Stop When Appropriate, Cease Conflict as Martial Arts X A Just Sneak Attack

BOOM!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Thirty-two Noble Phantasms swept toward Li Shuwen with unparalleled momentum.

Each Noble Phantasm was launched like a cannonball, shrouded in magical energy the moment it was fired, transforming into a streak of golden light.

At a glance, it seemed as if thirty-two sharp golden beams had descended upon Li Shuwen in the blink of an eye, locking onto every vital point on his body.

Facing such a terrifying onslaught, Li Shuwen's expression did not change in the slightest. He planted his feet firmly into the earth, his stance as solid as stone, and unleashed his counter.

BOOM BOOM BOOM~~~

Thirty-two sounds erupted in the next instant, kicking up billowing dust. The very earth trembled, and cracks spread outward, collapsing nearby warehouses and shipping containers with a thunderous roar.

Under such an impact, the Conqueror King Iskandar steered his chariot to safety, Saber retreated with Irisviel, and Lancer returned to the side of his Master, Kayneth, to stand guard, all leaving the battlefield to the two combatants.

Amidst the shockwaves, those unable to see the situation clearly couldn't help but worry for Li Shuwen. Could he possibly withstand such a barrage, which was akin to heavy artillery fire?

Yet, the Servants each wore expressions of awe or admiration, for in that brief moment, they had seen exactly what transpired.

"As expected of a man who has pushed 'martial arts' to its absolute limit. Truly impressive. I would love to invite him to join my ranks, but looking at how much he values the honor of his country, he surely wouldn't agree! Ha, what a pity."

The Conqueror King said with genuine regret.

Hearing this, Waver, who was shivering in the back of the chariot, asked, "R-Rider, w-what are you saying? Is, is that Li Shuwen okay?"

Conqueror King: "Hmm, he is fine. Not only is he fine, but he received the King of Heroes' attack completely unscathed. Look, that Goldie's face shows no joy; on the contrary, he looks even more annoyed."

"G-Goldie?" Waver's face twitched. He snuck a glance at Gilgamesh and found the latter's expression cold, his eyes filled with dissatisfaction.

At the same time, the camera provided a slow-motion replay from Gilgamesh's perspective, allowing people in the real world to witness what happened, as if reliving the scene through Gilgamesh's own memory.

In that instant, facing the impact of thirty-two Noble Phantasms, Li Shuwen had used his hands and right foot to parry the assault, deflecting three of the weapons in a heartbeat.

Then, he seized the fourth Noble Phantasm—a magnificent long spear—and turned it to his own use. With a flick of his wrist, he integrated it perfectly into his own pinnacle martial arts.

Already a master of the spear, Li Shuwen utilized the domineering techniques of the Baji Spear in the next moment. With parries, lifts, thrusts, sweeps, and hooks—combined with minimal movement that perfectly dodged the impact of the other weapons—he handled the rain of Noble Phantasms flawlessly, remaining completely unharmed.

The entire process took less than three seconds, but because the first impact had kicked up so much dust and debris, the onlookers had been unable to see the truth.

Now that they saw it clearly, countless people felt their scalps tingle, their blood surge, and goosebumps rise across their skin.

Especially those who practiced martial arts; they felt their blood boiling and their spirits stirred.

The pinnacle of martial arts!

This was the true pinnacle of martial arts!

Not the flashy, hollow movements seen on television, nor the performative routines, but a martial peak forged through thousands of trials.

Flawless, a union of man and heaven!

The ultimate pursuit of a martial artist could be nothing less than this.

In the Light Screen, after the flashback from Gilgamesh's perspective concluded, Gilgamesh said in a chilling tone: "How dare you touch this King's treasures with your own hands! Li Shuwen, are you in such a hurry to die?"

As he spoke, the Light Screen behind him expanded further. This time, the number of Noble Phantasms doubled to sixty-four, and their ranks had increased as well.

The audience was unaware of this detail, so the narrator's voice chimed in at the right moment.

[Gilgamesh's rage is beyond restraint, but he also understands that Li Shuwen is a truly formidable martial artist. Therefore, the Noble Phantasms he has released this time have not only increased in quantity but also in rank, rising from the original D-rank to the level of C-rank.]

[An increase in a Noble Phantasm's rank means that even when fired like a cannonball, the power of each strike has at least doubled.]

With this, people in the real world gained a deeper understanding of Noble Phantasms, and they found the concept of ranking them quite logical.

After all, various classification systems had appeared many times in the Light Screen before, so adding ranks to Noble Phantasms was no big deal.

In fact, many lore enthusiasts felt a sense of satisfaction at having the settings fleshed out.

Just then, the smoke dissipated, and Gil-chan prepared to launch a new, lethal strike against Li Shuwen.

But as the smoke cleared, Gil-chan paused, failing to launch his attack. In the ruins, Li Shuwen's figure was gone. Only the spear—the Noble Phantasm Li Shuwen had seized and used as a weapon—remained, thrust into the shattered earth like a proud, standing hero.

So, where was Li Shuwen?

No one could find him, for his presence and figure had vanished completely, as if he had turned invisible.

Gil-chan immediately searched in all directions, but in that instant, he suddenly realized something.

However, by the time he turned his head, it was already too late.

The proud King of Heroes saw Li Shuwen appear as if stepping out of invisibility, suddenly taking a step forward in mid-air.

