectations. Compared to his previous near-fatal duel with You Yue, the man before him was unrecognizable.
Yet, Yue Che also noticed a detail: his opponent was wearing different armor—a suit of purplish-brown plate armor, radiating a power that was overwhelmingly immense.
It was the Phoenix Sky War Armor!
Although Yue Che knew little about the distant Mafa Continent, several confrontations over two years, combined with inherited historical texts, made him aware that armor on the Mafa Continent held a unique and potent strength, and the Phoenix Sky War Armor was the strongest of all armors!
The reason this young man had become so strong, so different from last time, was clearly due to this strange suit of battle armor.
Yue Che also spotted another noteworthy detail: his opponent’s weapon was no longer the saber he used last time, but a peculiar spear.
It was a very special Dragon Lance, with the spearhead actually being a longsword! The shaft was unusually long, making the entire assembly count as a spear only by including the extended hilt.
However, with Yue Che’s sharp vision, he could also tell this custom-made long spear could be disassembled! The original spearhead was indeed a longsword!
This meant his opponent originally excelled at swordsmanship, and he was now challenging Yue Che in his absolute strongest configuration!
Realizing this, Yue Che felt a pang of regret!
Had he known today’s opponent would be this formidable, he should have killed him last time when he was heavily injured by You Yue!
But now, regret was useless!
Yue Che reset his stance!
His spear-gripping hands hung slightly lower, while the rear of the thick Dragon Lance was tilted slightly upward—the optimal posture for generating explosive power!
The first two charges had yielded no advantage!
His opponent also halted his charge, readjusting his mount’s posture, sizing up Yue Che with an equally keen eye!
It seemed the opponent also understood that repeated frontal charges wouldn't break the stalemate, so he was shifting tactics to look for openings and weaknesses!
But Yue Che would not grant him that satisfaction!
If you won't attack, I will!
Yue Che instinctively tightened his legs!
Roar!
Sensing his master’s intent, the Giant Ice Wolf King let out a muffled growl!
It took slow, heavy strides toward the opponent.
Its sheer size caused the entire ground to vibrate with a deep hum with every step! It sounded like a huge, invisible war drum being pounded fiercely!
This was Yue Che’s cavalry technique, the Giant Wolf War Drum!
Using overwhelming might to pressure the enemy!
Forcing the opponent to expose a flaw before launching a thunderous strike!
Yet, the opponent before him, and that strange mount beneath him, remained utterly unfazed! They were rooted to the spot like an unshakeable mountain or boulder!
And that gloomy gaze scrutinized Yue Che, every movement!
Yue Che clearly felt that every inch of his skin, every fluctuation of his breath, and even the rhythm and pace of the Ice Wolf’s slow advance, were clearly being captured by his opponent!
This man and beast were as still as stagnant water, offering no exploitable opening whatsoever!
But Yue Che, having already built up his momentum, did not hesitate. Since there were no immediate openings, he would force one through a powerful attack!
Roar!
Having made up his mind, Yue Che roared!
His massive wolf suddenly accelerated!
Its gigantic form, like a mountain, charged toward the opponent!
“Ah, it’s Ice Flow Reversal,” Sui Yun exclaimed in shock from the sidelines!
The thick Dragon Lance flashed a dazzling silver light curtain, dragging a bizarre, huge arc, resembling a waterfall flowing against the current!
It was an upward diagonal sweep from the lower left! This spear thrust was not particularly fast, but its follow-up variations were devastatingly sharp. If the opponent blocked upward, it could instantly change to a slash aimed at the opponent’s throat!
If the opponent swept horizontally, Yue Che could naturally press down, aiming for the abdomen! All variations depended on how the opponent reacted!
This move was Yue Che’s specialty, Ice Flow Reversal!
Unexpectedly, the opponent did not block the spear thrust!
That magnificent beast simply performed a light downward dip and sidestep, instantly dodging the spear thrust aimed by Yue Che!
It then sprang forward in a sudden burst!
Accompanied by a blurred purple afterimage!
The purple Dragon Lance shot out like a giant dragon breaking through stone towards the sky, striking toward Yue Che’s chest!
“It’s Submerged Dragon Ascends,” Xing Zhan cried out: “Father is using my move again.”
“What a move, counter-attacking an attack!” Sui Yun watched with rapt fascination!
This move not only evaded Yue Che’s Ice Flow Reversal but also took advantage of the opening exposed when Yue Che attacked, making it the epitome of integrated offense and defense—utterly piercing!
Seemingly unprepared for such ferocity from his opponent!
And such refined technique!
Yue Che could only shout in anger and retreat rapidly! Dodging this sudden, soaring dragon strike!
Not only that, while retreating, he yanked the spear tip upward! That upward-flowing curtain of light instantly shifted its trajectory, slicing toward Xing Chen’s throat in a flash of lightning!
This entire sequence of variations was lightning fast!
