Chapter 117: The Sixth Battle of Life and Death

The waves surged violently.

Yet the giant native stood like an unshakable reef, his massive frame towering nearly five meters tall. Dongbo Xueying barely reached the height of the giant’s thigh. The pressure from the giant’s shield felt like an entire wall crashing down, and evading his casual axe swings was extremely difficult. If the native were agile, Dongbo Xueying’s smaller size might have given him an advantage.

But this formidable native fought head-on, fully utilizing his massive frame and overwhelming strength.

“Dongbo Xueying is in trouble now. He might lose the fifth match.”

“Hmph, his strange mastery of water and defensive skills are useless against such brute force. He has no hope in this fight!”

“I heard he awakened ancient bloodline powers. If that ancient bloodline awakens, maybe he can still turn the tide.”

“Don’t underestimate him so much. Maybe Dongbo Xueying will break through on the battlefield! Back then, Chi Qiu Bai broke through during the fifth match while fighting for his life, reaching the second stage of the Myriad Things Realm and winning the sixth match afterward.”

In the eastern spectator area, some of the formidable beings straightened up in their seats, watching intently.

“Xueying.”

“Brother Xueying.”

A group of powerful warriors from Anyang Province, including Chi Qiu Bai, felt anxious. They could see that without activating his ancient bloodline, Dongbo Xueying would find it extremely difficult to win this match.

“Xueying is still too young, his cultivation level is somewhat lacking,” Pengshan remarked.

…

Yet Dongbo Xueying remained calm, even feeling exhilarated in the battle.

His long spear danced through the air, sometimes flowing like water, sometimes striking like fire. Out of ten strikes, six or seven were fierce and aggressive, often clashing head-on with his opponent’s attacks.

Boom! Boom!

“Brute force, seemingly flawless. But he’s too rigid! All martial techniques should have both Yin and Yang, both softness and hardness,” Dongbo Xueying thought. He had initially comprehended the fire of the Myriad Things, but later realized it was incomplete. Only after understanding the balance of softness and strength did he truly grasp the water of the Myriad Things.

In his understanding of the natural world,

Everything contained both Yin and Yang. Pure brute force was effective, but if victory wasn’t achieved quickly, the opponent would find an opportunity to counterattack.

“He has brute strength.

But I have both strength and softness. I still have a chance to defeat him. He may seem flawless… but in battle, I will create an opening!” Dongbo Xueying was different from other formidable warriors. There were two main paths among the knights of the Myriad Things. One path was to fight for survival from the beginning, refining their understanding through life-and-death battles, continuously improving their cultivation. Representatives of this path included Chi Qiu Bai, who was extremely skilled in combat, growing stronger in battle and eventually comprehending the ‘True Intent of Spatial Severance.’

The other path was more introspective, focusing on personal cultivation and insight. Even without many life-and-death battles, a solid foundation and gradual refinement could also lead to progress.

Dongbo Xueying followed this second path.

Before becoming a formidable warrior, he had very few intense battles—only the half-month campaign in the Ruin Mountains, the battle against the divine messenger, and the fight against Xiang Panguan were considered fierce.

Later, in the underground palace at the bottom of the Black Wind Abyss, for six years, he trained alone, deeply immersed in cultivation. At most, he sparred with two alchemical constructs, but never engaged in life-or-death combat.

Perhaps…

It was an inheritance from his mother. Dongbo Xueying enjoyed thinking, researching, and summarizing.

Even in battle, he maintained this mindset. While fighting the giant native, Dongbo Xueying showed no panic. After a brief exchange, he quickly identified his opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, immediately formulating a plan based on his own expertise.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The clash between the two was fierce.

Despite being at a disadvantage, his spear techniques infused with the mystery of fire caused the giant’s arms to go numb and his body to stagger. In these collisions, Dongbo Xueying continuously searched for openings, determined to kill the giant. However, the native was a master of shield techniques, not easily giving Dongbo Xueying any opportunity.

But prolonged defense would inevitably lead to a breakthrough. With the right strategy and patience, the opportunity would come.

Boom! As Dongbo Xueying’s spear swept sideways, colliding violently with the shield, the impact sent the spearhead recoiling backward.

But Dongbo Xueying had already planned ahead. With a swift motion, he spun the spear one hundred and eighty degrees, now leading with the butt end.

Whoosh!

He thrust forward with the spear’s butt!

The spear’s butt end rotated in a stunning arc, carrying a strange, spiraling force, surrounded by swirling water.

“Ahh!” The giant native was caught off guard, as attacks with the butt end were rare. Though not sharp, the strike was just like a thrust in the art of the staff—equally devastating.

Unable to block with his shield in time, he hastily swung his massive axe to defend.

Puh!

The spear’s butt met the axe.

Smooth and unsharpened, yet rotating with a strange force, it curved in a visible arc. With just a touch and a twist, it slipped past the axe.

Puh!

The butt struck!

The smooth end of the spear directly hit the native’s throat, piercing through with eerie force. As it pierced, the butt continued to rotate, carving a massive wound the size of a bowl through the giant’s thick neck. Given the native’s immense vitality, a small wound wouldn’t have been fatal.

“Kill!”

Despite the massive wound, the giant still stood, eyes wide, attempting to swing his shield.

But Dongbo Xueying swiftly leaped back.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

He quickly created distance.

The giant stood there, one hand clutching his throat, but it was useless. The wound was too large, and even his powerful vitality couldn’t save him.

He stood for two full breaths before collapsing with a thunderous crash!

“Hua!”

Instantly, many of the observing warriors stood up in shock, staring in astonishment at the fallen giant.

He won?

The way Dongbo Xueying had won stunned many of the formidable warriors.

“This Dongbo Xueying, in close combat, blends water and fire in his spear techniques, balancing strength and softness! His defense is flawless when soft, yet his attacks are ferocious when fierce. And his transition from aggressive to soft techniques is utterly natural.”

“The giant native had no apparent openings, yet through repeated direct clashes, Dongbo Xueying created one.”

“Truly impressive.”

Many of the formidable warriors felt admiration.

Warriors who pursued extremes were indeed powerful, but their weaknesses were also obvious.

Those like Dongbo Xueying, who combined offense and defense, strength and softness… were truly difficult to deal with. However, few warriors chose this path, as their limited focus made it easier to pursue extremes and quickly grow strong. Perfecting multiple aspects required far too much effort.

…

With a thunderous boom echoing through the Hall of Life and Death, countless ordinary spectators became excited, and even many of the observing warriors stood up or sat straighter, watching intently. Perhaps only a few, like the Lord of Yunwu City, Bu Chengzhu, and the legendary killer, Lady Ye, remained relaxed and casual in their observation.

The sixth match was about to begin.

The sixth match—Chi Qiu Bai had reached the second stage of the Myriad Things Realm and won only six matches.

“The sixth match,” Dongbo Xueying inhaled deeply. This crucial battle would be far more difficult than the last.

Hua!

A figure descended from the sky.

It was a man with long cyan hair, slightly over two meters tall, with a muscular frame. His face was chiseled, his hair thick and flowing, exuding a mysterious aura as he stood there.