The longer Han Mo fought, the more alarmed he became.
Xu Wuyi’s Spear Technique could no longer be described as merely "proficient"—it had reached the realm of exquisite detail.
The force, angle, and timing of every thrust were perfect. Any more would have been excessive; any less would have been inadequate.
Moreover, his combat rhythm was exceedingly stable. No matter how Han Mo varied his attacks or applied pressure, Xu Wuyi stood like an unmoving mountain, meeting every move with composure and not a shred of panic.
’This kid... He’s completely adapted to Innate Level combat!’ Han Mo lamented inwardly, though his hands didn’t slow in the slightest.
His Sword Momentum shifted again.
The azure light receded as the blade suddenly grew heavy, each slash carrying the force to sunder mountains and crack stone.
Han Mo was a veteran Quasi-Grandmaster. Over his long life, he had learned countless styles of Swordsmanship. In fact, he was skilled not only with the sword but also with the saber and spear.
*Qing Ming Sword Formulas*, Mountain Form.
The transition from nimble to heavy was completely seamless.
The pressure on Xu Wuyi skyrocketed.
Han Mo’s sword was too heavy; every strike sent a numbing shock up his arm. Though his Liaoyuan Spear could barely parry the blows, he would inevitably be put on the defensive if this continued.
’I can’t keep fighting like this.’
Xu Wuyi’s eyes narrowed. In his sea of consciousness, the Golden Crow Illusion beat its wings.
Heart Fire, ignite!
A layer of dark golden flame suddenly erupted from the shaft of the dark red Liaoyuan Spear.
The flame wasn’t scorching. Instead, it had a heavy, tangible quality, like molten metal.
His Spear Momentum changed with it. He no longer pursued intricate Techniques, instead simplifying his movements into direct, straightforward attacks.
He thrust his spear.
Sword met spear.
BOOM!
This time, Han Mo was forced back five steps.
His sword hand tingled, and his eyes filled with shock. "This is... Heart Fire? No, Heart Fire doesn’t have this kind of texture..."
"It’s a variation created by fusing Heart Fire and Gravity," Xu Wuyi explained without concealment. "I call it ’Heavy Flame.’"
"Heavy Flame..." Han Mo mulled over the name, then suddenly laughed. "Excellent! What an excellent ’Heavy Flame’!"
He charged forward again, his Sword Momentum growing even more ferocious.
Xu Wuyi showed no weakness, either. Empowered by the Heavy Flame, his Liaoyuan Spear’s might was greatly magnified. Each strike carried the crushing pressure of a mountain as he met Han Mo’s Sword Momentum head-on.
On the prairie, the two figures engaged in a frenzied exchange.
The glint of the sword and the shadow of the spear blurred together. The sound of exploding Qi Force was endless as the ground cracked and splintered, sending grass flying into the air.
Fifty techniques.
One hundred techniques.
Two hundred techniques.
The two remained evenly matched.
Han Mo’s Life Energy Level was higher, his combat experience was richer, and his Swordsmanship was more refined.
But Xu Wuyi’s foundation was terrifyingly solid, the quality of his Heart Image was exceptionally high, and the empowerment from his Heavy Flame gave his attacks immense Penetration Power. Furthermore, his combat rhythm was astonishingly steady; he made almost no mistakes.
Unable to gain the upper hand after a prolonged assault, a flicker of decisiveness appeared in Han Mo’s eyes.
He suddenly retracted his sword and retreated, gripping its hilt with both hands and raising it high above his head.
A terrifying aura erupted from his body. The surrounding air began to warp, and the azure light on the blade condensed to its absolute limit, forming a massive, three-meter-long sword illusion.
The final technique of the *Qing Ming Sword Formulas*—Celestial Tilt.
Xu Wuyi’s pupils contracted.
This strike had already touched the threshold of the Grandmaster Level.
’I can’t take this head-on.’
He took a deep breath, and the great, dark-golden marsh in his sea of consciousness began to boil violently.
Heavy Water, release!
It was not a physical substance, but a conceptual manifestation.
With Xu Wuyi at its center, the Gravity Field in a twenty-meter radius suddenly became as viscous as slurry. The air seemed to congeal, light began to warp, and even the propagation of sound slowed.
