Forge a path to success.

Chapter 377 War and Turmoil (7)

It was a truly dreamlike time.

It's been a long time since I've fought a battle without any pressure.

When facing an enemy, one must kill them. On the battlefield, one bears the duty of never being defeated. When instructing younger generations, one can never give one's all. When dueling with a mentor, one is actually seeking their guidance.

Too many burdens. Too many concerns. Certain, must, ought to, cannot. Like invisible shackles binding oneself.

There is nothing like that in this duel.

We are allies, so it doesn't matter if we fail.

It's not a life-or-death battle, so getting injured doesn't matter.

If the opponent is strong enough, you can go all out.

How long...

How long has it been since I've had such a pure battle?
Weapons clashed amidst laughter, dodges were made, insights were gleaned, wounds were inflicted, and players rallied for the next round. The moves gradually simplified, and the speed slowed. The ultimate power of "One Qi for a Thousand Autumns" had reached its limit, but it was meaningless in this kind of battle.

The outcome of a battle cannot be determined by the strength of the opponent; the key to tipping the scales of the battle is "martial arts skill."

The rapid pace of the fight gradually slowed down, until even the audience could barely make out what was happening. With each move simplified to its extreme, the faces of the two men became clearer.

Chu Hengkong is a born strongman.

His moves exuded confidence and composure, showing no fear of injury or defeat. He was fearless and daring, even launching attacks while wounded, never doubting the outcome of the battle. He was accustomed to strength and therefore possessed absolute confidence in his victory.

Huan Ge is a weakling who climbs to a high place.

He is physically imposing, yet possesses a meticulous mind. Knowing he is not invincible, he never allows his enemy's attack to succeed easily. Having encountered too many opponents stronger than himself, he understands the difficulty of victory, and thus is extremely cautious.

Two completely opposite men meet on the same stage, yet there is no contempt or hostility between them.

Because martial arts are the fairest thing in the world.

As long as you put in the effort, you will definitely reap the rewards.

Exceptional people rely on talent, while mediocre people rely on hard work. It may seem unfair, and there may be differences, but in the end, we are all the same.

The "martial arts" clashing on the battlefield are, in fact, the crystallization of one's own self. What is being compared through weapons is the self that has been constantly striving forward—

Therefore, people can understand that Huan Ge is a greedy person.

Not content with weakness, but yearning for strength.

Not content with defeat, but yearning for victory.

He desired countless treasures, mastered martial arts, the recognition of the masses, and the honors of a warrior. Even now, he remained unchanged.

We want to win!

The naginata swept away the spear, and the longsword blocked the divine slash. The giant axe and heavy hammer came crashing down from the left and right, but Chu Hengkong ducked to dodge. His remaining fists were aimed straight at his face, but Chu Hengkong countered with a punch, using softness to overcome hardness to deflect the punch, and then used his leg to block the final blow.

"You've got a trick up your sleeve—" Huan Ge exaggeratedly recoiled, then suddenly threw a punch, "Got it!"

Chu Hengkong kicked up his Dragon Spear and blocked it: "Your sneak attack is more elaborate than your usual movements."

"Hehehe, really?" Huan Ge chuckled sinisterly. "I'm afraid not!"

Suddenly, a sliver of black light shot out from Huan Ge's tiger's mouth; his fist contained a slender, needle-like weapon! As the weapon shot out, it grew longer in the wind, transforming into a long staff forged from refined iron. Chu Hengkong's wrist was touched by the staff's tip, and he felt a surge of condensed power rush into it like a torrent. His wrist immediately became uncontrollable, and the Dragon Spear was knocked out of his hand.

The black iron rod radiated a powerful spiritual energy, surpassing all previous weapons—it was a level 6 divine weapon! Forged with superior martial arts skills, this iron weapon forced even the Death Wings on Chu Hengkong's back to temporarily retract. He keenly sensed that it was a divine weapon specifically forged for great battles; any attempt to use unorthodox methods against it would be instantly thwarted.

