Chapter 892: Deadly Duel

Chapter 883: Mortal Combat

"It’s likely brought by Fu Shanlie," Liu Tiao replied smoothly, her gaze sweeping across the dense forest on the opposite bank. She saw figures moving there. "They're hiding there!"

She grabbed several long arrows, nocking them to her bow simultaneously. She raised her hand and unleashed a high-angle shot.

The river bandits had special arrowheads, and so did she.

These arrows were aimed at the figures in the dense forest by the bank. They might not hit anyone directly upon landing, but where they struck, raging fires erupted!

These were several explosive arrows. They exploded on impact, injuring people, and then sparks and oil mixed, guaranteeing anything flammable would instantly ignite.

In the forest, fires blazed, and figures swayed.

The water pythons in the river dispersed with a splash, turning into waves and returning to the swift current.

Lu Xun stood behind the bank-side rocks, manipulating spells to attack the river bandits on the opposite bank, while simultaneously shouting behind him, "Bring the Seven Fortune Wheel!"

His bodyguard had just climbed onto the riverbank. Hearing the command, he responded, "Yes," and took out a brocade box from his embrace, opening it, and presented it with both hands.

Liu Tiao, having a moment, turned her head to look. She saw a dark, ominous… wheel lying in the box?

The wheel was hollow, and its entire surface was engraved with unknown runes or patterns, making it both beautiful and imposing. She also heard Lu Xun clasp his hands together, looking devout, and whisper, "Yu Ru personally arrives, aid me in battle!"

Then, he pointed towards the opposite bank.

With a soft 'tseng' sound, the wheel in the box vanished.

Liu Tiao looked up and saw the wheel had already flown to the opposite side of the river. Its edges had grown sharp, saw-like teeth, and once it spun and vibrated, it became a deadly tool for reaping lives!

In the blink of an eye, it had dispatched four river bandits.

These individuals either lost their heads, or died from having their chests and bellies ripped open. They didn't even have time to raise their hands to block before dying.

So fast!

Liu Tiao also felt a chill in her heart because the flying wheel could easily stop in mid-air, change direction freely, and accelerate to pursue. Its agility was like a combination of a hummingbird and a peregrine falcon.

What magical artifact in this world possessed such capabilities?

She even perceived a casualness in the flying wheel's trajectory.

This thing truly seemed alive, and genuinely like a legendary immortal's magic treasure.

Not to mention effortlessly taking heads from a thousand miles away, it certainly could from dozens of yards.

This inexplicable attack made the river bandits on the opposite bank scream in terror, and they scattered along the bank for a dozen steps.

Invisible enemies were the most terrifying. When this thing pursued, they couldn't even catch its shadow.

Immediately after, the flying wheel actually flew towards Men Ban. The latter jumped in fright, instinctively raising his shield to block in front of him.

With a few 'sizzle' sounds, the wheel grated against the shield. It didn't pierce through immediately, but fragments scattered everywhere.

Does this thing distinguish between friend and foe?

Liu Tiao was greatly alarmed: "Mr. Lu, that's one of our men!"

Lu Xun was also sweating profusely. He pointed into the water: "Go kill the monsters."

This instruction was very clear. The flying wheel turned and plunged into the water. Everyone only heard a buzzing sound, and shortly after, bloody water surfaced all over the river.

Men Ban on the shore quickly inspected his massive shield. Seeing that the cut marks on the shield almost went all the way through, he couldn't help but be greatly surprised. For many years, the massive shield had accompanied him through countless battles, yet it had never sustained such severe damage.

Taking advantage of the flying wheel's immense power, the Iron-Clad Bronze Golems pulled out several more bodyguards, but there was still no sign of He Lingchuan.

Without waiting for anyone else to react, the flying wheel burst out of the water again, and with a 'whoosh,' it returned to Liu Tiao.

She prided herself on fearing nothing, yet even she felt a chill facing this round, shadowless buzzsaw.

