Chapter 769 Banji: I wish I had a shield.

Banji gritted his teeth and suddenly jerked his right hand.

The heavy bronze chain hammer, like a venomous python emerging from its hole, whistled as it smashed straight at the bronze knife!

The bronze knife took the initiative to meet the hammer, and then, by guiding and pulling along the hammerhead, it changed the direction of the chain hammer, causing it to smash into the wall beside it and embed itself deeply.

Banji used his right hand to pull the hammer back, while simultaneously gripping the nunchucks with his left hand and swinging them rapidly.

The nunchucks were wielded like a whirlwind, protecting Banji's vitals, not seeking to harm the enemy, but only to protect himself.

Ban Ji was fully aware of the power of a master teacher and dared not be careless in the slightest.

But the next moment, the bronze knife suddenly plunged diagonally, pressed against the chain of the chain hammer, and twisted its blade violently.

Banji was pulling the hammer back with all his might, but with the help of the bronze knife, he immediately lost his balance, and the entire hammer accelerated toward him.

Banji was taken aback and quickly retreated to avoid it.

But the change happened too fast; he didn't have time to react. In the rush, he couldn't think straight and could only use his nunchucks to defend himself.

Clang—! Sparks burst forth!

Banji nearly dropped the nunchucks from his hand when he was hit by his own chain hammer.

At the same time, his arm trembled violently, and his defenses collapsed instantly.

The bronze knife came smoothly and lightly touched Banji.

A chill ran through Banji's heart. He quickly rolled backward, but his left shoulder and collarbone were still struck.

Click.

The crisp sound of bones cracking, accompanied by Banji's painful groan, echoed across the battlefield.

The bronze sword did not press its advantage, but hovered quietly in place, its tip pointing downwards. A few drops of viscous blood slowly slid down the rusty blade, dripping onto the cold floor tiles and quickly spreading into a small, glaring dark red patch.

If someone were holding the hilt of the knife, they would probably be looking down at Banji with a disdainful air, like a master.

Banji gritted his teeth, endured the pain, and stood up.

The Master Master level, above the Martial Arts Master level, represents a further step up in the utilization of the battlefield environment and the strategic interplay of the opponent's reactions.

The bronze sword, aided by the chain hammer, broke through the nunchaku's defense, filling Banji with bitterness.

"I'm not very skilled with these weapons. If I had a sword, no, even just one, I would be much more at ease than I am now!"

"Hold on!"

"I still want to reach the third level and crush Ning Zhuo under my feet!"

"If I fail in the second round, I will be ridiculed by Ning Zhuo, and I will lose all face for my family!"

"I must win and seize this bronze sword!"

The class was inspired and fought with all their might.

He wielded the spiked club with fierce and fearless power, the throwing knife with unpredictable and sudden movements, the chain hammer with a combination of domineering and skillful force, and the nunchaku with speed and agility.

However, compared to the bronze sword, these are as ridiculous as a child waving a wooden stick.

Banji's injuries were rapidly increasing, and Vietnam's heart grew colder.

The bronze sword had no earth-shattering aura, no complicated or flashy moves. It simply stood there, each movement as natural as breathing, each parry and counterattack executed effortlessly, as if it had already foreseen all his struggles and every trajectory.

Its moves were extremely simple, almost like a child wielding a stick. But it easily neutralized every attack from Banji.

It firmly grasped the rhythm of the battle, while Banji was merely a piece on the chessboard that it could manipulate at will.

This is the true meaning of winning without using any moves, abandoning complexity for simplicity.

Banji's body trembled slightly from the intense pain and excessive blood loss.

His vision blurred, and pain tore at his nerves.

His four weapons were also damaged by the blades, making them increasingly difficult to use in battle.

The bronze sword was slowly handed over, as if the master had lost interest in playing around and was about to end the battle.

At the crucial moment of victory or defeat, a scene from the past flashed through Banji's mind.

In the family's martial arts arena, he asked the instructor, "When will I be able to reach the level of a master who can defeat opponents with no moves?"

The instructor shook his head and said, "Banji, I have been teaching you for five years. You have made rapid progress. Even if you don't choose mechanical arts, you will have a great future in martial arts."

"You have been able to master all eighteen weapons and many combos in these five years, achieving a high level of proficiency in both swordsmanship and saber techniques. Furthermore, you have adapted to the enemy's moves in actual combat, transforming from rigid to agile. This is truly remarkable!"

"You went from a martial arts apprentice to a martial arts master in just five years. Most people, including myself, who specialize in martial arts, take several decades."

"No moves are the best moves... I only realized this in my fifty-sixth year of practicing martial arts."

A glint of greed flashed in Banji's eyes as he pressed, "How do I comprehend it? Is there a secret?"

His coach shook his head again, his expression somewhat serious: "No! To say it's enlightenment isn't accurate. My advancement was extremely natural, as simple as breathing."

