The instant the greatsaber came crashing down, the Fine Iron Shield Ding Hao held at the very front shattered into four or five pieces beneath the blazing, surging True Qi!
One could well imagine just how powerful Zhang Dalong's strike was!
Splitting metal and cleaving stone were nothing more than child's play!
Immediately afterward, the Golden Bell Shield covering Ding Hao's body cracked apart as well. It lasted but an instant before bursting into spiritual light that filled the sky!
The only consolation was that, beneath the double defense of the Fine Iron Shield and Golden Bell Shield, more than half the power of Zhang Dalong's strike had already been spent!
The remaining blade force was forcibly endured by Ding Hao with his Heavenly Tyrant Body!
With a bang, Ding Hao crashed into a weapon rack. His death row uniform was torn apart, and a long bloody gash was ripped across his chest by the blade light!
Though blood streamed freely, it was not fatal—merely a flesh wound!
"Hiss!"
This astonishing sight made the soldiers on the drill ground suck in cold breaths!
Ding Hao, an eighth-rank martial artist, had actually taken one of Zhang Dalong's blows head-on at the cost of only minor injuries!
This was even more shocking than him evading the first strike earlier!
"What?!" Even Zhang Dalong himself was greatly startled!
Though that strike had merely been a casual slash, containing less than half his strength, it would have been enough to kill an ordinary True Martial Realm martial artist. Yet it had only caused Ding Hao some minor injuries. This was simply absurd!
"Mm!"
"Could Ding Hao truly have a chance of taking Zhang Dalong's three strikes?"
Beside them, immense hope rose in Ding Yishan's eyes. Yet in the next moment, his heart sank once more!
Zhang Dalong, in a towering rage, swung out a third strike!
This time, he held nothing back. He had even employed a blade technique!
The violent True Qi made the blade light it spat forth incomparably blazing and tyrannical. The killing intent upon it made even Ding Yishan's entire body turn cold!
Clearly, Zhang Dalong had truly used his full strength!
"It's over!"
"Ding Hao is finished!"
"With General Zhang's full-force strike, no one in the entire Divine Phoenix Army can take it head-on except Army Lord Luo!"
"No matter how strong Ding Hao is, he's only an eighth-rank martial artist. No method he uses can defend against it!"
A great uproar instantly swept across the Death Row Camp's drill ground!
Everyone's eyes were filled with regret. The strength Ding Hao had just displayed was truly extraordinary—he was a genius!
If he did not die,
he would sooner or later rise above the masses. Unfortunately, he had offended Zhang Dalong.
"Damn it!"
Seeing Zhang Dalong's third strike descend, Ding Hao was utterly enraged as well!
He had dodged the first strike!
He had taken the second!
But Ding Hao knew that he could neither dodge nor take the third.
Zhang Dalong had set his heart on taking his life during this sparring session.
If he could not dodge it, then he would kill!
In his fury, Ding Hao neither dodged nor defended. Instead, taking advantage of the scattered weapons around him, he drew the Mysterious Iron Saber and charged viciously at Zhang Dalong!
Heavenly Tyrant Body!
Innate Strength!
Tyrant Blade Slash!
In an instant, the Mysterious Iron Saber came slashing down, carrying a tyrannical and terrifying blade momentum!
And while it was still halfway through its arc, Ding Hao unleashed his greatest trump card once more!
"Primordial Barbarian Bloodline!!"
As he fully activated that wisp of Primordial Barbarian Bloodline within his body, Ding Hao's strength surged severalfold once again, causing the power of this Tyrant Blade Slash to rise by multiples as well!
At this moment, Ding Hao had unleashed every means at his disposal and staked everything on this!
The terrifying blade power cowed the entire Death Row Camp drill ground, making even True Martial Realm experts like Ding Yishan feel alarmed!
He felt that under Ding Hao's strike, even he could be shaken!
At last, beneath countless gazes, Ding Hao's saber and Zhang Dalong's saber collided heavily above the drill ground!
Clang!!
A deafening metallic explosion echoed across the drill ground, and many present instinctively covered their stinging ears!
