Fierce War (Part 1)
Qing Ming pivoted back around and chortled. “You want to kill me? That’s a first.”
“I hate being threatened, and I hate stuck up people. If you want to kill me, I’ll kill you first,” answered Mu Yu, activating a formation in the desert the two of them just reshaped.
“Calling me stuck up when you’re the weaker one calling me out is hypocritical, don’t you think?”
“Just one question: does Tian Yuehen often hire you to remove obstacles in Tian Budai’s way?”
“I just do what I’m paid to do.”
“That’s the longest spelling for ‘yes’ that I’ve heard before. Enlighten me: why doesn’t the eight great sects hire you to assassinate Sikong Qiwen?”
Silence.
“In other words, you’re not confident you can beat him.” Mu Yu activated back and white formations in his eyes.
“Different people, different prices. It’s not a question of confidence but that nobody paid enough for me to kill him,” corrected Qing Ming, summoning another black dagger.
Mu Yu’s pillar of light rose from his formation, blasting away sand and trapping him, as well as Qing Ming, inside an eight trigrams diagram. Though the formations Lu Deyi set were fixed formations, Mu Yu had Primordial Yin Yang, allowing him to shift them to where he needed.
Besides casting their own formation technique, formation casters couldn’t cast advanced fixed formations back to back even if they possess control over Primordial Yin Yang. Mu Yu could only cast large-scale formations if he had Formation Palace in addition to Formation and Talisman Stone. Mu Yu needed a fixed formation to level the playing field with Qing Ming as fixed formations were stronger than mobile formations.
Mu Yu had Lu Deyi cast formations all over the desert for Lu Deyi was more experienced in the department and was aware of Qing Ming’s spying. If Mu Yu cast the formations himself, Qing Ming would be aware of them.
Qing Ming’s speed still proved to be faster than Mu Yu even without his shadows’ boost. Mu Yu teleported behind Qing Ming as the latter lunged forward. As Mu Yu reached for Qing Ming’s back, he drew Shadow Splitter Sword simultaneously and then imbued it with green energy. Qing Ming spun around before Mu Yu could cut him, thwarting Mu Yu’s slash.
Mu Yu started executing a string of attacks, switching levels and angles each time. Nevertheless, Qing Ming proved fast enough to react in time to all of Mu Yu’s attacks.
“This is all you have?”
Neither of them was able to get the upper hand even after a hundred lightning-fast exchanges.
Mu Yu eventually retreated but not without activating five black and white formation lines and morphing them into swallows that went after Qing Ming from numerous directions. Alas, Qing Ming’s quick reactions rendered Mu Yu’s technique pointless as he cut the swallows down.
“How many more times can you use formations?”
“Enough times to kill you.”
Mu Yu emanated spiritual energy from both hands, restraining Qing Ming with the very formation lines he cut. Qing Ming tried to bust his way out. For whatever reason, though, Mu Yu’s formation fragments penetrated through Qing Ming’s spiritual energy and body.
Nobody liked foreign things inside their body, but Qing Ming didn’t feel anything. “Are your formations all for show?”
Mu Yu snubbed the taunt since he knew Mesmerising Swallow Returns was already searching for Qing Ming’s weaknesses. Mu Yu’s focus was on figuring out how to force Qing Ming to expose his weakness and how to capitalise on it afterward.
Clang! The two uncorked more attacks on each other. Mu Yu appeared over Qing Ming’s left shoulder and swung, only for Qing Ming to initiate a counter. Howbeit, Mu Yu saw the opening at Qing Ming’s chest and kicked another Shadow Splitter Sword at Qing Ming’s chest. Mu Yu’s unorthodox usage of his sword caught Qing Ming by surprise, but Qing Ming was proficient enough to roll his shoulder and guard his chest with another Shadow Blade, allowing him to retreat.
Mu Yu saw the opening at Qing Ming’s shoulder as the latter retreated and bound forward, aiming a thrust toward the exposed shoulder. Qing Ming’s collected spiritual energy went into disarray due to Mu Yu’s thrust landing on his shoulder, leaving his chest wide open for Mu Yu to score a front kick on.
Steadying himself after Mu Yu drove him back, Qing Ming subtly fumed, “How do you know my openings?”
Qing Ming mulled, Everyone collects spiritual energy to the body part they intend to attack with. Attacking it, therefore, meant cancelling out the output. How is he identifying my openings so quickly?
“That’s for me to know and for you to never find out.”
“Don’t tell me you think Shadow Concealment Technique is all you think I have.”
Qing Ming glanced down to his cut and staunched the bleeding with spiritual energy. It wasn’t anything too serious despite Mu Yu being able to foil his attack.
Mu Yu teleported behind Qing Ming and attempted to plunge his sword through the latter’s back whilst keeping his field of view to Qing Ming’s entire body. Mu Yu noticed another opening at Qing Ming’s right elbow and drew a Shadow Splitter Sword from a void to slash the exposed elbow. Qing Ming hadn’t moved, yet the opening disappeared for some reason. Detecting danger, Mu Yu summoned a Shadow Splitter Sword to his right hand to block Qing Ming’s Shadow Blade.
Mu Yu didn’t notice Qing Ming get behind him at all. Anyhow, the two decided to put some distance between them and reset.
“I don’t know how you’re pinpointing my openings, but you’re dead either way.”
Smirking, Qing Ming flashed behind Mu Yu and caught the latter’s shoulder.
How did he double his speed?! Mu Yu wondered.
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