Seeing the two of them seemingly ready to decide life and death in a single move, a wave of low cries rose from the crowd nearby. Not only Li Qingluo, but even the Yellow-robed Woman, who was treating her master's injuries, and the usually expressionless Xiaolongnü stared fixedly at the battle.
Jia Sidao was startled when he saw his opponent adopt a fighting style that risked mutual destruction. Holding a high position for so long, he naturally disliked putting himself in danger. But he reacted quickly and immediately realized: his opponent clearly held the advantage, so why choose such a reckless approach? Most likely, he wanted to force Jia Sidao to retreat. Once he gave ground and his momentum faltered, the opponent's following attacks would come wave after wave, and victory would only slip farther away.
Though he had relied on the Tai Xuan Scripture, anyone who had entered the Grandmaster realm possessed extraordinary intelligence. In virtually an instant, he weighed the pros and cons. Without the slightest hesitation, he still threw a punch. He was gambling too—he refused to believe the other man would truly be willing to perish with him!
"I never expected them to settle victory and defeat in one move." Several Grandmasters sighed. Although Jia Sidao was somewhat weaker, he was still a genuine Grandmaster. Song Qingshu had also greatly depleted his vitality. Objectively speaking, their current strength was about equal. If they truly fought, it would likely take hundreds of moves to determine a winner.
Jia Sidao feared his opponent's practical combat experience, worrying that if they exchanged hundreds of moves, he might reveal a flaw. Thus, he chose to clash with pure cultivation. Song Qingshu presumably had the same concern: if the fight dragged on, the disadvantage from his damaged vitality would grow increasingly