War God Dongguan

In virtual space, on an arena platform in the War God Palace.

Dongguan and Lu Gang stood on opposite sides.

Each held a similarly styled long saber in his right hand. Compared with the Blood Shadow Battle Blade Luo Feng used, their blades were longer and could be wielded with one hand or two, though they generally weren't paired with shields.

This was precisely why Lu Gang had always wanted to challenge Dongguan.

They used the same weapons and had similar fighting styles. If he could learn something from their fight, perhaps he could make another breakthrough.

Numerous figures had appeared in the surrounding stands, including Asians, white people, and black people.

The War God Palace currently had more than three thousand War Gods. Since the real world was so vast, they might go a long time without meeting another War God, so most spent their free time in the palace.

As fellow War Gods, they also had plenty in common to talk about.

Nine arena platforms stood in the plaza, naturally because sparring between War Gods was perfectly commonplace.

"I wonder how much this so-called Perfect War God is really worth," a young white man said to the white female War God beside him.

"Perfect War God or not, he's still stronger than you," a gruff voice rang out.

It belonged to Yang Bei, a towering Asian man two and a half meters tall.

"I remember he used to be your captain. No wonder you're so eager to defend him." The young white man's tone was snide.

"Ilumi, don't say that. The Perfect War God isn't someone we can compare to right now," the white woman said.

"Of course. But that might not be true in the future." Ilumi was very confident.

"I'll be waiting."

"Then watch closely, Instructor Elena." After speaking, Ilumi turned back to Yang Bei.

"I'm indeed no match for the Perfect War God right now, but that doesn't give you the right to mouth off."

"Then how about a match to see who's right?" Yang Bei refused to back down.

"Sure. Once they're finished, we'll use that platform."

"No," Yang Bei refused. "Which base city are you in? I'll come find you."

"In the real world?" Ilumi was rather taken aback and wanted to refuse.

He was confident his combat amplification was higher than Yang Bei's, but in reality, Yang Bei was approaching the intermediate War God level. Ilumi had only recently graduated from the Thunder Dojo's Elite Training Camp and was still a Low-Level War God.

"We're in Africa. Our Flame Legion has a mission coming up. Want to come?" Elena's tone was positively teasing.

"No." This time, Yang Bei refused.

If it were in a base city, he wouldn't fear a duel with a newly advanced War God like Ilumi, even if the latter had trained at the Elite Training Camp for five years. But the African wilderness was their territory.

He wanted to defend his pride, but not at the cost of his safety.

While the three talked, Dongguan and Lu Gang had already begun fighting.

Boom! The two charged toward each other, crossing the hundreds of meters on the platform in an instant.

Two phantom figures flashed past each other.

"War God Dongguan, you seem..." Holding his long saber, Lu Gang looked puzzled.

"Perfect War God" was a title Dongguan had earned around five or six years earlier, after a clash with members of the Flame Legion while hunting monsters in Africa.

It wasn't a compliment. It meant that both Dongguan's saber technique and movement technique were only at the perfect level, not the Artistic Conception Level.

For both saber technique and movement technique, there were four levels: basic, subtle, perfect, and intent.

Most warriors were at the basic level, with a few reaching the subtle level. Quite a few warriors at the Warrior General level had reached the subtle level, but usually in either combat technique or movement technique alone.

For War Gods, however, the perfect level was essentially standard. Only the Artistic Conception Level could give them an advantage over others at the same rank.

War God Dongguan's physical fitness had already reached the limit below the councilor level. The reason he wasn't an Invincible War God was that both his movement and saber techniques were only at the perfect level.

He had reached the very limit of the perfect level, yet couldn't attain intent.

If a Psychic reached the peak of the High-Level War God level, he would naturally be an Invincible War God.

For a fighter to qualify as an Invincible War God, not only did his physical fitness need to reach the peak of the High-Level War God level, but his force exertion also had to reach a certain threshold. There were requirements for movement technique and other aspects as well, all assessed against a comprehensive standard.

Dongguan was only a hair's breadth short of that standard.

That was the origin of the title "Perfect War God."

