bullyxtreme Chapter 404 The Gate Blockade Battle 2
Chapter 404 The Gate Blockade Battle 2
"All brawn and no brains, a leopard like you is just a laborer leopard."
Zheng Qian's words were cold and ruthless, and even the flow of Lie Tai's hot blood became sluggish.
"Working Leopard? What is a Working Leopard?"
"Haha, it's all about putting in effort, moving yourself, but actually just doing all the work for someone else, and having the fruits of your labor reaped by others—you're just a fool." Zheng Qian laughed, retreating as he fought, his strength even weaker than Lie Tai's.
"Hmph, once I catch you, I'll tear your mouth apart inch by inch." Lie Tai sneered, his attacks becoming even more ferocious. He seemed to have emerged from the flames of ancient warfare, each roar shaking the very fabric of space. His eyes blazed like torches, and a mysterious rune descended from the sky, instantly merging into his body, making him even more majestic and powerful. Purple flames swirled around him, tinged with red, like the fires of hell, scorching and deadly.
"Leopard print on my body, Flame Palm!" With Lie Tai's roar, his claws suddenly transformed into palms, gathering the violent power of heaven and earth, and he thrust them out fiercely towards Zheng Qian.
At that moment, the air seemed to freeze. Then, with a deafening roar, a huge fireball flew out from Lie Tai's palm, like a meteorite falling from the sky. Wherever it passed, boulders were charred black, and even the light in the world seemed to be drawn by this power, focusing on the fireball and illuminating an apocalyptic scene.
Faced with this overwhelming attack, Zheng Qian dared not be careless. He knew that the slightest negligence could lead to annihilation. He gripped his longsword tightly with both hands, the blade wreathed in crimson spiritual energy, surging like a sea of blood soaring into the sky. At this moment, Zheng Qian seemed to merge with the sword, becoming the sharpest being in the world.
"Explosive Slash!"
Zheng Qian let out a low shout, and his longsword swung down fiercely, bringing with it an extremely sharp sword wind. Crimson spiritual energy condensed at the tip of the sword, forming a dazzling slash that collided with the incoming giant fireball. In an instant, the giant fireball split in two, and scorching flames scattered in all directions, as brilliant and fleeting as fireworks, yet filled with an aura of destruction.
"Good, well done!" Ma Haoli roared. The power of Zheng Qian's sword made his blood boil. If it weren't for the arrow that You Yuan shot through his body, rendering him unable to fight, he would have wanted to go up and take Zheng Qian's place so that he could fight it out himself.
"Zheng Qian's Explosive Slash is really too powerful." Lei Ruichen sighed. If he were facing Zheng Qian's sword, he wouldn't be confident that he could withstand it.
Xiao Ling looked serious. He could tell that Zheng Qian wasn't using his full strength, but rather engaging in a tug-of-war with Lie Tai. The people from the Heavenly Vein Sect wouldn't arrive for another hour, and Zheng Qian's spiritual energy wouldn't be enough to sustain the fight until then. On their side, Ma Haoli and Lei Ruichen were both seriously injured, and they couldn't find anyone capable of taking over Zheng Qian's fight. Continuing to fight like this was too dangerous.
The demon race wouldn't give Zheng Qian any chance to breathe. As soon as the battle ended, they would send out the next opponent to fight Zheng Qian, so Xiao Ling was very worried about Zheng Qian's safety.
"Deputy Director, can you find a few more prodigies from the Dawn Barrier's Dragon Shaping Realm to replace Zheng Qian in battle?" After thinking for a long time, Xiao Ling finally asked Zhao Minghang, hoping that he could come forward and find a few people to take turns fighting Zheng Qian.
Zhao Minghang remained expressionless, but he was very displeased. Zheng Qian addressed him as "Director," but you called him "Deputy Director"—that's incredibly tactless.
“Zheng Qian said he would block the door himself, and we believe he can do it, so there’s no need to worry too much.” Zhao Minghang said calmly. He had told Zheng Qian that if Zheng Qian couldn’t win and ran to his side, he would naturally step in to protect him.
