Chapter 675: Soft to Hard
Proofreader: Papatonks
“Uh, brother Zhuo is truly an astute man, to able to understand my gentle sword. Hhha…” Wen Tao glanced at the purple lightning and let out a strained laugh.
Zhuo Fan grinned, “You’re far too kind. It’s brother Wen who explained it to me. It’s truly a dumb thing to show off all your cards before the fight even begins. But today, I witnessed brother Wen’s actions and heard your words. Now I have a whole new view of it. Brother Wen didn’t do it out of foolishness, but as a generous gentleman, hhha…”
Everyone watching the fight burst out laughing. Wen Tao looked bashful.
“Maybe regardless of being a fool or a gentleman, I’m sure with brother Zhuo’s perception, you would’ve noticed it after a couple of moves without even me saying it. Rather revealing this before the fight to everyone so that I would be seen as open-minded. However, knowing my sword and defeating it are two different things!”
Wen Tao smiled and raised his sword. He flicked it and sent several sword energies straight for Zhuo Fan, “Brother Zhuo, take this Gentle Sword, ever-flowing and ever-changing!”
Whoosh~
Zhuo Fan’s heart sank, and he got himself ready. The purple lightning on his right hand crackled, but as the sword energies reached him, they turned soft, floating in the air, and surrounded him, trapping him in their center.
Wen Tao waved his sword again and sent more sharp sword energy at Zhuo Fan, turning into thousands of strands in a blink of an eye.
However, like before, the sword energy turned soft right before reaching Zhuo Fan, drifting in the wind.
He was now trapped in a quagmire of sword energy, with no way out!
Fiend Yang turned grave and facepalmed.
[This punk is just too cocky. He not once came to see the middle three sects stage and has no idea what Wen Tao can do with this attack.]
[He is caught in thousands of strands, unable to break free of the sword energy.]
Be it Heaven Trailing Sect or Demon Soul Sect, neither could escape it when it was unleashed in their team battles. While Zhuo Fan was tougher, it was still unknown if he could pull it off.
Fiend Yang and Fiend Yin were looking very tense.
The one who was in the center of this entrapment looked far more relaxed by comparison. Zhuo Fan just grinned and used his right dragon claw to swipe. Along with the crackling, the purple lightning destroyed any sword energy it touched.
“The purple lightning has the power to destroy the world. While its power is lacking, its character is one of destruction. Wen Tao’s gentle sword energy had just met its nemesis.”
Ye Lin showed a hint of a smile, but then he turned solemn. “However, I’m sure Wen Tao is aware of it as well. But since he does something so pointless, he must have a backup plan.”
Wu Qingqiu and Yan Mo gave Ye Lin a deep look, then returned to the fight with a nod.
Just as this genius of the superior three sects said, the sword energy strands got crushed, but Wen Tao showed no worry.
Making a sign, Wen Tao made the struck sword energy that floated about. As a result, to enter the sword in his hand.
Zhuo Fan noticed, to his amazement, that Ephemeral Life exploded in power.
Zhuo Fan’s heart shook, and he understood Gentle Sword’s true meaning.
[It’s to drift alongside you like the wind until you are squeezed to death!]
These gentle sword energy strands acted like a fence. If one started bashing it, the sword energy fragments would return to the sword and turn from soft to hard, greatly bolstering its power.
The source of this power was, on one hand, the soft sword energy gathering on the sword, and on the other, the power of the adversary fueled within the blade.
This way, the more he let it drag out, the worse it would be for him.
[So that’s why he said that knowing and defeating it are different things. Regardless, once his strands are out, he holds the advantage. Unless one uses force, there’s no quick way to end it.]
“Hhha, how amusing. Since this is the case, I’ll punch right through!”
Zhuo Fan’s eyes flashed and shot for Wen Tao. But just then, under Wen Tao’s urging, the soft sword energy strands plugged the gap, and Zhuo Fan was trapped again.
However, Zhuo Fan, having seen his tricks, there was no way he would let himself get stalled again.
So he swiped his lightning-streaked claw.
Roar!
With a draconic roar, the purple lightning-fueled claw crushed the soft sword energy, clearing a path Zhuo Fan took the next second to get out of the circle.
The scattered pieces of sword energy gathered on the sword, but the remaining soft sword energy strands had no time to block Zhuo Fan again.
Wen Tao’s brow shook, and his gestures changed.
The soft sword energy turned hard, stabbing Zhuo Fan from all directions.
Zhuo Fan grinned and flicked his right, shattering the strands with the purple lightning.
Wen Tao raised an eyebrow and didn’t dally. He changed his hand sign, and all the sword energy gathered on the sword. The sword’s edge gleamed with unspeakable power at that moment.
Zhuo Fan now finally arrived before Wen Tao and struck.
Wraith Style, 2nd move, Ghostly Dragon Claw!
Soft to hard, Heaven Breaking Sword!
Wen Tao did not hesitate to stab straight for Zhuo Fan as well.
In an instant, Ephemeral Life looked to have been soft all its existence and turned hard in this fleeting moment. With that stab, it was like the world’s power fell on Zhuo Fan’s shoulders.
Zhuo Fan’s claw came like a raging dragon, violent and overbearing. It was as if this claw was going to tear the world asunder.
Clang!
The claw and sword met in a screeching clash, a clash that only lasted for a split second before they separated.
Zhuo Fan’s body stood in his spot, his attack blocked, while Wen Tao was thrown tens of meters from the sudden force of impact. When he straightened up, he looked at Zhuo Fan in shock, puzzlement, and disbelief.
[What just happened? Why did a casual sword strike wound him so before, yet my all-out attack did nothing? He even managed to bounce me back. Just what is happening?]
[Was he truly careless before? Is that why I hit him? Now that he’s serious there’s no way of hurting him?]
[This guy is strong to a terrifying degree!]
Gulping, Wen Tao showed no glee but unprecedented seriousness. The ones watching the fight had no idea what Zhuo Fan was really capable of.
Especially that ridiculous body of his.
[How is he still human when not even a 9th-grade spiritual weapon can’t scratch him?]
While he was shocked, Zhuo Fan was even more so.
His right hand used the world’s power, that of the invincible sacred beast, Qilin. It should be natural to win any encounter when it is involved.
However, he never thought it possible to be blocked, leaving him depressed.
[Wen Tao is good. Gentle Sword is not only capable but uses both soft and hard skills to perfection.]
They would scream if others knew he was depressed because of this tiny little detail.
[You’re the damn violent brute here!]
[Dude, you’re depressed cause he blocked you? Then what about the rest of us? Should we be in the pits of despair?]
Luckily, he didn’t show it, keeping it to himself as he went for Wen Tao again.
He could see that Gentle Sword no longer had as much power in his sword as before.
So all he had to do was strike fast before Wen Tao gathered some more power, which was when his sword would be defeated.
Whoosh~
He reached Wen Tao in a flash and swiped with his claw.
Wen Tao hurriedly blocked with his sword but was sent flying. The force pierced his innards and forced him to spit blood.
“Hhha, I just knew it. You can never beat me directly without the gentle sword’s accumulated power.” Zhuo Fan did not pursue and smiled, “Brother Wen, do you have any tricks? Use them now or surrender. Since you are a gentleman and courteous, I will reply in kind.”
Wen Tao looked long and hard at Zhuo Fan, “I knew I couldn’t match you alone. I was only testing you from the start. Knowing to back off when it’s futile is something I told others. But I can never retreat. However, hhha, brother Zhuo, the team battle is just getting started…”
Wen Tao’s eyes flashed, and he stood up after wiping the blood from his mouth. The other nine Sword God Sect disciples were now on the move…