Chapter 443: Furball’s Promotion
The entire insectoid race had two Immortal rank experts. Xia Fei never would have imagined that Uti would actually have two ident.i.ties. He was both the emperor of the Golden Tent and the second ranking, Immortal expert, Tuifu.
Of course, High Priest Ryun was of an even greater rank than Immortal. Though that mysterious insectoid would not care to dabble in the day to day matters in the insectoid society and could at most be considered as someone born from the race, he was not comparable to Halleh or Uti.
Halleh died by Uti’s Windblade, and that one-meter cut, which had fatally wounded him, was the greatest testament to Uti’s might.
Xia Fei was extremely nervous, and sweat was already seeping out freely from his palm. However, he remained as calm as ever on the outside, looking far more determined than before.
Some people were like this, able to demonstrate a level of bravery and determination when backed into a corner. Even though he knew very well that he was no match for the opponent before him, he was not about to admit defeat or simply give up.
Uti widened his stance as he limbered up his two short legs, seemingly doing some strange exercise.
“It’s been too long since I moved, so even my whole body feels quite lethargic.” Uti was speaking to himself aloud. “Only fools will depend on martial arts prowess instead of ordering others around, which is why I’d rather win with my intellect. Your teacher ought to have told you before that every warrior should leave themselves with something in their back pocket, so I’ve kept my special ability hidden until now, only using it as a last-minute killer move.
“This isn’t because I look down on martial arts strength; rather, my intellect alone has always been enough to solve every issue until today. Just the fact that you’ve managed to make me reveal my hidden trump card is enough proof to say that you’ve succeeded.”
Xia Fei said softly, “That’s quite the trump card you’ve kept hidden in your back pocket all this while.”
“The universe is vast; everyone ought to be cautious.” Uti stood firmly as he spoke. His posture was upright, with his two legs digging into the ground like steel spikes. He was like a separate insectoid from Uti whom Xia Fei had seen previously, exuding the air expected of a bonafide martial arts pract.i.tioner.
“You have two things of mine in your hands. Hand over the Blood Demon Claw and the black chest, and perhaps I’ll let you live,” Uti said coldly.
Xia Fei shook his head. “First off, the Blood Demon Claw isn’t on me right now. Second—”
Xia Fei suddenly made his move as he was in mid-speech!
His figure darted to the left, going straight for the nearby fifth floor’s teleportation platform at an oblique angle!
Uti lightly beckoned with his finger, and a windblade wall formed in mid-air. Countless invisible short blades went flying out, preventing Xia Fei from getting onto the teleportation platform.
Windblades were short for wind-sharpened blades, and they were actually a form of ability that controlled airflow!
Each one of the windblades that Uti had conjured was as sharp as a honed edge, and it was at a standard that only an Immortal rank expert could manifest! Any mortal would not remain standing if they were hit by such blades!
“Thinking of running away? Not so fast!”
The path Xia Fei was on made it appear like he was running straight for the teleportation platform, yet his figure suddenly made a sharp turn, as if he was relying on the impetus of his dash to throw his body forward!
*Whoos.h.!.+*
Like a bolt of lightning, Xia Fei, who was originally running obliquely forward, suddenly pounced on Uti!
It turned out that the escape attempt was all but a ruse. Xia Fei’s goal was to fool Uti into thinking that he was fleeing as he made use of that extra distance to accelerate further, all so he could charge right at Uti with his fastest speed!
“Oblique acceleration! What nimble physical agility!”
Uti casually commented as he raised a wall of windblades in front of himself. Like a waterfall that was going upstream, the windblades surged from the ground to the ceiling of the cavern!
The transparent windblades were both quick and sharp. If Xia Fei were to ram into this wall of windblades at his present speed, his body would most definitely be minced by the countless windblades!
*Whoosh—*
His figure changed yet again! Xia Fei stomped the ground with one foot and leaped away horizontally, pulling himself back from that wall of windblades just as he was about to make contact with it.