Zhao Minghang wouldn't explain much to Xiao Ling. Xiao Ling was only at the Liquid Aperture Realm, while he was at the True Core Realm; their combat strength was completely different. Xiao Ling helped Zheng Qian register his information and even asked for a spot for Zheng Qian to participate in today's battle, entirely because his grandfather was the leader of the Strategic Alliance.
Where there are people, there are social classes. Since the Strategic Alliance and the Radiant Legion were guarding the Wind Rift together, Zhao Minghang would naturally give Xiao Ling face. However, Xiao Ling was too ignorant, even calling him Deputy Director, so he had to show him some respect.
Zhao Minghang glanced at Xiao Ling sideways and sneered inwardly: Kid, can't you learn to be a decent person like Zheng Qian and call me Director?
Zheng Qian grew weaker and weaker with each battle. It was as if he had been fighting for too long and his spiritual energy was almost depleted, leaving him unable to muster any strength. He was being suppressed and beaten by Lie Tai.
"Lie Tai, kill him!" roared the genius of the Flame Leopard Clan, seeing a glimmer of hope for victory.
With this level of combat strength, how did they manage to fight their way all the way from the Dragon Shaping Void Cliff to here? Did Lieha, Liebao, and Liexiong hold back?
No way. He killed both Lieha and Liebao. Did they risk their lives to put on an act?
The demons of the Yuren and Youying Snake clans watched Zheng Qian's every move with bated breath. Since Lie Tai couldn't defeat Zheng Qian, it was their turn to step in. Lie Yi was notoriously ruthless; if no one from their clan volunteered to fight, he would tear them apart. Now, seeing Zheng Qian's spiritual energy depleted and being overwhelmed by Lie Tai, they were instead excited.
Military merits are immense; defeating the monsters blocking the gate brings immense military merits, and killing or capturing them alive doubles those merits.
Lie Tai was extremely brave; he not only wanted to make a name for himself but also to seize the military merit of killing Zheng Qian.
"Die!" Lie Tai roared, his demon core churning within him, a complex layer of runes outlining a flame pattern on its surface, making him even more ferocious.
"Danfu Meteor Palm." Red runes formed a large net within the purple flames, transforming into a fiery armor that covered Lie Tai's body. He leaped high into the air, like a meteorite hurtling towards Zheng Qian.
"Lie Tai has finally used the Danfu Meteor Palm, which is his signature move."
"Hehe, Zheng Qian's spiritual energy is exhausted, Lie Tai is bound to win."
"I thought Zheng Qian was really strong, but he's just so-so."
The atmosphere within the demon army was relaxed. The battle went from being evenly matched to Zheng Qian being completely overwhelmed in just a minute or two. Everyone could see that Zheng Qian's spiritual energy was depleted. This one move from Lie Tai would have been enough to kill him; there was no need for the Yu Ren Clan and the You Ying Snake Clan to intervene.
"Well done!" Zheng Qian roared, his feet shimmering with starlight. Just as Lie Tai was about to strike, he instantly flew into the sky, dodging Lie Tai's fatal blow.
Boom… The Void Transformation Cliff trembled, and a layer of golden runes flashed before the tremors stopped instantly. Lie Tai's attack had actually activated the protective runes. If it weren't for the protective runes, the Void Transformation Cliff would have been riddled with a huge crater.
"Such speed." Lie Tai was shocked. His strongest attack was actually dodged by Zheng Qian. He looked up and the starlight under Zheng Qian's feet gave him the feeling of facing the starry sky.
Just as Lie Tai looked up, Zheng Qian stepped on Lie Tai's forehead. With a thud, Lie Tai's head slammed into the ground, and almost all the bones in his body were about to shatter, forming a circular wave of energy that swept away the ground within a ten-meter radius.
Zheng Qian landed slowly, and Lie Tai's long tongue stretched out, half of it touching the ground. He remained motionless, like a corpse.
Lie Tai was stunned. Before he could react, Zheng Qian stomped on him and knocked him unconscious.
"Xiao Ling, catch!" Zheng Qian shouted, then kicked Lie Tai into the air, where he landed accurately at Xiao Ling's feet.
