Chapter 434: One Minute
Chapter 434: One Minute
At the same moment, high above the barren wasteland, two figures hovered midair.
The Players, of course, couldn’t see these beings from a higher dimension, nor could the system’s cameras capture them.
“Care to explain the current situation, Referee?” War looked down at the two below, his deep voice resonating.
Ximen, floating beside him, didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he shifted his gaze to War himself.
“Hmph… That look in your eyes… Are you seriously thinking of fighting me?” War’s expression darkened slightly.
Finally, Ximen spoke, his voice as cold as a sharpened blade, “And what exactly would you like me to explain?” This eased War’s tension.
“Obviously, I’m talking about the changes happening to Wang Tan Zhi right now,” War replied.
Ximen remained impassive. “Who knows… Perhaps a certain ‘restraint’ has been broken.”
“Is that all you’ve got? A meaningless line of crap?” War scoffed. “Fine. I don’t care what’s happening to him—let’s focus on the matter at hand. The rules of the Basis bet clearly state that direct descendants of the Wang and Gu families are off-limits as betting targets. In other words—‘game outsiders.’ Yet Seven Kill is…”
“Are you here to complain to the Referee because your pawn is about to be eliminated by an outsider?” Ximen cut in.
“If you refuse to intervene…” War said slowly, “I’ll handle it myself.”
A rare chuckle escaped Ximen’s lips—a sound so unsettling it almost felt like a bad omen. “Ever since this bet began, I’ve already killed countless trash in my role as Referee. From Power Angels to crossroads demons…” He paused. “Do you want to become the first sacrifice under the ‘Council’?”
War fell silent for several seconds, weighing his options, before replying, “Watch your tone, devil. I’m no subordinate of yours.” His voice suddenly took on an eerie cadence, as if something else spoke through the human-shaped vessel, “I am the very source of your warlike nature… And no matter how strong you are, you can’t kill a ‘Knight.’”
“How many so-called ‘immortals’ have I killed thus far?” Ximen countered coolly.
“I know full well…” War replied. “You are the ‘Eternal’s’ final rest, the ‘Life’s’ crusher. But I stand by my view.”
“You’re free to keep your opinion,” Ximen said, “as long as you don’t overstep.”
War growled, “So you’re telling me to just let this ‘game outsider’ eliminate Seven Kill?”
Ximen exhaled, turning his gaze back downward. “A lost horse at the frontier—how do you know it won’t bring blessings?”
“Hmm?” War’s eyes narrowed. “Are you implying something about the final match?”
“The greater the risks, the greater the rewards,” Ximen interrupted. “Summit Confrontation… It’s not as simple as you imagine.”
……
“What’s with that confident, battle-hungry look?” Seven Kill mused, staring at Xiao Tan a few meters away. “That’s not like the real brother at all…”
“Internal bleeding, huh?” Xiao Tan muttered to himself, checking his Vitality Value dropping to 29% in an instant. He straightened up, gripping his combat knife, and coldly declared, “I’ll finish you within a minute.”
“Oh? Hah…” Seven Kill laughed. “I’ve no idea where your confidence comes from. If you really can, then try.”
Without another word, Xiao Tan pushed off the ground, leaping into the air with a parabolic trajectory toward his opponent.
“My speed is barely slower than his, but my strength is far superior,” Seven Kill analyzed. “Using Soul Intent, I can triple both the speed and power of my punches. Beyond these advantages, I’ve got far richer combat experience and martial arts skills…” He steadied his mind. “There’s no way he could pull a surprise… He’s bluffing!”
As Xiao Tan lunged, Seven Kill snarled, “Hmph! A basic forward leap like that—what’s the difference from a swinging sandbag?” He threw a punch, unrelenting. Though his fist missed Xiao Tan, the shockwave erupted like an invisible cannonball.
Yet again, the strike hit only a shadow.
In that split second, the airborne figure split into two. The shadow soared upward while the real form reversed direction, descending to attack. Xiao Tan unleashed three skills in two seconds—clones and divine techniques combining into a deadly trap.
A glint of cold light flashed as the combat knife slashed horizontally.
Seven Kill reacted with astonishing speed, blocking the strike aimed at his neck with his raised right forearm.
Clang! Sparks erupted.
Then came the sound of bones snapping…
“How… is this possible…” Though his steel-lock gauntlets remained intact, the force of the slash had fractured his forearm.
“What kind of strength is this…” Seven Kill’s mind raced. “His ribs must’ve shattered long ago. No ordinary attack could surpass this power… This must be a skill! Skills have costs and cooldowns. Such a heavy strike can’t be repeated continuously… Uh!”
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Xiao Tan moved his hands in a blur, resuming the assault. Twin blades danced in a whirlwind of overlapping shadows and radiant arcs. His technique was so extraordinary it seemed like two assassins—one wielding a combat knife, the other a claw—were attacking from both flanks.
Seven Kill’s face paled, ignoring his broken arm as he threw both fists forward, retreating while blocking wildly…
The clash of their weapons sent out waves of battle aura.
Within just over ten seconds, Seven Kill found himself cornered. “What is this? This isn’t just martial arts anymore… Could it be the legendary Twin-Handed Combat Art? And this sudden surge of strength—is it actually sustained?!”
Meanwhile, Xiao Tan’s expression remained blank, as if performing something trivial. Seeing his opponent faltering, he leaned forward, closing the distance. Left hand poised to strike, right hand sweeping in a wide arc, he combined techniques into a life-threatening move.
By now, Seven Kill summoned his last reserves of ferocity. Abandoning defense entirely, he twisted his body midair, spinning like a gale. With both fists and every ounce of strength, he unleashed his ultimate move—Violent Shadow Surge Break.
But Xiao Tan executed a bizarre maneuver—arching his back, feet planting on the rocky ground, evading and pursuing like a hawk performing a mid-air flip. He released Reverse Blade Whirlwind and Terrifying Shadow Soul Chase in unison.
The clash of ultimate techniques shook the skies. Invisible forces surged outward, carving deep cracks into the surrounding rocks.
After several seconds, dust settled and the battle quieted, leaving only the drip of blood onto the stone.
Seven Kill knelt on one knee, bloodied all over. Clenching his teeth, he tried to rise—but as he shifted his weight, wounds across his body burst open, spraying a crimson mist into the air. From above, it looked like a blood-red flower blooming over the wasteland.
Agony surged through him, and soon, his strength faded completely.
His essence, energy, and spirit scattered… The outcome was decided.
Xiao Tan stood motionless before him. As Seven Kill’s blood splattered onto his face, not a muscle on his face twitched. From the start of his awakening to this moment, aside from the Vitality Value loss from internal bleeding, he hadn’t sustained a single injury from his opponent.
In their duel, every strike Xiao Tan landed was faster, stronger, and deadlier—each strike from his twin blades shattering Seven Kill’s bones. Yet every attack from Seven Kill either missed or dissipated.
“See, under a minute,” Xiao Tan sheathed his blades, delivering the final line of the battle.
Right as his words fell, Seven Kill dissolved into white light.
At that moment, every viewer watching the live stream was left speechless.
Only one man remained, staring with dead-fish eyes and muttering, “Hmph… Seems like something troublesome has happened…”
(End of Chapter)
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