BOOM!

With a single kick, the streetlamp beneath Gilgamesh's feet exploded, and the resulting shockwave forced him to hover in the air, unable to stabilize himself.

Then, with a cold expression, Li Shuwen delivered his strike.

Like a fierce tiger on the hunt, he unleashed a claw strike aimed directly at the back of Gilgamesh's head. Even the King of Heroes would be GG on the spot if this landed.

For this was a technique Li Shuwen had refined to the point of being a Noble Phantasm—the Baji Quan technique: Fierce Tiger Hard Mountain Climb.

During the war, many had perished under this very move.

Although it was merely one of the techniques of Baji Quan, under the reinforcement of Li Shuwen's legend, it was directly elevated into a Noble Phantasm exclusive to him!

It had no rank, for it was an Anti-Personnel Noble Phantasm, and its power was commensurate with Li Shuwen's own strength; the stronger he was, the more devastating the strike.

Now, with the legendary reinforcement of fighting on home soil, Li Shuwen—despite his elderly frame—possessed strength, agility, and stamina identical to his prime. Once a strike landed, the King of Heroes would be killed instantly; it was the quintessential example of a "first-move kill."

This was another characteristic of Li Shuwen as an Assassin: killing the enemy in a single blow, never dragging things out. He either wouldn't strike, or he would kill the enemy with the swiftest speed possible.

The entire process of the charge was incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, Li Shuwen had already delivered his fatal blow; only the *Servant*s were able to see it clearly.

When they witnessed this scene, everyone believed Gil-chan was doomed. No matter how powerful this King of Heroes might be, once a "first-move kill" was completed, it was effectively "GG."

Yet, at the very moment before he could slay the King of Heroes, Li Shuwen's hand stopped. Only the powerful wind from his palm strike brushed past the King of Heroes' hair, scattering his gravity-defying hairstyle.

Following this, both landed one after the other and stood their ground.

Li Shuwen retracted his stance, and after a moment of silence, Gilgamesh turned back with a ferocious expression: "Are you pitying this King? Mongrel!!!"

In his rage, his hair fell completely loose, turning into natural, messy strands. His Gate of Babylon shifted direction at that moment, aiming once again at Li Shuwen below. Not only were those sixty-four weapons present, but more Noble Phantasms emerged, the count breaking a hundred. It made everyone's scalp tingle and their throats go dry.

This Gilgamesh was simply too extravagant; such a quantity of Noble Phantasms was practically cheating.

However, facing this terrifying pressure, Li Shuwen only said calmly: "Pity? No, King of Uruk. This is the martial virtue of our Chinese martial arts, and one of the representations of the word 'propriety'—that is, to stop at the point of contact! It is also the true meaning of the word 'martial'—to stop conflict is the essence of martial arts!"

Instantly, the scene fell silent. Even the furious Gilgamesh suddenly went quiet. The *Servant*s were all lost in thought, while the others felt bewildered.

In the real world, the situation was much the same as in the Light Screen. Some understood what Li Shuwen meant and looked at him in the footage with admiration, while those who didn't complained, suggesting that Old Master Li should have just sent Gil-chan to the afterlife with a single claw.

Others who understood sneered, thinking to themselves that Li Shuwen was truly pedantic and that Flame Kingdom martial artists were just too pretentious.

As the party involved, Gilgamesh remained silent for a while before snorting coldly. He raised his hand, and the Noble Phantasms all retracted into the golden Light Screen. He said in a calm tone: "This King acknowledges your country. It is a nation worthy of this King's respect!"

There was no praise or commendation, but for the proud King of Heroes, this gesture of treating him as an equal was the greatest form of respect.

Upon hearing this, Li Shuwen smiled and nodded: "This is the righteous path. Mutual respect is where propriety lies."

In the real world, those who couldn't understand finally voiced their questions. For instance, Illya, being a young girl, asked Emiya Kiritsugu in confusion: "Papa, what is going on? Why did that old grandpa suddenly stop, and why did that golden guy suddenly change his attitude?"

Before Emiya Kiritsugu could answer, Emiya Shirou said thoughtfully: "It should be... Grandpa Li using his own way to tell that ancient King of Heroes that the propriety of the Flame Kingdom since ancient times has been the coexistence of strength and etiquette, right? Stopping at the point of contact is martial virtue, and it is also a form of propriety, representing the magnanimity of a great nation and the long-standing civilization of the Flame Kingdom, right?"

"Hmm... I don't know if my understanding is correct, but it should be that, right? In Grandpa Li's heart, making that King of Heroes acknowledge and accept the greatness of the Flame Kingdom's civilization is more important than killing him directly... After all, they are in the same camp, so it's not good to kill each other directly..."

Hearing this, Illya looked at Emiya Kiritsugu: "Papa, is that it?"

Emiya Kiritsugu patted Illya's head: "Something like that! There might be a deeper meaning, but that is for Illya to read and interpret for herself."

Illya's expression immediately slumped: "What? Why is this like when the teacher asks us to understand the meaning of Zhou Shuren's articles? Seriously, that's just too... Hmm? What is that?"

Suddenly, the style of the Light Screen footage changed drastically!

A dark red, violent torrent suddenly surged out from the other side of the warehouse, sweeping toward Li Shuwen and Gilgamesh—or more accurately, toward Gilgamesh; Li Shuwen was merely caught in the aftermath.