Chapter 278: Turtle Breath? Gyrados's Hyper Beam!

Chapter 278: Turtle Breath? Gyrados's Hyper Beam!

In the vast North District, a huge pit formed with Sage's standing point as the center, extending outward. The buildings in the pit had long disappeared, and the structures outside had been crushed into ruins. A third of the center of the once bustling district was now gone.

Sage looked at the gully that stretched out, his outstretched five fingers curling into a fist. The wounds on his chest and the back of his fist from the earlier clash with the sword blade were now emitting white smoke and gradually healing.

Clap!

From the hole behind the gully, a hand in armor reached out, and William quickly climbed out, silently grasping his broadsword as he gazed at Sage from a distance.

The left side of his armored chest was damaged, revealing the lining underneath, and half of his helmet was shattered, exposing a rugged side profile marked with scars. A stream of blood flowed down from his forehead, staining half of his face red.

"You're quite impressive," Sage praised sincerely.

Absolute speed brings absolute power, and the force carried at a hundred times speed is immense. It had been a while since he last used the Dragon Breath Technique; usually, the power brought by the hundred times speed in his normal state was enough to make him unstoppable.

But this guy… He had not only withstood Sage's normal state power but had also managed to hold his own and even take advantage of the situation to knock him away when he was at 80% transformation. This forced Sage to use his full power.

In terms of power, speed, and technique, this guy named William was extraordinarily strong, and even in terms of sheer domineering strength, he appeared to slightly surpass the Sage. The rumor of him single-handedly withstanding Kaidou's power didn't seem to be exaggerated.

Winning was definitely out of the question, but engaging in combat was still possible. If it were the Garess Kingdom before its split, they might have even been able to force Kaido to retreat.

But now…

"I won't hold back against your level of strength. It would be a waste for you to die like this. Serve me," Sage said aloud. "As long as you ensure my sole rule, I will share with you the glory and riches that are mine. What do you say?"

"I won't surrender to a pirate," William said, raising his heavy sword. "We will be the ones ruling this country."

Tick-tock.

As a drop of blood fell from William's face, it seemed to trigger some mechanism. The moment the drop of blood shattered on the ground, William's body lowered, like a hunting lion pouncing from within the gully, rushing toward Sage with immense speed.

Whoosh!

William rushed to Sage's proximity and raised his hands, about to bring down his sword. However, as he was about to strike, his body suddenly flashed to the side, leaving only an afterimage of him bringing down his sword, while he himself appeared at Sage's flank and fiercely swung his sword downward.

"Lion's Flash!"

Boom!

Just as the sword blade was about to land, a enormous fist pounded it away. The emitted pressuring aura, still a bit distant from the sword blade, blew it away in a flash.

Only then did Sage turn his head, and his outstretched fist struck downward, following the momentum. Facing William, he spread out his five fingers and grinned viciously, "Such means are useless against me. Sky-Breaking Live-Killing!"

A majestic aura bullet infused with a large amount of Sage's aura shot out from his palm and fired at William at close range, blasting a concave hole in the surrounding ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

As the dust rose, Sage grinned, his eyes gleaming with a crimson light, and he rushed toward the left side of the dust cloud, capturing William, who burst out of the cloud, in his sights. With a black flash, his fist smashed down.

"Galaxy Impact!!"

Boom!!

That fist landed squarely on William's head, the immense impact blowing open the ground at a slant behind William and sending him flying into the ground, creating an abyss-like hole.

"Lion's Brilliance!"

A low rumble echoed inside the pit, and the whole area was filled with a surging airwave electrified with energy, similar to a rampaging lion's head that enveloped Sage's form.

Sage folded his arms, and the overbearing pressure of his Black Flame aura intensified as he staunchly resisted the airborne slash. The area around the chasm swiftly disintegrated under the impact of the slash, generating a massive upsurge of rock shards that temporarily enveloped him.

At this moment, William swiftly climbed out of the hole, and the lion's mane full-face helmet on his head was completely shattered, revealing a scarred face. His left eye was half-closed, and blood flowed down from above his eye, dripping along his eyelid to the corner of his mouth.

"Lion's Mane Frenzied Slash!"

