258 Chapter 257: Struggle against the Stronges (2/2)
Fire vaporized frost into steam, and ice froze flames into crystals. The resulting explosion turned into something similar to a thermonuclear explosion, billowing upward in a terrifying mushroom-shaped conflagration that razed yet another crater into the ground.
”Ugh!”
I shielded myself with my swords, almost unable to remain standing from such a powerful surge of energy.
Woo…swoosh…
As the hurricane of conflicting qi and sparks continued to howl their dismay and rage in the devastated wasteland, a single, solitary figure stood amidst the violent maelstrom, unperturbed and almost unaffected.
Qi continued to crackle and spark around the ruined and scorched ground, a mixture of ash and frost settling on the soft, reshaped earth.
Sha Chen stood firm, relaxing his stance a little as he observed his surroundings. He then noticed something peculiar.
He had been pushed back.
His feet had left twin trails in the dirt, indicating the distance that he had been sent skidding backward from the earlier colossal exchange.
”!”
It had only been a meter or thereabouts, but even so Sha Chen was amazed that I had actually succeeded in pushing him back.
”Argh…”
I coughed out another splurt of blood. Unlike Sha Chen, I had skidded back several meters, and was unable to straighten myself. I was still heaving from the blow, wheezing and heaving, struggling to catch my breath.
Raising my violently trembling arms, I reached up with my shuddering left hand that was still clutching Shadow Fox and wiped the blood from my mouth.
”Satisfied yet?” I asked.
”Hmph.” Sha Chen snorted. ”Satisfied? About what?”
”Isn't it enough? If your goal is to avenge your subordinates, you've beaten me up for it. And I've survived whatever attacks you threw at me. Am I still not worthy?”
Sha Chen burst out laughing.
”Did you ever think this was about me testing whether you were worthy enough to be my ally? Don't get too full of yourself, you snot-nosed brat. You're a hundred years too early to ever entertain such an idea.”
”…”
I shook my head, but I couldn't say I was disappointed. I already expected an outcome like this. Sha Chen never intended to let me live, no matter how impressed he was by my performance.
”And if I want to destroy the Martial Arts Alliance, I can do it myself! I don't need help from the likes of a brat like you!”
”…!”
I narrowed my eyes, detecting a trace of falsehood in that declaration. A smile slowly crept across my face.
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”Quit your lying, old dude. If that's true, then you would never have bothered to establish the Black Venom Cult. You would have attacked the Martial Arts Alliance by now. But no, you stayed hidden and tried to avoid their extermination squads. Why?”
Shen Cha scowled, and then he forced his expression into a smirk.
”I don't need to explain myself to you, brat.”
”Hmph.” I shrugged casually. ”You certainly don't. I guess I'll destroy the Martial Arts Alliance on my own then.”
”Hm…”
Shen Cha studied me for a moment, his expression turning curious. He lifted his hand and flexed his fingers a few times, as if trying to test for something. Then he grinned, as if he had realized something very amusing.
”I see. So that's what it is. That's what this is about.”
”What are you talking about?” I asked, bewildered by his sudden inaction and abrupt talkativeness. What was with antagonists and their desires to stop fighting and spout into a bunch of dialogue all of a sudden?
”You…you've been using Heaven and Earth techniques all this time, aren't you?” Sha Chen grinned evily. ”It's a little different from the Heaven and Earth techniques I've encountered before, but they're undoubtedly from the same origin.”
I raised an eyebrow. ”You've fought against Heaven and Earth techniques before?”
”That's right.” Sha Chen regarded me, amused, an ugly smile spreading across his wrinkled face. ”And if I'm not mistaken, your master must be Tian Mo.”
”…”
I didn't answer. Sha Chen's grin widened.
”I'm right, am I not?”
I shrugged. ”I've no obligation to answer you.”
”Oh, come on. Don't be like that.” Sha Chen chuckled. ”There's a connection between us. You could say I'm your master's worst enemy.”
I burst out laughing at that. ”My master's worst enemy? You? HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!”