The moment Han Mo’s descending sword illusion entered the Heavy Water Domain, its speed instantly dropped by thirty percent.
’Now is my chance!’
Xu Wuyi stepped forward, putting the full force of his body into the Liaoyuan Spear as he thrust at the sword illusion’s weakest point.
The tip of the spear met the sword illusion.
There was no sound.
Or perhaps, all sound had been devoured by the Heavy Water Domain.
There was only a circular shockwave that spread out from the two of them. Wherever it passed, the turf was completely ripped away, exposing the black soil beneath.
A stalemate.
The sword illusion and the spear tip were locked in place, neither giving an inch.
Veins bulged on Han Mo’s forehead. He never expected Xu Wuyi’s Heavy Water Domain to be so bizarre, capable of weakening his attack to such a degree.
But Xu Wuyi wasn’t having an easy time of it, either. The strike was, after all, the full-powered attack of a Quasi-Grandmaster. Even weakened, it remained as heavy as a mountain.
Three seconds.
Five seconds.
Ten seconds.
RUMBLE—
Finally, the Energy reached a critical point and detonated.
Both were sent flying backward at the same time, tumbling several times in mid-air. When they landed, they each staggered back more than a dozen steps before managing to regain their footing.
The prairie was in ruins. A massive crater, thirty meters in diameter, had appeared, centered on where the two had just clashed.
Han Mo panted heavily. He looked at Xu Wuyi, who was also catching his breath, and suddenly broke into loud laughter.
"Good kid! What a good kid!"
He sheathed his sword, walked over to Xu Wuyi, and clapped him firmly on the shoulder. "The moment you released your Heavy Water, you were able to suppress even my Celestial Tilt. The quality of that Heart Image of yours is frighteningly high."
Xu Wuyi, having composed his breathing, smiled as well. "But you weren’t defeated either, were you, Teacher Han?"
It was true. The last exchange had been a draw.
Han Mo’s sword had been weakened by the Heavy Water, but Xu Wuyi’s spear hadn’t been able to completely shatter the sword illusion. The energies had simply canceled each other out, forcing them both back.
"I only had the advantage because of my higher Life Energy Level," Han Mo said, shaking his head. "If we were at the same level, I would have lost just now."
He was telling the truth.
Xu Wuyi was only Level 44, while he was Level 49. That five-level gap was essentially the difference between the middle stage and the late stage of the Innate Realm.
But Xu Wuyi, by relying on his high-quality Heart Image and his bizarre Domain ability, had managed to fight him to a standstill.
That was already terrifying.
"Let’s go. We can talk outside," Han Mo said as he logged out of the Battle Network.
Xu Wuyi followed suit.
Their consciousness returned to reality. The two were still sitting in the bamboo house, the tea before them now cold.
Han Mo boiled fresh water to brew another pot of tea. His movements were slow and deliberate, but his gaze never left Xu Wuyi.
"All you lack now," he began slowly, "is accumulation."
"The quality of your Heart Image is high enough, and your understanding of the Rules is deep enough, but your Life Energy Level is still insufficient, and your Power of Heart Image isn’t yet deep enough. Once you’ve accumulated enough, reaching the Quasi-Grandmaster realm will be a natural next step for you."
Xu Wuyi nodded. "That’s what I was thinking as well."
"Do you have any plans?" Han Mo asked. "For after graduation."
"Not yet," said Xu Wuyi. "I might go to the front lines to continue honing my skills, or I might stay at the academy as an instructor. But I still have a few months, so there’s no rush to decide."
Han Mo smiled. "That’s true. You’re still young, you have all the time in the world."
They chatted for a little while longer before Xu Wuyi stood to take his leave.
"What are your plans now?" Han Mo asked as he walked him to the door.
"First, I’ll go check on my dorm, then head to the registrar’s office to sort out my paperwork," Xu Wuyi said. "I plan on spending the last few months of my senior year quietly here at the academy."
"That sounds good," Han Mo nodded. "If you need help with anything, don’t hesitate to find me."
"Thank you, Teacher."
After giving a respectful bow, Xu Wuyi turned and left the bamboo grove.
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