"Good!" The battle intent in Tuoba Zhan's eyes burned even stronger, and he advanced instead of retreating.
"Second strike!"
Mountain-Slayer turned half a circle in his hand, the dark red runes on its blade glowing brighter.
He did not choose another head-on clash. Instead, in the half-breath as he was driven back, he stamped his right foot hard against the ground, spun halfway around, and swept Mountain-Slayer out horizontally.
The strike came at an extremely tricky angle. Launched mid-spin, the blade swept in from the left, cutting off every avenue of retreat for Lin Jin's clone.
Lin Jin's clone still did not retreat. Lightning-Cleaver turned half a circle in his hand, its edge facing outward as he held it upright at his side.
The instant Mountain-Slayer swept toward him, he drew Lightning-Cleaver backward along his waist. Its blade scraped against Mountain-Slayer's edge with a piercing screech.
He did not meet the impact head-on. Instead, he used the flat of Lightning-Cleaver to guide Mountain-Slayer's force outward, redirecting its strength to dissipate it.
Mountain-Slayer skimmed past the hem of his clothes. Its blade energy struck a tree trunk behind him, leaving a deep slash.
The tree shuddered violently. A few green leaves drifted down from its branches and fell between the two men.
Tuoba Zhan's pupils contracted slightly. His second strike was not merely an increase in strength. Launched in a spin, the blade's path itself was an arc, making it extremely difficult to predict.
Yet his opponent had pressed the flat of his blade against the cutting edge and redirected all that force within a hair's breadth.
This was not merely an overwhelming advantage in strength, but a complete victory in technique. Every movement of Lin Jin's clone had been perfect, without anything unnecessary.
He stepped back twice and slowly raised