He stopped talking for a while as his gaze landed on Happy's Golden Gloves. "I refuse to believe that the clan master of Mu Clan does not have a better weapon as well."
"Hah. I'm the same as you. This is something that I've become used to, and if I suddenly change it, I'll find it hard to make best use of it."
Happy might have said that, but in truth, he just did not want to reveal the fourth-echelon Heavenly Silk King Ice Gloves, especially in front of so many people. Also, he needed to be close to his enemy if he wanted to Heavenly Silk King Ice Gloves go bring forth its effects. There were a lot of restraining factors to it, and the difference would not be big if he had or did not have that weapon.
"I heard that Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms will be stronger the further into the fight you are. My sword technique is different. It can bring forth its greatest damage at any moment I d.e.s.i.r.e."
One Emperor c.a.r.e.s.sed his sword gently, and his tone was stern.
Happy let his smile drop when he replied without batting an eyelid. "You specialize in fatal sword techniques, and your skills with the sword have reached transcendence… but I've learned a lot of martial arts, and you might not know all of them."
"If that's the case…"
One Emperor slowly lifted his black longsword and looked at Happy.
The hoarse scratching sound of the longsword against the sword sheath rose.
In an instant, the entire area outside the empty ground fell silent. The wind stopped moving, and the air became still. There was only the sound of One Emperor drawing his sword, and it was very clear.
A great pressure fell upon the crowd, and as the longsword was drawn, it gave everyone the feeling that a mighty weight fell against their heart.
At the moment One Emperor drew his sword, a heat wave spread out of Happy's body and quickly swept outward.
Happy had his hands placed behind his back and stood with his back straight.
But his sleeves had started fluttering slightly.
Whoosh!
The heat wave stirred up a gust of hot wind over the silent ground.
With Happy as its center, the violent gust of wind swept out. The dew on the grass around them swiftly evaporated.
One Emperor noticed the change in temperature around him, and he immediately realized that the power he sent through the area seemed to be blocked by an incredibly tenacious force. When the power he brought forth reached an area thirty-two feet away from Happy, it could not advance any longer.
A light crease appeared between his eyebrows. For the first time ever, One Emperor showed a solemn expression in front of other players.
The people watching the fight held their breaths.
Even though the duo had yet to officially start fighting, their movements had already stirred up the onlookers' hearts. Everyone held their breaths as they focused their attention on the duo in the field. They did not blink, because they did not want to miss even a single scene.
Clang!
The longsword was drawn.
A clear sword w.h.i.n.e rose into the air.
At the moment the sword tip left the sword sheath, it was as if a black sword glare shot out.
Whoosh!
All gazes turned to Happy.
A violent gust of wind swept out from his body. He moved minimally and remained in his original spot.
A barely audible sound rose, and the area fell silent again.
Quite a number of players in the crowd rubbed their eyes vigorously.
One Emperor had one hand on his sword sheath while the other held his sword skyward. He stood on the ground quietly.
Happy remained in his original position.
It did not seem like the fight had already started.
But there were a few people in the crowd who managed to see the secret. They knew that a lightning fast exchange of blows had happened moments earlier.
However, because of the tense atmosphere between the duo, no one had the time or energy to explain to the people beside them. They did not want to miss out on the fight nor interrupt the fighters.
Happy's calm and collected expression made admiration come to One Emperor's face. It seemed like he had expected that to happen.
"This is the first time someone managed to avoid my sword slash so easily. But the next few slashes will not be as easy."
"I look forward to your seventh slash."
Even though Happy avoided the first slash, there was no hint of joy or relief on his face. He did not dare to relax or slack in the fight. He paid full attention to all the slight changes Nine Divine Yang Skill provided to him as feedback.
When One Emperor saw that Happy seemed intent to face his sword techniques head-on, a hint of surprise showed up on his face. 'Happy seems to have given up on his advantage in close-quarters combat. His hopes of winning will be lower then.'
But Happy knew very clearly that One Emperor's sword technique was too strong. It was only when he paid full attention and fought with everything that he had that he might be able to withstand One Emperor's seventh sword. He could not have his attention diverted during that time.
Chapter 677 - Fifth Slash
The first slash produced no results.
The onlookers did not see any traces of a fight between the two men, but they gained a deeper understanding of Happy's strength.
No matter what, One Emperor was a powerful player who was first place on Dragon Rank for nearly a year. His sword technique had reached transcendence, and he had already entered a stage that others did not even know about.
During the fight at Hero's Mountain Villa, many of the powerful players on Dragon Rank could not withstand four slashes from One Emperor, and his sword technique became even more mysterious and unfathomable.
Even though the fights on Dragon Tiger Arena had allowed Happy to receive the title of the strongest in the game, the players still had some doubts about who truly deserved the title of strongest, since Happy had not fought against One Emperor.
