Chapter 60: Seven Against One
Inside the front hall, a pin drop could be heard. Zange, Ayana, and the others all looked on with wary eyes.
Among these seven, Ice Armor was the most durable, while Zange held a short rod about a meter in length, covered in carvings. This was a weapon gifted to Zange by the Crystal Elder, passed down through the Lizard Clan for many years.
This short rod was called "Sinfall," possessing two traits: indestructibility, and each time it struck an enemy, the enemy's strength and speed would decrease by one degree, while the user's own strength and speed increased.
Of the remaining five, Off was an assassin, the Fat Dwarf could fight at both close and long range, holding a metal tube as thick as an arm that looked like a primitive firearm, engraved with runes.
The remaining Ayana and the Lizard Clan Elder were both long-range mystical types—one wielding the power of the aurora, the other controlling crystalline force.
Finally, Tower Girl could sense and bind enemy movement, and even induce sleep.
Seven against one. Zange, holding the short rod, felt a twinge of shame in his heart, but thinking this was for the sake of the entire Cang Kong Continent, his shame vanished without a trace.
"Oh my, it looks like you're surrounded."
Ayana's red lips curled into a smirk. The Polar Ice Lord in the main hall of the Ice-Sealed Hall had been defeated, and the smile on her face was now impossible to suppress. She wanted to make him suffer a hundredfold, a thousandfold, the misfortune and pain she had endured.
Su Xiao glanced around. It had been a while since he went all out. Checking his current mana, it was 14520/14520 points. To restore it to 29520 points, he would need to dismiss the summon of Barbatos.
Therefore, this battle required probing first. After determining the enemies' general abilities, he could clear the field.
Su Xiao felt little pressure from being surrounded. Compared to fighting the Blood God, it was far weaker. This wasn't about strength, but intent.
When facing the Blood God, there was a palpable wave of malice, killing intent, turbid, and thick blood. But these people around him had malice too weak to compare with the Blood God—it wasn't the same concept.
As for killing intent, Ice Armor, Ayana, and Off stood out. The others had it too, but since they didn't often kill enemies, it failed to be intimidating when displayed now.
Su Xiao unfastened the black feathered cloak from his shoulders and casually tossed it aside. The [Wild Night] long leather coat gradually materialized on him. He raised his hand and grasped the hilt at his waist.
*Clang~*
The long blade slid from its sheath. With a *boom*, blood energy exploded outward from Su Xiao as the epicenter.
Silver hair flew in the wind. Amid the blood energy, Tower Girl stumbled back several steps, her pupils trembling, legs shaking. She recalled her previous experience, and her body trembled uncontrollably.
"Be careful! This isn't the blood energy from slaughtering a few hundred, or even a few thousand, living beings."
The Lizard Clan Elder spoke in a deep voice. The moment he saw Su Xiao, he knew things would go wrong. Even if the other's expression was calm, the concealed pressure was too strong.
"Don't fear him, or... you'll lose the right to fight him."
Zange tightened his grip on the short rod. At the same time, outside the icy fog wall at the main entrance of the front hall, two petite figures sat beneath it. One gritted her teeth in hatred, while the other held a bucket of popcorn, displaying the posture of a laid-back girl.
At this moment, a section of the fog wall in front of them turned into something resembling one-way glass, allowing them to see inside. One of the two was, of course, Gulu. The other was Bite Cat, a contractor from Holy Light Paradise, whom Gulu had once hunted.
"You actually came to save me? Last time, I almost killed you."
Gulu turned to look at Bite Cat, who was about her age.
"What can I do? I'm desperate too. My 'Stockholm Syndrome' has flared up again."
Bite Cat munched on popcorn, her eyes fixed on the situation inside the front hall.
"What syndrome?"
"Abuse syndrome. Simply put, lately, it's hard for me to even feel hostile toward you. It'll probably last... two days? Three days? Something like that."
Bite Cat smiled at Gulu. This unique symptom was tied to her ability. If Gulu tried to kill her now, she would show her what "Salted Fish Thrust" tasted like. She had used this method to turn many strong enemies speechless.
"Never mind me. Is that guy inside really a contractor? If you told me he was the most powerful boss in this world, I'd believe it. This scene... is it a group of righteous companions taking down the villainous big boss?"
Bite Cat's mouth twitched. Just then, Gulu stabbed a dagger into her chest, very abruptly, and then Gulu let out a low grunt.
"Hurts, doesn't it? Stab me in the head, and it hurts you more. This is my abuse power, hahahaha."
"A power as stupid as it gets."
Gulu ignored Bite Cat and turned her gaze back to the icy fog wall.
