Chapter 83

Dust swirled, and Vanessa gave a bitter smile. ~~~~

Her ultimate trump card had been played, but it only managed to force the Unlucky Wolf to reveal one of its own. Vanessa's [Crescent Moon Sky Charge Skill Card] was indeed a rare A-rank offensive skill among one-time skills, but the Unlucky Wolf's [Spiral Chaos Shield Skill Card] was also an A-rank defensive skill among one-time skills. The two countered each other, and the tide of the battle remained unchanged.

Seeing the Unlucky Wolf charge at her like a mad tiger amidst the dust, Vanessa could only grit her teeth and step forward, engaging in another round of hand-to-hand combat.

Compared to each other, Vanessa had the advantage in speed, while the Unlucky Wolf excelled in defense. Their strength was roughly equal, which led to a situation where hitting more often was less effective than hitting harder. Vanessa's hundred punches might not even make the Unlucky Wolf frown, but a single punch from the Unlucky Wolf could almost make Vanessa spit blood.

The shadows of punches were blurred, and the attacks were overwhelming. Under the strategy of using speed to counter strength, Vanessa found it increasingly difficult to resist.

Indeed, Vanessa's bloodline was a prestigious A-rank, while the Unlucky Wolf's was only a C-rank. However, the development of their bloodlines had a significant gap—Vanessa's was around 35%, while the Unlucky Wolf's was over 80%. The development of bloodlines limited the effectiveness of 'rules' that would normally counteract each other. For example, in a game, an assassin is a mage killer, but a level 20 assassin who can't even stealth would hardly stand a chance against a level 60-70 mage who can fly.

Gradually, Vanessa could no longer hold her ground.

Her punches left multiple cracks and imprints on the Unlucky Wolf's silver armor after its V23 transformation, but that was the extent of it. In military combat, the goal is to defeat the enemy instantly with each move. If the battle drags on and the enemy cannot be defeated or killed, the biggest flaw of Vanessa's 'personal fighting style'—lack of endurance—became apparent.

Seeing the Unlucky Wolf's straightforward punch heading towards her face again, Vanessa had no chance to dodge and could only raise her left arm to defend. However, a crisp sound of bone breaking immediately followed, and her left arm hung limply.

The Unlucky Wolf sneered and threw another punch. This time, Vanessa could not resist. Her right arm had already become weak and powerless after several previous punches.

"Damn it..."

The speed of her backward fall was no match for the speed of the Unlucky Wolf's punch. Vanessa could only watch helplessly as the punch drew closer to her forehead.

"108 Lives. Yuzuki's Sazanami!"

A clear, crane-like cry echoed from behind her, and a graceful, slender figure approached with the elegance of a dancer, striking the Unlucky Wolf's chest with a single palm.

"Hmph!" The Unlucky Wolf's attention was entirely focused on Vanessa, and he ignored Zhang Yusheng's attack.

However...

"100 Lives. Heaven's Principle!"

Zhang Yusheng's lips curled into a pleasant smile as he dove in, transforming into a proud and upright stance. A phantom image of a body spinning and charging upwards emerged from within him. His long, powerful arm drew a clean arc in the air, and his palm, like ripples in clear water, gently struck the Unlucky Wolf's chin, sending the man soaring into the air!

"You..."

"How is this possible!"

Vanessa's eyes widened, and the Unlucky Wolf's pupils contracted. The previous Zhang Yusheng had been a relentless, heavy hitter, never showing such graceful and fluid movements, let alone changing tactics so smoothly!

"Could it be..." Vanessa's gaze swept over the position where Ye Yun had been, but he was no longer there.

At the same time, a figure emerged from the thick smoke behind the Unlucky Wolf, leaping up and spinning in mid-air. His right leg, long and slender, rotated 180 degrees from bottom to top and then kicked down!

"R.E.D. Kick!" (Also known as the Solo Executioner or 2B Kick, the arcade move is ←↓↙ + B/D, reminiscent of the final move by Tamao Shizuka in "Crows Zero 2.")

Bang!

The powerful kick struck the back of the Unlucky Wolf's neck, which had just been hit into the air. The force concentrated at the point of contact, shattering the Unlucky Wolf's armor and sending him plummeting to the ground.

"Ha!"

