Chapter 942 - 420: Instinct Is God!
The dueling arena seemed to respond to Xu Ran’s voice.
Eight bronze beast head lamps hung from the arena’s dome, and within them, oil-green flames suddenly burst forth.
In an instant.
The entire dueling arena was enveloped by the sudden emergence of oil-green light, nearly solidifying into tangible oil-green matter floating in the air.
As for this sudden mist, Xu Ran had faced it countless times in this trial, and his heart was barely stirred.
On the contrary, he reached out to touch the solidified oil-green substance.
Xu Ran’s fingertip touched the substance, and a cold sensation swept over his body.
At the same time, a metallic touch spread through his palm.
"What is this?"
Xu Ran grasped the cool metal firmly in his hand.
Instantly, a clear sensation engulfed him, and the oil-green substance that filled the arena dissipated entirely at that moment.
When Xu Ran’s figure reappeared.
A ring-headed saber was seen in his grip.
The blade was wrapped with faded red silk, and its edge was covered with dark brown rust, yet it let out a dragon-like hum upon touching Xu Ran’s palm, and the rust peeled off like a living thing, revealing a cold gleaming blade, akin to a beast awakened from its centuries-old slumber.
"Come and get it!"
Xu Ran tightly held the ring-headed saber in his palm.
In an instant.
The shadow at the forefront saw the blade in Xu Ran’s hand, suddenly transforming into an intense black mist that lunged at him, with the ring-headed saber initially hanging at its waist wrapped in the black mist heading toward Xu Ran.
"Slash!"
The blade carried the sound of tearing through the air, slicing straight toward Xu Ran’s throat.
This attack came unexpectedly.
The most crucial point is, just like before, Xu Ran was not skilled in sword techniques!
At this moment, the weapon in his hand happened to be a ring-headed saber.
In a daze, the black mist formed from the shadow was already in front of Xu Ran, only a fist’s distance away!
"Congeal!"
Simultaneously.
A raspy voice rang out nearby.
As this raspy voice sounded, the shadow that had turned into the black mist re-congealed, wielding the ring-headed saber in both hands, raising it overhead and slashing towards Xu Ran’s head!
"Why is the first target of every gatekeeper always the head?!"
Xu Ran looked at the shadow above him with a hint of helplessness.
In the midst of the complaint, the shadow raised the ring-headed saber, ready to strike.
In the next moment.
Xu Ran instinctively raised his arm to block, and his ring-headed saber was horizontally held aside, of no use!
Suddenly, the blade struck his forearm with a burst of sparks, yet no scars appeared on his flesh.
The ring-headed saber striking Xu Ran’s body also vibrated, and a metallic buzzing sound reverberated in the air.
"Xu Ran doesn’t know any sword techniques at all!"
The second senior brother, observing Xu Ran’s trial, found his actions to be somewhat dumbfounding!
"It’s instinct!"
The first senior brother remarked upon seeing Xu Ran’s actions.
"From previous trials, Xu Ran learned that his body has a strong recovery ability, which is why he instinctively used his arm to block rather than the ring-headed saber in his hand.
Because his battle instinct deemed his arm stronger than the ring-headed saber!"
The first senior brother’s voice fluctuated, his face turning flushed!
It was a flush of excitement!
Although he attempted to hide his excitement, it was impossible to conceal it entirely.
The second senior brother had considerable insight and combat experience and understood what the first senior brother meant.
Such battle instincts are exceedingly rare.
Xu Ran could rely solely on instinct to make the most perfect decisions!
No need to use his brain!
...
Meanwhile.
Above the dueling arena.
The bald figure transformed by the aura watched Xu Ran’s moves, showing a faint smile and emitting a raspy laughter from his throat.
"Haha... Your physical resilience is impressive, and your battle instincts are strong, but alas, you’re nothing more than dead steel, useless!"
As the bald man’s words fell, around Xu Ran, unbeknownst to him, all remaining shadows transformed into clumps of black mist, converging around him, once again forming into shadows wielding ring-headed sabers, like the first shadow, furiously slashing towards Xu Ran’s head.
Dozens of blades simultaneously slashed down, leaving Xu Ran with no choice but to endure them thoroughly.
"Then let’s see if your sword techniques are harder than my physical strength!"
Immediately, Xu Ran bellowed, and the arena resonated with the sudden, metallic sound of clashes.
"Clang--"
"Clang--"
"Clang--"
"Clang--"
"..."
Dozens of shadows wildly swung their ring-headed sabers against Xu Ran’s body.
It was said.
If the force from a single shadow to Xu Ran was only the size of a fist.
But when dozens of shadows struck simultaneously, the force became akin to a Great Mountain.
For a moment, even with Xu Ran’s physical strength, he found it difficult to withstand.
Xu Ran, like a towering iron statue, endured the assaults, retreating three steps and leaving deep footprints on the thick bluestone slabs.
During the retreat, he saw his blood droplets splatter on the bluestone, condensing into dark-purple ice crystals.
"This isn’t right!"
The disparity felt wrong to Xu Ran, who instantly raised his head to look around.
Only then did he realize the air had frozen into an icy pit, and the breath he expelled from the violent retreat turned into frost, falling to the ground. Even his thoughts seemed to have halted.