He changed Tiwat

He was confident that no matter how Ye Lan dodged, she couldn't possibly dodge his six-hit combo.

Ye Lan did not dodge; she knew she couldn't.

Yelan had no defense; she couldn't completely defend herself.

Yelan didn't even pull her Ruoshui Bow, because it was pointless.

She knew very well that D'Artagnan was definitely superior to her in martial arts.

Even between two martial artists who have reached the "first among the first" level, there is still an absolute difference in strength. Even if Yelan predicted the timing and path of Dadalia's attack, she could not seize this weakness.

In layman's terms—the mind is aware of it, but the body can't keep up.

Yelan wasn't a warrior, after all; she was a sorcerer.

Magic is her true profession.

She wasn't pulling a bow when she just clicked her fingers; she was casting a spell.

Ye Lan spread her right hand out, and the "Yuan Tu Ling Long Dice" appeared out of thin air in her palm, rolling over to reveal a "six".

Six water arrows flashed from the void, and under Yelan's mental control, they met the arrows shot by Dadalia squarely. The two collided, and a fine drizzle rose in the air.

"Haha, so you had this trick up your sleeve." Dadalia was overjoyed.

Despite having risen to the ranks of the highest-ranking executives of the Fatui, in the eyes of those veteran executives, "Prince" Tartaglia still seemed like an immature young man.

However, one cannot judge a person by their appearance.

Like a silver blade wrapped in velvet, beneath D'Artagnan's cheerful and confident exterior lies the body of a warrior honed to perfection. He is the youngest Fatui Executor, and also one of the most dangerous.

As a pure warrior, Tartaglia stands out as an outsider in the scheming group of the Fools. He is not unintelligent, but often prefers to solve problems with force rather than devising schemes.

D'Artagnan had been on the battlefield since he was fourteen years old. Strangely, he seemed to be a natural-born master of martial arts, proficient in all kinds of killing techniques.

What's even more terrifying is this "young master's" passion for battle—difficult battles only excite him, and terrifying opponents inspire ecstasy.

His arrogant and conceited demeanor stemmed from the tempering of countless battles and his unparalleled experience of the struggle itself.

On the other hand, fearing that his penchant for conflict might cause unnecessary trouble, the other officers of the Fools always sent him on missions to lands far from the Winter Kingdom to avoid being implicated.

Among the rank-and-file soldiers of the Fools, various rumors circulated about Datalia, mostly negative ones—such as calling him a "battle maniac" or a "madman," stemming from the absurd things Datalia had done in past missions.

The Fools soldiers who followed the Executor "Young Master" had witnessed this madman's erratic behavior in past missions. When Tartaglia was in a good mood, he would often suddenly make a promise to the Winter Queen, who wasn't even present—such as, "In sixty seconds, I will annihilate all the Ruins Guardians here," or "I can wipe out the Ancient Dragon Beast all by myself"...

Then he would abandon his men and immerse himself in a frenzied battle.

Driven by an innate pride, he was a man of his word. Even when making outlandish promises, he would never break them. This was a vow D'Artagnan made to himself, and it was also how he became stronger.

Whether it's single-handedly wiping out an entire lair of dragon offspring, venturing deep into a dangerous secret realm and escaping unscathed, or even single-handedly overthrowing the territory of a powerful nobleman...

He not only always keeps his promises, but his skills are also as beautiful and precise as a scalpel.

Although D'Artagnan's maverick nature made him less popular among the Fools and less compatible with the style of the other Executors, beneath his independent demeanor lay a strong sense of responsibility and meticulous caution.

The criticisms and grumblings of others are meaningless to him.

Only D'Artagnan himself knew that since he was fourteen, he had been chasing after the shadows of two women.

One of them was his mentor, the mysterious swordsman Skork whom he encountered by chance in the abyss.

The other one is the Ice Queen, who sits high on her throne.

He held the Empress in high esteem. Not only because she had opened up a wider battlefield for him and given him more reasons to fight, but also because of the disdainful look she gave him.

Cold and pure, arrogant yet sharp.

She is not only the high and mighty Goddess of Ice, but also a true warrior.

Since swearing an oath of allegiance to the only queen of Winterlands, Tartaglia has been growing stronger, vowing to dedicate the world to that Valkyrie.

As a warrior, one must always keep the spirit of challenge close at hand. But regardless of victory or defeat, every experience is irreplaceable and invaluable; the stronger the opponent, the greater the value of the battle.

For Datalia, any opponent is merely a stepping stone to his progress, sustenance for his growth.

—The current Yelan has the qualifications to make him take her seriously.