However, the flying wheel merely shook off the water on its surface, then methodically dropped back into the brocade box, lying neatly.

It was as frantic as a mad rabbit when active, yet utterly still when at rest.

"Is that it?" Liu Tiao shot down another enemy, and turned back to ask Lu Xun.

Why didn't it kill a few more? It had only just gotten started, hadn't it?

Normally, she wouldn't be so impolite to a distinguished guest from Panlong City, but with the battle raging fiercely, she had no time to weigh her words.

Lu Xun gave a wry smile: "This treasure isn't mine, and it barely listens to me."

There was a splash in the river. He quickly changed the subject: "Commander He is out!"

A person's five senses are basically useless underwater. Surrounded by bubbles and noise, He Lingchuan couldn't be as sharp-eared and sharp-eyed as he would be in a ground battle.

What's more, he was attached to a giant shark driven mad by pain. This creature was dragging him erratically all over the river.

The giant shark gave another swing of its tail, unconsciously swimming back.

He Lingchuan stirred his long spear upwards. The shark, in pain, naturally floated towards the surface.

In Panlong World, he had no turtle pearl, so he couldn't breathe underwater for long.

It would be an immense joke if the dignified Grand Commander of Yuheng City were to suffocate himself.

A current rushed in from the front-left. As it approached, a figure unexpectedly materialized from it.

A person. This was actually a person.

The moment he appeared, he was less than two feet from He Lingchuan. He Lingchuan even moved towards him, and the two rushed towards each other face to face.

Sword-like brows and bright eyes, handsome and aloof.

At a mere two feet, He Lingchuan couldn't swing his Fusheng Blade. This person stretched out five fingers like hooks, aiming a strike directly at his neck!

The movement was like a fierce tiger's clawing pounce. Sharp claws, over an inch long, even extended from his fingertips, curved and barbed.

Another attack that disregarded water resistance. He Lingchuan confirmed that the one trailing him moments ago was this very individual!

He gripped the long spear and twisted it to the side. The giant shark, in pain, immediately changed direction.

The distance between the enemy and He Lingchuan was passively lengthened. Though only for a brief moment, it was enough for He Lingchuan to deliver a diagonal slash!

This slash started small, initially inconspicuous, but the killing intent accompanying it stirred the water, making it cling to the blade. By the time it reached the enemy, it was an attack like a raging storm!

The opponent was like a fish in water, but He Lingchuan was also well-versed in the "Wave Slash" technique. When sailing out to sea, he specifically chose to enter the water during big waves to fight, his control over water currents was like a master butcher carving an ox, deeply understanding the principle of going with the flow.

Water was his reliance, his strength, not his hindrance.

In a flash, the two had exchanged three blows, each growing more surprised with every move.

The opponent was surprised that He Lingchuan's movements were clearly much slower than his own, yet he could successfully defend himself at the last possible second. The blade in the water was like a living dragon, able to cause damage without necessarily cutting him directly.

This person's understanding of "force" truly far surpassed his age.

He Lingchuan also saw his true face clearly. Those sharp features, that outline, and the fierce glint in his eyes – they were all too familiar!

He was like a carbon copy of Fu Shanyue.

No, that's wrong; I've got it backward. It should be that Fu Shanyue captured his essence.

His appearance was far more mature than Fu Shanyue's, his ferocity even greater, and his grasp of battle opportunities more exquisite. If He Lingchuan had met him before the Great Havoc in Heaven, he would have had no chance of winning.

There was no doubt; this was Fu Shanyue's father, Fu Shanlie, the future Crimson Yan Demon King!

This father and son had no martial ethics; they both enjoyed ambushing people.

Fu Shanlie transformed into flowing water and disappeared right before He Lingchuan's eyes, only to reappear from another direction in an instant.

Water Escape!

And it was a profoundly deep Water Escape!

In just three breaths, every one of He Lingchuan's defenses was perilous in the extreme. At one point, his eyes were almost gouged out by Fu Shanlie. If not for his profound mastery of the Wave Slash, his forehead would already have five large bloody holes.

