The location undoubtedly gave Wu Guang an advantage to conceal his power, but it also came with a disadvantage. Until now, Wu Guang's best, if not only defensive technique was his created 'Earth Spiked Shield'. This would be a perfect method to deal with the barrage of both physical and qi blades, with the latter being part of the technique used by Wang Tu. Regretfully, the black, polished stone that formed the Demonic Plateau cliff as well as the ground he was standing right now was unpenetrable to qi.
So without any better option, Wu Guang could only slightly back away and use another three "Gale of Swords" spells to block himself from the front and the sides.
After using them so many times, they would be practically ineffective against Wang Tu, but at least they could block the incoming attack.
"That treasure can only protect you a few times more boy" Wang Tu did not miss the opportunity to gloat.
"You may be right, but..." As Wu Guang responded hidden behind the wall formed by the three interconnected "Gale of Swords" conjured hurricanes, he did not plan to stay still.
He was indeed at a disadvantage physically, but a direct confrontation would be the only way to end this, and so he stored his 'Gravity Slasher' and prepared to move into even closer range...
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The spells indeed protected him from the incoming barrage, but Wang Tu was not standing still either. Their thoughts had reached the same conclusion, that this fight could only end with a close clash. And Wang Tu was sure of his advantage during it.
He had inched a bit closer and planned that as soon as the spells dispersed, he would launch ahead while activating all of his best techniques and skills...
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And so, as soon as the three whirlwinds dissipated, both sides lunged at each other while activating technique over technique, skill over skill.
"Flaming Incarnation!" Wu Guang's set had granted him the Flaming Body, which with the added power of the 'Ghostflame' had become something even more powerful. And so, he had changed its name, as well how it would activate. Now it would not only cover his body in the flame-covered, demon-visaged armor but would also allow him to add other skills. And with the addition of the entire 'Ghostflame', after all, he could not hold back against his current opponent, the white color of the armor was spotted with black as nightspots of a far more destructive flame.
"Green Demon Claw" Wu Guang used the skill twice, covering each of his hands and forearms in the greenish, poisonous armored claws of the skill. Normally poison was Yin and fire was Yang, so combining them should be impossible... But the Ghostflame was originally a Ying Spiritual Flame, and so Wu Guang did not feel even the slightest resistance to the combination.
"Eagle Wings! Golden Armor! Scorching Claw!" Wang Tu used the same techniques as Yuan Xiuying had used, but their strength was on a whole different level. Still, his appearance was similar, with a golden armor covering his body, head uncovered. A pair of qi wings behind and as in contrast to Wu Guang, bright red and fire-covered hands and forearms. Surprisingly, he had also remained unarmed, preferring to use the Scorching Claw twice, to cover both of his arms.
***
The clash that followed could be not observed by a common cultivator, such as the speed behind each swipe, punch, kick...
Still, even an unsuspecting observer, or at least one dumb enough to remain close, would see with the naked eye the flames, poison, bits of metal, and even visible qi strands flying from the center of the area.
Wu Guang had no idea about what techniques and skills that Wang Tu possessed and would use, so he was pleasurably surprised for them to be the same set as his first Eagle opponent had.
After all, he was indeed slightly, which was already surprising with such a difference in cultivation, inferior in strength. And so even in his claws were originally from the Wood Element, which had a disadvantage to the Metal element of the "Golden Armor", he could still null this difference by skilfully applying 'Flaming Punch' on every successful hit. While the opponent "Scorching Claws" was a skill of the Flame element and the latter did not count with any extra element. So the "Flaming Armor", the core of his "Incarnation" was enough to resist the otherwise unavoidable flames released from the claws. Not to mention that the Ghostflame absorbed a part of them, allowing him to repair any chink on his armor without spending qi.
This generated a situation in which Wang Tu was attacking Wu Guang with only his physical strength, while Wu Guang was using a full-strength Martial skill.
***
Such exchange continued for a few minutes, with each part searching for an opening. Regretfully for both of them, their respective opponents gave none.
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Wang Tu had not been pressed into disadvantage, but he had already noticed that he was, only, equal to Wu Guang in the clash. Neither of them had received anything more serious than a bruise, and that's while he was superior to the Sect's disciple for almost an entire Minor realm!
His experience was also not helping him much, as even the most unexpected angles were blocked in time, and what his opponent could not block was returned swiftly by the latter's green claws.
"I will need to resort to 'Thunder Dragon Shackles', at least it's good that there will be no witnesses to me using such a skill to deal with a beginner Soul realm cultivator" Albeit Wang Tu knew that the youngster in front was far from a common beginner Soul realm, it was still a bit shameful to admit he could not deal with him without using his, trump card, one of the strongest Martial Skills known to the entire Kingdom.
