Chapter 1449 (1/2)

“Do you feel that?” Tatiana asked. She tilted her head and scrutinized the sky. The clouds were beginning to move in a slow whirlpool. What was most impressive was the fact the effect extended far beyond just the area above the arena.

Randidly resisted the urge to smile. “Sometimes it felt like a fluke that these two got here with only Huang Li fighting… but that was just because most of what he was doing was subconscious, drawing on other’s strength at points when he should have been defeated. But now that he has reached out purposefully… Heh, this will be interesting to watch.”

Despite their images being very different, Huang Li had taken principles from Randidly’s Skills and images to innovate in new ways. Honestly, Randidly felt a gentle swell of pride in his chest.

“The effect is slightly similar to the Eidolon Crucible, only much more geared toward unity,” Tatiana observed. Then she poked Randidly in the side with a sly smile on her face. “Having you been playing favorites and giving out free lessons on the side? I hope you made Zone 7 pay an arm and a leg.”

“Nope, he did this all on his own.” Randidly shrugged.

Then his gaze shifted to the inert form of Blackhand and his smile faded. But… will this be enough? Show me whether the Earth really can create an image to overcome a monster.

*****

Huang Shou could see the efficient patterns of the corrosive and dangerous attacks from the ugly beast in front of him. It only took a few clashes for Shou to grasp the difference in their abilities. Perhaps in terms of physical strength they were equal, but the added poison that ran through the octopus’s body meant that Shou constantly needed to give up ground to survive.

Shou followed the developments passively; this much wasn’t enough to shake him even as the moves available to him over here were being restricted.

But there was another live stone on the board currently, in the form of Huang Li. Before the tournament, Shou had honestly not thought much of his adoptive grandson, despite his status as Captain of Zone 7’s guard. So he had come to the tournament, as an agent of Zone 7’s conservative faction to simply watch and teach the Glorious Leaders a very specific lesson. “Without the assistance of the conservative faction, you are only capable of this much”.

Heh. And yet after watching that boy bleed in front of me, I have suddenly become nostalgic for the toil of my own youth. Ah, age takes us all, eventually, Shou reflected. His brass Buddha lashed out left and right with its palms, putting on the appearance of a furious increase in strength. Of course, it cost him quite a bit of Stamina to do so, but he wanted to test his opponent.

Very cleanly, Richter manipulated the monster above him to act more passively while Shou exerted himself. Huang Shou narrowed his eyes as he watched Richter tighten his hands on the armrests of his wheelchair and regard him in turn. This boy… would be quite good at Go.

Still, he is young. With the space afforded to him, Shou ceased attacking and brought his hands together. “Purifying Resonance.” A shiver spread through Shou’s body as the sound of his clap cleansed much of the sinister energy that had seeped into him from Richter’s attacks. It was slightly shocking, however, that the effect was only able to rid him of 75% of the remnants. Some stubbornly gathered in the corners of his body, refusing to be shaken by a cleansing done in the heat of battle.

Richter gestured sharply and those casual swirling tentacles now thundered downward at the brass buddha with its hands pressed together. Huang Shou didn’t even blink; this was what he was waiting for. “Life is Suffering.”

White sigils flared to life across the body of the brass Buddha. Shou couldn’t keep the technique active for very long, but in that instant all damage that each of them took was reflected back on the other. But even as the Skill activated, Huang Shou’s wrinkled face twisted in shock. “You…!”

The tentacles smashed downward, spraying their corrosive and dark energy with their wild swings. The white sigils flared to life and transferred that damage back to Richter, whose face was locked into a grimace. Richter and Shou looked eyes for a long moment, feeling each other’s agony. Then both slumped backward, Richter in his chair and Huang Shou leaning heavily upon his cane. His fingers were sweaty.

The attacks from both sides ceased as both manifestations faded somewhat. In the end, the exchange was likely a draw. Shou gave Richter another deep look. “You… you have allowed something dark to take up residence within your legs, huh. Such an existence… truly admirable that you have persevered through the pain.”

“After a while, pain is just that: pain.” Richter wiped his hand blood leaking between his lips. “It is simply a body signaling a deviation from the typical. As long as that deviation is expected, you can easily ignore that signal.”

“A dangerous way of thinking. The mind is not the master of the body,” Huang Shou reprimanded. His Mana had been instantly drained using that Skill, but his image was quickly recovering to its former state. Then Shou shook his head. “Either way, you have lost. My partner has defeated yours and will come to help me finish you. Surrender now and spare yourself the humiliation of seeing your image crushed.”

Richter chuckled. “My partner has not been defeated… she is simply trading away more of her body for power.”

An image ballooned into existence behind him and Shou shifted his feet and narrowed his eyes at this new threat. Huang Li was about five meters behind him, bent over and clasping his wo dao with both hands like he was still recovering from the hit he had taken earlier. Perhaps fifteen meters beyond him, Blackhand straightened and stood.

The wizened hand lined with black veins reached up and ripped the remainder of the heavy cloak that obscured his features. What was waiting beneath was a middle-aged woman who looked to have one foot in the grave. Her skin was grey and covered in liver spots. The bags under her eyes were the color of a three-day-old bruise. Thick black veins wiggled like worms across her body. And her eyes were completely pitch black.

“Theodora Greyman…” Huang Shou said in shock. The impeached former president of Zone 1, who once was believed to be the greatest roadblock to Zone 7’s ascendance, now looked like she had was just a shell of her former self.

Theodora raised her head and seemed to scream with every fiber of her being. Her complexion grew increasingly pale and yet somehow, she didn’t produce the slightest sound. A second later, a wave of that dark energy exploded from her like she was just a pipeline to a lake of caustic sewage. While Richter’s image was only soaked with the energy to the point that each movement dripped it, this was the pure source.