Chapter 139: Which Weapon Is Best?
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
At the abandoned building construction site.
Tang Songting swept a glance around. He took the initiative and struck first, stabbing a few Rank-1 martial artists.
A martial artist tried to attack Fang Ping, but just as he got in front of Fang Ping, Fang Ping drew his saber and slice the a.s.sailant in two!
“You guys go get the other one!”
Yao Jincheng’s expression changed slightly as he called out to the others. The other martial artists were a little unnerved and hastily made way to go against Tang Songting.
Normally, Fang Ping rarely blathered on during a mission.
This time, however, Fang Ping spoke to his opponent. “Truthfully, this is my first time having a one-on-one duel with a Rank-2 martial artist.”
“Martial arts university?”
“A good observation.”
Yao Jincheng said coldly, “Aside from you lapdogs, who else is there!”
“Lapdogs?”
Fang Ping laughed. “You might as well call us lackeys. It sounds better, anyway. Why’d you have to be so crude?
“Actually, it’s hard to understand the mindsets of you people. Isn’t the government good?
“Is it so hard to tolerate them hiding some news from regular people? Unacceptable?
“Let me tell you, when I first heard the news, I also felt unsettled and afraid. I thought that doomsday had come.
“But is it necessary to cause nationwide panic?”
“Bah, only you privileged people would sugarcoat it like that!”
Yao Jincheng clearly knew the current situation. His tone was somber as he said, “We would rather die with clarity than die without knowing anything!”
“Yet you people attack civilians and students. This is what you guys mean by justice?”
Fang Ping jeered. “If it really was only due to a conflict of principles, then maybe your sins aren’t as great. But you guys have gone insane. I heard that you have started quite a few ma.s.sacres to spread your so-called glory…”
“That was because those fools were ignorant…”
The two of them were still speaking, but Tang Songting was already out of breath. “What are you chatting with these maniacs for? Talk after you’ve killed him!” he roared.
Fang Ping smiled. “I just wanted to see if there was a possibility of saving them. I guess there isn’t.”
Right as he finished speaking, Fang Ping leaped into the air, wielding his saber toward his opponent!
Clang!
Yao Jincheng was also armed. He blocked Fang Ping’s attack with his longsword.
At the collision, Fang Ping’s eyes brightened. His opponent’s Vitality was no match for his!
Aside from his Vitality, his opponent was also lagging in the progress of his limb honing. Other than a few bones being honed deeper than Fang Ping’s, the others were inferior.
“You’re weaker than s.h.i.+ Feng!”
Fang Ping laughed once before slas.h.i.+ng with his saber again.
Yao Jincheng’s eyebrows knitted tightly as he parried with his sword.
“Rank-2?”
Yao Jincheng could not accurately pinpoint Fang Ping’s strength. Was he Rank-2 or Rank-1?
Rank-1 and 2 martial artists had a few differences.
A higher honing progress would result in subtle changes in the bones. Outsiders would have a hard time differentiating them if they did not pay attention, but martial artists would still be able to tell.
Judging by Fang Ping’s initial performance, it did not seem as if his upper limbs had been honed.
If so, then he was Rank-1.
However, Fang Ping’s saber-wielding and slashes’ strength were quite strong—at least he was on par with Yao Jincheng himself. Was he really a Rank-1 martial artist?
Yao Jincheng was a little muddled, but he did not let his guard down and continued battling Fang Ping.
On the other hand, Fang Ping had a smile on his face. It seemed his opponent really was no big deal.
No longer interested in gauging him, Fang Ping slashed quickly with his saber, not giving his opponent time to respond.
With both hands wielding the saber, Fang Ping did not rest his legs either as he fiercely kicked his right leg at Yao Jincheng.
Yao Jincheng’s lower limbs had been completely honed long ago, so he did not shy back and lifted his leg to meet Fang Ping’s.
Fang Ping’s toes were pointed straight, ready to jab at his opponent’s kneecap. Yao Jincheng swiftly blocked it with his foot.
Right as they connected, Yao Jincheng suddenly retracted his leg as if he had been electrocuted, fury on his face as he glared at Fang Ping.
Blood and flesh could not compare to alloy. Adding on Fang Ping’s well-practiced Puncture Kick, the kick nearly punctured straight through his heel.
“You really are not as good as s.h.i.+ Feng.”
Fang Ping lamented before shouting, “Witness my consecutive kicks!”