Xiao Ling was taken aback at first, then overjoyed: "Haha, I've captured a working leopard. I'm waiting for the second one."
"Catch a couple more, we'll make leopard soup tonight, it's very nourishing!" Lei Ruichen roared, his face flushed with excitement.
Lie Tai is also their old rival, and is ranked among the top five prodigies in the Demon Transformation Realm of the Flaming Leopard Clan.
"There's a guy named Lie Wei on the other side, grab him and kick him over here, I, Ma Haoli, owe you a life!" Ma Haoli roared back, it was so exciting, today's battle was so exciting.
Lie Tai, Lie Ha, and Lie Wei are all their mortal enemies. They have fought countless times on the battlefield, constantly scheming against each other and wishing they could kill each other a hundred times over.
Lie Wei was an extremely brutal and powerful monster among them. Ma Haoli's younger brother, Ma Haoxuan, had half of his body bitten off by Lie Wei and ultimately could not be saved, dying a violent death.
Lie Wei is the enemy Ma Haoli most wants to kill.
Zheng Qian grinned: "Lie Wei, right? If he dares to go on stage, I'll capture him and hand him over to you."
"Thank you!" Ma Haoli bowed to Zheng Qian, seeing a glimmer of hope for revenge.
The humans were overjoyed, but the demons were very puzzled.
"That's not right. Zheng Qian's spiritual energy is depleted. How could he possibly defeat Lie Tai in one move?"
"This was his last burst of spiritual energy; didn't you see he was panting heavily?"
"Yes, don't give him a rest, exhaust him to death."
The demons were exchanging loud conversations, while two demon prodigies from the Yuren race stepped forward simultaneously, both eager to engage in battle.
"Wu Tuan, let me do it."
"He Lan, why should you go first and not me?"
"Because I'm better than you."
"Bullshit! You cowardly shrimp dare to say you're better than me? If Zheng Qian hadn't been depleted of spiritual energy, you would have wet your pants by now."
Wu Tuan and He Lan both knew that Zheng Qian's spiritual energy was depleted and his combat strength was almost gone, so they both thought that Zheng Qian was a military merit that could be easily obtained, and they wanted to rush up and fight Zheng Qian one-on-one.
"Disgraceful things." Lie Yi's voice was icy. He continued, "Humans are the most adept at playing tricks. Zheng Qian may seem to have depleted spiritual energy, but his blood energy is like a dragon's. Whoever goes up against him will face a tough battle. It's not as simple as you two think."
Lie Yi thought Wu Tuan and He Lan were complete idiots. Humans were the most cunning and fickle race. If they believed that Zheng Qian's spiritual energy was depleted, then they were truly fools.
Wu Tuan and He Lan lowered their heads, not daring to show any dissatisfaction, like introverted children who had done something wrong, feeling resentful but not daring to talk back.
"Wu Tuan, you go first. If you win, I, the deputy commander, will give you double the military merit. If you die, He Lan will collect your corpse." Lie Yi casually let Wu Tuan go first; his wisdom far surpassed that of the two men. Putting aside whether Zheng Qian's spiritual energy was depleted, the fact that he knocked Lie Tai unconscious with one kick was enough to show that he still had considerable fighting power.
Going up now will only make them cannon fodder. Unless they receive support from a powerful prodigy, all the demon-transforming realm cultivators who go up to Huaxu Cliff Fortress will be cannon fodder.
Lie Yi knew the demons of Huaxu Cliff very well; no demon at the Transformation Realm could fight Zheng Qian fairly without losing. Now that the fortresses knew Huaxu Cliff was being blocked by human dragon-shaping realm cultivators, they would all send demons to support them. His task now was to continuously send people to fight Zheng Qian, giving him no chance to breathe.
Lie Yi was also very familiar with the monstrous talents of the human race at the Dragon Shaping Realm. Among the Dawn Barrier, only Ma Haoli and Lei Ruichen could be considered monstrous talents, but both of them were seriously injured and unable to participate. Therefore, only Zheng Qian was able to participate. He could send out corresponding monstrous talents to kill the others who participated.
Wu Tuan raised his tail, like a child who had received approval from an elder. He glanced triumphantly at He Lan and strode towards Zheng Qian.