"It's not because I'm more talented. In fact, I'm far inferior to you."

"I've just accumulated it."

"The Martial Apprentice level is about learning and mastering techniques to a very high degree. But in battle, you never just have to look at yourself, you also have to look at your opponent."

"Therefore, once you reach the Martial Arts Master level, you need to consider tactics and constantly engage in strategic battles with your opponent. There will be feints and real moves, and there will be traps like feigning weakness and revealing weaknesses."

"A martial arts apprentice masters the moves, while a martial arts master transforms the moves, making them more flexible and practical."

"But becoming practical doesn't mean abandoning techniques. Every seemingly casual swing is actually made to the maximum extent possible, in line with the power generation of the technique, and so on."

"Next, we need to keep accumulating, and accumulating some more."

"When you have mastered every move, even if you swing it casually, your body muscles will generate power according to the principles of martial arts. You will be able to see through the battle, understand the use of feints and real attacks, and know the shortest path to victory."

"The combination of these two is the key to defeating opponents without using any moves, which can make you a renowned martial arts master!"

Banji's expression turned somewhat unpleasant upon hearing this explanation.

He couldn't possibly expend a huge amount of time and energy on close combat. His main skill was still mechanical arts, a form of demonic art.

"The remaining time is probably not enough for me to become a renowned martial arts master," Banji assessed.

The coach acknowledged, "Banji, while your talent is exceptional, becoming a renowned teacher is no easy feat. You may be able to become a renowned teacher in less time than the average person, or even as long as I do. But this is definitely not a matter of one or two five-year periods."

Ban Ji nodded, then thought for a moment: "Then, teacher, I'm going to participate in the Rising Cloud Trial of the Nine-Tiered Mystic Armor. I'll definitely encounter Mystic Armor users at this level of martial arts. How should I face the challenge of defeating opponents with no moves?"

The coach smiled slightly: "There is a method."

"It's very simple."

"You only need to remember these four words."

He paused for a moment and then said, "Use clumsiness to overcome skill."

His thoughts froze at that moment, and Banji suddenly opened his eyes, his expression twisted, filled with an almost manic madness.

"Alright, then I'll use clumsiness to defeat skill!"

He roared, neither dodging nor avoiding, and stretched out his right hand like an iron clamp, reaching directly at the bronze knife, completely disregarding its sharpness.

With a gentle slice, the bronze knife severed several fingers of Banji's right hand. Banji, however, seized the opportunity to straighten himself, allowing the cold bronze blade to plunge viciously into his body.

Pfft!

The sharp blade pierced flesh and bone, and blood spurted out!

The excruciating pain overwhelmed his nerves like a tsunami, yet Banji let out a wild, beast-like laugh, his muscles and bones clenching desperately!

If Zhang Wangxing saw this scene, he would definitely give him a thumbs up. Ban Ji, driven to the brink, resorted to the same tactic.

The bronze knife trembled violently, yet it was unable to break free from the restraints formed by flesh and blood!

Opportunity is fleeting!

"Rise!" Ban Ji's eyes were bloodshot as he used his divine sense to control his spiked club, throwing knives, chain hammer, and nunchucks.

The bronze sword had just been withdrawn from Banji's body when four bronze weapons arrived in an instant, striking him all at once!

The clanging sounds of explosions echoed across the battlefield.

The bronze knife was knocked to the ground.

Banji staggered and fell, but he gripped the bronze hilt tightly and tried his best to refine it.

His right shoulder wound was a bloody mess, almost unrecognizable, and he let out a triumphant, exhilarating shout.

The bronze knife trembled violently, but it was only one piece after all, and it could not withstand the suppression of the four bronze artifacts, as well as Ban Ji's refining, and finally calmed down completely.

"I did it!"

"Ha ha ha ha."

Banji wanted to laugh, but his strength was completely depleted. He could only lie in the pool of blood, twitching the corners of his mouth and letting out a weak, almost silent laugh.

"Using clumsiness to overcome skill—brilliant!"

“Ning Zhuo… I will apply this feeling to you, and let you experience it too.”

"A knife, I finally have a knife."

"Hehehe, hahaha."

"Next, what if the sixth item is another sword..." Banji's gaze darkened as he pondered.

He looked at the several severed fingers on the ground not far away.

His right hand fingers were cut off, leaving only his ring finger and little finger.

He cannot wield both a knife and a sword at the same time.

Realizing this, Banji could no longer laugh.

"If I had a shield in this level, I might be able to win without taking any damage and refine the bronze sword!"

Although the Xuanbing Armor can also transform into armor plates for close-fitting protection, this is not its primary function, and its effectiveness in actual combat is not good.

"well……"

"My luck is bad this time, probably because I'm being suppressed by Ning Zhuo, this calamity. How could I possibly encounter a shield?" Ban Ji shook his head inwardly, then weakly closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

At this point, refining the fifth piece of Xuanbing Armor was equivalent to obtaining the ticket to the third level.

