No one had anticipated that the two would clash so fiercely right from the start! Nilo and the others, sent flying by the impact, slammed awkwardly into the ground.
Yet, Star and Silver Fox on the other side remained completely unaffected!
Through the hazy dust and smoke.
A faint afterimage flashed out like lightning! Aimed directly at Silver Fox’s face!
Ah! So fast! Even quicker than Iron Hawk’s Flowing Cloud Movement technique!
But what truly shocked Silver Fox wasn't this astonishing speed, but the terrifying power behind it! In just a brief instant!
The opponent’s Battle Qi intensity had soared again! Reaching an incredible six hundred thousand points!
No one knew how he managed it!
Worse still, Silver Fox hadn't even had time to elevate his Battle Qi intensity! This strike was absolutely impossible to block!
Therefore, Silver Fox could only retreat, regardless of the cost, bolting backward! While retreating rapidly, Silver Fox frantically activated the second level of his Burning System!
Star’s strategy was simple: rely on the speed of his Battle Qi eruption, coupled with his innate speed talent, to boost his Battle Qi intensity faster than Silver Fox, thereby dominating his opponent in both power and velocity!
This tactic was strikingly similar to Silver Fox’s signature, unbeatable technique, Rapid Burn, which he had used so often in the past. But unexpectedly, today he encountered an opponent who was faster and more monstrous than himself, employing the same method against him!
Silver Fox finally deeply understood the frustrating, maddening predicament faced by all those who had battled him before!
Could this be karma? Silver Fox inwardly cursed, but simultaneously utilized his movement technique, drifting away!
The blurry figure retreated swiftly, like willow catkins drifting in the wind! This was Silver Fox’s signature skill: Silver Fox Movement!
The reason Silver Fox ranked second among the Phoenix Sky Knights wasn't just his astonishing power, but also his unpredictable and elusive footwork—also known as the Silver Fox Movement. While the Silver Fox Movement couldn't match the sheer speed of the Flowing Cloud Movement, it surpassed it in subtlety and flexible variation!
Unleashed in this moment of crisis, it truly resembled a ghostly phantom, impossible to grasp!
Whoosh!
Star’s strike, heavy with force and swift as lightning, missed its mark!
However, the massive surge in Battle Qi intensity brought with it an increase in both movement technique and speed. Furthermore, Star was already renowned for his speed! Coupled with Moon Shadow’s Moon Illusions, Star’s speed and reaction time were elevated to an unbelievable level.
The instant the strike missed, he did not hesitate in the slightest!
The crimson longsword shifted from a thrust to a slash! Deflecting while attacking simultaneously!
Swish, swish, swish!
Three more lightning-fast slashes erupted! Like petrels flying through a raging storm! Tenaciously latching onto Silver Fox’s elusive form!
Unshakeable! He couldn't even shake off the pursuit of the Silver Fox Movement!
Silver Fox was utterly aghast! This Star’s speed was too incredible! Apart from Iron Hawk, Silver Fox had never seen anyone possess such an unbelievable swiftness. Even more terrifying was the bizarre swordsmanship; the trajectory of every single strike was unpredictable and untraceable, yet each one precisely targeted a flaw in his defense, making it impossible to guard against!
Fortunately, Silver Fox had finally weathered the most vulnerable moment!
The second level of the Burning System activated! Battle Qi intensity shot up to 600,000 points!
This was like a timely rain of salvation! The increase in Battle Qi intensity brought an immediate surge in speed and power!
Silver Fox, who had been forced into perilous straits, finally possessed the strength for a direct confrontation! His black Sky-Cleaving Greatsword whirled like the wind!
In an instant, countless powerful crescent-shaped sword energies erupted! Shooting out like innumerable cannonballs!
This was the most Battle Qi-consuming fighting style, but it was the only viable one against Star’s swift movement technique and speed. Any finesse was redundant; the only counter was a comprehensively defensive crescent sword energy barrage!
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh! Countless crescent sword energies instantly slammed into Star’s ghostly movement!
At this moment, the two were evenly matched in strength; if one were actually struck, Star would gain no advantage whatsoever!
But just then! Star roared!
His rapidly approaching figure suddenly exploded backward like a cannonball! Boom, boom, boom! The myriad of crescent sword energies filling the air instantly missed their target!
Star’s close-range furious assault had finally been repelled by Silver Fox in the most forceful manner possible!
However, Star gave Silver Fox absolutely no chance to catch his breath!
Almost simultaneous with his retreat!
The crimson longsword violently swept out, unleashing a cluster of strange, dazzling light! Highly similar to the astonishing first move!
