https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1031-Losing-a-Horse-Facing-the-Enemy/13132586/
Chapter 1030: Breaking the Power's Momentum
Chapter 1030: Breaking the Power's Momentum
As soon as Su Kuo saw Chen Chuan's move, his heart skipped a beat. He pulled on the reins and, in an instant, leaped sideways with incredible speed, taking his horse with him.
In the next moment, a vast, platinum light grazed past the edge of his side.
Before he could catch his breath, a second burst of light approached, and he leaped again. But then, a third surge of light rushed towards him. Normally, a Xuanji Warrior would not be able to execute consecutive spiritual impacts, but he dared not gamble on its authenticity. The spiritual impact contained highly concentrated energy, and if it struck him, the resulting damage would far surpass the previous palm strike. A slight miscalculation could lead to severe injuries.
Even as he leaped to dodge, each time, he drew closer to Chen Chuan, and with each leap, he accelerated. After three jumps, his speed increased once more.
However, he felt the body of Xun Chilong, the horse beneath him, trembling slightly, and there was a sense of sluggishness in its movements. Looking at the horse's head, he saw the lingering platinum light still swirling around it, the result of Chen Chuan's previous slash.
Due to their different species, Xun Chilong's body was far more robust than that of an average Xuanji Warrior, yet it had been cleaved by Chen Chuan's strike. This realization made Su Kuo even more cautious in the upcoming battle.
He adjusted Xun Chilong's breath and approached Chen Chuan. Hovering in the air, he charged towards his opponent, with the starfire light trailing behind him, exuding an awe-inspiring aura.
The soldiers of the old imperial court surrounding them erupted in loud cheers, tens of thousands of voices resonating through the heavens and earth.
Although each of them was insignificant compared to the martial artist before them, among them were numerous high-ranking and low-ranking warriors. When their voices united, they possessed the might to move mountains and divert rivers.
Amidst this thunderous cheer, Xun Chilong, the horse beneath Su Kuo, became even more excited, and the altered tissues within its body seemed to become more active.
Chen Chuan, seeing Su Kuo approach, showed no intention of dodging. He lifted his knife with both hands, holding it horizontally in front of him, the sharp edge reflecting his fierce gaze.
Su Kuo finally reached Chen Chuan's vicinity. He sank down in the saddle, and together with his horse, they charged downwards with immense force, striking with a long hammer. This time, he had the advantage of height and was well-prepared, and his strike descended like a falling star.
Chen Chuan stood his ground, swiftly lifting his knife to meet the descending hammer. With precise accuracy, he slashed the hammer's face, and in an instant, a dense platinum spiritual flame surged upwards like a rushing tide, colliding with the deep red light flame. Both flames devoured and dissolved each other.
However, when the two forces collided, they stalemated for a moment. Su Kuo and his horse seemed to freeze in mid-air, with the long hammer pointing downwards. Below them, Chen Chuan held his knife upwards, and on the plain, two-colored spiritual flames swelled and flickered around them.
After a brief moment, Su Kuo felt a tremendous force pushing him upwards from below, causing him to tremble. He was once again confronted with that overwhelmingly powerful force.
Su Kuo had been a general of conquest even before the fall of the old dynasty. Seventy years ago, he was promoted to General of the Eastern Conquest, and his altered tissues had reached the limits of the Immortality Realm. He was just a step away from the next realm, and his strength was his forte. With the power of Xun Chilong, he had always been the one overwhelming his enemies. But now, he found himself at a disadvantage, a situation he was unaccustomed to.
Chen Chuan's knife forced Su Kuo to halt. He shook his arms, deflecting the hammer, and with a stomp, he soared into the air towards Su Kuo above. In the midst of this powerful charge, his clothes and hair fluttered backwards.
Su Kuo did not want to engage in close-quarters combat. He needed space to increase his speed and generate enough momentum. So, he retreated sideways, attempting to create distance between them.
At that moment, a gigantic phantom hand appeared in the air, reaching towards him.
Su Kuo had no choice but to dodge again. As a result, he didn't have time to adjust his position, and Chen Chuan instantly closed the gap. With a powerful swing, he slashed down with his knife, forcing Su Kuo to block with his hammer. As their weapons clashed, Su Kuo trembled, and Xun Chilong stumbled beneath him.
Chen Chuan, now above Su Kuo, raised his knife with both hands and struck downwards with a mighty blow!
Accompanied by a thunderous roar, Su Kuo and Xun Chilong fell like shooting stars. Despite their massive weight and Chen Chuan's downward force, when they were about to hit the ground, they didn't collide as expected. Instead, they landed as lightly as feathers, and Xun Chilong nimbly galloped away after a few quick steps.
The martial artist with the Altered Appearance seemed to be at a disadvantage when fighting against a Human Appearance martial artist. The Altered Appearance and the body were one, unlike the separation of the human body. This seemed to put him at a disadvantage in combat.
However, those who followed the path of the Altered Appearance, by contemplating various gods and demons, would develop a capability akin to divine powers as their cultivation deepened.