Chapter 269 Here, I happened to encounter a mere mortal who, upon a sudden inspiration, engaged in a battle with the Eight Desolations [4k5]

"This is my Demon King Armament - Raging Waves."

With a flick of his wrists, D'Artagnan transformed his longbow into two longswords made of pure water.

Although he constantly strives to improve his martial arts skills, D'Artagnan doesn't insist on using weapons he's not proficient in during serious battles. A true warrior isn't picky about weapons, so D'Artagnan can be considered "proficient in all weapons," but if the enemy is strong enough to require him to be serious, he will inevitably use his most suitable weapon—the sword.

Yelan's eyes narrowed slightly. She remembered that in the last battle with Dadalia, she used the "Entwining Life-Sustaining Rope" to restrain Dadalia, but he broke the restraint with two water blades.

Although her "Lingering Life-Binding Rope" and "Abyssal Exquisite Dice" are both powered by water elemental forces, just like Tartaglia's "Demon King Armament," the strength of her opponent's weapons is clearly superior to hers.

She made the decision almost instantly—she couldn't let Tadalia get close to her.

As she made her decision, six more water arrows shot toward Dadalia, following her thoughts.

D'Artagnan neither dodged nor evaded, but simply uttered a low shout: "Like a raging torrent!"

He spun around like a top, his two water blades drawing perfect arcs in the air. The swords clashed with the water arrows, swallowing them one by one, as if a raging torrent had swallowed the raindrops.

Although the water arrows generated by the "Abyss Map Dice" are far from exhausted, given Tartaglia's momentum, he could probably reach Yelan in just a few seconds.

Ye Lan knew it was time to change her tactics.

Having emerged from the realm of consciousness, Han Fulai quickly grasped the current situation.

Jiang Xue had already engaged the guards in combat, while in the distance, Ye Lan seemed to be held back by the enemy as well.

His only "reserve team" should choose to support one side.

But Han Fulai did not rush to provide assistance; instead, he grasped the "Lumenite" catalyst in his hand.

Feeling the warm light emanating from the blue crystal, Han Fulai whispered his wish: "Hey 'Wishing Stone,' can you help me find someone?"

A moment later, a female voice produced by electronic synthesis suddenly appeared in his mind.

Who are you looking for?

“I want to see a man known as the ‘Apostle of Destiny’,” Han Fulai replied.

To ensure the success of this plan to contaminate the "Layered Rock Nail," the Abyss Order has assigned three Abyss Apostles to oversee the operation, their mission being to prevent any potential accidents.

Since an intruder has appeared, they naturally need to be eliminated.

Jiang Xue and Ye Lan have already engaged in combat with the "Dark Shell," and the Abyss Apostles cannot stand idly by.

After discussing the matter, the two Abyss Apostles prepared to personally deal with one of the intruders each. However, just as they were about to act, a dark figure suddenly appeared before them.

She is Ye Mingxiang, the leader of the "Black Serpent Knights".

"No need for the three of you to take action; I'll handle the intruders."

The three Abyss Apostles exchanged glances, and one of them spoke in a hymn-like voice: "This is your duty, and the Abyss awaits your performance."

Ye Mingxiang did not respond, but turned around and walked towards his target.

—His junior fellow apprentice, Jiang Xue.

Jiang Xue had a few doubts in his heart. He had been fighting with the guards of the "Abyss Order" for several minutes. According to the plan, Han Fulai should have advanced with him. The two of them, one for offense and one for defense, were the most suitable configuration on the battlefield. Now, without Han Fulai's jade shield, Jiang Xue had to pay more attention to his own protection, which was somewhat of a hindrance and slowed down his progress.

But why didn't Han Fulai keep up?

Furthermore, although Han Fulai was not by his side, Ye Lan should have successfully infiltrated the defensive line. He had drawn away most of the Abyss Order's guards, theoretically creating enough opportunity for Ye Lan—however, the arrow Ye Lan was supposed to shoot at the "Layered Rock Nail" also failed to fire.

It's really frustrating when two teammates mess up at the same time during a fight.

Of course, he is not under enough pressure to make a strategic retreat, and it is not too difficult for him to hold on for a longer period of time.

He understood the principle that one must trust one's comrades on the battlefield.

Plans never keep up with changes. Han Fulai and Ye Lan might have encountered some unexpected trouble, but Jiang Xue knew they could handle it. He had always been confident in their abilities. All he had to do was fulfill his responsibilities.

Facing a dozen or so Abyss Mages and the "Dark Shell" alone, Jiang Xue remained fearless. With his "Wind-Slaying Sword" and "Stepping on the Stars and Seizing the Battle" footwork, he remained at ease amidst wave after wave of attacks. Opponents of this caliber could not completely restrict his movements; if he wished, he could break through the encirclement at any time.

