The angle and timing of Red Dust's strike were flawless. She struck at the very instant Zhao Zhenye exerted his strength, targeting the joint through which he was redirecting his power. It hit him exactly where it hurt most.
Her sudden appearance left Zhao Zhenye no time to identify what she was, but he could feel the power carried by her blade. His body, tempered through countless trials, instinctively diverted some of his strength to block it.
The Wild Goose Feather Blade touched him and withdrew, never lingering for even an instant. The movement was swift and clean, achieving its purpose of disruption with the least possible force and the simplest possible move.
Even Zhao Zhenye, her opponent, could not help marveling at the skill and beauty of her technique. But that interference inevitably weakened the power he had intended to use against Chen Chuan and left his stance misaligned. Not only was he unable to unleash his planned follow-up, he was forced into a series of retreats by Chen Chuan.
Fortunately, after gaining that brief respite, he had ample spiritual fire to protect himself. A single setback would not be enough to breach his defenses. But with Red Dust now on the battlefield, he grew more wary.
Chen Chuan's main objective was to keep his opponent from trading attacks with him. That would allow him to maintain his relentless advance until he broke through that ultimate limit.
Over the next several exchanges, whenever he attacked, Red Dust struck at a vulnerable point. Although her strength could not breach Zhao Zhenye's spiritual fire, sometimes the slightest disruption was enough to prevent him from bringing his full strength to bear.
After several exchanges, however, Red Dust suddenly turned and broke away from the two of them. She rose high into the