When Warrant Officer Yu Lian launched his surprise attack, the three on the opposite side had barely even taken up their stances.
Shalun Baiwan was momentarily stunned, then laughed despite her anger. She found it amusing that she had rated him so highly; this was no brilliant mind, but clearly a reckless hothead who didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth. Her right hand reached behind her, pulling out two greatswords, and she brought them down in a chopping strike.
That was the fifth form of the classical Empire Assault Team Sword Art, also known as the “Spirit-Combat Form,” which, simply put, was a sword fighting model for combat against Spirit users. It looked like a thunderous chop, but it contained dozens of follow-up moves and variations, enough to counter most of the enemy's attack methods.
The same Empire Assault Team Sword Art, which in Lieutenant Mondeson's hands could only cut insects and beat up small animals, in Baiwan's hands already contained the essence of martial arts and the supreme power of the Star Ring.
However, since it was “most,” it was naturally not “absolute.” Yu Lian stated that, except for a few inhuman old monsters, no one in this universe understood the Empire Assault Team Sword Art better than him, including all currently active Star Realm Knight Commanders. He had a clear understanding of the opponent's sword path, its offensive moves, variations, follow-ups, and even the possible trajectory of their Spirit energy.
But then, with a flash of light, the Emblem Machine enveloped Yu Lian and he vanished directly, leaving Baiwan's sword to strike empty air.
“Positional Flash!” Her mind raced, and she quickly changed her move. The sword in her left hand swept forward, raising a gust of wind pressure and flashing with intense light, almost blinding anyone who looked at it.
This was the Flash Sword. As the name suggested, the sword's flow of power transformed into intense light, and with a flash, the enemy's head was taken. It was a beautiful, extremely fast, and deadly Empire Court Sword Art.
However, even this Void Flash, which could damage warship armor, only struck the void.
Yu Lian knew that once the opponent truly unleashed her sword stance, with his current abilities, he would absolutely not be able to dodge it. He could only completely evade the moment she began to make a starting move.
Fortunately, he was too familiar with the Flash Sword's initial gesture. As soon as the opponent's left hand changed its move, the second Positional Flash was completed.
And this time, he had appeared right in front of her, extending the pulse machine gun in his hand.
“You, you actually want to use a gun against me!” Baiwan was filled with shock and anger, but even more so with shame and indignation. She tilted her neck, aiming her helmeted face at Yu Lian. On her visor, the central interface inlaid with Yanjing stone began to flash.
“Swift! Break!” Baiwan's Spirit Word erupted from her throat, reinforced once again by the Yanjing stone, Spirit energy array, and alchemy mechanism on her Emblem Machine. By the time it surged forth, it had transformed into a small, swirling wind dragon.
Shalun Baiwan, a Three Rings Awakener from the “Shura” Star Ring, known as the “Wind Caller.”
Furthermore, her ultimate evolution was precisely the “Star Realm Sword Master” who could cleave through nine heavens with a single sword, something Yu Lian constantly thought about.
Who said a sword master couldn't use spell-like Spirit energy? To let one's sword intent and spirit destroy heaven and earth, transform all things into weapons, and achieve the pinnacle by treading the path of Shura—only then was one worthy of the title of Sword Master!
Even wind could be a sword!
In fact, the swirling wind sword summoned by the Wind Caller through Spirit Words had already achieved the effect of material decomposition. Even if roared directly at a warship's armor plating, it could pierce through it in one go.
The intelligence sent by the National Unification Committee stated that Shalun Baiwan was the top sword master among the Kaitai people. She had cultivated the first five forms of the Empire Assault Team Sword Art to perfection and was also proficient in the more profound Flash Sword. More importantly, she was a rare ambidextrous individual, meaning both her left and right hands were equally nimble and strong.
However, the National Unification Committee did not mention that she was actually more skilled in Spirit Words and battle roars. She herself believed that a sword condensed from spirit was sharper and more deadly than a sword forged from steel. In her prime in later generations, Shalun Baiwan already possessed the terrifying ability to unleash the Four Elemental Swords from her mouth, turning an area of ten li into a sea of lightning and fire.
However, this sword dao genius from the “Shura” domain first encountered another genius from Earth, who also belonged to the “Shura” Star Ring and was several years younger than her. Her Four Elemental Swords were easily neutralized by him; he didn't even attack, and she was defeated.
Shalun Baiwan reflected on her pain, went into seclusion for several years, and then advanced further. She came to Earth again to challenge that genius, but her head was reportedly stolen by a certain rogue who happened to pass by.
Oh, by the way, that rogue's moniker was “Count Black Moon,” the most famous legendary rogue in Earth's history, active for nearly five hundred years. It was rumored in the underworld that this big shot was actually an immortal demon or something. Baiwan dying at the hands of such a formidable person wasn't too shameful.