It was not that they doubted Happy's strength, but One Emperor's final slash had cut the legendary Ling Huchong's shoulder during his final fight at the arena. That scene was something countless people still pondered about deeply, since there was no first person battle replay for it.
Many people believed that the title strongest could only be truly determined if they officially fought.
Happy did not disappoint them.
At the very least, in the eyes of the people who managed to catch the first slash, his performance was perfect. He was calm and did not show any of his thoughts nor acted in a flashy manner.
Besides, he managed to easily get through the first slash despite One Emperor's sword speed having increased.
However, most people did not notice what had happened. While they were stunned by One Emperor's words, a black arc that resembled a waterfall rose from his hands.
If the first slash was incredibly quick, then in comparison, the second slash was like a turtle crawling about. It was a black sword glare that resembled a whip, and it descended from the sky with a whoosh.
This slash seemed to be even slower than when the people had seen it at Hero's Mountain Villa
Many of the players found this incredibly strange. They believed that if they stood in Happy's position, they would be able to easily negate or receive the slash.
But when Happy saw the sword glare that came toward him slowly like a black snake, he suddenly scowled, and chills creeped down his spine. He felt a sense of danger, as if he had been targeted by a fierce creature.
It might have seemed to be coming at him slowly, but it was actually very quick!
Whoosh!
At the moment the black sword glare arrived above Happy's head, it suddenly sped up.
Since it was incredibly fast, the black sword glare let out a sonic boom, and it instantly turned into three black snakes before that surrounded him from all directions.
'I knew it. The second slash mutated.'
At the sam
e time, Golden Bell Cocoon rose from his body and released golden light.
Shick!
A faint sound came from the air. Immediately after, countless players who were watching the fight saw Happy shift three feet away. His Golden Bell Cocoon retreated into his body, while there were two deep and aggressive trenches to his right.
Happy had acted with great speed. He moved and attacked with his finger, and he also activated Golden Bell Cocoon. Many of the elites in the crowd did not manage to catch the details of all that he had done.
They only saw a golden light flash, and Happy got through the second slash.
"What happened just now?"
"Don't look at me, I didn't manage to see it clearly. Damn it, this difference…" Many of the players in the crowd who thought of themselves as great turned red. Some of them scowled, widened their eyes, and continued watching the fight.
"Good. I finally managed to force you to attack."
When One Emperor saw Happy use a negation technique to forcefully withstand the attack and his body fortification instantly recover, his tone showed surprise and delight.
Happy smiled wanly. "I didn't expect myself to be forced to attack so quickly. These slashes of yours have become much stronger than before. Looks like there is indeed no limit to a martial art."
When he said that, his expression suddenly turned solemn and grave, because One Emperor had shifted his posture. Clearly, he was ready to deliver the third slash.
It had been broken by Silver Wolf in the past, and it was a turning point. It turned from a simple sword technique relying solely on speed to one that had reached a profound breakthrough. Its might increased by leaps and bounds, and each minor change contained great killing intent that could not be underestimated.
One Emperor's face was stern and callous. As his long blacksword gradually came to a stop, it revealed before countless players a black and profound sword curtain filled with endless killing intent. It completely isolated the other side of the world, and it was filled with a bleak atmosphere, causing the people to feel fear toward the unknown darkness!
One Emperor opened his eyes!
He raised one hand, and the black sword curtain transformed quickly. It split into seven black and sharp swords above his head. They formed a circle, pierced through the sky, and shot out.
At the moment One Emperor flicked his wrist, Happy's heart trembled. He could no longer remain calm. He pushed three of his fingers together and attacked with both hands.
He tapped three times in a flash!
At this time, no one outside the field could see all that the two fighters did.
Once Happy mastered Nine Yang Divine Skill, his improved spiritual senses helped him by a lot. He could sense not only the changes in One Emperor's qi activity and the trajectory formed by the killing intent in each slash, his perception toward threats was also incredibly s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e.
Without any hesitation, Happy attacked repeatedly with Joined Finger.
His Body Movement and Arm Strength were both at nearly two hundred points, and it was the time for Happy to test how good those attributes were. He instantly attacked six times and tapped One Emperor's sharp swords. Even though all six black swords did not shatter, their remaining damage was not enough to pose a threat to him.
Happy avoided the last sharp sword with a slight sway.
'Good!'
Excitement shone in One Emperor's eyes.
"Beautiful!" he cried out, but he did not stop attacking. He pulled back his black longsword using the momentum and vanished from everyone's eyes.
It was the first time someone was able to withstand his fourth slash head-on and remain unharmed.
In the world of martial artists, heroes valued each other, and powerful enemies valued each other even more. One Emperor finally stopped drawing out the fight. He intended to fight at full strength, and he executed his fifth and sixth slashes against Happy.
At the moment he vanished, Happy suddenly turned around and shot out. His body shuddered delicately while airborne. A black sword glare grazed past his body before it sank into the forest nearby like a flash of lightning.
