Chương 94: War God’s : — Chapter 94 - Five Forms of the Hidden Dragon, Flying Dragon in the Sky!

"Cao Thief, who do you think will win?" Wang Xian had just taken his seat in the spectator stands when the brothel chief leaned over with a smile. She'd changed into yet another outfit—this time a modern black-stocking professional ensemble. He glanced at her. This was Form Like a Crane's close friend, username 'Give Me Social Security and I'll Do Anything.' Lord Tong usually called her Sister Xu, or Sister Social Security.

She specialized in the rare art of ranged archery and had some skill with close-quarters daggers. Daggers were short weapons, small blades. Dragon Nation had no Nation-Guarding Martial Art for such short-weapon skills on the surface, nor any corresponding schools. Ranged archery, though niche, had grown more popular in recent years as relics multiplied and the safety of ranged martial arts improved. Dragon Nation did have a complete Nation-Guarding-level archery martial art, so there were corresponding schools.

Not many, but enough for archery-inclined martial artists to choose from. Sister Social Security loved collecting random skins, but her strength was genuinely formidable. Over the past half month, they'd sparred several times. In reality, she was a fourth-realm martial artist. Her archery skill had even reached the fifth stage. At a top university, she'd absolutely be first-tier.

"The swordsman should win by a move or two," Wang Xian said.

"Oh? You've seen him before?"

"No."

"Then you..."

"He chose the fourth-order martial combat gear 'Clear Wind Sword' configured in Martial Dao Infinity. In reality, that type of gear is often used for sword techniques emphasizing light, agile body movement." Wang Xian swept his gaze over the man.

"At the same time, he looks calm on the surface, yet his eyes spark with electricity, sharp as thunderbolts."

"His Wind-Thunder Sword Technique must have been cultivated to a very high realm."

"The Wind-Thunder Sword Technique emphasizes balance between strength and body movement, using wind's momentum to store thunder's might, and thunder's force to drive wind's speed. It's a sword technique that fights speed with speed while packing explosive power."

"As for her..." Wang Xian looked toward Form Like a Crane. After half a month of arranged matches, he'd gained considerable insight into this spear-art genius.

"The Five Forms of the Hidden Dragon have already reached Pinnacle Mastery, but her fighting style is too rigid..." Wang Xian mused.

"Yet this spear art originates from the supreme principle of 'the dragon hides in the abyss, awaiting the moment to move.' Even with astonishing comprehension and Pinnacle Mastery cultivation... if she hasn't grasped the supreme principle of this spear art..."

"Overall, it will always lack a certain flavor..."

"In this fight, I feel she might gain the upper hand at first, then they'll fight to a draw, and in the end she'll lose narrowly within two moves."

"Most likely after she executes the final form, Heaven-Walking Dragon Steed, the strongest move in this martial art, representing 'the flying dragon in the sky.' After that, she'll fall in defeat." The Five Forms of the Hidden Dragon was an advanced spear martial art, the foundational martial art of the spear-art school 'Nine Heavens Coiling Dragon Spear.' The Nine Heavens Coiling Dragon Spear was also known in Dragon Nation as the Nation-Guarding Dragon Spear, the famously renowned 'Dragon Spear School.'

Countless spearmen flocked to it eagerly. Unfortunately, this spear-art school was very difficult to cultivate, though its talent requirements weren't particularly high. In his previous life, he too had walked the Dragon Spear path. Not by deliberate choice. Spear-art schools in Dragon Nation were far too few. Currently, there were only two major spear-art schools. That was also the most important reason why so few martial artists cultivated the spear.

Another reason was that this spear-art school didn't demand high talent, so he could barely walk it. But he only walked it halfway. The Nine Heavens Coiling Dragon Spear couldn't reach great completion due to lack of talent. Fortunately, later on, once his divine meridians had formed, on the alien battlefields he comprehended the other half himself, breaking away from the Nine Heavens Coiling Dragon Spear and forging another spear-art school. To say it was entirely self-created wouldn't be true.

It was merely a branch grown out of the original Dragon Spear school.

"Can it really be that accurate?" Sister Social Security muttered. Whether it was accurate or not, she didn't know. The battle had already begun. Everything unfolded just as Wang Xian had predicted. At first, relying on the advantage of the long spear and the power of the Five Forms of the Hidden Dragon, Form Like a Crane gained the upper hand. The white-clothed man, with the speed of wind and the force of thunder, was barely weaker by three parts. But as time passed, it came down to the final spear thrust.

