Chapter 649: The Tenth Form

Lian immediately moved, but this time, he did not intend to end the battle with just one punch, apart from the fact that it was impossible, he also wanted to examine the structure of the Mourner’s third skill.

Because something about the way the creature’s movements worked together was connected to its previous two skills, first, mana flowed from its right arm into its chest.

Then it spread along several other paths and formed the gray images, the same area that Lian’s previous punch had damaged.

He looked at Rindo.

"Keep an eye on its right arm, I think that’s where its skills are connected."

"Understood." He nodded and then held his spear in front of his body.

The sixth mark lit up.

[Sixth Form: Seven Stars Seal the Dragon Veins]

Seven small points of light formed along the path of the blade, and Rindo began a series of attacks with very precise movements.

The first strike hit the outer part of its forearm.

The second hit its shoulder.

The third targeted the mana flow around its chest, and the fourth and fifth strikes reached the same area from different angles.

But despite the damage, the Mourner did not retreat, it sent its left fist toward Rindo.

The young spearman was forced to change his attacks for a moment.

He moved out of the fist’s path with a quick turn and delivered the remaining two strikes to the damaged part of the creature’s right arm.

CRACK!

For a fraction of a second, the mana flow in that area became unstable.

One of the gray images that was forming broke apart before it could be completed.

But the skill’s effect did not last long, and the creature quickly regained its power.

Rindo immediately moved away, his breathing had become heavy.

Just that much?

He could clearly feel the difference in level between himself and the creature.

Even with his special martial art and high-quality spear, disrupting the mana flow of a Level 50 enemy required a lot of effort.

But that short disruption was enough for Lian to move, and the light around his hand turned dark.

[Corrupt Sun]

A weak flow of Eclipse Energy moved along the corrupted light and reached the damaged part of the Mourner’s arm.

The mana layer began to weaken, and then he quickly moved in front of the creature and struck the same point with another punch.

BAAANG!

The arm’s defensive structure broke apart for a moment.

The monster took several steps back.

But just as Rindo was about to use the opportunity, the creature raised both hands.

The mana flow around it changed, this time, the energy did not remain in one place, it gathered along its arms and chest and then moved toward the back of its body.

Lian raised his head and saw nine huge, partly transparent rings forming one after another behind the creature.

This one was different.

The Mourner clenched its right fist, and a heavy pressure settled over the road.

Countless stones rose from the ground and shook in the air, but contrary to expectations, the creature did not attack Lian directly.

Instead, it struck the ground with its fist, causing the first ring to collapse.

BOOOOM!

A wave of pressure moved along the road, cracks appeared across the stone surface, and part of the eastern edge collapsed.

Rindo jumped quickly out of the wave’s path, but before he could land, the second ring began to collapse.

He spun his spear.

[Fourth Form: Azure Dragon Rends the Nine Heavens]

Azure mana moved around his body in a spiral, and using the force of the rotation, he changed his direction in the air and passed through the second wave.

But just as he was about to land on an intact part of the road, a dark mark lit up beneath his feet.

[Graves of Return]

Damn it!

A stone pillar rose from the ground, but before it could hit him...CRACK!

A huge ice claw passed beside Rindo and split the pillar into several pieces, allowing the young spearman to land among the broken stones.

"Watch your steps." Lian lowered his hand from a short distance away.

"Understood!"

The Mourner released the third layer of pressure, this time, the wave moved directly toward the central part of the road.

Lian jumped high out of its main path, but Rindo was forced to use his spear to redirect part of the force.

The Fifth Form.

[Heavenly River Returns to Its Source]

Silver energy flows formed rings around the spear, and the pressure was redirected away from its original path, but the remaining force passed into his shoulder and arm.

He slid several meters backward across the stone, and his palm was burning with intense pain, part of the skin on his fingers had been damaged.

Even so, he did not release his spear.

Lian noticed his condition, but he still did not have time to approach him, because the Mourner had already released the fourth ring.