Thousands of meters apart, Xia Fei and Uti were once more standing opposite each other.
Uti’s eyes flashed as he marveled in delight. “What amazing physical agility! No wonder even Nimuni, who possessed a higher speed than you, got defeated. It’s rare to find a speed ability user who can maintain their dexterity at top speeds. Just this point alone makes it evident how much stronger you are compared to him.”
“You’ve got a quick reaction yourself.” Xia Fei wiped his forehead with his sleeve as he casually responded.
Uti laughed. “But of course! The speed ability is hard to cultivate, but once done, the resulting might is startling. Though you’re only a grade 5 warrior, your combat strength is well above grade 6, which is why the grade 6 warriors I sent before were all slain by you. However, I hope that you don’t forget that I’m a grade 7 warrior, which is equivalent to an Immortal rank warrior by human standards. No matter how you look at this, I’m just that bit stronger than you.”
His expression changed instantaneously. No longer was he showing a cheeky smile; instead, he was now displaying a sinister countenance. “There’s a limit to my patience. Hand over that black metal case and the Blood Demon Claw, or else die! The choice is yours.”
Xia Fei propped up Furball and then began using his Delusion technique, quickly conjuring an energy ball in his right hand.
*Pat.*
With a flip of his wrist, Xia Fei injected the ball of energy into Furball’s body!
He watched as Furball’s form rapidly swelled, and in less than a second, the holy beast turned into another Xia Fei!
Not only did they look alike, they even wore the same gear. Even their expressions and actions were identical, impossible for anyone to tell them apart.
“Oh? A cloning technique!” Uti exclaimed in surprise. “That’s indeed a good move, but to me, having one or two of you won’t change anything. The outcome is all but decided.”
Furball seemed to be very uncomfortable with the human form he had morphed into. He tried to limber up his body but found the movement very stiff.
Uti waved his hand and sent two windblades screeching right over! One was aimed at Xia Fei and another at Furball!
Crushed stone went flying in every direction as the sharp blades left two deep gashes on the ground!
*Whoos.h.!.+*
Furball and Xia Fei ducked to the right and left respectively. Xia Fei was very quick, and he had Crafty Approach to a.s.sist him. He could safely evade this blade, but Furball was not that fortunate. While he managed to dodge most of the attack’s brunt, the blade succeeded in cutting his right leg, causing fresh blood to flow freely!
“ROAR!”
Furball was angered!
He was a holy beast, yet a mortal had managed to injure him! This was simply too great an insult!
Though Furball was young, far from his peak state, he still had the kingly aura that a holy beast possessed!
Uti could not help but take two steps backward. He felt an immense pressure coming from Furball’s roar as if an entire mountain was pressing down on him, making it hard for him to breathe!
Two bloodshot eyes!
A bright halo glowed from around the Xia Fei that Furball had morphed into. This halo enveloped his body as it constantly orbited and moved!
*Ping!*
Uti could feel a powerful threat coming from Furball, so he released three windblades successively, each one larger than the last!
Seeing as these windblades were about to hit him, Furball did not dodge or evade; instead, he puffed his chest and took them straight on!
*Ping ping ping!*
These transparent windblades connected with Furball’s halo and instantly shattered!
“Xia Fei, Furball has been promoted! I felt the energy count in his body doubling!” Phantom excitedly announced.
Xia Fei nodded vigorously as he joyfully looked at Furball. His pet had always given him the most unexpected surprises in the most coincidental of circ.u.mstances!
Furball was not at all injured by the windblades. Uti’s attacks were completely useless to him! Uti was, of course, gravely shocked by this turn of events!
“ROAR!”
Furball was no longer presenting the naivety it used to show but was now showing a look of sheer savagery. It suddenly accelerated and went pouncing on Uti with the glowing halo still up! At the same time, he kept firing shot after shot of energy b.a.l.l.s from his mouth!
