Martial Arts Master - Chapter 730: Sigh
The tip of the light raced towards Lou Cheng’s throat, its sinewy body behind it sparkly and pellucid. It seemed both hard and soft, as though it could veer at any moment.
Lou Cheng lowered his center of gravity and stopped in his tracks. Aligning his feet, he swung his right fist at the tip of the spear, covering its surface in a thick layer of ice.
Clang!
The spear shaft tightened. Energy flowed through it and the coldness came alive, sharp and solemn, as though it could pierce through anything.
It stabbed Lou Cheng’s fist, shattering the layer of ice and entering it, which made it seem unstoppable.
Snap! Snap! The shattering sound came simultaneously as the spear tip was slowed down by thick layers of ice. Strangely, the closer it was to Lou Cheng’s fist, the thinner the ice. The spear seemed to travel through a cold, empty void.
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At the end of the void were tumbling flames like a liquid similar to lava that burned the spear tip red and dissipated the Ice Force.
Within the punch, the universe shrunk, and ice and fire came hand in hand.
Such was Lou Cheng’s Universe Sect!
After six months of refining, he had further improved his mastery in this area. He was now even with Spear King, Huang Ke.
Huang Ke had a dull expression, per usual, but his eyes reflected daylight like an Ice Spirit, giving off a strange gleam.
With a press and swing of his hands, still holding the shaft, the Ice Chi leapt up away from his touch, unusually agile. The sharp metallic tip of the spear reflected the light of Jiuwen Stadium, like an eye staring coldly at Lou Cheng.
Then, with a twirl of the spear tip came a snowstorm filled with illusions, along with seven or eight points of Ice Light, which closed in on Lou Cheng from above.
This was the fusion of Snowstorm and Extreme Light, Spear King, Huang Ke’s masterpiece.
Confronted by this, Lou Cheng quickly lowered his back and stepped away, avoiding the Frost Light swishing at him. He retracted his right foot, causing his body to whirl and avoid the remaining radiance by a hair’s breadth. At the same time, he bulged his arms and swung out a hollow fist, grabbing at the spear tip that was losing momentum.
As his outstretched fingers were about to grab the shaft below the spear tip, Huang Ke lowered then raised his back. He slid his left hand down to one end of the spear, and with the coordination of his right hand, swung out small, consecutive rings.
Cling!
The small circles enlarged as the spear minced madly, sticking to Lou Cheng’s palm and climbing up his body, as though Lou Cheng had opened his windows when winter was at full blast.
If Lou Cheng had been using a weapon, Huang Ke’s Ice Chi would have disarmed him. However, his objective was to break his arm and attack his right chest, letting the snowstorm spread.
Lou Cheng did not withdraw his hand but paused for a moment, then, in a split second, he bent his elbow and struck.
Bam!
He hit the shaft with utmost precision, bending it and interrupting its motion.
With a block and a squat, faint blue flames erupted from Lou Cheng’s back, propelling him forward as he threw a punch aimed at his opponent’s lower abdomen.
The most effective way to deal with an enemy with a long weapon was to get up close and personal.
In the close range of fist-to-fist fighting, weapons like a spear were only a hindrance.
Huang Ke didn’t look discouraged at all. His Ice Chi spear shrunk back as though it was alive, and he put his hands on the middle of the shaft.
Bam!
With a swing of his arm, the spear’s tail lashed at Lou Cheng’s fist like a steel whip.
Bam! Sparks and bits of ice splashed. Borrowing strength from the recoil of the spear, Huang Ke swept his spear diagonally, launching a lightning-fast strike at his opponent’s face and forcing him into defense.
He leveraged that momentum to use his Spear techniques to tap, stab, thrust, whip, and mince, along with the strength-borrowing technique Blizzard Blast. The wind grew stronger and the snow fell heavier, suppressing Lou Cheng just as his opponents had once been suppressed by his Twenty-Four Blizzard Strikes during the Body-Refining Stage.
Lou Cheng’s emotions were as cool as ice, and he remained unaffected. Although he was losing, he didn’t panic and put up a solid defense, striking his punches and kicks with precision and using them in turn, sometimes retreating and sometimes advancing.
However, like the Twenty-Four Blizzard Strikes, this set of spear techniques would only get faster and stronger if left to its own devices, until it completely overpowered the enemy. He wouldn’t be able to defend himself if he focused solely on defense.
Of course, Lou Cheng wasn’t going to be a sitting duck. As he blocked and evaded, he infused Ice Spirit Force into every punch and kick. Using his own balance, he secretly stacked the Flame Force in his body, waiting for it to reach a certain level.