Form Like a Crane soared like a dragon leaping into the heavens, her spear transforming into a crimson sun, essence, energy, and spirit fused into one. With a single thrust, her aura soared like a dragon ascending the azure sky. This move, Flying Dragon in the Sky, carried a faint dragon silhouette along the spear shaft. What a pity...

The latter had anticipated it long ago, choosing only to hurl his sword, sacrificing the blade to evade its edge, then wielding the broken blade to execute the move 'Wind-Lightning Dash,' easily slicing across her neck. By a margin of one move, he barely achieved victory.

"This white-clothed man's martial talent should be a dual-element talent."

"Gale and Swift Thunder?" Wang Xian asked.

"Correct." Sister Social Security thought to herself: this was the first time she'd seen him, yet he could seemingly see through White Nebula Cloud to this extent. This level of insight was even sharper than some professors at school. This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

"Good talent." Wang Xian nodded. Elemental talent meant a martial artist could control minute amounts of the elements between heaven and earth: earth, fire, wind, thunder, water, and so on. Because many martial arts themselves were tied to the elements of heaven and earth, if one could control a certain element, then walking that type of martial path would naturally be uniquely gifted. Being able to control two elements meant that when later executing corresponding martial arts, the force was overwhelming.

Absolutely worlds apart from executing martial arts normally. This white-clothed man not only had excellent talent, it also perfectly matched his cultivated advanced martial art. In the future, whether walking the Divine Sword Thunder-Control path or the Heart-Intent Dual Sword path, he could achieve very high accomplishments.

'From what I've seen so far, this person is likely the strongest among the arranged matches.'

'Even stronger than He Yiming's talent by a tier... and his compatibility is even higher.' At this moment, the two walked down from the stage. Form Like a Crane introduced: "He's called 'Wind-Riding Swordsman.' He's the expert I arranged for you to fight." The white-clothed man smiled reservedly.

"I am Fu Feng. Just now I barely won by a move or half a stance. Expert, how would you like to fight?" He was clearly pleased to have won by a move or half a stance. Extremely proud. Even his eyebrows lifted. Since they were all online names, there was no need to maintain a real-life image.

"Just use the strength that lets you execute the Wind-Thunder Sword Technique," Wang Xian said.

"That would require at least the third realm." Wind-Riding Swordsman said, "Chairman Yan said your life force is just over the second realm... If I use the third realm, even if I don't use my talent for the Wind-Thunder Sword Technique, I'm afraid you might not be able to withstand it."

"No matter," Wang Xian said. Cultivating the Guarding Defense Art inherently had no concept of winning or losing. The more he withstood, the stronger his body's memory of a martial art became. Winning or losing was not important.

"Fine! Come on!" Wind-Riding Swordsman was very straightforward, probably also quite interested. The two stepped onto the arena. Sister Social Security, watching from the side, relayed her earlier conversation with Wang Xian to her close friend.

"I know." After a long silence, Form Like a Crane nodded.

"He mentioned it before when we spoke privately. I just feel I still haven't grasped the essence of this spear art... These days, I've been cultivating the Thousand Army Spear Technique, and I probably have gained some insight into Return to Simplicity."

"Before the Dragon Firmament Martial Inquiry, I should be able to step into that realm!"

"That fast?" Sister Social Security was stunned.

"Having an expert guide you really makes a difference!" At this moment, the two on the stage also began to move. Wind-Riding Swordsman's Wind-Thunder Sword Technique had long reached Pinnacle Mastery. It was different from the previous battle. Due to the requirements of the arranged match, and because the opponent's life force was far inferior to his own, taking the initiative to attack could better showcase the Wind-Thunder Sword Technique's exquisite principle of fighting speed with speed.

His feet moved like shooting stars, his sword like a rainbow. The moment he made his move, a clear breeze stirred across the arena. Afterimage after afterimage appeared behind him, his figure drifting like a phantom. This was precisely the first form of the Wind-Thunder Sword Technique: Clear Wind Tracing Shadows. Wang Xian remained silent, merely raising the long spear in his hand, his body as if confined to a tiny square inch, not moving a fraction.

Effortlessly, he neutralized the sword lights that shadowed him move by move. The surging force transmitted with each sword strike was, within Wang Xian's understanding, rapidly committed to his body's memory.

'Square-Inch level footwork... third-stage footwork...'

'Why does it feel like there's also some fourth-stage footwork, the flavor of folding within a foot...' And the more Wind-Riding Swordsman fought, the more shocked he became. The latter was a small boat drifting in wind and rain, looking as if it might capsize at any moment. The injuries on his body also grew more and more numerous. Yet every sword strike that looked critical, when it landed on him, was never in a truly vital location.