Yao Jincheng was extremely cautious and looked at Fang Ping’s legs the moment he heard Fang Ping’s words, preparing to dodge Fang Ping’s shoes.
“Your combat tactics are weak too!”
Fang Ping trash-talked yet again. He did not do any consecutive kicks but hacked away with his saber instead, each swing more ferocious than the last.
Longswords were not suitable for hacking, and Yao Jincheng’s Vitality was no match for Fang Ping’s. Fang Ping’s whole body’s honing progress was at 30%, and his upper limbs’ strength was not inferior to Yao Jincheng’s.
After over ten consecutive slashes, Yao Jincheng’s face was as red as an apple.
At this moment, Yao Jincheng no longer tried to stubbornly meet his attacks. Just as he took a step back, Fang Ping quickly closed in.
As Fang Ping’s pole-standing had already been at the firm stance ages ago, he recently noticed its effects. At the very least, sticking close to someone was an easy task.
Keeping close to Yao Jincheng, Fang Ping resumed stabbing with his saber!
Clangs resounded without stop.
Yao Jincheng’s expressions kept stiffening. His face was filled with rage as he yelled, “Let’s see who can hold out longer!”
Because of Fang Ping’s alloy shoes, he did not dare challenge Fang Ping with lower-body moves.
However, when it came to using their upper bodies to stab at each other with blades, although Fang Ping possessed much strength, they were still a good match.
He wanted to backtrack, but Fang Ping stuck close to him. Yao Jincheng could only meet his attacks.
“I like people like you!”
Fang Ping even gave some leisurely banter as his moves became faster and faster, slas.h.i.+ng his opponent’s sword endlessly.
After another ten or so attacks, Yao Jincheng’s face was starting to pale.
Fang Ping was not faring much better. The attacks had been carried out at full-strength under a Vitality outburst and depleted an abnormal amount of Vitality.
Just like Yao Jincheng, Fang Ping could not hold on for much longer.
Yao Jincheng looked at Fang Ping’s equally blanched face and thought, ‘Wait till this b.a.s.t.a.r.d uses up too much of his Vitality. I’ll create some distance, then…’
Right as he had this thought, Fang Ping’s face suddenly bloomed red.
Yao Jincheng did not detect anything and only felt something was wrong a moment later as Fang Ping’s blade came down even harder than his initial full-strength outburst!
Clang clang clang…
This time, Fang Ping’s movements gained even more speed.
“How is this possible!”
“Are you surprised?”
Fang Ping provoked his opponent but did not give him the opportunity to speak. He used his Vitality for an outburst once again and knocked away Yao Jincheng’s sword with a clang.
Yao Jincheng’s expression changed drastically and he turned to flee.
However, turning his back on Fang Ping at this moment was practically an invitation for Fang Ping to attack.
Fang Ping’s saber did not pause for a second, and he swiftly brought it down!
Pch!
The sound of the weapon cutting through bone reverberated. Fang Ping did not stop, and he raised his leg and kicked his opponent’s calf. Yao Jincheng staggered, and Fang Ping slashed his saber again!
Pfft!
His head rolled off!
…
“Weaker than s.h.i.+ Feng.”
Fang Ping repeatedly used s.h.i.+ Feng as a comparison. This b.a.s.t.a.r.d was not as desperate as s.h.i.+ Feng had been either. He did not oppose Fang Ping and tried to flee immediately.
But at this point, his Vitality was depleted, and his speed was no match for Fang Ping’s, so his escape was doomed to fail.
Fang Ping did not look at the fallen Yao Jincheng again, turning his head to look over at Tang Songting.
There had been 3 martial artists over at Tang Songting’s side. Previously, there were 5, but upon their entrance, Fang Ping had kicked one dead and another had been stabbed to death.
The 3 remaining ones were all Rank-1.
Zhang Zhiqiang was probably among them. Currently, two more were lying on the ground — it was impossible to tell if they were alive or dead. The last one still dueling Tang Songting was likely Zhang Zhiqiang.
Because w.a.n.g Huaijin’s group had claimed the mission, Fang Ping had no interest in doing their work for them. He called out, “Tang Songting, we can retreat now!”
“Retreat?”
Only then, Tang Songting noticed Fang Ping’s side. When he saw Yao Jincheng’s dismembered body, he was shocked.
Fang Ping had killed a Rank-2 martial artist single-handedly?
He was not hurt either!
While he was shocked, Zhang Zhiqiang had gone deathly pale. Fang Ping addressed Zhao Xuemei, who was at the door, and said, “Let him go!”
