Chapter 42

To counterattack, one needs to find an opportunity. However, this misty man's moves were as fluid as flowing clouds, making it extremely difficult to find a chance to counterattack.

This misty man's sword technique was not flashy; it was simply powerful and heavy. Each strike made Ji Ran's defense extremely strenuous. Before he could think of a counterattack, the next strike would already be coming. Ji Ran was forced to retreat step by step, almost reaching the edge of the misty wall!

If he were forced to that extent, he would be even more passive, and it would be even harder to counterattack.

Don't be nervous... Recall, recall the feeling when your sword technique improved... You can defeat him, no problem!

Ji Ran took a deep breath and focused all his attention on the long sword in his hand. His sword technique was far inferior to the misty man's, but the strength of his sword style far exceeded that of the misty man. Moreover, he had many skills to use—he could win!

The Four Seasons Sword Technique began to dance in Ji Ran's hands. He used the minimum force to deflect the misty man's sword, reducing the pressure on his defense. At first, there was little effect, but as each strike accumulated, Ji Ran's effort decreased, and the misty man's attacks, though still fierce, began to waver.

This is it! A horizontal strike deflected the misty man's long sword, and Ji Ran finally had enough time to attack!

The sword aura erupted! After being forced back repeatedly, Ji Ran finally found an opportunity to counterattack!

A white light flashed, and Ji Ran's attributes increased significantly. He saw the direction of the misty man's next strike and sidestepped, using the skill "Tidal Break"!

A sword strike so fast it was almost invisible flashed from Ji Ran's hand. The target was the misty man's left rib, which was off-balance after a missed strike.

If this strike hit, it would definitely deal a heavy blow to the misty man!

However, this misty man was not just a sword swinger.

After missing, the misty man did not hesitate at all, leaning forward and falling to the ground. Although the posture was awkward, it perfectly avoided Ji Ran's Tidal Break.

"Is this guy cheating?" Ji Ran was stunned. The misty man's reaction was incredibly precise, and no other method could completely avoid this swift Tidal Break. The key was that a normal person could not react so quickly and use such a cheap move to dodge the strike!

"Indeed, it's like an intelligent AI, performing at its maximum capability..." Ji Ran, who had played virtual online games, was very familiar with this kind of reaction. This was the kind of reaction only the top-tier NPCs in games would make. This also meant that fighting this misty man would be no easier than fighting a boss.

However, Ji Ran had extensive experience fighting bosses. The more sensitive and far superior the opponent, the more he knew how to handle them.

Although these opponents were powerful, as long as you understood their patterns, defeating them was not difficult. Of course, your own strength had to be solid; otherwise, even if you saw through everything, it would be useless... If the opponent swung a sword straightforwardly, and you knew exactly where and when it would hit, but still couldn't dodge or block, you would still die.

But now, Ji Ran's strength was enough to allow him to react optimally while seeing through everything!

At first, he was forced to retreat without any options, completely overwhelmed by the misty man's powerful pressure. Now, with his mind settled, Ji Ran immediately found a way to turn the tide.

What was needed now was to find the pattern in the misty man's fighting style.

One counterattack, the misty man dodged, and the roles of attacker and defender began to switch.

Ji Ran's Four Seasons Sword Technique unfolded, creating a flurry of sword shadows. Each strike attacked the misty man from a special angle, either thrusting, poking, slashing, or sweeping, always pulling back before making hard contact with the misty man's sword.

The misty man had to guard against each of Ji Ran's strikes, unsure if the next one would suddenly exert force and deal a heavy blow. Ji Ran's sword technique had reached level four, far surpassing his level two. His sword movements were smoother, and the graceful feeling was even more pronounced. The fluid sword techniques continuously pressed the misty man, forcing him to dodge and block. But when he was halfway through dodging and blocking, Ji Ran would suddenly change his move, making the misty man's defense extremely uncomfortable!

"Hey, David, have you ever seen such a sword technique before?" Baise was no longer as surprised as at the beginning. The surprises had already been had...

"No. I've seen sword techniques that combine real and fake moves, but none like this kid's, where almost every strike is a feint. But if you underestimate these feints, you might be the one to suffer..." David clearly had a keen eye. To be an examiner at the entrance exam, he was definitely not an ordinary person.

"Exactly... Even I would have a hard time dealing with his sword technique. I would probably have to rely on my level and use mana to forcefully attack and break his technique. But if this kid's level were the same as mine, I would be at a loss..." Baise sighed.

