Section 8: Riding the Sky Fox into a Fierce Aerial Battle!
Author: Gu Zhenren
Date: February 9, 2013
Clang!
Just as the attack was about to land, Chu Yun abruptly drew his Drunken Snow Saber. The saber light blazed like snow, and the world lit up in an instant.
The saber strike was sudden, making Fang Suikong narrow his eyes, his fierce momentum momentarily halted.
“Great Dragon Pattern!” Chu Yun let out a low roar and swung the Drunken Snow Saber with all his might, unleashing a magnificent saber light.
Roar—!
A powerful dragon’s roar erupted, transforming the snow-white saber light into a colossal dragon’s head. Its horns were menacing, its teeth sharp, and it charged upwards with a ferocious aura.
“It truly is a perfected Saber Technique! How is it even more ferocious than my second brother’s?” Fang Suikong was shocked, his expression changing.
Saber techniques were merely a branch of the many Cultivation Methods, and all Beast Tamers used them. However, the effectiveness varied from person to person.
A rudimentary Saber Technique was fluid and seamless, without flaws. A perfected Saber Technique, however, carried the strong personal style of its wielder.
Fang Tianshang also possessed a perfected Saber Technique. His saber strikes were sinister and brutal, evoking a chilling wind. Chu Yun’s Saber Techniques, on the other hand, were relentless, unrestrained, and ferociously powerful.
The snow-white dragon’s head surged forward, exuding overwhelming might. Most people would have flinched before such an onslaught. But Fang Suikong was unfazed, shouting, “Golden Flowers Dance!”
The winged spear in his hand burst forth with intense golden light. As he swung it, brilliant golden rainbows streaked across the sky. His personality was as unyielding as Chu Yun’s. He met force with force, making no attempt to defend.
The golden rainbows collided with the snow-white dragon’s head, exploding with thunderous roars. The intense light made it impossible to open one’s eyes.
Chu Yun tilted his head back, his eyes narrowed to slits. He watched as the snow-white saber light gradually weakened. A golden rainbow, as if descending from the heavens, pierced through space and arrived in an instant, aiming directly at him.
Chu Yun raised the Drunken Snow Saber to block.
With a crisp clang, the shockwave rippled for a hundred miles.
The saber blade met the spearhead, and a tremendous force surged through him. Gritting his teeth, Chu Yun sank his legs, instantly crushing the solid deck of the treasure ship. Not only that, but the entire massive treasure ship lurched downwards, its stern rising high into the air. The hull groaned ominously.
Splash!
The stern slammed back down, striking the sea and stirring up a white surge of waves.
However, Fang Suikong did not fare any better. He and his mount, a white-browed eagle, tumbled several times in the air before stabilizing high above.
This exchange was a draw, each side giving as good as they got.
“Now you’re showing some promise. I’m curious how many more moves you can withstand?” Fang Suikong raised his sword eyebrows, pointing his winged spear at Chu Yun. He looked down from his superior position, his demeanor arrogant and spirited.
Before coming, he had studied Chu Yun’s file. He knew Chu Yun possessed the Great Demon Drunken Snow Saber and the Great Demon fixed star bow. However, Fang Suikong himself had the Great Demon weapon winged spear, the Great Demon beast white-browed eagle, and the Great Demon armor golden scale armor. Possessing an extra Great Demon-level combatant was a significant advantage.
“I hear you are a prominent figure from Tiange Academy, and can even use the legendary Meteor Archery. Hahaha, let me, an elder who has graduated from the Academy, see it. Show me your skills, and I shall guide you,” he declared confidently, eyes fixed on Chu Yun, a smile of assured victory on his lips.
“Don’t let the enemy escape, everyone follow the Third General and charge!” At this moment, Fang Suikong’s fleet finally arrived. A treasure ship leading the charge exuded a formidable aura. Its figurehead was a giant eagle with spread wings, the most eye-catching.
“Eagle’s Wing!” Chu Yun’s eyes narrowed. He recognized it as the Great Demon-level treasure ship Eagle’s Wing, which would later roam the Archipelago and become famous throughout Xingzhou. It had the most excellent maneuverability and was considered top-tier throughout Xingzhou. Fang Suikong’s future title, “Sea Eagle,” owed half its credit to this very ship.
