Chapter 69: Fighting Steelyard Bones Again, Seven Incursions and Seven Forms!
Ah Le, don't be impulsive! Ying was somewhat worried, but by this time, Yu Le had already charged out like a wild horse with a broken rein.
Seeing Yu Le rush straight at him without a word, Zhao Hanshan, amidst his appreciation, also wore a mocking expression.
"A mere Ninth Stage of the Boulder Realm dares to provoke me. It seems I have to teach you a lesson."
"All of you step back and watch how I discipline this ignorant brat!"
Still upholding a shred of martial code, Zhao Hanshan waved his subordinates back, lowered his blood saber, and met Yu Le head-on!
The two of them stepped onto the stone bridge, initiating a duel witnessed by both factions!
Facing the fishing rod thrusting straight at him, Zhao Hanshan slashed downward, intending to knock Yu Le's Natal Weapon flying with a single blow.
The idea was good, but in actual execution, it was not nearly so simple!
Hum!
Blade and rod collided. Zhao Hanshan's smile froze on his face. Feeling the surging force transmitted through the blade, the web between his thumb and forefinger went numb, and he almost dropped his weapon.
He hurriedly retreated two steps, looking at Yu Le in shock.
"You..."
Without wasting time on words, Yu Le's eyes turned fierce. He gripped the rod with both hands, treating it entirely as a long spear!
Thrusting upward, he executed the first form of the Seven-Exploration Coiling Serpent Spear—the Cloud-Probing Stance. The tip of the rod pierced straight toward Zhao Hanshan's throat like a spiritual snake probing its head, reeking of murderous intent!
Recognizing Yu Le's intent, Zhao Hanshan, alarmed and enraged, blocked horizontally with his blade. Following a crisp collision, his footing sank backward!
This was the signature ultimate technique of the second-ranked fierce general in the historical romances—Zhao Zilong of Changshan—the Seven-Exploration Coiling Serpent Spear!
The spear technique was divided into two sets: the "Seven Probes and Seven Forms" meant for single combat, broken down into the Cloud-Probing Stance, Wind-Probing Stance, Rain-Probing Stance, Fog-Probing Stance, Thunder-Probing Stance, Lightning-Probing Stance, and Fire-Probing Stance.
And the "Seven Serpent-Coiling Forms" meant for group battles and charges, broken down into the Root-Coiling Stance, Skill-Coiling Stance, Boulder-Coiling Stance, Water-Coiling Stance, Blossom-Coiling Stance, Cloud-Coiling Stance, and Fog-Coiling Stance!
During the past few days of faction conflicts, the two martial skills Yu Le had primarily practiced were the half-scroll of Lingbo Weibu and the Seven-Exploration Coiling Serpent Spear. Through continuous combat, he had already begun to master them.
Moreover, the techniques gifted to him previously by Ling Xiao and Meng Huai—such as the Swaying Step and the Clothes-Adhering Pick—could all find their origins within these two combat skills, and were even vastly superior to them.
Therefore, Yu Le no longer needed to practice those previous Yellow-grade combat skills, focusing entirely instead on these two combat skills converted by the system into self-created ones!
An expert makes a move and the other knows right away. Although the spear thrust delivered by Yu Le using a fishing rod looked plain and unadorned, only Zhao Hanshan knew how exquisite this move truly was!
The feedback transmitted from his own Yellow-grade Natal Weapon, the Blood Saber, caused Zhao Hanshan's heart to sink slightly!
What a formidable combat skill!
Had the spear technique used by Yu Le with a fishing rod possessed an actual spearhead, Zhao Hanshan's Blood Saber likely would have suffered some wear and tear from that single strike alone.
And this was still the result of Yu Le suppressing the weight of the Fulong Fishing Rod.
Facing Zhao Hanshan, an expert of the Second Tier of the Steel-Bone Realm, Yu Le felt very little pressure now. A Heavenly-grade Natal Weapon used unexpectedly could even kill the opponent instantly.
Yet no matter what, he had publicly claimed to be a Yellow-grade Natal Weapon Heaven-Favored. Killing a Second-Tier Steel-Bone Realm expert in a single move—no matter how much Ying trusted him—would inevitably arouse suspicion.
Ying had seen the spear technique he used before. Laymen felt it was awesome, let alone insiders.
Yu Le had also offered an explanation, claiming it was a family-inherited Profound-grade spear combat skill, which only made Ying sigh with emotion that she had struck gold.
"What? Where is that fierceness from just now? Don't tell me you're going to surrender?" Yu Le mocked at the appropriate moment.
This tactic was indeed effective against Zhao Hanshan, who was accustomed to lording over others.
"Brat, don't be too full of yourself! The might of the Steel-Bone Realm is not something an ant like you in the Boulder Realm can compare to!" Zhao Hanshan's anger was provoked.
His original intention of merely teaching Yu Le a lesson transformed at this moment into murderous intent.
Howling loudly, he swung his blood saber like a bloody shadow, executing his signature ultimate technique—the Three Consecutive Slashes of the Blood Saber!