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Practically by sheer intuition, one that came from both his senses and Bai Qi's memories, Wu Guang managed to catch the moment that his opponent had decided to change his approach. He could not know what would be the change, but knowing that the opponent would do something was already half of what he needed.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
His own plan relied on finding or creating an opening big enough to quickly call upon one of his weapons and release a full-strength 'Imperial Blade'. The Martial Skill had already proven itself as one of the strongest he had ever seen, and Wu Guang this time did not plan to hold back at all. This would be practically a one-time trick, but, his opponent could not expect a young disciple to plan and go with such a gamble, could he?
***
With both sides having decided on a plan of action, the exchange was bound to change. And indeed, only after a minute later, Wang Tu suddenly broke off, using his wings to give him an extra impulse, he jumped sideways for more than a few dozens of feet.
Wu Guang did not intend to reveal he was waiting for it, and disrupting his opponent's plan was also an important thing, so he immediately followed after his opponent with 'Flaming Impulse'.
Only to be forced to stop and defend against a sudden barrage of 'Ice Shard' spells.
With their position now about ten feet from each other. Wang Tu casting and Wu Guang half-occupied, half-obscured by the ice projectiles he was crushing with his claws, both of the sides reached the same conclusion...
"NOW! Thunder Dragon Shackles!" Roared Wang Tu while making several seals with his hands and conjuring what looked like a long, dragon patterned chain with four sets of shackles on it made of lighting. Immediately directing it at his target.
"Imperial Blade" Wu Guang was far less expressive, but he as well acted. His 'Gravity Slasher' appeared from the Storage Ring and while his right claw blocked the last of the 'Ice Shard', his left claw gripped the saber and released the skill.
The distance was too short for any other outcome than a clash of both skills;
*Sizzle*
*Slash*
*BOOOM*
As both martial skills, infused with the maximum reach of the sides could have clashed, a loud explosion was provoked.
Smoke billowed, sparks flew, and the surrounding qi converged into a whirlpool...
***
Wu Guang received a heavy impact that broke through his 'Flaming Incarnation' and threw him backward. It took him almost a full minute to recover and stand up, a minute that would be enough for Wang Tu to kill him if not for the fact that his presence was about to disappear.
Before anything, Wu Guang had to examine his body and situation. He had managed to stand up, but he could not feel the left part of his body. It took him a few moments to center his eyes and discover the reason.
'Imperial Blade' was a superb Martial Skill, but its main disadvantage was in the fact that it was a pure slash. It had no influence over the area around it, and albeit it would cut and hack through most opposing skills... It could not fully destroy a technique bigger than it.
'Thunder Dragon Shackles' on the other hand, was comprised of an almost five feet long chain with sets of shackles meant for each leg and hand of the opponent, giving it a size almost equivalent to a human body.
And so, even though 'Imperial Blade' had cut through the chain and seemingly reached its objective, after all, Wang Tu's presence was on the verge of disappearing, at least half of the latter technique had continued towards Wu Guang.
One of the shackles had lodged on Wu Guang's left hand, while another one had broken through the defense of the 'Flaming Armor' around the left side of his abdomen.
Seemingly the shackles carried some kind of restraining effect, as Wu Guang could not sense anything from below his left shoulder or around the zone the other shackle impacted. Not sensing was one thing, but qi wasn't circulating either. Which meant that at least part of his body was not better than a mortal one.
*Cough* *Cough*
Wu Guang retched before spitting out a full mouth of blood.
"It's not good. I have received internal damage from the hit" Wu Guang thought while examining his body. Indeed, his organs had been impacted and because of the restrictive effect, his left lung and kidney had been practically obliterated. Such an injury wasn't life-threatening to a cultivator, but that only stood if the latter could use qi on the affected area.
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Wang Tu had not expected that his opponent was waiting for an opening in the same way as he was. He should have considered such an option, with all of his experience, but... there was no medicine for regret.
The slashing technique released by the Sect's disciple had easily cut through his trump card and reached him at almost full strength. Even though his 'Golden Armor' was supposed to resist such an impact, or at least blunt it, it fell apart at the first touch, being already damaged by the poison inside the cracks from the previous clash.
His aura, which he had recalled in the last moment had offered him some degree of protection, but the youngster's skill was simply too strong.
"Where could he have gotten his hands on such a Skill?" Even though he knew that he could not possibly survive the wreck that the blade had left after passing through his torso, he still was curious.
"Heh, seems that I will die now..." Sensing Wu Guang's approach with the last of his escaping consciousness, Wang Tu smirked.
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When Wu Guang limped towards the almost dead Black Eagle, he found the latter already had lost consciousness.
"So he smiled before? *Cough* Interesting. Anyway, as much as it pains me to lose such a source of information...*Spit* The skill will remain active until his last qi dissipates, and I can not wait for so long" Wu Guang muttered while feeling that blood flowed from the corner of his mouth without stopping anymore.
His 'Imperial Blade' had carved its way through the man's torso and luckily, or not, destroyed the latter's dantian. Even so, the remaining qi would take too long to dissipate, and if Wu Guang did not start taking measures to heal himself, he would possibly die before it happened.
And so, without the chance to examine the Black Eagle's memories, Wu Guang had no other option to kill him right away...