Chapter 90: Three pairs of eyes in the darkness (1/2)
Chapter 90: Three pairs of eyes in the darkness
“I can get the black iron ore for you, yes, but you also know that it’s not that easy to obtain. How many gold coins do you intend on spending to buy it?” Han Shuo weighed things up internally as he spoke slowly with a calm expression.
His mental state sharpening, Lawrence drew himself upright and said with some excitement, “So you can get it. Heh heh, I only need the size of a fist to forge weapons. The black market currently has a shortage, so name your price!”
Rubbing his chin, Han Shuo remembered a conversation he had with Phoebe last time and hesitated, saying faintly, “How about this? Give me five thousand gold coins and I’ll try to get a piece for you.”
“No problem, although black gold ore is even more rare, a black iron ore the size of a fist is indeed worth five thousand gold coins. If you can get a piece of black iron ore, you can come find me at the knight school. We’ll do an exchange of goods and money.” Lawrence said joyfully.
Nodding, Han Shuo remembered how he’d been beaten up by Lawrence a few months ago at the knights school. His eyebrow flicked upwards as he chuckled. “I’ll get you a piece of black iron ore within ten days. Why don’t you practice with me again right now? I’ll be very happy to be a human target for you again.”
“Alright, then let’s begin. I can check out just how wonderful you are. Even someone as proud and aloof as Phoebe continuously complimented you in front of me. I’m quite curious about your strength.” Lawrence struck a pose excitedly and was prepared to immediately fight with Han Shuo.
It was noon, and most of the students in the courtyard had just put their things away and were getting ready to go to lunch. Only two or three students sunbathing in the far distance seemingly hadn’t left because they’d fallen asleep. Han Shuo swept a glance around the perimeter and smiled, “Let’s go to the left. There aren’t that many people there and we won’t affect anyone.”
Han Shuo lifted his head provocatively at Lawrence after he spoke and walked to an empty clearing behind the railing to the left. Lawrence tightened his fists and chuckled lightly, following behind Han Shuo and also making for the empty lot on the left.
When he arrived, Han Shuo circulated the magical yuan throughout his body and started adjusting his bodily condition. Lawrence was a few steps behind Han Shuo and had just walked down the stone steps when Han Shuo had already doubled back like lightning, bringing a fist crashing down on Lawrence without giving him time to react.
Lawrence hadn’t anticipated that Han Shuo would make a move so quickly. The punch with frightening momentum had already arrived in front of Lawrence before he’d had time to react. His facial expression changing slightly, Lawrence suddenly backed up a step after putting his feet down, returning to the stone steps again and shunted his body to the side, avoiding the punch that Han Shuo had suddenly flung his way.
The punch whistled past Lawrence’s face and frigid air emanated from Han Shuo’s left fist, giving Lawrence a bit of a fright.
Han Shuo retracted his left arm before Lawrence had time to react, then suddenly curved it and slammed his elbow into Lawrence’s chest.
Lawrence grunted lowly as his body was forced into the railing by Han Shuo’s elbow, his face reddening slightly.
“Heh heh, Lawrence your sense of alertness isn’t good enough!” Han Shuo didn’t follow up his elbow blow to Lawrence’s chest with another attack. He backed away with an odd smile instead, teasing Lawrence in a sing-song tone.
The two of them were only practicing and not fighting to the death, so Han Shuo hadn’t used his full strength in that strike. He’d only released the barest hint of frigid air from the “Glacial Mystical Spellfire”. As a sergeant knight, Lawrence had fighting aura protecting him internally and hadn’t suffered any injuries.
“You were the one who suddenly ambushed me. This punch doesn’t count, I’ll make you pay later.” Lawrence wasn’t mad as he elaborated on the truth with a wry expression. He then walked down the stone steps again and suddenly faced Han Shuo with no hints of levity.
Pale-green fighting aura suddenly blossomed from Lawrence’s hands as his footsteps sped up. He approached Han Shuo like lightning, the fighting aura from his left hand suddenly formed into the shape of a sword of light and hurtled down towards Han Shuo.
Lawrence had just experienced Han Shuo’s speed and strength and understood that the current Han Shuo couldn’t be compared with who he had been before. This was why he was using his fighting aura, but his movements were quite cautious as he obviously pulled his punches.
A trace of a slight smile curved at Han Shuo’s lips as he watched Lawrence’s movements. He measured up the strength of Lawrence’s fighting aura and completely failed to dodge. He circulated the “Glacial Mystical Spellfire” in his right hand as a thin beam of faint, red light materialized in the path of Han Shuo’s waving right fist. It crashed down into the sword of light coalesced from Lawrence’s fighting aura along with Han Shuo’s right fist.
Bam sounded out dully as Lawrence’s sword of light, made from fighting aura, dispersed in a mass of light spots. Lawrence’s strong forward momentum was halted in its tracks. Han Shuo also felt a wave of soreness and numbness overcome his right hand as his body backed up two steps involuntarily.
“Lawrence, how much of your fighting aura did you use in coalescing your sword of light just now?” Han Shuo looked at Lawrence with burning eyes as he asked
“Sixty percent!” Lawrence responded and then looked askance at Han Shuo. “Your speed and aura is noticeably different compared to a few months ago. It looks like you were definitely acting on purpose last time — except, why would you be willing to be beaten up for five gold coins?”
Han Shuo had been a rookie who hadn’t been tried in combat a few months ago, and his magical yuan had only been at the first level of the “solid realm”. He had done so to earn gold coins, but most importantly to train his body and thus hadn’t held himself back. It looked like Lawrence was misunderstanding Han Shuo.
Sixty percent of his fighting aura. Han Shuo thought briefly and went over the amount of magical yuan he had infused just now. He finally concluded that his own strength should be slightly stronger than Lawrence’s because he had only infused his punch with about forty percent of his magical yuan. This already had the effect of being at equal strengths with his opponent.
After testing his strength through the direct collision of one fist, Han Shuo didn’t continue colliding head on with Lawrence. He used the agility and nimbleness of his body instead to battle Lawrence in much more efficient ways.