Chapter 97: The Technique I Take Pride In Is Called Stats By You!
Chapter 99: The Technique I Take Pride In Is Called Stats By You!
“So, this is your backing?”
The Mirror-Corroding Duke was silent for a moment upon seeing this, then slowly nodded.
“She so generously shared her origin with you, willing to go this far rather than face me herself? This is truly… truly what contempt. My King, do you hate me that much?”
The Fiend let out a mournful roar and extended pale claws towards the sky, clenching them with force.
“In that case, you will be the one to kill me! Give it your all!”
“RUMBLE—”
A dull thunderclap echoed from the thick, dark clouds, and then… the rain began to pour.
The instant the first drops of rain hit the ground, the two figures who had been standing still in opposition vanished simultaneously. The scene flickered as if frames were dropped, and they collided within moments.
“BOOM—”
In the dim, torrential rain, the sparks struck from their clashing swords were blindingly bright.
While the *Soul Devouring Blade*, being *Steel of the Eternal World*, was theoretically far inferior to a weapon manifested by a Celestial God in terms of its divine status, it was Hram’s specialized weapon, and in Yonglan’s hands, its resistance to Divinity was frighteningly high.
And without the enhancement of Divinity, the Mirror-Corroding Duke’s dual swords might not have been much stronger; they were pretty much on par.
However, the weapon was merely an accessory; the true victor would depend on the wielder.
“CLANG, CLANG, CLANG—”
After the first clash of blades, the two resumed their fierce engagement. Slashes were exchanged between the crimson blade and the sharp dual blades at speeds invisible to the naked eye.
Yonglan and the Mirror-Corroding Duke’s afterimages flickered across the shattered ruins. Each exchange was accompanied by sparks that momentarily illuminated the gloomy sky.
Like swift lightning and thunder, the downpour was instantly vaporized, rising as a hazy mist.
“BOOM, BOOM—”
The residual shockwaves from their collisions shattered the hard rock strata. Any stray wave was enough to crack the very earth.
Through countless battles and probes, Yonglan had etched the Mirror-Corroding Duke’s fighting style into his very being. How to swing his sword, how much force to apply, how to inflict maximum damage – these skills had all been honed to perfection!
With the *Breath of Immortality* as a safety net, it seemed as long as he still had the will to fight, he could ignore any damage and ferociously engage in a wild, uninhibited exchange.
“The worst episodes from when I was little, full of action, no stats!”
“Hahaha, Mirror-Corroding Duke, it seems we’re both action monsters!”
Yonglan laughed heartily. The battle with the Mirror-Corroding Duke made his blood boil, almost making him forget his original objective.
He just wanted to fight, fight, fight until the heavens and earth were turned upside down!
Behind Yonglan, Jiali and Enesyin, after their initial surprise, also reacted immediately.
“So, this is Yonglan’s confidence? It seems we do have a chance this time.”
Jiali wiped the corner of her lips with a finger and said to the Platinum-haired Dragon Maiden, “Enesyin, I don’t plan on just watching from afar. This Fiend seems to have no time to pay attention to us.”
The Dragonborn maiden looked at Yonglan’s figure and smiled, “Indeed. Standing by idly in this battle for honor would be shameful.”
Thus, the two immediately joined the fray, standing right beside Yonglan and unleashing their full power against the Mirror-Corroding Duke.
Jiali’s judgment was correct. Even when bombarded by *Floating Cannons* and scorched by *Dragonflame*, the Mirror-Corroding Duke paid them no mind. His eyes were solely on Yonglan; he couldn’t see anyone else until he had put Yonglan to death.
The strategy Yonglan devised was now fully realized: as long as he could keep the Mirror-Corroding Duke occupied, there was a chance to wear him down and exhaust the Fiend!
“BOOM, BOOM, BOOM—”
Thunder roared.
The geographical environment that had existed here was completely reshaped. Amidst the continuous downpour, the battle raged on without a moment’s pause.
From the very beginning, it had been a white-hot fierce struggle. Across these vast ruins, Yonglan and the Mirror-Corroding Duke fought until the very end, their inner cores about to be worn away!
Yonglan couldn’t recall how many blows he had struck or how many rounds he had exchanged with the Mirror-Corroding Duke.
He wouldn’t count anyway, because immersed in this extremely intense battle, all thought had to be cast aside. There was no time for planning, no leisure for reminiscing, only the instinct to fight madly.
Slash! Block! Parry! Dodge! Thrust!
The momentum of their swords grew fiercer with each strike.
A dazzling array of movements intertwined between the two. Any single mistake would result in a horrific wound.
Perhaps a ripped abdomen, a pierced arm, shattered ribs, or a crushed shoulder.
But none of these completely halted the battle.
Whether it was the recovery power of the *Breath of Immortality* or the profound foundation of the Celestial God, any minor injury could be disregarded, healing completely within a single breath.
With every move, the Mirror-Corroding Duke summoned an ocean of invisible swords, drowning and slow-cutting Yonglan:
“What you rely on is merely the Authority discarded by my King! How do you dare possess this merciful power?! It is neither the refinement of skill nor the display of wisdom, only brute force! A mad will!”
“He’s getting anxious, he’s getting anxious!”
Yonglan chuckled, “The technique I take pride in is called ‘Stats’ by you…”
His vision was a blur of red. His entire body was wracked with a crushing pain, as if every inch of his skin, every joint, every muscle was bleeding.
To mask this maddening pain, he could only activate his instincts, breathing desperately. As soon as his bones and flesh recovered, they were immediately cut down again, repeating this cycle until he managed to endure this wave of slow-cutting, invisible sword baptism.
Then, he continued to strike with sword and spear.
They broke each other’s bones, tore at each other’s torsos, struck at their abdomens, choked each other’s throats, dislocated each other’s legs…
This fighting style had long since lost any semblance of pattern or theory, filled with the most primal brute aesthetics, showcasing the most essential power.
They fought like beasts.
Yonglan could no longer even perceive the passage of time. How long had this struggle between him and the Mirror-Corroding Duke lasted?
A few hours? A day and a night? Or several days?
In any case, the rain never stopped, and neither did the battle.
Yet, the prolonged attrition was finally yielding results. Under the multiple impacts of the *Soul Devouring Blade*, *Blood of Decay*, and *Blazing Steel Flames* – attacks that were either specialized or true damage – the Mirror-Corroding Duke finally began to show signs of weakness.
“Your Divinity seems to have diminished significantly. Can you still continue?!”
Yonglan sneered upon seeing this. Although he couldn’t see the Fiend’s face, the emotions hidden within those pair of deep blue raven eyes were quite evident. Right now, they seemed to convey, “I’m in pain, send Shariel.”
Mirror-Corroding Duke: “Mortal… only in willpower are you truly admirable. I can roughly understand why you were chosen by my King.”
“Stop spouting nonsense! How many times do I have to tell you, this is a duel between us! Don’t mention Shariel. If you don’t understand the situation, I’ll make you understand!”
Yonglan became enraged, grabbed the Fiend’s head, and slammed it violently to the ground. Each impact sent shockwaves that swept through the surroundings.
“BOOM—BOOM—BOOM—”
However, these impacts felt like a gentle breeze to the Mirror-Corroding Duke. What truly broke through his defenses were Yonglan’s next words:
“And let me tell you something else, Shariel is also spectating this battle through my eyes.”
