Chapter 52: Three Fierce Waves at Dragon Gate!

A silvery flash of blade light descended from the skies!

Chao Gai had no time to make any other move and could only instinctively raise the hilt of his saber to parry upward!

"Clang!"

Yet Ren Yuan's strike carried immense force and weight. The moment their weapons met, the pressure was so great that Chao Gai could not even lift his broadsword!

Yet Chao Gai was, after all, a man capable of lifting a massive bluestone pagoda with ease. Although suppressed by Ren Yuan in terms of raw strength, he refused to admit defeat, his face flushing crimson as he attempted a counterattack!

Ren Yuan showed no mercy. He tilted the edge of his blade, sliding it down along the hilt of Chao Gai's saber with the sole target of Chao Gai's fingers!

Chao Gai hastily withdrew his hands. Had he not pulled back as Ren Yuan's blade slid down, his fingers would truly have been severed!

Yet Ren Yuan was even faster. Seeing him retract his hands, he immediately twisted the blade and swept it horizontally toward Chao Gai's waist!

Chao Gai failed to defend in time. Ren Yuan's heavy strike landed squarely on his saber, which was driven back against his own body. Combined with the sheer impact of Ren Yuan's blow, this formed a devastating double strike!

In less than three moves, Chao Gai was forced into a rapid retreat!

"Whoosh!"

Just as Ren Yuan readied his weapon to press the attack, he suddenly heard the sound of rushing air from his front flank. Frowning slightly, Ren Yuan shifted the trajectory of his tripartite-bladed halberd to parry!

Two linked bronze chains flew directly toward the sharpened edges of the halberd, attempting to bind and lock the weapon down!

Needless to say, this was Wu Yong making his move.

"Paozheng, I've locked his weapon! Quick, press the attack!"

Veins bulged on Wu Yong's face as he pulled back with both hands on his bronze chains!

"Good!"

Catching his breath, Chao Gai seized the opportunity to charge forward once more.

"Trying to bind me?"

Ren Yuan sneered, exerting force through both arms and giving a violent tug! The tripartite-bladed halberd dragged the bronze chains along as it thrust directly toward Chao Gai's oncoming saber!

"Bang!"

Wu Yong was pulling the chains with all his might, which resulted in him being jerked forward directly toward Chao Gai!

And so, the two men collided into one another!

Of course, this collision was not entirely without benefit, as it caused Ren Yuan's ensuing slash to miss them completely.

Yet it was plain to see that Ren Yuan was having no trouble whatsoever fighting Chao Gai and Wu Yong simultaneously.

"Come again!"

Chao Gai was thoroughly frustrated, his anger flaring up. He shoved Wu Yong aside, raised his saber, and lunged forward once more!

While Ren Yuan's battle was fiercely contested, the other skirmishes were no less intense.

Over on his side, Mi Sheng wielded his massive battle-axe, taking on two opponents at once. Liu Tang and Lei Huang, both experts with the sabers, could gain not the slightest advantage against him!

Liu Tang and Lei Huang grew increasingly alarmed with every passing second. The axe of this dark-faced giant carried crushing momentum, and was wielded with astonishing agility and cunning angles!

On several occasions, his axe swept out from utterly unimaginable directions. Had the two not covered for each other, either one of them fighting alone would have already collapsed to the ground alongside Li Kui.

Indeed, that fellow Li Kui bore a terrifying wound across his back. Now, that bull-like ruffian could only lie helplessly at the edge of the fray, entirely unable to move!

Guanghui's situation was even more effortless. Chanting Buddhist mantras, Guanghui swung his solid copper staff amidst the ranks of halberd-wielding soldiers.

As the staff whirled, it generated fierce gusts of wind. A mere graze meant injury, and since none of the soldiers possessed the strength to trade blows with Guanghui head-on, he was truly a deity slaying deities and a Buddha slaying Buddhas. In a mere moment, more than half of the enemy foot soldiers were laid out flat on the ground!

Among the three battlefields, Guanghui's side enjoyed the greatest advantage by far!

"Chao Gai! Let us go another round!"

Ren Yuan was growing exhilarated by the fight. Although Chao Gai's martial arts were not top-tier, his strength was genuinely impressive, and his heavy broadsword had considerable heft. With Wu Yong intermittently harassing from the side, he had managed to stubbornly hold out for eight or nine rounds without defeat!

Ren Yuan wished to drag things out no longer. The commotion here was bound to be substantial, and if the residents of Chao Gai's estate gathered around shortly, it might prove a minor annoyance.