Inside the front hall, blood energy spread, and fine cracks appeared on the surrounding walls. In this empty hall, Zange, Ayana, and the others dared not take a single step forward. Seven against one, and they were already feeling intimidated.
*Bang.*
The hunched Ice Armor, holding a white ice sword, charged toward Su Xiao. After a few steps forward, he leaped. Just as he reached Su Xiao, his ice sword came down in a frenzied slash, using his signature mad dog sword technique.
*Bang, bang, bang.*
Slash marks appeared on the ground, cold air spilling out. Ice Armor's helmet had only one eyehole. Through it, he looked ahead and saw no trace of Su Xiao.
"Above!"
Ayana shouted while pointing at Su Xiao in midair. A finger-thick pale golden beam of light shot past Su Xiao's ear, then curved to slice toward his head.
'Blade Path Sword: Time.'
With a *thump*, a shockwave spread from Su Xiao as the center, slowing everything around him. Ice Armor was slowed the most.
After mastering the "Technique Sublimation" ability, the power of Su Xiao's blade techniques had greatly increased.
The shockwave of Time spread. The finger-thick pale golden beam approached. Su Xiao tilted his head to dodge while descending, then landed one foot on Ice Armor's head.
Just as Su Xiao steadied himself, a whistling sound came from his side—a highly kinetic light blue crystal, the Lizard Clan Elder's crystalline power.
The moment Su Xiao stepped on Ice Armor's head, he used the foothold to turn and deliver a side kick. Before the kick was even thrown, a crystal layer had already climbed up his calf.
*Bang!*
Su Xiao kicked out. The fist-sized crystal broke through a layer of air, hurtling straight toward the Fat Dwarf.
With a *boom*, the Fat Dwarf crashed into the metal wall behind him. He spat out a mouthful of blood. The crystalline power exploded on him, pinning him to the wall.
After the side kick, Su Xiao's body flipped in midair. Using this momentum, he pressed his left hand down onto Ice Armor's head.
*Boom.*
Ice Armor's head sank into the ground, debris flying. Su Xiao flipped his long blade, gripping it in reverse, and stabbed downward toward Ice Armor's back. The "domain" of Blade Path Sword: Time had not yet dissipated. Taking out Ice Armor first was a good choice.
*Clang.* Dragon-Slaying Flash was blocked by a suddenly appearing layer of crystal, which shattered the next instant. The blade pierced into Ice Armor's back.
*Bang.* A shockwave struck from the right. As Su Xiao was sent flying, he made a slashing motion in the air.
'Blade Path Sword: Azure Demon.'
*Clang.*
A blue-green blade aura streaked through. A few strands of hair flew up. Ayana twisted her body, a light puppet behind her forcibly driving her movements, allowing her to dodge the slash.
The moment Su Xiao landed, a short rod swung toward him, along with a spike-like crystal spreading toward him.
*Clang, clang.*
Sparks flew. After blocking two strikes from Zange, Su Xiao feigned a full-powered slash.
Zange was startled and immediately crossed the "Sinfall" short rod in front of him.
*Bang!!*
Su Xiao kicked Zange squarely in the abdomen. A large chunk of crystal shattered. A surge of Cyan Steel Shadow Energy pierced through Zange's body, draining a massive amount of his physical energy.
The scattered crystal spread toward Su Xiao. He stomped the ground, and blood energy surged outward. The shattered crystal flying toward him was sent flying back.
With several consecutive impacts, Zange broke through two frozen-brittle metal pillars before crashing into the wall with a *boom*.
If the Crystal Elder hadn't covered Zange in crystal at the critical moment, taking Su Xiao's straight kick would have left him at least severely injured. As the World Child, Zange's greatest strength was that he was incredibly, incredibly durable—though slashing and piercing attacks didn't count.
*Zzzz~*
The fully extended Realm Severing Threads tightened. Su Xiao leaped, landing on the threads suspended in midair.
It sounds long, but the battle just described happened in only a few seconds. Outside the icy fog wall of the hall, Bite Cat held a piece of popcorn, forgetting to put it in her mouth. The fight she had just witnessed left her dumbfounded.
Inside the hall, Su Xiao stood on the Realm Severing Threads, his eyes narrowing. He felt a bit disappointed. He had expected a life-or-death fight, but these seven had no coordination whatsoever. They often charged in one by one. The distant Crystal Elder and Ayana were somewhat in sync, thanks to their rich combat experience.
Su Xiao walked along the suspended Realm Severing Threads, the tip of his long blade dripping blood.
Zange, Ice Armor, and the others quickly gathered together. Zange's breathing was ragged, his body still numb, his abdomen in severe pain.
Ayana's expression was grim. Seven against one, and they were practically being beaten into the ground. And this was the power of a Technique Grandmaster.