Chapter 38: Lightning-Fast Combat

This was Sun Hongshan's true fatal strike.

In fact, Tang Mo's move of splitting a single blade into four was a similar technique. However, his blade only temporarily produced four phantom images, and the distance between the four blade shadows was not very far. Furthermore, only one was real while three were false.

Sun Hongshan's technique, on the other hand, made use of water vapor and puppet dolls purchased from Fusang.

Therefore, in terms of being difficult to distinguish, Sun Hongshan far surpassed Tang Mo.

Many people in the martial world could break Tang Mo's technique of splitting a blade into four.

However, very few people could break this ultimate technique of the Hong and Yan styles used by Sun Hongshan.

Sun Hongshan had reasoned clearly that Shen Ye should be a strength-based fighter, and encountering this kind of illusory and elusive speed-based technique would surely cause him to suffer.

In reality, however, he had miscalculated one thing.

After suppressing his attributes, and unable to use gauntlets, spider silk, and other means, Shen Ye would indeed have been reduced to trading injuries for injuries if he had encountered Tang Mo's four-way blade split. Yet, encountering Sun Hongshan's move, breaking it was simply too easy—far too easy. The reason was very simple: Shen Ye's Eye of Justice had long since seen through everything completely.

Above Sun Hongshan's head floated a line of text: "Sun Hongshan, occupation, martial artist. Operates the Feiling Chemical Plant in Qingshi Town; massive pollution has caused dozens of people to die of cancer, and hundreds more to lose their lives because of it. Sin value, one hundred and two."

As for the heads of the other two puppets, there was no floating text whatsoever.

Puppets did not belong to living beings.

The Eye of Justice made no reaction to them whatsoever.

Shen Ye easily broke the technique, but he did not intend to announce it outright; instead, he decided to trick Sun Hongshan.

At this moment, one of the two puppets manipulated by Sun Hongshan charged directly at Shen Ye, the images of two swords resembling the Flame Calamity Twin Swords hurtling toward Shen Ye with intense heat. One had to admit that Fusang's puppet arts were indeed quite wondrous and exquisite. They could even temporarily simulate the extreme heat accompanying the Flame Calamity Twin Swords.

Since Shen Ye wanted to trick Sun Hongshan, he naturally had to play the act out completely. The Huchan Saber in his hand met the fake Flame Calamity Twin Swords head-on.

Clang!

At this instant, the second puppet struck.

Shen Ye still pretended to misjudge the situation. Under nearly impossible circumstances, he twisted his wrist and swung the Huchan Saber to directly intercept the simulated Flame Calamity Twin Swords of the second puppet.

From Sun Hongshan's perspective, Shen Ye had first met the Flame Calamity Twin Swords of the first puppet with a single slash, and then quickly used the twisting force of his waist to meet the Flame Calamity Twin Swords of the second puppet. After two consecutive twists, his momentum was spent, making it extremely difficult to make another change in an extremely short period.

This extremely short period lasted for merely two split seconds.

Therefore, at this very moment, Sun Hongshan's true body, wielding the Flame Calamity Twin Swords, charged directly at Shen Ye.

He wanted to seize these two split seconds to severely injure Shen Ye and achieve a desperate comeback.

A cold smile crept onto the corners of Sun Hongshan's lips.

His Flame Calamity Twin Swords were about to hit their mark.

Just a single inch away.

Yet!

Just at this split second, Shen Ye, defying almost all possibilities, suddenly twisted his body and dodged Sun Hongshan's ultimate fatal strike.

Moreover, in the briefest moment, he shifted to Sun Hongshan's right side, while simultaneously bringing the Huchan Saber down in a direct slash toward Sun Hongshan's right.

If this slash landed solidly, it would split Sun Hongshan directly in two.

Sun Hongshan's previous Flame Calamity Twin Swords strike had been intended to take Shen Ye's life, and he had exhausted all his strength. Only then did he realize he had fallen into a trap, and almost instinctively, he wanted to dodge the blow. He used nearly all his strength, employing superb Iron Plank Bridge techniques, to forcefully evade the blade strike.

However, Shen Ye had prepared beforehand, and naturally had already figured out how to launch continuous, consecutive attacks with his saber to drive Sun Hongshan to his death.

That Sun Hongshan could use his full strength to barely dodge this slash was well within Shen Ye's expectations.

The Wuhuo Scabbard in his left hand had actually been prepared long ago, and it struck out three split seconds after the Huchan Saber was swung.

Sun Hongshan could no longer dodge.

His only option was to raise the Flame Calamity Twin Swords to block this strike.

However, the Flame Calamity Twin Swords were intercepted halfway by the Huchan Saber.

Swish! With a crisp sound.

