Chapter 1028: Battle Once Again

The moment Ma Chao spoke, he made his move. With absolute speed, his voice seemed to follow behind his actions. Though it was only sound, compressed to a certain degree, the explosive force it carried was enough to cause harm.

"Boom!" Like the sound of thunder, Ma Chao and Yue Ji clashed once again. Unlike before, this time Ma Chao successfully gained the upper hand. At the moment of impact, lightning wrapped around Yue Ji, clinging to him like an unshakable shadow.

With one strike, Yue Ji was forced to retreat, but Ma Chao relentlessly pursued him. Another spear thrust followed, and the resulting shockwave split the air under Ma Chao’s powerful pressure. At this moment, Ma Chao, enveloped in lightning, truly resembled a god.

Although Yue Ji had already consumed a large amount of his internal energy to maintain his imposing presence, and then used a self-damaging secret technique in hopes of ending the battle quickly, even in this disadvantaged state, Ma Chao had yet to fully defeat him after several exchanges. No matter how much Yue Ji seemed weakened, his vast reserves of internal energy were not to be underestimated.

"Boom!" Ma Chao concentrated all his energy at the tip of his spear, striking Yue Ji’s warhammer. Though Ma Chao’s current power had surpassed the limits of this level, it was still impossible to defeat an expert of Yue Ji’s caliber in just a few moves.

Yue Ji clearly felt the numbness spreading through his hands from the impact. Ma Chao's mastery over the power of lightning was particularly troublesome. Even for opponents of equal strength, as long as they had a body of flesh and blood, they would inevitably be affected by the lightning. This was something even supreme masters like Lü Bu couldn’t completely avoid.

[I can’t keep going like this. Time to go all out!] Yue Ji realized the numbness in his hands and knew that if Ma Chao's lightning grew any stronger, or if his power and speed increased, his weapon might very well be knocked away with a single blow.

In truth, Yue Ji no longer needed to continue fighting. His role was to test potential candidates for the Qiang King, not to engage in a life-or-death battle with the future king. In fact, he was already violating the ancestral laws.

But at this moment, none of that mattered. What drove Yue Ji was his frustration and resentment. After all, even in his prime, he had never reached this level, and yet Ma Chao had so easily stood shoulder to shoulder with him, perhaps even surpassed him. Jealousy, a very human emotion, had taken hold.

"Boom!" Yue Ji mustered all his strength and managed to strike Ma Chao down. However, this time, instead of being at a disadvantage, he was able to match Ma Chao's power.

Ma Chao was sent flying back a hundred meters, but he quickly stomped the ground, creating a sonic boom as he propelled himself back toward Yue Ji. Yue Ji, still affected by the lingering effects of Ma Chao’s lightning, had not yet regained his footing.

Before Yue Ji could fully recover, Ma Chao’s spear, charged with lightning and internal energy, shot toward him with overwhelming force.

Another explosion echoed as the two clashed again, the immense recoil distorting both of their movements. However, Ma Chao recovered far more quickly than Yue Ji. Without giving him a moment’s respite, Ma Chao struck again, and this time Yue Ji’s form noticeably faltered.

Despite Yue Ji’s secret technique allowing him to unleash immense power, Ma Chao’s relentless assault left him injured internally. Instead of pausing to recover, Ma Chao, like a wounded lone wolf, only grew fiercer and more relentless.

Blood dripped from the corner of Ma Chao’s mouth, but he paid it no mind. His eyes, sharp and ruthless, locked onto Yue Ji as he unleashed the full extent of his strength, pressing Yue Ji back step by step.

From an even match to barely holding on, Yue Ji’s situation grew increasingly dire. With each clash, Ma Chao's momentum built higher and higher until, within thirty moves, Ma Chao finally overwhelmed him with sheer ferocity.

[This will be the final blow!] Ma Chao lunged at Yue Ji once more, and this time he managed to leave a deep gash on Yue Ji's body. More importantly, as their weapons clashed and sparks flew, Ma Chao noticed a crack forming near the head of Yue Ji’s warhammer.

"Fall!" Ma Chao roared as he sent Yue Ji flying with another blow. Gathering all his strength, internal energy, and lightning, Ma Chao charged at Yue Ji faster than he could control, crashing into him like a bolt of light.

This time, Ma Chao did not attack with his spear but instead delivered a powerful kick toward Yue Ji. To Yue Ji, this was a deeply humiliating move. Furious, he swung his warhammer toward Ma Chao, but Ma Chao did not dodge. His kick landed squarely on the head of the hammer.

To Yue Ji’s shock, the head of his warhammer, which had accompanied him for many years, was sent flying by Ma Chao’s kick. Ma Chao’s foot continued forward, slamming into Yue Ji’s chest. The sickening crunch of bones breaking made it clear just how many of Yue Ji’s ribs had been shattered by the force of the blow.

While internal energy could temper weapons and armor, making them stronger, they were still fundamentally composed of their original materials. Internal energy only reinforced the structure according to the wielder’s intent.

Just as graphite and diamond are composed of the same atoms but differ in structure, internal energy’s enhancement simply alters the material’s arrangement to achieve the desired effect.

A weapon user might want increased strength, and armor requires greater defense. Internal energy gradually modifies the material in those directions, strengthening its structure. However, internal energy comes from life itself, and thus its influence is limited.

This is why once a tempered weapon is melted down and reforged, the special structure is destroyed, and the benefits of the tempering are lost.

Similarly, every material has a limit to how much it can be enhanced. Once it reaches that level of perfection, no further tempering can improve it. However, it is rare to reach that level, as the higher the enhancement, the more advanced the internal energy required and the longer the process takes.

From this perspective, the higher the level of internal energy, the more it carries the personal attributes of the user. Over time, the material’s structure becomes completely infused with the user’s internal energy, developing in the desired direction.

Under the repeated influence of a strong will, this development leads to what could be called the “spirit” of the object. The romantic myths of ancient China speak of all things possessing a spirit, and through this process, such spirits are indeed created.

Previous Chapter | | Next Chapter