A large part of the road in front of him collapsed, and stones fell into the cliff, while hot steam rose from beneath the road.

He crossed the crack with a single jump and then looked at Rindo.

"Can you still continue?"

Rindo adjusted the spear in his hands.

"Yeah, but I can’t fight like this for very long."

"You won’t need to."

Lian looked at the mana flow in the Mourner’s chest, he now understood that the nine rings were being supplied with energy through the same damaged path.

But as long as the creature continued sending mana into that area, the structure repaired itself very quickly, to stop the attack, that connection had to be broken for a moment.

He looked at Rindo.

"I need an opening."

"How long?" Rindo let out a short breath.

"Just a moment."

His friend looked at him for several seconds, and then the corner of his mouth rose slightly.

"I think I can do that."

Lian smiled.

"Good."

But Rindo did not intend to use the final form yet, because even with all his remaining mana, reaching the connection point directly would not be easy.

He first needed to weaken the Mourner’s defense further, so he held his spear with both hands.

The eighth mark on its body lit up.

[Eighth Form: Ten Thousand Spears Traverse the Star River]

Blue and silver mana spread along the blade.

He took a step forward and then began a series of attacks.

The first strike hit the creature’s left arm, the second hit its shoulder, and the third hit the damaged part of its chest.

But this time, Rindo did not pause between his strikes, every movement prepared the path for the next attack.

Dozens of silver and azure trails formed along the spear; trails that looked like a river of stars under the sunlight.

The Mourner was forced to take several steps back, not because Rindo’s strikes had enough power to destroy it.

But because the continuous attacks disrupted the formation of its gray images.

Every time one of the images appeared, the spear’s next strike hit its mana structure.

But Rindo was also under pressure, he was consuming a lot of mana, and the muscles in his arms had become extremely tight, he could not maintain this form for very long.

Lian watched the situation and then lowered his palm.

A thick pillar of ice formed a few meters away from the Mourner.

Rindo immediately understood what he meant, and with the final movement of the Eighth Form, he sent his spear toward the monster’s shoulder.

Then he took a step back and jumped onto the ice pillar, his body rose several meters into the air, and the ninth mark lit up.

[Ninth Form: Falling Star Pierces the Nine Palaces]

Mana gathered along the spear, and Rindo turned his body in the air and aimed the weapon’s tip toward the same damaged point on the Mourner’s chest.

For a moment, the glowing trail of his movement looked like a blue star falling from the sky.

Then...CLAAANG!

The spear struck the Mourner’s chest, this time, the blade passed through the outer layer and pierced several centimeters into the previous wound.

But the creature immediately reacted, raising its right hand and trying to grab Rindo.

Before the huge arm could reach his friend, Lian moved, and his fist struck the monster’s wrist.

BAAANG!

The creature’s hand was thrown aside, and Rindo used the opportunity to pull out his spear, but when he landed, he fell onto one knee.

His breathing had become heavy, his right palm was covered in blood, and his fingers could barely hold the weapon’s shaft.

He had consumed a large amount of his mana, even so, he had achieved his goal, the defensive structure near the Mourner’s chest had been badly damaged.

Lian looked at the same point.

Now.

But the Mourner had also noticed the danger and pulled back its right hand, the fifth ring behind it began to collapse.

A huge amount of pressure gathered around its body, this time, Rindo could no longer escape every attack with quick jumps and repeated forms.

If the next strike hit him directly, the difference in level between them would probably have very serious consequences.

The young Vorhelm took a step forward.

But at that exact moment, Rindo tightened his grip on his spear.

"Lian."

He looked at him.

Despite the pain in his hand, his friend slowly stood up from the ground.

"You said you needed a moment, right?"

Lian paused for a moment and then gave a faint smile.

"Yeah."

"Then I’ll give you that moment." Rindo nodded.

He held the Ten Star Spear in front of his body, it was time to perform the Tenth Form.