The changes in the arena came too swiftly to follow. In a brief moment, more than forty exchanges had passed. Yin Tianzheng's breathing had begun to falter, and defeat seemed close at hand.
Yet Yin Tianzheng's expression hardened, his eyes flashing with the fierce sharpness of an eagle. As his bearing changed, his techniques no longer relied on brute force to overcome finesse. They became exceedingly vicious. His iron staff circled around him, blocking the incoming sword strikes. He defended without attacking, waiting until Mo Shenggu needed to draw breath before lunging at his vital points like an eagle pouncing on a rabbit.
His hand curled into a claw, following close behind the staff techniques. He knocked Mo Shenggu's sword aside and forced him to meet fists and feet with his own.
At this moment, both men split their focus in two: weapon against weapon, fists and feet against eagle claws.
In barely a dozen exchanges, Yin Tianzheng had firmly gained the upper hand. Yet just as his Eagle Claw Technique reached its most formidable peak, his movements would pause for an instant at intervals, or make an unnecessary feint.
On closer inspection, it was not only his techniques. Even his body movements and footwork had lost the fierce speed and power of an eagle, seeming somewhat sluggish.
At that moment, Song Yuanqiao of Wudang, standing among the Six Great Sects, said, "Elder Yin, your daughter Yin Susu married my fifth brother Cuishan. By rights, the Heavenly Eagle Cult and our Wudang Sect are already related by marriage.
"This time, we have come to besiege Bright Summit only because of the Ming Cult. Since you have founded the Heavenly Eagle Cult yourself, why must you wade into these troubled waters?
"Elder Yin, why not stop here? You have already defeated