Grudge Match
Two hours away from noon on 6th June.
Tian Budai scanned the vibrant plain he was on. Mu Yu monitored his opponent from atop a tree. The rippling scenery was a dead giveaway that Tian Budai was already in a formation.
“I despise nothing more than formation casters and talisman masters because their style is fancy, yet impractical, powerful, yet short lived. Despite all the hype heaped on them, I can’t say I’m impressed.”
Tian Budai leapt toward Mu Yu and concealed his spear. When he thrust it again, it was only a mere inch away from Mu Yu’s throat! Tian Budai executed a flurry of stabs after his initial spear missed, varying the direction of his strikes each time.
After dodging a series of thrusts, Mu Yu teleported behind Tian Budai via Heavenly Star Formation and drew Shadow Splitter Sword from a void, firing a stream of sword qi from his sword tip. Tian Budai spawned Celestial Star Shield, catching Mu Yu’s sword qi and then jumped through a void.
Void travel cost a lot of spiritual energy because it required the user to speed up enough to break the spatial barrier. As a consequence, the user’s aura remained. Heavenly Star Formation was about manipulating space, on the other hand, eliminating the flaw of leaving traces of the caster behind.
Mu Yu had locked onto Tian Budai as the latter also did based on auras. Thus, Mu Yu knew which direction Tian Budai would come from and swung down at Tian Budai’s head as he arrived. Nevertheless, Tian Budai displayed exceptional timing once again, guarding his head with Celestial Star Shield. Mu Yu front kicked the shield to launch himself back and teleported, leaving behind multiple afterimages of Celestial Star Spear’s thrusts.
Swallows flitted across the plain to Tian Budai. Mu Yu didn’t look as tired as usual when using Mesmerising Swallow Returns after ascending to Spirit Severing Realm, and his swallows flew even faster.
Tian Budai conjured phantoms of Celestial Star Shield to barricade himself, thwarting the swallows’ dive. “I know how to deal with formations. Don’t forget I almost took over Formation Sect.”
Mu Yu and Tian Budai engaged in another round of melee, reshaping the landscape and dismantling Mu Yu’s illusion formation to return them into everyone’s view.
“Give up. My Celestial Star Shield is impregnable!”
Truly, Tian Budai’s proficiency with his spear and shield were incredible, and they were robust.
“That must be another lie your father fed you,” responded Mu Yu, inwardly communicating, Dad, I know just how impressive you are now that I’m able to understand more of ‘Profound Formations’. I know you regret not being able to finish Tian Budai after outwitting and outclassing him. I’ll use your tactic again to show the world today just how far ahead of the curve you were.
Mu Yu prepared five rank seven explosion pills in his hand for a Body-Synthesis-Realm-Calibre bomb and wrapped them in formations. Meanwhile, his feet conjured an eight trigrams diagram underfoot. The five pills in his hand glimmered golden. A vortex formed in front of Mu Yu from the five formations he wrapped the explosion pills in.
“Situ Yangtian, have you tried combining explosions pills with formations?” Lu Deyi asked.
“No. That’s too advanced and risky. If you aren’t able to control the pills, you blow yourself up there with the clouds. Only an alchemist would be able to control it.”
“I guess Mu Yu is the only formation caster who’s also an alchemist.”
Tian Budai recognised the formation he once he had a taste of. “You trying to perform a skit as Ku Mu did?”
“You’ll find out.”
Mu Yu expanded his formation underfoot to put Tian Budai within range and sent the five pills in varying directions to ensnare Tian Budai in the centre. Tian Budai tried to bound out of the formation range. Unfortunately, the formation barrier bounced him back in.
“As if I’d fall for it a second time!”
Tian Budai holed up in his plethora of Celestial Star Shields and ushered spiritual energy to his spear to bust out of the formation. Mu Yu’s formation vortexes already drifted out, fusing with his Shadow Splitter Sword. Tian Budai finally speared the barrier and screwed it in, breaking the barrier after a long-hard struggle. Mu Yu tried to catch Tian Budai with a slash straight away. Sadly, Tian Budai managed to slip away.
The reason Tian Budai couldn’t break free of Ku Mu’s barricade was because Ku Mu set a trap to incarcerate Tian Budai, while Mu Yu skipped that step.
Mu Yu swung Shadow Splitter Sword, creating a deep ditch in the sand!
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