Chapter 54: Brutal Battle
Chapter 54: Chapter 54: Brutal Battle
Kaelon’s feet erupted with Fighting Qi. The powerful backlash propelled him forward, transforming him into a black shadow. His speed reached its absolute limit, bringing him before Bard in the blink of an eye.
The longsword in his hand flashed out like lightning, aiming straight for his opponent’s throat.
Duane could tell that although Kaelon wasn’t using a move from a Sword Manual, it likely fell under the category of Spirit Swordsmanship. Moreover, it seemed to contain traces of "Swift Step."
Swift Step was created by Carter based on Spirit Swordsmanship. Kaelon had previously said he hadn’t mastered it, but it seemed he could use it now, just without true mastery.
Bard hadn’t expected Kaelon to be capable of such a burst of speed. His expression changed, and he hastily raised his shield to block.
But this time, Kaelon didn’t opt for a head-on confrontation. His body shifted, and his longsword followed, tracing a sharp arc to bypass his opponent’s shield.
In a sudden shift, he appeared behind Bard!
’So fast?’
Bard had no time to think. He pulled his longsword back to parry.
CLANG!
The sound of metal on metal echoed across the field as the two figures crossed paths once more.
Although Bard had narrowly avoided the blow, his hurried response left him far from his previous composure. He was knocked back seven or eight meters, while his opponent, in contrast, remained almost perfectly still.
Kaelon let out a great laugh. He had guessed correctly—his opponent was indeed skilled at defense, but speed was not his forte.
That being the case, he actually tossed aside his shield, adopting a purely offensive stance.
Spirit Swordsmanship emphasized sacrificing some defense to create an opportunity for victory, and that was precisely what he was doing now.
"It seems I’ve underestimated you!"
Slightly angered, Bard roared. Fighting Qi erupted from the Qi Sea in his dantian, enveloping his entire body.
An Earth Tier Warrior, having fully opened their Qi Sea and meridians, could unleash a full-power burst. The Fighting Qi they emitted alone was enough to generate a soul-shaking pressure.
The fluctuations from this Extraordinary Power were like the roar of a tiger in the mountains, sending a chill down one’s spine.
Kaelon erupted with power as well.
Although his Fighting Qi wasn’t as strong as Bard’s, his outburst was accompanied by what sounded like the roar of a wild beast. Above his head, the faint image of a grizzly bear seemed to appear.
Bard’s expression changed again. "A grizzly bear-type Breathing Skill!"
Warriors who mastered this type of Breathing Skill could often exert greater Strength, and their physical fortitude would be slightly higher than that of an ordinary Warrior of the same rank.
Although Bard was an Earth Tier Warrior, he had not learned a Breathing Skill.
Such techniques were controlled by the nobility. As a fugitive exiled to Black Forest Island, he had no way to purchase one, despite having earned some Gold Coins over the years.
SWOOSH!
SWOOSH!
The two figures zipped around the field. Bard wanted to clash head-on with Kaelon, but ever since changing his strategy, the latter used his agile Body Skill to evade a direct confrontation.
Of course, not every attack could be avoided.
When faced with an unavoidable attack, Kaelon had no choice but to take it head-on.
The immense force of the impacts made his blood churn. After a few exchanges, the webbing between his thumb and forefinger split open, and fresh blood stained the hilt of his sword.
Although Bard had the upper hand in direct clashes, the strain from the impacts was taking its toll on him as well. Moreover, his opponent’s rapid changes in tactics forced him into hurried responses.
TING, TING, TING!
Kaelon’s longsword scraped against Bard’s armor several times. If not for the strong defense of the plate armor, several wounds would have already appeared on his body.
Even so, there were always weak points in his defense. The blades that grazed past his body, carrying Fighting Qi, directly tore through his clothing and left more and more bloody marks on his skin.
Bard grew increasingly furious as the fight wore on. Seizing an opportunity during a head-on confrontation, he raised his shield and charged directly at Kaelon. The Fighting Qi gathered on the shield pressed forward like a solid wall.
At a time like this, a normal person would have surely chosen to dodge or raise their longsword to block the shield. But Kaelon did not.
"Vortex Slash!"
