Dragon Riders of the Nation of Valor

After a moment of silence, Ying Zhou walked out from around the corner, expressionless, and stood before Xia Guanxue. Staring into her eyes, he asked, "Is Xia Tingyu your sister?"

"... So what if it is?" Xia Guanxue's eyes remained unmoved, as calm as a stagnant pool.

"Why don't you go see her? And your parents, why don't you ever visit their graves? Unlike me, you love your family very much, don't you?" Ying Zhou stared intently at the other person, trying to discern something. "Xia Tingyu once told me that she has a brother who dotes on her. He's not only academically gifted and skilled in martial arts, but also helpful, having won many awards, done many good deeds, and helped many people. He's been her idol since childhood."

"... What's it to you?"

Xia Guanxue replied expressionlessly and turned to leave, but Ying Zhou flipped in mid-air and landed in front of him, blocking his way.

"If you didn't go to see them before because you wanted to avenge them, but I heard you've reconciled with Master Yan and temporarily put aside your grudges, then why haven't you offered incense to them yet?"

"Get out of the way!"

Xia Guanxue's voice was tinged with anger, and her aura became wild and unrestrained, appearing menacing and demonic in the shadows of the alley.

Ying Zhou was no benevolent man, so he wasn't intimidated. He stared at the other man for a while, then suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. You still can't accept the fact that they're dead, and you can only hide in the shadows to escape reality."

He then let out a sneer, saying contemptuously, "I thought someone who dared to seek revenge against Master Yan was something special, but it turns out he's just a coward putting on an act in front of his family!"

"I told you to get out of my way!"

Several invisible Sword Qi, fueled by rage, grazed Ying Zhou's cheeks and severed a few strands of hair.

Ying Zhou reached out and scraped the sword wound on his face, licking away the blood with his tongue. Then, with a flick of his wrist, a Shura Ring Blade appeared in his palm. Pointing at his opponent, he said, "What use is this kind of Sword Qi that can only be used to scare people? If you want me to dodge, then use your sword to cut me."

"Die!"

The moment the words fell, Xia Guanxue's figure moved swiftly, her sword flashing like a dragon, fast as the aurora borealis. As the dark sword wind surged, the tip of the sword had already pierced Ying Zhou's left chest.

With a clang, a thin layer of golden light enveloped Ying Zhou, resembling a large bell, making it difficult for the sword to pierce through.

Why hesitate at the last minute?

Ying Zhou swung his sword backhand, unleashing a violent blade aura that swept through the narrow alley like a storm.

With Xia Guanxue's cultivation level, he was fully capable of piercing through Ying Zhou's newly acquired Golden Bell Cover. Unfortunately, he held back three-tenths of his strength at the last moment, which put him in a dangerous situation. His expression changed, and he spun back, black mist swirling around his body to resist the invasion of the sword energy. Then, he activated his Yuan Gong and raised his sword.

"The Mountain Ghost Cries in the Wind and Rain!"

The Sword Qi poured down like a torrential downpour, concealing malevolent and ghostly intent. After neutralizing the blade energy, it continued to sweep forward, leaving no way to dodge in the current environment.

"Asura Pardons Buddha!"

Ying Zhou was too lazy to dodge. He activated the Brahma Sea Asura Art, his blood boiled, and the Asura Divine Power erupted. The warlike figure of Asura appeared behind him, and the magnificent blade energy slashed out, cutting through the Ghostly Gloom Sword Qi with unstoppable force and advancing into the middle gate.

Xia Guanxue's figure flashed swiftly, his ghostly shadows blurred and difficult to discern. His blade energy pierced through the layers of illusory figures, annihilating them all and leaving behind a spray of blood.

The Ghostly Gloom Sword Art favors agility. If this were on flat ground, Xia Guanxue would have easily dodged it. However, in the narrow space, maneuvering was difficult, and he was ultimately grazed by the blade's energy.

"Did you really almost kill Master Yan back then?"

Ying Zhou swung his sword swiftly, engaging in close combat. In an instant, swords clashed, sparks flying everywhere. The dim alley was illuminated by the sparks generated by the friction of their weapons, and the already foul-smelling puddles on the ground spun like a tornado, propelled by the air currents.

