Ghost Step had reached the Perfection Level, yet there was even an advanced martial art known as Ghostly Shadow Step. Executing it was not only faster, but it also carried a certain effect of concealing one's figure. This was the first time Zhuge Xiang had witnessed such a technique, and Hua Nongying in the crowd widened her eyes even further.
The Blood Refinement Saber pointed obliquely at the ground. Zhuge Xiang was completely relaxed all over, an appearance that made it seem as though he were not in the middle of a battle, but rather standing atop a mountain peak admiring the scenery of a sunrise.
Yet this appearance of his gave Zhang Ying, hiding in the dark, an even deeper sense of unease, not daring to make a move rashly. For some unknown reason, Zhang Ying could feel wave after wave of oppressive pressure emanating from this new disciple of the Qi Cultivation Realm Fourth Layer.
Executing Ghostly Shadow Step, Zhang Ying circled around Zhuge Xiang for a full half-minute, yet still failed to find the optimal moment to strike. Zhuge Xiang, who looked completely relaxed and devoid of vigilance, seemed to be entirely made of openings; yet a gut feeling in his mind told Zhang Ying that no matter what angle he launched an attack from, the opponent would be able to react instantly and kill him.
This won't do. He is standing there conserving his energy while letting me make the first move, but executing my Ghostly Shadow Step consumes a massive amount of Qi Energy. Having paced around for a full half-minute and feeling that his Qi Energy had already been depleted by nearly a third, Zhang Ying knew that things could not go on like this. His Ghostly Shadow Step had only just been cultivated to the initial-mastery stage, and its Qi Energy consumption was immense. If he kept walking like this, before the opponent even made a move, his own Qi Energy would be entirely exhausted.
Making up his mind, Zhang Ying relied on Ghostly Shadow Step to appear directly behind Zhuge Xiang, a short sword materializing in his hand.
Ghost Fang!
Disciples of the Asura Sect who broke through to the Qi Cultivation Realm Fifth Layer were all qualified to choose their second martial art. Aside from Ghostly Shadow Step, which was an advancement of Ghost Step, Zhang Ying's second martial art was this very move, Ghost Fang. While this attack might not have possessed overwhelming might, its speed was the absolute fastest. Pausing with his Ghostly Shadow Step, it was an peerless ultimate technique for assassination.
An icy killing intent locked onto his back, and a terrifying murderous aura enveloped him. Zhuge Xiang knew the opponent had finally lost patience and launched an attack.
Almost simultaneously, Zhuge Xiang spun around rapidly as the effect of the Frost Headband triggered at that exact moment. The speed of Ghostly Shadow Step plummeted by twenty percent instantly, and the Blood Refinement Saber transformed into a scarlet blade light that cleaved downward.
With his speed abruptly suppressed, Zhang Ying's expression shifted as he looked at the oncoming blade light. Yet at the same time, not only did his speed fail to decrease, it instantly surged. Moving backward instead of forward, he yanked his body out of Zhuge Xiang's attack range.
Does he still have a method to instantly increase his speed? Not only was the suppression effect of the Frost Headband resisted, but the opponent's speed had actually increased instead. Zhuge Xiang furrowed his brow slightly.
Explosive Steps were formidable, but their effective movement radius was restricted to within five meters around him. With Ghostly Shadow Step, the opponent retreated beyond five meters in the blink of an eye. Even if Explosive Steps were deployed, they could not achieve the effect of a surprise assault.
However, the failure of Explosive Steps did not mean Zhuge Xiang lacked other methods. Sticking the Blood Refinement Saber into the ground, Zhuge Xiang swept a hand across his waist. The Hundred Refinements Bow was drawn to its full extent, the sharp tip of a Wolf Fang Arrow locking onto the target, and the skill Piercing Arrow activated in an instant.
Although it was beyond five meters, it was not terribly far. Measured by the Hundred Refinements Bow's range of one hundred and twenty meters, the speed of this arrow lagged behind Zhuge Xiang's Explosive Steps in no way at all.