Banji was relieved of his burden and, following his body's natural instinct to rest, fell into a deep sleep, seizing every opportunity to recuperate.

Ning Zhuo was facing his fifth Xuanbing Armor.

This is a long spear.

Without warning, the spear tip moved with lightning speed, transforming into a streak of blue light that tore through Ning Zhuo's vision and pierced straight towards him.

Ning Zhuo mobilized his divine sense, and the bronze knife and sword went to meet the attack.

The spear moved like a snake flicking its tongue, easily dodging the knife and sword. With a flick of the spear tip, three spear shadows appeared, aiming for Ning Zhuo's brow, throat, and heart.

Ning Zhuo's pupils contracted sharply, and in an instant, he no longer had any thought of dodging.

clang!

With a loud bang, Ning Zhuo didn't budge an inch. At the critical moment, he raised the bronze shield on his left arm, the thick shield covering his body and blocking all three spear shadows.

The suspended bronze sword thrust out silently, followed immediately by the bronze knife.

After clashing with spears, knives, and swords, he retreated with a slight tremor.

The gun hummed, as if it were unwilling to give up.

The next moment, the spear was no longer a point thrust. Taking advantage of the retreat, it suddenly spun around, like a giant python turning over, sweeping across the battlefield, and smashing hard into Ning Zhuo's left rib!

Ning Zhuo's hair stood on end. He immediately realized that if he tried to block directly, it would likely result in mutual injury, and his own arm bones would be shattered.

He took a half step back, his body slightly slumped, and his center of gravity plummeted like a boulder.

The shield, following the direction from which the spear was coming, instantly shifted from a vertical block to a slight tilt!

But almost simultaneously, the sweeping gun barrel also changed the angle of attack.

Ning Zhuo took the initiative to raise his shield and meet the attack.

The instant he made contact, he sensed the change in the bronze spear's power and immediately reacted with subtle adjustments, modifying the angles of his shield, his left arm, and even his body.

Bang.

With a muffled thud, the gun slammed into the tilted shield, the immense force being directed downwards along the angle of the tilt, flowing into the stone brick ground beneath Ning Zhuo's feet.

In an instant, stone chips flew everywhere.

Ning Zhuo swayed slightly, but his composure remained intact.

He used his divine sense to control the bronze sword, which struck the shield and slashed at the middle of the spear shaft, forcing the spear to change its attack and defend again.

Not only that, the two bronze gauntlets also took the opportunity to launch a follow-up attack, repelling the spear.

Ning Zhuo attacked with a spear, and defended with a shield. When the spear attack failed, Ning Zhuo seized the opportunity to counterattack.

The spearman possesses the skill of a master, with exceptional spear technique, achieving victory without using any specific moves, and often swiftly repelling successive attacks from swords, knives, and gauntlets.

However, it was never able to break through Ning Zhuo's shield defense.

Ning Zhuo didn't use his shield for offense, but only for self-defense, employing a clumsy tactic to advance steadily and surely.

In terms of skill-based combat, the spear is undoubtedly superior to Ning Zhuo's, as are the four Xuanbing armors he wields. However, Ning Zhuo relied on this tactic to stubbornly drag the spear into a situation where it could no longer utilize its strengths.

A thrust is blocked by a shield; a sweep is deflected; a collapse is broken; an entanglement is severed by swords and blades... No matter how skillful the spear technique, it cannot be fully utilized.

Finally, Ning Zhuo used his shield to brace the middle of the spear shaft, pinning it firmly to the ground. Swords, gauntlets, and other weapons also fell to the ground, assisting Ning Zhuo in suppressing the spear.

Divine refinement, magical refinement!

The bronze spear's struggling force rapidly weakened until it disappeared completely.

Ning Zhuo let out a long breath, and his tense mood finally relaxed.

He looked at the shield, which was covered in wounds, and then glanced at the bronze spear. He sighed sincerely, "It's fortunate that I got this shield. Otherwise, if I wanted to win, the injuries I would have sustained would have been much worse."

An inch longer, an inch stronger.

The battlefield was very open. Ning Zhuo knew perfectly well that if he relied solely on his gauntlets, sword, and this dragon-like spear to maneuver in the open, he would have already been riddled with countless holes by the spear tip.

But my shield stands firm as a wall, blocking all your myriad changes. I seek not merit but only to avoid fault; I'll remain as steadfast as a tortoise and as reliable as an old dog.

The cultivators who witnessed this scene were speechless.

"Ning Zhuo is really lucky; he actually obtained the only shield."

"He was the most relaxed during the battle against the fifth Xuanbing Armor. Even the three Golden Core cultivators were more disheveled than him."

"Banji is still unconscious."

The cultivators who were previously worried for him and thought Ning Zhuo was wasting his time have now all shut their mouths.

Some people exclaimed from the bottom of their hearts, "This is a first-rate genius!"

(End of this chapter)