This was similar to accumulating rage when taking damage, a concept unfathomable to other Physical Invulnerability experts.
After thirty or forty seconds, a gleam flitted across Lou Cheng’s eyes, his arms bulging and covered by a layer of faint purple. His fist made a bap sound as it went towards the spear tip. He was ready to release his stored Fire Force.
Just as the two of them were about to collide, Huang Ke pressed down on one end of his spear, causing the sharp end to rise and Lou Cheng’s punch to miss.
A bluff?
A way to reserve energy?
Is he, the mighty Spear King, holding back on me?
Retracting his gaze, he could no longer stop his punch and it landed on air.
Boom!
A sea of flames came to life and sent fiery waves tumbling. With four meters between them, Huang Ke calmly turned at his waist to avoid direct impact. Then, with Mesmerizing Steps, he skirted Lou Cheng and unleashed his spear techniques once more, whipping out hundreds of afterimages, each harbouring a sharp snowflake.
Bam, bam, bam. Huang Ke went from soft techniques to a hard style using brute force, covering the sky with shadows from his spear and forcing Lou Cheng into defense.
A certain unknown commentator felt a chill as he watched.
“When a titled Mighty One plays dirty, things get messy…”
Don’t fear a mighty one that fights clean, fear the one that fights like a hooligan!
If Cheng’s punch had hit, he would have had a good chance of ending it in a series of blows. Even if he couldn’t have ended it, he could have at least turned the tide and gained an advantage. However, his opponent always had a contingency plan, causing his counterattack to earn him a greater disadvantage.
“Prepare yourselves, guys, this might become a drawn-out seesaw battle. Feel free to take a bathroom break, eat some snacks, or get busy if you have things to do,” said Xiao Ming.
Bam, bam, bam! The snowstorm beside Lou Cheng was shrill and the coldness seeped into his bones. Despite being an Ice Sect Mighty One, his regular training in a simulated environment, and the resistance from the Fire Force within him, he began to freeze and weaken.
This was Ice Sect’s main way of fighting.
The cold needed time to bare its fangs.
Just as he tried his best to find a way to break free, the spear shadows suddenly vanished.
It wasn’t just that. The snowstorm had vanished too, and Huang Ke along with it. His presence and even the traces of his feelings were all gone.
Lou Cheng’s eyes vaguely reflected that Huang Ke had withdrawn his spear behind him and concentrated his stored aura into one point.
A danger premonition appeared within his heart. Following the judgment he had internalized from studying the footage, Lou Cheng chose not to roll away or dodge to his left or right. The clothes in his front were ripped apart as faint blue ejected, propelling him backwards at great speed.
Invincible Spear Strike!
Huang Ke’s Invincible Spear Strike!
The Invincible Spear Strike that got him the title of the King!
Thanks to the pliable nature of the spear shaft and his special force manipulation techniques, Huang Ke could veer from it midway without losing power. Dodging equaled to a making an opening.
Just as Lou Cheng landed, a frosted light flared before his eyes, rushing at him with lightning speed.
It was mighty like an avalanche that had been building up for ages, gushing unstoppably, swallowing and destroying everything in its path, be it deity or god.
Despite the exterior, it was actually big avalanche from the Body-Refining Stage, but no one could tell that it was low-tier kung fu in Huang Ke’s hands.
Huang Ke used this move at a horrifying level because it fitted his own will and personality.
It was taciturn, introverted, dull, and peaceful. When built up to the extreme, any movement would cause a massively destructive outburst that was cruel and merciless.
That was why he practiced the move for many years to perfect it, blending it flawlessly with his own will.
An invincible spear in the hands in an invincible person!
Only in Huang Ke’s hands did the big avalanche have soul, able to cause even the Dragon King and Warrior Sage to fear a direct blow.
The coldness hurt his throat. Lou Cheng’s retreat wasn’t as fast the pursuit of the frosty light and surging wave of snow. Shadows instantly plagued him.
Tuning his Qi and blood, he used Attainment Formula for a secondary acceleration. He hastened his retreat, but the distance between him and the avalanche consistently decreased, slowing slightly, giving him some room to breath.
Seizing the fleeting opportunity, Lou Cheng raised his hands coated in thick frost, perfectly grasping the spear tip.
A snap overlapped with a slippery noise. The bloodstained spear tip struggled out, like an unstoppable Chi, still biting at the enemy’s throat, but now slower and duller.
