When Zhou Yu said that, he suddenly stared into Happy's eyes, and his attitude changed. "Tell me honestly. Do you believe that you can defeat me if you fight against me? If I can't withstand even three slashes from One Emperor, how many slashes do you think you can take?" His tone was aggressive.
Zhou Yu believed himself to be of equal strength with Happy, but One Emperor had given Happy half a year to prepare before they fought. As for Zhou Yu, he had suddenly attacked and killed him with three moves. The treatment they received was completely different.
Zhou Yu could not accept this, and he could not understand it.
Once Happy came to realize Zhou Yu's state of mind, he suddenly felt a little pity toward him.
In truth, Zhou Yu was definitely among the top ten strongest in the Sword Among Us tournament in Happy's previous life. In fact, he was even an existence who surpassed the Three Kings, but when he was at his most glorious moment and full of enthusiasm, he met One Emperor, a supremely powerful person who came to understand sword will and wished to verify his own strength!
After a brief period of pity, Happy naturally sensed how unwilling Zhou Yu was to accept that One Emperor had treated them differently and how much he felt that it was unfair.
Happy sighed in his heart, then faced Zhou Yu.
"I haven't fought against One Emperor before, so I don't know what will come out of the final battle, but I can let you understand the difference between us." He paused for a moment before he swept his gaze over Dream Clouds, Blood Robes, and Tang Feng. "I don't mind if all four of you want to attack together."
"Since—"
When Tang Feng heard Happy's conceited request, a thought appeared in his head, but before he could finish speaking, Zhou Yu interrupted him with a cold snort and a growl. "Hmph! Stop being so conceited! I'll fight against you alone."
"Brother Zhou!"
Blood Robes originally wanted to have Tang Feng be a sc.u.m and suggest fighting together while he himself went along with the flow and agreed to it. Then, Dream Clouds would suppress Happy with her Divine Flames Art from both close and long distance while he interfered with the fight using his Star S.u.c.k.i.n.g Great Skill.
Tang Feng would throw hidden weapons at Happy while Zhou Yu fought head-on against him. Like that, they would practically have the fight in the bag!
However, Blood Robes did not expect that Zhou Yu would complicate things and throw a wrench into his plans.
"I might not be able to win against you, but I will prove that you are a rival who is at the same level as me, and that you are still far inferior to One Emperor," Zhou Yu said with a very resolute tone.
Dream Clouds and Blood Robes instantly found themselves speechless.
If they tried to persuade Zhou Yu to work together with them, not only would it seal the fact that Zhou Yu was beneath Happy, there was even a possibility that they would end up forcing Zhou Yu to leave Class One Hall.
At that moment, Dream Clouds would not do something so irrational.
Since Zhou Yu was confident, there was no problem in them letting him fight. After all, the injured state brought by One Emperor had already been dispelled with Illusion Life and Death Pill.
The three people retreated 164 feet away from the pavilion, according to Zhou Yu's request.
One of them had a dejected and decadent look that he previously had lost. His gaze was cold, and his silver spear struck sparks in the air. When it landed on the ground with great momentum, the ground shuddered slightly.
Zhou Yu had the Life and Death Realm's Yang Clan's Spear Technique, and when it was in his hands, it possessed an extraordinary might. Zhou Yu had also become much stronger than a month ago when they had met in the battle at Eternal Peace Temple.
However, Happy was still confident!
Zhou Yu might have improved, but Happy had also improved greatly. He could now fight toe-to-toe against an Inaction Realm elite, much less one Zhou Yu.
But Happy was still mulling over what Zhou Yu had said.
"What is truly important is not how many people you have on your side, how high your qi is, or how many ultimate techniques you know—the key to being the strongest lies in whether you know how to use your attacks, and whether you are resolute and fierce enough with them!"
Those words struck a chord in Happy's heart.
He did not have any ultimate techniques in his previous life, just normal high-tier martial arts, but they had helped him win against many "aces" who had ultimate techniques with them!
He did not have any divine weapons in his previous life, but he could accurately behead his enemies time and again.
While Happy thought about that, Zhou Yu made his move!
Clang, clang, clang, clang…
His silver spear dragged across the ground and sparks flew! A deep trench was formed where Zhou Yu's spear passed! His momentum began building at a frenzied pace, and as he swiftly approached Happy, a faint but threatening feeling began to quickly build up.
Zhou Yu's aura swelled up at a very fast pace too!
It was rather similar to Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palm's profound secret, but the difference was that Yang Clan's Spear Technique could only acc.u.mulate its strength for one attack, while Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palm could continuously acc.u.mulate and build up its strength.
