Huo Dongfeng stared at Deng Qing, his murderous intent growing stronger. "I will rid the Church of this scourge first!"
Before he could finish speaking, he pounced again.
Deng Qing turned and walked away.
That punch just now was merely an attempt to test just how much he differed from Huo Dongfeng.
Now that we've made some progress, there's no reason to continue fighting head-on.
Huo Dongfeng threw a punch, and Deng Qing's shoulder sank, his foot took half a step, and he had already circled around to the left of Huo Dongfeng's fist.
Huo Dongfeng was taken aback. He had known that Deng Qing's Movement Technique were somewhat skillful, but he hadn't expected him to be so agile. He quickly changed his move, twisting his waist to strike again.
Huo Dongfeng's punch caused Deng Qing's dress to flutter loudly, but it landed in empty air.
He persisted, launching several more attacks, but all ended in the same way.
Deng Qing stayed close to him the whole time. He attacked several times, his fists almost grazing Deng Qing's chest, but he just couldn't hit him.
Despite his repeated attacks failing to achieve their intended effect, Huo Dongfeng remained unperturbed.
There are countless exquisite Movement Technique in the world; it's not surprising that one might not be able to adapt to them upon first encountering them.
But with patient observation, it won't be long before the flaws are discovered.
Therefore, Huo Dongfeng continued his attacks without even using the Narrow Sword on his back.
He had attacked for over thirty moves, but Deng Qing's footwork still didn't make sense to him. He just felt that this guy was drawing circles in place, sometimes the circles were big, sometimes they were small, sometimes he was at one end of the circle, sometimes he was at the other end of the circle, and there was no trace of him at all.
He was secretly astonished; such exquisite Movement Technique was truly something he had never seen before in his life.
He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and continued to launch attacks.
In that instant, he changed his mind. "No matter how good Deng Qing's Movement Technique are, or how fast he changes, he still has to rely on his Qi-Blood and physical strength to support him."
Especially in such close combat, if Deng Qing hesitates even slightly, he will be hit with a heavy punch.
I can miss countless times, but he cannot afford to make a single mistake.
Furthermore, Laozi is two realms higher than Deng Qing. Let's just keep at it and see who gives up first.
In times of war, the worst thing is to be anxious; I cannot be hasty.
Once the decision was made, Huo Dongfeng launched a relentless offensive, never giving Deng Qing a chance to catch his breath.
In the chase, the two gradually moved away from the place where the fighting was taking place.
In the blink of an eye, more than fifty breaths had passed, and Deng Qing's pace indeed slowed down.
Huo Dongfeng's eyes sharpened, and he was secretly delighted. He threw a punch that he had been holding back for a long time, aiming straight for Deng Qing's chest.
He was certain that, given Deng Qing's current speed, he wouldn't be able to dodge it.
Unexpectedly, just as the punch was about to land, Deng Qing subtly turned his toes, increasing his speed, and his body slid out along with the fist's edge.
Huo Dongfeng was unwilling to give up and quickly caught up, throwing another punch, only to miss again.
He frowned; this didn't seem to be a problem with speed.
This kid's Movement Technique is really strange. He doesn't seem as fast as before, and his movements even seem a bit sluggish when he turns around, but every time his fist comes down, he just happens to make way for the fist to land.
As the fight progressed, Huo Dongfeng even felt that it wasn't the kid dodging his punches, but rather that his punches were circling around the kid.
This is absolutely insane!
Huo Dongfeng was racking his brains for a way to break the deadlock when a furious roar suddenly came from the west.
Out of the corner of his eye, Huo Dongfeng saw that a hundred feet away, two groups of people were locked in a fierce battle.
The Lingbiao Squad, however, was already at a disadvantage.
With the death of Yang Jie and the other two, all at the third Bone Tempering Third Layer, the Lingbiao Squad's strongest Sword Formation could not be formed. Lacking their backbone, their combat power plummeted.
Seeing that the Lingbiao Squad was in a critical situation, Huo Dongfeng decided to abandon Deng Qing and rush over first.
