Martial Dao: Peace by Force

Chapter 116: Chapter 98: Wielding Sword Momentum, Slaying the Enemy

The man burst into the basement and saw Wan Ze, and behind him, Miss Ling...

Most importantly, he saw the painting in Miss Ling’s hands.

A murderous glint filled his eyes!

Without a moment’s hesitation, he charged forward to snatch it.

Wan Ze stood before Miss Ling, and with no wasted words, his hand went to the hilt of his sword.

SHING!

The shriek of metal echoed wildly.

The murky, stagnant air of the basement suddenly turned explosive.

Facing the descending figure, Wan Ze slashed out with his sword!

Sword Momentum: Gazing at the Mountain!

A strike that surged like wildfire and thunder, incomparably ferocious in this single moment!

Wan Ze had never formally studied swordsmanship. All he had learned were the most fundamental Basic Sword Techniques, yet they just so happened to be Special Level Basic Sword Techniques.

The profundities of the Ten Thousand Swords Technique all stemmed from its basic forms.

His current strike was a perfect example.

It was nothing more than the most basic of slashes.

Yet, empowered by his surging Sword Momentum, it howled with unrestrained, brutal force!

The man’s pupils dilated in utter shock. As a bone-deep chill washed over him, he hastily raised his long blade to block!

’Damn it!’

’Is that Sword Momentum?!’

’Someone actually managed to master Sword Momentum!’

’I don’t fucking believe it!’

He roared in defiance.

To his horror, he discovered he had no time to change his attack. Relying solely on instincts honed over years of life-or-death combat, he yanked back his right hand, which had been reaching for the painting. Simultaneously, with his left hand, he swung the heavy, reverse-gripped long blade upward in a desperate, all-out block.

He swung the blade sideways, attempting to parry a blow that felt like a mountain crashing down on him!

BANG!!!

The edge of the sword slammed violently into the body of the blade.

It was like a sledgehammer striking a solid anvil, a thud so deep it made one’s heart shudder.

The burly man felt an immense, heavy Power surge savagely up the length of his blade.

It wasn’t just the raw force of the impact.

It felt more like an entire mountain had come crashing down upon his blade!

’This... this isn’t right!’

Before the man could even react...

SPFFT!

His chest tightened, and he sprayed out a mouthful of blood. The bones in his arms emitted a sickening CREAK, unable to bear the load, and he could no longer keep his footing.

And that was only the beginning.

BOOM!!!

A second, even more terrifying wave of Power—like a Dark Force hidden within the mountain itself—erupted immediately after!

”Aaargh!”

The burly man lost all control. With a pained cry, he was thrown back as if struck head-on by a giant siege ram. His feet left the ground, and he hurtled backward even faster than he had charged in.

RUMBLE!

His burly frame shot up the narrow, steep stone steps like an out-of-control cannonball, flying all the way from the very bottom of the basement to the top.

The edges of the stone steps crumbled in his wake, sending dust and shattered rock raining down.

Back in the stone chamber, Miss Ling was utterly stunned. One hand was clamped tightly over her mouth, while the other subconsciously hugged the painting to her chest. Her eyes were wide, completely unable to process what had just happened in the blink of an eye.

It was only when she felt the heavy weight in her right hand...

...that she looked down dazedly at the silver gun in her hand. Her mind was a complete blank; she had no idea what was going on.

”Hold on to the painting. Don’t let go,” Wan Ze instructed calmly, without turning his head.

He started to walk toward the stone steps.

”W-wait!” Miss Ling snapped back to her senses, her voice trembling as she raised the gun. ”Sh-should I use this? I... I don’t think I know how...”

”You won’t need it.” Wan Ze didn’t break his stride. ”Stay here. Wait for me to come back for you.”

Almost as soon as the words left his mouth...

...the light from the entrance high above darkened once more!

The tall man had somehow struggled back to his feet and was charging down again.

Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. His shirt was torn, revealing severe bruising on his exposed chest. It was clear his internal organs had sustained a massive shock.

But his eyes burned with even more savagery than before! Even more madness!

His gaze was locked on the sword-wielding Wan Ze.

”Kid...”

He spat out a bloody wad of phlegm, his voice seething with the rage of humiliation. ”That was one hell of a scary strike, wasn’t it? You probably think you’ve already won, just because you got the first hit and knocked me back?”

As he spoke, he raised the heavy long blade in his hand.

A startling gash now marred the blade’s surface.

But he seemed completely unconcerned, instead splitting his face into a vicious grin.

”Let me tell you something! That pathetic excuse for Sword Momentum of yours has barely scratched the surface. You’re still green! It amounts to nothing!”

”The real fight starts now!!”

The words had barely left his mouth when the burly man exploded into motion.

This time, he didn’t charge straight ahead. Instead, he dragged his long blade at his side, his body crouched low like a tiger before the pounce. He moved down the stone passageway, one step, two steps... his speed building with each one.

With his third step, the thud of his foot stomping the ground sounded like a war drum, and he blurred into an even more ferocious black shadow.

Pouncing down for the kill once more!

His clothes whipped about wildly!

The narrow passageway restricted his movements, but it also maximized the linear force of his charge.

The tip of his blade scraped along the ground, kicking up a trail of sparks!

In the blink of an eye, he had crossed most of the corridor, rapidly closing the distance to Wan Ze!

”DIIIIIE!!”

With a furious roar, the muscles in his arms bulged. Channeling his forward momentum, he brought the trailing long blade upward in a simple yet utterly vicious slash.

The blade flashed, bright as snow, carrying a resolve to shred everything in its path as it aimed straight for Wan Ze’s chest and abdomen!

This single strike was the culmination of all his rage, killing intent, and combat experience; its power far surpassed his hasty block from before.

But faced with this ferocious, seemingly unstoppable, all-or-nothing blow, Wan Ze did something the man never would have expected.

With a flick of his wrist, he cleanly and crisply... sheathed the Ancient Sword that had just demonstrated the power of his Sword Momentum!

”You—?”