An Awakened's Battle

The crowd erupted in commotion, their gazes piercing through the curtain of rain toward the Statistics Department agent standing atop the main house!

Le Yu nearly failed to keep a straight face, his legs almost going limp.

Fuck, the traitor they meant wasn't me?

Whoosh!

A tall man leaped down from the roof, rising like thunder and landing like a feather. His feet touched down lightly, sending only faint ripples through the puddle beneath him.

Utmost hardness and utmost softness, utmost motion and utmost stillness—all appeared in one person. The intense contrast sent a shiver through Le Yu's entire body. Even from afar, he could feel this man's overwhelming threat!

There were far too many extraordinary people in this world!

"Li Shijie, graduate of Yan Jing Royal Academy. Outstanding grades, exceptional ability, recipient of the royal 'Blazing Sun Medal'—without question, a favored son of heaven and a pillar of the nation." Lan Yan's tone brimmed with admiration. "I never expected you to have hidden your cultivation. At such a young age, you've already trained the Water Moon Combat Arts to the Entry Level. Given time, you might become another imperial grandmaster."

"But... why would a fine talent like you become a thief?"

Li Shijie, captain of the Statistics Department's Fifth Team. In Qian Yuliu's memories, this man had always kept a low profile, with unremarkable accomplishments, seeming like nothing more than a mediocrity relying on his academic credentials.

Every world had distinctions in educational background. The foremost institution in Radiance was naturally Yan Jing Royal Academy, located in the capital. Star Engraving Military Academy, from which Qian Yuliu had graduated, could only be considered second-rate. Likewise, although Star Engraving Prefecture was a major city, it was far inferior to Yan Jing. Li Shijie's arrival in Star Engraving Prefecture was practically a dimensional strike, so it was only natural for him to become a Statistics Department captain the moment he arrived.

Yet no one, Qian Yuliu included, had realized that Li Shijie had not only concealed his cultivation, but was also an Against the Light spy!

Li Shijie smiled.

"Become a thief? Not at all. I abandoned darkness for the light and set chaos right!" Li Shijie raised his head and declared, "From the moment you decided to come to the Lin Family, everything had already been within my plan. This place will be your burial ground!"

He snapped his fingers, and the Fifth Team agents immediately swung their guns around, aiming them at the other agents.

He had actually turned his own team members as well!

The situation had completely reversed!

In terms of numbers, the Anti-Light Rebels actually outnumbered the Statistics Department!

No wonder Lin Jinyao and Li Shijie dared to flip the table now. Should I turn my gun on Lan Yan and Kui Zhao beside me and blow them apart, giving them a timely boost...

Before Le Yu could finish considering whether to kill Kui Zhao or Lan Yan first, Kui Zhao strode forward, his long braid whipping through the rain.

"Traitors and spies like you emerged under my command. I, Kui Zhao, have failed in my supervision." Kui Zhao tossed his handgun to an agent behind him. Empty-handed, he beckoned Li Shijie forward. "It is never too late to mend the fold after the sheep are lost. Li Shijie, I'll give you a chance to kill me."

Kui Zhao was actually challenging him barehanded!?

Li Shijie drew the straight blade at his waist and handed his handgun to the agent beside him as well. "An opportunity to turn the Statistics Department's number one Running Dog into a lost sheep is truly difficult to refuse."

"After working together for months, I know how troublesome you two are. As long as the two of you die here, Ding Yi will have no one left to support him. Solve troublesome matters one by one, and things become much simpler."

Kui Zhao grinned viciously. "Then we'll see whether you, the traitor, have the skill for it!"

Why were they dueling? And if they were dueling, why weren't they using guns? Had they gotten cocky, or were bullets just not flashy enough... Just as confusion filled Le Yu's mind, the scene abruptly changed!

Two explosions rang out. The pair lunged and collided, fist meeting blade as an invisible blast of force burst forth!

The rain curtain was suddenly torn apart. Ordinary agents could not help raising their hands to shield their eyes. Only a handful of people, Le Yu among them, could keep their eyes wide open and witness the energy bombardment exchanged between the two in that lightning-fast instant!

That was right!

Energy bombardment!

One wielded bare palms, the other a straight blade, yet they somehow struck out blade auras and palm winds in midair. The entire world seemed to shatter around them. Their figures blurred and overlapped, while energy vortices even appeared in the space where they clashed!

But Le Yu quickly realized that this "shattering" was merely a visual illusion, because the source of energy they drew upon was light itself!

After human Mental Power was altered by Radiant Stone, it did not merely strengthen the body. Since Radiant Stone itself possessed the trait of "Light-Burning," humans who became Awakened through Radiant Stone gained the ability to harness light energy.

All combat arts and Secret Arts were, in essence, energy techniques through which humanity leveraged the power of light!

When Le Yu had been killed by Qian Yuliu, Qian Yuliu had stood at the entrance of the alley. One reason was that sunlight shone there, which was why Qian Yuliu's attack had been so swift, precise, and ruthless!

