Chapter 165 The Sickly Uncle

The Wasted Uncle with an arrow in his knee leaped away with his other leg the moment he was struck. As he steadied himself, Sasaki Ming had already returned to a standing position in that bizarre stance of his.

At this moment, the two combatants on the battlefield were one with a bum leg and the other with a broken neck. The former’s posture was askew, but his head was straight, while the latter’s posture was proper, but his head hung crookedly on his shoulder.

Though everyone knew these two were experts, this outlandish scene and eerie standoff couldn’t help but elicit chuckles.

“Hmm… I was careless…” Wasted Uncle glanced at the wound on his knee and muttered in a low voice, “Looks like you’re not the kind of opponent one can kill easily…”

As he spoke, Sasaki Ming’s left hand rose, groping its way to the top of his head. Then, grabbing his own hair, he “righted” his head and “pressed” it back into place.

“Haa…” After reattaching his neck, Sasaki Ming let out a long breath and replied, “Likewise…”

The reason Sasaki Ming hadn’t died was because he possessed the [Undying Physique Divine Skill]; this was a passive defensive skill, the effect of which was “immunity to instant-death effects triggered by vital strikes.”

For example, Wasted Uncle’s act of snapping his neck just now, according to normal judgment, would be considered a “instant-death attack targeting a lethal area.” Such attacks could usually ignore damage and instantly kill the target… However, under the influence of the [Undying Physique Divine Skill], this action only caused “survival value damage equal to the grip strength applied by the enemy,” and the “instant-death” effect wouldn’t be triggered.

To put it more bluntly, for someone with this kind of skill, strangling their neck was no different from pinching their thigh; crushing their heart was the same as crushing their shoulder… No matter where you hit, only the base damage of your attack would be calculated.

“I’m curious… If I hadn’t just broken your neck, but twisted your head off completely, what would have happened?” Two seconds later, Wasted Uncle asked tentatively.

“Then of course I’d be dead,” Sasaki Ming replied to the first half of the sentence, then sneered, adding, “Heh… too bad you didn’t twist it off, did you?”

“Yeah…” Wasted Uncle shrugged. “Too bad…”

He chatted with his opponent casually, feigning ease on the surface, but inwardly he was a little apprehensive, thinking, “Good thing Honghu anticipated the enemy and put me in the first match… If it had been Qisha or Xiao Ma fighting this, they’d have been at a great disadvantage against an enemy with this kind of skill…” Thinking of this, his mind shifted, “But then again, is it an advantage for me to fight him? I have a feeling that letting Juan Menghuan fight him would be more of a counter.”

He was right. The most effective way to counter the [Undying Physique Divine Skill] was to send a character who used weapons to confront him. As long as his head or limbs were severed, the skill would be meaningless.

So, why didn’t Honghu send Juan Menghuan in the first match?

Of course, it was because he had no idea who the opponent would send in the first match, let alone that Sasaki Ming possessed the [Undying Physique Divine Skill]…

In fact, Honghu had only deduced before the match that "Sengoku would likely assume that Qisha or Xiao Ma Ge would be sent to fight the first battle." To avoid being targeted, he chose someone other than those two to fight the vanguard battle. It was that simple…

As for who Sengoku would specifically send in the first round, Honghu couldn't be sure either. After all, [Sengoku]'s overall strength was very strong. Apart from the second team's Imagawa Yoshi, who was unlikely to fight a solo match, all the other players were possible.

However, whether it was the opponents or his own teammates… everyone had overestimated Honghu, this "strategist." He was clearly just a player with a relatively high level of strategy. He wasn't some mystical military advisor from certain historical novels. How could he possibly guess the entire opposing lineup?

“I’m also curious…” Several seconds later, Sasaki Ming also spoke. “You said that ‘killing you once’ isn’t fatal, so I have to ask… how many times do I have to kill you before you die?”

“You don’t need to know the answer to that,” Wasted Uncle didn’t plan to answer. “I won’t give you a second chance to kill me.”

“Oh?” Sasaki Ming’s already gloomy face became even gloomier at this moment. “So, you’re planning to use that other fifty percent of your strength this time?”