Su Kuo, a Xuanji Warrior of the Immortality Realm, possessed three Altered Abilities. One of them allowed him to momentarily dissolve his own weight, and when he used this ability, even his horse, Xun Chilong, could benefit from it.
With this ability, despite his massive body, he could execute faster and more agile dodges and movements.
Chen Chuan had just used a technique that consumed a vast amount of his energy in an instant. Even he dared not use it casually, reserving it only for critical moments.
The situation upon landing was dire, forcing him to resort to this technique.
Chen Chuan had intended to charge forward upon landing, but seeing this spectacle, his eyes flickered. This wasn't a mere display of skill; it must be some kind of special ability.
Just like when he fought against the Yao Gui, his opponent possessed a similar ability. If not for the Yao Gui losing two of its three heads, seemingly reducing its capabilities, the battle would have been hopeless.
However, the ability to use these powers without resorting to the Yi-Zhi Xiang form suggested that some of the opponent's abilities required activation under normal conditions.
Chen Chuan's thoughts shifted, deciding not to dwell on these details. He would fight as the situation demanded. To suppress this opponent, his primary goal was to break the unity between the man and his mount. Now that he understood the opponent's abilities, he knew how to counter them.
He glanced at the opponent's position, and a flash of white-golden light from his body transformed into a streak of light, rushing forward. Su Kuo, seeing Chen Chuan's approach, pulled on the reins to retreat to the side. A thunderous crash followed as the ground exploded, creating a large pit. In the next instant, Chen Chuan burst through the smoke and light, charging forward.
Su Kuo realized that Chen Chuan's speed was too fast, and evading him would only result in being caught. So, he swung his hammer, intending to impede Chen Chuan's charge.
The hammer and knife clashed in the next moment. Chen Chuan had planned to borrow the force to retreat, but at that instant, a force field suddenly expanded around Chen Chuan, propelling him forward even faster. Su Kuo, affected by this force field, momentarily slowed down.
This unexpected change caught Su Kuo off guard. Even if he had anticipated it, he couldn't have countered it. As the long hammer failed to retract in time, Xun Chilong took action. It didn't lead its master away but instead dug its hind legs into the ground, lifting its front hooves. A spiritual flame enveloped its hooves, aiming directly at Chen Chuan. If this strike landed, it would be as heavy as a mountain.
Chen Chuan faced the massive hoof that almost covered his entire body. With his free hand, he pushed forward, and the Dacangkong Style's mighty force surged ahead, obstructing the descending force of the hoof. The enormous horse's body suddenly halted in its tracks, unable to land. However, in that moment, Su Kuo, taking advantage of Chen Chuan's focus on the horse, swung the giant hammer in an arc, smashing it towards Chen Chuan.
Su Kuo's eyes locked onto Chen Chuan, confident in this strike. Chen Chuan, holding the knife with one hand, could barely block the blow, as his force wasn't fully exerted. No matter what, he wouldn't gain the upper hand this time. As soon as Su Kuo pressed him down, the horse's body would press down, forcing Chen Chuan into a disadvantageous position.
Chen Chuan, facing the incoming hammer, lowered his center of gravity, raised his knife, and elbowed the hammer. A loud bang echoed, and spiritual light overflowed, as he single-handedly blocked the massive hammer. Meanwhile, his other hand remained steady, and a flash of light emanated from his palm.
Su Kuo's expression changed, and he immediately activated his Yi-Li without hesitation, charging to the side. A thunderous roar accompanied a trumpet-shaped shockwave, altering the terrain. The farthest reach of the shockwave hit the military formation, instantly vaporizing both the old imperial court's soldiers and their equipment.
But it didn't end there. The light flashed again, followed by two consecutive spiritual impacts, erupting in rapid succession. Su Kuo had no choice but to continuously leap and dodge, but due to their proximity, even with his Yi-Li, he couldn't completely evade the attacks. After the third spiritual light, one of his arms vanished, and half of his shoulder was gone. Xun Chilong's body was scorched black on one side, revealing its exposed bones.
Su Kuo didn't spare a glance at his injuries. As soon as the horse's hoof landed, he quickly pulled on the reins, making a sharp turn within a short distance, and raised the long hammer high.
He knew that after such spiritual impacts, there would inevitably be a momentary lull, which no one could avoid. This was the perfect opportunity for a counterattack.
Just then, a gigantic hand, shimmering with flames, suddenly appeared beside him and swung towards Su Kuo.
Su Kuo glanced at his position, finding himself between Chen Chuan and the opponent's giant hand. Evasion was not an option, so he took a desperate gamble.
Leaning forward, Xun Chilong exhaled a stream of hot air from its nostrils, and its speed surged to the extreme in an instant. Su Kuo then crouched on the horse's back, fixated on the figure ahead, and swung the hammer with all his might.
Chen Chuan calmly observed the charging opponent. This time, he uncharacteristically refrained from engaging proactively. Instead, he took a sidestep, aided by the force field, and swiftly moved to the other side. As he brushed past Xun Chilong, he slashed his knife across its neck, dispersing the spiritual fire and instantly severing most of its head. The horse neighed in agony, ran a short distance, and then collapsed onto the ground.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
