CHAPTER 416: CHAPTER 216: WAVECREST, WATER-TREADING, AND THE DIVING FALCON_2

From behind came the densely packed sound of sharp weapons piercing through the air.

Without hesitation, the "Deflection Field" of the Dead Line ring was activated in an instant.

The free energy in the air swiftly gathered, and under the guidance of some invisible force, it formed a semi-transparent, reddish-brown protective shield around Xia Nan in a unique pattern.

Buzz—

Almost the moment the shield took shape, a torrent of green-gray stone spears rained down with a crash.

A fine layer of light ripples immediately undulated across the surface of the shield, swaying as if it might shatter at the next second, yet it maintained its integrity under the assault, buying time for the caster while blocking enemy attacks.

Bam!

Time ran out, and the reddish-brown shield shattered into specks of light, scattering through the air.

Before they could fully dissipate, they were drawn into the swirling mist, clinging to the iron-gray sword tip as it burst out from the shattered shield.

Although the Deflection Field’s duration was brief, it helped Xia Nan fend off the most critical assault, even giving him time to gather energy while withdrawing his sword and turning.

In the depths of his dark, calm eyes, there was only coldness and sharpness, and his black hair fluttered violently in the reddish glow.

Xia Nan stared at Cash, who stood in front with a stone spear in hand, the longsword aimed at the most soft and vulnerable spot between the opponent’s neck and sternum.

Nearing forty, with almost twenty years of rich adventuring and countless battles with demons and adventurers, this middle-aged man sensed the deadly aura the moment the longsword thrust towards him.

Clenching his teeth tightly, veins bulged on his neck.

He no longer held back, and his battle skill silently triggered.

Splash!

Suddenly, his calves expanded a circle, and though his feet were firmly planted on the ground, as if a strong force erupted from beneath, it pushed his whole body backward.

Wave Peak Step, one of the essential battle skills for a Sea Tide Hunter, a special skill that boosts the body’s explosive power in a short time.

On the sea, it could achieve a special effect similar to "walking on water."

Even deep in the forest, far from any water source, it still granted Cash immense explosive power, helping him dodge the oncoming attack.

Clang—

Sparks flew!

The sharp sword tip clashed and scraped against the hard scale armor, shattering a few iron scales and leaving a deep mark on the armor surface, yet unable to advance any further.

Because the swiftly retreating opponent had moved beyond the sword’s reach.

With the Teeth Hunting ability, there’s no need to escape futilely or engage in skirmishes, which would only make victory easier for Xia Nan.

Eyes fixed on Cash retreating ahead, Xia Nan’s legs tensed, and with the disturbance of gray mist and foliage in the air, a blurred wolf’s head seemed to appear faintly around him.

In an instant, Teeth Hunting was about to be unleashed.

Cash also understood that the black-haired youth before him had a displacement skill with astonishing speed and knew he couldn’t let the battle turn into a tug-of-war.

A quick decision must be made!

A resolute glint flashed through his eyes, and as he retreated, the stone spear was already raised high in his hand.

With a fierce roar, his muscle-swollen arms suddenly exerted force.

Buzz—

Amidst the air-tearing sharp whistle, the green-gray stone spear was hurled suddenly.

But perhaps due to limited accuracy while moving, the stone spear’s target was slightly off.

Xia Nan merely tilted aside, black locks swaying as the stone spear brushed past, plunging into the soil behind.

He suddenly sensed something was amiss.

Scenes of countless battles flashed through his mind from the month-and-a-half of camaraderie.

Suddenly, he realized something.

Intently watching the seemingly rapidly retreating Cash, Xia Nan vaguely sensed a rapid deceleration, seeing a short blade stealthily gripped in his hand, while a mysterious pull seemed to manifest from his chest, like a spring, drawing his body and building power.

"Trying that move again?"

As thoughts raced, he realized the opponent’s intent.

