The players' faces fell too.
Though they were shocked by Fang Yue's combat strength, they'd also hoped he could turn the tide. Who could've guessed that after looking so impressive for a moment, he'd get knocked flat?
And after seeing the damage numbers Fang Yue dealt to the anomaly, their jealousy subsided quite a bit.
That little bit of damage wouldn't even measure up to one slash or thrust from their captains!
Fang Yue was certainly ahead of them, but the gap wasn't nearly as huge as they'd imagined.
Jing Yan shook his head. "Prepare for the worst. There's a good chance our entire village will be wiped out tonight..."
Jing Yan had barely started speaking when his expression suddenly froze.
On the battlefield ahead, Fang Yue was slowly getting back to his feet. He dusted himself off and walked toward the Maid Anomaly as if nothing had happened.
No way. Was he really fine?
That punch from the anomaly had dealt over a hundred points of damage!
They knew he was tough and hadn't died on the spot, but surely he could still be badly injured.
So how was he getting up like nothing had happened, ready to keep fighting?
Jing Yan wasn't the only one dumbfounded. The others were just as stunned.
They'd all instinctively assumed Fang Yue was already dead.
"He-He's okay?"
"That's impossible! He took a full-on punch from an anomaly. Even the captains would be in trouble. How could he be fine?"
"I get it! He's forcing himself to stand! He's doing it for Ancient Moon Village!"
"It's his conviction that got him back on his feet! His determination to protect Ancient Moon Village is letting him fight for us!"
"So that's it... Brother Ye! Brother Ye! Come on, Brother Ye! You can do it!"
"Come on, Brother Ye! You can do it!"
The crowd was worked up, but Lin Ling remained calm.
He knew that kind of gap in strength couldn't be overcome by willpower alone.
At that moment, he remembered Fang Yue saying that Captain Chen had taught him swordsmanship...
"Forget it. We'll make do with what we have! You two, go find the vice-captains and tell them to collect Iron Blades and bring them to me. The more, the better!"
At Lin Ling's instructions, Niu Niu and Little Fox brightened. They exchanged a glance, then hurried off to carry them out.
None of that had anything to do with the man and the anomaly up ahead.
The Maid Anomaly had initially stalked toward Fang Yue, intent on delivering the finishing blow.
But when she saw him dust himself off and get up as if nothing had happened, she froze for a moment.
Once she recovered, she quickened her pace, her shoulders swinging in wide, forceful arcs.
"Ho!"
Fang Yue gave a strange laugh, and his steps toward the anomaly quickened too.
"You're coming toward me? You're choosing to close in instead of running away? Anomaly, you've made a choice you'll regret for the rest of your life!"
Thud!
Thud!
The moment Fang Yue finished speaking, a thunderous impact burst beneath the feet of both man and anomaly. In a flash, they charged straight at each other.
"Wryyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!"
Roar!!!
They both let out furious roars. The distance between them vanished in an instant, and they crashed together.
Bam!!
Fang Yue's fist slammed directly into the anomaly's chest!
-33!
As her chest bone caved in slightly, he raised his left arm to block.
The next moment, a tremendous force struck his left arm. A number popped up above his head, but Fang Yue stayed firmly in place. His body only trembled slightly; he wasn't knocked flying.
-51!
His health dropped by a chunk, then rapidly filled back up thanks to [Night's Breath].
I can even withstand the health drain from [Rainstorm Weather]. Why should I be afraid of one anomaly?
As long as I'm not killed in one hit at full health, I can take on even a god!
Of course, that was just bluster.
Judging from what had happened so far, a direct hit from the anomaly dealt over a hundred points of damage to Fang Yue.
Even with [Night's Breath]'s incredible healing speed, if he took three hits in a row without blocking, he'd be dead.
So he had to block!
If he blocked one out of every three attacks, his health would recover in time. Then... he'd be a perpetual-motion machine! He'd wear the damn thing down!
Fang Yue's thinking was perfectly clear, but he'd underestimated one thing.
How quickly a fight could change.
After blocking the attack, Fang Yue immediately slammed a fist into the Maid Anomaly's forehead.
-35!
He wanted to see whether the person possessed by the anomaly could survive having her head smashed to pieces!
But just as Fang Yue finished throwing his punch, the anomaly's severed hand shot toward him.
Caught off guard, he took a hole straight through the stomach.
-177!
His expression changed. Fang Yue kicked the anomaly in the stomach, using the force to leap backward and open some distance.
He glanced at the bloody hole in his stomach, his face grim.
But it wasn't long before he noticed his health recovering, and the hole in his stomach rapidly closing before his eyes until it formed a scab.
Night's Breath was a godsend!
Without another word, Fang Yue charged at the anomaly again.
The anomaly was stunned.
She'd thought that kidney shot would be enough to finish Fang Yue off. Who could've expected this guy to have some kind of breathing-and-healing technique? He took a few breaths, then charged right back in.
They clashed again...
"ORA! ORA! ORA! ORA!"
-32!
-41!
-51!
-21!
"MUDA!"
-88!
"ORA" meant an attack—in other words, damage dealt to the anomaly.
"MUDA" meant Fang Yue had been hit while trying to redirect the force.
He'd gotten greedy this time. He hadn't redirected the force in time and hadn't managed to channel it fully, so the anomaly dealt him heavy damage.
Fang Yue committed the lesson to memory, then... paid her back a hundredfold!
"ORA ORA ORA ORA! MUDA!"
"MUDA MUDA MUDA! ORA!"
As their rhythmic cries rang out, Fang Yue and the anomaly somehow began trading blows evenly.
Every so often, Fang Yue would retreat, as if catching his breath to heal. Before long, he'd charge back in and continue the fight, leaving everyone baffled.
Though the fighting style was bizarre and savage, he was truly holding his own against the anomaly.
In everyone else's eyes, any one of the anomaly's attacks should've been enough to kill Fang Yue.
But he just wouldn't die. He was still alive. It was baffling.
They'd never seen such a recklessly brutal fighting style before.
Anyone else would've been desperately dodging the anomaly's attacks or redirecting the force and blocking before striking back. One mistake could cost them half their life; two would send them straight to the underworld.
Even the Guard Team captains would have to be extremely careful against an anomaly of this caliber. They wouldn't dare face it head-on.
A glancing blow would leave you injured; a direct hit would leave you badly wounded. That was just how powerful anomalies were.
At least, that was how things were supposed to work, as far as they knew.
So why was the guy in front of them fighting like he was from another world? Every punch landed solidly, his battle cries shook the sky, and he took every hit while trading blows with the anomaly. He was practically trying to get himself killed, and yet he still wouldn't die!
What kind of constitution did he have?
Could it really be that people's bodies were all that different from one another?
The crowd looked from Captain Hua, who lay on the ground barely breathing, to Captain Lin, who needed someone to support him just to stand, and then to Fang Yue, who was still full of energy after taking more than a dozen full-strength hits from the anomaly. They felt as if their entire worldview had been shattered.
You could fight an anomaly like that?
The villagers were only baffled, but Lin Ling and the others, who had trained in martial arts, had their eyes practically popping out of their heads.
Good heavens, was he some kind of living immortal?
Before you continue