Chapter 369: A Year of Abundant Harvest (9)
Ling Feng drew out his soft sword and stared at his opponent whose aura had changed drastically.
Her movements became more agile, and new equipment was added to her armor. Judging from the storm she casually stirred up, she must have become a free-spirited wind in just three days...
That alone wasn't enough to cause concern. But the key was the other person's clear eyes. He seemed to have figured something out, his resolve resolute. That was the most troubling aspect. For the Supreme Being on the path to godhood, strength wasn't determined by mere particles, but by will and emotion.
"You look very confident." Ling Feng swung his sword, "This time I will let you deeply understand the consequences of meddling in other people's affairs!"
The soft sword radiated light, and Ji Huaisu parried it with a knife-handed strike. Ling Feng instantly transformed into light and appeared at her side. Her right fist, thrust like a dagger, contained the essence of assassination. The Jade Forging Karate, inherited from the Chill Sect of Shura Island, reduced those struck by it to a jade-like, crystalline corpse. Ling Feng also held a sinister hidden weapon between her fingers.
No longer the merciful Wind Blade, this time her fist blade is the destructive Anti-Law Rainbow, and this blow will shatter the female knight's armor along with half of her body.
Ling Feng's jab landed squarely on the opponent's waist. A chill mingled with a rainbow light, causing the mind-destroying rainbow flower to bloom. Ling Feng followed up with two strikes almost simultaneously, aiming to shatter the flower and completely destroy the opponent's will. However, her fist was repelled by a stronger resistance! She struck not the flower so close at hand... but a transparent "card" emerging from the bottom of the armor!
“?!”
Ji Huaisu spun around at this moment, striking with a powerful punch that landed squarely on Ling Feng's side. Ling Feng did a series of backflips to create distance, stabilizing her balance. She watched as Ji Huaisu picked up the inexplicably appearing card... and now, a new pattern had appeared on the card. It was the flower that was supposed to bloom on Ji Huaisu's body!
"The Zanxin's Karate combined with Anti-Law Rainbow and War Plant Techniques." Ji Huaisu examined the card. "No wonder you're so ruthless. So you're an immigrant from Shura Island."
"It's rare that Captain Ling Feng has shown off so much of his skills. Let me show you our knights' abilities too!"
The dragon head armor on Ji Huaisu's right hand opened and closed, revealing a slot behind the dragon's neck for inserting cards. She inserted the card that sealed the flowers, and also the card with the stardust. The dragon head's eyes flashed, and it issued a low declaration.
【Stardust】【Rainbow Flower】【Fusion Advent】
"Meteor dust breaks, flowers dance!"
A brilliant light blazed above the battlefield, and a meteor shower imbued with destructive force descended instantly. Each dust particle held an ominous rainbow glow, each carrying the power of a rainbow flower. They exploded with a shrill roar, creating a vibrant sea of flowers thousands of meters above the sky!
Ling Feng quickly transformed into light and dodged, expending considerable energy to maintain her elemental form's high mobility. She knew better than anyone the power of these flowers; if caught in the sea of rainbow blossoms, even she would suffer a mental breakdown, losing her fighting power.
This technique was originally designed for personal assassination, but Ji Huaisu used the strange card to seal her ultimate move, and combined it with the meteor shower to form this terrifying wide-range instant death attack!
What exactly was the principle? Was it some kind of sealing technique rumored to be hidden in the Heavenly Prison? Conventional Particle 4s prided themselves on their speed, so why had they encountered a freak like her today?
Ling Feng's light-transformed body was conducting rapid thought. She noticed that Ji Huaisu had stood still after calling out for the Out-of-Dust Break, without taking any further action. Her gaze did not follow her movements, but she simply maintained her normal state, adapting to the changing circumstances.
That made sense. Perhaps the opponent's Free Wind was a rare "defensive counterattack" build. They sacrificed mobility to enhance their sealing abilities in exchange for strong defensive capabilities. Her failure to follow the current action was the best evidence. So...