But he knew this situation wouldn't last long. Since he had attracted the most attention, it meant the enemy's main force would arrive soon.

His premonition was correct; a sudden, sharp sword aura arrived in an instant, forcing Jiang Xue to raise her sword in defense.

Then, the "Black Serpent Knight" appeared amidst the encirclement.

Ye Mingxiang did not speak, but the "Dark Shell" and the Abyss Mage seemed to be subdued by his pressure, automatically stopping their attack and retreating far away, simply maintaining a surrounding posture to cover for him.

Jiang Xue felt as if he were standing on a martial arts arena, with the demons surrounding him as spectators below. His opponent was none other than his inner demon of many years, his destined rival, his senior brother.

Jiang Xue had expected to face her senior brother face-to-face this time, but she didn't expect it to happen so soon.

"I thought I would have to venture deep into this rocky hall before I could see you." Compared to their last meeting, Jiang Xue's tone was unusually calm this time.

He had indeed promised Han Fu that he would retreat if things went wrong, but he lied.

He wouldn't leave until he had settled things with his senior brother.

The other person seemed to have the same idea as him.

"It was my choice to come see you, Xinghan," Ye Mingxiang's voice remained low and deep. "Even now, I reserve the right to choose for you. Have you made your choice?"

"of course."

Jiang Xue nodded.

“I still remember that day five years ago when I went to the mountains to seek justice for Shaoyuan. I was actually very reluctant to draw my sword against you, but I still raised it against you that day. Do you remember what I said to you then?”

Beneath her helmet, Ye Mingxiang's single eye narrowed slightly.

The scene from five years ago reappeared before his eyes.

That day, his junior brother, dressed in military uniform, with a Zhaowu feather on his chest and a general's helmet on his head, came to seek justice for his dead subordinates.

Even though he knew the reason he killed Shaoyuan, he still raised his sword against himself.

He said, "I'm sorry, senior. This is mine, Shaoyuan's, and our duty."

“I spent five years avoiding this choice, but now I’ve made my choice,” Jiang Xue said.

Then, he raised his sword at Ye Mingxiang.

"Senior brother, this time, I won't apologize to you. Because this is the path I chose myself."

Ye Lan's figure disappeared.

She activated "Hidden Form and Concealed Radiance" once again.

Aside from stealth and speed boost, this spell doesn't offer any special combat advantages. Its biggest advantage is that it requires almost no preparation and has an extremely short activation interval, making it very useful for both escaping and deceiving the enemy. An opponent who constantly shifts position and appears and disappears during combat will be a formidable opponent for most people.

However, D'Artagnan is not among those who would find it difficult.

Yelan was well aware that Dadalia could see through her trail.

Running away is not the best option; exposing one's back to an enemy like D'Artagnan is a very foolish move.

So she charged head-on at Datalia.

D'Artagnan's doubt lasted only a moment; he quickly recalled the blue threads he had seen during his previous fight with Night Orchid.

Is this woman planning to use the same trick again?

Daddariya sneered, raised his hands, and spun around to chop.

"Severing Flow - Cleave!"

The two streams of water formed a sharp cross, slashing towards the rapidly approaching blue shadow.

The blue shadow was cut in two without any resistance.

However, there was no feedback from D'Artagnan's sword regarding the feeling of striking a solid object.

"Afterimage?"

In D'Artagnan's vision, another identical blue shadow appeared. This blue shadow was like the shadow of the afterimage he had severed earlier. It dodged his attack at the last second and circled behind him.

The battle between the two holders of the Water-type Eye of God created a large amount of water mist on the high ground, filling the air with a humid atmosphere. This mist provided an opportunity for Ye Lan. Her "Hidden Form" technique was originally a spell that covered her entire body with water elements, and the wind generated by her dashing forward blew away the water mist, making her appear as a blue shadow, indistinguishable from her true form in the elemental vision.

As Yelan charged toward Datalia, she activated "Hidden Shadow" a second time, with only a gap of less than half a second between them. From Datalia's perspective, the two blue shadows were completely overlapping.

With this little trick, Ye Lan got an opportunity; the blue silk threads on her fingers were already trailing long tails in the air.

As she passed by D'Artagnan, the "Lasso of Death" had already looped around D'Artagnan's neck.

"Hmph!" Dadalia took a step forward, and the heavy armor weighing dozens of kilograms on his body did not affect his speed at all. The two figures passed each other, and Yelan's attack missed.

Almost simultaneously, Dadalia launched a counterattack.