Chapter 663: Zong Ge vs Bing Yang – Pouring Rain of Blood
Zong Ge pursued while firing arrows.
Witnessing this, He Gai Tou couldn't help but chuckle softly.
He thought to himself: “Long Fu has one weakness that isn't really a weakness—compared to his close-range combat prowess, his long-range capabilities are weaker.”
“In standard duels, he relies on his alchemy crossbow to compensate for this deficiency.”
"Against Teng Dong Lang, he wielded a dragon's reverse scale—Sword Return Dragon Scale. That equipment proved invaluable!"
“But that badge isn't his own. Unless he's borrowed it, his ranged combat remains flawed.”
This was the conclusion reached by He Gai Tou and Bing Yang through their joint analysis.
Their research focused on the magic footage of duels broadcast by Long Fu, including the battle against Hua Tang.
After all, Long Fu publicly declared his level to be merely silver. At this level, fighters were far weaker in long-ranged attacks than melee.
Although Zong Ge had transformed the Striking Shifter into a ranged weapon during his battle with Hua Tang and combined it with ranged battle skills, it didn't yield significant results against Hua Tang.
Faced with the agile and swift Hua Tang, Zong Ge appeared clumsy and cumbersome.
While pursuing, Zong Ge drew a folding crossbow.
Holding it with both hands, he unleashed a barrage of arrows.
Bing Yang dodged with all his might, his movements agile and graceful.
“Impressive evasion skills. Is that your only weapon? You dare challenge me with this?” Zong Ge taunted.
Bing Yang snorted coldly, executing a graceful somersault to evade most of the arrows. Regaining his footing, he flicked his single-handed sword lightly, deflecting the subsequent crossbow bolts and revealing his solid swordsmanship.
Battle skill - Rapid Advance.
Battle skill - Charge.
Zong Ge's battle skills were all military or commonplace battle skills, simple, practical, yet ordinary in effect.
However, the simultaneous use of two battle skills now dramatically increased his speed, rapidly closing the gap between them.
Zong Ge closed in.
Bing Yang remained fully alert, showing no panic.
He activated the ring on his toe, his speed instantly surging as he effortlessly pulled away again.
Zong Ge's gaze darkened slightly. He deliberately slowed his pace, focusing on positioning.
Though slower, his battle experience was vast. Using the walls surrounding the arena and relying on ranged firepower, he forced the faster Bing Yang into a corner.
Bing Yang's speed vastly outstripped Zong Ge's, yet the relatively confined combat environment held him back.
He took a step back, nimbly leaping onto the vertical wall. With a powerful push from his legs, he shot upward like an arrow released from its string, his entire body propelling him forward.
His speed surged once more, eliciting gasps from the spectators.
Such speed was rare, momentarily making people doubt whether Bing Yang had truly recovered to his gold level form.
Battle skill - Violent Shot.
Battle skill - Rapid Shot.
Battle skill - Firepower Release!
Zong Ge's eyes flashed with intensity, without hesitation, he unleashed every crossbow bolt on his body.
In an instant, his ranged firepower reached its peak.
Bing Yang dodged frantically in midair, evading most of the bolts. Yet their sheer volume meant he still took numerous hits.
The bolts' lethality was significantly reduced by his leather armor set.
Zong Ge tossed aside both folding crossbows and closed in again using the battle skill [Rapid Advance] and [Charge].
As Bing Yang saw Zong Ge charging, he prepared to activate all acceleration devices when Zong Ge suddenly drew twin pistols from his back.
Battle skill - Power Throw.
Battle skill - Single Reflection.
Zong Ge's biceps twitched as battle qi erupted, propelling the gold level pistols to trace two golden phantoms through the air.
Bing Yang accelerated, retreating diagonally backward.
The pistols struck the spot he had just vacated, refracting like beams of light to pursue him once more.
As Bing Yang dodged again, Zong Ge hurled the Small Thunder God Flying Hammer.
Three weapons converged from two directions, front and rear, closing in on Bing Yang.
Bing Yang took a deep breath, unleashing his battle skill for the first time while simultaneously flinging his dagger.
The dagger struck the Small Thunder God Flying Hammer. In an instant, both turned to stone and crashed to the ground.
Empowered by his battle skill, Bing Yang moved with heightened agility, successfully evading the reflected dual pistols.
During his evasion, Zong Ge finally closed the distance between them to about 30 meters.
Seeing Bing Yang about to retreat again, Zong Ge reached behind his back. In the next instant, he drew the Gold Flower Hacksaw.
Infused with battle qi, the saw spun wildly, emitting a violent whirring hum.
Zong Ge's movements grew more violent.
Instead of wielding the Gold Flower Hacksaw, he hurled it like a giant dart with savage force.
Battle skill - Auto-Target Seek.
The Gold Flower Hacksaw spun vertically as it sliced toward Bing Yang.
Startled, Bing Yang jerked his wrist. A spell scroll fell from his sleeve. He flicked it away with a swift motion, sending it flying.
