Chapter 9: A Straight Sword That Can Be Canceled
“Clang—”
The sound of metal violently colliding burst forth alongside a shockwave that kicked up dust.
In a place where countless battles had surely been fought, Yonglan’s clash with the Ghoul Knight intensified.
“Clang, clang, clang—”
Each crisp and frequent clash of steel emitted visible ripples, and crimson sparks flew—not only from the Straight Sword blessed by flame but also from Yonglan’s Ember Forge.
The powerful and tempestuous exchanges made Yonglan’s arms go numb with every blow. This feeling of being on the razor’s edge, of facing death, thrilled him beyond measure.
“Ch-h-h—”
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And in the brief openings between their clashes, Enesyin was also striving to find opportunities to strike.
Even if she couldn’t confront the Ghoul Knight head-on, she could at least draw his attention. If the Ghoul Knight dared to ignore the Dragon Maiden, a backstab would await him.
Compared to Yonglan, who was locked in a fierce struggle with the Ghoul Knight, Enesyin’s hit-and-run tactics yielded higher damage output.
After enduring countless attacks, the Ghoul Knight could no longer bear the indignity. He took a step back, gripped his straight sword with both hands, and began to spin at an astonishing speed.
Spin! Spin! Spin again!
As the Ghoul Knight unleashed continuous spinning slashes, sparks flew from his straight sword. Enesyin was blown away by a wave of flame, temporarily removed from the fight.
Free from the Dragonborn maiden’s interference, the Ghoul Knight lunged directly at Yonglan, intending to finish him off with a more ferocious assault during this brief window.
This was a tactic that had never failed before; most previous challengers had met their end here.
But the Ghoul Knight’s plan fell through. All of his slashes were skillfully parried and deflected by Yonglan.
Yonglan taunted him with abandon, “Not enough… not enough, not enough, not enough! Is that all you’ve got? Try harder!”
He had every right to say so. To deal with this fierce onslaught with ease, he had repeatedly practiced and memorized every move until it became perfect muscle memory.
The Ghoul Knight’s swordsmanship, his combat skills, and even his instinctive reactions were all firmly imprinted in Yonglan’s mind, and he had devised appropriate counters for each.
Whether it was deflecting force, evading, deflecting blades, or blocking…
With a disparity in Stats, he was completely overwhelming the enemy through sheer skill, pushed to the absolute limit!
And amidst the constant parries, the improvement Yonglan had been waiting for finally manifested:
[You have comprehended more profound combat techniques through battling a formidable enemy, demonstrating progress on the Path of Dominance.]
[Dominance: 4 → 5]
“Finally…”
With a surge of warmth filling his body, Yonglan took a deep breath.
As if new fuel had been added to a furnace, Ember sparks erupted from the gaps in his armor.
Accompanied by an intensely satisfying feeling of fullness, Yonglan felt a burgeoning power erupt from him like a volcano. It propelled him forward, and in a single step, he was before the towering Ghoul Knight.
“Thump—”
A punch landed squarely on the Ghoul Knight’s face. Under the impact, which seemed to make the very air tremble, the towering knight staggered precariously. Yet, despite suffering such a grievous blow, he reacted instantly.
He swiftly retreated, knees slightly bent. The towering knight held his straight sword horizontally in front of his chest, freezing like a statue.
“Is this the final blow for victory? Alright, I accept!”
Yonglan’s expression grew serious at the sight. While he could previously trade blows back and forth with the Ghoul Knight based on experience, he had no answer for this move.
A swift and deadly strike, like a flash of lightning, would decapitate him! Cleave him in two! Pierce him through!
But things were different now.
“Boom—”
The Ghoul Knight’s stationary stance felt like a long time, but in reality, it was but an instant. The knight vanished from his position.
With an explosion, countless overlapping sonic booms erupted where the knight had been. The fragile ground beneath his stomping foot disintegrated into fragments, which were then blown away by the immense shockwave. A roaring Gale, accompanied by a blade, surged forward!
“I admit this move of yours is indeed powerful, but now… my Stats are superior to yours!”
The move that had previously sent him flying in an instant was now largely discernible in its trajectory to Yonglan. At the very moment he was about to be decapitated by the blade, Yonglan seized the opportunity and swung his sword with all his might.
Parry!
“Ding—”
A parry, which could only be achieved with incredibly precise timing, took effect. The Ghoul Knight’s charging killing blow was squarely blocked. The blade in Yonglan’s hand snapped the instant it contacted the flaming straight sword.
“Puff—”
As the towering Ghoul Knight stumbled to the ground and entered a stunned state, Yonglan yelled out to the Dragon Maiden:
“Enesyin!”
No further information was conveyed, only a look was exchanged, and the Platinum-haired Dragon Maiden understood perfectly. She hurled her silver sword.
Yonglan caught the silver sword precisely, spun it, and plunged it into the Ghoul Knight’s chest.
The fire of Embers erupted from the blade, suppressing the Ghoul’s struggles. The Embers slowly but resolutely consumed the Ghoul’s body.
Once he confirmed the enemy could no longer move, Yonglan withdrew his straight sword from the Ghoul, letting the remaining parts of its body burn to ash on their own.
“Forty-two attempts… Not bad.”
Yonglan let out a long sigh and then picked up the straight sword dropped by the Ghoul Knight.
[Cinder Knight’s Straight Sword]
[A weapon inscribed with ancient runes, its blade can ignite the fire of extinction by absorbing free-flowing Spirit Matter.]
[Following an ancient covenant, Cinder Knights came to aid their friends, but under the gaze of the ‘Mad Hunt Heaven,’ the honor and friendship of mortals are rendered as vanity.]
[Possesses a hidden Steel blessing, which can only be triggered by a strong desire for victory.]
So, unlike the previous Burefawa Knight, these were knights from a different place. No wonder their strength was completely different.
As Yonglan pondered, Enesyin also struggled to her feet, staring at the scene before her in disbelief:
“We won?”
“Clearly, this is our victory.”
Enesyin pursed her lips and shook her head. “It’s all thanks to you. My contribution was minimal.”
As a proper older brother figure, Yonglan didn’t hog all the credit. He slung an arm around the Platinum-haired Dragon Maiden’s shoulders and chuckled, “Baby, you did wonderfully. Without the injuries you accumulated, I wouldn’t have been able to deliver such a fatal blow so easily.”
“Ba-baby?!”
Before Enesyin could even question the origin of this sudden nickname, Yonglan planted a kiss on her cheek.
“Mmm!!”
The Dragonborn maiden’s brain instantly shut down. Her body stiffened, and her deep violet eyes widened in disbelief.
Her lips trembled, and for a long while, she couldn’t utter a word.
After a moment of uninhibited celebration, Yonglan released Enesyin and turned his attention to his new weapon.
He ignited the blade with his Ember Forge, flames surged, then he angled his slash and slammed it into the ground.
“Bang—”
A powerful blow, almost perfectly replicating the Cinder Knight’s attack.
But Yonglan felt a sense of dissatisfaction. If that was all, it would be a disservice to his long efforts.
“The hidden Steel blessing, triggered by a strong desire for victory?”
Damn it, the desire for victory flows through my very blood!
So, Yonglan continued to try, swinging the sword repeatedly, rolling, and dashing, gradually becoming familiar with the feel of the Cinder Knight’s Straight Sword.
“Hmm?”
Finally, as if recalling a memory from a past life, Yonglan frowned and swung his sword again.
“Swish—”
The recovery animation of his sword swing was directly canceled. Yonglan’s movement reverted to its starting position as if frames had been skipped.
It can be canceled!
