Chapter 40, Part 4: The Broken Cycle
After regaining his footing, Ian did not attack immediately.
Instead, he tilted his head slightly, looking at Karg looked bewildered because his ultimate move had been broken, and a very faint "I've learned something" expression seemed to flash in his cold eyes.
immediately.
In the next few exchanges between Ian and Karg, Saruman was horrified to discover that Ian's swordplay began to show a subtle, ruthless, and direct style of combat, characteristic of Karg's battlefield fighting style, and even occasionally a "devious" prelude to the previous underhanded move.
Although it was immediately covered by more refined techniques, that fleeting glimpse of the shadow sent chills down Saruman's spine!
He—he really is learning!
We're not just learning the moves, we're learning the style!
Learn that fighting instinct honed on the brink of life and death!
"Even something on the brink of life and death can be cursed with Blood Curse?" Saruman finally understood how futile his previous warnings had been. In Ian's eyes, Karg had probably gone from an "intruder who needed to be eliminated or ignored" to a "moving, somewhat distinctive sample library of swordsmanship and Battle Qi."
What made Saruman even more desperate was that Ian didn't seem to be in a hurry to retaliate and end the fight. Instead, he seemed to be having fun, and enjoying it. This realization sent a chill down Saruman's spine and instilled a sense of absurd sorrow that was more intense than any direct threat of death.
"No! No!!" At this moment, Karg also noticed something amiss. He belatedly realized that Ian didn't seem to be in a hurry to retaliate and end the battle.
It's more like they're observing and learning, or rather, they're observing and learning!
At first, Karg didn't notice.
Extreme anger, a death wish, and the scorching heat from his burning Battle Qi aura acted like a thick veil, obscuring his keen perception of the details of the battle.
He focused solely on attacking, squeezing every muscle and every Battle Qi to its limit, transforming them into the simplest yet most violent slashes, cuts, strikes, and thrusts! The greatsword, carrying a crimson storm, attempted to overwhelm the unfathomable youth before him with a torrent of pure power.
Ian's figure swayed amidst the storm of blades, yet he remained steadfast. His ordinary longsword seemed to possess Magic Power, always appearing in the most crucial places to deflect Ian's relentless attacks with minimal effort. Karg had only one thought in his mind: Break through it! Cut it down! Even if he could only force Ian back a step, it would be a victory for the warrior!
But gradually, an inexplicable sense of unease began to stir in the raging lake of his heart. Ian's swordplay no longer seemed as "pure" as it had at the beginning.
Some of the parrying moves that were originally extremely simple and measured as if they had been measured with a ruler would occasionally have an extremely subtle, almost imperceptible prelude to the exertion of force just before the force was exerted. That was the tiny tremor that Karg had developed over a long period of using heavy weapons in order to unleash maximum power in an instant, a tremor that was almost instinctive!
Although Ian's shaking was smaller, more frequent, and more precise, Karg was intimately familiar with his core intention to exert force!
The same applies to some evasive footwork.
Ian's originally graceful and elusive footwork, as elusive as a ghost, would occasionally incorporate a slightly clumsy but highly efficient side-sliding technique—that was the life-saving footwork that Karg had honed through countless trials on the battlefield, amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, in order to change direction quickly and avoid fatal attacks in a confined space!
When Ian used it, there was less of the brutality and messiness of the battlefield, and more of composure and precision. However, the explosive power of his instantaneous change of direction and the way he shifted his center of gravity made Karg recognize its source at a glance!
"They're really stealing my stuff!"
What truly shocked Karg was during one of their encounters.
He exerted all his strength, unleashing a powerful and devastating "Mount Forceful Cleave of Mount Hua, aiming to split mountains and shatter rocks. The giant sword slashed down with a piercing sound as it cut through the air.
Ian still didn't take the blow head-on. Instead, he slashed upwards at an extremely tricky angle, the tip of his sword precisely hitting the weakest point on the side of the greatsword, cleverly deflecting the violent downward force.
This is not surprising.
Ian had used similar techniques many times before.
But then, in the instant that the greatsword was deflected and Karg's chest was slightly exposed, Ian took a step forward, his longsword changing from a sweeping motion to a thrusting motion, transforming into a swift, cold light, aimed directly at the opening in Karg's chest that was slightly leaning forward due to the exertion of force!
This thrust was swift, precise, and ruthless!
More importantly, his method of exerting force, the choice of angle, and even the momentum of going forward and focusing on breaking through a single point are surprisingly similar to his unique skill, " Armor-Piercing Thrust," which he has Karg for many years and is used to deal with heavily armored enemies. It emphasizes breaking through the surface by focusing on a single point and concentrating all the power of his body on the tip of the sword.