“Stick to the plan.” He gave Yan Que and the others a final instruction before tapping the Immortal Pouch at his waist. A strange light flashed, and a Sky Fox, about the size of an old ox, made a dazzling appearance.
Its fur was as white as silk, and its four large, fluffy, and long tails swayed gently in the wind. Its eyes sparkled like black gems, exuding an extraordinary and spirited aura.
“A Great Demon Beast?” Fang Suikong’s face changed slightly. Seeing the Sky Fox, he was startled and pointed at it, asking, “What kind of demonic beast is this?”
He knew about Sky Foxes, a Supreme grade demonic beast, but he hadn’t made the connection immediately.
Chu Yun did not reply. He mounted the Sky Fox and activated the “Fire-Walking Flight” Cultivation Method. The Sky Fox’s four paws suddenly burst into large balls of flame. The flames enveloped its paws like large lanterns, burning fiercely without spreading.
The Sky Fox stretched its body and leaped from the deck into the air. It ran in the sky as if on solid ground. Chu Yun, sitting on the Sky Fox, charged towards Fang Suikong.
“A newcomer indeed brings something new. But you’re still too green to challenge a senior like me!” Fang Suikong sneered, urged his white-browed eagle forward, and raised his winged spear to meet Chu Yun.
The two engaged in a fierce battle in the sky.
Saber light and spear shadows crisscrossed, and various Cultivation Methods bloomed in a dazzling display. Furthermore, their mounts were not to be outdone, assisting their masters in combat.
The Sky Fox’s four tails swayed, unleashing continuous fire, earth, gold, and water elemental attacks, its radiance flickering. The white-browed eagle also had an impressive lineage, possessing Upper grade potential. It was said to be a descendant of the Supreme grade divine beast Kunpeng and possessed gold and water elemental affinity.
The Sky Fox had diverse attributes and far greater demon essence than demonic beasts of similar level. However, the white-browed eagle had over a century more cultivation, allowing it to fight the Sky Fox without being at a disadvantage.
The more Chu Yun fought, the higher his evaluation of Fang Suikong became. He had killed the Savage Wolf and fought Yan Que and Hua Ying. The Savage Wolf had been careless and caught off guard, killed by one saber strike, a death devoid of dignity, making it unworthy of comparison.
Compared to Yan Que and Hua Ying, Fang Suikong’s combat power far surpassed them. Not only was his spear technique almost perfected, but more importantly, after leaving Tiange Academy, he had served in the army for a year, becoming infused with battle intent. Every move he made was unnerving, his golden spear dancing, and he was close to forging his own style.
“Truly a favored son of heaven, a hero among men,” Chu Yun praised inwardly, then a strong killing intent surged within him. “The opponent is at a crucial juncture of breakthrough. If he truly masters his style and perfects his spear technique, his combat power will likely double. He might then truly soar like an eagle, and I won’t be able to handle him!”
With this thought, Chu Yun’s Saber Technique erupted with renewed ferocity.
Little did he know that Fang Suikong’s shock was far greater than his own.
Initially, Fang Suikong had not held Chu Yun in high regard. He believed Chu Yun had gotten lucky by placing on the Prodigy List. The Teng List had limited spots, and to be on it required not only strength but also luck, combat achievements, and more.
Fang Suikong’s strength was comparable to Chu Yun’s. Although he had gained some fame, without significant combat achievements, he still couldn’t get on the Prodigy List.
Truthfully, he had come to kill Chu Yun, intending to step on Chu Yun’s corpse to ascend the Teng List. However, to his shock, after eighty rounds of combat, he increasingly felt the pressure from the saber in Chu Yun’s hand.
He found this hard to believe!
He was already seventeen years old, while Chu Yun was only fourteen. A full three-year difference in development time, yet they were barely fighting to a draw, and Chu Yun was even slightly at a disadvantage.
“I’ve seen many with such exceptional talent, so that’s understandable. But the key is his saber technique, so steady, powerful, and surprisingly seasoned. My second brother only perfected such a Saber Technique after three years of life-and-death battles. How did he achieve it at such a young age?”
Amidst his doubts, Fang Suikong’s innate arrogance flared up. Seizing an opening, he roared, “Scattering Pear Blossoms!”
