Chapter 332: Sword Shattered!
"Look, how is that iron lump flying?"
"What?! Is that thing moving on its own?!"
"Look! It's starting to charge up! Nalan Yanran is in trouble!"
"Damn! This person is definitely cheating!!!"
The automatic operation of the Strange Fire Heavy Cannon undoubtedly shocked Yunlan Sect and all the forces across the Gama Empire! Although the Strange Fire Heavy Cannon moved slowly, and with prior attention, it wouldn't be caught off guard, but the weapon moved on its own!
"I know you're probably about to say something about how unfair this is, but this set of equipment is something you could never defeat even if you gave it everything you've got. And as for me, I haven't even revealed my trump cards yet." Behind the fire-patterned mask filled with mysterious symbols, Xiao Yan's eyes silently observed Nalan Yanran, who was kneeling on the ground, a trickle of blood at the corner of her mouth. He sighed lightly in his heart.
Now, he finally understood. Every time he sparred with Jiang Lin, Jiang Lin's favorite move was to "take the sword from the hand," especially enjoying grabbing him. Every time Jiang Lin grabbed him, Xiao Yan realized that he was at a disadvantage. Since then, Xiao Yan learned to abandon his weapon rather than risk being caught by Jiang Lin. Nalan Yanran clearly had never encountered a true body cultivator's combat style.
However, Xiao Yan's peripheral vision caught a glance at the Qinglan Sword under his arm, and his heart skipped a beat. With a crack, Xiao Yan pulled out the Qinglan Sword, and the slightly damaged blade had traces of blood on its tip. If Nalan Yanran had been a bit stronger, his arm might have been pierced.
Thud!
The Qinglan Sword spun in the air for a few circles before finally embedding itself firmly beside Nalan Yanran.
"Although the armor is strong, what is truly powerful is not the armor, but the one who forges it, and the one who pilots it. The Feathershell Wings grant you extraordinary speed, but you don't know how to fully utilize them. Because of that, your Feathershell Wings were broken twice by me, and I've shown you what it means to attack the enemy at short range and defend at long range." The final shot of the Strange Fire Heavy Cannon, however, had also blown Xiao Yan away, but he had pulled back his light wings and tucked them inside the Feathershell Armor, quickly reopening them after the blast.
Xiao Yan could have chosen a different method of attack, but he wanted to show Nalan Yanran that, even in the same situation, he could make better decisions than she could.
"So, you lost." Xiao Yan, carrying the heavy Xuan Ruler, quietly looked down at Nalan Yanran, whose expression was a bit dazed. His eyes flickered slightly. He had defeated Nalan Yanran, but there was no joy in overcoming her.
It wasn't because he felt the victory wasn't earned, or that the Strange Fire Heavy Cannon had helped him win. It was because he understood Nalan Yanran's moves. If neither side had any Dou Qi weapons, he realized he could still defeat her.
The wind gave Nalan Yanran unmatched speed, and the sword gave her unparalleled attack power. If they didn't have matching Dou Qi weapons, Xiao Yan was sure he would be utterly defeated by the fully armored Nalan Yanran, without even having time to use his self-destruction.
Now, with matching equipment, the two had their advantages brought back to an average line, and Xiao Yan had easily defeated Nalan Yanran, all while still holding his trump cards. Of course, if Xiao Yan could fully understand the essence of the Bursting Step, he would have easily defeated Nalan Yanran before her speed exceeded his soul's perception, as his strength and defense would give him the upper hand.
For example, if Jiang Lin used Xiao Yan's current strength, the fight between him and Nalan Yanran would be a close call. Through the battle with Nalan Yanran, Xiao Yan gained a deeper respect for Jiang Lin's terrifying close-combat abilities. He also realized why Jiang Lin enjoyed playing with long-range attacks so much—he already knew that in the future, few would be willing to engage him in close combat. Archery was Jiang Lin's true path.
But this also perfectly matched the characteristics of the spirit race. The spirit race was the most terrifying "archers" in the world. However, Jiang Lin's archery path was unique because he had become such an expert warrior that he couldn't find a worthy opponent, and thus had to shift to being an archer, which was fundamentally different from traditional spirit race archers.
"I..." Nalan Yanran, kneeling on the ground, struggled slightly, gripping the Qinglan Sword, her fingers turning pale. "I didn't lose."
"This is my final strike. The one I can't control."
Blue wind-type Dou Qi slowly gathered around Nalan Yanran, eventually forming a dazzling blue robe.
Crack!
Xiao Yan silently raised his right hand, and the Strange Fire Heavy Ruler behind him gave a sharp snap, automatically detaching and flying toward the sky.
"Extreme Wind: Falling Kill!" Nalan Yanran shouted these words from her throat. She didn't attempt a sneak attack but gave Xiao Yan time to prepare. However, Xiao Yan only silently raised his hand, expressionless, watching her. The Strange Fire Heavy Ruler floated silently in the air.
Thud!
In the next instant, two afterimages darted forward. The green light from Nalan Yanran's sword directly pierced toward the fire-patterned black armor, but Xiao Yan only lowered his right hand, instantly blocking the blow, and a shadow fell in front of him.
Clang!
The sound of jade shattering rang out in the explosion, and countless sharp fragments, stained with blood, flew through the air. The black giant ruler was like an indestructible wall, completely blocking the sword energy storm.
Silence.
The people around the square watched silently as the girl, turned into a streak of sword light, charged forward. The sword light shattered when it hit the black wall, breaking apart.
"I lost." Blood beads slid from her right hand, where she held the sword. A few thin lines of blood appeared on Nalan Yanran's beautiful face as she looked at the shallow sword mark left on the Strange Fire Heavy Ruler. She fell silent for a moment before, with great difficulty, speaking these words. She then shakily held the broken sword and began walking toward the Yunlan Great Hall.
Thud.
After taking a few steps, the green armor under the girl's body began to bleed, and with a thud, she collapsed toward the ground.
A hand, covered in full armor, caught her, then pulled out a pill and placed it into the girl's mouth.
"Why bother? A sword that's too rigid is bound to break. Didn't I tell you?" Xiao Yan, looking at the girl in his arms who had been critically injured by his sword fragments, displayed an expression of helplessness.
Extreme Wind: Falling Kill's power was strong, but Nalan Yanran couldn't yet control it. She could only rush forward in a straight line at high speed. Xiao Yan didn't need to do anything. The Strange Fire Heavy Ruler was there, and Nalan Yanran would inevitably crash into it, just like when Xiao Yan had used his face to take Jiang Lin's punch.
"Miss, Xiao Yan has finished firing and is now holding Nalan Yanran in his arms, feeding her something. I'll continue to follow up."
(Xiao Yan: Please, don't follow me anymore!)
(END CHAPTER)
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