Chapter 158: Bloody Battle on the Long Street II

"Lekai, if you have the guts, stop dodging and fighting like a coward! Fight me like a real man!" Xi Bao roared, thoroughly infuriated by Lekai's unfathomable "Return-to-One Footwork." Daring not to squander his true Qi any longer, he switched to brute physical strength, unleashing a torrential, earth-shattering storm of attacks against Lekai.

Wielding seventy thousand units of Ank force at full power, his assaults were like a miniature mountain constantly hurtling through the air. The terrifying destructive force not only made Lekai silently curse his difficult situation, but also left the billions of spectators watching the broadcast sweating anxiously on Lekai's behalf. Naturally, between the local aborigines and the imperial nobles, the Blue Star inhabitants had easily chosen whom to support.

At that moment, the romanticized ideal of a hero began to sprout in their hearts. They wished desperately that they were the ones fighting the noblemen in the arena. How long had it been since they last felt such boiling passion? Their youthful recklessness and arrogance had long been silenced, beaten down, and rendered decadent and depressed by the cruel reality of life.

Facing overwhelming power, they had learned only to endure and accept, gradually losing themselves and forgetting the pride buried within their bloodlines. No one dared to utter a word of defiance; no one dared to stand tall and live with dignity. Yet, the moment they saw Lekai, the dormant national pride deep within their souls awakened. It was just a faint stirring—not enough to trigger an immediate revolution yet—but with such a seed planted, could the time for it to sprout and bloom be far away?

Lekai was the first Wastelander in fifty years to dare say no to oppressive power and raise his blade against the aristocracy!

This disproportionate battle tugged at the heartstrings of countless people. Anyone could see that Lekai's strength was vastly inferior, leaving him entirely on the defensive under Xi Bao's onslaught. Yet not a trace of defeat could be found on his face; he remained as cold and calm as ever. Only the swirling lights in his eyes were so captivating and mesmerizing.

Through the screen, it was difficult to notice the changes in Lekai's pupils. After all, shifts in spiritual power are mostly felt as an invisible presence rather than a literal whirlpool.

The curved blade resonated, striking three times in rapid succession. Xi Bao's application of the "Frenzied Combat" technique had already reached the realm of perfection. With a resounding roar from Lekai, a ball of fierce flames abruptly surged over the surface of his blade. The blazing elemental energy he projected now was several times more powerful and indestructible than actual fire. As he swung the weapon, the flames surged wildly, transforming it into a gigantic blade of fire.

"Hahaha! Lekai, you finally deign to use your true Qi? But with your first-tier strength, how long can you sustain such an attack?" Completely unaware that Lekai was an alchemist, Xi Bao mocked him derisively. Lekai offered no retort; he merely smiled coldly and triggered his frenzied combat technique. The elemental energy spun outward like a roaring fire dragon, smashing fiercely into the Blood-Stained Blade. In an instant, a towering burst of crimson light erupted, like an explosion of massive pools of blood that dyed the entire heaven and earth in shades of deep red.

The whirlpools in Lekai's eyes spun even more violently. The "Phantom Kill" technique channeled his spiritual power into a giant hammer, which once again struck the Blood-Stained Blade with unexpected force.

Pounded by successive sneak attacks, the Blood-Stained Blade seemed to grow enraged as well. Its crimson hue intensified, and its murderous aura erupted like a detonating bomb. Billowy blood-red mist spread outward, instantly enveloping Lekai.

"Finally unable to hold back and activating the Blood Sea battle domain, are you? Xi Bao, you must have forgotten how Xi Chi met his end."

"What does his death have to do with me? Lekai, today I will risk draining my own vitality just to execute you here. To think that someone at the initial first-tier realm can actually contend with my Micro-Perception realm—you truly deserve to be the idol worshipped by the Wastelanders. What a pity, though, that your spiritual idolhood is going to be shattered by me today. It's time the Wastelanders realized that their base bloodlines are forever destined to harbor a slave mentality!"

Xi Bao's words made Lekai furrow his brows in secret. He faintly sensed that something was amiss, though he could not quite pinpoint what it was.

However, giving him no time to ponder, Xi Bao lunged forward.

Peering through the sea of blood mist, Lekai's expression changed drastically.

Ultimately, regardless of the toll on his vital essence, Xi Bao had unleashed the innate skill of the Blood-Stained Blade... the Combat Domain.

The crimson mist rolled outward, enveloping the hundred-meter plaza. In an instant, both figures vanished into the sea of blood. The churning bloody aura and the eerie spectacle caused the spectators to gasp in collective disbelief.

Feeling the pressure constantly mounting within the crimson combat domain, Lekai grew increasingly angry. The capabilities of the Blood-Stained Blade were undoubtedly far superior to what they had been in the past—the direct result of absorbing the blood of over a thousand ordinary civilians. The mere thought that this released blood aura originated from innocent people fueled an irrepressible rage within Lekai's heart.

Frenzied combat required anger as its catalyst, so Lekai deliberately magnified his fury, plunging himself into a state of blind rage. The angrier he became, the more astonishing the combat power he could unleash.

Imbued with the god-like perception granted by the crimson combat domain, Xi Bao's confidence soared to the heavens. Laughing maniacally and arrogantly, he teleported instantly to Lekai's side. The Blood-Stained Blade silently sliced through space, emitting a shrill, piercing hiss only at the very instant it was about to reach Lekai.

