The Card Apprentice

Isn’t the adversary good at controlling beasts?

The speculation he had firmly believed in was proven wrong in an instant. Even a strong-willed man like Jin Yin couldn’t help but feel somewhat addled.

The adversary’s speed is so fast!

Jin Yin had no time for any retaliation and could only dodge for dear life. Besides, whenever there was the slightest slowing down of his speed, the icy coldness that followed closely behind would remind him how near he was to death.

Jin Yin had never thought he, well-known for close combat, would one day have not even a chance of fighting back. The profound sense of danger made the hairs on his body each stand on end and numbed his scalp.

If one were to look from the sky, one would realize how bizarre Jin Yin’s movements were. His figure shot back in midair as though his chest was suddenly pushed by an unseen force. Before he could touch the ground, his figure sprang sideways again with no warning. If any card artisan were to witness the scene, they surely wouldn’t be able to help but think, What a brilliant dodging technique!

Jin Yin was covered with snow and looking rather harassed, but it was in his present state that he applied those seemingly ordinary dodging techniques to amazing effects. Many maneuvers were but ones with exceedingly little difficulty, but the baffling combination allowed the movements to be filled with unpredictability. Additionally, the transitions between one maneuver and the next were effortlessly smooth.

In his heart, Chen Mu was secretly in awe. He had pretty much had all the advantage in the fight, but he hadn’t expected the adversary to be so intractable. His perception could exert its greatest power in such battles, so darkness had no effect upon him. The adversary was obviously restrained by the darkness. Several times when he was just about to decapitate the adversary, however, the guy always managed to escape by millimeters.

The movements on both sides were quick to the extreme. In a split second, their direction changes had reached as many as dozens of times. Such frequency of attack was rare even among card artisans.

Chen Mu wasn’t aware the shock in Jin Yin’s heart was no less than his own. Jin Yin had always been extremely confident of his own skill at controlling the jet stream card, but the guy behind him was like maggots attached to his bones. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shake him off.

He only needed a tiny bit of time. Even if it were one-tenth of a second, it would be enough for him to launch a counterattack.

However, the adversary obviously had no intention of giving him any chances, and the evasion that never failed him had unusually lost its effect that time. The adversary’s movements were actually more supple and faster than his!

This is impossible!

Jin Yin’s mind was still somewhat muddled. His control of jet stream cards had already reached the extent of being perfect. Within Constellation, he had only lost to Wen. Even team leader Yuchi couldn’t contend against him in the control of jet stream cards. That was Jin Yin’s only defeat in the jet stream card aspect in his whole life.

The Black-Line Star Listing stated Jin Yin as having first-rate control over jet stream cards and second-rate combat capability. He felt no unjustness toward that assessment and instead thought it was incredibly fitting. The control of jet stream cards had always been his proudest area. Wen had managed to subdue that proud and defiant card artisan all those years ago precisely by beating him fair and square in the control of jet stream cards.

However, he had now met an opponent who was superior in the aspect of jet stream card control. Jin Yin’s competitiveness was instantly aroused. The mess of thoughts in his mind vanished promptly. At that moment, he had only one idea: He wanted to win!

Chen Mu immediately noticed the adversary’s movements had become faster and harder to predict. He praised him inwardly. If it was purely regarding the control of the jet stream card, in comparison with the adversary, he still had some way to go. He hadn’t even thought of many of the moves and methods before that. The adversary’s usage of the jet stream card had simply reached the extent of being freakish.

It wasn’t until he saw the adversary’s moves that he was greatly enlightened. So, this move can also be used this way!

However, jet stream card control was not the only aspect in question in chasing and dodging. Perhaps that was the understanding of card artisans, but it wasn’t how Chen Mu saw it. From Chen Mu’s point of view, any technique could be used so long the same end result was achieved.

Combining the leverage technique of the cardless sect with the jet stream card, Chen Mu gradually caught up to the adversary’s figure and did his best to keep him within his attack range. The cardless sect techniques he had learned from the demonic woman and Wei-ah had allowed his body to be amazingly flexible.

Jin Yin was somewhat shocked. His eyes were naturally sharp. Many of the means used by Chen Mu were cardless sect techniques. He had never seen or imagined cardless sect techniques could be so perfectly combined with the jet stream card. Aside from admiration, it also stimulated the desire for battle in his heart. Under the gloomy and cold surface, his heart, as though enkindled, began flaming fiercely!

The grimness on his face had finally faded away. At that moment, Jin Yin was both intent and humbly devoted. Those melancholic features actually seemed extraordinarily handsome.

Jin Yin’s speed increased sharply. Free from distractions and filled with the desire for battle, he was performing at a level he never had before. His figure was like a bolt of lightning, incessantly reflecting and drifting with astonishing speed. So fast was the speed that one’s eyes could hardly keep up.

Chen Mu detected the change immediately. With a solemn expression, he drew in a deep breath, and a popping sound akin to the frying of beans came from the joints of his body. His eyes turned cold in a split second, and a murderous aura was emanated vigorously!

Bam!