"Damn it!" He Lingchuan cursed inwardly. It wasn't strange for a Ba to have earth-burrowing abilities, being a favored child of the Earth Mother; but why was Fu Shanlie also proficient in Water Escape?

Was this his special talent, or the power of a magical artifact he wore?

In any case, He Lingchuan had to surface quickly. Underwater was definitely not his home ground. Furthermore, the intense combat was consuming too much oxygen; he needed to go up for air.

For a giant shark of this size, the river was rather shallow. It could reach the surface in just a few strokes.

But Fu Shanlie saw through his plan at a glance, immediately changing his target to snatch the long spear. As long as he kept this kid submerged, he would panic after a while, and show signs of defeat.

The two wrestled for the spear underwater, leaving the giant shark dizzy and disoriented.

The current pushed the two people and one shark forward rapidly, having long moved away from the broken bridge, and also far from He Lingchuan's bodyguard squad.

The situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable for He Lingchuan. It wasn't just about a breath of oxygen; he knew he had to get out of the water quickly, or he was doomed to lose. He wouldn't even be able to outswim Fu Shanlie if he fell off the shark's back.

How long had this fellow waited, just for such an opportunity to ambush the Grand Commander of Yuheng City underwater?

But Fu Shanlie's Water Escape was truly formidable. Every time he encountered a crisis, he would turn into water and flee, more agile than a swimming fish, effectively casting an invisibility spell; meanwhile, He Lingchuan, with his entire body immersed in the river, was exposed to danger every single moment, and most of his divine abilities and techniques couldn't be used.

What was worse, the Yuheng City guards who had fallen into the water were being rescued one by one by the Iron-Clad Bronze Golems. The remaining water demons, without targets, immediately gathered together and pursued He Lingchuan!

This was a mortal combat in a desperate situation, and he was at a disadvantage.

He couldn't drag this out any longer. To regain the initiative, to capture Fu Shanlie, unless…

He Lingchuan's eyes showed a fierce glint, and he had already made up his mind.

To fight for it and then die was better than dying without a fight.

Just then, a giant river eel darted over, aiming a bite at He Lingchuan's face. Its body was thicker than a bowl, its surface had beautiful black moray patterns, and it was over six feet long.

He Lingchuan would normally drool seeing such a large creature, as steamed river eel had always been a favorite of his. But this thing had a mouth full of sharp teeth and was coming for his nose. He Lingchuan certainly didn't want to lose his nose, so he had to backhand it with his blade, splitting it open first.

He was fully engaged in a fierce struggle with Fu Shanlie, and this distraction immediately left his right side vulnerable.

The battle opportunity was fleeting. Fu Shanlie didn't even think, transforming into a clear current and rushing forward.

As He Lingchuan sliced open the giant eel, Fu Shanlie's left hand plunged straight towards He Lingchuan's right lung!

At the last moment, He Lingchuan abruptly slid to the left. Fu Shanlie's strike missed his lung, but sliced into his right shoulder joint!

One should know that He Lingchuan wore light armor over, and a layer of spider silk soft armor underneath. Although the armor was made in Panlong City, the spider silk was produced by Zhu Erniang, with extremely reliable quality.

Not to mention he also had protective True Qi, and the primal energy protection of the Great Wind Army, which greatly suppressed the innate divine abilities of monsters.

Oh, and he also had two talismans purchased from Yunling Island. The fat white man's asking price was as dark as his heart, but the items he sold to loyal customers were genuinely good.

Five layers of protection, inside and out, yet they couldn't withstand Fu Shanlie's powerful strike!

He Lingchuan felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder. He had been knocked off the shark's back by Fu Shanlie, and they both tumbled twice in the water.

Fu Shanlie, having landed a successful blow, did not let up. He twisted his right hand in his prey's flesh, gripping He Lingchuan's shoulder, then, with astonishing agility, moved behind him. His left palm, with fingers pressed together like a blade, stabbed fiercely towards his back!