Even after using everything in his arsenal, Lou Cheng couldn’t dodge or block the Invincible Spear Strike.
Bam! At the last minute, his Qi and blood expanded, his muscles bulged, his fascia stretched, his bones jerked, and his body enlarged out of nowhere.
Splat! The spear that had been pursuing him for so long snuck out of his grip and could no longer veer. Because of Lou Cheng’s change in size, it missed his throat and landed on his left shoulder, piercing his collarbone and re-emerging from his back.
With all of his effort, Lou Cheng had managed to preserve his battle power after taking an Invincible Spear Strike.
Blood gushed out but quickly froze. Enduring the pain, he moved the muscles in his shoulders to clamp the spear tip in place. At the same time, he formed two fists and punched at the spear shaft, hoping to destroy its structure with Internal Explosion Force to lower its near-perfect compatibility with Huang Ke.
He didn’t want to disrupt his move. A spear was still a spear even if it was an inch shorter.
Huang Ke loosened his right hand and fiercely spun his left hand that still held the shaft, turning it into a drill. Lou Cheng’s punches bounced off, and his shoulder muscles were shredded.
Just as the Ice Chi was about to break free, take wing, and make things bloody, Lou Cheng, who was calmly inspecting his surroundings, suddenly felt dazed from the pain.
He managed to suppress the daze and re-awaken All-Seeing God.
Gouts of blood formed, each containing bits of his DNA.
Lou Cheng seemed to have returned to his energetic self. As his DNA resonated, he felt his connection with the external blood decreasing rapidly.
As his spirit lifted, he used the disappearing connection to let the remaining Ice Force in the tiny bits of his DNA in his drops of blood erupt.
The blood turned to snow and ice, dancing and sticking onto the Ice Chi.
Lou Cheng’s mind had completely lost the connection and ability to control the blood.
However, as tiny units of condensed Universe, after his bits of DNAr lost its Ice Spirit Force, the balance was broken and the remaining Emperor Yan Force burst forth.
Boom!
His DNA erupted, and the Ice Chi in his blood exploded like TNT.
Buzz!
The front part of the spear trembled violently, giving off a pained wail. The shockwave extended towards Huang Ke’s palms, tearing his finger webbings.
With an Attainment Formula, Lou Cheng raced forward, closing the distance and firing his right punch like a lightning-fast cannonball.
“The decisive moment!” shouted Cai Zongming anxiously.
At that moment, Huang Ke couldn’t control his Ice Chi Spear so effortlessly.
As everyone held their breath, Huang Ke unexpectedly released his hands, allowing the spear to fall.
He punched forward viciously with both arms, his fists savage and powerful.
Spear King’s hand-to-hand combat skills weren’t any weaker than the average Physical Invulnerability expert.
Bam, bam, bam! Lou Cheng felt as though he had crashed into the blizzard. Because of the injury in his left shoulder, his movements lagged, and he couldn’t suppress his enemy’s attack or use a combo attack. He could only back off and seal his wounds with Ice Spirit Force, using the manipulation technique he had learned back when he was injured to the point of immobility.
Huang Ke kicked the falling Ice Chi into the air only to grab hold of it once again, reverting the situation to its previous state.
“Wow, so this is what a titled Mighty One is capable of…” said Xiaoming, a hint of disappointment in his voice.
Even after encountering unexpected surprises and making a mistake, he could still escape from peril and recover.
This was what God-Slaying Saber sucked at when facing a weaker opponent.
Cling!
Launching a new round of attacks with his spear, the battle turned into a seesaw battle once again. Lou Cheng shuffled between Mesmerizing Steps and Wheels of Wind and Flames, not giving Huang Ke a chance to gain more momentum.
Bam, bam, bam! Bing, bang, boom! They clashed and separated, constantly moving and covering the arena with a layer of white snow.
To everyone’s surprise, though Lou Cheng was constantly on the losing side, he kept creating opportunities to counterattack, giving Huang Ke a run for his money. If it had been someone else, a moment of carelessness could have resulted in a turn in the tide.
However, Huang Ke’s Ice Heart remained undisturbed, and he was willing to play safe even if it meant giving up opportunities. Lou Cheng’s eight counterattacks were all mercilessly denied.
As more time lapsed, Huang Ke was secretly shocked at Lou Cheng’s endurance. Plus, he hadn’t made any of the mistakes or bad habits he had in his past thirty fights, making his special preparations useless,
His future is limitless, thought Huang Ke. Suddenly, he withdrew all of his stored aura and feelings and disappeared from the radar of the mind.
