"I'll stand right here without moving. You use your strongest skill to attack me. If I can't withstand it, then this mission—the entire Cold River City Alliance—will be forfeited. But if I do withstand it, you have to let us and the people from Skywave Manor pass without obstruction. How about it?"
Jiang Yuan glanced at One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws, smiled at him while holding up the blue, watery shield, and laid out the specifics of the bet.
"You're counting on this shoddy shield of yours?"
Unexpectedly, One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws took one look at Jiang Yuan's shield, saw right through his scheme, and said with a faint smile.
"That's right! This shield of mine can absorb a full one million damage. I bet you can't break it!"
Seeing his trick exposed, Jiang Yuan decided to admit it openly, squinting at One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws with a confident expression.
"One million damage? Impressive!"
After hearing Jiang Yuan, One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws put on an exaggerated look, gave Jiang Yuan a thumbs-up, and then said, "Wouldn't it be easier for me to just wait until your shield runs out and then cut you down in one strike?"
Seeing that One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws wasn't falling for it, Jiang Yuan had a sudden inspiration and pointed at the sacred beast Xuanwu. "Then you'll have to take it out first, otherwise my shield will last forever."
After saying this, Jiang Yuan immediately noticed a flicker of unease on One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws' face, so he added coldly, "Since you can't even break my shield, then get lost!"
Jiang Yuan's words were like adding fuel to the fire, deeply stinging One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws' pride. He raised his long blade with a clang, holding it single-handedly to his chest, the tip aimed at Jiang Yuan. "Fine! I'll make you admit defeat fair and square!"
"Good, a bet's a bet! Bring it on!"
Jiang Yuan, coaxing and deceiving, finally got One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws to take the bait, and quickly announced loudly to the surrounding onlookers like Wen Ding Cang Sheng and the others.
No one noticed that after Jiang Yuan said this, a fleeting glint of smugness flashed in One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws' eyes.
As a Blade Tyrant class with explosive damage output, One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws' current strongest skill could deal nearly one point two million damage. The reason he hadn't agreed earlier was to play a game of feigned retreat, lowering Jiang Yuan's guard and luring him into the trap.
But little did One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws know, Jiang Yuan had also used a "deceive the heavens and cross the sea" tactic, predicting his prediction!
And the surrounding spectators, like Wen Ding Cang Sheng, had no idea that in just a few brief exchanges of words, Jiang Yuan and One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws had already staged a real-life version of *Infernal Affairs*!
With the Water Healing Shield on him, Jiang Yuan stood with his hands behind his back ten meters in front of One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws and gestured a "start" signal.
"Xiang-Wang-Strikes-the-Tripod!"
One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws raised his long blade high, enunciating the name of the skill word by word.
Behind One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws, a towering figure emerged—eight feet tall, with double pupils in his eyes, a majestic build, clad in black-gold armor, wielding a tiger-headed dragon-coiling halberd, and riding a horse as sleek as black silk with hooves as white as snow. It was the ancient foremost general, Overlord Xiang Yu!
As One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws uttered the four words "Xiang Wang Strikes the Tripod," the phantom of Overlord Xiang Yu behind him raised the tiger-headed dragon-coiling halberd and thrust it fiercely toward Jiang Yuan!
- - - (Critical Hit) - (Critical Hit) - - In the blink of an eye, six damage numbers appeared above Jiang Yuan's head. This skill of One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws could actually strike six times in a row!
"Holy crap, a six-hit combo!"
Watching the damage numbers continuously pop up above Jiang Yuan's head, Ding Ye's face was full of envy. As a warrior class, who could resist such a terrifying six-hit combo skill?
"H-how is this possible?"
One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws, having unleashed his strongest burst skill, stared at the pale blue shield still shimmering on Jiang Yuan, his face like he'd seen a ghost, muttering as if suddenly realizing something.
"Damn it, you cheated!"
Realizing what had happened, One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws was furious, pointing at Jiang Yuan and cursing.
"Tit for tat. Haven't you heard the saying 'all is fair in war'? But that skill of yours just now dealt over one point three million damage—truly worthy of a Blade Tyrant class!"
Jiang Yuan smiled at One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws, sincerely giving him a thumbs-up in praise.
If it weren't for the sacred beast Xuanwu putting a "Water Healing Shield" on him, facing such explosive output from One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws, ten Jiang Yuans wouldn't have been enough to withstand a single strike!
"Awesome!"
And the onlookers from Skywave Manor and Cold River City, witnessing such a thrilling duel between Jiang Yuan and One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws, burst into cheers!
"So? A bet's a bet. Can we pass now?"
Jiang Yuan pressed his hands down gently to quiet the cheers from the Skywave Manor and Cold River City alliance members, then looked at One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws and asked.
"Fall back!"
One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws kept his word. After losing the bet, he immediately waved at the mages and sharpshooter players on the cliff, clearing a path.
"Vice-leader, they cheated! This doesn't count!"
Seeing One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws give way so easily, a mage from the Proud World Guild on the cliff immediately shouted.
"Yeah, it doesn't count! Rematch!"
Other guild members from the Imperial State also chimed in, leveling their weapons at Jiang Yuan and the others, as if daring them to take a step forward.
Watching the indignant crowd on the cliff, One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws suddenly recalled the orders from Proud World Dragon Emperor: not a single one was to be let in.
"Look, they don't seem convinced!"
So, with a conflicted expression, One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws pointed at the people on the cliff and said to Jiang Yuan.
"Fine! I'll make you all admit defeat!"
Just as the sacred beast Xuanwu was about to disappear, Jiang Yuan quickly refreshed his "Water Healing Shield" and then addressed the players from the Imperial State and Ten Thousand Mile Alliance on the cliff. "From now on, you can attack me freely—One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws, you too. I'll walk right through this stone gate in front of you all!"
With that, Jiang Yuan, shielded by the pale blue barrier, began walking step by step toward the stone gate.
Instantly, countless skills rained down on Jiang Yuan. The sharpshooters and mages on the cliff hurled their most powerful, deadliest abilities at him.
"Xiang-Wang-Strikes-the-Tripod!"
One Blade Breaks Ten Thousand Laws, who had held back until now, had his ultimate skill cooldown ready. The phantom of Overlord Xiang Yu appeared again, unleashing another six consecutive attacks on Jiang Yuan!
Damage numbers kept flashing above Jiang Yuan's head—some over a million, others five or six hundred thousand. Under such relentless assault, the shield on Jiang Yuan, who had only made it halfway, dropped to half.
"We've taken half of it off! Keep it up!"
Seeing the pale blue shield on Jiang Yuan starting to deplete, the players from the Imperial State and Ten Thousand Mile Alliance were ecstatic, shouting and speeding up their skill casts.
Twenty meters, fifteen meters, ten meters...
Jiang Yuan's shield began to fade visibly, but with each step he took, the distance to the stone gate shrank.
Seconds later, with less than a fifth of his shield remaining, Jiang Yuan, enduring the dense and terrifying barrage, slipped through the gap in the stone gate, glanced inside, and made out the silhouette of the mythical boss!