Chaotic World Book-Chapter 272 - 267: The Love Rats

Before a moment had passed, Ba Tu had never imagined he would dare to swing his broadsword at number forty-one on the Human List, a mighty warrior who had already unlocked his Secret Treasure.

But as the slash cut through the air, a fighting spirit instantly replaced all other thoughts in his heart.

These days of repression had been too unbearable. It was as if everyone was taking a bite out of him.

A reckless and guileless brute who had been tormented to the point where his eyes held a sinister look, the grassland’s lion, crouched at the foot of the mountain, licking his wounds. His bloodshot eyes, filled with hatred, surveyed the crowds around him with ill intent. The rage in his chest found no outlet for release.

All it took was a spark to tear everything apart.

"My uncle is a warrior of the Earth List, I’ve seen plenty since I was young! So what if it’s the Human List, do they think they’re invulnerable to swords and spears?"

"Clang!" The broadsword savagely met Hu Lie’s curved saber.

Hu Lie had no time to deal with him, merely flicking it aside with ease. Zhao Changhe’s saber on one side, Yue Hongling’s sword from behind, almost simultaneously closing in on him – especially Yue Hongling’s sword, which was definitely not just for show. How could he spare any time for Ba Tu?

Yet, with that casual flick, Ba Tu felt an overwhelming force surging toward him. His meridians were thrown into disarray as he couldn’t help but spew a mouthful of fresh blood and was sent tumbling backward.

But instead of shock, he felt a surge of elation, his mouth bloodied as he laughed madly, "Haha... hahaha... that’s all it is!"

As long as he wasn’t instantly killed without the ability to resist, that proved the ambush could be fought, that this wasn’t a suicide mission!

The trials and progress of these days had not been in vain! He hadn’t let his uncle’s legacy go to waste!

"Khan!" The loyal guards by his side finally realized what was happening, rushing forward to catch Ba Tu, "What’s happened..."

"They’ve laid a trap to kill us, and if we let them succeed, none of us will return!" Ba Tu pointed with his sword, "Join me in the fight, take down the people around him first!"

The sounds of battle rose high as Ba Tu’s guards clashed with the men Hu Lie had brought along.

Meanwhile, Hu Lie was simultaneously parrying attacks from Yue Hongling and Zhao Changhe, nearly losing his breath at the scene before him.

A plan to trap and beat Yue Hongling suddenly turned into an evenly matched battle between both sides; and now, he was the one alone facing the couple’s relentless assault... He couldn’t understand how things had turned out this way.

How dare Ba Tu! He hadn’t even secured enough grain for his tribe to survive the winter. Did he think Yue Hongling was going to deliver it to him?

Hu Lie had no time to ponder. That Ba Tu had the strength to block one of his blows was unexpected enough, and now the strength of this duo was far beyond his expectations. Their sword and saber bombarded him relentlessly, allowing him no room for distraction.

Even if he tried to overestimate Yue Hongling in his mind, he never anticipated the woman’s strength to be so formidable.

When Yue Hongling had barged into the Black Wolf Khan’s tent and slain the Black Wolf King, it sounded remarkable. However, those living on the grassland knew the details, which weren’t as stirring as described in the Chaotic World Book.

At that time, the Black Wolf Khan’s forces were elsewhere, with only a few personal soldiers around the tent. The Black Wolf King himself was complacent, underestimating a woman listed on the Hidden Dragon List, considering her as good as dead. He probably even fantasized about the whole sequence of capturing her, until he stepped out of the tent to confront her and was reportedly even smiling.

With such an attitude, Hu Lie could understand why a renowned warrior on the Human List could be slain in battle. In essence, Yue Hongling wasn’t stronger than the Black Wolf King; she simply capitalized on various mentalities and circumstances. Hence, she merely took over the Black Wolf King’s spot at number sixty-eight on the Human List, rather than being considered overwhelmingly superior.

The difference between rank sixty-eight and forty-one on the Human List is more than twenty positions. This isn’t a matter of potential as assessed on the Hidden Dragon List; it is a true representation of strength, and the gap of over twenty ranks could almost be considered an insurmountable chasm. Furthermore, his advantage should have been compounded in this environment since he had unlocked his Secret Treasure!

Yet in actual combat, he felt no sense of the discrepancy between their twenty-odd ranks. Yue Hongling’s skill was at most only a few places below his own. Her swordsmanship, honed solitary as a wolf on the grassland over more than three months, countless battles fought, countless life-or-death escapes, had become impeccably integrated. Within these sunless sands, she was the twilight.

She was an adversary who would require a great deal of effort to overcome in a fair one-on-one fight! Had it not been for the hindering dust storm, Hu Lie had no doubt she could have escaped the encirclement. It seemed their prior planning was somewhat pointless since the men he brought were not strong enough to stop her!

"Ding ding ding ding!" The longsword and curved saber collided countless times, Yue Hongling stepping back slightly, It was clear to Hu Lie’s keen perception that a broadsword, having retracted its domineering presence, was silently approaching from behind amidst the sandstorm.

Hu Lie: "..."

You’re a damn barbarian who wields a broadsword, our previous exchange was so forceful that my superior strength should’ve repelled you more. I thought I was facing a berserker, yet here you are, pulling a silent blade attack.