*Pew pew pew!*
Uti’s windblades were turned into nothingness upon touching these energy b.a.l.l.s, while Furball kept shooting, forcing Uti to send windblades nonstop in an effort to counter his attacks!
*KABOOM!*
Furball collided with Uti. The latter had a wall of windblades s.h.i.+elding him, while Furball had his glowing halo around him, which was what had come into contact with the said wall. The two were approximately a meter apart when the ear-splitting sound of an explosion rang out!
It was as if a pair of bulls had locked horns, neither refusing to let go!
“This is an opportunity!” Xia Fei quickly judged.
Furball’s sudden promotion and frenzy was actually a close match to the might of the Immortal ability user Uti!
However, it was important not to forget that Uti was just by himself, while Xia Fei had himself, a ball, and a phantom!
“Fearless!”
*Swoosh—*
The eighteen circular blades of Celestial Moon went flying, forming the shape of a cross in mid-air as they rapidly went for Uti!
*Boom!*
Another explosion and the rocks around these combatants began falling. It was as if the very foundation of this entire cavern had been shaken by that explosion! The ocean of lava a good distance away went tumultuous!
Furball’s glowing halo and Xia Fei’s Celestial Moon worked in tandem, pinning down Uti’s wall of windblades!
“Shatter!” Xia Fei yelled, just as Furball let out a sharp screech!
Two beings meant two separate forces forcing Uti to retreat!
His two arms were already buried deep into the ground. With Xia Fei and Furball’s dual effort, Uti’s legs struggled to remain rooted, but the rock beneath his feet were cracking and fragmenting.
This was the purest form of showdown, the apex display of a clash of strength!
Uti kept backing away, leaving behind two potholes with every step he took.
*Thud!*
Uti felt himself coming to an abrupt stop. He had been forced to the edge of the cavern!
On the other side of this clash, neither Furball nor Xia Fei looked as if they were stopping. The duo was still devoting all their strength in keeping him pinned down!
A man, a ball, and an insectoid. All their eyes were bloodshot red!
Such a pure clash of strength was very awkward, and there was no technique to speak of. Both sides were unleas.h.i.+ng all the strength they had, leaving nothing behind. As long as they continued in such a fas.h.i.+on, the side that let up first would be the one turning into mush by the force of the energy expended!
“Cough!”
Xia Fei spat a mouthful of blood. The combat technique, Fearless, strained his physical and mental energy severely. Using this combat skill was already a great pressure on Xia Fei; what was more of the fact that he needed to maintain it for several minutes? This was essentially a very harsh test to him.
The test here was not just a matter of cultivation but also willpower! Whoever could hold on the longest would emerge victorious!
The angered Furball made Xia Fei inexplicably realize this side of the beast that would not give up even in the face of death. With their lifeforce intertwined, Xia Fei could sense Furball becoming weaker and weaker, but his willpower was not any inferior to Xia Fei’s.
Furball and Xia Fei were like two enraged bulls, recklessly increasing their pressure on Uti, completely disregarding all possible consequences!
There was no denying that the Immortal rank expert, Uti, was way stronger than Xia Fei, but Xia Fei was not taking this battle alone. He still had the holy beast, Shatterstar, on his side!
Young as Furball was, no one could deny that he was born to one day be an existence that could rule tens of thousands of beasts all across the universe!
A young Shatterstar beast was still a holy beast!
Uti was slowly being squeezed down into the rock. As an intellectual, Uti’s brain had plenty of thoughts crossing his mind, such as ‘Just how am I gonna get myself out of this insane situation,’ ‘What would happen if I died,’ ‘What strategies can I employ to make Xia Fei give up,’ et cetera.
However, Furball and Xia Fei were like two maniacs who did not care for their lives!
Thoughts? Xia Fei and Furball were completely devoid of any!
They only had a single shared belief, and that was never to give up!
This fight would either end with their deaths or Uti’s.