That was also why the Statistics Department brought three powerful lamps when handling cases. They were not merely for illumination—light was an important source of combat power for Statistics Department agents.

However, the ability to use light was a basic ability shared by all Awakened. Statistics Department agents could use it, and Anti-Light Faction members naturally could as well!

The doubts in Le Yu's heart vanished at once.

For Awakened at Kui Zhao and Li Shijie's level, firearms truly were unnecessary. They were also better suited to this sort of one-on-one duel.

Leaving aside the sixth sense that allowed Awakened to evade bullets, the distortion of light caused by their attacks alone made it difficult for any shooter to aim. Even in the face of a hail of bullets, they could unleash bursts of light to deflect them!

If all-out combat broke out and Kui Zhao and Li Shijie charged into the crowd, it would be like tigers entering a flock of sheep. Ordinary agents would find it extremely difficult to withstand them.

No wonder Kui Zhao had demanded a duel and Li Shijie had readily accepted—there seemed to be only one strong fighter among the Anti-Light Rebels, Li Shijie himself, while Lan Yan on the Statistics Department's side could not possibly be weaker than Kui Zhao. If they could cripple Kui Zhao before the battle began, their odds of victory would greatly increase.

Of course, if Li Shijie lost outright, this ambush by the Anti-Light Rebels could be declared a complete failure. The rewards of this duel were too great. Neither man believed he would lose, so both directly wagered their lives!

Clang—

Deafening explosions rang out in succession, fist and blade striking with the metallic resonance of weapons. From the very start, the two had entered a white-hot battle without the slightest probing, like a venomous snake biting a fierce tiger, shaking heaven and earth!

"First move." Li Shijie retreated two steps, twirling his blade like moonlight, more immortal than human.

"Warm-up's over." Kui Zhao wore an arrogant smile as his right hand curled into a claw. He swept upward from below, raking out five blood-red claw lights!

Sima Clan's Wolf Eagle Fist Secret Transmission—Wolf Devour!

Li Shijie showed no fear. He suddenly advanced with the same hand and foot, stepping forward with his right foot and swinging his blade with his right hand. Light gathered at the blade's tip, drawing out a moonlike slash!

Water Moon Combat Arts—Spitting Moon!

The combat techniques they used immediately surfaced in Le Yu's mind. In truth, these techniques were not secret teachings at all, but widely known methods of body training.

Combat arts were techniques for using light. Any technique that stagnated and refused to develop would inevitably decline and be forgotten. Only techniques that were widely known and subjected to competition could discard the old, bring forth the new, and remain vibrant over time.

Eight Rice Flow, Sima Clan's Wolf Eagle Fist, and Water Moon Combat Arts were all required courses at Military Academy. Even if one did not continue practicing them afterward, one had to understand their characteristics—otherwise, one might not even know how one had died.

Qian Yuliu had studied eighteen combat arts taught at Military Academy. Of them, he believed Eight Rice Flow suited him best, which was why he had continued researching it to this day. Qian Yuliu also understood the other combat arts quite well, so Le Yu recognized just how powerful these two men truly were.

"Spitting Moon" and "Wolf Devour" were both advanced techniques within their respective combat arts. In theory, every Awakened could use them, but in practice, only powerful fighters who had reached the Proficient Realm in their combat arts could perform them. In his previous life, such techniques would have been comparable to multi-line micro in an RTS or a quadruple toe loop in figure skating.

Le Yu also knew how "Spitting Moon" and "Wolf Devour" were performed, but while his mind understood, his body certainly did not.

Clang clang clang clang clang—

Moonlight shattered wolf claws, and wolf claws tore apart moonlight!

Rain and light scattered chaotically through the courtyard. The estate no longer resembled the human world, but rather a battlefield where gods fought!

"Second move!" Kui Zhao laughed as he closed in. Blood-red light formed armor around his body, and he became like a blood wolf biting at the moon, swift as thunder!

Light Armor!

Le Yu's eyes were truly opened today. This was a combat technique Qian Yuliu had heard of but never seen before—briefly transforming light energy into tangible armor to protect oneself. Light Armor had no weight, yet could offset all harm. In ancient times, it would have been an invincible miracle. Even now, only Awakened who had mastered Light Armor could truly be considered strong!

Li Shijie did not retreat in the slightest. He swung his blade low, body streaking like light and blade arcing like a rainbow. In an instant, he slashed more than a dozen times—Le Yu could not even count them all—shattering Kui Zhao's blood-light armor and even forcing Kui Zhao back three steps!

But Kui Zhao gave Li Shijie no opportunity at all. He immediately closed the distance, never allowing himself to enter the range where Li Shijie's attacks were most lethal!

Le Yu watched without blinking. Their movements were solid rather than flashy, steady yet ruthless. Based on Qian Yuliu's knowledge, let alone five moves, even after fifty moves, they might not be able to determine a victor unless one of them ran out of strength!