Zhang Zhiqiang thought he had misheard, but then he heard Fang Ping say, “Leave behind whatever medicinal pills and weapons you have!”
Zhang Zhiqiang showed not a hint of reluctance, quickly pulling out a bottle of medicine from his pocket and throwing it on the ground. As for his weapon, he hesitated for a moment, but when he reached the door, he threw down his weapon and sprinted out!
Zhao Xuemei did not stop him. Only after he ran away, she could not resist looking at Fang Ping and asking, “Just how much Vitality do you have?”
Earlier, Tang Songting had been dueling and did not observe Fang Ping’s fight.
She, on the other hand, had been standing by the door and saw everything clearly.
Fang Ping had used his Vitality for a full-strength outburst and consecutively slashed at least 50 times!
For a Rank-1 martial artist’s full-strength outburst, due to their limited Vitalities, twenty or thirty slashes under an outburst was already the limit.
That was the norm for twice-honed Peak Rank-1 martial artists!
Fang Ping though?
It seemed as if he did catch his breath for a single moment. His attacks were all full-force; it would have been strange if Yao Jincheng had been able to resist.
Fang Ping smiled. “After tidying the battlefield, I’ll go observe Dongwu Martial Arts University’s strength.”
“Alright.”
Zhao Xuemei nodded, still looking at Fang Ping curiously.
To be able to top a Rank-2 martial artist’s Vitality…exactly how high was Fang Ping’s Vitality?
Was a thrice-honed martial artist really so different from others?
…
Outside.
The moment Zhao Xuemei entered the building, a small voice exclaimed, “The MCMAU’s students couldn’t hold on!”
“Look, someone’s coming out…”
“It looks like Zhang Zhiqiang. Let’s go!”
w.a.n.g Huaijin and the others had just started talking when he saw someone walking out. When they saw it resembled Zhang Zhiqiang, they chased after him immediately.
As they pursued their target, someone suddenly said, “If the MCMAU guys are dead, what if the Rank-2 inside comes out?”
w.a.n.g Huaijin hesitated for a moment, but when he noticed Zhang Zhiqiang frantically heading toward them, he gritted his teeth and said, “Let’s kill this guy first and run if the situation worsens later!”
Just as they moved forward, Zhang Zhiqiang howled in despair, “You people didn’t keep your word!”
w.a.n.g Huaijin was a little confused, and the others were also momentarily stunned. Zhang Zhiqiang shrieked, “I’ll fight you guys now!”
He had just dueled Tang Songting and depleted quite a bit of his Vitality. Currently, there was still another enemy inside who had slashed a Rank-2 martial artist to death.
Zhang Zhiqiang was aware he could not run away, and in his despair, he did not care if he was injured. Even if someone’s fist were to cave in his chest, he would not care. His eyes were bloodshot as he isolated a martial artist and fiercely attacked!
The others hastily entered the fray, but the person who had been targeted by Zhang Zhiqiang kept stumbling back under his relentless a.s.sault, endlessly spitting out fresh blood.
w.a.n.g Huaijin was furious and continuously kicked the back of Zhang Zhiqiang’s head, but Zhang Zhiqiang was a Peak Rank-1 martial artist who did not care if he died anymore.
Even as his consciousness was fading, he did not try to defend himself. He only persisted in wildly punching the person in front of him.
In his rage, w.a.n.g Huaijin’s two hands hooked around Zhang Zhiqiang’s neck, and he twisted with all his might!
A clicking sound was heard, and at this moment, Zhang Zhiqiang finally stopped.
The second Zhang Zhiqiang died, everyone hastily checked on the injuries of their teammate who had been attacked earlier. Someone sighed and said, “He’s alright. A few broken ribs, but his internal organs are probably unharmed. Did this b.a.s.t.a.r.d go berserk?”
Zhang Zhiqiang had indeed gone completely insane earlier, not putting up any defense.
If not, the few of them would not have been able to kill a Peak Rank-1 martial artist so quickly.
However, his rampage caused one of their members to be heavily injured and would need some time to recuperate.
w.a.n.g Huaijin furrowed his brows. “Something’s not right. Did you guys hear what he said just now?”
“He said we didn’t keep our word…”
“But we didn’t even say anything…”
“Could it be?”
As they all wondered, Fang Ping came out of the abandoned building construction site not far away, holding a small backpack.
