Chapter 2002 — Unreconciled!
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
"Boy, always clashing fourth stance against fourth stance hardly shows any skill, does it? What say we trade a few other moves? This is getting tedious..." The Earth-Rank man in black had finally grown a little afraid—afraid that if Wei Zhao kept trading blows like this, he himself could not hold out many more rounds. Under normal circumstances he could unleash the fourth stance only about ten times, fifteen at most if his fortune burst forth at its brightest; and he had already done it eight times. If they kept at it and Wei Zhao could still keep going, what would become of him?
And Wei Zhao, in truth, had no wish to keep at it either. Formidable as the third stance was, its might fell short of what it became when the first, second, and third stances were poured out in unbroken succession; and Wei Zhao too could not last much longer. Even with the second layer of the Xuanyuan Dragon-Taming Art, he could hold out only five or six more times. He was just wondering what to do when the other man made such a proposal—Wei Zhao was instantly overjoyed, and how could he refuse?
"Fine. Then let us begin the contest from the second stance—but no cheating!" Wei Zhao said. His first stance was the equal of the Earth-Rank man in black's second, so he could only say they would start from the second stance.
"I'm the one afraid you'll cheat! Cheaters' mothers drop dead!" The Earth-Rank man in black nodded, though inwardly he was much puzzled: why did Wei Zhao want to start from the second stance? But in a flash he understood. The Earth-Rank man in black knew well that when a martial technique was performed beginning with the first stance, the might of the second and third stances would exceed what they showed when used alone; but beginning with the second stance, no such thing was possible. So Wei Zhao's proposal must surely be because he feared his opponent's technique was the stronger?
But the Earth-Rank man in black seldom practiced the first, second, and third stances in unbroken sequence in any case, so it made no difference at all to him.
"Good—here I come!" Wei Zhao marshaled the true qi within his body, unleashed the first stance of Raging Fire Fist, and struck at the Earth-Rank man in black...
And the Earth-Rank man in black likewise unleashed the second stance of his Frigid Ice-Snow Spike and met Wei Zhao head-on...
"Boom—" A great crash burst from the impact, and the two men flew back from each other...
But to keep his technique unbroken, Wei Zhao did not halt after spitting out a mouthful of blood this time; instead he swiftly and seamlessly unleashed the second stance of Raging Fire Fist and met the Earth-Rank man in black...
The Earth-Rank man in black had not expected Wei Zhao to omit even the time for catching his breath and simply strike with the "third stance." He dared not regulate his own breath either, and hurriedly met it with his own third stance...
The Earth-Rank man in black was somewhat baffled. Wei Zhao's third stance seemed very powerful—could he have used the fourth stance? But he shook his head: this should not be the fourth stance, for the fourth stance's might was greater still.
Yet why did Wei Zhao's third stance seem a shade stronger than his own third stance? In truth Wei Zhao had used only the second stance; even if it came infinitely close to the Earth-Rank man in black's third stance, it was still inferior to the third. What made the Earth-Rank man in black think it so strong was entirely that this stance had been derived straight from the first stance, and so was somewhat stronger than an ordinary second stance—that alone produced such a result.
Yet before the Earth-Rank man in black could think further, Wei Zhao's "fourth stance" came crashing over! The Earth-Rank man in black was left speechless. You do not rest—do you want to die? But Wei Zhao's fist was already upon him; he could not sit down to regulate his breath, and he was no longer willing to trade blow for blow...