Moreover, attacking what the enemy is bound to defend is also a brilliant move.
However, he suppressed the thought as soon as it popped into his head.
He clearly saw Deng Qing's skill in killing people.
Ordinary Bone Tempering Third Layer couldn't withstand more than a few blows from this kid.
While he himself could easily dominate the battlefield, Deng Qing could also charge into the crowd and reap the rewards of his own brothers.
Those Martial Exam Student and the guy surnamed Deng were just teammates temporarily put together; if a few of them died, this kid probably wouldn't care.
The Lingbiao Squad consisted of old brothers who had followed them for many years. Three of them had already died. What use would it be if they killed a few more, even if they wiped out all the Martial Exam Student?
Huo Dongfeng grew increasingly anxious. He launched several more punches, but still failed to land a hit on Deng Qing. Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of the sandy ground to the east.
There stands a Stone Forest there, with Stone Pillar of varying heights, covering an area of about one acre.
Huo Dongfeng's eyes flickered slightly, and in the next instant, he suddenly withdrew his fist and reached behind him with his other hand.
With a whoosh, the " Ten Thousand Blades Sword" landed in his palm. Huo Dongfeng coldly snorted, "If you can withstand until I, Huo, use this sword, even if you die, you can die in peace!"
Even so, Huo Dongfeng was frustrated. Using a weapon against a bare-handed Bone-Tempering Two was an absolute disgrace to him.
Of course, he didn't use a sword before not because he was being deliberately arrogant, but because his Swordsmanship required the use of Internal Breath, which consumed too much energy.
Moreover, he didn't initially think that dealing with Deng Qing would require using swordsmanship.
At this critical moment, Huo Dongfeng couldn't care less about anything else.
As his Internal Breath flowed in, a layer of Qi Aura faintly emerged from the blade of the sword.
Swish!
Huo Dongfeng swung his sword horizontally.
Deng Qing had just turned his foot when he suddenly felt a chilling aura pressing towards his side, and he immediately took a step back.
With a hiss, a section of his belt snapped in two.
Before he could land properly, the second sword was already coming, and Deng Qing retreated again.
Huo Dongfeng pressed his advantage relentlessly, swinging his sword repeatedly until the tip almost grazed Deng Qing's chin, forcing him to stagger backward.
Deng Qing swayed continuously, his steps remained steady, but the smooth and effortless grace he had displayed earlier was abruptly severed by these two sword strikes.
Huo Dongfeng sneered, "That's all there is to it!"
He charged forward with his sword, his blade relentlessly pursuing Deng Qing.
While his fighting style was undeniably impressive, the continuous use of his Internal Breath was actually extremely taxing.
But now, he can no longer afford to waste his time.
He took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and unleashed a flurry of sword light, increasing the intensity of his attacks to another level.
Just when Huo Dongfeng thought Deng Qing had reached his limit, Deng Qing's footsteps changed again, becoming even more unpredictable.
Huo Dongfeng was numb and stopped observing Deng Qing's Movement Technique. He focused on one target and was determined to wear him down.
Next, Huo Dongfeng did one thing: speed up the attack and force Deng Qing toward the Stone Forest.
He knew very well that no matter how skillful Deng Qing Movement Technique, he still needed a place to land.
There were stones all around him, and he refused to believe that Deng Qing could move around so freely!
Sure enough, after several sword strikes, Deng Qing was forced between two Stone Pillar.
Huo Dongfeng sneered, then suddenly pressed his sword down and swept it horizontally along the ground.
With a whoosh, a Stone Pillar as tall as a person was sliced off at the base.
Huo Dongfeng struck the Stone Pillar with his palm, causing it to collapse and crash straight down on Deng Qing.
Deng Qing slipped and took a big step to the side, but unexpectedly, another Stone Pillar appeared in front of him, forcing him to pull his foot back sharply, and his shoulder almost hit it.
Huo Dongfeng was not about to let such an opportunity slip by.
He lunged forward, his longsword piercing through the rising dust, aiming straight for Deng Qing's throat.