Although the Wuhuo Scabbard was not sharp, a direct thrust driven by tremendous force was more than enough to kill a man.

The scabbard pierced directly into Sun Hongshan's abdomen.

Blood flowed endlessly.

Sun Hongshan originally wanted to struggle, but as a martial artist, he knew his own condition all too well. This blow had ruptured the blood vessels near his heart, and the corner of his heart had also burst.

At this point, struggling was meaningless.

He looked at Shen Ye, his eyes filled with sheer disbelief: "The Hong-Calamity ultimate technique was something I had conceived long ago, but I never had the puppets. Recently, I made a trip to Fusang, called in massive favors, and spent a fortune just to acquire the puppets and create this new ultimate technique. I originally thought I wouldn't even need to use this ultimate move against Ma Nuonuo. How did you break it just like that?"

Shen Ye sneered, "Broken means broken."

Seeing that Shen Ye refused to explain the reason, Sun Hongshan could only resign himself with helplessness. He panted, "When an army is defeated, it collapses like a mountain, and even in survival, there is no way out. The defeated are not destined to die alone; in the future, wealth will rise like mountains."

"To lose to you, I am unsatisfied!"

Uttering a roar of resentment, Sun Hongshan abruptly gripped the Flame Calamity Twin Swords and violently stabbed them straight into the ground of the arena.

His body froze.

His vitality vanished.

And a surge of experience entered Shen Ye's experience bar.

...

Meanwhile, the spectators beneath the arena watched this battle in utter astonishment.

Throughout this fight, Sun Hongshan's performance had been immensely powerful!

Especially when he unleashed his new Hong-Yan ultimate technique, it had been terrifyingly strong, easily reaching the combat power of a Tier Five powerhouse.

At that moment, every spectator in the arena believed that Sun Hongshan was very likely to win.

Yet! Even a Sun Hongshan as formidable as that had lost.

And he had lost so quickly.

The entire battle had lasted a total of just five moves!

A life-and-death struggle, swift as lightning.

Their exchange was simply like a goshawk preying on a snake!

Throughout the combat, Shen Ye's reaction speed, the momentum of his strikes, and the overwhelming dominance of his saber slashes were all breathtaking.

"So strong!" Even the Tier Four powerhouse Li Da, wielding his broadsword, froze in place at this moment. He could clearly feel the aura of a supreme expert radiating from Shen Ye as he stood in the center of the arena. A powerhouse as formidable as Sun Hongshan had died in just five moves.

"Shen Ye, how old is he? Checking the registry data, he's only twenty-three years old now, right? To actually be this strong..." Feng Leng could not help feeling a bitter taste at the corner of his mouth. He had always been praised for having good talent, yet he was currently only a Tier Three powerhouse.

"Too strong!" Deng Xiaonzi's eyes flashed with brilliance. "It's a pity I'm a few years older than him. Sister Nuonuo, your opponent in the final round is him. You must be careful."

Ma Nuonuo gripped the hilts of her twin swords, her eyes revealing a resolute determination. Those who reached Tier Five strength at a young age were all exceptionally talented and possessed unyielding willpower: "He is indeed very strong, but I will not admit defeat."

Hu Qi watched as Shen Ye beheaded Sun Hongshan in five moves, feeling a wave of dizziness and ringing in his ears. Being a newcomer who had joined the team at the same time, he himself was merely a Tier Two weakling. Yet Shen Ye was already a Tier Five powerhouse! The gap between them was truly immense.

Hu Qi recalled the words he had spoken at the very beginning: "Alas, our newcomer strength is weak, and we don't have much combat experience. I've already lost. You don't need to feel too much pressure; at worst, we just lose a match."

"I've already come to terms with it anyway. We still have a long future ahead, and we can slowly train our strength over time."

He felt as though his own words were mercilessly slapping him across the face.

Everyone present could serve as witnesses.

Witnessing a Tier Five powerhouse rising like a new star.

A twenty-three-year-old Tier Five powerhouse! How rare was that!

Generally speaking, Tier Five powerhouses under the age of thirty were already extraordinary.

At such an age and with such strength, to what extent would he grow if he continued to develop?

...

Sun Dehai was nearly angered to the point of explosion. Sun Hongshan was his nephew and an important chess piece of his, yet now, he had died right here. To make matters even more infuriating, he had been utterly and completely outmaneuvered by Shen Shipeng this time. His gaze looked as though he wanted to hack Shen Shipeng and Shen Ye into a thousand pieces.

Shen Shipeng laughed heartily, brimming with triumph as he uncorked a bottle of Red Star Erguotou beside him, poured himself a cup, and sipped it with great relish, smacking his lips with immense satisfaction.