Beneath the dim tunnel, that strange and brilliant phantom of light appeared once more! It seemed as if all the stars of the heavens had miraculously materialized within this sunless underground passage! It was breathtakingly beautiful! And within that strangely magnificent night sky flickered several streaks of seven-colored light, flitting about like spirits! At this moment!
The improved Second Form of the Nine Heavens Star River—Chaotic Rock Nebula—was finally unleashed by Star! Simultaneously released were the nine dragon phantoms attached to the Dragon Shadow Sword!
This dreamlike, illusory Star River world—even Star himself was seeing it for the first time—was simultaneously awed and entranced by the nebulous vortex he had unleashed! Not only him, but the onlookers watching from afar were completely dumbfounded!
Such a miraculous, beautiful, and dazzling sword technique was unheard of!
However, in Silver Fox’s eyes, it was a beautiful yet unreal, cruelly maddening purgatory of life and death.
It was hard to imagine that such a contradictory sword technique could exist in this world!
But, Silver Fox had no capacity to process his internal shock at the moment! His only recourse was to block with all his might!
Sword energy attacks could naturally only be parried by defensive sword energy, and the serpentine trajectory of the Nebula Sword Energy was absolutely not something ordinary defensive sword techniques could withstand!
Thus, Silver Fox poured all his internal Battle Qi, gathering it and channeling it into the blade! Sweeping out an incomparably dense crescent sword energy!
Silver Fox’s Crescent Moon! This move was a trump card that Silver Fox rarely used lightly!
In reality, this move held nothing special; its sole requirement was an incredibly concentrated control over immense Battle Qi!
Silver Fox, who always valued technique and skill, disdained brute-force power struggles. But facing the swirling, unpredictable Nebula Sword Energy, Silver Fox was forced to adopt a stance he previously considered utterly devoid of skill: absolute defense!
What might be the astonishing power of this colossal crescent, spurred by a Battle Qi capability reaching 600,000 points!
The swirling Nebula Sword Energy finally collided with the immense crescent!
This was undoubtedly a clash of the strongest sword energies!
Clang! Roar! Amidst a muffled explosion of light, countless dazzling remnants of sword energy were flung everywhere by the astonishing shockwave of the Battle Qi explosion!
And the surrounding cave walls were pockmarked by the ricocheting remnants of sword energy, causing the entire tunnel to shake violently, nearly collapsing!
The spectators watching from the side were terrified and speechless!
“My God, when did this guy get so strong?” Nilo murmured, “In less than four seconds from the start, both of their Battle Qi intensities surpassed six hundred thousand.”
“It seems even Silver Fox is being suppressed by him,” Lan Qi said gravely. “This swordsmanship is truly miraculous; it works for aerial combat and ground combat alike.”
She didn't know that the ground-combat version of the Star River Sword Technique was one Star had just refined!
Beside them, Long Biao was completely stunned!
“What kind of monster is this? Is he really just a low-ranking Phoenix Sky Warrior?”
Lan Qi and Nilo’s strength was already unbelievable, but this warrior named Star was even more incredible, capable of fighting evenly, or even holding a slight edge, against the second-ranked powerhouse!
On the other hand, Nilo’s expression was grave! It wasn't concern for Star’s safety, but rather suspicion regarding Star’s origin was starting to rise!
During the earlier exchange, Nilo had overheard Silver Fox seeming to know Star’s background, specifically that Star hailed from a place called the Mafa Continent.
But no one knew where this Mafa Continent was; at least, neither Nilo’s faction nor the Shadow Moon database contained any information.
This made Nilo intensely curious about this place called Mafa!
What kind of place was it? How many other experts like Star might there be! If they could forge an alliance with the people of that continent, it would undoubtedly greatly enhance Nilo’s faction’s strength. Then, even if Grand Marshal Shadow Moon couldn't resolve the internal strife of the Shadow Moon Faction, they could use that power to defeat the Soaring Sky Faction.
While Nilo was meticulously planning, Star and Silver Fox were locked in a fierce, evenly matched battle!
Silver Fox’s Crescent Moon had successfully intercepted Star’s Nebula Vortex!
But just as Silver Fox’s concentration faltered momentarily! Several strange streaks of light suddenly flashed! Darting forward like flying fish breaking through waves! They shot straight towards Silver Fox!
The astonishing aura and pressing killing intent chilled Silver Fox to the bone!
“Ah, those are those strange sword energies!” Silver Fox had learned from previous videos that besides his bizarre sword technique set, Star could also unleash another type of strange sword energy. This energy could change direction freely even without the wielder’s control, making it truly impossible to defend against!
