Chapter Seventy-Eight: The Situation Balanced

The Sinner Swordsman brought his blade down, aiming directly at Ye Yu, but Ye Yu watched the sword descending toward his crown with remarkable composure, showing not the slightest hint of fear.

At that very moment, Old Hu strode forward, a deep blue radiance swirling about his massive shield. In a flash, he stood above Ye Yu, raising his shield to intercept the deadly blade.

A dull clang resounded as Old Hu blocked the strike. Without pause, he surged upward like a furious bull, charging straight for the Sinner Swordsman’s position.

The Sinner Swordsman, wielding a three-foot black blade, met the assault head-on. With a casual swing, he deflected Old Hu’s charge, the blade barring his way. Using the force of the impact, he retreated nimbly, landing lightly on the ground as if he weighed nothing at all. The onlookers felt as if this Sinner Swordsman was like a sheet of thin paper, utterly unburdened and elusive.

Such effortless agility only deepened the gravity on everyone's faces.

"The Sinner Swordsman is extraordinarily quick. There’s barely any chance to pin him down, and if we can’t restrain him, none of our attacks will land," Ye Yu said, narrowing his eyes as he watched the Sinner Swordsman. From the beginning until now, the only weakness Ye Yu could discern was the split-second when the Sinner Swordsman could be trapped and struck. Beyond that, there was no other way.

Meanwhile, Old Hu continued to clash with the Sinner Swordsman, and Huang Hong joined the fray. Yet even facing two opponents, the Sinner Swordsman held his ground with ease. Ye Yu seized the perfect moment and launched an attack, timing it precisely for the instant the Sinner Swordsman’s heel touched the ground after a retreat. It was a hit—

Yet, in a sudden motion midair, the Sinner Swordsman flipped backward, his black blade sweeping across to shatter Ye Yu’s assault with ease.

Landing, the Sinner Swordsman instantly shifted his focus to Old Hu and Huang Hong. Drawing back his blade, he unleashed a furious burst, sword energy stabbing forward like a spear.

Both Old Hu and Huang Hong had already entered 'Overclock Mode,' the only way to stand against such a formidable foe.

Old Hu, eyes narrowed, stepped forward to shield Huang Hong, lifting his massive shield at just the right moment to block the Sinner Swordsman’s strike.

Huang Hong’s left hand, meanwhile, was wreathed in crimson light, forming a circular shield. Old Hu called out, "I’ll push the shield forward. Look for your chance to attack."

A muffled thud rang out—the sword energy collided with Old Hu’s shield first. The defense wasn’t perfect, but it absorbed most of the Sinner Swordsman’s force. The impact drove Old Hu back half a meter, his health dropping by five percent. The Sinner Swordsman retreated slightly, then thrust his blade once more.

As Huang Hong stepped forward to meet the blow, Old Hu stopped him, raising his shield to block the first strike and being forced back. But as the second blade descended, a clear, ringing sound echoed out. To everyone’s astonishment, the Sinner Swordsman’s black blade was knocked aside.

"A perfect defense! Huang Hong, now’s your chance!"

A cold glint flashed in Ye Yu’s eyes as he caught Old Hu’s meaning and called out without delay. Huang Hong nodded, lunging forward with spear and shield, targeting the Sinner Swordsman.

But then Ye Yu’s expression suddenly changed. She had clearly seen that although the Sinner Swordsman’s blade had been knocked away, he showed no intention of retreating. Instead, his left hand shot out, seizing Old Hu by the throat and lifting him off the ground.

Old Hu was tall—over six feet—but before the Sinner Swordsman, who stood at nearly two meters, he seemed as small as a child. In the instant Old Hu was hoisted up, the Sinner Swordsman’s right hand gathered a vortex of energy in his palm and struck, sending the charging Huang Hong reeling backward.

Then, with a twist of his body, the Sinner Swordsman hurled Old Hu away with brutal force.

A heavy crash echoed as Old Hu’s body slammed into a dead tree in the distance, snapping it before he crashed to the ground. His health instantly dropped to sixty percent.

Blood spilled from the corner of Old Hu’s mouth, and a mild 'Weakened' status appeared on his body. He struggled to push himself up, but in the next moment, the Sinner Swordsman was already before him, pressing his left hand to Old Hu’s face and pinning him effortlessly to the ground. With a resounding "boom," a cloud of dust rose. The Sinner Swordsman had already reclaimed his black blade, poised to drive it into Old Hu’s chest.

But at that moment, Huang Hong shot forward like a panther, ready to strike.

Sensing Huang Hong’s fierce approach, the Sinner Swordsman abandoned his attack on Old Hu, spinning around to block the crimson-tipped spear with his black blade.

At the point of contact, a shockwave of red and black mist rippled outward, forcing both fighters to leap back from the impact.

Taking advantage of the retreat, Huang Hong grabbed Old Hu’s hand, dragging him back. They skidded a dozen meters across the ground before finally steadying themselves.

Old Hu, now visibly injured and panting, managed a breathless "Thank you," to Huang Hong.

Just then, Ye Yu’s urgent voice rang out, "You two, get out of the way!"

At her words, Old Hu and Huang Hong instinctively dove aside. As they did, a streak of violet light, swift as a serpent, shot across the field, targeting the distant Sinner Swordsman.

With a sharp hiss, the violet beam struck the Sinner Swordsman squarely in the chest, piercing the swirling black mist around him.

His health dropped to seventy percent. The combined efforts of Old Hu and Huang Hong had already shaved off fifteen percent, and now, caught off guard by Ye Yu’s attack—an inescapable, direct hit—he took double damage, losing another fifteen percent.

The tide of battle was suddenly even.

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