Ignoring fifty-five points of defense, coupled with the doubled attack effect of the Courage Medal at this moment—despite Zhang Ying hastily twisting his body at the crucial instant to evade his vital spots, Zhuge Xiang's arrow still pierced straight through his shoulder. It left a hole the size of an infant's fist in his shoulder, transparent from front to back as fresh blood gushed wildly. Uttering a miserable cry, Zhang Ying collapsed to the ground, utterly devoid of any further fighting capacity.
"Hiss! His ranged attack is actually stronger than his close combat?" Watching Zhuge Xiang pierce through Zhang Ying's shoulder with a single arrow—even piercing the One-Star Defense Leather Armor he wore—the surrounding onlookers were once again shaken. Originally, they had thought his close-combat capabilities were extraordinarily ferocious, but they had not expected his ranged attack prowess to be even more formidable.
"Such a powerful attack, and it seems to carry an armor-breaking effect. This arrow is formidable enough that even Body Tempering Realm disciples wouldn't have an easy time of it." Several onlookers in the Body Tempering Realm found it difficult to conceal the looks of astonishment on their faces.
Given the potency of the Hundred Refinements Bow, even under the Bloodthirsty Technique state, Zhuge Xiang believed his Piercing Arrow was sufficient to shatter the defense of a Two-Star Demonic Moth; needless to say, Zhuge Xiang under the enhancement of the Courage Medal was even more formidable.
Although Body Tempering Realm disciples possessed exceptionally strong physical defenses, it was by no means impossible to shatter their defenses if one wielded a powerful magic artifact. Evidently, the Three-Star Magic Artifact Hundred Refinements Bow, which came with a defense-ignoring effect, was sufficient to threaten cultivators in the Body Tempering Realm.
Ding, obtained 320 XP for an Over-Level Victory over a Qi Cultivation Realm Seventh Layer disciple, obtained Cleaving Blade.
As Zhuge Xiang defeated Zhang Ying with a single arrow, the system's mechanical prompt sounded right on schedule. Compared to the previous few senior disciples he had defeated, this time an actual piece of equipment had dropped, which greatly delighted Zhuge Xiang.
His decision had indeed been correct. Taking advantage of the Courage Medal's effect to engage in over-level combat on Green Willow Peak—if he did it often enough, not only would he gain more XP, but under the drop rates for over-level kills, he was bound to net himself a piece or two of equipment sooner or later.
Sweeping his hand across his waist, a weapon that looked neither quite like a sword nor a blade appeared in Zhuge Xiang's palm. To call it a sword, it was only sharpened along one edge; to call it a blade, its body was slender and completely devoid of the heavy, cumbersome feel of a saber. Instead, it carried the light, nimble air of a sword, and the edge was not entirely smooth, but rather studded with tiny serrations.
Cleaving Blade (Two-Star Magic Artifact): Attack 32-40, Attack Speed +15, Passive: Ripping through the opponent's skin, it can tear open wounds to inflict a bleeding effect, draining 1% of the target's current HP per second for 20 seconds. Ineffective against cultivators at or above the Body Tempering Realm. Stackable. Durability 38/40, Weight 13.
Top-grade!!! Gazing at the data stats of the Cleaving Blade, Zhuge Xiang widened his eyes. The attack power might not have been exceptionally high, but it not only added fifteen points of attack speed, it also possessed a cleaving effect. Just imagine: a single strike could force an opponent to bleed away 20% of their health. What if he landed it a few more times? Coupled with the damage dealt by the base attack itself, under the assaults of the Cleaving Blade, no one below the Body Tempering Realm could withstand more than three of his moves.
The Courage Medal possessed a duration of a full 300 seconds. Defeating two Qi Cultivation Realm Seventh Layer disciples had taken Zhuge Xiang a mere 60 seconds or so; he still had well over 200 seconds remaining.
With the Cleaving Blade in hand, Zhuge Xiang's eyes flashed with an unusual radiance as he stared fixedly at the Green Willow Peak disciples opposite him. In Zhuge Xiang's eyes, they had completely transformed into synonyms for experience points and equipment.
