Chapter 188 - 144 Zhao Manying

Chapter 188: Chapter 144 Zhao ManyingClang! Clang! Ji Xinghuo and his opponent suddenly separated, each retreating several meters. The War Blade transmitted a strange strength that instantly surged into his arm and into his body, feeling like a wave of aftereffect that burst forth three times in succession. With each burst, he was forced to retreat several steps, his internal organs were impacted, his muscles spasmed, and he struggled to exert force. "Pah..." Ji Xinghuo spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and finally felt a bit better. "The Tidal Force is indeed formidable!" He couldn’t help but exclaim. In the second round of the fight, the opponent unleashed a top-tier Star Force from the get-go, each attack and contact came with Tidal Force, drilling into his stamina to burst forth, extremely difficult to defend against. The Tidal Force transformed Star Power into a pervasive force that penetrated everything. True to its name, it was continuous like the tide, with an overwhelming penetrating power and delayed burst effect. When combined with Block and Counterattack, it could even reflect one’s own strength in multiples back at them, causing greater damage to the body. Despite Ji Xinghuo’s utmost efforts to guard, after taking a hit, he tried to avoid contact with the opponent, but he still couldn’t completely evade. But she was not having an easy time either. Each time Ji Xinghuo had no choice but to collide swords or make bodily contact, it was an exchange of injuries for injuries, and his War Blade left several wounds on her. He absolutely did not give her the chance to pursue him while the Tidal Force was bursting. At the moment, her body was bleeding profusely, and her clothes were sliced in many places, revealing large swathes of skin. Ji Xinghuo, of course, had no thoughts about a virtual body, nor did he intend to show mercy because of her beauty; his only thought right now was to defeat her! "Huff..." Ji Xinghuo took a deep breath to stabilize the aftereffects caused by the burst of Tidal Force. He was curious, how did she manage to do it? His Microscopic Perception’s enhancement in close combat assistance was like having an unbeatable cheat; since acquiring it, he had always been able to take the initiative in a fight, instantly finding the opponent’s weaknesses. Even without a weakness, he could come up with a way to defeat them. However, when facing her, the effects of Microscopic Perception weren’t that powerful. He still grasped all the information around him. Fighting thoughts, moves, strength, and skill – these also hadn’t changed, as always, but when applied to her, it always fell short of expectations. Or it was a move too short. The opponent did have weaknesses; she was very experienced in battle, but what was most incredible about her was her extremely quick reaction speed, and a calmness that was nearly absolute. No matter how dire the situation, she could make the correct response, thinking of a way to break through! Ji Xinghuo felt like when he was crossing swords with her, it was like two people in a dialogue. He posed the problem; she solved it. Although he held the upper hand overall and had the advantage, no matter how difficult the problem he put forward, she always managed to answer within the time limit. His offense and defense were unpredictable, without a fixed pattern. Her defense and counterattacks were always consistent, like a mechanical solution. The two contrasting fighting styles achieved equally incredible effects; after several minutes of fighting, it was still an even match. "Such a Martial Arts talent..." Ji Xinghuo was immensely emotional. Everyone on Earth knew that Zhao Manying’s talent was unparalleled in history, but only after truly experiencing it did he understand how terrifying it was. He couldn’t help feeling a bit insecure; her talent was genuine, while his was reliant on external aids. However, he had gained a lot. Even if this battle had not yet been decided, sparring with an opponent of this level brought more Martial Arts improvement than a thousand ranked matches. That was exactly why he entered the Martial Arts World every day! Ji Xinghuo’s gaze met hers. Her eyes were also filled with a strong fighting spirit, vibrant and clear, indicating she was shocked by his Martial Arts prowess and intended to defeat him. "Let’s go again!" Ji Xinghuo used the back of his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, picked up his War Blade, and stepped forward. Clang! The sword and blade collided, and their figures passed by each other in a flash. Ji Xinghuo suppressed the pain of the Tidal Force exploding inside him and used Flash Step to retaliate, adding another sword injury to the opponent’s body, causing blood to gush forth. Yet it did not at all affect the way she swung her Longsword; the sword light surged toward Ji Xinghuo like the tide, enveloping his entire body within it. He spotted the true Sword Blade amid the sword light and disregarded the hits to his body, letting the Iron Shirt Force withstand them. Sёarch* The Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. When his right leg stomped on the ground, Flying Swallow Force burst forth from beneath his feet. His entire body moved like the shadow of a gliding swallow; his speed increased by a third, yet it was still incredibly graceful. With the War Blade reversed in his grip, he swept upwards, fending off the Longsword. The tip of the blade traced across the space between the opponent’s chest and abdomen, breaking through the Iron Shirt Force and leaving a deep wound that reached the bone. Ji Xinghuo didn’t look back as he used Flash Step to distance himself. He had barely steadied himself when he vomited another large mouthful of fresh blood; the two waves of Tidal Force inside him could no longer be suppressed, bursting forth simultaneously. A wave of intense muscle spasms followed by pain nearly caused Ji Xinghuo to lose his balance, and he could barely hold onto his War Blade. His condition was very bad. If it were in reality, it definitely wouldn’t be so bad; the Rotating Magnetic Field combined with the Golden Scale Iron Spine would prevent the Tidal Force from having such a severe effect. However, if he were to fight the real Zhao Manying, she certainly wouldn’t only have the Tidal Force at her disposal. Ji Xinghuo turned back around. The opponent’s situation was worse than his, mainly due to the excessive blood loss. No matter how calm she was or how much