Chapter 180: Unwilling to Accept It

Shi Ji’s lesson was over. Initially, he intended to give Blade a proper beating. But remembering what Lin Xinyan had said, he ultimately held back. It was enough that he had worn down Blade’s fighting spirit.

Though Blade’s character wasn’t great, he did have some strength. And with a mission scheduled for tomorrow, Shi Ji figured this was enough for now. If Blade continued acting this way in the future, there would be plenty of time to teach him another lesson. After all, Shi Ji lacked money, not time.

Glancing at Blade, who was sprawled on the ground, Shi Ji didn’t say anything. He simply turned and walked away, ready to attend to his actual business.

Seeing Shi Ji leave, Blade suddenly regained some energy. He leaped up from the ground.

“Hey, you…! Wait! Hold on!” Blade shouted loudly at Shi Ji.

But Shi Ji didn’t turn around. He ignored him completely.

“Hey! The fight isn’t over yet! I haven’t admitted defeat!” Blade yelled again, his voice desperate.

No matter how much Blade shouted, Shi Ji kept walking, refusing to acknowledge him.

Blade’s body began to tremble uncontrollably. He couldn’t accept it. He wouldn’t accept it. His hands gripped his twin blades so tightly it felt as if the hilts might shatter under the pressure.

The glory he once held had been shattered. The bitterness of it all was too much for Blade to bear.

Watching Shi Ji walk farther and farther away, a sly, somewhat dishonorable thought crept into Blade’s mind.

Even if Shi Ji didn’t stop or turn around, Blade had made up his mind. He would unleash his strongest attack.

Though he knew this move was underhanded, he felt he had no choice. Regular attacks and even more powerful blows had proven useless against this guy. Only by unleashing his full strength did Blade think he had any chance of taking Shi Ji down.

Before Blade unleashed his attack, he hesitated for a moment. 

However, he ultimately made up his mind. He was driven by a hunch. He believed that Shi Ji would definitely be able to block this strike.

In the stillness, a gentle breeze swept across the battlefield. Blade stood firm, eyes closed, swords crossed in an X in front of him. Power surged through both blades. One glowed white, the other radiating black.

Ten seconds later, the energy fully gathered. Blade’s eyes slowly opened, and the crossed swords rose higher.

Suddenly, the air around them swirled violently, as if being sucked toward the blades from all directions.

“Black and White… Cross~Slash!”

With a fierce shout, Blade lunged forward, the crossed swords slicing the air with tremendous force.

Slash!

*BOOM!*

In the blink of an eye, a massive black-and-white energy blade shot forward, barreling down the street toward Shi Ji. As it neared, the two contrasting energies span rapidly, swirling together with the force of the surrounding air. Everything in its path was obliterated. Trees along the road were sliced clean through. Buildings on either side of the street were left covered in deep, jagged gashes.

After releasing the attack, Blade stood there panting heavily. His focus was locked on Shi Ji. He wanted to see how Shi Ji would handle such a devastating strike.

Shi Ji had been walking leisurely when he sensed the attack coming from behind. Without even turning to look, he could feel the intense wind pressure approaching rapidly.

With a sigh of mild annoyance, he muttered to himself, “Ugh, fine. A few scratches won’t be that bad. Starborn’s regeneration is fast anyway—should heal up by morning.”

Shi Ji stopped. His long blade reappeared in his hand.

As he turned around, Blade’s black-and-white cross slash came rushing toward him. In that split second, Shi Ji casually swung his sword.

With just a light swing of his blade, a small vortex emerged and collided with Blade’s black-and-white slash. 

But what happened next was nothing short of extraordinary.

Upon closer inspection, the vortex didn’t clash head-on with Blade’s attack. Instead, it effortlessly infiltrated the core of the cross slash, bypassing the force of the strike. The once mighty, destructive energy—capable of ravaging everything in its path—dispersed like smoke. It vanished into thin air.

Blade was stunned, his mind going completely blank. He tried to think of countless explanations, but nothing came to him.

He stared blankly ahead as the small vortex Shi Ji had created advanced toward him after effortlessly shattering his black-and-white cross slash.

For Blade, the world went silent. He couldn’t hear a thing. Not even the wind. It was as if all sound had faded away.

Facing Shi Ji’s incoming attack, Blade stood frozen. Maybe it was because he couldn’t dodge in time, maybe it was because he didn’t want to. Maybe his legs wouldn’t obey, or perhaps his mind was so blank that he didn’t even register the attack closing in.

The vortex reached him, and as it neared, it expanded rapidly, enveloping Blade in its swirling winds.

Dust and debris swirled into a storm. Blade was completely swallowed by the chaos. But…

“Smoke and mirrors don’t mean anything to me,” Shi Ji said softly.

The one-sided battle had finally come to an end.

***

On their way back, Jing Xin and Lin Xinyan walked together.

During the journey, Lin Xinyan asked many questions about the Devil-level aberrations.

This was the first time a Devil-level aberration had appeared in Yinshuang City. She was. Tomorrow’s mission held no guarantees. Whether she’d even return alive was uncertain. Despite the danger, as a hero, this was her duty. There was no regret in her heart.

The destructive power of Devil-level aberration was mentioned in various books and documents, but those were all fairly vague. The true devastation caused by such creatures was beyond words. Lin Xinyan hoped to learn more from Jing Xin so she could be better prepared for the upcoming battle.

Jing Xin held an indisputable position in the Star Alliance, ranking among the top even on a global scale. She had participated in two major battles against Devil-level aberrations and had played crucial roles in both.

Understanding Lin Xinyan’s concerns, Jing Xin comforted her. 

“Don’t worry, with me there, everything will be fine.”

“I understand, Master. Although you haven’t fully awakened your Starborne Soul, your strength is already comparable to half that of an X-ranked hero. With us working together and coordinating properly, dealing with a Devil-level anomaly shouldn’t be an issue. The more I learn, the better prepared I’ll be for the battle.”

Jing Xin always appreciated Lin Xinyan’s serious attitude.

“Yes, I understand. Also, to make tomorrow’s mission easier, why don’t you come stay with me tonight?”

Lin Xinyan was taken aback and immediately declined. 

“No, Master, I can’t do that. I don’t want to disturb you.”

Jing Xin smiled and replied, “If you stay over, we can discuss our strategy in more detail. That way, we’ll be better prepared for tomorrow.”

Hearing this, Lin Xinyan thought it made sense. But then she suddenly remembered something.

“Master, what about Shi Ji?”