"You... what do you want..." Stared at by Zhuge Xiang, the frontmost disciples of Green Willow Peak stepped back in alarm, panic in their eyes. What kind of look was that in Zhuge Xiang's eyes? It was just like a bandit looking at a fat sheep, a shady uncle looking at a little lolita, or a famished wolf looking at its prey. Such a gaze, coupled with the terrifying strength Zhuge Xiang had just displayed, filled them with a visceral fear.
"I am issuing a challenge of a duel to all of you. Can it be that not a single person dares to step forward?" Putting away both the Hundred Refinements Bow and the Blood Refinement Saber, Zhuge Xiang pointed his Cleaving Blade directly at these thousand-odd disciples and spoke aloud.
Duels were viewed as sacred within the Asura Sect. Generally, disciples of higher cultivation would not seek out disciples of lower cultivation to challenge them to a duel, as winning lacked honor. However, if a disciple of lower cultivation challenged a disciple of higher cultivation, virtually no one could refuse. A combat-oriented sect like the Asura Sect despised cowards above all else.
Right now, a newcomer who had just arrived at the Asura Sect—a mere Qi Cultivation Realm Fourth Layer disciple—had issued a challenge to them, the senior disciples of the previous batch. Could they refuse to accept?
If they refused, they could forget about ever holding their heads high in the Asura Sect again. But accept? Are you kidding me? Two Qi Cultivation Realm Seventh Layer disciples had been easily defeated by him; who would dare to step up?
"So strong. This newcomer is no simple character." Among the surrounding onlookers, several Body Tempering Realm disciples gazed at Zhuge Xiang with strange expressions on their faces and spoke in low voices. To possess a cultivation of the Qi Cultivation Realm Fourth Layer and yet dare to block the very mountain peak where the senior brothers of the previous batch resided, shouting out challenges—such boldness commanded respect. Moreover, the main point was that no one doubted he possessed such strength.
On Green Willow Peak, there were over a thousand disciples standing outside, the lowest among them possessing the cultivation of the Qi Cultivation Realm Third Layer. These people exchanged glances in dismay, yet not a single person dared to step forward—especially those Qi Cultivation Realm Sixth Layer disciples who were hailed as geniuses; they lowered their heads even further. They were all too well aware that if anyone had to be found to accept the battle, it could only be those of them with higher cultivation.
"Haha, simply preposterous! With an attitude like yours, you still go over to Green Bamboo Peak to exact twenty Spirit Stone Coins from everyone? You bunch of fellows are only ever capable of bullying those weaker than yourselves. You're all absolute scum!" Watching the thousands of disciples with no one daring to step forward, Zhuge Xiang could not help raising his voice in mockery, his words brimming with fury.
Zhuge Xiang's background was that of a beggar. Because of his lowly origins, he could all the more deeply comprehend the sorrow of the weak—just like the old beggar who could be bitten to death by someone setting dogs upon him for no reason at all. Therefore, what Zhuge Xiang loathed most was people using their strength to bully the weak. What sort of skill was it to bully the weak? What sort of skill was it to seek out a sense of superiority from the vulnerable? If you had the ability, go bully those stronger than you! Consequently, Zhuge Xiang deeply detested this so-called unwritten rule of the Asura Sect.
"Hmph hmph, a bunch of bullies of the soft and fearers of the hard, with nothing more than this bit of skill!" Uttering the utmost sarcasm, Zhuge Xiang flicked the Cleaving Blade in his hand. Watching the angry yet helpless expressions of these two thousand-odd Green Willow Peak disciples, he sneered and dropped yet another heavy bombshell: "Since none of you are rushing out, then I won't stand on ceremony. How many of you are at the Qi Cultivation Realm Fifth Layer or above? Step forward, all of you. Today, I alone will challenge all disciples at the Qi Cultivation Realm Fifth Layer and above!"
(PS: I can only say that having gone two days without begging for votes, I was overtaken by the second place below. Brothers and sisters, I beg for votes to defend our first place in the classified new book rankings! Other people all have four or five hundred recommended votes, why do we only have a hundred? After all, we already have two thousand followers.)
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