Chapter 105: Defeat at Maicheng

Chapter 105: Defeat and Flight to Maicheng

"Interesting. Is that Mechanized Heart of yours the Martial Saint, Lord Guan the Second?"

Ten paces before Li Jun, the 'Third Stripes,' having activated his Mechanized Heart Overclock, bore a majestic and solemn mien, his face the color of red dates, his brows and eyes deep-set.

He seized that vicious Guan Dao with a single hand, dropping into a bow stance, his left hand circling vaguely before his chest as if stroking a long beard.

The aspect of the Guan Dao had transformed as well; the blade grew ever more rugged, its edge revealing countless jagged serrations, flashing with a cold, fierce light, a chill seeping into the marrow.

Like a saber yet not a saber, like a saw yet not a saw.

Saber like the cold, beautiful moon; body like a coiling dragon spear.

This was the true Green Dragon Crescent Blade, also named the "Cold Beauty Saw."

'Third Stripes' shook his arm and turned his wrist; the great blade trembled at high speed, shaking out a blinding expanse of cold light.

"The Cold Beauty Saw in this old man's hand specializes in sending madmen to the netherworld!"

With a resonant shout, 'Third Stripes' surged forward, instantly crossing five paces, suddenly planting a step and arching his back, leaping into the air and spinning, the great blade sweeping a full half-circle before cleaving straight down!

The might of this strike was like mountains collapsing; the gale it stirred tore through the dense rain curtain, splitting the air, raising a thunderous detonation.

Compared to before the Overclock, the power had increased by surely more than double.

"This man's Overclock proficiency is quite a bit stronger than Shi Chengfeng's."

Li Jun marveled inwardly, yet his hands did not slow in the slightest.

Only the soles of his shoes brushed the ground, filthy water flying up behind his feet; the Abyss-Leaping Step unfolded, swift as a galloping horse, meeting the descending Guan Dao head-on, advancing instead of retreating!

Before the force in 'Third Stripes'' blade could climb to its absolute peak, Li Jun had already closed the distance, gripping the Ink Saber with both hands, lifting and slashing!

The Poison-Slaying Saber, Severing the Halberd!

*Clang!*

Straight saber against Guan Dao, muscle against mechanized bone; the stirring sound of hot blood and the droning hum of the Mechanized Heart rang out simultaneously.

"As expected, there's a gap in technique."

Seeing his own ferocious, domineering strike actually find its weak point exploited by Li Jun, 'Third Stripes' couldn't help a secret sigh.

But a sigh was just a sigh; the battle intent in his heart did not scatter a whit.

Only to see his left foot suddenly retreat a step, his figure leaning back, the bow stance settling like mounting a horse, both arms exerting force, momentum like dragging a saber.

The Guan Dao blade instantly became a saw, sawing toward Li Jun's body.

Li Jun seemed to have anticipated this move long ago; he advanced a step early to seize position, the long saber clinging to the saw-teeth following up with his footwork.

The blade rotated at the wrist, circling past the Guan Dao's guard, slicing along the iron-cast shaft toward 'Third Stripes'' hands.

'Third Stripes' held a cold smile at the corner of his mouth, not a shred of panic in his heart; both hands released the saber and thrust forward with the momentum, simultaneously circling his steps to rush behind Li Jun!

*Pu-chi!*

In the instant they crossed, the Ink Saber gashed a bloody, dripping wound across 'Third Stripes'' chest, yet he had successfully gained Li Jun's rear, catching that forward-flying Cold Beauty Saw!

Since there's a gap in technique, I'll make up for it with ferocity!

I'm a saber master of the Chongqing Sichuan-Yu Gambling Convention, how could I lose to you, a gate-valve's kept hound?

Go to hell with your "Immortal Board Board" joke!

'Third Stripes' gripped the very end of the Guan Dao shaft with both hands, not even turning around, simply raising the blade overhead like holding a torch to the sky, chopping backward in a reverse grip.

The sudden howling behind his head made every hair on Li Jun's body stand on end; the thought to dodge had just risen in his heart when his body had already stolen a step, shifting laterally to the side.

*Whoosh!*

The Guan Dao grazed Li Jun's shoulder and cleaved into the street surface, instantly blasting a curtain of water a full inch high.

'Third Stripes' showed no surprise at his miss; the reckless courage in his heart had only just begun to rise!

Only to see him switch steps and shift his body, one foot kicking the Guan Dao shaft; the blade head rang out as it left the ground, simultaneously clamping the saber with his elbow, flinging it in a horizontal slash!

The entire process flowed in one breath, as if rehearsed a million times prior.

The saw-blade wrapped in immense force now left no trace, only a blinding white line tearing through wind and rain in the air.