Abandon close combat and decide the outcome with long-range, high-speed firepower bombing!
Ling Feng briefly appeared, sending a signal to the Fourth Squad headquarters. A distant armory opened, and four massive pillars of sacred wood, wrapped with sacred shimenawa ropes, soared skyward toward the battlefield. Ling Feng clapped her hands repeatedly in the air, her clapping summoning the power of wind and thunder.
"Summon the wind and thunder, Morimori Lianzhu!"
Four divine pillars crashed to the ground, forming a barrier that sealed off the inside and outside. Within the barrier, thunderclouds surged, and thick, violent lightning swirled, transforming into a thousand divine weapons guarding the horizon. A black and fierce gale rose, enveloping the thunder weapons and forming a destructive wind column.
The four sky-high and earth-shaking violent winds withstood the impact of Chen Po and rolled towards the center of the barrier with their overwhelming power. No matter how powerful the sealing technique was, it could not stop them!
Ji Huaisu shook her neck, then with a flick of her right hand, conjured two brand-new cards. A ferocious beast's claws, shaped from shadow, and a blade composed of colorless whirlwind. She placed the new cards into the dragon's head and summoned the Sword of Purifying Fire.
[Shadow Claw][Wind Blade][Fusion Advent]
"Holy Judgement of Discipline: Shadow Blade Storm!"
Shadow claws and wind blades magnified and clung to the sword. Ji Huaisu swung with all his might, unleashing a kilometer-long slash of dark light. Everything shattered in its path: the storm vanished, the thunder died, even the stout sacred wood pillars were reduced to thin sheets of paper. The power of the Dimensional Degradation Technique erupted in the sword's light, shattering Ling Feng's Morimori Lianzhu with unbridled violence!
Ji Huaisu swung his sword in a flurry of blows, his sword winds crisscrossing like a dense net, each strike carrying the power of Dimensional Degradation. This wasn't an attack that could be contained within the firepower output level; it was a wide-range, continuous, lethal blow!
"What an astonishing destructive power...!"
Ling Feng ducked quickly, her phototransfer slowing down by a split second, and that alone reduced half her armor to useless shreds. She immediately abandoned her fire bombing tactic; it was completely pointless. Even the Spiral Tower's Rainbow Evil wasn't this extreme; they still had to charge before unleashing their rainbow light explosions!
Where did this trick come from? The intelligence only said to keep an eye on Chu Hengkong in Huilong City, so when did this person suddenly appear?!
Ji Huaisu's loud laughter echoed from within the storm. "What's wrong? Besides bullying small animals and causing internal strife, don't you, the dignified Fourth Captain, have any other skills?"
Ling Feng silently clasped her hands together, removing the meaningless divine pillar. She flashed behind Ji Huaisu again and struck out with fists swirling with wind. Ji Huaisu, without even turning, summoned the Dinghai Divine Needle to block the blow. This time, the armor's inherent sealing technique failed to activate, as Ling Feng hadn't tapped into elemental power. She employed pure assassination techniques.
Since interference and bombing are useless, use the speed advantage to suppress the enemy in close combat, and kill with one strike after finding a flaw!
Ji Huaisu withdrew his flaming sword, tackling him solely with his divine needle. The two engaged in a relentless exchange of blows, Ji Huaisu's attacks powerful yet difficult to land, Ling Feng dodging them nimbly, leveraging her speed. She simultaneously pointed two fingers at Ji Huaisu's eyes, and Ji Huaisu turned and struck him headfirst with a hammer. Ling Feng briefly transformed into light to evade, then unleashed a swinging punch. Ji Huaisu dropped his staff and grabbed her fist with his palm. The elemental forces of both sides erupted upon collision, arcs of lightning and a violent wind erupting behind them!