In the next instant, the scroll activated, forming an ice wall.
The ice wall rose instantly.
The Gold Flower Hacksaw traced a parabolic arc through the air, plummeting down to strike the ice wall.
Crack, crack.
The saw relentlessly cut through, swiftly slicing the ice wall apart, erupting in a shower of golden sparks.
The golden sparks danced through the air, forming blossoms of golden flowers drifting toward Bing Yang.
Bing Yang paid them no mind, sweeping his single-handed sword to summon a cold wind that swept the golden flowers away.
His own attention remained fixed on the Gold Flower Hacksaw and Zong Ge himself.
The Gold Flower Hacksaw had lost all momentum, stuck fast in the ice wall.
Zong Ge still held some distance from Bing Yang.
Just as Bing Yang prepared to retreat, an unexpected turn occurred!
The drifting golden flowers pierced through the sword wind, accelerating wildly. Before Bing Yang could react, they shot into every part of his body.
The golden flowers rapidly dissolved, transforming into streams of liquid metal.
Then, within a split second, the liquid metal fused together, forming chains that bound Bing Yang's limbs. The restraints tightened with increasing force.
“This... is the Striking Shifter?!” Bing Yang was utterly shocked.
“What's going on? The Striking Shifter is still on his hands, clearly.” He Gai Tou was equally bewildered.
His guess was correct; the Striking Shifter was indeed on Zong Ge's fists.
But disguised as golden flowers, it was also present.
The answer was simple - two Striking Shifters!
Gold level equipment itself could be mass-produced.
The duelists secretly funded He Gai Tou, equipping Bing Yang to the fullest. Through the two new potions, Zi Di deepened cooperation with the Li Jian Clan, securing more detailed intelligence and additional gear.
The second Shifting Striker was one such piece of equipment.
Battle skill - Iron Shackles.
Zong Ge's battle skill, infused into the Striking Shifter, activated with perfect timing.
Bing Yang instinctively strained to break free, the chains clanging as if about to snap.
But the Striking Shifter disguised as golden flowers were too few, their transformed metal chains too thin.
With a soft snap, Bing Yang severed the chains, regaining his freedom of movement.
But Zong Ge seized this opening, closing in to strike.
In that instant, He Gai Tou frowned: “Bing Yang hasn't fought in too long. Despite countless assault drills, his combat reflexes lag a beat, his tactical execution remains incomplete!”
Had it been He Gai Tou, wounded as he was, he would have retreated to create distance.
But Bing Yang chose differently.
He swung his one-handed sword, parrying Zong Ge's twin iron fists.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The Striking Shifter transformed into gauntlets, clashing relentlessly with the one-handed sword. Each collision produced a shrill, crisp ring, sparks flying.
The metal on Zong Ge's right fist suddenly warped into a shield.
His left hand clawed forward, transforming his fist into a short spear.
He parried the one-handed sword's horizontal slash with his shield while thrusting the short spear forward in rapid succession.
Battle skill - Spear Barrage.
The short spear thrust dozens of times in an instant, its speed so rapid it left streaks of black shadows on the retina.
Bing Yang had no time to use a battle skill, forced to rely solely on his defensive leather armor to withstand the assault.
Fortunately, it held firm.
The defensive armor proved formidable, absorbing the spear thrusts and leaving only scattered white marks on its surface.
Bing Yang swung his one-handed sword, unleashing his battle skill.
The blade of the one-handed sword instantly softened, curving into a sharp angle as it lunged toward Zong Ge's right ear.
The shield in Zong Ge's right hand warped again, transforming into a long whip.
With a flick, the whip coiled around the slender sword, deflecting the attack.
The short spear in his left hand also shifted form, becoming a straight-bladed cutlass.
Zong Ge flipped his left wrist, aiming directly at Bing Yang's right hand holding the one-handed sword.
Bing Yang refused to let go, unable to execute a defensive battle skill in time, and had to brace with his defensive armor.
The blade struck Bing Yang's arm guard.
The defensive leather armor held firm, absorbing the blow.
But in the next instant, the straight-bladed cutlass transformed into a shackle, locking Bing Yang's wrist. Simultaneously, Zong Ge delivered a kick with his right foot.
A stream of liquid metal erupted, coalescing into a spherical hammer.
Bing Yang's eyes widened in fury. He tried to defend, but it was too late.
He could only brace against the impact with his defensive leather armor.
Bam!
A dull thud echoed as Bing Yang's back arched. Though he'd blocked it, the sheer force of that blunt impact was difficult to absorb.
Thus, Zong Ge wielded two Striking Shifters simultaneously, unleashing relentless assaults.
The blades danced in his hands, shifting patterns endlessly.
One moment it was a slender sword thrust, the next a broad sword chop, then a sweeping staff strike, followed by a shield block...
The attacks were rapid, the frequency relentless. More astonishingly, each strike was executed with remarkable skill, not a single one was half-hearted.
Zong Ge the Weapon Master's true depth was laid bare at that moment!