"The Iron-Refined Gold Cudgel was a gift from my master at Chenjun Palace when I completed my studies and left the mountain."

Huan Ge raised his staff, stretching his limbs in a swirling motion, his four arms behind him each holding a divine weapon, like a multi-armed deity in a temple. His spirit condensed into a fierce aura, and within that majestic and valiant spirit, the sixth weapon, the final weapon, appeared.

He was proficient in all kinds of martial arts.

"The sword of the heart resonates, the treasure king's sword, iron thorns!"

It outshone even the rare treasures bestowed upon him by his master, displaying an unparalleled presence. It was a jet-black sword with a hilt made of steel thorns. Named after Huan Ge's second lineage, "Iron Thorn Crown," the essence of forging this sword of the heart was the student's simple wish: to learn all the world's techniques.

He wanted to possess all the treasures in the world.

To become strong, to become extraordinary, even if one is born weak, one must become an extraordinary man capable of protecting one's home and country!
Therefore, its "Heart Sword" has only a simple effect. The more weapons one possesses, the stronger the sword becomes. The more martial arts one learns, the sharper the sword becomes.

It exists because of its simplicity, and it is powerful because of its simplicity!
Huan Ge stood still, his stance exuding grandeur and power. His six arms and six weapons were extended simultaneously, his posture radiating an aura of majesty.

"Watch closely, Chu Hengkong. This is my way, my path, the pinnacle of my martial arts—"

The winds of change are blowing, and the heavens and earth are crumbling!

A divine skill has arrived.

The world is overwhelmed by “power”.

The six divine weapons—a naginata, a giant axe, a heavy hammer, a longsword, a long staff, and a precious sword—were unleashed simultaneously, turning all directions into a death trap.

This is an offensive that cannot be countered by willpower alone, nor does it offer any room for a sudden flash of inspiration. This is the Dragon Township Fist Technique, never before recorded in any manual. Created by the alien warrior Huan Ge, it is a unique skill that only he can wield. The attacks are endless, dodging is utterly impossible; once contact is made, one will be completely engulfed. A crystallization of martial arts forged from blood and sweat, its form is like divine will sweeping across the heavens. It stirs up the winds and clouds, causing the world to change color!

Chu Hengkong's attention was focused to the extreme; the world lost its color in his eyes, and the outlines of his opponent and weapon shrank and converged, becoming abstract lines detached from reality. He could barely make out one move, three moves, fifteen moves, but after that, he would inevitably be hit.

Huan Ge's offensive wouldn't cease due to a mere severe injury, nor could he possibly dodge such an attack. His honed spear skills, honed through countless trials, were rendered useless amidst the flowing clouds. His prized swordsmanship offered no respite from this storm. Moreover, the opponent's Heart Sword was far too powerful; both the Dragon Spear and the Calamity Wrist would shatter before its extreme sharpness.

All he could use was the long sword in his hand and the blood in his body. In that case…

In that case...!
He tossed aside his spear, blood welling from his right palm and forming a protective armor of qi on the Divine Slayer Blade. He used his wrist to brace against the back of the blade, raising the Divine Slayer Blade to meet the oncoming mixed iron and refined gold cudgel head-on!
Then it all comes down to the basics! The simplest and most minimal movements, instinctive actions that require no thought! Block all attacks!

The vicious blade slashed at Wang Jian, both sides clashing fiercely. Having analyzed Huan Ge's energy flow in their previous exchange, Chu Hengkong used his improvised Qi Armor to defend against the vicious blow. He then used the explosive power of Fen Ye to deflect the attack. The diverted force formed a crimson dragon head that flew into the whirlwind!

Will the heavens and earth shatter because of this? No! Huan Ge, with his unparalleled skill, reversed the flow of power, wrapping the crimson dragon's head around the giant axe. The counterattack instead became fuel, propelling an even more powerful second strike.

Chu Hengkong, however, was completely absorbed in the fight, his eyes no longer seeing strength or weakness, only the lines pressing in.