Immediately after, blade light and True Qi transformed into tangible waves of energy and spread outward.
Fierce winds raged, whipping up rolling clouds of dust that obscured the drill ground from view!
Boom! Thud!!
Amid it all, many people heard only a series of dull impacts!
Only after the raging dust settled did Ding Yishan and the others look over!
The first person to enter their sight was Zhang Dalong. Though his tall, sturdy body still stood on the drill ground, he had clearly been forced back several steps, and shock still lingered on his face!
Opposite him,
Ding Hao had already rolled more than ten meters away, the Mysterious Iron Saber flung aside.
He lay sprawled on the ground, blood flowing from head to toe, his tattered prison uniform long since dyed blood-red!
"Dead?"
Just as Ding Yishan was about to rush over to check on him at once!
A low laugh suddenly rang out. "Heh heh, hahahaha!"
In the next instant, Ding Hao struggled up from the ground. Though drenched in blood from head to toe, his face was filled with wild defiance!
"My heavens!"
"Ding Hao isn't dead!"
"Good lord, he's only an eighth-rank martial artist. How did he do it?!"
At this moment, the entire Death Row Camp drill ground erupted into an uproar!
Even Ding Yishan's eyes revealed shock, as though he had witnessed a miracle!
"Hahaha! So the Divine Phoenix Army's number one fierce general is nothing more than this!"
Ding Hao's wild laughter and mockery echoed across the drill ground.
Across from him, Zhang Dalong's face had already turned ashen!
Even he had not expected Ding Hao's strength to surge so drastically when he faced that third strike!
As a result, his sure-kill strike had only severely wounded the other party rather than killing him!
A high-level True Martial Realm expert like him had failed to kill an eighth-rank martial artist even after three strikes. This was simply—an utter humiliation!
"You damned thing!"
Zhang Dalong was furious beyond measure. Disregarding everything, he raised his saber to attack again!
But Ding Yishan had long been prepared. He hurriedly flashed forward and shouted angrily, "Zhang Dalong, do you have any shame left? You agreed on three strikes. Now that the three strikes are over, you still want to attack?!"
"Get lost!"
Zhang Dalong refused to let the matter rest, looking as though he would not stop until Ding Hao was dead.
Naturally, Ding Yishan would not move aside. Ding Hao was already grievously wounded and absolutely could not take another strike from Zhang Dalong.
Just as the two great generals were about to erupt into battle on the Death Row Camp drill ground,
a cold, sharp feminine shout suddenly rang out. "Stop!"
Zhang Dalong and Ding Yishan both trembled and hurriedly stopped.
Everyone turned to look, only to see a figure in golden armor and red robe entering the camp!
Her tall, slender figure radiated an awe-inspiring commander's bearing that stirred the soul!
It was none other than—Luo Shenhuang!!
"Army Lord Luo!"
"Greetings, Army Lord Luo!"
Amid countless voices of greeting, Luo Shenhuang strode onto the drill ground.
She first glanced at Ding Hao, who was covered in blood and swaying on the verge of collapse. Then she fixed Zhang Dalong with an unfriendly gaze and rebuked, "Zhang Dalong, as a high-ranking general, you came to the Death Row Camp to make things difficult for a death row soldier. You've really outdone yourself!"
Though Zhang Dalong was arrogant and overbearing before Ding Yishan, before Luo Shenhuang he was utterly respectful and did not dare show the slightest impropriety. He hurriedly explained, "Army Lord Luo, I..."
"You need not say more. I already understand the full story. Your younger brother brought his death upon himself; he has no one else to blame!"
"As for today's matter, I will regard your visit to the Death Row Camp as sparring practice. But there must not be a next time. Otherwise—military law will deal with you!"
Zhang Dalong was clearly unwilling, but he did not dare disobey Luo Shenhuang's words. He could only cup his fists and accept the order, then turn to leave.
But at that moment, Ding Hao's voice rang out across the drill ground.
"Zhang Dalong, the three blades of today—I will repay them someday!!"
Before you continue