Deng Qing turned his foot, but his heel hit a broken rock, slowing his movement by half a beat.
puff!
The sword's edge grazed Deng Qing's neck and struck his shoulder.
In an instant, his clothes were torn open, and Huo Dongfeng felt the tip of his sword suddenly stop, unable to continue stabbing.
Deng Qing was sent flying backward by the force of the sword strike. His feet slid a short distance after landing, and his face turned bright red.
" Treasure Armor!"
Huo Dongfeng exclaimed in surprise, thinking to himself, "No wonder! Just now, in close combat, this kid dared to brave the swords and blades and rush in. So he had something to rely on."
Deng Qing reached out and grabbed a Stone Pillar beside him, panting heavily, his body drenched in sweat, seemingly struggling even to stand.
Huo Dongfeng sneered, "A mere Bone-Tempering Two dares to try and outlast me? I'll wear you down to nothing!"
Before he could finish speaking, he pounced on him again.
As Deng Qing was about to go around the Stone Pillar, the sword blade slashed from the side, forcing him to retreat.
Huo Dongfeng swung his sword horizontally, sending stone chips flying, and the Stone Pillar that Deng Qing had just been supporting was cut in half.
Huo Dongfeng kicked the crack, and the pillar crashed down, completely blocking Deng Qing's path.
Deng Qing retreated several steps, only able to squeeze between two broken rocks.
Huo Dongfeng followed closely behind, his sword probing through a crevice in the rock, aiming straight for Deng Qing's back.
Deng Qing suddenly turned to the side to avoid the sword, but his ribs were swept by the subsequent horizontal sword blade, and he was knocked to the side.
He braced himself with one hand, flipped himself up, and another section of the pillar slammed down on him.
Deng Qing hurriedly lunged to the side, and a loud crash came from behind him as gravel flew everywhere, hitting his back with a thud.
Huo Dongfeng became more and more adept at fighting; this Stone Forest seemed to have been prepared specifically for him.
In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged dozens of blows.
A Stone Forest covering more than a thousand square meters has had most of its Stone Pillar swept off their sides. The broken pillars are piled up haphazardly on the ground, and it is almost impossible to find a completely flat area on the site.
Deng Qing's movements became completely erratic, he was constantly frantically parrying, and his breathing became increasingly heavy.
Huo Dongfeng's sense of satisfaction quickly vanished, because despite his efforts and repeated successes, he hadn't seen much blood splattered on Deng Qing.
This was because, although the boy's steps seemed chaotic, he always managed to move a few inches away just before the sword was about to strike him, allowing the attack to land entirely on the boy's chest and back.
Huo Dongfeng became increasingly convinced that Deng Qing must be wearing an extremely unusual Treasure Armor.
But so what?
The Treasure Armor can block the sword's edge, but the force of the sword's edge must be truly felt!
He stared at Deng Qing's flushed face and brandished his sword again, "I want to see how long this Treasure Armor of yours can hold out for you!"
Bang!
Deng Qing was swept away by another sword and fell to the ground.
This time, Deng Qing seemed to have lost the ability to adjust his posture in mid-air using his waist and abdomen, and he fell solidly into the pile of rocks.
He knocked over half of a broken pillar, curled up on the ground, and didn't move for a long time.
Huo Dongfeng did not launch an attack. He stood still, his chest heaving, his heavy breathing sounding like he was pulling a broken bellows.
As Deng Qing lay on the ground, he thought to himself, "The timing is about right."
Suddenly, he raised his head and roared in despair, "You old scoundrel, I'll never let you go, even if I die!"
Huo Dongfeng snorted coldly, not bothering to respond to Deng Qing at all. He took a deep breath, sprang up, and shot forward with his sword.
The rubble exploded beneath his feet, and within a few breaths, the sword was already close to Deng Qing, aimed straight for his throat.
Deng Qing, who was lying on the ground half-dead, suddenly moved.
Suddenly, he sprang up, his left hand grabbing at the sword's edge!
