Chapter 377: Another Level-20 Technique? |
As soon as the match began, the very first thing Ma Xuan did was assign roles to his team, especially the construction duties.
After all, as the defending side, the more complete the building was after one hour, the higher their score would be.
This time, the assigned structure was a bunker, and the building materials had already been placed near the construction site before the match began.
“Bu Ziran, Ji Susu... you two handle the construction,” said Ma Xuan.
After some thought, he ultimately decided to leave just the two of them on construction duty.
Originally, he had planned to leave three people behind and take the other two to intercept the opposing six.
In Ma Xuan’s view, their team was much stronger overall and could easily fight outnumbered, leaving more people to build and thus earn more points.
But Su Yanyang’s earlier reminder lingered in his mind, prompting him to play it safe by leaving only Bu Ziran and Ji Susu on the job.
Bu Ziran was a tall young man. If Zhang Yu were here, he would recognize him as the guy who had ignored him when he first joined the group and posted lung-enhancement Law Husk photos in the chat.
Next, Ma Xuan said, “Ji Yuanshu, you’re on perimeter support.”
With a flash of his figure, Ji Yuanshu vanished into a gust of wind.
At the same time Ma Xuan made his arrangements, the six members of Shi Huaiyu’s team shot toward them like lightning.
Seeing his opponents streak in like six thunderbolts, Ma Xuan instantly unleashed the power of the Small Threefold Harmony.
The ground rumbled as a sandstorm rose like a tidal wave, rushing to engulf Shi Huaiyu’s team.
Shi Huaiyu responded with her own Small Threefold Harmony, but Ma Xuan could sense it—his mastery of the technique was clearly superior. If this continued, he’d win the clash of earth and sand.
But the next instant, as Zhang Yu’s figure burst through the smoke and came crashing down from above, Ma Xuan’s eyes narrowed.
Ma Xuan, once the captain who had tried to recruit Zhang Yu, considered himself to know the guy well.
A powerful physique. Extremely high endurance. And his Nine Heavens Cloudstride Force, built on force redirection…
These traits all pointed to one thing: long, drawn-out battles—and massive wear and tear on Law Husks.
Zhang Yu was exactly the kind of opponent most cultivators didn’t want to meet.
And Ma Xuan instantly understood their plan.
“Tossing Zhang Yu at us solo to break our formation?”
“Seems like you’re giving him... a bit too much credit.”
High above, Zhang Yu crossed his arms and stepped through the air, descending like a meteor. Each layer of air shattered around him as he plummeted at supersonic speed.
His cold eyes locked onto Ma Xuan’s group, and his lips moved slightly, as though speaking.
Of course, at supersonic speeds, verbal communication was meaningless.
But his message had already been sent—flashing across everyone’s EyeNet HUDs.
A standard practice in high-speed combat. In the Security Division, this was mandatory training.
Zhang Yu: “Not keeping me on the team... will be the biggest mistake you make today.”
While learning from the taunt lessons Shi Huaiyu had provided, Zhang Yu had picked up some valuable tricks.
Pure insults rarely worked in serious battles. Skilled fighters weren’t so easily provoked.
To land a successful taunt, you had to match the mood—say something that struck the heart, stirred anger, pride, fighting spirit...
And the most reliable, versatile, and effective method?
Showing off.
Do it well—confidently, stylishly, naturally—and your opponent might not even realize it’s a taunt. They’ll just want to go all-out.
That was the pinnacle of provocation.
Now, as their gazes clashed in midair, it was as if two invisible waves of fighting intent were colliding.
Ma Xuan, however, didn’t flinch. He maintained control over the raging sandstorm, directing it toward Shi Huaiyu’s team.
His calm voice echoed through the EyeNet:
“He’s provoking us. Don’t fall for it.”
“Cong Na, deal with him.”
“The rest of you stick to the plan. Don’t give him an opening to redirect your force.”
Cong Na looked up at the falling Zhang Yu, grinned, and said, “No, leaving the team will be your biggest regret.”
She bent her knees, thigh muscles swelling with power, and exploded into the air.
Boom!
The ground cracked beneath her as she launched upward, slicing through the sky like a missile aimed at Zhang Yu.
“He’s midair—no footing to leverage. A perfect target.”
“I know your plan. You want to drop in and use your absurd physique and redirection Technique to wreck our formation.”
“But I’m not giving you that chance.”
