Chapter 412 - 380: Ice Blade Skill vs. Water Moon Slash
Chapter 412: Chapter 380: Ice Blade Skill vs. Water Moon Slash
"Intolerable!"
Qingchi’s eyes turned savage, a ruthless glint appearing in his gaze. "To think he wants to take us both down."
He had chosen to retreat because he was worried about traps in the Pearl Shoal, not because he feared a magical duel.
Ever since mastering his Water Moon Slash, he had never lost a battle in the water.
But this trip to sea had been one major setback after another. Three of the Five Tigers of Zhenyue were gone. It was an utter humiliation, and he had no idea how he would explain it when he returned to the sect.
’Since the main culprit dares to pursue us, I’ll let him have a taste of my power.’
"Alright, let’s fight them!"
Changze added, gritting his teeth.
The two of them stopped, standing ready for battle on the seabed.
Zhao Lin and Tao Yan arrived moments later. Both sides instinctively created distance, each squaring off against an opponent: Zhao Lin versus Qingchi, and Tao Yan versus Changze.
"You have some nerve, my friend. To dare and hunt me down with a cultivation of only the Qi Refining Fourth Layer."
Qingchi didn’t attack immediately, instead asking in a leisurely manner.
The power Zhao Lin had displayed was completely inconsistent with his realm, so he suspected Zhao Lin was using some kind of Magic to conceal his cultivation level. He was speaking to probe him.
The light on the seabed was dim, and neither side could see the other directly, but sound traveled without obstruction.
"My cultivation level may not be high, but it’s more than enough to slaughter trash like you!"
Zhao Lin’s eyes flashed. He made a gesture in the water, instantly condensing an ice blade. With a forward slash of his hand, the blade shot forward as he seized the initiative to strike first.
Sensing the intense Mana fluctuation, Qingchi was taken aback. Not daring to be careless, he quickly cast Water Moon Slash, sending his crescent blade to intercept.
CLANG! The ice blade and the crescent blade collided.
The ice blade shattered into countless ice crystals that quickly dissolved in the seawater.
The crescent blade lost its forward momentum, wobbled a few times, and began to drift slowly downward.
"A mastered Magic Skill!"
Qingchi was astounded. He never imagined that Zhao Lin, who looked younger than thirty, had actually mastered a Magic skill.
With a beckoning gesture, the crescent blade flew back into his hand.
Zhao Lin frowned to himself. ’I’ve met my match,’ he thought.
Though their skills were at the same level of mastery, Qingchi’s was a Water Element Skill, which received a boost in the water. He also had a magic treasure to aid him, making his attacks even more powerful.
’In that case, let’s test our defenses!’
The thought flashed through Zhao Lin’s mind. He unleashed another ice blade, but this time it didn’t fly straight. It carved a wide arc, slashing at Qingchi from the side.
Qingchi had the same idea. Instead of blocking with his crescent blade, he summoned his Ripple Armor. Instantly, a suit of armor shimmering with a faint cyan light enveloped his body.
THWUMP! The ice blade struck the Ripple Armor, creating a deep dent that nearly pierced through.
Qingchi circulated his Mana, and Water Spiritual Qi rapidly converged, repairing the armor completely in less than half a breath.
His Ripple Armor was only at the Proficient level and could block three consecutive Ice Blade Skill attacks at most, but that half-breath of time was all he needed.
"Impressive, but only just. I’ll show you the real difference between our realms!"
Qingchi sneered and cast Water Moon Slash with a wave of his hand.
The crescent blade flew through the water, slashing viciously toward Zhao Lin as if it were a massive saber.
Immediately after, he cast the Flying Waterfall Skill.
A cyan torrent, roughly thirty feet wide and over a hundred feet long, gushed out with immense force.
After casting two skills in a row, Qingchi didn’t stop, unleashing a third: the Dark Surge Skill!
Countless undercurrents pressed in on Zhao Lin from all directions.
This served two purposes: one, to put pressure on Zhao Lin, and two, to prevent him from realizing he was outmatched and fleeing back to the Pearl Shoal.
Casting Water Moon Slash, the Flying Waterfall Skill, and the Dark Surge Skill in succession—on top of the Fubo Skill he was already maintaining—meant Qingchi was effectively using four Magic skills at once. The immense Mana of a Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivator was on full display.