Huo Dongfeng was overjoyed. "Even a cornered beast will fight back! No matter how good your Treasure Armor is, can it really protect your hands?"
With a flick of his wrist, the sword blade instantly sliced horizontally, aiming to slice off several of Deng Qing's fingers.
Unexpectedly, a flash of blood appeared between Deng Qing's palms.
He tightened his grip, actually holding the thin blade of the sword firmly in his hand.
Huo Dongfeng's eyes bulged out, as if he had seen a ghost.
Before he could change his move, Deng Qing had already closed in. Huo Dongfeng realized something was wrong, instinctively withdrew his sword, and threw a punch.
Unfortunately, it was too late. Deng Qing had already launched his " Phoenix Swaps the Nest" move. His right hand circled up from below Huo Dongfeng's left hand and grabbed Huo Dongfeng's left elbow.
Huo Dongfeng's entire arm was instantly twisted like a pretzel. A sharp pain shot through him, and his punch, before it could even unleash its power, dissipated.
Even someone as strong as Huo Dongfeng couldn't help but wail in pain.
But before the howl could even begin, a sharp sword pierced through his chest. Huo Dongfeng looked down and saw the sword he had temporarily named " Ten Thousand Blades " stuck right in his chest.
"If I, Huo, am lying, I am willing to be punished by having Ten Thousand Blades pierce my chest."
Huo Dongfeng suddenly remembered this and actually laughed.
The next instant, Deng Qing snapped his neck.
Even after seeing his own back, Huo Dongfeng couldn't close his eyes, because he felt he hadn't done anything wrong.
The opponent's superior skill level and tactics were well-executed, with absolutely no recklessness.
If Deng Qing ultimately succeeded in using trickery and he fell victim to that killer move, then the battle had already lasted far too long, and he was already exhausted.
In that situation, what kind of brain would one need to believe that Deng Qing was cheating?
However, even though he couldn't close his eyes, Huo Dongfeng still died.
Deng Qing did not erupt in ecstasy, because from his perspective, once he was certain that Huo Dongfeng could not Collapse Step, Huo Dongfeng was already a dead man in his eyes.
Moreover, Huo Dongfeng was following the path he wanted Huo Dongfeng to take—a path of attrition and exhaustion.
With the blessing of the Wasteland Blood, even Huo Dongfeng couldn't defeat him despite his exhaustion.
Suddenly, Deng Qing lifted Huo Dongfeng's shirt, covered his face, and began the much-anticipated activity: touching the corpse.
After all that searching, he found some Silver Note and a few small boxes.
He didn't have time to check carefully and stuffed them all into his Waist Pouch.
Immediately, he pulled the Ten Thousand Blades Sword from Huo Dongfeng's chest, wiped the blood off Huo Dongfeng's body, and then inserted it into the straps behind his back.
Deng Qing wanted to rest for a while, but fearing that things might change if he stayed too long, he turned around and hurried back to the battlefield.
In just a few breaths, the scene ahead came into view.
The two sides were still fighting, but they had lost their previous momentum, and many people were lying on the ground.
Suddenly, a Martial Exam Student, slumped on the ground, shouted, "Brother Deng! Brother Deng is back! Huo Dongfeng is finished! Huo Dongfeng is finished!"
The Martial Exam Student' camp erupted instantly, with those sprawled on the ground raising their arms and shouting, unleashing their full fighting power even in the midst of battle.
The remaining members of the Donghuang Cult were all ashen-faced. Some, unwilling to give up, peered behind Deng Qing, but instead of Huo Dongfeng, they saw only the Narrow Sword behind Deng Qing.
The man's lips trembled slightly before Deng Qing moved.
His figure swept past like a whirlwind, quickly reaching the Donghuang Cult members who were paralyzed on the ground.
Deng Qing kicked the man in the neck, then took a half step to the left and his toes landed on the throat of the person next to him.
Deng Qing was too fast. Those people had already lost their fighting ability, and they didn't even have time to raise their weapons before Deng Qing sent them away one after another.
