Chapter 152 - 92: Breakthrough in Battle? Slashed Regardless!

Chapter 152: Chapter 92: Breakthrough in Battle? Slashed Regardless!

In a daze, astonishment and bewilderment flashed through True Man Yuan Yi’s mind. He wondered why, if it really was Ancestral Master Yu Kai, the master would favor Zheng Jun over his own disciples and grand-disciples. Although these thoughts crossed his mind, they lasted only an instant. As Zheng Jun slashed out his blade and gathered his momentum, True Man Yuan Yi had already made his move. His bloodstained Blood Clothes fluttered rapidly. Stretching his arms, he hoisted his Wide-Backed Saber high into the air. Its sharp edge was fully revealed as billowing True Gang surged from his body, brewing a new blade aura.

Amidst the surging sound of the river, another clash of metal against metal bloomed once more. The blade arrived, forcing the river to flow backward. True Gang shattered, throwing the air currents into chaos! This slash struck True Man Yuan Yi precisely on the chest. A massive amount of blood wildly sprayed from his body, as if a rain of blood were falling over the river. Zheng Jun naturally didn’t fare much better. Also struck by True Man Yuan Yi’s blade light, he plunged headfirst into the water. Accompanied by a deafening crash of clashing metal, everyone on the banks was left somewhat dazzled. They completely failed to notice that the surging True Qi over the river had obscured their vision.

"Did Captain Zheng win?"

The residents of Shengdong Village on the riverbank held their breath, completely captivated by the scene before them, eager to learn the final outcome of the battle. But after looking around, all they could see was True Man Yuan Yi leaning against a large patch of snapped reeds, blood spurting from his chest above the river’s surface. Yet, there was no sign of Zheng Jun. For a moment, everyone was utterly shocked, afraid to utter a word. They wondered if Captain Zheng had lost.

Just as this thought arose, a sudden commotion could be heard from the bottom of the river.

RUMBLE!

The river surged, its waves crashing skyward. Countless streams of True Qi welled up. From the riverbed, a tall and straight figure suddenly dashed out. Although completely drenched, that hint of a green shirt remained, making it easy to identify its master!

Zheng Jun, Zheng San!

"You old fool, you’re done for!" Zheng Jun let out a long laugh. Although he looked extremely wretched at the moment—the distinct features of his green shirt were barely recognizable, having turned somewhat black from being soaked in blood and river water—he still smiled radiantly. "I won!"

True Man Yuan Yi looked up at Zheng Jun without saying a word. He merely lowered his head to look at the ghastly blade wound. The slash was so deep that his white bones were visible. He could clearly feel two tyrannical auras within the wound, blocking his True Gang from entering and continuously ravaging his meridians. One was the Long Roar of the Flood Dragon carried by the Wave-Treading Blade Technique; the terrifying destructive power of the Flood Dragon was still persisting. The other aura, True Man Yuan Yi did not recognize, but it felt like several small fragments torturing his mind, making it very difficult to force out of his body using True Gang. He figured it was perhaps some trick of Zheng Jun’s.

"Little thief!" True Man Yuan Yi sneered coldly. Before he could say anything else, Zheng Jun had already stepped forward!

Amidst the howling river wind, Zheng Jun stomped heavily underfoot, treading right on the water’s surface. He strode across the waves at lightning speed, carrying a torrential wave of air as he slashed at True Man Yuan Yi once more! However, the might of this slash was much weaker than the previous one. Perhaps it was because the previous slash had consumed a significant amount of his True Gang.

BOOM!

The blade struck like lightning as fierce winds swept through. As the slash fell, its sound vibrated through the air. Aside from the long cry of the Flood Dragon, it sounded like a myriad of deafening thunderclaps. Amidst the echoing Sound Waves, Zheng Jun’s Qi and Blood surged like a dragon, and his True Gang roared like a tiger. He explosively slashed down toward True Man Yuan Yi!

At the same time, Zheng Jun roared, "Excluding External Forces, you will be the first Outer Gang Martial Artist I truly kill. I will remember you!"

Meng Xian had been heavily injured, making that an unfair victory. It didn’t count for much. But this True Man Yuan Yi was the real deal—someone he was killing face-to-face in a one-on-one battle! He would remember him forever, just like the very first Qi Storage Martial Artist he had ever killed! A breakthrough in the heat of battle? He would slay him regardless! He briefly wondered who the first Qi Storage Martial Artist he had killed actually was.

Upon hearing Zheng Jun’s words, True Man Yuan Yi nearly spat out a mouthful of old blood. Instead of getting angry, he laughed. "Excluding External Forces? Hahaha, even if this old man perishes today, I will make you understand the true might of an Outer Gang Martial Artist!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, a booming roar erupted from True Man Yuan Yi’s entire body. His sleeves fluttered violently as his True Gang was completely unleashed. Glaring with wide, angry eyes, Zheng Jun couldn’t help but push his Qi and Blood to the limit. His Inner Qi billowed, and the edge of the blade in his hand shone radiantly. With the faint image of a Flood Dragon appearing, he wildly slashed at True Man Yuan Yi!

However, just as Zheng Jun thought True Man Yuan Yi was about to unleash some desperate dying strike and counterattack madly, he suddenly saw the True Gang inside True Man Yuan Yi’s body erupt entirely. Immediately after, as his Inner Breath and True Gang climbed higher and higher, he eventually reached a state of near-expansion.

BANG!

Before Zheng Jun’s slash could even land, True Man Yuan Yi’s body—like an ever-expanding balloon unable to withstand such an immense air current—suddenly detonated and blew apart with a deafening boom. Flesh and blood flew everywhere.

Seeing this, Zheng Jun was utterly stunned. He forcefully halted the slash that was about to chop nothing but air. He wondered what on earth this was. Since his opponent had blown himself up, did that mean it didn’t count as his own kill? Did it mean Yuan Yi still technically hadn’t been defeated by someone in the Qi Storage Realm challenging above their level? At this thought, Zheng Jun gasped, his scalp going somewhat numb.

Nevertheless, since Old Thief Yuan Yi had blown himself up, Zheng Jun cooperatively exclaimed in shock, "Hiss! What a vicious old thief, actually using a self-detonation technique to destroy my astonishing record of killing an Outer Gang expert while only at Qi Storage. Damn it!"

With that said, he sheathed his Beirong Saber and stood upon the now somewhat unrecognizable Shengdong River to adjust his Inner Breath.

A line of small ink-wash characters then surfaced before Zheng Jun’s eyes.

[Fighting to the Death Together, killing an Outer Gang Martial Artist across realms! Wave-Treading Blade Technique repayment progress +5383. Current repayment progress: 7178/10000.]