Chapter 748: The Warrior and the Blade
"Clang!"
The metallic clash echoed across the snowy plains.
The Fangtian Halberd smashed violently against the Tonbogiri spear, generating a terrifying shockwave that instantly flattened all snow and ice within several hundred meters!
Daiku Kai Enzu was sent flying backward, his tiger-mouth grip trembling uncontrollably.
For the first time, he felt his inferiority in raw strength!
Baili Changqing strode across the snowfield, dragging the Fangtian Halberd behind him with one hand.
The halberd's blade scraped against rocky ground, sending sparks flying in its wake.
"You Japanese always try copying everything from Huaxu Nation," he sneered.
"Creating some legendary warrior like Honda Tadakatsu to rival our Three Kingdoms' LĂŒ Bu? Ridiculous!"
"How can a race of dwarves barely reaching one and a half meters tallâshorter than poniesâclaim to produce peerless champions?"
Baili Changqing's lips curled in contempt as he glared at the three-meter-tall Daiku Kai Enzu.
"Truly, people flaunt what they lack most."
He'd specifically switched to the Fangtian Halberd to counter Daiku Kai Enzu's Tonbogiri.
Time to teach this upstart how real warriors wielded ancestral weapons!
This was what a true champion's armament looked like!
"Raaaaagh!"
Enraged beyond endurance, Daiku Kai Enzu charged with his Tonbogiri.
"Let me educate you further," Baili Changqing said coldly. "Ancient Huaxu generals settled battles through sheer power! Overwhelming strength decides everything!"
Against absolute might, all else was illusion!
Baili Changqing raised the halberd with both hands and launched his assault!
He had to admitâthis former yokozuna possessed exceptional fundamentals.
Whether in combat technique, defense, or endurance, the man was first-rate.
Even while being overpowered, his thick hide and fat layers prevented Baili Changqing from delivering a quick kill.
Those 200+ kilograms of blubber served as perfect natural cushioning.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Halberd and spear collided violently.
Baili Changqing dominated the exchanges, his blade repeatedly slicing across Daiku Kai Enzu's bodyâonly to meet layers of greasy fat instead of blood.
His expression darkened.
If this dragged on until the drug's effects faded, he'd be left severely weakened.
He needed to end thisâfast!
---
Meanwhile, at the central battlefield...
Zhang Yi and Phoenixin Ren's duel remained the focal point.
Though unable to spectate, every soldier silently prayed for their respective leader.
The defeat of either would instantly tilt the entire battle's balanceâsuch was a top-tier superhuman's battlefield supremacy!
Both combatants harbored private doubts.
Neither could gain decisive advantage over the other.
The battle's outcome now hinged on two factors: whether Celestial Hound Squad reinforcements would arrive, and how the other team members fared below.
Chaos had long since engulfed the battlefield.
Zhang Yi never anticipated being backstabbed by the joint forces of Moon of Corrosion and Tianlong Pirate Crew.
Conversely, Moon of Corrosion found their precognitive edge nullified by Zhang Yi's presenceâTakeuchi Mayumi's prophetic abilities were completely sealed.
None could predict the battle's trajectory.
Zhang Yi especially had demonstrated power exceeding all expectations.
The two hovered midair, exchanging rapid fire. Zhang Yi wielded his dual White Owl pistols, evading Phoenixin's close-quarters assaults.
Forced to rely on his Hellfire Crows for attrition, Phoenixin watched helplessly as Zhang Yi picked them off one by one with Origin Bullets and Sacred Silver rounds.
Simultaneously, both arrived at the same conclusionâif they couldn't kill each other, they'd slaughter each other's subordinates!
Zhang Yi's gaze swept across the battlefield, lingering on distant figuresâDaiku Kai Enzu, Tsukamoto Nobunaga, and the Tianlong Pirates' Western Squadron Captain Kanute.
"Using Thunderbolt against them directly would be difficult... but a well-placed snipe during their fights could work."
Just as this thought formed, he sensed malicious eyes targeting Liang Yue and Yang Xinxin.
His brow furrowed as he turned to Phoenixin Renânow wearing a sinister grin.
"Those two women following you everywhere... they're yours, aren't they?"
Rage flared in Zhang Yi's chest.
Nobody touched his people!
Yet he betrayed no emotion.
Showing anger would only make them bigger targets.
"Just subordinates," he said coolly. "Planning to kill them?"
His lips curved into a mocking smile as he glanced toward Takeuchi Mayumi.
"How about we trade kills? You take mine, I take yours?"
Phoenixin's smirk vanished.
Takeuchi Mayumi wasn't just a comradeâshe was his strategic lynchpin.
"Think you can bypass Shinguuji?" he challenged.
"Only one way to find out."
Distorted light swirled in Zhang Yi's right eyeâDivine Power could activate anytime.
Should Shinguuji Seiichiro intervene, the consequences remained unpredictable.
Even if he succeeded, the price would be catastrophic.
Phoenixin pulled his hat lower, hiding his eyes.
He weighed the risksâwas this gamble worth taking?
But the potential loss paralyzed him.
Losing Takeuchi Mayumi meant losing everythingâplummeting from elite superhuman to second-rate nobody.
Too steep a wager.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yi's mind crystallized around a daring, perilous plan.
Yet as no risk-taker, he waitedâfor the perfect moment to strike.
---
Elsewhere on the battlefield...
Liang Yue faced Tsukamoto Nobunaga in a duel of master bladesmen.
Tsukamoto wielded Daihannya Nagamitsuâa legendary katana with glorious history, once borne by Japan's greatest swordsmen, even those revered as Sword Saints.
Liang Yue's weapon was Longmingâa modern-made tang dao forged from Adamantine Metal.
Straight, slender, razor-sharp yet weighty, it resembled Tsukamoto's blade but weighed over twice as much.
In Huaxu's military history, blades were battlefield tools designed to cleave through armorâthus requiring heft.
Japanese samurai, however, prioritized dueling agility. Their one-on-one duel culture favored lighter, faster blades.
Author's Note