It was merely an attempt to use his technique of magnet-like rapid movement by setting the stone spear as a marker, simultaneously leveraging body inertia to unleash a slash.

As his steps moved, he already intended to dodge.

Suddenly, he paused.

His innate combat talent, coupled with a fleeting insight, kept Xia Nan in place.

Deep in his dark eyes, a gray light softly emerged, turning the world before him into black and white.

Intricate ripples symbolizing gravitational waves collided and interwove, flooding his mind with streams of information.

Mental energy rapidly depleting, the head gradually dizzy.

Yet all things around were crystal clear under the effect of [Heart-drawing Vision], meticulous detail.

"Swoosh-boom!"

With a burst of wind, the agile figure of Cash gripping a short blade in reverse, like a diving eagle, surged towards Xia Nan with the stone spear behind him as the endpoint.

Mental energy quietly spread, and the unique perspective of [Heart-drawing Vision] allowed Xia Nan to lock on firmly to the opponent’s rapidly moving, approaching body within this brief fraction of a second.

[Gravity Control] silently activated.

Xia Nan did not choose to increase the opponent’s gravity to slow him down; instead, he seemed unexpectedly "considerate," as if assisting Cash, by greatly reducing his body’s gravity.

This caused Cash’s body speed in the air to abruptly double, akin to a sports car with its tachometer hitting the limit, rendering him uncontrollable.

Simultaneously, in that dizzying black-and-white world composed of countless gravity lines, he controlled his mental energy, with a gentle touch.

Even the slightest gravity ripple triggered a chain reaction, causing Cash’s originally Xia Nan-facing body to deviate slightly to the side.

The distance was quite subtle.

Outside the range of the short blade, yet still within the reach of the long sword.

Those intricate manipulations of gravity, microscopic world, and mental energy, in normal time flow, were merely fleeting moments.

From an outside perspective.

Standing motionlessly, Xia Nan merely quietly raised the Beheading Longsword in his hand, extending part of its blade outward.

Cash, speeding to the limit from not far ahead, brought a fierce breeze and ominous howling in the forest, even causing the surrounding air to blur.

Rushing headlong, offering his neck onto the blade.

"Boom!!!"

The airflow stirred grass clippings, dust, and fragments of leaves, surging through the forest.

A headless torso driven by immense inertia became a spray of blood, a blurry shadow, hurtling deep into the woods.

The fragile body, upon impact with the trunk, instantly turned into pulp, twisted and deformed within scale armor, collapsing in a corner, nearly unrecognizable.

Meanwhile, Cash’s head, separated from his body, shot upward.

Encased in blood, the round head almost obscured the newly risen full moon.

It rose to the highest point, paused slightly, then descended freely.

By this point,

From the moment Vireis initiated combat until Cash met his doom, merely six seconds had passed.

"Whew..."

Breathing hard, even after [Heart-drawing Vision] was closed, Xia Nan’s brain couldn’t stop spinning.

Feeling slightly nauseous.

A flash of enlightenment, a mere second’s operation, yet he had simultaneously gathered battle skills, specialties, and all his insights into "gravity" accumulated over his progression.

Fortunately, the gains were worth the effort.

Before him, translucent characters silently passed by.

"Skill Level +2"

"[Gravity Control] lv1: (10/100)"

"..."

After the battle concluded, naturally came the part of cleaning up the battlefield.

Bending over, hands on knees, stood in place for a moment, until the dizziness in his head subsided.

Only then did Xia Nan straighten up.

He glanced at the neck stump of Vireis, still spewing blood, then at Cash’s rolling, mangled head.

Ahead, the green glow between the beastman corpse’s neck grew brighter.

Yet he harbored no intention of inspecting it.

Nor did he sheath his sword.

He merely shifted slightly, facing the direction where he had sensed an anomaly during the battle with the [Heart-drawing Vision].

Silently observing.

Soon, with the rustling of bushes quivering.

Stepping upon fallen leaves, soft footsteps echoed from the shadowed depths ahead.