Chapter 249: Leave the Rest to Me

"Just two little bugs."

Mingxin suddenly let out a light laugh, as if he'd run out of patience.

The Demon-Subduing Staff in his hand abruptly produced over a dozen afterimages, its speed surging in that instant!

His target shifted again, not Yang Ling, but the Vital Qi-depleted Lu Yunchen!

Lu Yunchen was swept away in a single blow, smashing straight through the courtyard wall!

"Damn you..."

From the rubble came Lu Yunchen's murmured curse.

Qin Mo immediately led people rushing over to begin rescue efforts.

Seizing the moment, Yang Ling hurled his Centenary Refined Vermilion Gold Throwing Daggers one after another.

Each dagger landed precisely on Mingxin.

Mingxin’s last layer of Vital Qi hit rock bottom at that moment.

"He's out of Vital Qi!"

"Shoot him with crossbow bolts!"

Wen Kongxuan had just given the order, and the Ironclad agents all raised their heavy crossbows.

But in the next instant, Mingxin's Vital Qi began to surge explosively, instantly restoring to its peak!

Wen Kongxuan and the others froze.

How the hell was this guy so hard to deal with!?

"As expected... he’s the same as Huikong back then, his Vital Qi recovered to peak."

Yang Ling's expression turned grave.

"You've used up your throwing daggers, haven't you?"

Mingxin twirled his staff and walked toward Yang Ling.

He took only a single step, yet in that stride he 'glided' over like a gecko to Yang Ling's front.

Seeing that, Yang Ling once again relied on his high Agility and perception to evade Mingxin's assault.

At the same time he ordered, "Shoot! Don't be afraid of hitting me!"

"Director Yang is... determined to die together with him!?"

Liang Yue and Lin Qin exchanged baffled looks.

Qin Mo was startled; he had already dug out the bloodied Lu Yunchen, and before he could stop Yang Ling’s reckless move...

The Ironclad agents present all squeezed their heavy crossbow triggers.

A rain of bolts swept toward Mingxin.

Yang Ling had already drawn his Centenary Refined Vermilion Gold Pickaxe.

He activated the skill that came with the equipment: Frenzied State!

As his Vital Qi dropped slightly, Yang Ling executed the Dragon-Capturing Saber Technique, swinging his Centenary Refined Vermilion Gold Pickaxe, wildly chiseling toward Mingxin!

His movements were incredibly fast, and his strength considerable!

Mingxin smiled faintly. Since the other side chose to face him head-on, what else was there to say?

The Demon-Subduing Staff Technique and the Dragon-Capturing Saber Technique collided head-on for the first time in that instant!

The crossbow bolts struck at the same time.

To everyone's surprise, while Yang Ling continuously hammered Mingxin with the Centenary Refined Vermilion Gold Pickaxe, he also, with near-perfect application of momentum, dodged all the bolts that would have struck him.

As for Mingxin, his staff failed to knock Yang Ling’s weapon away as he’d hoped. Instead he was peppered by a volley of bolts, his Vital Qi plunging drastically.

His staff only brushed Yang Ling a few times!

In that moment, Mingxin began to re-evaluate the young man in front of him.

This newly promoted Sixth-Rank absolutely possessed the strength of a Lower Sixth-Rank.

Moreover, the opponent's perceptiveness surprised him.

Despite being locked in close combat, the other man still felt slippery and elusive.

Whenever his staff almost landed, the opponent could barely avoid it, only grazing him, making Mingxin feel like his power was being neutralized.

That feeling made him uncomfortable for the first time.

What Mingxin didn't know was that his opponent had a full 200 points of Spirit!

"The Dragon-Capturing Saber Technique... but using a pickaxe instead of a saber..."

Lu Yunchen watched the scene weakly, a strange feeling rising in his chest.

That pickaxe seemed indeed a bit more powerful than a saber, and remarkably sturdy.

Would the Ironclad Department start issuing a pickaxe to every constable?

"I'm badly wounded, my thoughts are foggy..."

Lu Yunchen's eyes narrowed as he forced his focus to observe the battlefield.

On closer inspection, he noticed another clue.

"Yang Ling's control of force is extremely precise, he wastes not an ounce of energy, and always avoids the hits that would deal the greatest damage."