All in all, the Spirit energy sword master with the most potential to reach the pinnacle in a hundred years among the Kaitai people ultimately died at the hands of an Earthling, and died in such a humiliating manner. It was no wonder they always learned to hate Earthlings.
Of course, all of the above were later developments.
At Present, Baiwan was still just a Three Rings “Wind Caller,” unable to summon the sky-rending, earth-shattering Four Elemental Swords. Similarly, Yu Lian also had no intention of letting this fellow grow into a Six Rings master, and then troubling Count Black Moon and the future Sword Saintess to deal with her.
Her current swirling wind sword had indeed reached its peak, but this was, after all, only a Three Rings Spirit Word combat technique, and (relatively speaking) its flaws were still very obvious.
The process of Spirit energy condensing into Spirit Words, Spirit Words gathering into a storm, and the storm transforming into a sword blade all had a node. What Yu Lian had to do was utilize this node.
At the moment the gale gathered, the Spirit energy pulse once again focused, drilling into the eye of the storm. With Yu Lian's will, the entire whirlwind began to shift.
Shalun Baiwan's wind blade had already formed, but its attack direction shifted slightly in an instant. It whistled down, missing Yu Lian, who had already stepped behind her, but instead slammed into the bridge floor in front of her, creating a conspicuous gash.
“Im-impossible? Doesn't he need to breathe? What was that just now?” By this point, Baiwan was starting to panic. She simply couldn't imagine Spirit energy pulses having such an effect, but precisely because it was unbelievable, a hint of fear gradually emerged.
At this moment, Yu Lian had already appeared behind her, one hand wrapped around her arm. The pulse machine gun, following the gash she had blasted open, unleashed a continuous stream of beam bullets. The laser cutter on his arm guard sliced along the cracked floor.
Shalun Baiwan was bewildered. Just as she was about to counterattack, she felt the ground give way beneath her, and she suddenly lost her footing.
The floor beneath her and Yu Lian collapsed.
All of this happened in a flash. By the time the others in the bridge reacted, they only saw Yu Lian dragging Guard Captain Baiwan into the large hole in the floor, and both disappeared from view.
“Warrant Officer Yu Lian...” Colonel Chaimen looked at the pit, knowing that the opponent's plan had succeeded, but he worried even more for him.
He was, after all, only a One Ring, but he had to hold back a Three Rings!
No, Warrant Officer Yu Lian cannot sacrifice himself in vain! Colonel Chaimen Daisuke suppressed the tears and indignation in his heart and said to Nani, “You go deal with that sheriff!”
“No problem, I am a Throne, and I fear their ‘Judgment’ decrees the least!” The major's voice also suppressed the passionate fighting intent condensed from grief and indignation.
“As for me, I'll take out this Heavy Infantry first.” Colonel Chaimen gave a few sinister cold laughs and began to advance. The double-edged spear in his hand spun like a windmill.
Crimson Mane watched the opponent's gradual advance, and clear fear appeared in his eyes.
Yu Lian dragged Baiwan downwards, throwing away his rifle and pulling out a dagger, stabbing fiercely at her.
Of course, the opponent was a Three Rings after all, and she specialized in machinery and martial arts in the “Shura” path. Even in her current state of shock and anger, she wouldn't truly be killed by Yu Lian. She grudgingly blocked with her greatswords. Carrying such heavy greatswords, she actually managed to keep up with Yu Lian's close-quarters dagger attacks even when he was pressed against her.
It had to be admitted, the hard power gap between a Three Rings and a One Ring was truly obvious.
If Yu Lian hadn't had decades of high-quality combat experience, familiar with almost all of the opponent's attack methods, and predicted all of her possible reactions, if he had truly gone head-to-head, he probably wouldn't have been able to withstand even her first move.
Yu Lian was astonished, but he didn't know that Shalun Baiwan was already horrified. She could clearly perceive the opponent's Spirit energy intensity, and even confirm that his physical constitution was far inferior to hers. In any other situation, this mere One Ring wouldn't even be able to block one of her sword strikes.
Even in this narrow environment, where her two greatswords couldn't be fully swung, she could still create an impenetrable wall of blades within inches of space by relying on subtle elbow strikes, parries, and lifts.
However, every time she raised her hand, every block, and even every counter-pressure, seemed to be directly aimed at the enemy's dagger blade.
If she weren't a Three Rings, and could barely resist with her physical constitution and Spirit energy intensity far surpassing his, she would probably have been stabbed into a sieve long ago.
This, this person's martial arts are far superior to mine?
Baiwan found this illogical, but the facts were already before her.
