Chapter 4609 — A Short Rest

An extremely fine crack spread beneath Wei Zhao's feet in an instant. Anyone without extraordinary eyesight would never have noticed it even on close inspection. Yet though the fissure was fine, the commotion it raised was anything but small—a rumbling peal of thunder that seemed to detonate underground, enough to seize the heart from one's chest.

The crowd of onlookers outside the door were thrown into alarm and scattered for cover wherever they could find it. Though the ground had not yet begun to heave and the hills had not yet begun to shake, everyone knew a storm was coming. Ma Dangfeng had so far only locked his technique onto its target; once its full power erupted, it would likely level this place to flat ground in an instant. After all, this was a clash between two Yuan Ying cultivators of real skill—for bystanders, even a brush with the residual shockwave could cost them their lives.

"One last thing I'll tell you: this move of mine is called Earth Dragon Emerges. The last time I used it, a mid-stage Yuan Ying master died. So if you have any last words, you'd best get them out now—no point dying with your eyes open." Even now, Ma Dangfeng still had the leisure to talk. "Of course, there's no need to run. You're already locked onto by my divine sense. Wherever you flee, the earth dragon will rise beneath your feet. So I don't mind telling you—this move cannot be dodged. Hahahaha!"

"Earth dragon?" At that, the corners of Wei Zhao's mouth curved into an amused arc. "What a coincidence. My move is a dragon too. I just wonder whether your earth dragon can withstand this dragon of mine."

"A dragon? Dragon my ass! Still talking tough when death's at your door!" Ma Dangfeng laughed and laughed, then his eyes suddenly narrowed. The rumbling din grew more shocking still, giving the impression that some peerless savage beast was about to burst from beneath the earth and devour everything in sight. The weaker ones nearby were scared flat on the spot. The fearsome might of a full-power strike from a mid-stage Yuan Ying master was truly more than ordinary people could bear.

The spectators, so eager a moment ago, hurried to retreat farther and farther. At this terrifying rate, Ma Dangfeng's Earth Dragon Emerges would probably flatten everything within ten li at the very least. Even with true qi shielding their bodies, standing this close, they could not escape being caught in the blast.

Lu Bianren and the others, however, did not flee like everyone else. They stood behind Wei Zhao just as before. Unless Wei Zhao told them to retreat, they would share his fate—even if that fate was death.

That trace of amusement still hung at the corner of Wei Zhao's mouth. He showed no sign of any countermove, simply standing there quietly (and don't ask me who Quietly is—Quietly is Han Jingyi), watching Ma Dangfeng, who was so sure victory was already in his grasp.

"Oh ho, as expected of the former rookie king. Say what you like, at least you know when you're beaten—you realize you can't run, so you've simply stopped trying, is that it? Haha, guts. A pity your life isn't long enough!" Ma Dangfeng seized every chance to keep mocking. In his eyes, Wei Zhao was already a dead man.

"You say my life isn't long enough? Then I'll just wait and see. Perhaps the heavens will favor me and not let me die so soon." Wei Zhao smiled faintly, then suddenly turned his head toward the guild steward cowering nervously off to the side. "Be so good as to fetch me a stool, would you? I've come a long way through wind and dust—a perfect moment to rest my legs."

"What? A stool?" The guild steward was dumbstruck. Were it not for his post, he would long since have fled as far as everyone else—why would he stay here waiting to be buried alongside them? Yet given his position, if he simply ran off and let the North Island Cultivators' Guild be reduced to ruins, what awaited him afterward would be worse than death. Better to stay and play the part of one suffering for the cause—who knows, he might even earn a commendation for holding his post...

Seeing the steward too terrified to move a muscle, Wei Zhao shook his head with a smile, dragged a stool over himself, and sat down at his ease right in front of Ma Dangfeng, entirely as though nothing were amiss.

Everyone was stunned at the sight. What was this? Realizing he couldn't beat Ma Dangfeng, had he simply conceded? But it didn't look that way at all.

And yet to say Wei Zhao could ignore Ma Dangfeng's attack was utterly impossible. Ma Dangfeng was stronger, after all. There was no reason a peak early-stage Yuan Ying master could disregard the killing move of a mid-stage Yuan Ying master.

The crowd was merely astonished; Ma Dangfeng, standing across from Wei Zhao, was nearly going mad. To be honest, though he had set his heart on trampling Wei Zhao underfoot, ever since Wei Zhao had revealed peak early-stage Yuan Ying strength, he had put aside any thought of taking him lightly. Piecing together the rumors about Wei Zhao, he knew this fellow would not be easy to deal with.

But he still had absolute confidence in himself. A single Earth Dragon Emerges could kill even a mid-stage Yuan Ying master in one blow—let alone a mere peak early-stage Yuan Ying.

"Whatever mystery you're playing at, I'll kill you first and sort it out later!" Ma Dangfeng was certain Wei Zhao was putting up a bluff. His Earth Dragon Emerges was already primed. This move was his trump card—not only did it carry enormous power, but more crucially, once unleashed it granted him a deadly follow-up privilege.

Every martial technique has a casting time—the only difference being whether it is a little faster or a little slower. And where there is time, there is a flaw; where there is a flaw, one can be targeted. But Ma Dangfeng's Earth Dragon Emerges broke free of that rule. Not because it had no casting time, but because of its follow-up privilege.

Once Earth Dragon Emerges was cast, so long as Ma Dangfeng could lock onto his opponent with his divine sense, he could control the timing of the earth dragon's emergence at will. The dragon coiled beneath the opponent's feet from first to last; a single thought and the blow landed. The entire process left the opponent no time to react whatsoever. If the opponent dared to make a move at such a moment, that was a sure invitation to death. This was the so-called follow-up privilege—and Ma Dangfeng's most fearsome ace.

And throughout, the longer the earth dragon was held in check, the greater its power grew. Thus Ma Dangfeng held the initiative from beginning to end. Unless Wei Zhao had struck first before he even began his move, this duel was a foregone conclusion—at least in Ma Dangfeng's eyes, no suspense remained whatsoever.

Ma Dangfeng had wanted to seize on a flaw while Wei Zhao cast his technique and strike through the opening. But Wei Zhao's present posture showed not the slightest intent to attack. Since no move was coming, he could only strike first himself—after all, holding the earth dragon down there too long would spell trouble too. Its power was now more than enough to kill any peak early-stage Yuan Ying master in one blow. He refused to believe Wei Zhao could withstand it!

"Earth Dragon Emerges! Burst!" Ma Dangfeng bellowed. (The web drama "School Beauty" premieres on iQiyi on July 13th! Don't miss it! For the latest news, follow **yuren22, and the mobile QQ School Beauty's Close Bodyguard clan!)(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to)

!!R466