Then, Deng Qing plunged into the battle like a tiger descending a mountain, quickly resolving the conflict.
Everyone was stunned.
The reason everyone came to the conclusion that Deng Qing killed Huo Dongfeng was simply because Deng Qing had returned, while Huo Dongfeng had not.
This is because no one had ever seen Deng Qing's methods before today.
But today, as soon as Deng Qing's methods were revealed, even Chen Hong, who disliked Deng Qing the most, was stunned.
The sword in his hand clattered to the ground, and his whole body went limp.
There were no cheers, only heavy breathing.
The wind blowing from the Canyon made a greater commotion than anything else was happening on the ground.
Deng Qing cupped his hands and said, "Gentlemen, please rest well. I'll go check on Brother Lin and Brother Long."
Deng Qing's words jolted everyone awake from their daze.
"Thank you very much, Brother Deng!"
"If it weren't for Brother Deng today, we would be in grave danger!"
Everyone clasped their hands in greeting, and even those lying on the ground struggled to raise their hands.
Deng Qing hurried towards the place where Lin Li and Long Xiu had fallen.
When he arrived, both of them were still conscious, but they were seriously injured and lying on the ground breathing, seemingly unable to even get up.
Deng Qing recounted the battle situation, and the two men were filled with emotion.
Then, Deng Qing went back and forth twice, carrying them over and placing them beside the group.
Then, Deng Qing turned and walked towards the corpses scattered on the ground, beginning to clean up the battlefield.
He worked quickly, and aside from the Wasteland Spike scattered on the ground, he swept everything up in no time.
They collected a pile of swords, spears, and halberds, as well as Silver Note, Gold and Silver, and Medicine Box of various sizes.
Deng Qing accepted all comers.
He tore off a few vines, gathered the weapons together and tied them up, then found a relatively intact outer robe, used it to gather the rest of his belongings, tied them into a large bundle, and put it aside.
He then opened the medicine Medicine Box and distributed the hemostatic powder and healing pills.
Those who could still move helped those who couldn't, and everyone applied medicine to each other.
While everyone was applying medicine, Deng Qing quickly made two stretchers and carried the two fallen Martial Exam Student onto them.
Seeing their pale faces, everyone felt heavy-hearted.
Deng Qing removed their clothes and covered their faces.
The wind continued to blow, sweeping across the sandy ground, gently ruffling the hems of everyone's clothes. The living could still smooth their garments, but the dead could only let the wind rage freely over their clothes.
Deng Qing suddenly cupped his hands to the crowd and said in a deep voice, "It's all my fault for being incompetent. Since I took the lead, I failed to protect my brothers, causing Dong Jun and Xiao Jun to die in battle. I am truly ashamed."
"Brother Deng, you mustn't say that!"
Long Xiu braced himself against the ground, managing to sit up a little more upright. "Brother Lin and I failed to hold off Huo Dongfeng, almost ruining everything. If it weren't for Brother Deng taking on this scoundrel, we wouldn't be alive to sit here."
Lin Li, pale-faced, nodded and said, " The Donghuang Cult was responsible for the killings, but Brother Deng avenged his two companions. He has done no wrong."
Hong Lin, whose arms were wrapped in strips of cloth, said, "At the beginning of the battle, Brother Deng used a trick that we were unaware of and almost misunderstood."
When that Sword Formation came crashing down, I thought I was going to die. It was Brother Deng who took the initiative to attack first, breaking the Sword Formation and eliminating a few of the most powerful ones, which gave us a way out.
Then, it was Brother Deng who single-handedly challenged Huo Dongfeng and won the battle, laying the foundation for today's situation. We are deeply indebted to him.
If Brother Deng continues to blame himself, we fear we will have to commit suicide to atone for our sins.
Everyone responded enthusiastically.
Even Chen Hong, who was sprawled on the ground, propped himself up and sat up, solemnly clasping his hands in a fist and saying, "Brother Deng, I will remember your life-saving grace."
Enough with the small talk, I'm completely convinced you've won first place this time. If you manage to get back alive, I'll definitely repay this kindness!