A Question of Loyalty

"General Pan E, why did you attack me?" Hualiu asked, frowning.

"Blame it on you being that guy's subordinate, the only one I could call a confidant." Pan E stood up, turned his head and glanced at her, slightly surprised. "Oh, you're quite pretty, and have a good temperament. Not one of those sluts who spread their legs at everyone they meet. Alright, I've changed my mind. If you're willing to switch allegiance to me, I'll let you go."

Hualiu's expression turned solemn as he gripped his bow tightly. He said, "I don't quite understand what you're saying, General, but one thing must be stated: loyalty is the foundation of my survival. Even death cannot change my stance."

"Anomalies born from blind loyalty? That's truly rare, and even more valuable to plunder," Pan E licked his lips, his interest piqued. "What a coincidence! I am Anomalies born from plunder. The harder something is to obtain, the more I desire it. Anomalies like you is the most valuable collectible to me. Even if I cannot have you, I will not let anyone else have you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he unleashed a powerful and heavy strike to the top of the head. Although Pan E was lustful, lust was not his true nature; it was possessiveness. Therefore, even though Hualiu was very much to his liking, since he could not have him, he might as well destroy him.

As an archer, Hualiu naturally wouldn't engage in direct combat. Those guys who are clearly archers but insist on fighting in close combat are obviously not doing their job properly. And those tough guys who are clearly mounted archers but don't use their bows when they're on horseback, instead wielding a heavy 80-pound broadsword and playing the dragging sword technique, are clearly going Evil Dao.

With skillful Movement Method, Hualiu nimbly dodged the heavy blows. Her movements were as swift as a swallow, and in mid-air, her arrow-shooting motion was completely invisible. With a single twang of the bowstring, four arrows shot out, accurately hitting Pan E points, and then exploded with a bang.

However, after the smoke cleared, a perfectly intact and imposing figure was revealed.

Pan E dusted himself off and grinned maliciously, "Your arrows aren't sharp enough."

He stomped one foot, drawing upon the power of the earth. A shockwave spread from the ground, affecting Hualiu's feet and causing her to lose her balance and stagger.

Although Hualiu quickly regained his balance, Pan E seized upon this momentary opening and immediately swung his axe to strike head-on. His murderous aura was as Sha Qi as a raging beast. Although he was huge, his speed was not slow at all. He was like a stone projectile thrown by a catapult, crashing down with great force.

However, a dull thud was heard as weapons clashed, and a blade as fragile as glass firmly intercepted Pan E axe.

"Then you might as well try it; my blade isn't sharp."

Chapter 392 The Question of Loyalty

Si Ming wouldn't care about the lives or deaths of ordinary Monster Race, but Hualiu had been diligent and meticulous in carrying out his orders since joining his ranks, saving him a lot of effort. Putting aside their positions, he was undoubtedly a trustworthy and good subordinate.

Even from a standpoint of his position, he is now playing the role of an unruly, arrogant, and Buddha-Slaying Monk, which makes him even less tolerant of others bullying his subordinates.

"Step back!"

Si Ming unleashed his Asura Divine Power and struck out with a palm. Pan E attacked at the same time, their palms clashing together, unleashing tremendous force, and both were forced back.

In terms of strength, if Si Ming did not use the Vajra Demon-Subduing Power, relying solely on the Jade-Clad Dharma Body and the Asura Divine Power, he could only barely overpower his opponent. From this perspective, Pan E was indeed the strongest enemy Si Ming had ever encountered.

"Your memory is worse than a fish's; you've already forgotten the pain so quickly. It seems the lesson at the Spirit King Hall wasn't enough for you to remember. Now you have two choices: kneel down and beg for mercy, then let me chop you down; or fight back desperately and let me chop you to death."

"Hmph, is there a difference?" Pan E said angrily, "Don't be so arrogant. I didn't even use my full strength in the Spirit King Hall. I was just careless and you beat me by half a move. Don't think you've got me cornered."

"It's too much trouble to even say a word to an idiot like you who has no sense of propriety," Si Ming, extending his left hand and hooking his four fingers together a few times. "I'm a busy, respectable person, I don't have time to beat you up, so please hurry up and run towards my fist."

"This confirms it once again, you truly are universally hated, and you've especially provoked my murderous intent. Die!"

Pan E was burning with rage, moving like a lion pouncing on its prey. Dust billowed beneath its feet, and the fierce wind was incomparably ruthless. Trees on both sides of the road were all snapped and fell to the ground. At first glance, it looked like an elephant in heat taking off on all fours.

His opponent came on fiercely, Si Ming did not give an inch. He raised his sword to block, but he could not withstand the force and was knocked back several feet.

Overwhelmed by a single blow, Pan E felt incredibly exhilarated, venting much of the pent-up Vicious Qi in his chest. With a loud laugh, he activated Secret Method to increase his power by fifty percent, each strike possessing the force to shake mountains, whipping up a howling wind that reverberated through the forest.

The double axes slash like a storm, sweeping and powerful, rough and fierce. It seems chaotic and without any rules, but in fact it is a skillful and simple move that makes the complex seem clumsy.