injury she could endure, she had to follow the physical rules; losing too much blood would impact her speed and reactions. The virtual Martial Arts World was set that way too. If this dragged on, Ji Xinghuo could already see the scales of victory tipping in his favor. "Looks like you’re about to win again." She looked at the wounds on her body without so much as a frown and without the slightest dejection from defeat, "I haven’t met an opponent like you on the Martial Arts Platform in a long time. The fight was very exhilarating, and I’ve gained a lot from it. Not bad, not bad!" Ji Xinghuo nodded, "Shall we continue?" "Of course!" she said, raising her longsword towards Ji Xinghuo with determination. "You’re just more likely to win, not that you’ve definitely won." The two immediately drew close, greeting each other with sword and blade as if locked in a life-or-death struggle. Combat, separate. Fight again, separate again. This battle lasted ten minutes, longer than any fight Ji Xinghuo ever had before, and it was much harder. But his blood was boiling, and he entered a state of intense concentration, a flow state where his eyes saw only one person, one goal. Finally, after the twenty-fourth exchange, Ji Xinghuo immediately sensed his opponent’s performance declining sharply, unable to keep up with his pace. Clang! Once again sword and blade chimed in unison. Ji Xinghuo’s blade pierced his opponent’s heart, while her longsword failed to penetrate his Iron Shirt Force, her sword-hand falling limply. A white light flared before his eyes, and the victor was clear. The pain on Ji Xinghuo’s body vanished completely, and he was as good as new, but he felt a deep weariness in his spirit. This fight was exhausting! Microscopic Perception consumes Star Power, and the more intense the battle, the more it consumes, which is also a heavy burden on the brain. Fortunately, he had won. Ji Xinghuo looked across the platform. After two consecutive victories, the system rules prevent further challenges. To fight again, one must send a friend invite for a personal challenge, where the outcome does not affect points, to prevent point farming. He didn’t speak, waiting for her reaction. "I’m Zhao Manying," she said forthrightly, a smile on her face. "Congratulations on defeating the top of the ladder, twice at that." It was her indeed! After the initial shock, Ji Xinghuo felt a surge of delight. As Zhao Manying said, he had defeated the top of the ladder. Although it was just a fight on the virtual Martial Arts Platform, it didn’t represent the full extent of one’s strength. But Zhao Manying was known for her martial arts talent, and defeating her was proof enough of one’s own strength! If word got out, it would make a global sensation, and everyone would know. "You don’t seem to care that you lost?" Ji Xinghuo asked, surprised. "Who can remain undefeated forever?" Zhao Manying responded with ease. "You should know, my first two years in the Emperor Star Club, I lost more than I won. Before I became a Martial Arts Grandmaster, I lost many matches. And I will surely lose again in the future. Failure is the main theme of life, it’s normal." Ji Xinghuo remained silent. This was the difference in the mentality between Earth martial artists and Star Realm martial artists. In exploring the Star Realm, one could not afford a single defeat. One loss could mean losing everything, including one’s life. I hope I can remain undefeated forever! Ji Xinghuo thought to himself. "Failure isn’t to be feared, but we should learn from it, grow stronger, and come back for a win next time," Zhao Manying said, approaching and examining Ji Xinghuo closely. "I learned a lot from today’s battle; you’re a good opponent. Shall we add each other as friends to make challenges easier?" "Okay." Ji Xinghuo found it hard to refuse this proposal. Moreover, he sensed that Zhao Manying had a lively and cordial personality, without the airs of a ladder leader, and she seemed easy to get along with. Zhao Manying sent a friend request, and Ji Xinghuo accepted. "Eh?" She gasped in surprise, "You’re just 24 years old?" After adding a friend, one could see their profile. Zhao Manying’s first concern was Ji Xinghuo’s age. She had guessed from his voice that Ji Xinghuo was young and not some elderly grandmaster, but she didn’t expect him to be the same age as her. "What’s up?" Ji Xinghuo asked. He was also viewing Zhao Manying’s profile. Her nickname was "Zhao Guest 2201," her rank was Martial Arts Grandmaster, with over twenty thousand matches and a 97% win rate! It was undoubtedly Zhao Manying herself. "You’re so young! I thought you were at least 35 or older," Zhao Manying exclaimed, not surprised by Ji Xinghuo’s 100% win rate as she believed she could achieve a thousand consecutive wins and ascend to Ninth Dan if she registered an extra account. "Are you from the AGC (Asian Community)?" she inquired. "Yes." "Living in Chang’an?" "Correct." "When’s your birthday?" "July." They conversed back and forth, and Zhao Manying suddenly burst into laughter, "I was born in November, so that makes me four months younger than you. That’s a relief..." Ji Xinghuo was confused; what was there to be relieved about? Seeing his puzzled expression, Zhao Manying explained, "It’s a relief that I’m younger than you. It would be somewhat embarrassing to be beaten by someone younger, and it would be awkward to tell others about it." "Uh..." Ji Xinghuo was at a loss for words, unable to comprehend her reasoning. She didn’t mind being defeated as the ladder leader, yet she cared about the age of her opponent. Was this focus a bit misdirected? All he could reply was, "I won’t tell anyone." "It’s okay if you tell others. Ah... You said earlier that you were an unknown, but I doubt that. Otherwise, why would you stay anonymous?" Zhao Manying studied Ji Xinghuo thoughtfully. "24 years old with martial arts talent even higher than mine, how could you not be known? Who are you really? Let me guess, most likely someone from the ladder..." Ji Xinghuo’s heart skipped a beat. He found Zhao Manying’s personality to be completely different in private than in public, where she was sparing with words and expressionless, coming across as a cold goddess. But now that he had interacted with her, he found she was indeed tall but not the least bit cold. Instead, she was a bit too familiar. "I’m sure with some time I could figure out your real identity," Zhao Manying said, circling Ji Xinghuo with a grin. "New Sky 2225, why not just tell me yourself?"