Shackles of Humanity

The man on the roof leaped straight down, lightly kicking off the wall to perform a controlled descent. Mid-air, he drew two short spear sections from his back and twisted them together into a long spear. Just as he was about to land, he aimed its shaft and stabbed forward, channeling the immense momentum of his fall.

The strike was unparalleled in both power and presence. Luo Kai didn’t dare meet it head-on and hurriedly dodged aside. BOOM! The spot where he had just stood was now a small crater, and the flying debris stung his skin. ’Damn, these assassins just keep getting stronger. The last three were probably just First Rank Martial Artists, but this one is already a Mid-level Martial Artist.’

Luo Kai’s face darkened. He wasn’t afraid of a single opponent, but besides this man, there were several other faint, almost imperceptible auras nearby. They seemed to be waiting—waiting for a victor to emerge from this fight before making their move.

’The temptation of thirty million really is something else,’ he thought. ’If I don’t use some ruthless methods to make an example of someone, the trouble will be endless.’ With a flash, he moved, swinging his saber at the spear-wielding assassin.

The opponent’s spear was like a striking viper. It shot out in a flash, hitting the side of the Curved Long Saber from a strange angle. Luo Kai’s powerful slash was deflected, carving a deep furrow into the ground.

Luo Kai was stunned. He swung his saber again, but the opponent’s spear shot out and retracted, once more striking the side of the blade and deflecting its arc.

The fierce fight naturally alerted the guards of Jinlan Prefecture, and a large number of soldiers began rushing to the scene.

The battle between Luo Kai and the assassin grew white-hot. Luo Kai didn’t know any formal Sword Skill; he relied entirely on the overwhelming power behind his wide, sweeping slashes. His opponent’s spear, however, was adept at using leverage, creating an effect of ”four ounces deflecting a thousand pounds.” Each time, it managed to deflect his powerful blade.

Gradually, Luo Kai’s curiosity began to outweigh his killing intent. He wanted to study his opponent’s Deflection Attack technique, so he eased up on the force of his slashes and began circling, probing with agile movements.

The battle raged for half an hour. More and more soldiers arrived, forming a tight circle around them. A few officers watched the fight on the street with grim expressions. They were reluctant to intervene in what appeared to be a grudge match between Martial Artists. Such matters were typically reported to the Body Technique Association to handle.

The spear-wielding assassin’s mask had fallen off, revealing a middle-aged man in his forties. His expression grew increasingly grave. After his initial strike, he hadn’t found a single opening to attack. The young man’s blade was overwhelmingly powerful and unstoppable; all he could do was defend.

Now it was his turn to attack, yet he discovered his opponent’s agility was unlike anything he had ever seen. The man dodged his spear by a hair’s breadth every time, forcing him to keep increasing the power of his thrusts, but it was never quite enough.

Growing anxious, he suddenly stopped, took a few quick steps back, and hurled his spear at Luo Kai.

This was his ultimate move. The spear let out a piercing shriek as it tore through the air, its power clearly immense. Luo Kai could have easily dodged, but he suddenly wanted to test the Deflection Attack technique he had just learned. Flexing every muscle, he raised his long saber and struck the tip of the flying spear. Its trajectory was instantly deflected, and it shot through a nearby wall.

The middle-aged man’s face went pale with shock. He pointed a trembling finger at Luo Kai and stammered, ”You... You... You were learning from me!”

By now, Luo Kai’s killing intent had vanished. He said calmly, ”Your Spear Technique is very unique. I won’t kill you. Go.”

The middle-aged man was stunned. His face ashen, he gave Luo Kai a deep bow before turning to leave.

Luo Kai stood in the middle of the street, his head turning to scan his surroundings, waiting for the next enemy who dared to make a move.

’So that’s the principle behind his Deflection Attack,’ he thought. ’The so-called ”four ounces deflecting a thousand pounds” doesn’t really exist. The key is your own foundation of power and your perception. To deflect a full-powered attack, you need at least fifty to eighty percent of your opponent’s strength. After that, it comes down to perception. Every attack has a focal point of force and a weak point. Only by finding that weak point can you use skill to overcome brute strength.’

Before he could rest, the surrounding assassins suddenly struck. This time, it wasn’t one, but a group of at least seven Martial Artists. They leaped down from the surrounding buildings; those with firearms began shooting from a distance, while those with cold weapons charged in like lightning. An archer loosed a swift arrow at him. The diverse array of attacks came with a cacophony of whistling sounds that threatened to pierce his eardrums.

Luo Kai tilted his head to the sky and let out a long roar as hot blood surged through his veins. His figure vanished. At this moment, he felt not a shred of fear. On the contrary, he was uncontrollably excited. ’Every cell in my body is cheering. They’re waiting for this fight, waiting to grow!’

He struck out like lightning. With his vital energy circulating at full capacity, he pushed his body to its absolute limit. Surrounded by so many attackers, he had no opportunity for Gathering Power and couldn’t use his heavy, overwhelming slashes. His blade no longer sought pure power; instead, it sought speed. After each strike, he would instantly turn to slash at the next person, his movements as fluid as running water.

His speed was simply too great. The arc of his blade was a flash of lightning; the moment it connected with one person, it would vanish, only to reappear before another. The tide of battle had turned completely. What was supposed to be a group ambush had become a desperate defense for the attackers.

In a room in a tall building not far away, several men in black robes watched the street battle, dumbfounded. Their robes were embroidered with the emblem of a flying horse—they were from the Xingma Kingdom’s Military Punishment Department. Jinlan Prefecture was a base for the Military Punishment Department, so a public battle between Martial Artists would naturally not escape their notice.

One of them said, ”It seems all these Martial Artists came to Jinlan Prefecture for this kid. He’s terrifying!”

”Boss, should we intervene?”

”Don’t. We don’t know who either party is right now. Let’s just wait and see.”

Casualties had appeared on the street. One First Rank Martial Artist failed to dodge in time and had his throat slit by the blade. The faces of those attacking Luo Kai were filled with terror. It felt like they were fighting a Ghost Soul—they couldn’t even touch his shadow. The Mid-level Martial Artists could still barely defend themselves, but the First Rank Martial Artists were like lambs to the slaughter, completely powerless to resist.

Just as their fighting spirit began to crumble, Luo Kai’s figure suddenly froze. He swung his long saber upward. CLANG! With a tremendous noise, the concrete flagstones beneath his feet shattered.

”Hmph!” A cold snort echoed through the air as a bizarre black shadow joined the fray. This person’s speed was no less than Luo Kai’s. He wielded two gleaming Military Daggers, his stabbing angles cunning and vicious, immediately commanding the majority of Luo Kai’s attention.

The other attackers were immediately invigorated. They pressed their assault with renewed vigor, and the situation changed once again. Luo Kai was instantly forced into a steady retreat, completely unable to launch an attack of his own.