Although Ian's thrust was not enhanced by Battle Qi and relied purely on physical strength and timing, he had already grasped its essence!
"He—he's actually imitating me!" Karg was suddenly shocked, as if he had been doused with ice water, and the last bit of pride and wishful thinking vanished completely.
All that remains is sheer disbelief.
It's not uncommon for moves to be seen through and countered, but to be imitated by an opponent at such an astonishing speed during combat...
Even improvement? That would be the greatest insult to his decades of hard work!
They're toying with his pride!
Once again, anger, like fueled by oil, instantly burned away any lingering doubt. Shame overwhelmed everything.
"Damn it!!" Karg roared, his attacks not weakening with his stamina, but instead becoming even more ferocious and cunning in his rage! He no longer adhered to his usual battlefield tactics, and began to unleash some of his most trump cards...
He even unleashed complex sword techniques and combinations that he rarely used himself.
"Let's see how you learn now!"
With a fierce determination, he wielded his greatsword, his crimson Battle Qi sometimes transforming into raging waves crashing against the shore, and sometimes coalescing like a venomous snake spitting its tongue. His sword moves combined feints and real attacks, alternating between fast and slow, attempting to use unpredictable variations to escape his opponent's terrifying learning ability.
However, reality is cruel.
"Are you going through menopause?" Ian's sarcastic remark was quite witty. His learning speed was also frustratingly fast, even giving Karg the absurd feeling that he was actively "feeding" him tips.
Karg gritted his teeth and unleashed a signature move that had made him famous—the " Spiral Slash "! This move requires special techniques for circulating Battle Qi, allowing the Battle Qi to spiral around the sword. When the sword is drawn, it not only has extremely strong penetrating power but also produces a strange rotating and tearing effect, specifically designed to destroy the enemy's defenses and weapons.
He used this very move to break through the magical armor and steel shield of an enemy general amidst a vast army, securing victory in one fell swoop.
The crimson greatsword, accompanied by a deep, drill-like hum, spun and pierced towards Ian, pulling and stirring up the chaotic energy flow in its wake!
"Great stuff! Great stuff! I've learned it!"
When Ian first saw this move, a glint seemed to appear in his cold eyes. He did not choose to meet it head-on, nor did he completely dodge. Instead, he slightly turned his body, and his longsword was slashed out at an extremely clever angle, the tip of the sword not aimed at the center of the greatsword, but rather grazing the edge of the swirling Battle Qi aura.
"Sizzle--!"
A piercing scraping sound rang out. Ian's longsword was like the most precise instrument; at the moment of contact, his wrist vibrated at a speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye! It wasn't a simple block; it was more like "touching" and "feeling" the rotational rhythm, energy intensity, and power transmission of the spiraling Battle Qi!
The greatsword was guided to deflect, and Ian used the recoil to retreat lightly, while Ziguang remained locked on the fading spiral of battle Battle Qi on the Karg sword.
It was as if something was being rapidly recorded and analyzed in my mind.
"He can even learn this?"
Karg's heart sank, but his attack continued. After a slight adjustment, he tried to unleash the " Spiral Slash " again, this time changing the direction of rotation and the angle of the thrust.
However, as his greatsword thrust out again with a spiraling force, he was horrified to see that Ian's longsword, too, was carrying a subtle yet clearly discernible rotational force! Although it lacked the power of Battle Qi, and was purely a skillful exertion of the wrist and arm muscles, its core rotational trajectory and timing of force application had clearly captured the essence of the " Spiral Slash "—that spiraling, penetrating feeling that concentrates power from the inside out!
"He really learned it! How is that possible!" Karg was absolutely certain this time, and the shock in his heart was like an icy tide, instantly overwhelming his anger.
This is no longer simply imitating external movements!
This demonstrates an understanding of the underlying principles of power generation and the core logic of energy utilization behind the techniques! How could a Wizard possess such an extraordinary comprehension of a warrior's unique Battle Qi techniques?!
This is completely against common sense!
The battle continued, but Karg's mind was in turmoil.
He then unleashed a series of " Three-Stage Thrust " coordinated with exquisite footwork, making it difficult to discern whether the attack was real or feint.
He possesses a technique called " Flash Strike," which utilizes the instantaneous burst of Battle Qi to achieve astonishing acceleration and direction changes; he even has a rarely used move called " Countercurrent Parry," which combines force deflection with a fierce counterattack.
Ian, like a super learning machine with unlimited memory and a top-of-the-line processor, entered a highly efficient "data acquisition and pattern recognition" phase. He first cautiously observed and probed, occasionally imitating a little bit, but mostly felt the force, trajectory and intention of the opponent's moves while defending.
