A Fight to the Death

Though it took longer to describe, only a single breath passed between Elderlymon unleashing Sunshine and the dark energy being exhausted. With his strength spent, Elderlymon could no longer even stand. Leaning on his cane, he sat down on the ground. Naturally, he could no longer maintain the Barrier. The instant it shattered, Unimon and SaberLeomon attacked together.

Unimon reared high on his forelegs, gathering a ball of light in his mouth more than a third larger than usual. "Holy Shot!" Unimon spat out the condensed projectile, sending it straight toward Devimon. Although Devimon had held his own against Zheng Fan, Unimon was his natural counter. His nimble body allowed him to dodge, but the shot grazed his wing, sending thick black smoke billowing from it. That smoke came from the data energy on Devimon's body being purified by Unimon.

Devimon screamed in midair. Seizing the opening, SaberLeomon shouted, "Lion King's Volley!" Countless spectral lion heads burst from the five lion heads on his armor-two on his shoulders, one on his belt, and two on his knee guards. This was clearly an evolved version of Hundred Beasts Fist. But Hundred Beasts Fist was ultimately a single-target attack, while Lion King's Volley covered a considerable area. SaberLeomon now stood four meters tall, and even a single spectral lion head was as large as Leomon's head had been.

Unimon and Leomon, however, were utterly helpless against Divine Spirit. Although Lion King's Roar could withstand Divine Spirit's mental attacks, it was merely a passive defense. Those mental attacks were instinctive to Divine Spirit; even having them shattered millions of times would have no effect.

Zheng Fan had ways to deal with Divine Spirit's mental attacks. Even now, Divine Spirit kept using them to interfere with Leomon and the others, or hurled enormous rocks around indiscriminately. Zheng Fan dispelled them easily with Illusory Moon Swordsmanship alone. Of course, that also had much to do with Divine Spirit's lack of formal training.

The battle between Zheng Fan and Divine Spirit had essentially become a back-and-forth war of attrition. If it continued to the end, Divine Spirit, a native of Infinite Mountain, would undoubtedly win. Although Zheng Fan possessed a technique that could kill in a single strike, he would be completely defenseless while charging it.

Thunder boomed. Elderlymon had recovered enough to unleash Thunderbolt again. It turned out that the light of evolution was not the only thing that descended from the sky-Elderlymon's lightning did too.

Struck by Elderlymon's Thunderbolt, Devimon's wings grew even more tattered. A closer look revealed that one of his horns had broken off as well. Yet Devimon had managed to hold out this long against two Champions and one Ultimate. Elderlymon was a First-Generation Digimon, easily a match for an ordinary Ultimate. Whether Devimon had monopolized Infinite Mountain, was guarding it, or had some other assignment, the forces of Darkness Invasion certainly had no shortage of Ultimate Digimon. Being sent alone to carry out a mission on Infinite Mountain, a sacred place for Digimon, meant Devimon was no minor figure either.

Unexpectedly, the badly wounded Devimon charged straight toward Zheng Fan. Only after nimbly dodging did Zheng Fan realize that Devimon had been trying to regroup with Divine Spirit. That was hardly good news.

Devimon stood before Divine Spirit and said, "Hurry up and heal me, or we're both finished." Divine Spirit actually detached the arm on its body that belonged to Devimon. Of course, Divine Spirit's entire body was spectral. Yet when that spectral arm touched Devimon, it merged into his body, drawing the surrounding disordered data energy into him as well. Devimon's battered body was actually restored.

Seeing this, Zheng Fan wanted nothing more than to hurry back to Buzhou and tell everyone he had discovered a new power of Divine Spirit. Although this was the Digimon World, if they all researched it together, they would surely find a way to perform this kind of healing on Earth.

Thoughts were one thing, but the fight to the death continued. SaberLeomon was gradually becoming accustomed to his evolved body and strength, while Divine Spirit also learned new tricks in battle. Zheng Fan found it increasingly difficult to hold it off.

Elderlymon unleashed Thunderbolt once more. This time, Devimon failed to dodge, and his wings were left in tatters again. Digimon truly possessed powerful vitality, and that strength showed in every detail.

Divine Spirit said irritably, "Devimon, you idiot! Hurry up and finish them!" It seemed Divine Spirit really had little combat experience. It could not even see that victory was assured as long as they dragged things out.

Devimon had been struck by lightning, but rather than suffering the serious injuries everyone had hoped for, he laughed in excitement. "The power of destruction! Hahaha! Lightning's power destroys all data energy. So that's how it works! Elderlymon, why don't you taste what it feels like to have your data energy destroyed? Death Claw!" Death Claw had not changed much, but it now carried a strange energy. A sense of dread rose in SaberLeomon's and Unimon's hearts, and they failed to stop Devimon. SaberLeomon shouted, "Elderlymon, watch out!" But after repeatedly using his strongest techniques, Elderlymon had no strength left to dodge. Devimon's Death Claw pierced straight through his chest. When Devimon withdrew his hand, there was no wound on Elderlymon's chest, yet his aura had fallen into utter chaos.

Elderlymon only managed to utter "Digicore" before collapsing unconscious. Could Devimon's Death Claw directly sense a Digicore?