So he reinforced his protective armor and parried again! He unleashed another blazing dragon head! It flew into Huan Ge's whirlwind and was caught by the hammer, which slammed down with three times the force!
Parry! Counterattack! Parry! Counterattack! Parry! Counterattack!
The audience was breathless with tension. By the divine tree! It was like a game of catch with a bomb as the medium. Every exchange made the bomb grow stronger in the struggle. The bomb would land on the one who ultimately made the mistake, and the loser would be shattered to pieces.

Yet no one made a mistake. The whirlwind continued, the blood-stained blades flew, and the extremely concise attacks remained on the tightrope. The cycle of parrying and counterattacking lasted for 100 rounds! 200 rounds! 500 rounds! Not only were there no mistakes, but the pace became even faster. Incredibly, both sides' martial arts skills actually improved further in the face of life and death.

The crimson dragon, formed from condensed power, became even more vibrant and lifelike with the infusion of their martial arts skills. And in the final moments of the 506th round, at the critical juncture of life and death, the condensation of power reached its limit… the crimson dragon, now motionless, remained stationary in the center of the two. Their attacks simultaneously struck into the crimson light!

The crimson dragon roared, igniting the fires that burned the darkness!
It was a destructive force reminiscent of a battlefield; the dueling arena collapsed instantly, and a cataclysmic force swept across the entire military camp. Divine green light descended immediately—this was a level of power that required the intervention of the divine tree; otherwise, no one could withstand the clash between these powerful figures.

Chu Hengkong and Huan Ge were simultaneously sent flying, countless wounds on their bodies gushing hot blood. Their hands, exhausted from their efforts, no longer had the strength to grip their weapons; even a mere dagger felt like a thousand pounds to them at this moment.

With lightning speed, they abandoned their divine weapons, forcing themselves to their feet despite their groaning bones, their gazes piercing through the smoke and dust to meet their opponents who had risen almost simultaneously. Chu Hengkong saw a fist as red as flames, while Huan Ge saw... a rapidly moving silver spear!
The calamity-inducing wrist transformed and struck, piercing the battlefield. In the final moments of the duel, the weaponless assassin chose the simple, first-learned finishing move. Its destructive power wasn't particularly strong, and its speed was far from top-tier. But it was simple. Simple to the extreme. It was precisely this pure "simplicity" that allowed him to seize the initiative!
"Oh oh oh... Oh oh oh oh oh!!!"

Huan Ge roared and unleashed six powerful, burning punches. He dodged the two upper blows with increased speed and the lower attacks with footwork, but the middle two punches, like two dragons emerging from the sea, were terrifying and unavoidable. The fifth punch landed! Chu Hengkong's body was almost pierced through, but he stood firm with his tenacious willpower.

He used his injury to cover up his fatal move. The Heavenly Spear pierced through the encirclement of the six-armed man and, with the slight difference gained from the injury, struck the weak point—piercing through Huan Ge's massive body!

Then, the sixth punch struck the spear, and the recovered wrist appeared unnaturally fractured, with translucent blood seeping from the silver arm. Chu Hengkong gripped the Dragon-Slaying Spear tightly, trying to keep himself from falling. Huan Ge clutched his wounded abdomen and took a step forward. Another step… three steps!
"pretty……!"

The giant collapsed to the ground with a thud. The assassin let out a long breath and slowly slumped to the ground. Bright red blood flowed down the gun barrel, onto the dust-covered ground.

The arena was completely silent. The audience didn't even dare to breathe.

Then, Huan Ge slowly raised one arm and announced the final result to the spectators.

"The final battle is about to begin, and the outcome will be decided."

"The victor! Chu Hengkong of Huilong City!"

Cheers filled the military camp.

Regardless of stance or emotion, the soldiers fought for the outcome of this thrilling victory...

Let's give our cheers to these two outstanding soldiers.

　Double update today, and double update tomorrow too!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)