Hecklers, Speak Up!

The short sword of Total Darkness slashed down with the momentum of a greatsword. Though invisible, it had presence, and the short sword was much faster than a greatsword.

Han Wenqing's eyes widened. The sword was too fast for him to dodge. He realised that his reaction speed had dulled. If he were at his peak, he could have dodged even quicker attacks.

The blade grazed Desert Dust's arm, shaving off about 2% of his health.

In the previous exchange of moves, Desert Dust's skills also entered a cooldown period, leaving Han Wenqing to rely on basic attacks for close combat.

The short sword Chain Teeth flashed as Liu Hao mimicked Sun Zheping's style but at a faster pace, leaving afterimages in the air.

Uppercut, Draw Sword Slash, followed by basic attacks, Total Darkness combined fierceness and swiftness, launching a relentless assault on Desert Dust.

Fists and blades clashed, producing a series of metallic clangs.

Liu Hao's actions per minute (APM) hit 500, while Han Wenqing's soared to 550. The battle intensified, with sword glows and fist winds colliding, separating, and blood splattering.

For a moment, everyone was spellbound. Even the commentators couldn't interject amidst such fierce combat.

"Oh my god, am I crazy, or is the world crazy? How is a Magic Swordsman holding his own in close combat against a Striker?"

"The Magic Swordsman is using a short sword, but it feels like a greatsword with the way he's slashing."

"It's too fast to see clearly..."

In the audience, both the Jia Shi and Ba Tu teams were watching, with Ye Qiu and Zhang Xinjie almost simultaneously exclaiming, "Doesn't Liu Hao's style seem familiar?"

Desert Dust's and Total Darkness's health was steadily decreasing, and their rates were almost identical. Their weapons clashed, producing sparks.

"Isn't that Sun Zheping's style?" Han Wenqing recognised Liu Hao's moves. Sun Zheping debuted in the second season, and Han Wenqing had faced him for three and a half years, so he was familiar with this swordplay.

Sun Zheping was a master of sword techniques, proficient with greatswords, lightsabers, katana, and short swords. His comprehensive guide detailed the strengths and weaknesses of various sword techniques and advanced skills. Over the past two months, Liu Hao had diligently studied these techniques, blending the ferocity of a Berserker, the precision of a Swordmaster, the sharpness of a Ghostblade, and the magic-infused style of a Magic Swordsman.

The intense battle made for excellent entertainment. The audience loved such fierce clashes, preferring it over drawn-out chases. Real men fought head-on.

"Tony, go! Cut down Desert Dust!"

"Captain Han, smash Liu Hao!"

Both sides' health dwindled. Desert Dust's health dropped to 70%, while Total Darkness also suffered heavy damage, which was reduced to 20%. Liu Hao had taken advantage of Desert Dust's cooldown period; if Han Wenqing's skills were available, Liu Hao's swordsmanship wouldn't stand a chance.

Han Wenqing's expression grew more serious. Watching his deteriorating health made him anxious. Prolonging the fight would leave him at a disadvantage against Ye Qiu.

Liu Hao noticed this and foresaw Han Wenqing's next move. Han Wenqing couldn't hold back any longer; he was preparing to use his decisive move, Emperor's Fist, to seize control.

"What took you so long?" Liu Hao sneered.

"Desert Dust's Emperor Fist deflects Total Darkness's short sword. Wait, what's that? Emperor's Fist! Desert Dust is charging Emperor's Fist!" Pan Lin exclaimed.

Li Yibo's eyes lit up. "Here it comes, Captain Han's classic aggressive move!"

Tyranny fans erupted in celebration. Their captain was getting severe. This close-range Emperor's Fist would be unavoidable for Total Darkness.

"Is Liu Hao going to lose? At this distance, he can't dodge Emperor's Fist," Su Mucheng said anxiously. Despite her dislike for Liu Hao, she didn't want a Jia Shi member to lose.

"Can't he block it?" Shen Jian interjected, annoyed by swordsmen using blocks to counter his Emperor's Fist as a fellow Striker.

Zhang Xinjie rolled his eyes. "We know he can block, but we're worried about the rhythm, the rhythm!"

"Yes, the rhythm," Ye Qiu said calmly. "In this exchange, Liu Hao managed to hold his own because Desert Dust lacked the skills to control the pace. Emperor's Fist is powerful, and even if Liu Hao blocks it, it will break his rhythm, allowing Desert Dust to take control."

Shen Jian realised the gravity of the situation and began to worry. It seemed like a losing battle.

Desert Dust finished charging Emperor's Fist, his flaming fist surging forward.

Total Darkness pulled back his short sword to block...

A loud "boom" echoed as the smoke cleared...

Emperor's Fist connected, dealing 70% damage, but was blocked. Yet, despite Emperor's Fist's powerful knockback, why didn't Total Darkness get sent flying?

The audience was bewildered, as were the commentators and Tyranny players, including Han Wenqing.

Why? Why wasn't Total Darkness knocked back? He used Emperor's Fist, but why didn't it disrupt Liu Hao's rhythm?

"Now it's my turn!" Liu Hao grinned. Desert Dust was in the post-skill cooldown phase, becoming an easy target.

Total Darkness raised his short sword, using up all his mana. The sword crackled with blue lightning.

Limit Skill: Thunder LightWave!

The sword slashed, releasing a wave of electric light, engulfing Desert Dust in a massive electric field.

All eyes were on Desert Dust's health bar, which dropped to... 49%!!!

"Tony wins!"

"Tyranny fans, speak up! Hecklers, speak up!"

"Hahaha, Tony is amazing! With 50% health and 20% mana, he still crushed Han Wenqing!"

"Han Wenqing is old now. Time to retire!"

...

"How did you do that?" Han Wenqing typed.

"Vortex Reversal, a combo skill I developed for the Magic Swordsman. Sounds cool, right?" Liu Hao replied.

At that moment, the director replayed the highlight. As Emperor's Fist charged and hit, Total Darkness pulled back his short sword to block, with a swirling vortex appearing on the block.

When Emperor's Fist struck the vortex, the punch was deflected, failing to connect. The intense punch wind merely brushed past Total Darkness.

"Vortex Reversal?" Pan Lin murmured. "It's amazing that it even deflected the powerful Emperor's Fist."

Author Notes

By the way, Chen Guo is not the heroine. The ambiguous scenes are for plot development. Spoiler: Ye Qiu will join Chen Guo to form the Xingxin team. Liu Hao will become Jia Shi's captain, and Tao Xuan, the main antagonist, will face consequences...

(End of Chapter)

P.S. Chapters 67-71 are up on my Patreon. Do support me there. winks

Pat reon.com/ReidAstrea