If it were merely weapon mastery, that would be one thing. But crucially, Zong Ge also seamlessly integrated corresponding battle skills.
Whip techniques, blade techniques, spear techniques... Though all were the most widely circulated styles, their frequent deployment created a dazzling formation.
Bing Yang retreated step by step.
He struggled to parry, feeling as if a metallic storm had erupted before his eyes! Blades, spears, axes, halberds, hooks, forks, whips, all relentlessly descended upon him.
His reactions were perpetually too slow. Unable to defend in time, he could only rely on his defensive armor to absorb the blows.
Once or twice was manageable. Five or six times was still bearable. But after a dozen, twenty strikes, the armor began to weaken.
The marks left by the weapons covered the surface of his leather armor, arm guards, and leather pants.
"You fool, retreat now! Fall back!!" He Gai Tou roared at the top of his lungs.
But his voice was drowned out by the shouts of the other spectators.
Those betting on Long Fu cheered wildly, while those backing Bing Yang roared in frustration.
“Go on, don't back down!”
“Take him down, don't retreat!”
“Fight back! Fight back, you coward!”
Watching Bing Yang take a beating since the close combat began, these gamblers were truly frantic, absolutely beside themselves.
Battle skill - Chain Stab.
Battle skill - Armor-Piercing Thrust!
Zong Ge's dagger in his right hand stabbed repeatedly, piercing the leather armor and dragging out streaks of bright red blood.
Blood!
His defense was broken!
Zong Ge's relentless assault finally paid off.
The searing pain jolted Bing Yang back to his senses.
“I stand no chance in close combat.”
“If this continues, I'll lose.”
“No! I must force distance and wear him down!”
But escape was no easy feat now.
Zong Ge would never let him pull away easily.
His attacks were relentless, and now that the defense was breached, Bing Yang would pay a heavy price if he tried to flee recklessly.
“Use the Frost Aura now!” He Gai Tou nearly shouted into Bing Yang's ear.
As if hearing his warning, Bing Yang recalled his ultimate trump card: “Only that move will do!”
“I must activate the Frost Aura! Force Long Fu to retreat!”
"Exactly! Frost Aura is imbued with the potion [Beautiful Future]. Even He Gai Tou and the Ice Prison Warden wouldn't dare touch it. How could a silver level Long Fu withstand it?"
Battle skill - Frost Aura!
Bing Yang's body trembled as he channeled all his power into unleashing the aura.
A warning bell rang sharply in Zong Ge's heart. He sensed an intense threat emanating from the Frost Aura.
A savage expression surged across his face.
No retreat. Not even a flicker of hesitation.
Rapid attacks, continuously attacking.
Fury, relentless fury!
“You're insane! My Frost Aura retains the potency of [Beautiful Future]!”
“You're essentially consuming the magic potion [Beautiful Future] over and over. You're finished.”
“Stop fighting! Stop fighting!”
“Cease this at once! Cease it, you madman!”
Bing Yang roared.
But Zong Ge, bathed in the Frost Aura, remained as unyielding as iron, showing no sign of retreat.
"I demand a decisive victory! I demand a swift victory!"
"So, Bing Yang... I need you to die!"
Zong Ge roared this in his heart.
The Striking Shifter in his hands transformed into two short blades, whirling into dazzling streaks of light.
Thud, thud, thud...
Slicing through leather armor, each strike pierced flesh.
Bing Yang strained to summon his battle qi, only to discover with horror that it had completely drained!
How could this be?
The reason was actually quite simple.
Bing Yang had once been of gold level, but now he was merely silver level. The quality and scale of silver level battle qi and scale were vastly inferior to gold level.
Though he had often been unable to use battle skill in time, he had used equipment far too frequently.
Especially since this equipment was exceptionally good, he possessed more gold level gear than Zong Ge.
How could a silver level fighter not deplete his battle qi when using gold level equipment beyond his level?
The reason Bing Yang only realized this now was entirely because Zong Ge had controlled the pace. The pressure Zong Ge exerted was overwhelming; Bing Yang was forced to defend with all his might, his focus entirely on blocking attacks, leaving him no room to spare.
In contrast, Zong Ge, though outwardly silver level, was actually gold level! His battle qi was abundant!
Bing Yang's battle qi drained completely, marking the beginning of his end.
Without its support, his defenses plummeted to rock bottom.
Zong Ge transformed his hands into gauntlets, their fingertips razor-sharp as they pierced straight through Bing Yang's chest.
In the next instant, Zong Ge channeled his battle qi directly into Bing Yang's body, using his flesh as a weapon.
The infusion reached its peak.
Bam!
Bing Yang's entire body exploded violently, flesh and bone fragments scattering in all directions, transforming into a shower of blood.
Zong Ge was covered in blood, a pool forming rapidly beneath his feet.
He slowly lowered his arms, his posture standing tall and unyielding like a mountain. He lifted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping slowly across the spectator stands.
Those caught in his stare instinctively fell silent.
Savage!
Fierce!
At that moment, Zong Ge utterly intimidated everyone present.