Chapter 417: Chapter 404: A Balance of Hard and Soft, Awing the Entire Field

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!

The Cloth Stick shifted between a staff and a whip, supple as a swimming dragon and graceful as a startled swan.

It could strike from afar when long and attack up close when short.

It forced Tang Yiyi to rely on her elusive Body Technique to constantly dodge, daring not to block it head-on.

Even after evading several of Shen Lang’s attacks, Tang Yiyi was beginning to look battered and on the verge of defeat.

Although her movements were swift and erratic, the speed Shen Lang had suddenly Burst forth with had far surpassed hers.

And the Cloth Stick in Shen Lang’s hands was utterly unpredictable. No matter how she dodged, it always managed to strike at her with unerring precision.

As the Cloth Stick danced, it whipped up and down, snapping through the air like a silver serpent in flight.

It was dazzling and impossible to track, let alone block.

A mere Cloth Stick that had casually absorbed some lake water with its ribbon was now, in Shen Lang’s hands, a weapon that was both hard and soft, soft and hard.

It moved like the ocean waves, a perfect fusion of power and grace.

It had completely suppressed the Spiritual Artifact in Tang Yiyi’s hands!

This counterattack forced Tang Yiyi into a constant retreat, her pretty face frosted over with fury.

’This guy is ridiculously strong, and he doesn’t show an ounce of tenderness toward women...’ By the lake, Jun Qiluo’s eyes flickered as her understanding of Shen Lang deepened.

The Xiu Hua Sect was comprised entirely of female disciples, most of whom were proficient in Bewitching Techniques.

As her junior sister, Tang Yiyi was one of the few who had not practiced Bewitching Techniques. However, with her natural beauty, she was like an Ice and Snow Goddess. In front of men, her allure was often just as potent as her senior sister’s.

But in this round of ferocious attacks, did Shen Lang look like he was treating Tang Yiyi as a woman at all?

This was the exact way one would fight when going all out against a vicious Demon Beast!

Although he had said they would just spar, everyone could see that if Tang Yiyi failed to dodge and took a hit from that Cloth Stick, the damage would be far, far greater than a blow from a Spiritual Artifact.

Other men who dueled Tang Yiyi were, to some extent, always affected by her Ice and Snow Goddess-like aura.

Their speed would be a beat slower, or their attacks would avoid vital points, clearly leaving her an out.

But Shen Lang’s Cloth Stick was incomparably powerful, and every strike was aimed to kill!

Even Jun Qiluo broke out in a cold sweat for Tang Yiyi watching these tempestuous yet bizarre attacks.

’What a terrifying fellow, to be able to control his power to such a degree! His offense and defense are both completely flawless! How is this possible? He’s so young...’ The shock in Mei Yingxue’s heart was indescribable.

Shen Lang’s attacks were fierce, but he hadn’t actually injured Tang Yiyi yet. However, in her and the other Sect Leaders’ eyes, whether it was his seamless switching between various Combat Techniques or the other fine details, including his precise control over his power...

All of it had far exceeded their expectations!

It was no exaggeration to say that even if these Sect Leaders went up there themselves, they couldn’t perform so perfectly!

Even if they were to duel him, aside from using their superior power to suppress him, they probably wouldn’t find a single opening!

And that was only one of the reasons the Sect Leaders were so shocked.

There was another reason, one they could all vaguely see but didn’t voice.

And that was...

Shen Lang was still holding back a great deal of his power!

In other words, he wasn’t even using his full strength!

’In that case, what Su Wenxuan said was actually quite an understatement... If Shen Lang had gone all out from the start, I’m afraid Yiyi wouldn’t have lasted three moves!’ Mei Yingxue’s eyes gleamed.

Beside her, Shi Yanbin was dumbfounded.

He was the one who had mocked Shen Lang just a moment ago.

Mei Yingxue had also been skeptical, but she was a different sort of woman, and her tone had been very polite.

But Shi Yanbin, being old friends with Su Wenxuan, had spoken without any reservations.

He never imagined that just a short while after mocking Shen Lang, he would now be witnessing... this.

Shi Yanbin shot Su Wenxuan a strange look and rolled his eyes. ’That bastard, he hid his strength so well... If you’d just told me about Shen Lang’s Cultivation from the start, why would I have made such a fool of myself in front of so many people? After what I said, if Shen Lang heard about it, what will he think of me in the future?’

’What he thinks of me isn’t even the most important thing. What if he holds a grudge and decides to secretly make trouble for the disciples of my Mahayana Sect? What then?’

’Forget it. I’ll find a chance to win Shen Lang over later. Give him some benefits. Otherwise, if he really becomes the Commander and gives the Mahayana Sect’s disciples a hard time, that would be terrible...’

Meanwhile, Ye Xiangmo, the Sect Leader of the White Rainbow Sect, was beaming. ’Hmph, looks like that fellow Zhang Cheng isn’t completely useless after all. Good thing he warned me, or I’d have made a fool of myself just like that oaf Shi Yanbin.’

’Being humiliated is one thing, but offending a young genius like him? That’s a bad move no matter how you look at it!’

’And... from what that fellow Zhang Cheng was saying, even I might not be able to defeat Shen Lang? Damn it, I’ve lived this long and never seen such a monster...’

A little farther away, the crowd of onlookers, mesmerized by the intoxicating grace of the Cloth Stick dancing in the wind, committed every moment to memory, planning to study them carefully later.

One could learn a great deal from watching any one of Shen Lang’s moves.