"Since you know the situation, why bother meddling in other people's affairs?" Ling Feng said solemnly, "It's better to use this power to protect your own home than to get involved in Jingsha's mess!"
Ji Huaisu sneered, "After you declare independence, the first city to be destroyed will be Huilong City. Do you think I should intervene in this trivial matter?!"
"Is it my destiny to fight for you my whole life?"
"There are tens of billions of lives behind your thorny robe, and the 1.7 billion citizens within the city-state aren't much better off. The pros and cons were clearly stated by Shi Zhong before. I don't believe that you, Ling Feng, still can't see clearly!"
Ji Huaisu deflected Ling Feng's attack and struck him in the side of the face with a powerful punch. Ling Feng retreated wordlessly, slashing Ji Huaisu's upper arm with his soft sword. The two engaged in a fierce and merciless fight once again.
"Ten years of hard work is better than a single day of ruin. I know this, and that's why I support independence! My city-state of Jingsha has defended the Allied front for thousands of years. Now I'm exhausted and want to quit. What's wrong with me?"
"This is absolutely ridiculous!" Ji Huaisu shouted angrily, "What are you talking about quitting midway? Do you think war is a game? The war won't end because of your will. The enemy will always come to you. The only way to end it is to kill them all!"
Ling Feng responded with an angry hiss: "War means death. What's wrong with wanting to save your family from death?"
Ling Feng threw another powerful punch and retreated, but this time she didn't follow. She transformed completely into a rainbow of light, elemental power flowing with a unique rhythm, giving her body an almost liquid-like dynamic. Thorns tore through her back, weaving into long, insect-like wings. The ends of those wings rapidly grew brighter, emitting blazing, swift beams of light!
Ji Huaisu deployed her sealing technique, piling up layers of cards into a wall, but she was at a disadvantage in both attack and defense. The beam bombardment was too fast and at a near-close range, making it difficult for even her sealing skills to deal with it immediately.
After utilizing the auxiliary system, Ling Feng realized the time required to release the card before unleashing a powerful fusion technique. He capitalized on this time difference and launched a precise attack. Ji Huaisu's card defense was steadily losing ground, while Ling Feng's beam radiation gradually intensified as his emotions grew.
She looked at Ji Huaisu with a cold expression, and every word was piercing: "You claim to be righteous but use other people's citizens as a shield. It's simply shameful!"
Ji Huaisu closed his eyes silently.
In the past, she would have been ashamed of such sharp accusations.
You will doubt whether your actions are correct, think about whether you should refute the enemy's views, become anxious because you cannot prove your correctness, and be distressed by that doubt and questioning.
But now, she has cut off the confusion.
You know whether it is right or not.
Since you have made your own choice, you don’t have to worry about what others say!
"You've slept in delusion for too long. Let me wake you up!"
The sealing spell ceased, and the wall that had blocked the rainbow light was instantly shattered. Ji Huaisu faced the radiant light of destruction. She pulled a brand new card from her armor. In the center of that emerald green card, a majestic creature howled to the sky.
【Disaster Beast Arrives】
The voice of proclamation rang out once more, solemn and reverent, like a messenger announcing the will of God. Ji Huaisu placed the dragon-head wristband before him, and the jade dragon sculpture came to life. At this moment, it shed its armor and soared into the air, transforming into the giant creature depicted in the card and descending, completely engulfing the beam of light!
"——Come on, Dragon of Misfortune!"
A fierce wind surged, thunder roared like trees, and purple lightning illuminated the massive form of the creature. It was undoubtedly an ancient dragon, with long, erect golden horns, a majestic, flowing beard, and a body covered in layers of coral-like spikes. Even visitors from Longquan Township couldn't identify its form, as the beast's demeanor was so far removed from that of an ancient dragon.
It possesses six claws, a prominent head and horns, and limbs as thick as a demon's arms. Three pairs of transparent wings sprout from its claws, unleashing a howling gale. This is a raging dragon that brings disaster. When it roars in rage, its wings will obscure the sky!