As soon as he reached the top, William closed in on Sage and swung his heavy sword at him, creating a semicircular afterimage as he waved his sword from above.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Sage quickly extended his hand, and his fist was faster than the afterimage, each punch meeting the afterimage and striking out a shockwave. Then, with a twist of his waist, he lashed out with a quick side kick, aiming at William's waist and ribs.

Bang!

Crack!

The armor on William's waist was forcibly shattered, and the immense force sent him flying in a straight line, crashing into a corner of the outer city wall behind him.

Boom!

The city wall didn't even collapse, and just as the stones fell in the air, they were shredded into powder by a lion's head-shaped slash, which then slammed into Sage, cutting open his skin in that instant.

Bang!

The sinking force brought by the slash also shattered the layer of the ground where Sage was standing, sending his body flying backward.

In an instant, Sage kicked out a smoke circle and disappeared. Suddenly, a series of smoke circles appeared in the air, and that hideous figure appeared above the collapsed ruins. He kicked down fiercely with his legs together and kicked William, who was just standing up.

Bang!!

The heavy force knocked William into the ground and created a hole.

But as soon as the hole appeared, William rushed out again. Sage quickly twisted in the air, creating a hundred afterimages of himself as he kicked viciously towards William's head.

"Beidou Soft Break Slash!"

A kicking version of the Hundred Rift Fist!

Against such a color-seeing master, even capable of keeping up with his hundred-fold speed, using softness to overcome strength was the way to fight!

Clang clang clang!

Just as the kicking afterimages were about to strike William's head, a broadsword glinted with Haoshen energy, and he used the sword body to block the attack, creating a crisp sound.

"Hey!"

William grunted, his arm swelling as he slashed the heavy sword diagonally upward.

Bang! Sage covered his fists with Haoshen energy and quickly leaned forward, blocking the heavy sword while using the momentum of the passing sword blade to slide downward. Taking advantage of the grip on his leg, Sage twisted his body in the air like an eel, assuming a bizarre stance as he viciously slammed the other leg towards William's shoulder blade.

"Roll!"

William was kicked flying by this move, and in this gap, Sage's hands ignited with Black Flame. He waved his hands towards the direction William had flown, firing nearly a hundred Haoshen energy bullets that chased after William and exploded into the buildings ahead.

Boom boom boom!

The Haoshen energy bullets concentrated their fire, turning the buildings into rubble and sending stone chips and wood splinters flying.

At this moment, Sage's body spun in the air, and he landed heavily.

Thud! He immediately swirled out a smoke circle, and that hideous figure rose into the air again, aiming at the direction of the explosion. Sage covered his fists with Haoshen energy once more, and even the Haoshen aura swirling around his body was swiftly gathered and concentrated into his hands at this moment.

He bounced his feet in the air again, gaining more height, and spread his hands open, assuming the stance of the Beidou Shenquan. His hands flashed rapidly, and he fired countless Haoshen energy bullets in front of him.

"Sky-Breaking Live-Killing·Meteorite Shatter!"

Meteor Swarm was a technique used without his ability, while this move was performed after amplifying his speed a hundredfold.

Relying on Sage's nearly infinite Haoshen energy, these Haoshen energy bullets were like a meteor that had been blown apart in the sky, forming an extremely thick and wide line that bombarded the position where William had fallen.

Boom boom boom boom!

The dense bombardment was even more intense than the concentrated cannon fire of the Demon-Slaying Order, and where the bombardment landed, not even a bump remained as everything was blasted into fragments, kicking up wave after wave of dust.

The Demon-Slaying Order's cannon fire couldn't compare to Sage's intensity.

Red dots flashed in Sage's eyes, and he didn't stop, continuously waving his hands and firing Haoshen energy bullets into the dust clouds, completely demolishing another one-fifth of the buildings in the North District. Amidst the dense Haoshen energy bullets, a figure wielding a heavy sword appeared, his body covered in Haoshen energy as he slashed the sword again and again.

"Not dodging?"

Sage grinned ferociously, continuing to fire hundreds of Haoshen energy bullets to envelop William. Suddenly, Sage leaped into the air again, his left-hand palm resting against the back of his right hand as he raised it to the side.

"Then catch this!"

Zizi!

Two black flashes burst from his palms, and just as William focused intently with a solemn expression, resisting the Haoshen energy bullets, Sage abruptly thrust his hands forward, firing a wide beam of black light.