Qingchi’s goal with this barrage was to kill Zhao Lin in one fell swoop. After all, this was Chenghua Sect territory. It would be disastrous if their cultivators were drawn by the commotion.
Facing the three incoming Magic skills, Zhao Lin’s heart tightened. ’This bastard is clearly trying to overwhelm me with his higher realm. I have to defend with everything I have.’
With this thought, Zhao Lin formed a hand seal for a Spell, and a yellow halo appeared around his body.
The halo surged up and down, swiftly forming into a suit of jagged, overlapping rock armor.
The rock armor was over half a foot thick, covered in complex patterns and sharp edges, and radiated a dense Earth Spiritual Qi.
"Rock Armor Skill!"
CLANG!
The crescent blade struck the rock armor and was sent flying with a sharp crack.
A moment later, the Flying Waterfall Skill crashed down upon the rock armor.
But the armor held like a sturdy dam, completely blocking the torrent.
Finally came the Dark Surge Skill, yet the rock armor remained utterly motionless, as stable as a mountain.
"A mastered Rock Armor Skill!"
Qingchi’s face fell, his eyes wide with disbelief.
’I trained bitterly for over twenty years to master Water Moon Slash, an already rare achievement. But Zhao Lin looks younger than thirty, and he’s already mastered two such Magic skills. How in the world did he train?’
’His cultivation is only at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, yet his mastery of Magic is already so profound. What will become of someone like this, given time?’
An intense killing intent surged in Qingchi’s heart.
Zhao Lin had the exact same thought. ’If I let a man like this live, who knows how many more Chenghua Sect cultivators he will slaughter.’
’But this man’s cultivation is high, and he has mastered multiple Water Element Skills. It will be hard to kill him with Magic alone. I’ll have to rely on my martial skills.’
Earth counters water, but water also erodes earth.
The seawater was rapidly eroding his rock armor. Unwilling to waste Spiritual Power, Zhao Lin immediately dispelled the Rock Armor Skill.
He channeled all his power into the Water Manipulation Skill, his body shooting toward Qingchi like an arrow.
Qingchi knew Zhao Lin was a Martial Cultivator and saw through his intentions at a glance. He immediately fell back while simultaneously casting another Flying Waterfall Skill.
The waterfall rushed at him with ferocious momentum. Zhao Lin had no choice but to pause and throw a Stone Roar Fist.
The force of the punch erupted, pushing the seawater forward to meet the torrent.
The Water Manipulation Skill offered some defense, but it couldn’t block the full force of the waterfall, so Zhao Lin had to supplement it with his fist.
Even so, the waterfall blasted Zhao Lin back several dozen feet, widening the distance between them once more.
Zhao Lin steadied himself, raised his hand, and shot out another ice blade. Halfway to its target, he shouted, "Split!"
The ice blade suddenly divided into two, striking at Qingchi from the left and right.
As if he had anticipated this, Qingchi reached for his waist and drew a short, gleaming blade.
This short blade was called a shortglaive. Its blade was wide and thin, with a hilt as long as the blade itself. It was a common backup magic treasure among Earth Dark Sect cultivators.
His crescent blade and the shortglaive flew out simultaneously, each intercepting one of the ice blades.
CLANG! CLANG! The ice blades shattered into fragments...
Zhao Lin charged several more times, but Qingchi blocked him every time, preventing him from gaining a single inch.
"So what if you’ve mastered a Magic skill? How can you compare to my decades of immersion in Water Element Skills?"
Qingchi chuckled, having made up his mind. ’Since I can’t finish him off right away, I’ll just wear him down.’
’My deep reserves of Mana are my greatest advantage. Before long, Zhao Lin’s Spiritual Power will be exhausted. Then, won’t he be at my mercy?’
Zhao Lin, of course, realized this as well and frowned.
’If only we were on land,’ he thought. ’I could use my speed to close the distance. But the resistance in the water is too great; even with the Water Manipulation Skill, I’m just not fast enough.’
’But if he thinks he can win just by draining my Mana, he’s dreaming!’
Zhao Lin abruptly stopped his charge, changed direction, and rushed toward the other fight.