CHAPTER 14: CHAPTER 11: APPRENTICE LEVEL DUEL

Under the dim streetlight.

As Qin Mu and Hou Fei reached an agreement, the thousands of vagabonds from both the Human Race and Crystal Race retreated to the sides of the street, leaving a hundred-meter road open for Heavy Spear Qin Mu and Wilderness Crystal Bear Hou Fei, providing ample combat space.

"It looks like those two NPCs are about to fight."

Twilight of the Gods gazed at the two gigantic figures of Qin Mu and Hou Fei, eyes gleaming with excitement, "I wonder how the combat system of this game is designed."

"If it has the impactful feel of a martial arts masterpiece, this game will be the masterpiece of the year."

"With such high virtual reality, this game should provide the same combat feedback as those martial arts masterpieces," Fang Zhen also said with great anticipation, "But even if this game is a bit inferior to other action masterpieces, I feel it’s still fine; after all, the graphics and texture are already unbeatable."

"I feel this game won’t disappoint." Wushang stopped waving the shovel, stretched her shoulder, and looked at the two fighting in the distance with fervor, "With my years of experience gaming in Pilgrimage, plus the feedback from digging and controlling my body."

"This game is already above Pilgrimage; I’m just not sure what level of battle demonstration those two NPCs will reach."

The three of them exchanged words, filled with curiosity and anticipation for the impending battle, with a completely game-evaluating mindset, which shocked Lin Qi, who was listening.

Combat feedback?

Impact feel?

Even NPC battle demonstrations?

It has to be said, their imaginations were impeccable, almost relieving most of his tension.

"No, I can’t be swayed by them. I need to be serious."

Lin Qi shook his head, felt he couldn’t be influenced by those three, then adjusted his mindset and focused back on Qin Mu and Hou Fei, especially on Hou Fei.

Both Qin Mu and Hou Fei were clearly at the pinnacle of the vagabonds.

According to his estimation, both should have reached the peak of Martial Artist Apprentice level, just a step away from being quasi-martial artists, otherwise so many people wouldn’t let them decide the ownership of this area.

In the world of Gao Wu, reaching 100 kilograms in strength and 10 meters per second in speed is the threshold for a quasi-apprentice.

To become a true Martial Artist Apprentice from a quasi-apprentice, one must reach 200 kilograms in strength and 12 meters per second in speed.

This is the threshold for a Martial Artist Apprentice and grants a certain status in Chasing Light City, allowing one to apply to various high school martial arts classes.

And to advance from a Martial Artist Apprentice to a quasi-martial artist, strength must reach 900 kilograms and speed 26 meters per second, where most apprentices hit a bottleneck, with all metrics stuck between 800 and 899 kilograms, speed 24 to 25.9 meters per second, also known as apprentice peak.

Both Qin Mu and Hou Fei clearly belong to this level.

With over 800 kilograms of strength and more than 24 meters per second speed, describing them as humanoid beasts is not an exaggeration; a fight like this is beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

However, this battle directly affects his future development, whether to stay or leave this area; even if he’s not strong enough, he still has a chance to change the battlefield situation between the two.

That’s by discovering Hou Fei’s weaknesses. Even an extreme apprentice like Hou Fei will have many combat habits, which often become weaknesses. If found, reminding Qin Mu would undoubtedly increase Qin Mu’s chances of victory substantially, altering the dynamics of their confrontation.

Before coming to the world of Gao Wu, he had played numerous virtual combat games on Blue Star for over ten years, and the number of monsters and players he defeated was in the tens of thousands, making his combat experience probably more extensive than the martial artists in Chasing Light City, and discovering Hou Fei’s weaknesses is not impossible.

Under the streetlight, in the center of the street.

Qin Mu and Hou Fei both donned alloy armor and stood 30 meters apart.

The alloy armor they wore was incredibly familiar to Lin Qi, having visited Cangjing Weapon Shop several times, An Apprentice Level armor made with A5-grade alloy, each set weighing over 60 kilograms and costing over 30,000 Bit.

As for the weapons they wielded, they weren’t ordinary either, made with A5-grade or higher alloy, each weighing over a hundred kilograms.