Her right palm surged with Qi, muscles roaring, and she struck with all her might.
A palm like a crashing mountain came hurtling toward Zhang Yu.
This was the best counter to Zhang Yu: overwhelm him with raw force before he could start any of his tricks.
But Zhang Yu simply said:
“Trying to blow me away?”
“Funny. I was thinking the same thing.”
He raised his own palm.
And with it came the roar of dragons.
Roar!
Ten thunderous dragon cries erupted, each birthing a streak of dragon-shaped Qi.
It was the Nine-Dragon Heavenforce Palm—Xiao Qingxuan’s signature Technique.
Before they launched Zhang Yu into enemy lines, Xiao Qingxuan had struck him with twenty palm strikes, storing their power within Zhang Yu’s Qi using the Nine Heavens Cloudstride Force.
Now, in a sudden burst of ten strikes, he unleashed that energy.
The explosive Qi shattered Cong Na’s strike and swallowed her whole.
“Take a break, Cong Na.”
Boom!
The air exploded, shockwaves rippling as Cong Na was blasted away with a streak of light.
Zhang Yu continued his descent, eyes cold, pressure building like a storm.
“All of you—come at me.”
He struck down with another palm, unleashing more dragon-shaped Qi like a meteor shower.
Another ten-strike burst. Zhang Yu had now spent the full twenty strikes Xiao Qingxuan had stored in him.
And that alone revealed something to everyone familiar with the Nine Heavens Cloudstride Force:
Level 20. Zhang Yu had pushed the Technique to Level 20.
It was his second Level-20 Technique revealed in the tournament—after the War Demon Life-Draining Technique.
He thought to himself, “After all, I mastered this Technique in high school, leveling it up mid-match to defeat Wang Yin. Reaching Level 20 in college? Totally believable.”
While everyone scrambled to block the wave of dragon Qi, Zhang Yu finally hit the ground with a thud.
A visible shockwave burst from the impact, rippling with air and dirt in every direction.
Ma Xuan maintained his Small Threefold Harmony, attacking Shi Huaiyu’s group from afar with Ji Yuanshu, slowing their advance.
He calmly sent out another series of commands via EyeNet.
“Ignore Zhang Yu. He’s burned through all his borrowed energy.”
“Bu Ziran, Ji Susu, continue building.”
“Ji Yuanshu, follow my marker and target Shi Huaiyu.”
“Cong Na, don’t come back—help me intercept the others.”
“Yang Yan, take on Zhang Yu solo. Everyone else, don’t engage. He’ll just redirect your force…”
Orders flashed across each teammate’s EyeNet.
Yang Yan, a hulking man clad in alloy armor, stepped forward like a tank.
Zhang Yu remembered him—another one who had ignored him in the group chat and fawned over Ji Yuanshu.
Yang Yan’s first step caused a tremor, and then he charged toward Zhang Yu like a living tank.
But at that exact moment, a storm of Formless Cloud Qi erupted from Zhang Yu, sweeping over the battlefield like a sea of mist.
From the haze, shadowy silhouettes emerged beside every opponent—charging straight for them.
Yang Yan narrowed his eyes. “Coming for me first?”
And across the field, each fighter had the same thought:
“Zhang Yu’s targeting me?!”
They reacted instinctively—every one of them struck the shadow attacking them.
Yang Yan’s punch obliterated the Formless Golem before him.
But even as the formless warrior shattered, Yang Yan shouted, “Stop! Don’t attack!”
Too late.
One after another, everyone struck their own attacker—each a Formless Golem.
And that meant Zhang Yu had just borrowed a strike from every single one of them.
More Formless Golems surged forth.
“Yang Yan! Why’d you hit so hard?!”
“Ji Susu! Stop attacking!”
“Bu Ziran! Don’t use that move—!”
Waves of Qi exploded in collision after collision. The energy Zhang Yu had borrowed now flowed back into the fight.
Under the gaze of the Three-Eyed Divine Sight, he learned and mimicked every move.
His multi-threaded thinking tracked each enemy’s rhythm.
His body, mana, mind, martial skills, and Dao Seed all roared to life.
Zhang Yu’s specialty had always been group combat—and now, alone, he had turned the battlefield into chaos.
Everyone felt like they were being attacked by their own teammates.
But they couldn’t just take the hits—they had to fight back.
Which only gave Zhang Yu more power to borrow and redirect…
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