This strike was precisely the simplest move in martial saber arts, yet the one with the most imposing momentum — Sweeping Away a Thousand Armies.

Right now, 'Third Stripes' unleashed it via the Martial Saint Mechanized Heart; its might did not fall short of a martial artist of the same sequence, even surpassing them by a margin.

Simulating the Divine Heart with a Mechanized Heart, driving genetic evolution with machinery, adapting genes to a stronger mechanized body.

Overclock Resonance, Mechanical Ascension!

This was the Way of the Weapon!

"This strike Li Jun absolutely won't dare take head-on; as long as he keeps dodging, my follow-up..."

'Third Stripes' was still letting his imagination run wild. But the next moment, he saw the opponent suddenly insert himself to his flank, driving his saber into the ground, the Ink Saber blade standing upright like a pawn holding a shield, bracing against a warhorse charging the formation!

And those eyes staring straight at him, sharp as if they could pierce the human heart!

"Can learn, doesn't mean you are. Today I'll tell you what it means: a fake can never become real!"

*Clang!*

The Ink Saber was smashed into a heart-palpitating arc; Li Jun's face instantly flushed crimson, his right arm numb throughout, all sensation lost!

Yet Li Jun merely grinned savagely, then suddenly sprang up, stomping a foot down on the end of the Cold Beauty Saw's blade!

*Clang!*

'Third Stripes'' tiger's mouth split open, blood welling up, only to be instantly washed away by the rain.

He gritted his teeth, grabbed the blade, and exerted force to flick it up, trying to fling Li Jun away.

Li Jun borrowed the momentum to step on the blade and leap up, a falcon diving forward, the Ink Saber bringing a scalp-numbing howl, slashing horizontally.

'Third Stripes' likewise had blood shot through his pupils; the Cold Beauty Saw in his hand tilted horizontally, its edge pointing straight at the heavens!

But at the very instant the two blades collided, a sudden change erupted!

Li Jun's body abruptly exploded with a sky-reaching bandit flame, a strand of battlefield killing intent surging along the Guan Dao shaft into 'Third Stripes'' mechanized body!

Coldness penetrated his being; in a trance, 'Third Stripes' felt as if he stood upon an ancient battlefield.

Before him, troops pressed the city; behind him, beacon fires lit the sky!

"Kill!"

The roar of fierce soldiers, carrying an unmatchable ferocity, surged forth, crashing into that 'Martial Saint' Mechanized Heart!

'Third Stripes' eyes widened; this strike had actually shattered his Overclock Resonance, knocking him down from the Thousand-Army-Splitting Guan Wusheng, back to a mere mortal!

The surprise didn't end there; a crisp *crack* followed close behind!

That Cold Beauty Saw's blade was actually severed in one slash by the Ink Saber; the break point was precisely where Li Jun had stomped moments ago!

In the blink of an eye, the situation reversed.

Trapped in a death trap, 'Third Stripes' wore a heroic air, lifting those phoenix eyes, his gaze still haughty and disdainful.

"Broke the Overclock, so what? I am Yun Chang; why need you distinguish true from false! Even without a blade body, I can still kill you!"

Heflicked his wrist, driving the bare spear-shaft forward with a fierce shriek, aiming straight for Li Jun’s skull!

But this thrust, devoid of the Overclock state’s boost, seemed to Li Jun like a slow-motion film, each frame sliding past his eyes.

Li Jun’s left hand snapped out, clamping onto the shaft; a twist and a shove of his wrist, and the steel-hard pole warped and bent under the monstrous force, tearing every shred of flesh from ‘San Tiao’s’ palm as it punched out his back.

*Puchi!*

‘San Tiao’ shuddered, slowly bowing his head, a length of spear-shaft protruding from his chest.

“A weapon is but the martial man’s blade! So it was before, so it remains forever!”

Li Jun held the spear one-handed, the butt trailing behind, glorious as a great banner of flesh and blood fluttering against wind and rain.

‘San Tiao’s’ dilated pupils contracted once more, yet they held only a dull, lifeless gray; his mouth twitched, and he rasped in broken gasps:

“This old soldier... in the end... still lost Jingzhou.”

Simultaneously, on the northwestern fringe of Chengdu County, three figures sprinting at full tilt came to a sudden halt.

“San Tiao... dead?!”

‘Yao Ji’s’ face drained white, etched with utter disbelief.

“I go... to avenge him.”

‘Er Tiao’ enunciated each word, turning to march back.

At once his hand relaxed, and a figure trussed up like a dumpling slammed into the mud, releasing pained whimpers.

“Stop. The Gu clan is fully prepared now; going back is suicide.”

The hulking Gong Qinghong glanced back, staring toward the prosperous city veiled in wind and rain, “I am the dealer of this wager; San Tiao’s debt of blood, I will collect.”