Yet during their exchange just now, Lu Gang had discovered that although Dongguan's saber technique was indeed at the perfect level, it was nowhere near the "limit of perfection."

"I haven't fought much lately. I'm a little rusty," Dongguan explained.

Then he focused, ready to face his opponent.

That was his explanation, but he knew his own situation best.

This was actually the result of recovering his memories.

The term "limit of perfection" had only ever been applied to him.

Because his soul was incomplete, he had never been able to comprehend intent, so he had instead taken his perfect-level movement technique a step further.

This was because he entered a state free of self and thought when he fought.

After awakening his memories, however, he found it difficult to enter that state.

That was why Lu Gang noticed something unusual when comparing this fight with the videos he had watched before.

Indeed, Dongguan also sold technique manuals in the store, chiefly demonstrations of that state at the "limit of perfection."

Many people were curious about this state of being unrivaled below the intent level, so he had done just that.

He had checked the buyer records on the back end. Even Hong and Thunder God had purchased it.

Money had already lost its meaning to those two. Essentially any technique manual with something distinctive about it would have their names in its purchase records.

"The Perfect War God doesn't seem so perfect anymore," Elena mocked.

But after laughing, she realized something was wrong. No one joined in. It seemed she was the only one laughing foolishly.

"If he's no longer perfect, perhaps he'll no longer be the Perfect War God," a tall white man said.

"No longer perfect? Could it mean... intent?" Ilumi's expression darkened.

He had only just mocked the Perfect War God, and now the man was about to break through.

After all, Hong was the only person in the world who had transcended the Artistic Conception Level. Everyone else, even Thunder God, was only at the Artistic Conception Level.

Dongguan was short of becoming an Invincible War God only in his movement and saber technique levels. Once he made up that gap, he would be an Invincible War God.

There were only fifty-two councilors in the world, and their Flame Legion had only two.

Becoming an Invincible War God meant being invincible against anyone except those fifty-two.

As for breaking through to the councilor level, there was no definite method on Earth. It was more a matter of comprehending intent and seeking an opportunity.

Aside from the special case of Psychics, the reason the Artistic Conception Level was among the certification requirements for Invincible War Gods was that the deeper one's intent, the easier it was to sense an opportunity to break through.

Rusty? Excitement stirred in Lu Gang's heart.

Before issuing his challenge, he had always believed he was certain to lose. But for some unknown reason, Dongguan's technique level had slipped, which meant he now had a chance to win.

Although he had prepared himself to lose, who wouldn't want to win if they could?

Lu Gang's competitive spirit flared. His saber grew swifter, his movements more fluid, and faintly, he began moving with the wind.

"Artistic Conception Level?"

Not quite, actually, but it had taken on that quality. If Lu Gang seized this spark of inspiration and kept practicing, he might truly break into the Artistic Conception Level.

Dongguan gripped his long saber tightly and met him head-on.

At the same time, he kept adapting to his current state.

Compared with before, the distracting thoughts in his mind seemed to have lowered his technique level somewhat, but they also opened up more possibilities.

After all, his so-called freedom from distracting thoughts had largely been a necessity, because his incomplete consciousness couldn't handle anything more.

Ninefold Thunder Blade, first fold.

He began testing it from the start.

The first fold alone was far inferior to Lu Gang's sixth fold, with only a third of its power.

Although he withdrew immediately upon contact, the vibrations passing from the blade into his body still caused some discomfort.

Ninefold Thunder Blade, second fold.

He attacked again, then withdrew again.

Ninefold Thunder Blade, sixth fold.

This strike came close to matching Lu Gang's power.

Boom!

The two separated, evenly matched.

The Wind Intent Lu Gang had comprehended could only be said to have a hint of its true essence.

Even though distracting thoughts prevented Dongguan from using the limit of perfection, his mastery of the perfect level was still exceptionally deep.

Seventh fold!

Eight streams of hidden force converged as they clashed again.

This time, Lu Gang retreated five steps, while Dongguan took only two.

Eighth fold!

This was the full extent of Dongguan's mastery. The strike unleashed 6.3 times his strength. With a base strength of ten thousand kilograms, that meant sixty-three tonnes of force.