Several big trees were cut apart horizontally like tofu!
The tips of Happy's feet landed on the ground, but before he could regulate his breathing, two black lightning bolts intersected with each other to pass him by while drawing out deep and sharp trenches by his feet. They rushed into the crowd not too far in the distance, and cries of surprise rang out.
This slash had not ended just then.
One Emperor moved like a lagging movie. He appeared repeatedly in the air, and every single time he swung his sword, several sword glares flew out from the most impossible angles to chase after Happy in an unbelievable manner.
He moved incredibly quickly, giving people too many things to look for. The crowd watched One Emperor continuously attack and change his location as if they were looking at a monster. He seemed to be immersed in some kind of profound state, and he controlled the situation completely.
Happy was in a bad position and was continuously suppressed. He moved here and there and adjusted his body's angle to avoid the attacks.
Chapter 678 - Seventh Slash
There were plenty of people who came to watch the fight at Mount Tai, and among them there were powerful players on Dragon Rank, Phoenix Rank, Famous People Rank, and One Hundred Demon Influence Rank. There were also many great players who were not weak but had yet to become famous.
They were people from Mu Clan, Chivalry Sect, Class One Hall, and Towering Palace. However, all of them wore Bamboo Hats, and since there were plenty of them around, no one could recognize who was who.
They were slightly confused by the first few slashes, especially when the duo entered a deeply worrying fight where life and death could be determined in an instant. The lightning fast changes in position due to the dazzling black lightning left the onlookers unable to follow what happened because there were too many things they needed to take in.
The only thing that they were certain about was that One Emperor's sword technique was becoming faster and fiercer. The ground nearby was filled with trenches, and the trees not too far in the distance were already cut to the point that they were beyond recognition.
The people closest to the fight retreated repeatedly to avoid the sharp and fierce sword glares. They were afraid that the fight would reach them.
"It's too fast."
Lin Xiao's face was filled with shock and graveness while he stood in the crowd. As he watched, he found himself unable to follow the two's rhythm.
It was only the first few slashes, but they were already so strong!
But he was even more impressed by Happy.
He had actually managed to remain highly alert in such a rapid rain of sword slashes and dodged them in an orderly fashion. This sort of ability seemed to be even rarer than One Emperor's attacks.
'The fifth slash…'
Zhou Yu's expression was very sour.
He had fought a few times against One Emperor before, but he never saw this skill.
When he put himself in Happy's position, he soon came to an unwelcome conclusion. Perhaps he could dodge the first few slashes unharmed, but the latter ones were too fast. He could not react to them, and as One Emperor progressed further into this skill, Zhou Yu would definitely be injured, and soon, he would lose.
But in truth, he would even have a hard time withstanding the fourth slash. As of then, he did not even have the right to force One Emperor to execute the fifth slash.
But Happy was able to withstand the fifth slash. So far, he had not shown any mistakes.
'Is this their strength?!'
Vast Heaven stood behind the crowd, and his c.h.e.s.t heaved. His emotions surged wildly.
One Emperor's sword technique had fused damage and speed together. They created a perfect combinations, and it was the most terrifying sword technique in the world!
Even though Six Pulses Divine Sword was
a supreme divine skill, the scene before him taught him something new. While the user could become strong through the martial art they learned, a martial art could become incredibly terrifying because of the user as well.
Countless martial artists in the crowd stared at the intersecting black lightning bolts in the field while harboring different thoughts in their minds. They watched Happy, who avoided the attacks beforehand, and their expressions gradually became numb.
At that moment, when One Emperor showed up once more, a hint of resolution and graveness shone in his eyes. A dazzling black sword force suddenly shot out from his hands.
The black sword force was like a black bird moving freely. It instantly struck Happy when he appeared!
Thud!
Lin Xiao, Silver Wolf, and the others could not help but suck in a sharp breath. Their pupils swiftly widened!
It appeared!
It was the attack that had injured Ling Huchong! Happy finally forced One Emperor to use his sixth slash! However, by the looks of it, Happy did not have the chance to defend or dodge it. He was hit head-on!
Clang!
A loud sound shot out from Happy's body. Then, a dim golden light scattered. Happy was then sent flying dozens of feet away like a cannonball.
His feet sank deep into the ground and drew two terrifyingly deep and long trenches on the ground. Happy growled and raised his head with great difficulty. There was an incredibly clear gash on his armor.
The people who were watching in the crowd s.u.c.k.e.d in sharp breaths together.
They could tell that the slash earlier was definitely the sword skill One Emperor had used to injure Ling Huchong during Dragon Tiger Arena.
When those with sharp eyes looked at Happy at that moment, they noticed that Happy's skin had turned bronze under his Golden Armor. Once he completely negated the power of the sword force, he recovered slightly. A thick blotch of red appeared on his face, and a red flash shone before he recovered.
Nine Yang Divine Skill had brought Happy great benefits!
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