In the (Wolong) World, Battle Qi projection and remote control weren't rare maneuvers, but no one could manage the kind of directional variation and intricate control that Star demonstrated! Moreover, Silver Fox knew clearly that the condensed intensity of this sword energy was terrifyingly high, even reaching the formidable level of materialization! Not only was its destructive power immense, but it was also resistant to collisions! It was exactly like physical flying swords!
So, seeing these streaks of light charging towards him, even the battle-hardened Silver Fox’s expression drastically changed.
His opponent’s speed, technique, and even power were not inferior to his own, and these streaks of sword energy, imbued with formidable power, were tightly locking onto the vital points around his body. He didn't even have time to evade!
“Martial Force Shield!” At the crucial moment of evasion being impossible, Silver Fox finally deployed his ultimate defensive trump card: the Martial Force Shield!
In the Wolong World, every profession possessed unique defensive skills! Among them:
Gold Tier One Daoists possessed the Dao Force Shield! Like the Aries female Daoist before him, who was a master of it!
Mages had the Super Magic Shield (also called the Level Four Magic Shield!) Of course, cultivating a Level Four or higher Magic Shield required immense cultivation; such masters were exceedingly rare in the Wolong World!
As for Warriors, the strongest defensive trump card was the Martial Force Shield!
The principle of the Martial Force Shield was extremely similar to the Magic Shield, capable of forming a shell of solid Battle Qi with astonishing intensity!
And among all warriors, only Silver Fox and Gold Dragon, these two terrifyingly powerful Phoenix Sky Knights, had achieved this level of cultivation.
Even so, in past battles, few opponents had forced Silver Fox to employ this most Battle Qi-draining defensive technique!
But against Star, he was compelled to use it.
His internal Battle Qi surged violently, and his armor visibly darkened to a mottled brown due to the rapid expenditure of energy. In a single instant, an astonishing amount of Battle Qi energy was instantly unleashed, erecting a profoundly dense Battle Qi shield!
It appeared out of thin air like a gigantic, dazzling golden eggshell!
Boom, boom, boom! Amidst the muffled roars!
The nine dragon phantoms struck the golden eggshell almost simultaneously!
They were then repelled violently!
The Martial Force Shield under the Level Two Flame Burning state possessed a defensive strength of 600,000 points. Let alone the impact of the dragon phantoms, it could easily withstand the earlier Star River Sword Energy!
But the astonishing momentum of the dragon phantoms still forced Silver Fox backward several steps uncontrollably, making him look quite disheveled!
However, Star gave Silver Fox absolutely no room to breathe!
Almost the instant the dragon phantoms were flung back, he roared and charged forward like a cannonball! Following immediately was a sword strike of astonishing momentum, splitting straight down!
Once Star’s offensive launched, it was like an endless, surging river, relentless and impossible to guard against or keep up with. The preceding Star River Sword Energy and the nine dragon phantoms had already depleted nearly all of Silver Fox’s accumulated Battle Qi!
And at this moment, Silver Fox hadn't even managed to gather enough Battle Qi energy to reinforce the Martial Force Shield’s strength!
He had to face Star’s fully charged strike!
“Ah, watch out!” Iron Hawk saw Silver Fox’s predicament with perfect clarity! He never imagined this Star fellow was so ridiculously strong!
Although the Martial Force Shield was strong, the impact from the nine dragon phantoms had already consumed a significant portion of his defensive strength; it absolutely could not withstand Star’s full-force charge!
And he couldn't draw his sword in time to help!
Not only Iron Hawk, but Nilo, Nila, and the others couldn't help but cheer loudly; in their eyes, Silver Fox was surely doomed this time!
But they were disappointed!
Under almost impossible circumstances! The golden eggshell vanished into thin air! Just like a mage’s instant movement, without any warning or visible action!
Only two people present saw clearly: Iron Hawk, known as the fastest in the Wolong World, and Star, who was locked in the fierce battle.
Silver Fox’s disappearance wasn't instantaneous; as the longsword bore down on him, he suddenly kicked off and shot into the air. This was fundamentally a very simple evasive maneuver, but because Silver Fox’s speed was too fast, too fast, it was utterly impossible to see clearly!
Even the capture function of the biological computer couldn't lock onto him, making it appear as if he vanished into thin air!
“Silver Fox Seven Flashes,” Iron Hawk exclaimed involuntarily.
That’s right; the only way to achieve such a monstrous instant evasion was the Silver Fox Seven Flashes within the Silver Fox Movement technique! In the past, the Silver Fox Movement was just a legend; no one had ever witnessed the Silver Fox Seven Flashes!