Zhang Yusheng, who was below, clearly had no intention of letting the Unlucky Wolf land. As the Unlucky Wolf fell, Zhang Yusheng struck his chest with a palm, causing him to lean back. Then, a series of continuous palm strikes unfolded, like a river flowing into the sea, seemingly gentle but unyielding and persistent, impossible to stop or divert.

Vanessa's eyes lit up. Although Zhang Yusheng did not use any skills, this series of fluid and graceful attacks was the strongest aspect of the 'Kagura Ancient Martial Arts,' praised as 'unbreakable and unshakable, impossible to escape'!

The attacks, which seemed harmless but clearly had a profound internal impact, indicated that Zhang Yusheng had achieved 'calmness' in his confrontation with the Unlucky Wolf. Moreover, his attacks were light and beautiful, suggesting that he was gradually breaking through the 20% development threshold.

All of this was clearly related to the young man behind the Unlucky Wolf.

The kick that hit the Unlucky Wolf, with his half-long, half-parted hair fluttering in the wind, revealed eyes that burned like a fiery sun, no longer filled with confusion or weakness, but with the surging power of the tide and the confidence of 'I am the only one who can do this'!

Ye Yun!

Landing on his feet, Zhang Yusheng's continuous attacks on the Unlucky Wolf had already begun, and Ye Yun did not hesitate. Although these moves were not part of any specific game skill, they were a series of attacks that had flooded his mind the moment he comprehended his bloodline. They were simple and effective, though not as powerful as any single move of Kyo Kusanagi, but they were easy to understand and had considerable power.

Kyo Kusanagi's Ancient Martial Arts!

This self-proclaimed style of boxing was genuinely imprinted in Ye Yun's mind the moment he gained the Kyo bloodline. However, Ye Yun had always focused on Kyo Kusanagi's game moves, never paying attention to these basic techniques that did not cause flame damage. It was only at the moment of enlightenment that he realized that this set of techniques, passed down through the Kyo family for hundreds of years, was the true essence of the art, from which all the Kyo family's descendants had derived their skills.

Although Ye Yun was not exceptionally talented, he was diligent. He had used each of Kyo Kusanagi's individual moves thousands of times. By reverse-engineering, he had a more comprehensive understanding of the Kyo Kusanagi's Ancient Martial Arts!

Thus, the 'ordinary style' he was using now was even more precise and deadly than Zhang Yusheng's!

As for the Unlucky Wolf...

Kagura Ancient Martial Arts + Kyo Kusanagi's Ancient Martial Arts!

The front and rear attacks left the Unlucky Wolf unable to counter or defend. This was the most terrifying aspect of S-rank bloodlines—the [Combo Rule]!

In a hit combo state, unless the rule priority is higher than the combo user, it cannot be broken!

The Unlucky Wolf, facing such a pincer attack, had no ability to counter. He could only watch as his body was repeatedly shattered, feeling the intense pain from front and back, and then... wait to die!

Finally, the Unlucky Wolf's front and back armor were shattered, exposing dark black gel and dark red muscle. At this moment, both Zhang Yusheng's palms and Ye Yun's fists were bloodstained, but it was all worth it!

"85 Lives. Zero Skill Foundation!" Zhang Yusheng unleashed his first super move, which could only be understood after reaching 20% development!

His figure suddenly rushed forward, and a brilliant golden light burst from his right palm, similar to the 'Champion's Punch' used by Vanessa. This golden light seemed to draw in the light of the entire universe, making the surroundings dark when it shone.

As Zhang Yusheng rushed forward, his palm gently pressed against the Unlucky Wolf's abdomen, causing a heavy thud. A golden sphere exploded in Zhang Yusheng's palm, and the Unlucky Wolf's body trembled violently. A heavy explosion erupted from his chest and abdomen, and his body was thrown backward.

But another fist awaited him from behind!

A fist burning with fierce flames!

The force of the punch was as heavy as a collapsing mountain!

The flames on the fist seemed to burn away the surrounding space and light!

This punch, though thrown thousands of times, had never been so powerful and deadly!

This punch opened a new sky, allowing those in darkness to see and yearn for the light!

This punch was...

"124 Lives. Gouge Bite!!!"

PS: Thank you to the generous support from "Hun Hun Ri Zi Kan Shu Da"!