What kind of monstrosity had emerged from the cracks?

"Shua!"

The blade’s light converged, aiming behind Zhao Changhe’s left rib, with a silent and nearly invisible approach through the sandstorm.

Moreover, this was a strike from the Human List, unimaginably fast and deviously angled. Even if one could see it, it would be hard to defend against.

Zhao Changhe seemed to see clearly, his footsteps misstepped, and he incredibly deftly dodged the stroke of the blade, while at the same time Yue Hongling’s sword lunged again at the throat.

"Eh..." Hu Lie abandoned his pursuit to deal with Yue Hongling, his voice inevitably filled with surprise, "You there, Han man, you recognize my saber technique?"

Zhao Changhe remained silent. I haven’t seen your saber technique, but I’ve slowly pondered and learned the basics of Chi Li’s, there are always commonalities in the use of similar weapons. The curved saber seems unpredictable and tricky to those unaccustomed to its moves, but after repeated study, experience builds, and it becomes just so.

He flicked his wrist, and the Dragon Sparrow glowed with a bloody light, now imbued with an aurora of disperse gods and Buddha.

A slash swept across, as if a sword breaking through the heavens, the vast yellow sand seemed to be torn apart by this strike.

The Avici Sword, ten thousand souls in pursuit!

"Whoosh!"

Hu Lie stepped back to make a tactical retreat, unexpectedly not daring to face this blade while dealing with Yue Hongling.

His keen perception and rich combat experience also compelled Zhao Changhe’s admiration; this fellow didn’t underestimate his opponent despite his overwhelming strength, making him difficult to battle...

His mind suddenly stirred, and he thrust his blade backward.

Beneath the obscuring chaos of whirling sand, one of Hu Lie’s subordinates was sneaking in for a stealth attack, only to find Zhao Changhe, as though having eyes in the back of his head, strike first despite acting later, leveraging the longer reach of the Dragon Sparrow to run him through the chest.

Meanwhile, Yue Hongling also thrust her sword into the sandy mist, casting up a spray of blood. She turned, somewhat astounded, to look at Zhao Changhe’s bladework, secretly thinking that after such a long separation, her brother had truly grown up.

He had truly become someone capable of posing a threat to the Human List rank forty-one, compelling them to not underestimate his edge. And at the same time, effortlessly addressing the ambush, his maturity now showed no difference from her own performance, just like a famed expert who had long journeyed through the Worldly Society.

Indeed, he was now a famed expert.

—With my strength not too far from his, we can travel the ends of the earth together, isn’t that what else there is?

The sandstorm grew even wilder, and it became increasingly difficult to see Hu Lie’s figure, hearing only his voice emanating from the midst of the sands, "You there, Han man, what is your name?"

From within the sand came Zhao Changhe’s voice, "Central Earth’s Zhao Changhe, please enlighten me, esteemed Hu Lie!"

Ba Tu: "?"

Go fuck yourself...

He looked at one of Hu Lie’s subordinates he was currently engaged with, knowing he couldn’t go back now...

Hu Lie’s voice faded in and out from within the sand, "So it’s you. Yue Hongling, Zhao Changhe... those whose names are known to the world, indeed not by mere chance. But unfortunately, the test is over, your senses are sharp, and your movements flawless, yet regarding the Secret Treasure, you are still ignorant."

"So, this expanse of yellow sand will be your final resting place."

The more he spoke, the more his voice echoed, reverberating all around, becoming increasingly ear-piercing, causing the sands to whirl more violently, obscuring the sun and moon.

"Can you see anything at all now? You’re close to the limit of holding your breath." The voice continued to echo, "Having not broken through the bridge between heaven and man, not able to sustain oneself with the Innate Inner Breath for long, or to form a comprehension of heaven and earth, you’re merely ordinary. Perhaps outside you could escape; I can’t say for certain whether I could capture you, but it’s a pity that you chose to counterattack here, which is your greatest mistake."

Zhao Changhe quickly tore off two pieces of cloth from his garment, poured water from his water skin to dampen them, and handed one to Yue Hongling, covering their mouths and noses.

The environment just before was barely breathable, who would have thought this guy could use the sandstorm to his advantage, whipping it into a thicker frenzy; had they not dealt with it, they might have truly suffocated.

Covering mouth and nose is manageable, but what about the inability to see?

Just a moment ago, they could still make out faint movements, but now, there’s only the endless yellow sand – one could barely see their own hands.

In such an environment, if Hu Lie could see, how could anyone fight?

At that moment, Yue Hongling’s transmitted message entered Zhao Changhe’s ear, "I’ve glimpsed the Secret Treasure, and although I haven’t made a breakthrough, I can actually see him. Just now, I was concealing my skill, leading him to believe that I couldn’t see."

Zhao Changhe: "Damn."

"Or what did you think I was doing, diving back into the sandstorm? I’m not foolish," Yue Hongling chuckled teasingly, "You go first. In this situation, it’s not all about strength; he misjudged his opponent, he might just capsize in my hands."

Zhao Changhe sighed, "Well, if that’s the case, he might capsize twice over."

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