The Dark Sage's expression darkened. ”What's so funny?”
”You are,” I replied with a snicker. ”You think you're my master's worst enemy? Don't flatter yourself.”
”You!” Sha Chen flared up. ”Disrespecting your elders…your master really didn't teach you properly, did he?”
”Oh, I respect your strength, but I don't respect your attempts to lie. Either that or you're truly delusional.” I shook my head in mock sadness. ”My master's worst enemies have always been the Martial Arts Alliance. When they finally destroyed the Heaven and Earth Sect and cornered Master about four or five years ago, you were completely absent. You took no part in the action to destroy the Heaven and Earth Sect and their allies.”
I had read my history and was familiar with what had happened and who were involved. And while the Dark Sage Sha Chen might have been a famous legend during the old Martial Arts Alliance era, he was nowhere to be seen in the present era, often thought of as having died or disappeared from the Jiang Hu for good.
”Fool,” Sha Chen sneered. ”Of course I'm not talking about the present era or the destruction of your Heaven and Earth Sect. I'm talking about the old times. Decades ago, during the time of the old Martial Arts Alliance, I was your master's greatest rival, and his strongest foe. We clashed often during that time, and I was the one person your master was never truly able to defeat.” His grin spread across his face, mocking and derisive. ”Your techniques might differ, but their core essence is similar to the techniques he used…”
He began laughing.
”And if your master wasn't able to defeat me, what hopes do you have of defeating me?”
I cocked my head to the side, staring at him blankly. Then I shrugged.
”Nope…I'm sorry, but your name doesn't ring a bell. Master never mentioned anything about you at all. The only people he talked about was the Martial Arts Alliance, and he actually warned me against taking revenge. He told me to avoid fighting the Martial Arts Alliance at all costs.” I was going to disobey him, unfortunately. But it was the Martial Arts Alliance who forced my hand by invading my sect even when I left them alone. ”He made no mention about you at all.”
”…”
There was a long pause as Sha Chen glowered at me, his hands balled tightly into fists. His expression was so dark I almost couldn't see it.
”I guess he was too humiliated to tell you about me.”
…huh? What? Where did that come from?
”So that's the kind of person he was.” Sha Chen chuckled as he snorted in disdain, a scornful smile curling his face.
”He was a good teacher,” I countered coldly.
”Well…” Sha Chen said dismissively. ”Whatever happened in the past will remain in the past. No point dwelling on it.”
I tensed when I saw sharp, barbed leather whips snaking out of his torn sleeves and coiling themselves around his forearms. In addition, his qi intensified again, and my breathing stalled. It felt as if the gravity had magnified tenfold.
”So…let's start this all over again,” Sha Chen smirked.
And then he swung his left arm.
”!!!”
I instinctively dove to the side, using my footwork to evade the fast, screaming attack that almost caught me by surprise with its speed and ferocity.
”…eh?”
Suddenly, I felt a jerk, something tugging my right arm. My Azure Lotus Sword was almost yanked out of my hand despite my best attempts to maintain a firm grip on its hilt. Glancing at it, I saw a barbed leather whip wrapped around the blade and tightly clamping onto it.
”Ugh!”
Refusing to relinquish my sword, I was forced to a halt, struggling to pull my sword free from the coiled whip. However, no matter how much strength I used, I was unable to dislodge the whip, which seemed to have hooked itself stubbornly into the blade of my weapon.
”But…because of your master's foolishness and arrogance, which caused him to dismiss my existence entirely…”
Sha Chen's voice had an ominous tone to it, which sent chills down my spine. The fucker was furious.
Cackling madly, Sha Chen roared out in malicious delight as he yanked on his poisoned whip.
”You will die today!”
He then swung his right arm and sent a second whip snaking wickedly toward me. My eyes widened and I wasn't able to let go of my Azure Lotus Sword in time before the flexible weapon struck me with full force.
Boom!
Excruciating agony exploded across my vision and I was sent hurtling backward.