He was going to use Invincible Spear Strike once more.
This time, he was convinced that victory was within reach, as Lou Cheng had been forced to the edge of the arena. If he took one more step back, he would step out of the boundary, which was equivalent to forfeiting.
And if he didn’t retreat, no matter how he tried to dodge, he wouldn’t be able to. He would have to take a full blow, which would undoubtedly injure him. Afterwards, he could use Brutal Blizzard. Standing on the line between victory and defeat, there was only defeat for Lou Cheng.
The scene made Yan Zheke forget to breathe. Subconsciously, she covered her mouth with her hands, an action replicated by most of the audience. There was nothing but silence within the Jiuwen Stadium and on screen.
A tip of frosted light emerged, the sign of an avalanche, and rapidly pierced at Lou Cheng. His mind was enveloped by the feeling that the white wave would devour him.
He quickly squatted down, concentrating his Force to his Dantian, as though he hoped to avoid the Invincible Spear Strike with a squat and a pounce.
But how could Invincible Spear Strike be so simple? With a turn of the Ice Chi, the avalanche rolled downslope, whipping mightily towards Lou Cheng’s head as though this was the only way to show its might.
Lou Cheng’s inner mind was sombre and starry as nine ancient characters formed instantly.
“Confrontation! Army! Fighting! Swordsman! Wholeness! Formation! Dequeuing! Forward! Attainment!”
They congregated and flared.
Lou Cheng squatted not to dodge, but to buy time to complete Nine Words Formula.
That was because the Spear King he faced wasn’t the monstrous Spear King in his prime, but a man who was near fifty. His mind power hadn’t decreased, but his recovery speed was nowhere near his prime. Even after limiting himself to fewer title tournaments, he wasn’t in his peak form after facing the mighty enemies before this match.
When the fight began, the deterioration might not have been obvious nor been enough to affect the flow of the battle. But after a long fight and using the exhausting Invincible Spear Strike twice, Lou Cheng was convinced that his opponent wouldn’t be able to keep up with him in his own prime.
Under these circumstances, using the self-empowering and enemy-weakening complete Nine Word Formulas would be extremely effective.
Bam!
He stretched his body, his left shoulder muscles bulging. He dealt a backhand move at the incoming Ice Chi, pushing both palms forward.
Without warning, Huang Ke felt a buzz in his head, but he brushed it off as an error in controlling the Invincible Spear Strike.
Normally, he would have gotten over this quickly, but right now his head hurt and his mind was feeble. He couldn’t escape the predicament.
Snap!
The spear pierced through the ice on Lou Cheng’s left shoulder, shattering bones.
If not for Huang Ke losing control of the Invincible Spear Strike at the last second, his shoulder would have been completely shattered, inflicting severe injuries, and he would most likely have stepped out of the arena with unsteadily.
Bam! Lou Cheng turned at his waist before Huang Ke could recover from the effects of Nine Words Formula. His right fist went out in a blow, catching the spear by the shaft and infusing his Emperor Yan Force into it, exploding it apart.
Boom!
The Ice Chi bounced away wailing. Lou Cheng took a step forward and punched at Huang Ke’s face.
In a daze, Huang Ke abandoned his spear and raised his arms in defense.
Amidst the mild sound of explosion, Lou Cheng veered in an unthinkable manner, putting himself at Huang Ke’s back. Bulging his muscles, he rammed him.
Bam!
Huang Ke staggered forward, mitigating the impact and readjusting.
Just as he recovered, Lou Cheng was on him again, his Qi and blood vigorous from the Fighting Formula.
Bam! He threw out his right fist, hitting his opponent’s blocking arms. The explosive Fire Force made Huang Ke take another step back.
This step swapped his position with Lou Cheng, putting him at the edge of the boundary.
Seeing this, Lou Cheng turned into a bloodthirsty beast, sending a spinning back-kick with a Fighting Formula.
Huang Ke lifted his legs to block, his body wobbly.
Lou Cheng was at his limit, his eyes bloodshot from the broken blood vessels.Then came the third Simplified Fighting Formula,
Bam!
His threw a right straight punch, which was blocked by Huang Ke’s crossed arms. However, the terrible force shook Huang Ke’s balance, forcing him to retreat two more steps.
That’s when Huang Ke realized he had messed up. Recovering from his stance, he went into a daze. Then, he sighed softly, a lament for his gone youth, a complaint from a hero past his time.
He was already outside the arena.
The referee raised his right hand and in a husky voice announced,
“Lou Cheng wins!”