However, Si Ming changed his previous direct confrontation with the Spirit King Hall. Instead, he used techniques of pointing, deflecting, withdrawing, and slashing, all employing the method of using softness to overcome hardness. He continuously deflected the Pan E power to the side, preventing him from having a good fight. Although he was retreating step by step, his defeat was orderly, and his footwork was not chaotic at all.

"Your axe skills have been honed through countless trials, practicing the basic moves millions of times, refining them, eliminating complex variations, and pursuing the simplest form of killing. You clearly have the ability to execute the moves beautifully, yet you wield them wildly, making people think you lack skill and only rely on brute force to swing the axe haphazardly. Beneath your rugged mask lies a sinister heart."

Si Ming still had the energy to offer commentary during the battle, clearly demonstrating his mastery of the situation.

Of course, this is also related to the battle tactics he chooses. If he chooses to fight with strength against strength and force against force, he needs to concentrate his mind and gather all his Qi and Blood. Naturally, he will not have such leisure time. For example, Pan E can only utter low roars of "kill kill kill" and "die die die die" now, without having the energy to think or speak.

Si Ming slashed horizontally with his Glazed Precept-Breaking Saber, sticking to one of Pan E's axes. Using a sticky technique, he tightly gripped the axe's surface, and with a slight pull, he redirected the axe towards the other axe.

With a bang, the two axes clashed, as if a punch had been thrown at oneself. The greater the force, the more severe the Pan E. Although Pan'e was physically strong and was not injured, he felt his Qi and Blood surge in reverse and saw stars.

In the past, he had encountered opponents skilled in using softness to overcome hardness, but because of his great strength, they could not neutralize or deflect his attacks, and he killed them all with a single axe stroke.

Generally speaking, those skilled in jujitsu are usually not physically strong. Due to their lack of strength, they have to compensate with techniques. Therefore, such people cannot withstand Pan E's overwhelming force. However, today Pan E has finally met an opponent whose strength is no less than his and who is also skilled in jujitsu.

You say you're so strong, you already have the strength of a thousand pounds, why would you need to learn techniques like using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds?

"Martial arts techniques are not necessarily better the simpler they are, nor is a larger physique necessarily stronger. You have gone astray."

"Shut up!"

Upon seeing the other party's relaxed and cheerful expression, Pan E felt stifled and his thoughts became even more turbulent. The Vicious Qi he had vented earlier piled up again, and he kicked out with a fierce kick. The force of his kick was so great that it created a hurricane on flat ground, which crashed down and destroyed all the trees.

Si Ming touched the ground with his toes, lowered his head, and turned his body, fluttering like a butterfly. His movements resembled a dance, but they were actually moves from the "Water Moon Precious Mirror." He lightly avoided the opponent's leg strike and slipped under him.

Pan E felt as if the other party had vanished from his sight in an instant, as if shrinking into the ground. He hurriedly looked down to search for traces, only to see the other party shrink away, passing under his knees and turning behind him. He immediately reacted, his front leg rebounding like a horse raising its hind legs, or like swinging on a swing, and kicked Si Ming behind him.

Although Pan E's body is enormous, its reactions are incredibly fast, almost instinctive, requiring no thought, thus preventing its opponents from accumulating and unleashing their power.

However, Si Ming did not intend to strike hard from behind. Pan E's back kick was still halfway through when he pressed against the other's back and used a move from the martial arts of health preservation, "Bear Stance and Bird Extension," like an old bear rubbing against a tree, forcefully rubbing against Pan E's back.

Pan E suddenly felt a powerful force surge from behind, his whole body trembled, his steps became unsteady, and his huge body was sent flying several feet away, rolling once on the ground before he sprang up.

"Martial arts are not just about techniques for killing enemies. There are also techniques like deflecting force, shaking force, and leaning force, which are not intended to harm the enemy. These auxiliary techniques may seem cumbersome, but if used at the right time, they can be extremely effective. If you discard all these techniques and only keep the techniques for killing enemies, it may seem powerful and domineering, but in reality, extreme rigidity is easily broken, and a single tree cannot support a single tree..."

While analyzing his opponent, Si Ming also reflected on himself. During the battle, he inexplicably gained insights and entered a profound and mysterious realm. Various martial arts mysteries flashed through his mind and were gradually sorted out.

"Shut up, you have no right to judge me!"

As soon as Pan E stood up, he saw a figure flying towards him from the ground. Before he could even see the other person's movements, his forehead went numb, and he knew he was being attacked. The best response at this moment would undoubtedly be to roll over and tumble again, but his anger was burning like flames in his chest, and he was unwilling to use such a shameful move in front of the other person. So he held his double axes in the air, rolled several times, and his fierce Gang Qi carried boundless vortexes, turning into a howling storm that attacked indiscriminately in all directions.

Without hesitation, Si Ming plunged his blade into the storm of Gang Qi, using the same sticky technique to accurately adhere to the axe's surface, avoiding direct confrontation and turning it into a hindrance. Although he was spun around, it was clear that Pan E's spinning speed had slowed down. After spinning three or four times, even the storm dissipated, leaving only scattered blade energy.

Let go!