Gripping his great sword with both hands, he began to spin his entire body.
The blade, resonating with his Fighting Qi, instantly formed a spindle-shaped tempest.
Before their attacks even made contact, the collision between their Fighting Qi had already begun.
The Vortex Slash began to viciously carve into Bard’s shield.
A piercing roar erupted, accompanied by flying scraps of Fighting Qi, kicking up a blinding cloud of dust!
"Hah!"
Bard clenched his jaw. The immense force of the collision made it impossible to hold the shield with one hand. He immediately dropped his sword and gripped the shield with both hands, continuing to push forward with all his might.
At this moment, he was like a traveler pushing against a blizzard, holding a shield wall against the wind and snow.
The bladed tempest of the Vortex Slash relentlessly battered the Fighting Qi protecting his shield. Although the Qi barrier was on the verge of collapse, Bard’s continuous channeling of his internal Fighting Qi stabilized the crumbling defense.
Finally...
With a final clang, the tempest dissipated. Kaelon’s longsword struck the Qi shield for real, and the latter shattered with a boom.
"Die!"
Bard roared, his strength bearing down, forcing Kaelon’s trapped longsword back towards its owner’s chest.
"Then let’s die together!"
With a furious scowl, Kaelon raised his left fist. In an instant, the muscles in his left arm visibly swelled as he swung a terrifying blow toward his opponent’s chest.
THUD!
THUD!
Amidst two violent thuds, Bard’s shield slammed into Kaelon’s chest, while Kaelon’s fist landed squarely on his opponent’s right shoulder.
CRACK! CRACK!
With what sounded like the splintering of bone, both men were sent flying backward, spraying blood into the air before crashing heavily to the ground.
Duane’s expression was grim. He knew every battle was crucial, but he couldn’t help but feel pained seeing Kaelon resort to such a mutually destructive tactic.
Raymond’s hands tightened on his reins. In truth, both Duane’s side and the Broken Wave Gang were incredibly tense about the outcome of that last exchange, neither wanting their side to lose.
Of everyone present, perhaps only Daniels and his group were secretly overjoyed.
The more brutal the battle, the happier they were.
PTHOO!
Kaelon spat out a mouthful of blood and, using his longsword for support, shakily staggered to his feet.
Although a few of his ribs were broken and his arm throbbed with intense pain, his gaze remained locked on Bard, who was still lying on the ground.
That last punch was the Combat Technique, Storm Fist. It used Fighting Qi to stimulate the acupoints in the arm, unleashing immense power, but it was followed by a period of exhaustion.
Now, his entire left arm was not only trembling but also numb; he could barely even make a fist.
’Still, the blow landed squarely on his opponent’s shoulder. That distinct cracking sound told Kaelon that the man’s shoulder bone was definitely damaged.’
In reality, Bard felt like half his body was already numb. It was the most severe injury he had ever sustained.
He wanted to get up but found he couldn’t summon any strength.
The injury to his clavicle prevented him from freely moving either of his shoulders. At the same time, the impact of the Fighting Qi had damaged his pectoral muscles.
Now, he didn’t even have the strength to lift his shield.
’That punch... how was it so strong?’
He had underestimated the power of Storm Fist, and he had also underestimated the defensive capabilities Kaelon possessed from his Grizzly Bear Breathing Skill.
If it had been anyone else, that Shield Strike just now would have absolutely made them cough up blood and pass out. It wouldn’t have been a simple matter of a few broken ribs.
Kaelon slowly shuffled closer to Bard, his own blood dripping from his sword blade into the dust. He was a miserable sight.
Yet he didn’t dare relax his taut nerves in the slightest. The less his opponent moved, the more vigilant he became.
For the first time, fear and anxiety flashed in Bard’s eyes. Fighting Qi erupted from his back, striking the ground, and he used the resulting force to push himself to his feet.
His body swayed violently, and the excruciating pain that shot through his upper body nearly twisted his expression into a grimace.
He looked resentfully at Kaelon, who could still hold a sword. Although he didn’t know how much strength his opponent had left, it was certainly more than he had.
In this situation, he had no chance of winning, and he had no desire to fight to the death.
Bard turned his head to look at Duane. "I... I surrender!"