Turtle's Qigong?

No...

It's a Gyarados Hyper Beam!

"Destructive Death Ray! Whoo-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

The Haoshen energy of the Galaxy Impact and the Dou Qi strike of the Heaven-Shattering Strike combined with Sage's nearly infinite Haoshen energy to unleash a black flash unique to him!

He had been wanting to try this on someone!

What was Sage?

He was an ultimate martial arts monster, so much so that he couldn't even be considered a master anymore. In terms of martial arts attainments, he claimed to be the best in the world, and others wouldn't even bother to compete for second place because the gap was just too vast. It led people to believe that he had eaten a 'Martial Arts Fruit' and become a Martial Arts Human.

He was a monster that could accommodate all martial arts, regardless of the type, and always found the knack and exhibited the technique.

After learning Kapu's techniques, he wanted to try and develop a new move.

After all, it would be a waste not to utilize his infinite Haoshen energy in simple punches and strikes.

However, back then, he wasn't proficient enough with Kapu's techniques, and it was only after entering the New World that he thoroughly mastered the usage of Haoshen energy and the intricacies of martial arts, combining them with his 'Heaven-Shattering Strike' to form a move that suited him perfectly.

Possessing the impact force of the Galaxy Impact and the infinite Haoshen energy waves of the Heaven-Shattering Strike, the might of this move...

Even those who didn't understand Haoshen energy could feel the visible air shockwave descending from the sky, causing the surroundings to tremble.

As the pillar-like black light descended towards William, there wasn't even time to dodge. Just as the black light fell, he was already fending off the dense barrage of aura bullets.

The fact that external aura could be condensed into bullet-like forms with such powerful might was astonishing enough. Initially, William had just been dodging left and right, but he soon found that doing so consumed too much energy, and it frustrated him. That was when he decided to face the attacks head-on.

But who would have thought there would be an even bigger attack coming his way?

"Is this the kind of momentum that can take down a Celestial Dragon? It's still not enough to break my determination!" William exclaimed.

The black light was about to engulf William's body, causing his expression to dim, but within that dimness, his eyes shone with an intense light.

Bang!

William gripped the hilt of his sword, causing it to reverberate with a loud clang. He raised his sword and channeled his aura onto the blade, fiercely slashing downward to meet the black light.

"Lion's Fall!"

Boom!!

Compared to the black light, William's sword seemed like a toy as it cleaved through. Yet, at that moment, the aura surrounding the sword withstood the black light, pushing it back.

Crackle!

The impact of the black light caused a shockwave that spread outward, shattering what was left of the ground and William's armor.

During the previous battle, his armor had already sustained numerous cracks. Now, under the force of this shockwave, it completely shattered and fell away.

And along with it, William's body was sent flying backward.

The black light's impact pressed down on his body, causing his bones to creak and crack. Blood flowed from his body, soaking his clothes.

The force of the black light continued to push and squeeze his body, sending him flying backward and creating a deep furrow in the ground behind him.

From above, the North District looked as if a black pillar had swept through, reducing countless buildings to rubble. Even the ruins were blown away, unable to settle as they were kicked up by the force.

Crackle, crackle, crackle.

William, his body enveloped in aura, continued to withstand the black light. His heavy sword trembled in the face of the attack, and he gritted his teeth, his scarred and bloodied face twisted in a ferocious expression. Suddenly, even as he was being pushed back, he planted his feet firmly and stood his ground. With a mighty swing of his sword, he cleaved downward.

"I shall break it!"

Boom!!!

The black light exploded, creating a massive aura shockwave that blasted the surrounding buildings into smithereens and formed a huge concave in the ground.

"You didn't break it," Sage said as he retracted his hand and leaped back into the air, laughing loudly. "It's just that the time limit is up!"

Just like the first time he used the Galaxy Impact when his aura wasn't sufficient.

Probably a pause of about two breaths.

"Lion's Flash!"

As Sage jumped and maintained his position in the air, a lion's head-shaped slash emerged from the dust cloud, rushing towards him.

Within the dust cloud, William's figure appeared, brandishing his heavy sword.

"Hmm?"

Sage's eyes widened in surprise as he quickly stomped out a series of smoke circles, dodging the slash before flashing to William's side. His aura had recovered by then, and he ignited a black flame in his fist, slamming it towards William.