"Zheng Qian, remember the demon who killed you, Wu Tuan." As he spoke, Wu Tuan's eyes flashed with ruthlessness and smugness, as if he could already foresee the light of victory. The aura around him began to surge, and dark demonic power surged like a tide, staining the surrounding air with a sinister air.
Upon seeing this, Zheng Qian's expression turned solemn, but he did not back down. Facing this monstrous demon, any fear or hesitation would be fatal. He gripped his longsword tightly, the tip trembling slightly, a reflection of the intertwined determination and tension within him.
"Haha, scared, Zheng Qian is scared."
"Wu Tuan, kill him."
The Yu Ren tribe shouted; they had all seen Zheng Qian's solemn expression and the trembling of his heavy sword. His spiritual energy was depleted; he must be terrified now. The double military merit for killing Zheng Qian would now fall on Wu Tuan.
A smile flashed across Zheng Qian's eyes. The first day's gate-blocking battle was a fight between people of the same realm. If he didn't take this opportunity to capture a few more prodigies, how could he earn three times the military merit and more money?
Throughout the entire battlefield, only Zhao Minghang knew that Zheng Qian was feigning weakness in order to capture these monsters alive.
"Wu Tuan, don't be so arrogant! How could I, Zheng Qian, fear you!" Zheng Qian shouted, his voice filled with defiance and determination. He moved swiftly, rushing towards Wu Tuan like an arrow released from a bow, his long sword slicing through the air, carrying a sharp sword wind straight for Wu Tuan's vitals.
Wu Tuan snorted coldly, his figure flashing unpredictably as he easily dodged Zheng Qian's fatal blow. He then swung his hand back, sending a black streak of demonic energy darting towards Zheng Qian like a venomous snake, its speed astonishing.
Zheng Qian's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the demonic attack. As soon as he regained his footing, Wu Tuan's figure closed in like a shadow, his sharp claws flashing with cold light, aiming straight for his heart.
At the critical moment of life and death, Zheng Qian unleashed astonishing potential. He retreated rapidly once more, simultaneously swinging his longsword, its light like a dragon, colliding with Wu Tuan's sharp claws and producing a deafening metallic clang.
The two fought back and forth, locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle. Although Zheng Qian was quite strong, Wu Tuan, being a demonic being, possessed profound demonic power and unpredictable methods, and for a time Zheng Qian was being chased and beaten by Wu Tuan.
Wu Tuan was getting further and further away from the demon race formation, but closer and closer to the human race formation.
"Hehe, Zheng Qian, you're nothing special." Wu Tuan sneered smugly. Although he failed to hit Zheng Qian, he had been dominating Zheng Qian the whole time, which was incredibly satisfying.
"Let me tell you, I won't admit defeat." Zheng Qian said as he dealt with Wu Tuan, searching for his opponent's weaknesses while constantly retreating.
"Haha, if you don't admit defeat, you die!" Wu Tuan shouted as he closed in on Zheng Qian, intending to use his immense power to forcibly kill him.
Zheng Qian sheathed the Dragon Scale Void-Breaking Sword and, facing Wu Tuan's sharp claws, unleashed a punch.
Wu Tuan stared wide-eyed in disbelief. Zheng Qian's strength was like an unshakeable mountain; his right hand had been knocked numb by a single punch, and before he could react, Zheng Qian's second punch slammed into his chest.
*Pfft...* Wu Tuan was sent flying into the air, spitting out mouthfuls of blood. He never expected to be defeated by Zheng Qian, a human. His body began to wither rapidly, and his black demonic power dissipated like the receding tide.
“You… how could you…” Wu Tuan said with difficulty, his voice filled with resentment and despair.
Under the dazzling starlight, Zheng Qian caught Wu Tuan, who was still on the ground, with one hand and said, "I was just teasing you, can't you tell?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Zheng Qian slammed Wu Tuan to the ground. All of Wu Tuan's bones were broken, and he lost his ability to fight. Then Zheng Qian kicked him to Xiao Ling's feet.
"Next, this is the second idiot we captured alive."