He needed to conclude the battle here swiftly and then inspect the condition of the two infantry battalions.

After all, those two battalions were likely engaging in their first large-scale clash with imperial troops today.

"Dragon Gate's Three Raging Waves!"

Hesitating no longer, Ren Yuan unleashed the secret technique of his martial lineage!

This technique emphasized the accumulation and stacking of momentum. Through whirling blade flowers and spinning movements, the wielder amplified their force, making each strike fiercer and faster than the last!

Chao Gai was forced entirely onto the defensive. Amidst flashing silver light, the tripartite-bladed halberd morphed into a fan-like barrier. Stirring not the slightest gust of wind, it silently closed in toward Chao Gai's neck!

Dragon Gate's Three Raging Waves, First Strike!

"Clang!"

Exerting his utmost strength, Chao Gai met Ren Yuan's tripartite-bladed halberd with his own broadsword, blocking the first blow!

Yet the impact left him in agony!

Ren Yuan's strike appeared utterly plain and unremarkable, yet it contained a ferocious, indestructible power akin to an undercurrent in the deep sea.

When the two blades collided, Chao Gai felt numbness spread through both arms. Lightning-like force poured into his body, battering his internal organs as though he had been whipped with a wet cord!

In that instant, Chao Gai felt his chest constrict, nearly cutting off his breath entirely!

Unconceivable shock gripped Chao Gai's heart!

"Is this Ren Yuan truly so terrifying? With such terrifying force, was he still holding back earlier?!"

Before he could recover, Ren Yuan's second strike arrived!

The interval between the first and second strikes of the Dragon Gate's Three Raging Waves was exceedingly short!

This second strike sliced through the resistance of the air, seemingly carrying the fury of a raging tidal wave as it crashed directly toward Chao Gai's chest.

Dragon Gate's Three Raging Waves, Second Strike!

"Block it! I must block it!"

Chao Gai felt as though he were trapped in the midst of towering, roaring waves. If he failed to block the blow before his eyes, his life would surely be forfeit!

Therefore, channeling every ounce of his strength to suppress the turbulent blood roiling within him, he let out a mighty roar, slanted his broadsword horizontally, and met the blow with all his might.

"Clang!!!"

Another metallic screech rang out, the thunderous reverberation causing Chao Gai's eardrums to sting. The immense force transmitted from Ren Yuan's halberd caused the unsuppressed blood within his chest to churn and riot once more.

"Ugh..."

Fresh blood seeped from the corners of Chao Gai's mouth!

The force of this second strike was three parts stronger than the last!

Chao Gai could feel that his internal organs had suffered severe contusions!

Even his hands were trembling uncontrollably now, utterly unable to maintain a firm grip on the weapon's hilt!

"Not bad! There is still one more strike!"

Yet Ren Yuan granted him no time to adjust. Accompanied by a thunderous roar from Ren Yuan, the double-edged tripartite-bladed halberd burst forth with dazzling silver light!

The blade swept out once more, its edge wreathed in chilling killing intent as it cleaved downward toward Chao Gai's head with the weight of Mount Tai!

Dragon Gate's Three Raging Waves, Third Strike!

At this moment, Chao Gai felt as though a giant atop the heavens was descending upon him with a cleaving blade!

Before such overwhelming might, he felt utterly minuscule, his breathing brought to the verge of a halt!

Yet he did not wish to die, so he had to block this final strike as well!

"Ching!!!!!l"

Amidst a splatter of sparks, the two blades clashed.

A force of a thousand jun crashed directly into him. The webspaces between Chao Gai's thumbs and forefingers split open, blood staining his weapon handle red, while the immense force channeled through his arms once more violently roiled his internal organs.

"Pfft!!"

This time, he could no longer control his body. Lifted entirely off his feet, he flew backward, spitting blood mid-air before smashing through tables and chairs behind him and crashing heavily against the wall before finally coming to a halt!

"Paozheng!"

"Heavenly King!"

The onlookers cried out in alarm at the sight. Liu Tang attempted to rush forward to assist, but was driven back by a sweep of Mi Sheng's axe!

"Chao Gai! I give you a choice! Do you wish to die or live? Decide for yourself!"

Stepping forward in pursuit, Ren Yuan flicked his wrist, sending the tripartite-bladed halberd spinning out. The razor-sharp tip came to rest precisely three inches from Chao Gai's throat!