This time, Lu Gang was the one who chose to withdraw immediately upon contact.

Still, he vaguely grasped something.

Movement technique and saber technique were one.

At that moment, Lu Gang changed. His entire body seemed to become a blade of wind, drifting lightly through the air.

The instant they collided, murderous intent erupted. His saber technique raged like a tornado, as though it would rip apart the platform's floor.

It failed.

This was virtual space, after all. The platform floor looked like alloy, but it was actually set to be indestructible.

Yet the fact that the platform could withstand it didn't mean a person could.

Dongguan was forced to parry again and again.

His force exertion was stronger, but superior technique suppressed him, leaving him unable to bring it to bear.

Only when he reached the edge of the platform, with nowhere left to retreat, did he find an opening and drive Lu Gang back with a single slash.

"Lu Gang, you're very good." At this point in the fight, Dongguan spoke.

It was the first time he had spoken, and it was also because this battle had allowed him to adapt to about ninety percent of the effects of recovering his memories. The remainder couldn't be resolved in virtual space.

"Next, I'll use my full strength. If you can withstand it, I'll concede."

"All right." Lu Gang steadied his breathing and focused, standing with saber in hand. Even the wind seemed to fall still.

In a normal fight, he naturally wouldn't choose to take the strike head-on just because Dongguan said so. He would use his superior movement skill to dodge. But this was a sparring match, and he had challenged Dongguan precisely to discover his own shortcomings.

Dongguan held his saber diagonally in both hands and lowered himself into a half crouch.

He remained motionless for several breaths. Then the muscles in his legs snapped taut, explosive strength surging upward from below as his entire body shot forward like a flying fish.

Still until he moved, then swift as lightning and thunder.

A sonic boom!

This time, his movement speed alone had exceeded the speed of sound.

This was only a beginner warlord's body. Reaching the speed of sound meant more than doubling its speed.

Speed was different from strength. Strength doubled with every rank, but speed became increasingly difficult to raise. The speed of sound was a threshold, marking the transition from warlord to War God.

Amid the sonic boom, he exerted force again in midair, and hidden force erupted from his blade.

Lu Gang had been waiting, poised to strike, yet he almost failed to react. But his near-intent-level saber and movement techniques gave him an intuitive perception.

The flow of the wind.

He caught the trajectory.

Anticipation!

He had thought Dongguan's earlier words were asking him not to dodge. Only when he truly faced this earth-shattering strike did he realize that at such speed, dodging was simply impossible.

Even intercepting it was already extremely difficult.

With the wind's help, he intercepted it.

But it was useless.

He could meet the strike, but he couldn't withstand it.

Ninefold Thunder Blade, ninth fold!

In this battle, Lu Gang wasn't the only one who had broken through. Dongguan had too.

Only, unlike the breakthrough in saber or movement technique they had imagined, his was in force exertion.

This was also the highest level of force exertion achievable on Earth.

In terms of strength amplification alone, even Hong couldn't surpass Thunder God.

The highest fold of the Ninefold Thunder Blade manual delivered a full sevenfold amplification!

Dongguan's force exertion was enough to rival Thunder God's.

With the added boost from his initial speed, the force of this slash exceeded a hundred thousand kilograms.

The threshold for a Low-Level War God was sixty-four thousand kilograms. Using a Primary General's base strength, this strike had achieved a Low-Level War God's output.

At the instant of collision, both men's long sabers were torn apart, and Lu Gang's entire body was shredded by the blade.

The battle ended, and they left the platform.

"I lost."

Although he had expected it all along, Lu Gang still felt a little disappointed.

"But thank you."

He quickly regained his spirits. This time, both his saber and movement techniques had touched the Artistic Conception Level. If he trained hard for a while and committed that feeling to memory, he could truly step into it.

Dongguan waved a hand, indicating it was nothing.

"Captain." The gruff voice was very familiar.

Looking up at that iron-tower-like figure, Dongguan was startled.

"Yang Bei? How did you get so... huge?"

In virtual space, strength, speed, and other attributes were reduced, but a person's actual build was reproduced exactly as it was in reality.

"Want to talk?"

"Sure."