His words were clearly sarcastic and provocative.

However, Wasted Uncle didn’t say anything more… Rather than retaliating with words, Uncle preferred to respond with actions.

In the next second, Wasted Uncle’s figure flashed, instantly rushing in front of Sasaki Ming, and without saying a word, he unleashed a [Life’s Loser Kick].

Sasaki Ming never expected that someone with a crippled left leg could still explode with a speed comparable to his own. Moreover, Wasted Uncle was using his right leg to move and then using the same leg to launch the attack… This unconventional and peculiar attacking action was also difficult to defend against.

“Damn… can’t dodge…” In that fleeting moment, Sasaki Ming cursed inwardly, then frowned slightly, pivoted his toes sharply, and met the attack with a sword slash.

To be honest, he didn’t want to take any of his opponent’s “skills” head-on, but the gap in raw strength forced him to face this situation.

Even if Wasted Uncle was only using one leg to move and attack, and was charging straight at Sasaki Ming from the front… he couldn’t avoid it, he just couldn’t avoid it.

Buzz—

The shinbone wrapped in Battle Aura clashed with the blade of the katana wrapped in Sword Qi, producing the sound of energy devouring each other.

Immediately afterwards, the stronger force crushed the other side and continued its momentum, erupting violently.

In terms of moves alone, Wasted Uncle’s body of Law of Causality skills was naturally unmatched, and this time was no exception… After the exchange, the [Life’s Loser Kick] overwhelmed the opponent’s slash, forcing Sasaki Ming’s katana backwards. The back of the katana shattered Sasaki Ming’s collarbone, embedding itself in his shoulder and neck. His hands were also twisted and deformed due to stubbornly holding onto the hilt.

That wasn’t the end of it. The [Life’s Loser Kick] was not only devastating, but also had endless reserves of power. After the first wave of strong pressure, another force of “propulsion” immediately emerged, striking Sasaki Ming’s chest like a cloud-piercing wave.

“Pfft…” Sasaki Ming spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot and was sent flying backwards by the immense force.

Just when everyone thought he was about to lose…

Suddenly! A flash of purple light! An unexpected change occurred!

…

“This child is naturally weak and sickly, please give him extra attention, Coach.”

“Is that so… because you like it, you have to do kendo… another idiot spouting such lines… this club is doomed.”

“I know you work hard, but unfortunately, this is a world that values talent. Even if you swing the sword a hundred or a thousand times more than others every day… you’ll never be a regular.”

“I never thought you could do this. Heh… seeing you all day looking sickly, I didn’t expect you to be so stubborn.”

“Ah, this is reality. The seniors you see as unreachable are probably at this level on the national stage…”

“Cry, it’s okay to cry. There’s nothing shameful in realizing your own powerlessness.”

“Hey! Sasaki! Are you okay? Hey!”

“It’s no use telling me these things… No matter what your reasons are, as a doctor, I can’t possibly agree to you engaging in any strenuous sports again.”

“What’s with that expression? The juniors are watching. Even if you’re retiring, show the demeanor of a regular member!”

“We all believe in you, Sasaki… Your words, in the future, will definitely be used to swing the sword in your own way on a broader stage.”

…

The scene of being suppressed by a strong opponent awakened long-sealed memories.

Power, accompanied by a myriad of complex emotions, welled up from the bottom of his heart.

Sasaki Ming actually drew his sword in the process of being severely injured, losing his footing, and being sent flying.

He swung the katana with his already broken wrists. The blade, already embedded in his own body, was wielded and drawn out, carrying with it a scattering of blood mist, slashing out an extraordinary sword style.

The target, which had already exceeded his striking distance and was moving further and further away, was now, in his eyes, close at hand, within striking range.

In an instant, three swords, faster than lightning, were all slashed out in a single breath.

[Sickly Sword - Swallow Reversal] – This style was not in Sasaki Ming’s skill list; this was a move he had comprehended from the extreme experience of being on the edge of life and death, and it was also the last move he would use in this battle.