The two of them fell directly from the bridge, crashing into the pipe compartment between the sections. Yu Lian pulled out the grenade launcher in his hand and fired another close-range shot.
The shockwave of the explosion simultaneously pushed them both several meters away, leaving them both somewhat numb. If it weren't for the Emblem Machine's defense, they would probably have been severely injured by now.
The opponent's madness once again blinded Baiwan. When she tried to raise her sword to counterattack, she suddenly realized that they had now fallen into the lower deck's crew passage, a narrow corridor only a meter wide. The Emblem Machine's two-meter-long greatswords couldn't be deployed at all. But by this time, the opponent had already gone far away.
Yu Lian, however, was very pleased. While rapidly retreating, he continued to pour out beam bullets from his gun.
Baiwan almost bit through her molars. She simply stopped blocking, held her sword vertically in front of her chest, and began to charge. She let the sword blades pierce into the walls on both sides, creating a cacophony of metal being torn and decomposed, and flying Mars.
Yu Lian fired two electromagnetic mines directly at her, then slid back, activating Positional Flash again, barely creating a little distance. The electromagnetic mines he released embedded directly into the steel walls, exploding instantly to form a binding electromagnetic net that enveloped Baiwan's face, making her almost unable to move for a moment.
“Boom! Boom! Boom!” Yu Lian began to retreat while continuing to fire, unleashing all his firepower: grenades, pulse beams, and even missiles from his shoulder!
Even an Emblem Machine couldn't just take hits. Baiwan's mech management computer began to remind her that some of the mech's performance had been affected, and some components were even starting to break. In reality, the Guard Captain knew the situation was bad without the computer's reminder, because she herself had sustained considerable shock injuries.
And the most serious injury was in the mech's waist and abdomen, where steel needles and armor fragments from a missile blast had penetrated the relatively soft buffer gel tissue through the gaps, embedding themselves in her abdomen.
She quickly pulled out the steel needles, and the mech's built-in nanomachines immediately repaired the wound. However, the damage had indeed occurred.
Amidst her fury, Baiwan finally felt a hint of panic.
She, a dignified Three Rings “Wind Caller,” wouldn't lose to a mere One Ring rookie, would she?
She could barely imagine such a scenario. She would go from being a hero and star of hope for Kaitai to a disgrace. The most excellent combat genius in a hundred years of the Kaitai Kingdom would become the biggest joke in a hundred years! She, who was once the pride of her family, would become the source of her family's shame! And this source might last for a hundred, or even a thousand years!
Then, the kingdom's most renowned warrior family, a branch of the Crimson Mane royal family, might even be reduced to artisans, commoners, or even slaves!
“How can this be acceptable!” Baiwan roared like a lioness who had lost her cub, raising her greatswords above her head and chopping down with all her might.
Spirit energy transformed into a storm, and the storm even transformed into tangible sword qi, roaring forth. The air was filled with the clanging sounds of metal swords.
The sword qi forcibly expanded the entire passage by more than three times, naturally evaporating the electromagnetic net on the spot, and of course, the enemy's figure was gone. Baiwan gritted her teeth, suppressed a sudden wave of fatigue in her heart, and began to sprint, clutching her swords.
She would not declare victory until she saw the enemy's corpse.
Although he is a One Ring, he is indeed a future grave threat to us. I must eliminate him for the people of Kaitai! Shalun Baiwan's heart was now filled with a sense of mission.
Indeed, after advancing a few steps, she heard the receding footsteps ahead and felt the opponent's Spirit energy fluctuations. She gritted her teeth and activated Gale Step, another Spirit energy technique of theirs, the “Shura,” which greatly enhanced their sprinting, perception, and evasion abilities.
The opponent was like a slippery loach. Bullets, shells, and randomly thrown pipes, mechanical parts, and everything encountered inside the ship could all become obstacles. However, Shalun still tried hard to close the distance between them.
After such a chase, which lasted only a few minutes, she finally cornered the opponent in a cabin.
“You... pant, pant, pant... you cunning mole! Despicable hairless monkey!” Shalun Baiwan gasped for air, not from exhaustion, but from anger.
“Come here, fight me! I'll give you a quick death!” She held her sword horizontally and advanced step by step, wondering whether to cut the enemy's legs or hands first. In any case, she was determined not to give him an easy death.
Yu Lian, however, stood still, a laughing sound coming from beneath his mask.
“Silly cat!” he said.
“Huh?” Shalun froze for a second before realizing he was talking about her. She let out a roar Yu Lian didn't understand and charged forward. However, the latter extended his hand and punched a button on the wall.
“We're already in the escape pod, can't you tell?”
This chapter is a 4k+ big chapter! Also, thanks again to Master Fanyuan Qiushao for the generous reward.
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