As the number of encounters increased, Karg became increasingly disillusioned to discover that Ian's "imitation" was becoming more and more lifelike, capturing the essence of the character. It wasn't just a matter of resemblance; it was beginning to possess that unique "spirit."
Although the opponent's " Three-Stage Thrust " was faster and smoother, lacking the bloodshed of battlefield combat, the oppressive feeling of its alternating illusions and relentless pressure was exactly the same.
Although the opponent's " Flash Strike " lacked the dazzling effect of a burst of Battle Qi, it perfectly replicated the tactical thinking of instantly changing the rhythm and taking things by surprise.
Even the ingenious concept of " Countercurrent Parry," which contains a counter-attack opportunity within a block, was quickly understood by Ian and integrated into his own defensive system.
Later on...
Behold my Divine Might!
Ian was no longer satisfied with simply imitating and replicating. He began to disassemble and analyze Karg's different moves, and then perform bizarre combinations and optimizations in actual combat!
"Huh?!!!" Karg saw that after Ian parried, his counterattack was a fusion of the focused penetration of " Armor-Piercing Thrust " and the prelude to the rotational power of " Spiral Slash ". Although it was not fully fused, after all, it lacked the support of Battle Qi, but the strangeness of its idea and the ingenuity of its connection made Karg, the original owner, feel a chill down his spine!
A few minutes.
But to Karg, it felt like centuries.
Finally, he unleashed his most prized and powerful move—the " Heavy Mountain Cleave "! This move emphasizes concentrating all the strength and Battle Qi spirit of the body into a single line, cleaving down from above with the force of Mount Tai crashing down, aiming to secure victory in one strike. It is a powerful weapon for attacking and breaking through defenses. Karg risked his last bit of fighting Battle Qi and stamina, raising his greatsword high, crimson flames soaring into the sky, and then, with the force of a collapsing mountain, he slashed fiercely at Ian!
This time, Ian didn't use any clever tricks to deflect the attack, nor did he dodge.
The ordinary longsword in his hand drew a trajectory almost identical to that of Karg's " Heavy Mountain Cleave ".
Yet it is more streamlined, more efficient, and features a perfect arc that eliminates all unnecessary pre-processing!
They started later, but arrived first!
At the most delicate and tense moment, when the power of Karg's greatsword reached its peak and was about to crash down, Ian's sword, as if prescient, precisely struck three inches below where Karg held the sword with both hands—an extremely hidden but real weakness in the chain of power transmission between the greatsword and Battle Qi.
It is also a "node" where defenses are temporarily weakened due to the all-out attack!
"Clang--!!!"
A deafening clang of metal, far more resonant and powerful than any previous collision, rang out!
Karg felt a concentrated, sharp force, seemingly capable of piercing through any defense, surge through the sword, instantly shattering his already crumbling Battle Qi defenses! A tearing pain shot through his wrist, his hand split open, and blood splattered! For the first time, the indestructible greatsword that had accompanied him through many battles almost flew out of his grasp!
"I lost? I lost in close combat to a Wizard???" He felt as if he had been struck by a giant hammer, staggering back seven or eight steps. Each step created chaotic energy ripples in the void, and his crimson Battle Qi flickered like a candle in the wind, almost completely dissipating!
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh~"
He was breathing heavily.
Karg barely managed to steady himself, veins bulging on his forehead, blood and sweat blurring his vision. He stared in disbelief, almost blankly, at Ian, who remained standing there, his breathing perfectly steady. Ian casually twirled his sword, the movement fluid and natural, subtly carrying a hint of Karg's own ruthless and direct battlefield swordsmanship, yet governed by a more refined and sophisticated control.
It appears—perfectly natural, without any flaws?
Ian seemed quite satisfied with his attack, nodding in a tone that was almost bland and bored.
He spoke as if commenting on the taste of today's breakfast.
"Hmm, the power generation technique and energy utilization are interesting, but the moves are too rigid and lack variation. They're sufficient for dealing with grunts on the battlefield, but against true masters, the openings are too obvious. That ' Heavy Mountain Cleave ' just now..." If the power from the waist and hips could be lowered by a third, the leverage would be even greater, and if the timing of the Battle Qi explosion could be advanced even by half a second, perfectly synchronizing with the muscle power explosion, the power could increase by at least 30%. By the way, that weak point in the power transmission would also be covered by a stronger Battle Qi, preventing it from being easily exploited.
He spoke of it casually.
It was as if he were simply stating an obvious physical law. But every word was like the sharpest scalpel, precisely dissecting the core strengths and weaknesses of the Karg swordsmanship.
It also provided key areas for improvement!
Is this guy teaching me how to be a warrior?
At this moment, Karg was stunned, and it was difficult to describe his state of mind.