Seeing Elderlymon lying on the ground, Zheng Fan made up his mind. He told SaberLeomon, "Please, SaberLeomon, Unimon. Protect me for at least one minute."

Zheng Fan murmured an incantation, his body moving along with the words. He was performing a sword dance.

"As heaven moves with vigor, the gentleman strives ceaselessly to strengthen himself."

"As earth embodies receptiveness, the gentleman bears all things with abundant virtue."

"As the yielding wind follows, the gentleman proclaims his commands and carries them out."

"As thunder rolls near, the gentleman examines and improves himself in reverent fear."

"As goodness resembles water, the gentleman plans the beginning of every undertaking."

"As fire brings people together, the gentleman groups kindred things and distinguishes their nature."

"As one treads upon the marsh, the gentleman distinguishes the people and steadies their resolve."

"As the mountain rests in humility, the gentleman takes from excess to replenish scarcity."

A supreme Confucian art: Gentleman's Sword Dance.

If someone claimed that Confucian disciples did not fear ghosts and gods, the only response was that they must be joking. If someone claimed that ten years of diligent study could let a Confucian disciple unleash spring thunder with his tongue and shout ghosts and gods into retreat, there was only one word for it: bullshit.

Most supreme sonic arts could counter spirits. It was not uncommon for Confucian scholars to shout ghosts and gods into retreat. But these abilities belonged to the Martial Path, no matter how one looked at them. They could not simply be grasped through ten years of reading. Even if someone truly figured out the crucial trick, without a body capable of supporting it, the spring thunder on his tongue would blow out his own throat first. Any Confucian disciple capable of unleashing spring thunder with his tongue was necessarily a powerful martial artist as well.

True Confucian disciples, such as Confucius, had traveled among the states by carriage. Without sufficient strength, he would have died by the roadside long before. During the internal turmoil in Wei, Zilu fought desperately against two opponents before being defeated and killed. Chen Sheng was merely a farmer. Had the First Emperor of Qin not angered the great Confucian masters by burning books and burying scholars, no one would have gone out of their way to educate those farmers. The Confucians were exceptionally skilled at teaching and nurturing people.

As Zheng Fan performed Gentleman's Sword Dance, his entire body seemed to move in slow motion. Where he had once struck ten times in a single breath, he now made only one strike in ten breaths. Yet as his sword dance continued, a strange field began rising around him. This field exerted tremendous pressure on Divine Spirit, while Divine Spirit could also sense an enormous opportunity hidden within it. "Devimon, help me interrupt him. You must-you must stop his movements!" Divine Spirit detached the arm belonging to SkullGreymon and healed Devimon in an instant. Devimon knew the situation was critical. Rather than becoming entangled with SaberLeomon, he relied on speed to charge at Zheng Fan again and again, only to be desperately intercepted by SaberLeomon or Unimon each time. SaberLeomon's breastplate took an unlucky hit and shattered outright.

Time slowly passed. Even Devimon and the others could feel the power of Gentleman's Sword Dance aimed at Divine Spirit. Suddenly, Devimon stopped charging and hovered in midair. Seeing this, Divine Spirit shouted, "Devimon, hurry up and attack! Kill him!" Devimon ignored its cries and slowly prepared. His body shrank, while his right hand grew to more than three times its original size. Devimon said, "SaberLeomon, an Ultimate really is powerful. But this ends here. Either step aside, leave Infinite Mountain, and leave File Island, or die here. You won't even get the chance to become a Digi-Egg."

Bronze skin showed beneath SaberLeomon's shattered breastplate. He stood between Zheng Fan and Devimon without making any attempt to defend himself and said, "Since a Champion Digimon like you wishes to challenge an Ultimate Digimon like me, how could I refuse?"

"Death Claw!" After being charged, Death Claw was overwhelmingly powerful. It pierced straight through SaberLeomon's chest and drove him toward Zheng Fan. SaberLeomon roared, "Don't even think about it!" His feet gouged two deep trenches into the ground, but he finally stopped before colliding with Zheng Fan.

A flash of sword light swept past, severing Devimon's arm at the shoulder. SaberLeomon fell to the ground, panting heavily. Zheng Fan hurried to help him up and said, "SaberLeomon, let's go to the Factory and find Andromon." SaberLeomon replied weakly, "It's all right. My Digicore dodged it just now. I won't die. But I have no strength left to fight." After speaking, SaberLeomon slumped onto the ground, light radiating from his body. When the light faded, SaberLeomon had reverted to the Champion-level Leomon. Who would have thought that Devimon's ultimate technique, Death Claw, could knock the newly evolved Ultimate SaberLeomon straight back into his original form?

Devimon and Divine Spirit were also in terrible shape now. Devimon had expended a great deal of energy, only to have Zheng Fan cut off his arm at the end, while Divine Spirit struggled to endure the field created by Gentleman's Sword Dance. Zheng Fan looked at Unimon, the only one still capable of moving, and said, "Unimon, I'm leaving Elderlymon and Leomon to you. I'm going to use my ultimate technique. We might all die together." Unimon knew he could not affect Divine Spirit in the slightest. In fact, no Digimon on all of File Island could harm Divine Spirit. He could only nod helplessly. After sending a Holy Shot at Devimon, he carried Elderlymon on his back, picked up Leomon in his mouth, and headed down the mountain...