Clang, clang, clang, followed by dozens more resounding sounds. Figures crisscrossed, weapons flashed, one slash after another, One Sword after One Sword.

Ying Zhou's blade speed was far inferior to Xia Guanxue's sword speed. For every one strike he made, his opponent had already delivered three sword blows. However, relying on the protection of his Golden Bell Cover Shield, he only attacked and never defended. Every strike was fierce. Even when his opponent's sword pierced through his Golden Bell Cover, leaving bloody holes in his body, he did not care at all. Instead, he became more and more courageous in the battle, and the Sha Qi on his body grew stronger and stronger.

"Too weak! You're so weak it's laughable. You even hesitate when you draw your sword. What good is this kind of sword? To scare children?"

The injuries were reversed. Ying Zhou allowed the other's One Sword to pierce his shoulder, and then slashed down with his own blade. The Asura Divine Power was like a thunderous bombardment. Although Xia Guanxue managed to draw his sword to block in time, the difference in their strength was too great. The sword was forced to hit his chest, and the force transmitted through it injured his internal organs. He immediately vomited blood and flew backward.

"Are you really Xia Tingyu's brother? Why are you so different from how she described you? You can't even kill a chicken now."

"Shut up! Don't you dare mention my sister again!"

Suddenly, the pitch-black sword light burst forth. Xia Guanxue suppressed her injuries and activated her ultimate move. Instantly, sword shadows filled the sky and the ground. The sword cries were like the roars of ghosts. The Sword Qi, with its ferocious fangs, swept towards the opponent. The trash cans in the alley were opened, and the garbage inside was sprayed out.

Ying Zhou let out a sneer, intending to use force to defeat force, when he suddenly heard a faint moan and glanced in the direction of the sound.

"Tsk, Compassionate Body Precept Thunderclap!"

The impending powerful move was temporarily changed to a defensive move. Ying Zhou charged into the ghostly shadows, wielding his ring-shaped blade and forming an impenetrable defense with the Golden Bell Cover. The blade's energy rapidly swirled to both sides, neutralizing the Sword Qi. However, this action was tantamount to handing over the initiative.

Although Xia Guanxue didn't understand why her opponent suddenly made such a foolish move, she wouldn't let the opportunity slip by. She immediately focused her mind and launched her strongest attack. The sword shadows overlapped in one place, and the world seemed to fade away at that moment, with everything dark except for that one point of sword light that devoured the world and broke through the void.

In the decisive moment, Ying Zhou swung his sword with his right hand, unleashing a powerful sword aura that pressed down on the sword light layer by layer like a wall. After being completely pierced, he raised his left hand to meet the attack. At the same time, the golden light on his body disappeared, and all the power of the Golden Bell Cover gathered in his left hand.

Xia Guanxue pierced Ying Zhou's palm with his One Sword, but his sword momentum was completely worn away by the power of the Golden Bell Cover. Ying Zhou gripped the sword tightly and then raised his right hand high to slash down at him.

Xia Guanxue wanted to abandon his sword and dodge, but he felt unable to move. It turned out that the blade energy that Ying Zhou had released earlier had hit the wall and swept back, squeezing him in the middle.

The unsharpened dagger crashed down, Xia Guanxue coughed up blood as she flew out and landed in a pile of garbage, her ribs broken in countless places.

Ying Zhou did not press his advantage. He looked down at his feet and saw several black kittens trembling and whimpering. He looked up again and saw a black cat staring intently at him from a distance. It wanted to come closer but was afraid and could only make threatening noises.

"Tch, what a hassle."

Ying Zhou kicked out with a soft force, sending the kittens flying towards the big cat. He then pulled the sword from his left palm, tossed it into the trash heap, and clenched his left hand to stop the bleeding.

Xia Guanxue shakily crawled out of the garbage heap, her body emitting the stench of spoiled food, looking extremely disheveled.

"To use Si Ming's words, you're a complete loser right now. You're so unpleasant to look at. Don't let me see you again, or I'll beat you up every time I see you."

Ying Zhou sheathed his ring-shaped knife, turned and left, not glancing once more at the dejected figure behind him.

Chapter 653 Nation of Valor Dragoons

Fame has its advantages, but it also brings its own troubles. Si Ming soon experienced these troubles. Ever since he successfully set up his challenge at Sun Wu University, students have been visiting him from time to time.