"Although he got grazed by the staff a few times, it wasn't a full sweep—he lost about seventy to eighty percent of his force instead of all of it..."

"He even seems to predict Mingxin's moves. Mingxin's speed is obviously high, and his footwork very tricky, yet whenever Mingxin acts, Yang Ling somehow detects it in advance!"

"This kid is a born martial fighter!"

Lu Yunchen's body trembled with realization.

If he were in Yang Ling's position, he would have fallen in a few moves.

In other words... the Yang Ling who barely passed assessment not long ago has now surpassed him!?

More bolts flew.

Even with Mingxin's abundant Vital Qi, those bolts still drained seventy to eighty percent of it!

"It was my staff that hindered me. If I had closed the distance more, he would be dead!"

Mingxin pondered and made a wise decision!

Because his staff was too long, every strike required a wider arc, which allowed the opponent to slip away repeatedly!

In the next instant, Mingxin suddenly discarded his staff and launched his Mighty Vajra Palm at Yang Ling.

Without the staff’s obstruction, his footwork instantly rose a level!

In that moment Mingxin resembled an enormous gecko even more.

The Mighty Vajra Palm further amplified his strength.

Even without using the Demon-Subduing Staff Technique, his Strength attribute hadn't dropped.

Sure enough, Yang Ling found it harder to keep evading Mingxin's assaults.

With bare hands, Mingxin's attack speed increased severalfold!

But this was exactly what Yang Ling wanted to see!

"Hand-to-hand? Bring it on!"

Without hesitation Yang Ling activated Vajra Indestructible Body and unleashed Wind God Vajra Legs to clash with Mingxin head-on!

In a flash, the two had exchanged dozens of blows, each one connecting with flesh!

Mingxin felt as if his Mighty Vajra Palms were striking a boulder.

Yang Ling felt as if his kicks were striking vermilion gold!

Luckily, Vajra Indestructible Body absorbed most of the incoming force, allowing him to endure the backlash for a short time.

"This Mighty Vajra Palm is truly brutal..."

"But... even if it's vermilion gold, if I activate Two-Times Critical Hit I can still kick it!"

Yang Ling did not hastily trigger that skill.

He was waiting for an opening!

An opening where Mingxin's Vital Qi would be exhausted!

He only had enough Vital Qi left to use Two-Times Critical Hit once!

So he had to be sure that this one strike would carry at least a forty percent chance of success!

Another volley of bolts came.

This time Lu Yunchen joined in, firing his Seventh-Rank Crossbow and landing a precise shot on Mingxin.

Mingxin's Vital Qi had become shockingly thin.

At the moment his Vital Qi drained away, Yang Ling knew the opportunity had arrived!

He added a Two-Times Critical Hit to the next Wind God Vajra Legs strike!

By the time Mingxin sensed it, the kick met him squarely.

Crack!

Mingxin staggered back, both of his wrists twisted and folded, the backs of his hands pressed against his wrists.

Anyone with eyes could tell his hands had been ruined!

After that kick, Yang Ling's Vital Qi also hit bottom.

The two stood in the courtyard, facing each other at a distance.

The entire courtyard fell deathly silent in that instant.

A flicker of astonishment crossed everyone's faces.

Lu Yunchen murmured, "A newly promoted Sixth-Rank crippled the hands of an Upper Sixth-Rank?"

"Who would believe that if we told them?"

Then Mingxin suddenly shook his hands, and his ruined wrists seemed to recover just like that.

He smiled, "Your kick just now reached Upper Sixth-Rank power. How did you do it?"

Yang Ling watched his hands restored to normal and said in a low voice:

"First tell me, how did you do it?"

He had clearly been crippled, unless... wait—Gecko Climbing Wall Technique?

"Geckos have limb-regenerating ability; could the perfected lightness skill’s auxiliary effect be related?"

Mingxin smiled faintly, "My Gecko Climbing Wall Technique has long been Transcendent.

So my healing speed is a bit faster than ordinary people."

"...."

Everyone fell silent, despairing.

If this Upper Sixth-Rank couldn't be killed, how could they imagine what a Fifth-Rank expert would be like?

"Director Yang, your fight just now was splendid. Next, leave it to us."

A familiar voice rang out.

Yang Ling looked toward the courtyard gate in disbelief:

"Eunuch Xu!?"