Until an entire set of the Wind-Thunder Sword Technique had been fully executed, he still hadn't fallen!

"Next, I suspect you shouldn't be able to take even one more move, right?" Wind-Riding Swordsman took a deep breath inwardly.

"Don't you plan to make a move and offer some pointers?" Looking at the opponent, now like a candle guttering in the wind, he dared not be the slightest bit careless.

"Strike with your spear."

"Then I'll only strike once," Wang Xian nodded slightly.

"Good!" Wind-Riding Swordsman nodded solemnly. His heart grew even more cautious. The few spectators watching from the side also focused their gazes. How would this mysterious expert, whose spear-art skill was unfathomable, deliver this one strike? Wang Xian raised his spear, like an azure dragon emerging from the sea, soaring into the air. The spear was like a dragon's head, his body like a flood dragon! A cold gleam spat flames devouring the stars, the flying dragon in the sky traversing endless miles!

"This is... the final move of the Five Forms of the Hidden Dragon, Heaven-Walking Dragon Steed, Flying Dragon in the Sky? He's unleashing it directly without building momentum?" Form Like a Crane said, astonished.

"Has his spear-art stage already reached the seventh stage of Heart's Desire?"

"No, although there's no momentum build-up, this move seems slightly different from mine..." Exactly where it was different, Form Like a Crane felt she couldn't articulate it. But...

"That move of yours was broken by that guy before..." Sister Social Security beside her said in a grave voice, "Setting aside the life force gap... if White Nebula Cloud repeats the same trick, forcibly breaking his sword with 'Splitting Wind and Sudden Thunder' to receive it, then turning his hand to still execute the next form with the broken blade, there's no solution!"

"After the Flying Dragon in the Sky move, ordinary martial artists find it very hard to resist immediately." As the final move of the Five Forms of the Hidden Dragon, its burst and power were the strongest, placing a heavy burden on the body. Once executed, naturally, one cannot resist for a short time. At the same time...

"Flying Dragon in the Sky? A second-realm martial artist executing an advanced martial art... this aura and pressure... it's definitely at a realm above Pinnacle Mastery!" Wind-Riding Swordsman felt his scalp go numb, his entire body trembling with excitement! What a great move! The reason he wasn't sure if it was a realm above Pinnacle Mastery was because he had never seen anyone execute the Five Forms of the Hidden Dragon at the Return to Simplicity realm.

But relying on his considerable insight, he could clearly feel that this move was different from the one just now.

"However, for me, breaking this move is very easy!"

"Hurling Wind, Sudden Thunder!" Wind-Riding Swordsman tightened his grip and directly executed an extremely tricky form from the Wind-Thunder Sword Technique. This move involved hurling the sword by hand, as elusive and shadowless as casting wind. The hurled sword would carry the might of thunder, neutralizing some extremely powerful martial moves from a distance. At worst, it could deflect incoming projectiles by a few degrees, allowing one to sidestep and giving oneself a chance to react and evade the move.

The consequence was that the hurled sword, lacking the martial artist's control, would be damaged. It was considered a mechanistic move, very unique. In reality, it was a huge waste of money. After all, hurling a sword could easily result in the sword being ruined. But in the game, this move was practically invincible. Especially against a long-spear move with immense power like 'Flying Dragon in the Sky.' As long as the timing was precise, one could achieve a kind of mechanical suppression.

This sword flew out, carrying the force of sudden thunder, and in an instant collided with the imposing spear-tip 'dragon head.' In just a split second, the dragon head veered off course, its momentum greatly diminished, brushing past him. Exactly the same as before. The difference was, this time, because the life force gap was too large, his sword had not yet shattered into a broken blade. It fell down still relatively intact. Wind-Riding Swordsman was just about to raise his hand and catch the Clear Wind Sword.

Suddenly, a chill ran down his back. The moment he spun around sharply, he saw that ferocious, deflected spear-tip dragon head, as if turning its head to gaze at the moon, dip back in a reverse strike! Faintly, it seemed as if a dragon's roar echoed. The spear tip instantly hung suspended above his head. Before he could even leak his Yuan Force outward to form a protective shield around his head, the spear pierced straight through his skull, transforming him into a pile of data.

The few spectators present stared, utterly dumbfounded. ➤ Next: C-Rank Relic, Hidden Dragon Abyss! Senior, Let's Set a Time to Meet Up!