Only Sui Yun, Xing Ye, and Xing Zhan could barely follow the intricate shifts in movement!
However, the three of them visibly paled at the sheer deadliness of Yue Che’s lightning-fast maneuver.
“Dodge, quickly!”
“Hmph, well met.” Xing Chen reacted with incredible speed! Facing this sudden spear thrust, he advanced rather than retreated!
While accelerating abruptly, his head flicked sideways in a quick evasion, bypassing the spear tip aimed at his throat! Moreover, the spear that had missed its mark, taking advantage of the closing distance, flashed out like lightning toward the left armpit of Yue Che’s body!
“Lightning Thrust,” Xing Zhan exclaimed again: “I never thought this move could be used like that.”
This Lightning Thrust carried little raw power!
Its strength lay entirely in speed! Now, deployed at such close range, targeting the area Yue Che found hardest to defend—it was utterly masterful!
“Hmph!”
A worthy opponent, Yue Che! Remaining perfectly calm, he let out an angry roar!
He drew his chest in and arched his back simultaneously, while the shaft of the Dragon Lance unleashed a silver, shimmering light curtain, rapidly sweeping back to slap against the incoming thrust aimed at his armpit.
This was Yue Che’s defensive masterpiece, Seven Shimmers of Ice!
While the Lightning Thrust was undeniably swift and invasive, the defense of Seven Shimmers of Ice was equally flawless!
However, the spear tip, halfway through its thrust, executed a clever downward press, a light flick! It avoided the sweeping light curtain and smoothly redirected its aim toward Yue Che’s lower abdomen!
Ah! This transition was incredibly fast, almost without pause, as if he had anticipated Yue Che’s countermove all along!
“Purple Lightning Flashback,” Xing Zhan gasped!
One must know that Purple Lightning Flashback was a close-quarters fighting technique Xing Zhan could only execute while using a sword, yet here, the Old Marshal was using the spear as a sword with such exquisite proficiency!
The speed of this spear play, the variations, and the rich combat intuition defied normal comprehension!
At this point, Yue Che’s spear posture was committed, and he couldn't react in time to change his move!
A worthy adversary, Yue Che! Facing crisis without panic, his right hand gripping the spear suddenly clenched into a fist and struck toward the thrust aimed at his abdomen!
Boom! A loud impact resounded!
This seemingly certain spear thrust was violently deflected off course by a single punch!
Moreover, his left hand, still holding the spear, followed up with a sudden lunge, striking toward Xing Chen’s vulnerable abdomen in what seemed an impossible scenario!
This variation was extremely rapid!
Yet, facing this spear thrust capable of piercing his abdomen!
Xing Chen didn't even bother dodging!
The deflected spear tip, returning with astonishing speed, swept back toward Yue Che’s throat!
It was a ferocious, suicidal tactic, seemingly willing to exchange life for life!
Damn it!
Yue Che was greatly shocked! He knew his thrust might pierce his opponent's abdomen, but in that same instant, his own head would be severed by the opponent’s spear tip!
In half a lifetime of warfare, Yue Che had never encountered such a difficult opponent! Out of options, he could only lean backward, evading that fatal spear thrust! With a muffled groan, he rapidly retreated.
And the spear aimed at Xing Chen’s abdomen returned to nothing!
“Hmph!” The opponent refused to yield, letting out a long cry as his spear technique unfolded! And that ferocious beast lunged forward with unmatched ferocity!
This was followed by a lightning-fast storm of spear shadows, like the mighty Yangtze River surging!
Every spear in this furious onslaught carried immense power, struck from cunning angles, and moved at an impossibly fast speed!
The elusive spear tip flickered left and right!
Up and down! Impossible to predict!
This was the Lightning Spear Technique, derived from the Lightning Sword Art but now adapted for mounted combat!
This series of lightning-fast attacks dazzled the onlookers!
And Yue Che was in a truly desperate state!
He hadn’t expected that one tactical retreat would allow his opponent to exploit an opening and launch an incessant offensive! Helplessly, he was forced onto the defensive! His thick Dragon Lance moved around him with astonishing speed, relying on his extraordinary vision and reflexes!
He managed, with near-supernatural skill, to block the relentless spear shadows that descended like a violent storm!
Clang, clang, clang!
Rapid impacts accompanied bursts of dazzling sparks as metal met metal!
In the blink of an eye, the two Dragon Lances had struck each other no less than a hundred times in mid-air!
Yue Che grew more alarmed with every exchange! In his long career, Yue Che had never met such a terrifying opponent! This young man seemed limitless; the longer the fight went, the fiercer his spear techniques became, and his momentum soared at an astonishing rate!
Finally, his terrifying momentum peaked!
This was followed by a thunderous roar!
A massive spherical shockwave suddenly struck out! And hidden within the distorted space of that sound sphere was the elusive spear shadow!
Ah! This move again!