In midair, Chen Mu’s right foot, which had been hovering spectrally, stepped onto a tree branch with lightning speed and produced an extremely deep and muffled sound! The whole right leg was 90 degrees bent at the knee, and his face was flushed at once. But the rounded, glaring eyes had not a hint of wavering in them and were fixated upon Jin Yin with an accuracy akin to that of an eagle’s eyes.

Whoosh!

An astounding power burst forth from the bent right leg, and Chen Mu dove at the adversary like a cannonball leaving the barrel!

Chen Mu scarcely used that maneuver. It was a classic cardless sect technique and not a low-grade one, either. It allowed the user’s explosive power to be increased in a short time. However, the technique was also rather taxing on the user, and only bodies tough as those from the cardless sects could withstand its side effect.

It was one of the techniques Chen Mu had figured out under Wei-ah’s guidance after trial and error. However, in practice with Wei-ah, Chen Mu had never used that maneuver before. Even if his explosive power increased by another few levels, it still couldn’t possibly cause the slightest trouble to Wei-ah in terms of speed and strength. Instead, the use of the maneuver would result in a significant decrease in how long he could last.

However, in facing Jin Yin, he could only do his best! He had the upper hand in the situation. Thus, at that moment, he was faced with a choice—to kill the adversary or to break away and flee of his own accord.

Chen Mu eventually decided to kill the adversary. The jet stream card control of the fellow before him was superb. To be pursued by such a card artisan would undoubtedly be a nightmare! It might be better to kill the adversary at the present moment. Though a little more effort was needed, he would have it much easier later. After all, he had control over the situation.

Precisely because of those considerations did Chen Mu not scruple to use that skill.

As the speed was too fast, Chen Mu seemed to appear out of thin air beside Jin Yin, and he swung the pale blue light glimmering at his fingertip at the Jin Yin’s neck.

Due to his intentness, Jin Yin, who was focused on manipulating the jet stream card, could respond far quicker than usual. A jet stream pushed backward from under his feet, and his body rushed forward, on the verge of falling.

Yet, precisely that unconventional move allowed him to dodge Chen Mu’s fatal blow. Subsequently, both of his palms pushed downward, and two jet streams gushed out from them. With the help of that force, his figure slid and flew to the side.

There seemed to be an indescribable sensation about to be unleashed in Jin Yin, whose face was full of humble devotion.

Yet another successful evasion by the adversary wasn’t beyond Chen Mu’s expectations. Even he had no hope of catching up to Jin Yin’s excellent attainments in jet stream card control. Nonetheless, Chen Mu reacted extremely swiftly as well. The few millimeters of blue light extended suddenly, and the energy blade-whip, which had successfully killed the snow wasps, appeared once again.

Hundred Changes!

The energy blade-whip was like an intelligent snake, lashing out at Jin Yin, who was sliding sideways.

Jin Yin’s heart skipped a beat. The blue light on a fingertip a moment ago had then changed into an energy whip. The adversary’s means of attacking were both endless and impossible to defend against! In spite of the shock, he wasn’t afraid. His heart was filled with confidence. The joy of performing better than usual allowed him to realize he was in top form at that moment. He believed even the swiftest and fiercest attack wouldn’t be able to trap him!

Jin Yin’s figure suddenly leaned back in midair in the shape of a strung bow, and he narrowly avoided the energy blade-whip time and time again.

The movements on both sides were unbelievably quick. In the blink of an eye, dozens of rounds had been finished. The energy fluctuations from Chen Mu’s Big Mudfish and Hundred Changes were extremely weak, but the energy fluctuations emitted by Jin Yin’s jet stream card had nevertheless alerted the other card artisans. However, as there were only energy fluctuations from Jin Yin’s jet stream card, the other card artisans were puzzled. Only five rushed over.

Seeing the adversary’s card artisans were about to arrive as backup, Chen Mu was instantly anxious at heart. Once he was tightly encircled, that day would then be his time to die!

Chen Mu suddenly halted.

Jin Yin saw Chen Mu stop abruptly and was a little suspicious. He also knew his companions were hurrying over in that direction. In fact, in his heart, he didn’t wish those people would reach there at that time. He was in the very best state and seemed to be dimly figuring something out. He knew he was extremely likely to be at the critical point to a breakthrough.

If the adversary saw the situation wasn’t well and wanted to run away, he wouldn’t have found it strange. However, the adversary wasn’t fleeing but had stopped instead. How could that not seem odd?

Could the adversary still have some other deadly moves?

Impossible! He dismissed the idea at once. If the adversary had any formidable tricks, he would have used them long ago instead of being in a dogfight with him for so long.

In his eyes, the ugly fellow in front of him already had no possibility of escape. He was very much hoping Chen Mu would perform some expert maneuvers. He had already sensed himself to be on the edge of a breakthrough. The larger the pressure at that moment, the easier it was to awaken his potential and to break through.

The magical feeling in his body was getting stronger and stronger, and it seemed as though only a thin piece of paper was all that was obstructing. Soon, perhaps in just a brief moment, he could get past the layer of obstruction!

Come on!

Jin Yin stared at Chen Mu fixedly. The humble devotion on his face was mingled with fanaticism, and his eyes blazed like fire!