In just this short exchange, the crowd had already witnessed unparalleled Staff Technique, Whip Skill, and Spear Skill!

His relentless, forward-charging style, brimming with Killing Intent, left everyone’s hearts pounding in astonishment.

At this moment, on the lake’s surface, Tang Yiyi’s beautiful postures and Body Technique were completely suppressed by Shen Lang.

In terms of spectacle, the stunning Cloth Stick even surpassed the Spiritual Artifacts of many powerful experts.

In terms of power, when the Cloth Stick swept out, the surrounding Frost Sabers and Ice Arrows shattered on contact. Tang Yiyi, wielding a Fourth Grade Spiritual Artifact, didn’t dare to block a single strike!

A simple, casually made Cloth Stick was more unique than any other weapon, and possessed an innate beauty that no other weapon could match.

But beyond its beauty, as the target of its attacks, Tang Yiyi could feel the sharp killing intent and immense power it contained more than anyone!

’This can’t go on!’

The pressure on Tang Yiyi mounted, and her heart filled with growing horror.

"A ten-thousand-mile blizzard of snow and ice! As ice flowers bloom and wither, heaven and earth are rent asunder!"

Faced with Shen Lang’s overwhelming offense, Tang Yiyi grit her silver teeth and let out a furious cry.

Then, she retreated, her Longsword dancing. Countless falling flowers and leaves made of Ice swirled like blades, descending upon Shen Lang like a whirlwind.

Though these falling flowers and leaves were much smaller than the previous Frost Sabers and Ice Arrows, they were sharp enough to slice through metal and astonishingly fast.

And unlike the Frost Sabers and Ice Arrows before, these flowers and leaves filled the sky, a dazzling sight that formed a massive vortex to completely envelop Shen Lang.

They came from all directions, seeping through every crack, making it impossible to defend against!

One careless mistake, and anyone caught inside would likely be flayed, their bones scraped clean, and killed by a thousand cuts!

But even with such an attack, the swirling, swooping leaves seemed intended only to confuse Shen Lang and delay his assault.

Because as she launched this move, an Ice Dragon was already rising rapidly from beneath her feet!

Knowing this move wouldn’t delay him for long, Tang Yiyi channeled the Spiritual Power in her body, preparing for one last gamble!

The moment the Ice Dragon appeared, the surrounding lake surface began to CRACKLE as it froze solid.

By the time Shen Lang had brandished his Cloth Stick and shattered all the surrounding ice flowers and leaves, the Ice Dragon had already risen more than thirty feet into the air.

To the astonishment of the onlookers, Shen Lang didn’t take the opportunity to attack while Tang Yiyi’s Ice Dragon was still forming.

Instead, he stood on the ice, calmly watching the Ice Dragon rise higher and higher.

He glanced at the frozen area around them, a slight smile touching his lips. "Freezing such a large area seems impressive, but it doesn’t do much to aid your attack. Instead, it just disperses your power and consumes your Spiritual Power."

"In a duel between experts, precise control over one’s power is even more important than the amount of power one has."

"Since you want to settle this with your ultimate killing move, I might as well see just how strong this Ice Dragon of yours really is."

Hearing Shen Lang’s words, the surrounding crowd held their breath.

Standing atop the Ice Dragon’s head, Tang Yiyi’s pretty face flushed crimson, her anger soaring.

It was one thing to seize an opportunity to fully form her ultimate move.

It was another thing entirely to be looked down upon and deliberately given time to form it.

No one would ever want to be in the latter situation.

She, who had always been a dominant figure in the Xiu Hua Sect, when had she ever suffered such contempt and humiliation?

To think that today, at the Profound Dao Sect, facing a youth several years younger than her, she would be driven mad with anger again and again!

’What happened between Yiyi and Shen Lang before? She’s even using ’Sword Dragon Dance’! With her current Cultivation, controlling this Ice Dragon Sword Dance is far too difficult and strenuous for her... To think this boy has pushed her to such an extent!’

A divine light surged in Mei Yingxue’s eyes, and her breathing grew heavy.

’My Xiu Hua Sect swallowed its pride and sought an alliance with the Profound Dao Sect and these other Sects because the Holy Light Sect went back on its word, not because the Profound Dao Sect was particularly powerful.’

’On the contrary, the Profound Dao Sect today is a far cry from its former glory. Several Elders came to blows over this matter, and it was only settled when the Elder Ancestor stepped in to make the final decision.’

’If they had known the Profound Dao Sect had produced such a monster, I doubt there would have been any fight at all.’

’Whose disciple is he? Since he’s from Songdu Peak, he should be Wang Dashu’s disciple... But I know exactly what Wang Dashu is capable of. How could he possibly have trained someone so terrifyingly powerful?’

’It seems I was right to come this time. With a figure like this, give him some time to develop, and the entire Profound Dao Sect will undergo a world-shaking transformation! An alliance between the Xiu Hua Sect and a Sect like this has all benefits and no drawbacks!’

Just as Mei Yingxue was panting slightly, countless thoughts flashing through her mind, the Ice Dragon beneath Tang Yiyi’s feet on the ice surface fully formed.

And Tang Yiyi, standing on the Ice Dragon’s head, had clearly grown much paler, beads of sweat forming on her cheeks.

Taking a deep breath, Tang Yiyi forcibly suppressed her negative emotions, her eyes becoming clear and focused.

"If you like to act all high and mighty, then I’ll grant your wish."