Chapter 68: Showdown
Chapter 68: Showdown
Before the showdown, He Ying had already considered many possibilities in her mind. Due to the unique nature of her opponent's abilities, in order to win, she had to stick as close as possible, fight swiftly, and use continuous attacks to exhaust Chen Mu's defenses. Otherwise, if he were to unleash the power of his ever-changing weapon, she feared she might end up bound like a rice dumpling, just like last time.
However, her envisioned approach of pressing forward step by step was instantly dissolved with the very first move.
Although her stylish move, blocking with the shield and then retreating, was impressive, she ultimately lost the initiative to attack.
Chen Mu seized the advantage and closed in, his long stick pressing straight toward He Ying.
His most skilled and lethal thrusting move couldn't be used in this situation, but the long stick, which could change shape at any time, remained highly threatening.
Once it made contact with an opponent's body, he had at least ten tight and elegant ways to immobilize them.
He Ying could tell that dealing with the stick rushing toward her was not going to be easy. She could only swing her sword with all her strength, aiming at the stick's head.
Due to the disadvantage in speed, Chen Mu and He Ying had already put some distance between them. Consequently, the stick was stretched to its maximum length, making it difficult for him to precisely control its front end.
After all, to make a weapon as flexible as a whip during combat requires extremely high levels of control, and Chen Mu could only deploy certain specially trained moves in specific situations.
After creating distance, He Ying no longer dared to attack rashly like she did before. Instead, she took advantage of her speed to continuously maneuver and seek opportunities.
The sounds of their battle soon alerted others who were gradually waking up.
"Dà Léi!" (Note: Dà Léi is a name)
Upon hearing the clash of weapons, Dong Junwei was the first to call out.
Wei Dà Léi, still groggy with his eyes half-open, rushed outside with a large axe.
This was a reaction that Dong Junwei and the others had practiced several times.
However, when the group of people came out fully armed with hand grenades, they discovered that it was Chen Mu and He Ying who were engaged in combat.
And it was obvious.
Judging from He Ying's unsheathed short sword, it was just a practice duel.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
But since they were already out, they didn't want to miss the chance to watch the fight.
Chen Mu and He Ying also noticed the commotion but didn't stop.
On the contrary, taking advantage of Chen Mu's distraction as he glanced at the crowd, He Ying launched another attack.
Her agile body shot forward like a flying bird, even faster than the first time, clearly showing that she had held back earlier.
"Good!"
"So cool!"
"Go, He Ying!"
The group of people cheered, rooting for He Ying, and even Wei Dà Léi didn't stand on Chen Mu's side.
Clearly, everyone thought He Ying was the weaker side.
Perhaps supporting a frail young girl against the mighty demon king was a manifestation of human empathy.
However, He Ying's attack this time still proved futile, as Chen Mu had accurately estimated her speed, and his shield's timing was spot on.
Not only did He Ying fail to find the close-quarters opportunity she wanted, but she was also shaken, her arm tingling from the impact.
Chen Mu's counterattack was swift and fierce.
However, although He Ying's attack was easily thwarted, Chen Mu couldn't do much for the moment either. Once He Ying made up her mind to escape, he couldn't catch up.
As a result, the battle between the two appeared somewhat peculiar.
He Ying agilely roamed around the periphery, constantly seeking occasional provocation, like a mischievous butterfly playfully teasing its target.
On the other hand, Chen Mu's movements became less frequent, and although he continued to dodge and maneuver, he seemed much clumsier in contrast to He Ying.
However, because of the unpredictable weapon in his hand, he still had the upper hand.
The characteristics of the battle between the two were very distinct.
The outcome was yet to be decided, but it was quite satisfying for the onlookers.
"I didn't expect He Ying to be this formidable."
"Yes, her moves are so fast and stylish."
"Of course, Senior Sister is very skilled. The few of us who survived owe it to her," Feng Xiaoyu said with a sense of pride as she heard everyone praise He Ying.
Sun Yuan also quickly chimed in.
Chen Mu's strength seemed to be taken for granted by everyone, but although they knew He Ying was capable, witnessing her fighting style made them couldn't help but admire her.
Zhao Xiaoyan said, "He Ying hasn't even drawn her sword yet; otherwise, Chen Mu would be in an even tougher situation."
"That's true, but Chen Mu isn't using all his strength either."
"Really?"
"Because he can't harm others, many of his moves are off-limits."
"While He Ying is indeed formidable, if it were a life-and-death gamble, she might have already lost," Tang Jing remarked.
"Why?" Feng Xiaoyu seemed somewhat unconvinced.
She was well aware of Tang Jing's position and capabilities within the team, and she didn't want to refute her at first. However, when it involved He Ying, she couldn't help but ask, "I've seen Chen Mu's previous training. Most of his moves are intended to be lethal, but in the current situation, he can't use any of them. Naturally, he will suffer a lot."
As they spoke, the situation on the field quietly changed.
He Ying had been attacking for a long time but seemed a bit anxious, and her frequency of attacks increased.
On the other hand, Chen Mu became more and more steady.
As if he had made up his mind to focus solely on defense.
His defensive technique mainly relied on the shield, and although it was simple, it proved very effective against agile opponents like He Ying.
With He Ying accelerating her attacks and engaging in more clashes with Chen Mu's shield, she gradually grasped his style and gained confidence. She no longer retreated at the slightest disturbance, like a startled bird.
The sounds of clashing weapons were continuous.
At first, Chen Mu seemed to be the one pursuing, but slowly the situation shifted, and He Ying became the one pressing for offense.
"It seems like Chen Mu's stamina is running out."
"He Ying is good at sports, and with her lighter body now, her energy consumption should be much lower."
"Go, He Ying!"
"Go, Senior Sister!"
"..."
The crowd discussed excitedly, cheering and making noise, making the scene very lively.
He Ying felt more and more in control with each strike, forcing Chen Mu to defend with all his might and leaving him with no opportunity to counterattack.
However, in the next moment.
As her short sword made contact with the shield again, she tried to pull back the sword to change her attacking angle but found it stuck.
As if something had clamped onto it.
In panic, He Ying applied more force.
This time, it did move, but judging from the sensation, it seemed like something else was being pulled back along with her sword, giving her a feeling as if she had pulled out a radish along with the mud.
Instinctively, she looked at the sword.
To her surprise, Chen Mu's shield had somehow transformed into a soft iron whip or chain that entangled her slender sword.
In the moment of He Ying's hesitation, the chain had already climbed up the sword.
By the time she felt something touching her hand, it was too late to let go.
Soon enough, the iron chain wound layer upon layer, like shackles, tightly clasping He Ying's right hand.
Facing each other.
He Ying's delicate wrist was entangled by the iron chain, while the other end was held in Chen Mu's hand.
It looked as though a constable had just captured a thief.
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