The winged spear’s demon essence surged, its tip vibrating and transforming into hundreds of pure white pear blossoms. They fluttered down, abandoning their previous domineering ferocity, like a blooming flower garden. Seemingly slow but actually fast, they enveloped Chu Yun.
“Supreme grade Spear Technique!” Chu Yun felt an intense sense of danger, his hair standing on end. Supreme grade Cultivation Methods were powerful, and difficult to resist without a similar level of skill. Chu Yun only had one Supreme grade spell, but it required throwing the Drunken Snow Saber.
This move was too risky, especially against an evenly matched opponent; it could not be used lightly.
At this critical moment, Chu Yun gritted his teeth and used the “Snow Fang” Cultivation Method. The entire Drunken Snow Saber grew three times larger, its blade as broad as a door. Then, using “Great Dragon Pattern,” a snow-white dragon head roared out, three times larger than before. Its momentum was immense, tearing through the sky and earth as it clashed fiercely with the scattering pear blossoms.
With a resounding boom.
It was as if an avalanche had occurred in the sky. Countless snow-white saber lights and shattered pear blossom petals scattered everywhere. The violent explosion caused the surrounding elemental energy to react, creating a chain reaction of waves.
A massive shockwave erupted, compressing the air and forming a visible circular wall of energy in the sky. In just a blink of an eye, the energy wall rapidly expanded, striking the sea and creating monstrous waves.
Chu Yun had to retreat, but Fang Suikong, relying on his Golden Scale Armor for protection, gritted his teeth and pressed forward. He swung his winged spear again, roaring, “Chu Yun, die! Dragon Snatching Pearl!”
The golden spear shaft thrust forward, piercing space. As it did, a crystal-clear golden dragon-shaped phantom appeared, coiling around the spear. The dragon’s head roared, leading the spear tip towards Chu Yun as if to bite him.
“Another Supreme grade Cultivation Method?!” Chu Yun’s eyes widened in anger, but he wasn’t afraid. He knew he couldn’t confront it directly. Without a suitable Supreme grade saber technique, using two Upper grade Cultivation Methods consecutively would be too slow. A head-on clash would be too disadvantageous, so he immediately steered the Sky Fox to dodge.
Fang Suikong hadn’t expected Chu Yun, who had been relentlessly attacking, to suddenly retreat. His spear momentum was fully spent, and the golden dragon surged out of the spear, its form rapidly expanding. In moments, it became a giant golden dragon phantom, a meter and a half thick, continuing its charge towards a warship below.
BOOM!
With an explosive sound, the ordinary warship was instantly sliced in half. The golden dragon’s irresistible force tore through the ship’s hull, completely destroying it. The golden dragon’s momentum did not diminish, and it plunged into the sea. Half a second later, it erupted with towering waves.
White foam surged over, submerging the remaining bow and stern of the warship. Hundreds of soldiers on board perished instantly, none surviving.
“You!” Fang Suikong’s eyes blazed with fury, glaring at Chu Yun. On the sea battlefield, Chu Yun’s fleet had already retreated, leaving only Fang Suikong’s own warships. The ship that had just sunk was a Fang family vessel, and the fallen soldiers were elite recruits from his Fang family’s main island. They were far more loyal and battle-hardened than soldiers from smaller villages or towns.
“What are you all standing around for? Chase after their fleet and annihilate them!” Chu Yun’s cunning exceeded Fang Suikong’s expectations. He no longer wished to accidentally kill his own men and devised a plan to leave Chu Yun no time to look after his own affairs.
Little did Fang Suikong know that upon hearing this, Chu Yun secretly chuckled, “I was just hoping you’d send your fleet after them. It’s perfect for cutting off one of your arms. Without the Eagle’s Wing, Fang Suikong, you’ll be like an eagle that has lost a wing!”
However, outwardly, Chu Yun’s expression changed, showing an anxious look. He made a move as if to block the fleet but was stopped by Fang Suikong’s hearty laughter. “What are you so anxious about, Chu Yun? You’ll die too. You’ll be reunited with your subordinates in the Yellow Springs soon enough!”
(PS: Late-night update, requesting monthly votes! For every 30 monthly votes, I’ll add another chapter tomorrow! I updated three times daily in August, with continuous bursts of writing and never skipping a day. September was also a month of hard work! I earnestly request your subscriptions and monthly votes, brothers and sisters!)
(To be continued…)
