Chapter 183: Chapter 141: Choice

Chu Lingguang, now the only candidate left, instantly became the center of everyone’s attention.

Emperor Yue Xuan looked on with resentment, never having expected Chu Lingguang to be the last one standing. Chen Jin was just as surprised. When they had met in Jin City, he, Gao Yimu, and Qi Shiwei had completely dismissed Chu Lingguang.

Even though Chu Lingguang had grasped the key to Human-Gun Resonance, they never thought they would lose to a lower-class youth. Who would have thought that all along, Chu Lingguang was the one who was truly exceptional.

He left everyone else in the dust.

“This kid’s Spear Technique is sublime, his defense is impenetrable, and he’s awakened the Blood Dragon Elephant. If we want to take him down, we can’t afford to be sloppy. We can’t let him wear us down.”

“Four of our brothers have already fallen to his spear.”

“I’ll attack his center and tie him up with my Saber Technique. You two flank him from the left and right. The three of us will team up and take him down within ten rounds. Otherwise, we’ll bring complete disgrace upon the Imperial Guard.”

“Right.”

While Emperor Yue Xuan and Chen Jin seethed with frustration, the three Imperial Guards quickly devised a plan to deal with Chu Lingguang. In the Great Yuan Dynasty, every Governor’s Mansion had an associated academy.

Every year, members of the Imperial City’s Imperial Guard were dispatched to participate in these academy assessments.

Prodigies had emerged from academies all over, but a situation like this—where the Imperial Guard members sent to the Qiling Governor’s Mansion were beaten by the candidates until only three remained—was exceptionally rare.

To preserve the honor of the Imperial Guard, the three of them resolved to defeat Chu Lingguang within ten rounds.

The battle was about to erupt.

After their brief exchange, the three Imperial Guards swiftly closed in, giving Chu Lingguang no time to catch his breath.

As members of the Imperial City’s Imperial Guard, they rarely fought alone. They excelled at coordinated attacks, using superior numbers to their advantage. The three formed a small phalanx, rapidly encircling Chu Lingguang.

This was the first time since he began training under Guo Wei that Chu Lingguang had faced a coordinated assault from three opponents at once—and well-trained Imperial Guard experts, at that.

He had never encountered a situation like this.

Fortunately, Hei Hu had once imagined such a scenario and asked Guo Wei how to handle it. Chu Lingguang remembered his master’s words as if they were spoken yesterday.

’Divide and conquer!’

WHOOSH!

So, seeing the three men moving to surround him and form up, Chu Lingguang struck decisively. He unleashed his Spear Technique, focusing his attack on a single opponent.

The man immediately felt a surge of Wind and Wave Power within Chu Lingguang’s Spear Technique, threatening to Swallow him whole. CLANG!

He was a spear-wielding expert himself.

He channeled the second level of Skillful Force, attempting to ensnare Chu Lingguang’s Lightning Spear so his companions could seize the opportunity to defeat him quickly.

Unfortunately for him, Chu Lingguang’s third level of Skillful Force was at Perfection. Whether it was repelling and vibrating, ensnaring and entering, or seizing and penetrating, he was superior to his opponent in every aspect.

With his awakened Blood Dragon Elephant on top of that, his opponent’s second-level Skillful Force was rendered almost useless. Chu Lingguang’s Long Spear pressed forward. Spotting an opening, he Thrust straight ahead.

SWOOSH!

The guard who had suggested the central assault saw his companion was in danger. He executed a Powerful Slash of Hua Mountain, cleaving in from the side. The third guard circled around, aiming to attack Chu Lingguang’s legs.

SWISH!

Chu Lingguang whipped his Long Spear around. The Thrust failed to injure the first guard but still forced him back. Facing a sudden slash from his left, he pulled his Long Spear back and raised it to block.

The advantage of the Blood Dragon Elephant became clear in that instant. As his opponent brought his blade down with full force, Chu Lingguang stood as firm as a mountain. His Long Spear wasn’t even jarred from his grip. Instead, he pulled it back and swept it wide in a “Weeding for Snakes” maneuver, intercepting the attack from the guard on his right aiming for his legs.

“Hah!”

The spear-wielding guard found an opening. His spear shot over his comrade’s shoulder, aiming straight for the spot between Chu Lingguang’s eyes. Chu Lingguang ducked back quickly, deflecting the blow with the butt of his weapon.

“Yah!”

The saber-wielding man seized the chance, once again executing a Powerful Slash of Hua Mountain straight at Chu Lingguang. His Saber Technique carried an innate might, derived from his Operation Technique, making the simple, direct slash feel like a blow from a god of slaughter.

Chu Lingguang raised his spear to block again.

CLANG!

He stumbled back two steps, but his grip on the Long Spear remained firm. The Attack Power of that perilous blow had been immense. In his haste, he hadn’t been able to fully unleash his Blood Dragon Elephant. Fortunately, his Heaven and Earth technique was at the level of Perfection. Though knocked back, Chu Lingguang didn’t go flying or fall to the ground. He had successfully used the Heaven and Earth Penetration Skill to dissipate the powerful Sword Force.

“Huh?”

The man was in disbelief.

The spectators in the stands were also shocked and uncertain.

They could all see how flustered Chu Lingguang had been. His final defense with the spear had been riddled with openings. Logically, there was no way he should have been able to block that slash.

And yet, he had somehow endured it.

’It’s no use. I’m not skilled enough to defeat them one by one.’

’Chu Lingguang, Chu Lingguang, you’re dreaming. “Defeat them one by one”? Did you really think you could take down all three of them and be the last one standing?’

’I was getting ahead of myself.’

A cold sweat broke out on Chu Lingguang’s back.

Both the sudden thrust from the spear-wielder and the recent slash from the saber-user had left Chu Lingguang feeling like he’d just cheated death.

He knew they wouldn’t deliver a fatal blow.

But with the three of them working together, their Kung Fu carried a kind of Potential Energy. Their relentless, layered attacks created one perilous situation after another.

He finally realized he shouldn’t be thinking about defeating them all one by one. Instead, he should be thinking about how to get some small victory before they inevitably defeated him.

Like taking one of them down with him.

Because there was no way he could possibly defeat all three of them.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep