Chapter 345 - 18: Fierce Fight 2

Chapter 345: Chapter 18: Fierce Fight 2

"No, don’t. I don’t want to hear it! Since talking is getting us nowhere, let’s settle this with a fight!"

The moment Lei Zhou saw Li Hua preparing to unleash his legendary powers of persuasion, he immediately shut him down. His years as a mercenary had taught him that sometimes, knowing too much would only lead to danger.

The most important rules on a job were to do more and talk less, stay out of other people’s affairs, and never pry into matters the client hadn’t disclosed.

This was why he had managed to live so freely, while most other Extraordinary Beings from his generation were already dead or missing.

He raised his blade, signaling for his team to get into a combat formation.

Wang Wei retreated a few steps, a dagger in one hand and a Spiritual Energy Pistol in the other, before his form vanished into the shadows.

Gu Xue quickly fell back, leaping onto a large tree in just a few bounds. She aimed a large Spiritual Energy Sniper Rifle at Li Hua from a distance.

Xu Qi moved to Lei Zhou’s side and placed her hands on him, preparing to cast a buff.

Having recovered from his injuries, Jia Rui moved in behind Lei Zhou, ready to support his assault.

Seeing that talk was useless, Li Hua took out a bottle of Purified Water and started chugging it down. In just a few gulps, he emptied the two remaining bottles of potion into his mouth—swallowing one and holding the other in his cheeks.

He then tossed the empty bottles to the ground. Adopting a swordsman’s stance, he formed a seal with his left hand for his Sword Formulas and brandished his sword with his right, unleashing countless arcs of Sword Qi that shot straight toward Lei Zhou.

Drinking the diluted Water of Life had filled him with an abundance of Spiritual Energy. It was as if a Source of Spiritual Energy had materialized inside him, constantly generating more energy that he converted into Sword Qi with every move.

"Watch out!"

Lei Zhou immediately surged forward. The Vibration Blade in his hand transformed into a Thunder Blade as he moved to counter the Sword Qi Li Hua had unleashed.

At his speed, he could have dodged. However, Xu Qi and Jia Rui were standing right behind him. If he moved, they would be directly in the path of the Sword Qi.

Jia Rui’s shield was already broken, his Shield Deployer likely still overloaded. The personal shield he could project offered no damage reduction and wasn’t very strong; it wouldn’t hold.

Although Xu Qi’s shield was still active, she was a support member with little combat strength. If her shield was broken, she would almost certainly be severely injured.

Therefore, to protect his teammates, Lei Zhou had no choice but to brace himself and clash head-on with Li Hua’s Sword Qi.

Empowered by his lightning-aspected Spiritual Energy, the Vibration Blade’s oscillations intensified, making the already sharp weapon even more deadly.

The Thunder Blade met the Sword Qi.

SCREEECH—

A piercing sound erupted from the point of impact. This wave of Sword Qi was exceptionally dense; not only did it carry immense energy, but it also had a devastating physical cutting edge.

Lei Zhou gritted his teeth. With a flash of light from his Thunder Blade—PING!—the Sword Qi shattered. The dispersed energy struck his shield, sending ripples across its surface.

Immediately, Lei Zhou turned to meet the second wave of Sword Qi, then the third, and so on...

PING! PING! PING! PING! PING!

The sound of shattering Sword Qi echoed continuously. The scene almost looked choreographed: Li Hua would relentlessly send out waves of Sword Qi, and Lei Zhou would relentlessly meet them with his Thunder Blade, smashing each one to pieces.

A closer look, however, revealed a stark contrast.

Li Hua was calm and composed, moving with the ease of someone taking a leisurely stroll, shifting his feet lightly within a small circle.

He periodically swallowed more of the potion he held in his mouth, maintaining his energy levels.

Lei Zhou, on the other hand, struggled immensely with each strike. His face was flushed, sweat beaded on his brow, and his arms trembled. His legs shook, and he looked as if he might collapse at any second.

After only a few seconds of clashing with the Sword Qi, Lei Zhou’s shield had shattered. Fragments of the broken Sword Qi continuously sliced into him, leaving a trail of wounds.

Huddled behind him, Xu Qi pressed her small hands against his back. A stream of healing Spiritual Energy flowed into his body, mending his wounds while simultaneously replenishing his own depleted energy.

Jia Rui, now wearing a pair of special gauntlets, stepped in to block two waves of Sword Qi when Lei Zhou’s strength faltered, only to be sent flying.

From her position in the tree, Gu Xue saw that Lei Zhou was in trouble. She took aim at Li Hua and fired.

A High-Energy Beam, far more powerful than the one Lei Zhou had previously fired, shot toward Li Hua. He instantly felt his scalp tingle with a sense of dread.

His right hand instinctively lashed out, sending five consecutive waves of Sword Qi toward the incoming beam. Only then did the feeling of danger subside.

The High-Energy Beam met the Sword Qi. It melted a large hole straight through the first wave, whose remnants flew a few more meters before dissipating. The next two waves of Sword Qi met the same fate.

After melting through three consecutive waves of Sword Qi, the High-Energy Beam finally met the fourth. Both attacks dissipated upon impact.

The fifth wave of Sword Qi continued on toward Gu Xue’s tree. From her perch, Gu Xue watched her High-Energy Beam collide with the Sword Qi. The moment her beam was neutralized, she realized her predicament and immediately leaped from the tree.

An instant later, the Sword Qi sliced through the spot where she had been. The tree trunk was severed cleanly, and the remnant of the attack shot off into the sky.

Gu Xue landed on the ground, completely unfazed. She pulled out her last Spirit Crystal and slotted it into the sniper rifle. Peering through the scope, she took aim at Li Hua, ready to fire again.

The next moment, her pupils dilated. Through her scope, she saw a wave of Sword Qi skimming along the ground, rapidly closing in on her. It was about to strike.

Gu Xue decisively dropped her sniper rifle and threw herself into a roll to dodge.