——The Path of the Discipline Knight is an elemental path centered around restraint.
Sephiroth 1, the Light Guardian, binds light with his protective "shield." Sephiroth 2, the Shadow Blade, binds shadow with his combative "sword." After mastering the three elements, Fire, Water, and Dust each transform into armor to protect the Knight, demonstrating their commitment to the righteous path.
The moment of mastering the "wind" is the most difficult hurdle for the Knight of Discipline to overcome. Because the "wind" symbolizes freedom, an elemental body can easily lead to unbridled thoughts and uncontrolled emotions. Once the oath is forgotten, even the strongest knight will fall into the wrong path and become a demon.
Therefore, the knights abandoned their elemental bodies.
They forsook convenience, forsaken freedom, and bound the power of the Free Wind within their proud sealing technique. They dedicated that freedom to their most loyal companions, their mounts, their shared fate on the battlefield. From then on, the knights truly became knights. They restricted their own freedom, but gained a loyal comrade. When they fought side by side, they achieved a speed that even the strongest winds could not match.
This is Sephiroth 4 of the Knight of Discipline, skilled in sealing techniques, and the "Wind Seal Knight" who accompanies his mount. And Ji Huaisu's mount is the "Dragon of Misfortune," named after the calamity it brings!
The Dragon of Misfortune roared in anger, its fierce winds shattering all of Ling Feng's beams. Ji Huaisu stood on the dragon's back, her voice amplified by the dragon's roar, sinking into Ling Feng's heart.
"You believe that independence will bring you a moment of peace, and that trade will revive as your city-state prospers. It sounds like a beautiful vision. But I wonder, after your arbitrary actions have killed billions of lives, who in this world will be willing to ally with you, or be your friend?"
Ji Huaisu said loudly, "Every sip and bite in this world is clearly recorded by the tide of fate. The casualties caused by your city's independence will exceed the sins committed by the heretics for a hundred years. I wonder who will be considered the evil heretic in the eyes of future generations, and I wonder who will ultimately bear the brunt of this karma!"
“——!!!”
Ling Feng was horrified, unsure how to respond. Even her sword-gripping hand was shaking. The female knight's gaze was like two clear swords, piercing into the darkness she had been unwilling to gaze upon, piercing those possibilities she had deliberately ignored.
She gritted her teeth and urged the beam to rise again, but no matter what she did, she couldn't break through the wind wall of the Dragon of Misfortune. At this moment, Ji Huaisu leaped from the dragon's back and mercilessly launched a fierce kick. The Dragon of Misfortune transformed into pure energy, wrapping around her armor, and this strike directly destroyed Ling Feng's light!
The kick landed squarely on him, the seal instantly stripping him of his elemental power. Ling Feng, transformed into a humanoid form, fell from the sky, like a pale star dropping into the fields.
Ji Huaisu landed beside her, pulled out a card, and summoned the Dragon of Misfortune. She turned to look at Ling Feng. The fourth captain's helmet had long been shattered, revealing a pair of dazed eyes through the cracks.
"Holding on will lead to destruction, and independence is also a dead end. So what should we do? Should we die on the battlefield... Is this the justice you believe in?"
"You, Lingfeng," Ji Huaisu said, "you have too little faith in your own homeland, and too little faith in the Allies. You should leave this city-state and see the battlefields elsewhere. Only then will you understand a simple truth."
She walked forward, pulled Ling Feng up, and patted him on the shoulder.
"No one fights alone. Only those who live and die together are allies," she said firmly. "So-called justice means that when you go to the battlefield, we will be together!"
Ling Feng couldn't help but squint his eyes, as if he saw a light that was too dazzling.
She suddenly understood why the elders had guarded this place for generations without complaint. Perhaps it was because in the past, both the city-state and the allied forces were as upright as this knight.
Never waver, and never give up.
(End of this chapter)
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