Bang!

This punch landed on William's abdomen, causing his body to curl slightly. However, William swung his heavy sword downward at the same time.

Clang!

Sage's other fist struck out, deflecting the sword blade. Just as he was about to continue his assault, William suddenly closed in, headbutting him.

"Hahaha, good!" Sage laughed wildly, not evading the attack. He covered his forehead with his aura and headbutted William back, creating a shockwave as he did so. With a swift twist of his body, he delivered a side kick, aiming at William's waist.

"Argh!"

William was sent flying by the kick, and in that momentary gap, Sage's hands ignited with Black Flame. He waved his hands in William's direction, firing nearly a hundred Haoshen energy bullets that chased after him and exploded into the buildings ahead.

Boom, boom, boom!

The Haoshen energy bullets concentrated their fire, turning the buildings into rubble and sending stone chips and wood splinters flying in all directions.

At that moment, Sage spun in the air and landed heavily on the ground.

Thud! He immediately swirled out a smoke circle, and that hideous figure rose into the air once more, facing the direction of the explosion. Sage covered his fists with Haoshen energy again, and even the Haoshen aura swirling around his body was swiftly gathered and concentrated into his hands.

He bounced off the ground again, gaining more height, and spread his hands open, assuming the stance of the Beidou Shenquan. His hands flashed rapidly, and he fired countless Haoshen energy bullets forward.

"Sky-Breaking Live-Killing·Meteorite Shatter!"

The Meteor Swarm was a technique he used without his ability, while this move was performed after amplifying his speed a hundredfold.

With Sage's nearly infinite Haoshen energy, these Haoshen energy bullets resembled a meteor that had been blown apart in the sky, forming an extremely thick and wide line that bombarded the position where William had fallen.

Boom, boom, boom, boom!

The dense bombardment was even more intense than the concentrated cannon fire of the Demon-Slaying Order. Where the bombardment landed, not even a bump remained as everything was blasted into fragments, kicking up wave after wave of dust.

The Demon-Slaying Order's cannon fire couldn't compare to Sage's intensity.

Red dots flashed in Sage's eyes as he continued his assault, relentlessly firing Haoshen energy bullets into the dust clouds and demolishing another one-fifth of the buildings in the North District. Amidst the dense energy bullets, a figure wielding a heavy sword appeared, his body enveloped in Haoshen energy as he slashed again and again.

"Not dodging?" Sage grinned ferociously. He continued to fire hundreds of Haoshen energy bullets to envelop William. Suddenly, Sage leaped into the air again, his left-hand palm resting against the back of his right hand as he raised it to the side.

"Then catch this!"

Zizi!

Two black flashes burst from his palms, and just as William focused intently, his expression solemn as he resisted the Haoshen energy bullets, Sage abruptly thrust his hands forward, firing a wide beam of black light.

Turtle's Qigong?

No...

It's a Gyarados Hyper Beam!

"Destructive Death Ray! Whoo-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

The Haoshen energy of the Galaxy Impact and the Dou Qi strike of the Heaven-Shattering Strike combined with Sage's nearly infinite Haoshen energy to unleash a black flash unique to him!

He had been eager to test this move on someone!

Who was Sage?

He was an ultimate martial arts monster, so much so that he couldn't even be considered a master anymore. In terms of martial arts attainments, he claimed to be the best in the world, and others wouldn't even bother to compete for second place because the gap was just too vast. It led people to believe that he had eaten a 'Martial Arts Fruit' and become a Martial Arts Human.

He was a monster that could adapt to all martial arts, regardless of type, and always found the knack and exhibited the technique.

After learning Kapu's techniques, he wanted to create a new move.

After all, it would be a waste not to utilize his infinite Haoshen energy solely for punching and striking.

However, back then, he wasn't proficient enough with Kapu's techniques. It was only after entering the New World that he thoroughly mastered the usage of Haoshen energy and the intricacies of martial arts, combining them with his 'Heaven-Shattering Strike' to form a move that suited him perfectly.

Possessing the impact force of the Galaxy Impact and the infinite Haoshen energy waves of the Heaven-Shattering Strike, the might of this move...

Even those who didn't understand Haoshen energy could feel the visible air shockwave descending from the sky, causing the surroundings to tremble.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end