"Wilderness Crystal Bear Hou Fei, I’ve always wanted to spar with a master like you. Unfortunately, we don’t share an activity zone in the wild. Today, let me experience your sword technique!" Holding the Silver Spear, Qin Mu effortlessly swung the spear over three meters long, causing the gravel on the ground to fly up, stepping closer towards Hou Fei, whose figure exceeded three meters.

"Come on, let me see if your Cloud-Soaring Seven Spears are as legendary as the White Feather Gang claims!" Hou Fei smiled, directly drawing a Mountain-Opening Saber from his back, surpassing three meters in length, which matched Qin Mu’s long spear in attack range.

As his words fell, the figure over three meters tall Hou Fei let out a roar, held the saber with both hands, his muscles began to swell, and he took a massive step forward.

Boom!

The sonic boom in the air echoed throughout the street, and the ground under Hou Fei’s feet shattered inch by inch with every step. The hard cement pavement cracked open directly, appearing in front of Heavy Spear Qin Mu within four steps, his whole person pressing down like a bear.

"Coming in strong!"

Qin Mu wasn’t backing down, stomping the ground, swinging the long spear in his hand so hard it shattered the air, clearly intending to go head-to-head with Hou Fei.

Upon seeing this, Hou Fei turned his figure, combining bodily strength with his arm’s, raising the saber horizontally to slash at him.

A downward strike against a horizontal slash, neither yielding to the other.

Boom!

The clash of metals echoed throughout the street, the terrifying explosive forces driving both of them back several steps. With every step back, the ground shattered inch by inch, and the surrounding streetlights wobbled, resembling an earthquake.

"Your body possesses strong power." Hou Fei looked at Qin Mu in astonishment, a hint of confusion in his heart.

The Crystal Race is naturally stronger than the Human Race. In terms of pure strength, he exceeded 900 kilograms but failed to become a quasi-martial artist only due to lack of speed.

Qin Mu, as a human, was able to trade blows with him in strength equally, indicating that Qin Mu’s power was at least on par with his.

"You’re not bad either, not only full of strength but also incredibly quick. You’re just a hair’s breadth from reaching a quasi-martial artist’s speed, aren’t you?" Qin Mu looked at Hou Fei with increasing solemnity.

If the speed standard for a quasi-martial artist is 26 meters per second, then Hou Fei is at 25.8 or 25.9, essentially the level of an extreme apprentice in metrics.

"Looks like facing you, I can’t hold back." Discovering that Qin Mu wasn’t inferior in terms of metrics, Hou Fei raised his saber high, "Since we’re almost evenly matched in every metric, let’s go head-to-head to see whose strength and endurance are stronger!"

With that, Hou Fei fiercely slashed at Qin Mu, each strike accompanied by the sound of breaking wind.

One strike, two strikes, three strikes, resembling a gale, swept towards Qin Mu, making it impossible to discern the blade’s shadow. This move was Hou Fei’s famous technique in the wild, the Wind-Slaying Saber, each strike stronger than the last, but each swing took a considerable toll on himself.

It’s said that once the Wind-Slaying Saber is unleashed, it’s a do-or-die situation!

"If you want to go all out, then so will I!"

Seeing the tempest-like blade shadows, Qin Mu thrust his long spear viciously like a snake’s tongue.

One thrust, seven shadows!

One shadow, one explosion!

Cloud-Soaring Seven Spears!

In an instant, on the street, spear shadows clashed and collided continuously with the blade light. Each clash was like cannon fire, allowing people hundreds of meters away to feel the vibrational tremor through the air clearly.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Neither side held back, every attack executed with full force, exchanging dozens of blows. The counterforce from the weapons left their entire bodies aching with piercing pain.

The section of street under their feet, within a hundred-meter radius, was left in ruins, with no intact cement surface.

From afar, Fang Zhen, Twilight of the Gods, and Wushang, watching, were left gaping, the shock in their eyes beyond words.

"Monster brawl?"

"They’re really going insane! Both of them are monsters! This destructive power could match an artillery barrage from an entire battalion, right?"

"Isn’t this a movie made by the game company that they’re showing us?"

People in the live stream, viewing from Fang Zhen’s perspective, were all stunned by this spectacle.

It can be said, except for exclamations, no other words could describe it.