Desolate Era (Book 19 - Book 21)

The two collided.

“Die!” Ning willed it, and the heartforce within the jade sword instantly burst forth, causing the speed and power of the jade sword to increase dramatically, making it even faster and more unpredictable as it chopped towards Snowfiend.

“Eh?” For the first time, Snowfiend revealed a solemn look on his face. Prior to this, he had been holding the staff with one hand, but now he instantly switched to a two-handed grip.

Whoosh! The staff trembled, causing circles to instantly appear in the skies. Two calm streams of black energy and white energy appeared on the surface of the staff.

Boom!

The staff once more smashed against Ning’s jade sword…and despite adding fourth-stage heartforce to the mix, the sword was still completely shattered.

“Interesting.” Snowfiend’s eyes lit up. “Ahahaha, let’s do it again! Again!”

Snowfiend’s body bounded forward at high speed. As he ran forward, his movements became strange and unfathomable. He occasionally moved left and occasionally moved right, advancing nonstop in a zig-zag pattern.

Clearly, Snowfiend was taking things seriously now.

“He was able to stop even fourth-stage heartforce?” Ning felt a hint of surprise. Every time he applied heartforce, he used up a good amount of his energy. He would only be able to unleash a total of ten such swords.

“Go, go, go!” Ning gritted his teeth. Once more, he shot out three jade swords. This time, only one of them was filled with fourth-stage heartforce as he mixed ‘real’ attacks with ‘fake’ attacks.

“Ahahaha…” Snowfiend roared with laughter.

Boom! Boom! Boom!!!

Three consecutive explosions. Although one of the jade swords suddenly increased dramatically in power, it was still completely smashed apart.

“What?!” Ning could instantly tell that this would be tough.

By now, Snowfiend had already closed in on Ning. With no time for anything else, Ning immediately put away his Pure Yang swords while manifesting his three-headed, six-armed form. Six swords in his hands, he charged forward to meet Snowfiend in combat.

Clang!!!

The staff was filled with tremendous power. As soon as their attacks clashed, Ning was knocked flying backwards.

“What tremendous strength.” Ning flew backwards, his back smashing directly against the frozen sea. With a boom, the frozen sea trembled from the collision, but it remained completely undamaged. As for Ning, he rolled backwards a considerable distance before once more flying forward.

“If I don’t use the [Starseizing Hand], I probably can’t compete against him in raw strength.” Ning could feel a headache coming.

The [Starseizing Hand] used up divine power at a tremendous rate. [Three Heads, Six Arms] allowed him to increase his power significantly; given that he had six swords against the enemy’s single golden staff, he thought that he would at least be able to give the ape a run for his money, perhaps even winning. Who would’ve thought that he would be smashed backwards in their first exchange?

“Although he’s not as strong as the true form of the sea yaksha, he’s still much stronger than me. His staff-technique is also unfathomably profound, and his movement techniques are shockingly brilliant as well. He truly is virtually flawless. Senior apprentice-brother Roughpeak was actually able to escape Snowfiend through his evasion techniques…that’s quite impressive.” Only now did Ning truly understand how impressive Empyrean God Roughpeak’s evasive techniques were.

“I have to make use of my advantages.”

Ning had no choice but to engage in a bit of scheming now.

“Haha!” Snowfiend roared with laughter, charging forward onto the floating bridge and ramming straight towards Ning, who was still standing atop the frozen sea.

Ning continued to wield six swords in his three-headed, six-armed form. Once Snowfiend reached him, he moved.

Ning completely ignored the oncoming blow, sending all six of his swords smashing downwards towards Snowfiend’s body. You want to hit me? Hit all you like. Thanks to my [Eight-Nine Arcane Art], I can completely ignore your attacks. As long as my swords can chop you to death, I’ll win.

For the sake of success, Ning even used the [Starseizing Hand], allowing all six of his arms to explode with terrifying power.

“Ahahaha…”

The staff in Snowfiend’s hands suddenly twisted about, and the two streams of black energy and white energy once more appeared, forming an enormous vortex that trapped all six of Ning’s swords. And then, Snowfiend’s staff came smashing viciously towards Ning!

BOOM! The staff smashed away the six swords, then smashed down upon Ning’s body. Ning was once more knocked flying backwards, and he once more struck the frozen sea. This time, with a series of shattering sounds, a large number of cracks appeared on the icy surface.





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Book 20, Chapter 12 - Swordforce, Stage Four


“How can he be so fast? My sword-arts are already quite fast, and I used six swords to launch six simultaneous attacks…but he was able to block them all.” After slamming into the frozen sea, Ji Ning quickly flew back into the air, his eyes filled with disbelief. Just now, he had used the [Starseizing Hand] with all six of his arms, but he was still easily smashed away by his foe.

The difference in power between the two made Ning feel quite miserable.

“Heartforce. In the end, it’s still an ephemeral, invisible form of energy.”

“In close combat, strength is just one aspect; combat techniques matters even more.” Ning sighed in his heart. He was able to see long ago that this Snowfiend was in control of taiji-force, and his battle-techniques were also incomparably profound. Ning’s own swordforce had merely reached the third stage; clearly, his [Brightmoon] sword-art, in terms of technique, was completely outmatched by his enemy’s staff-arts.

The difference in combat skill was simply too great. Even with three heads and six arms, Ning was still at a complete disadvantage.

“Ahahaha, come, come, come! Again!” Snowfiend was growing excited, and he twirled the golden staff in his hands, sending it howling forth once more.

As for Ning, he charged forward as well, once more entering the fray.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The two battled wildly over the frozen sea. Every so often, Ning would be bashed backwards, but thanks to the [Eight-Nine Arcane Art] he was able to continue exchanging blows with his foe. He had to keep the [Starseizing Hand] maintained the entire time, as otherwise his swords would instantly be knocked flying upon contact with the enemy. The difference in raw strength was simply too great; only by using the [Starseizing Hand] was he able to maintain parity.

Every so often, Ning would let his heartforce explode forth as well! This would cause Snowfiend’s body to suffer some wounds as well, but Snowfiend’s body was capable of transforming into countless flakes of snow, then reforming; those light wounds were completely useless.

“Interesting. You are actually capable of suddenly exploding forth with great power in a way which even I cannot detect. Is this the legendary, invisible, formless power of heartforce?” Snowfiend continued his attacks while chatting with Ning, who just gritted his teeth and fought back.

This was the first time that he had found himself completely outclassed by someone who was on his own level of power. In strength, in agility, in technique…he was at a disadvantage in every single aspect.

“Faster. Faster!”