Legend held that the Silver Fox Movement was a terrifying technique capable of exploding speed to its absolute limit in an instant, and the Silver Fox Seven Flashes represented its ultimate pinnacle!
Cultivating this movement technique required not only massive Battle Qi energy but also tremendous physical fortitude and astonishing reflex nerves!
For twenty years, only Silver Fox had succeeded in cultivating it! And only the warrior who had mastered the Silver Fox Movement could fully unleash the power of the Silver Lightning Thunder Armor. Generations have called the Silver Lightning Thunder Armor the Silver Fox Armor, and anyone who wears this armor is called Silver Fox—a confirmation of identity and a recognition of power!
Since becoming Silver Fox, this was the second time he was forced to use the Silver Fox Movement!
Twenty years ago, during the Phoenix Sky Knight Selection Tournament, one person had forced the cornered Silver Fox to use this almost divine movement technique! That person was Gold Dragon, who consistently ranked first among the Seven Great Phoenix Sky Warriors!
That occasion was Silver Fox’s only devastating defeat in his life! But it was also when the warriors of the Wolong World witnessed Silver Fox’s terrifying skill!
But today, a second appeared! The mysterious challenger Star from the Mafa Continent! This showed how perilous Silver Fox’s situation was!
Whoosh! Star’s strike, heavy with force and swift as lightning, missed its mark again!
Even having seen it, Silver Fox’s speed was too fast; Star’s conscious reaction couldn't keep up!
So, this strike inevitably missed!
Not only that, but because Star’s speed was too high during this impact, he couldn't stop his momentum and actually crashed rapidly toward the wall ahead!
Ah! This sudden turn of events was almost unbelievable to Nilo and the others!
With Star’s current impact force, hitting the wall would certainly result in a gruesome sight! His thrusting posture remained unchanged, but with a bizarre twitch of his wrist!
The crimson longsword let out a strange whistle, and then, Boom!, it struck the thick wall! But what was incredible was that this powerful thrusting strike failed to pierce the wall; instead, it bizarrely curved into a C-shape! As if the wall were an impenetrable fortress of copper and iron, and Star’s entire body seemed to be blocked by this curved longsword!
Of course, both Nilo and Nila knew perfectly well that the wall's defensive strength was completely incapable of resisting Star’s attack intensity of 600,000 points!
Instead, at the moment of impact, Star utilized exquisite control over his force and Battle Qi to reduce his own momentum, instantly transforming this blow from the ultimate rigid and strong to the ultimate yielding and soft!
Then, Star fiercely flicked his hand, and the curved longsword straightened instantly! Star’s rapidly advancing figure instantly blasted backward in a swift retreat!
On the other side, utilizing the terrifying instantaneous burst of the Silver Fox Seven Flashes, Silver Fox skillfully leaped up, dodging Star’s fatal strike.
However, he too could not stop his momentum due to excessive speed and consequently slammed hard toward the ceiling of the tunnel!
A cunning Silver Fox, seeing he was about to collide head-on with the ceiling, quickly slapped out a palm strike!
Thud! The ceiling was struck by Silver Fox’s palm, leaving a shocking, massive dent! And the figure that had shot upward instantly recoiled back to the ground!
It could be said that the confined spatial terrain nearly caused both of the incredibly fast combatants to suffer a major setback!
But both successfully neutralized their own crises!
However, before Silver Fox could catch his breath!
A flash of red light appeared before him again!
It was Star, rebounding from the impact, charging forward like a cannonball! The sheer momentum was utterly unbelievable! Battle Qi enveloped his entire body like an exploding fiery red sun!
The previously colorful tunnel was instantly shrouded in a strange, hazy red light! Like fiery clouds in the sunset glow of the late evening!
Accompanying it was a dull, suffocating killing intent! And sword energy fluctuations as hot as fire!
Ah! Battle Qi intensity instantly surged to 800,000 points!
The biological computers in everyone's minds instantly flashed a set of terrifying data!
Silver Fox, who had escaped disaster with the Silver Fox Seven Flashes, saw his expression change drastically!
This fellow had actually managed to erupt his Battle Qi even further, reaching an astonishing 800,000 points, in the instant his attack missed and he rebounded! The overwhelming, fiery red clouds seemed to be condensed and compressed by an invisible force, spinning rapidly at terrifying speed, before compressing into a single massive red fireball, hurtling towards him!
At this critical juncture, Silver Fox was forced to face an even more cruel test of life and death!
The third move of the Ground Combat Star River Sword Technique—Blood Sun Red Heaven!