Fang Ping’s group walked out. Aside from w.a.n.g Songting who was out of breath, it seemed as if there was nothing wrong with Fang Ping, and Zhao Xuemei was unharmed as she did not even fight.
w.a.n.g Huaijin’s face was suspicious, and the others fell silent.
Fang Ping walked over. He glanced at Zhang Zhiqiang and the wounded martial artist and asked, “Need help?”
“No thanks.”
“Alright then. We’ll be leaving first. There’s n.o.body else inside.”
“Alright.”
“…”
After the few of them left, everybody started discussing it at once. “They didn’t encounter that Rank-2 martial artist?”
“Probably. I think only that Tang guy entered the fight. The other two didn’t seem to have done anything.”
“The Rank-2 martial artist wouldn’t still be around, would he?”
“Brother w.a.n.g, should we leave now?”
w.a.n.g Huaijin’s eyebrows were scrunched together. He opened his mouth slowly and said, “Let’s check if Zhang Zhiqiang brought any medicinal pills first.”
“He didn’t. This b.a.s.t.a.r.d was really poor!”
w.a.n.g Huaijin still felt something was wrong. After some thought, he headed for the abandoned building construction site.
…
“w.a.n.g Huaijin’s strength is alright, but all six of them didn’t seem to have any alloy weapons. I noticed that those who had weapons only brought regular ones. None of them were even at E-grade.”
Fang Ping noted this and added, “w.a.n.g Huaijin is probably a twice-honed martial artist, but the number of bones he honed isn’t many—40 bones at most.
“I saw that when he attacks, his left leg doesn’t exude enough strength. It was honed very few times.
“Moreover, his pole-standing hasn’t reached the firm stance. At MCMAU, he would be about the same level as you two, but I don’t know what level he would be at in Dongwu.”
“It should be at the peak level.” Tang Songting responded. He shook his head and said, “Still, even if he’s about the same level as me, I can still beat him.
“I noticed it too earlier. Either he hasn’t cultivated any special combat techniques, or he didn’t have the chance to use them.
“If MCMAU’s opponents are these people, we’re looking at a steady victory.”
“The other 5 are even weaker. In MCMAU, they wouldn’t even be able to enter the special training cla.s.ses.”
Zhao Xuemei also piped up. “I don’t blame normal martial arts universities for fighting for resources. These guys are probably at the top of the normal martial arts universities, yet they don’t even have alloy weapons. Either they don’t have enough time to learn basic weapon moves, or they don’t have enough credits to buy them. The school can’t provide them for free.”
Fang Ping nodded slightly. If these were the top students of normal martial arts universities, they indeed did not have to worry about the champions.h.i.+p anymore.
Zhao Xuemei and Tang Songting did not pay much attention to those people, staring at Fang Ping instead.
This guy had killed a Rank-2 martial artist by himself?
Furthermore, he looked so relaxed. Was he really Rank-1?
Fang Ping ignored them and contemplated aloud, “I should change to an ax or a hammer—something heavier, so I can continuously smash others.
“I kinda regret it now. I should’ve cultivated my upper limbs first. That way…”
“Ax? Hammer?”
The moment they pictured Fang Ping wielding an ax or hammer to attack someone, the two others stared at him oddly. What was Fang Ping thinking?
Still, Fang Ping’s Vitality was undeniably scarily high. If he changed to a heavy weapon, Fang Ping could probably keep slamming away before his Vitality was fully depleted, and that was a horrifying sight.
Fang Ping was seriously considering this, but he also did not feel very comfortable with it. Those weapons were too boorish.
His Vitality would not be completely used up. As long as he was not mentally exhausted, he could keep hammering down.
When he had been hacking at Yao Jincheng earlier, Fang Ping noticed that when martial artists’ Vitalities were completely drained, they would lose all courage and would be much easier to deal with.
Next time, could he target one opponent and compete with Vitality depletion?
This way, cultivating the lower limbs had advantages too. He could chase after the opponent and force them to duel on his terms.
“Should I change my weapon?”
Fang Ping was immersed in his thoughts. He should take advantage while his weapon skills were still malleable to change it. Later on, when he was accustomed to a weapon, it would not be good to change it.
“When I get to Rank-2 and finish honing my upper limbs, my upper limbs’ strength will increase drastically, and I’ll be even fiercer than I am now. There might really be a need for me to change…”
After struggling inwardly for a while, Fang Ping released a breath. ‘I’ll think about it again when I get back to school.’
Axes and hammers were still very booris.h.!.+