The bones in his arms made popping sounds as he mobilized his hidden force!
"All flash and no substance! Then let me show you the power of an ant!"
Yu Le did not take half a step back, raising his rod to charge at his opponent.
He executed the second form of the seven explorations—the Wind-Probing Stance!
The fishing rod whistled through the air, the front half of the shaft vibrating back and forth like a spiritual snake weaving through the wind!
Facing Zhao Hanshan's Three Consecutive Slashes of the Blood Saber, Yu Le countered force with frequency!
Those three slashes by Zhao Hanshan were indeed terrifying in might, especially after applying hidden force, causing the blood saber in his hand to vibrate noisily.
However, holding the rear half of the fishing rod, Yu Le maintained a safe distance from the opponent's lethal blood saber. Employing a sweeping momentum, for virtually every slash of the opponent, Yu Le countered with three pinpoint strikes. When the three slashes fell, Yu Le's Wind-Probing Stance also concluded, effortlessly neutralizing the opponent's hidden-force-laden triple slash!
Zhao Hanshan's gaze was somewhat dazed. Under Yu Le's flexible spear technique, his triple slash—which was sufficient to chop an enemy into four pieces—felt as though it had punched into a ball of cotton.
The three saber strikes had consumed a considerable amount of his strength. At this moment, as his blood saber chopped down into the ground, his breathing sounded like a broken bellows.
In contrast, Yu Le's face was not flushed nor was he out of breath, as if he hadn't even used his full strength.
Affording Zhao Hanshan no time to adjust, Yu Le's offensive pressed in once again.
The third form of the seven explorations—the Rain-Probing Stance!
This time, the tip of Yu Le's rod stabbed downward like falling raindrops, launching a fierce assault on Zhao Hanshan's lower body.
The movements were extremely fluid. Coupled with the fact that Zhao Hanshan's old strength was spent and his new strength had yet to rise, he struggled immensely to cope with this spear stance.
His blood saber danced wildly in his hands, attempting to parry Yu Le's fishing rod, but every attempt was easily evaded.
With no other choice, Zhao Hanshan had to hop around like he was jumping a rubber band, constantly dodging the Fulong Fishing Rod raining down toward his lower legs.
Even so, his legs suffered several strikes. By the time Yu Le's spear stance ended and Zhao Hanshan regained his footing, his two legs were trembling uncontrollably.
It hurt!
His subordinates watched with gaping jaws, while over on the Yingle Faction's side, they were howling and cheering.
"Is that all you've got?"
Hearing this, Zhao Hanshan disregarded the searing pain in his legs and looked up. He saw that amidst a flurry of rod shadows, the location of the Fulong Fishing Rod could not be clearly discerned, resembling a spiritual snake appearing and disappearing in the mist, making it impossible to anticipate. Suddenly...
The fishing rod thrust straight forward. Zhao Hanshan gasped in alarm, attempting to raise his saber to block, but it was already too late.
Under the Fog-Probing Stance, the front section of the fishing rod landed on Zhao Hanshan's chest and then whipped upward, striking his cheek. Zhao Hanshan was sent flying, rolling across the ground like a tumbling gourd several times before finally coming to a halt.
His chest felt stifled, and a burning pain radiated across his cheek. When he touched it, a streak of blood had appeared.
At this moment, Zhao Hanshan was both humiliated and furious.
However, before he could utter any harsh threats, Yu Le braced against the shaft of the rod, kicking up a flurry of dust as the end of the fishing rod tracked him along the ground like a crawling viper.
The snake poked its head, seemingly intending to swallow a dragon!
Filled with terror, Zhao Hanshan slashed out with his saber, and utilizing the recoil, leaped entirely off the ground.
He sighed inwardly with relief; fortunately, that rod strike hadn't landed solidly, otherwise for the rest of his life, he would have had to live with his legs permanently clamped together.
Yet before he even landed, Yu Le, holding the rod, had already taken aim at him in mid-air!
The sixth form of the seven explorations—the Lightning-Probing Stance!
The rod shaft vibrated rapidly, striking out like lightning and producing a rattling sound reminiscent of a rattlesnake. Zhao Hanshan, leaping through the air, had no ability to parry, watching helplessly as the front section of the fishing rod pierced ferociously into his chest at extreme speed.
Under this dazzling barrage of attacks, Zhao Hanshan spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying hard, struggling for a good while before finally propping himself up with his saber.
"Brat, I am truly... angry!"
Sustaining heavy injuries, Zhao Hanshan summoned his fierce valor, gripped his saber with both hands, and unleashed yet another of his combat skills!
Lingering Red!
Drawing the blade meant drawing blood!
Yu Le's eyes narrowed as he executed the final form of the Seven Probes—the Fire-Probing Stance!
The Fulong Fishing Rod, gripped tightly in both hands, spun rapidly, actually frictioning sparks into the air as it attacked the opponent's chest with a direct piercing momentum.
A fire snake emerged, lunging to meet the crimson bloody blade!
For a moment, the subordinates on both sides held their breath, fixing their eyes on the outcome of this clash!