"It seems the failure of the humanoid transformation is just a matter of time. Has a perfect score student finally appeared in this entrance exam? It's been many years since such a situation occurred. This is a big event, and we are the witnesses of this big event!" David's eyes flashed.

"Haha, once this kid enrolls, we should try to build a good relationship with him. If there are no accidents, this kid will likely be a miracle on the continent..." Baise looked at Ji Ran with a burning gaze.

Ji Ran was becoming more and more confident as the fight continued.

If it were the Ji Ran before the exam, dealing with this misty man would be extremely dangerous, and even with all his strength, it would be hard to escape unscathed. But now, with the level four Four Seasons Sword Technique, he was still at ease against this perfect swordsman created for the exam.

Time was running out, and he couldn't play around anymore. With a few consecutive strikes, Ji Ran forced the misty man to retreat two steps, and a feint thrust made the misty man raise his sword, leaving him wide open.

Thunder!

Raising his long sword, Ji Ran struck down at the misty man's head!

A deafening thunderclap echoed, but this strike had no effect on the misty man... The guy clearly couldn't hear anything.

However, this was entirely within Ji Ran's expectations. He needed just one big, open counterattack from the misty man!

Sure enough, the misty man took a step back, twisted his body, and with both hands, swung his long sword toward Ji Ran's sword!

Clang! Ji Ran's long sword was deflected high, and the misty man, due to the force, leaned forward. It would not be easy for him to return to a defensive position.

This is it! Ji Ran's eyes flashed, and he took a step forward, raising his long sword... Long... Damn! How did it break in half!

Ji Ran's long sword was clearly a broken sword, split in the middle!

This beginner iron sword that had accompanied Ji Ran since he crossed over had finally reached the end of its life. After multiple high-intensity battles, this sword with extremely low durability finally broke in a fierce collision.

Actually, when they arrived in Baise, Lai Si had advised him to change his sword. But at that time, Ji Ran's new weapon was already in the works, so he planned to wait until after the exam. Who knew it would break!

At the most critical moment!

While Ji Ran was stunned, the misty man seemed to find another opportunity, swinging his long sword and charging at Ji Ran again.

Ji Ran had to retreat awkwardly, dodging and blocking with the broken sword. But the misty man, not letting up, attacked one after another, giving Ji Ran no time to catch his breath!

The broken sword in his hand was only as long as a dagger, making it extremely difficult to use even with the best sword technique. The misty man's attacks were incredibly fierce, clearly using mana. If this continued, he might not last ten minutes!

Ji Ran gritted his teeth. So unlucky? Just when he was about to win, his sword broke! What to do without a sword? Fight anyway!

He still had some tricks up his sleeve. He had no choice but to use them now.

Retreat! Using the skill "Step of the Thousand Miles," he instantly retreated to the wall. This put him in a position where he couldn't retreat any further.

However, the distance was also increased. For the misty man to continue attacking, he would have to move closer. Ji Ran gripped the broken sword and stared intently at the misty man.

Sure enough, the misty man, with his body half-crouched and his long sword in both hands, charged directly at Ji Ran. The swirling mist around him indicated that he was in his strongest mana burst form...

Ji Ran focused his mind and waited for an opportunity. He was waiting for the moment the misty man attacked!

The misty man approached Ji Ran, raised his sword with both hands, and swung diagonally! The angle was extremely tricky, leaving Ji Ran almost no room to dodge. However, almost no room did not mean no room at all.

Leisurely Walk! Using the footwork, Ji Ran did not retreat but stepped forward. With a slight sidestep, the long sword whistled past his chest.

Previously, he couldn't dodge the misty man's attacks because he was intimidated by his momentum. Now, with the distance increased and after much preparation, he finally narrowly avoided the strike.

At this moment, his sword aura was at half capacity, and the effect of the previous burst had already disappeared. Holding a broken sword, it was difficult to harm the misty man. It was time to use the final move.

Sword aura burst, condensing into a sword!

A brilliant white light suddenly appeared at the tip of the broken sword, even longer than the original blade.

Tidal Break!

Using the last half of his sword aura, Ji Ran used the first sword skill he had mastered!

The sword light flashed across the misty man's waist and disappeared instantly. Ji Ran stepped to the side, avoiding the misty man's body.

In the next moment, a huge gap appeared in the misty man's waist. His upper body floated in the air, looking extremely bizarre.

Then, with a puff, the misty man turned back into mist and dissipated into the air.

"Exam over!"

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