There was no astonishment, no panic, and not the slightest trace of dejection.
Lin Ye’s entire mind was immersed in analyzing the battle.
His saber technique had changed—sharper, and far more fluid.
His total qi and blood had risen as well, making his bursts of power stronger.
His use of qi and blood tempered by source energy had also become more practiced. He could attach it to the edge of his blade, creating an effect similar to saber qi, though the wear on his weapon was intensifying.
Lin Ye silently endured the opponent’s storm-like assault.
Right now, this was not his full strength either.
How could he not be afraid that if he revealed even a little of his true power, he would scare off this brother opposite him who purely wanted to stomp noobs?
The second stage of his advancement mission was counting on him.
He had to endure.
He had to make him feel that he could still win, and win easily.
Let him enjoy himself first, then counterattack.
But looking at the time, it was about enough.
After being suppressed and beaten for so long, Lin Ye was getting a little tired of it too.
Just as Lone Wolf grew more and more exhilarated, causing the control of one slash to loosen for an instant—
Lin Ye’s gaze changed.
That deep, bottomless pool of still water abruptly surged into towering waves of blood.
An icy, pure killing intent erupted from within him, and the speed of the alloy staff in his hands suddenly climbed by an entire gear!
The originally watertight defensive staff momentum transformed silently, like flowing water seeping into the earth.
Replacing it was [Staff Stance: Heavy Staff Form]!
Lin Ye seized that fleeting opportunity.
Instead of retreating, he advanced, stepping forward to meet the blade Zhou Kai was slicing toward his neck!
His entire body seemed to sink by half a section, and all the qi and blood in his body was mobilized in an instant.
It poured into both arms, and the long staff in his hands, from an incredibly tricky angle, suddenly swept upward from below!
This strike was different from the blocks and parries before.
This was a counterattack.
Zhou Kai’s proudest defensive counterattack was, in this moment, used directly by Lin Ye.
The smile on Zhou Kai’s face froze for a second.
He felt as if his opponent had suddenly become a different person.
How could a punching bag hit back?
But then, that wave of murderous aura rushing toward him stabbed at his skin until goosebumps rose all over him.
With no time to think, Zhou Kai could only rely on his battle instincts to forcefully change his move, turning his saber sideways to block.
Clang—!
A deep, thunderous crash, far heavier than any collision before, exploded out!
Zhou Kai only felt an irresistible, terrifying force surging through his saber, shaking it so hard it nearly flew from his grip. His qi and blood churned violently, and he staggered back five or six steps before stabilizing himself.
The webbing between his thumb and forefinger turned bright red, going numb in an instant!
How was this possible?!
His strength… how had it suddenly become so powerful?!
Before he could recover from his shock—
Lin Ye’s attack followed closely behind.
Flourishing Staff Form!
The heavy, forceful momentum of the Heavy Staff Form vanished in an instant, and the long staff in Lin Ye’s hands turned into a blurred afterimage, its speed skyrocketing!
The alloy staff dragged afterimages behind it, like a gale sweeping up leaves, instantly enveloping Zhou Kai.
Clang, clang, clang!
The battle rhythm shifted; offense and defense changed hands.
Zhou Kai was left somewhat unable to keep up.
One second ago, it had been a heavy staff strike with enough force to numb both his hands.
The very next instant, staff shadows came raining down from every direction.
Zhou Kai’s originally unbroken saber momentum was completely interrupted at this moment.
He could only cut a sorry figure as he swung his saber to block, but Lin Ye’s staff strikes were simply too fast—so fast his eyes could barely keep up!
He felt as if he were not fighting a staff-wielding martial artist, but resisting an airtight metal storm!
Something was wrong…
It really seemed wrong.
Zhou Kai’s heart suddenly sank.
This was not the “goblin grunt” he was familiar with at all!
That seamless switching of staff stances, that almost monstrous reaction speed, and that killing aura just now that made his heart tremble…
The water temperature seemed to be rising.
Just as countless thoughts flashed through Zhou Kai’s mind—
The long staff in Lin Ye’s hands switched stances again.
It returned once more to that heavy, forceful state where every strike weighed like a thousand jun.
“Clang!”
Another heavy blow landed. Zhou Kai seized a fleeting opportunity, letting his blade sink as he used a force-deflecting technique to knock the long staff aside. His body retreated rapidly, wanting to reopen the distance and readjust his rhythm.
However, Lin Ye did not give him that chance at all.
Chaotic Staff Form!
Lin Ye’s staff technique was still changing!
After entering the third realm, Slaughter, Lin Ye also discovered that the three staff stances could now be switched almost seamlessly by him.
And as for when he should use which stance—
He did not even need to think.
They came out as naturally as flowing clouds and running water.
The staff shadows that had originally been fast to the extreme became completely without pattern at this moment, unpredictable as ghosts and gods!
One strike smashed toward the top of Zhou Kai’s head without warning, forcing him to raise his saber overhead to block.
But that was only a feint!
The long staff suddenly paused halfway, and the tail of the staff, like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, lashed back toward his lower leg!
Zhou Kai’s expression changed drastically. Blocking was definitely too late; he could only dodge.
But the instant his center of gravity sank, the long staff in Lin Ye’s hands stabbed from under his ribs toward his waist at an angle that completely defied common sense!
“Fuck!”
Zhou Kai could no longer maintain his composure and cursed out loud.
What kind of staff technique was this?
Wasn’t this just some bastard street-brawl flailing?
No logic, no pattern, utterly impossible to predict!
Was he insane?!
He felt like Lin Ye was a madman.
But unfortunately, this madman was holding a nuclear weapon.
Pfft!
The tip of the staff scraped past his waist. Although it failed to inflict any real damage, the gust of force still tore away a corner of his clothing—and also swept away the last trace of luck in his heart.
Fine beads of sweat seeped out on Zhou Kai’s forehead.
He was starting to sweat all over.
From the time he had added this friend until now, counting everything, it had only been a dozen days!
How could a normal person undergo such earth-shaking changes in just a dozen days?
Even those top martial arts families, force-feeding someone with heavenly treasures and earthly resources, could not possibly be this outrageous!
Right!
It had to be an illusion!
He had just broken through today, and his mindset had gotten a little inflated. That was why the opponent’s desperate fighting style had seized the initiative!
Zhou Kai forcefully found an explanation for himself, and his gaze became sharp once more.
He took a deep breath. The qi and blood in his body circulated wildly, and his saber momentum rose again, even sharper and more resolute than before!
He was going to get serious too.
Otherwise, tonight, he really might capsize in a ditch.
On Lin Ye’s side, as the battle dragged on—
He gradually began to see the first glimmer of victory.
Lone Wolf’s cultivation method was better than his, and his qi and blood were higher.
But Lin Ye’s greatest advantage was the endurance the system had deliberately increased for him, as well as his absurdly thick health bar!
The longer the fight dragged into the later stages, the greater his advantage became.
Just as one of Lin Ye’s heavy staff strikes was about to smash apart Lone Wolf’s defense—
From Zhou Kai’s body, a force of qi and blood far surpassing anything before erupted with a boom!
Lin Ye’s pupils abruptly contracted.
He sensed that his opponent’s strength, speed, and even the degree of refinement in his qi and blood had, after crossing some threshold, suddenly risen by at least twenty percent!
The scales of victory, which had already begun tilting toward him, were in this moment yanked back in an instant by a savage, unreasonable force!
It’s my birthday today. Asking the brothers who’ve read this far to toss me a few monthly tickets isn’t too much, right? Thank you, everyone!