Had this been any other peer-level expert lacking the "Return-to-One Footwork," a single strike would have already felled them. Xi Bao's attack was simply too fast and too bizarre, completely devoid of any warning signs. Although Lekai managed to dodge, he felt a jolt of secret alarm, not daring to lower his guard in the slightest.

How terrifying were Lekai's intuition and psychic abilities? Countless tactical permutations played out in his mind via the "Game Strategy," yet truly useful ones were exceedingly sparse, simply because his opponent's movements were too fast and erratic to fathom.

"So this is what it feels like! Truly intoxicating. Lekai, you are fortunate enough to experience the secret technique of my Blood-Stained Blade; even in death, it has been worth it," Xi Bao said proudly, completely failing to notice that his opponent's expression had shifted from shock to something peculiar.

Aided by the "Return-to-One Footwork," even though Xi Bao controlled the combat domain and possessed omniscient perception of everything within it, he still found himself utterly unable to touch Lekai in the short term. The marvelous subtlety of the "Game Strategy" was not something outsiders could comprehend.

Immersed in the wondrous sensation of divine perspective, the red hue in Xi Bao's eyes grew even more intense, stripping away his remaining humanity until he resembled a terrifying beast of the wilderness.

The Blood-Stained Blade hummed and leapt, seemingly celebrating its own victory while eagerly anticipating the moment it would drain Lekai's blood.

Yet the longer the fight dragged on, the stronger Lekai's suspicions grew. It was not because Xi Bao was too formidable, but rather because he was far too weak—this flatly contradicted Lekai's expectations of a true evil practitioner's power!

Could it be...

A thought he scarcely dared to believe flashed suddenly through Lekai's mind... Xi Bao was not the true master of the Blood-Stained Blade either!

This conclusion was utterly staggering. If true, it meant Xi Bao, much like Xi Chi before him, was merely a vessel slave.

The ultimate fate of a vessel slave was to completely sacrifice their own life force for the Blood-Stained Blade to consume. No matter what, they would never meet a good end.

If Xi Bao was also just a vessel slave, then who was the true evil practitioner behind the scenes?

A chill crept up from the depths of Lekai's heart. Evil practitioners were indeed formidable and unfathomable; the viciousness and cruelty of their methods were enough to make one's scalp tingle just to think about it.

"Xi Bao, who on earth is your master?!"

Unable to suppress his shock, Lekai shouted aloud. At the same time, sparing no expenditure of elemental energy, he darted continuously across the space, twisting and weaving like an illusory, unpredictable wisp of green smoke.

"Lekai, has your brain been scrambled? I am who I am—the proud darling of the heavens! Who could possibly be my master?!"

Roaring in fury, Xi Bao erupted with a blinding red glow like a demon king, instantly closing the distance to Lekai as he brought the Blood-Stained Blade crashing down.

Lekai's heart tightened. All his paths of retreat were locked down, leaving him with no choice but to meet the blow head-on. Fiery elemental energy surged outward, coating the blade entirely and detonating with a thunderous roar akin to a gunpowder explosion. A terrifying shockwave rippled outward, shattering the plaza's stone tiles into powder and causing the earth to heave and ripple as if some dreadful beast were burrowing beneath it, the devastation spreading for a full fifty meters.

Ugh...

Lekai let out a muffled groan, feeling as though the entire heavens and earth had pressed down upon him with crushing weight. Unable to bear the burden under the gargantuan force, his body was driven straight into the soil like a wooden stake.

Seventy thousand units of Ank force was truly terrifying.

Lekai felt as though his internal organs had been torn apart, wracked by excruciating pain. At the same time, the "Phantom Kill" transformed into a giant spiritual hammer, smashing ruthlessly against the Blood-Stained Blade. Invisible spiritual power was far more terrifying than physical attacks, a fact evidenced by the Blood-Stained Blade's piercing shrieks and violent tremors, which nearly shook it right out of Xi Bao's grip.

Xi Bao was utterly astounded. He had never expected that even after driving Lekai deep into the earth with a single slash, he would still suffer such a counter-attack. Compared to the brute frenzy of physical strength, mental attacks were far more obscure, yet infinitely more terrifying.

Though this exchange made Lekai appear to have suffered heavily, it was actually a mutual devastation.

How could Lekai, operating under the "Game Strategy," possibly suffer a disadvantage?

"Don't be afraid, Lekai! We're here!" At that exact moment, a crisp yet booming voice suddenly exploded from midair. "Xi Bao, you evil practitioner devoid of conscience, practicing your arts with the flesh and blood of ordinary citizens—your crimes provoke the wrath of both gods and men! I, Li Xiuxiang, can no longer stand idly by. Prepare to meet your death!"

This thunderous shout echoed from high above the sky. Following the voice, a sharp, fierce aura suddenly hurtled downward, leaping directly from a height of a thousand meters. This overbearing, domineering posture was captured instantly by the live-action broadcast.

His breathtakingly handsome facial features and his effortlessly cool, dashing demeanor struck a chord with the hearts of countless young maidens.

Li Xiuxiang's ninety thousand units of Ank force were overwhelmingly mighty. His dive from the upper atmosphere was executed at astonishing speed, yet his expression remained utterly unchanged. With a flick of his wrist, a flash of bright light blinked into existence like a genuine streak of lightning.

Clang!

Within the Blood Sea Combat Domain, Xi Bao was akin to an omnipotent deity; both his perception and reflexes were amplified manifold. Although Li Xiuxiang's attack was terrifyingly fierce, the moment it entered the domain, it was instantly intercepted by Xi Bao. The Blood-Stained Blade let out a shrill scream, crashing violently against the blinding flash of light.