Happy's gaze turned cold. He went up against the incoming attack as if he had understood something.
Chapter 506 - Kill in Two Moves!
Even though Happy knew that trying to fuse two ultimate techniques that might conflict at that moment was not the best idea, his heart, which had been touched by Mad Monk and Zhou Yu, was incredibly determined.
When the first fist-generated wind charged through the air, he stirred up the dragon roar that caused Blood Robes to tremble outside the pavilion!
"ROAR!"
The dragon roar that was unique to Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palm, the dragon-shaped vortex that was steady and domineering, and a momentum that was supreme and contained an indomitable spirit caused Zhou Yu to bring forth the profound secret within Yang Clan's Spear Technique straightaway.
Whoosh!
It was like a silver lightning bolt had sliced through the air. His silver spear turned into a thunderbolt that shot forward from behind Zhou Yu. With a momentum that could destroy everything with ease, it completely vanquished the dragon-shaped vortex that was attached to the fist-generated wind.
Zhou Yu's momentum did not decrease then, and he sent the spear thrusting toward Happy like lightning.
When he faced Happy charging toward him, Zhou Yu's eyes remained clear. In fact, he had already prepared a move for Happy when he executed the evasive ultimate technique Petite Dragon, but what surprised him was that Happy did not dodge. Instead, he extended his arm and risked the danger of his arm being torn to shreds to seize the airborne silver lightning without any intention to turn back.
Happy was, of course, not taking a risk.
He seized the moment Yang Clan's Spear Technique broke the dragon-shaped vortex and paused for a moment. He had entered an incredibly mysterious state, and with his eyes shut, he struck the silver spear at an even more astonishing speed.
Dragon Capture!
Zhou Yu's eyes went wide, and he immediately noticed that the energy in his silver spear had instantly been emptied. Even his arm, which held the weapon tightly, felt as if it had been struck by lightning. He shuddered violently, and his weapon nearly fell from his hands.
Happy did not stop moving forward. He had not finished executing Dragon Capture just yet.
He arrived as quickly as the wind in front of Zhou Yu.
Boom!
Warning bells rang in Zhou Yu's head, and he reacted very quickly! The effect of Dragon Capture came and went quickly, and at the instant he regained control, a chaotic wave of true qi that served as body fortification flowed out of his body.
After all, Happy was not One Emperor and did not have a sharp and astonishing sword technique that could kill.
Even though the moves of his ultimate technique were so profound that the depths of its profundity could not be measured, it had no damage, and even if it had some, it could not instantly destroy his body fortification.
However, the next instant, Happy's actions made Zhou Yu feel as cold water had been poured all over his head or that he had fallen into an ice cave.
Almost at the moment Zhou Yu activated his body fortification, Happy's gloves that shone with an intimidating and golden light easily passed through it and seized his throat.
"STOP!"
Zhou Yu was not the only one who was terrified. Dream Clouds and the others outside the pavilion let out surprised shouts because they also noticed just how dangerous was Happy's unexpected attack.
The other Class One Hall members could not discern things so quickly. They only saw the duo exchange their first attack with an astonishing momentum, and Zhou Yu shuddered repeatedly before he was seized by Happy. The sharp Golden Gloves were fixed tightly around his throat, but no one could understand what had happened and how Zhou Yu could have allowed his vital spot to be seized so easily.
Even Zhou Yu himself had an expression of disbelief. His eyes were full of dispiritedness, and he stood on the spot with a strickent look. He seemed to have forgotten how to fight back.
Happy's voice, which reached his ears, was calm. "Now, do you understand why One Emperor set up a time for us to fight?"
Zhou Yu's gaze focused, and his body tensed up. He flung his silver spear, and an astonishing momentum instantly shot out from his body! This sudden threat shocked Happy, and without any hesitation, he exerted strength with his fingers and performed a hook!
Whoosh!
The people from Class One Hall could not save Zhou Yu in time. They could only watch as blood gushed out of his throat when Happy curled his fingers in a casual manner and threw him away. His body tumbled a few times in the air because of a great inertia before he finally fell out of the pavilion listlessly.
Dream Clouds, Blood Robes, and Tang Feng had imagined the duo exchanging multiple blows, so they did not expect that Happy would be able to kill Zhou Yu, the second ranked player on Dragon Rank, with such ease!
One Emperor used three moves to kill Zhou Yu, and how many moves did Happy use?
The trio stood thirty-two feet away from the pavilion while they stared at Zhou Yu's rapidly cooling corpse. Their gazes when they looked at Happy were filled with terror. If they had been the ones who fought against him just then, could they have possibly handled the situation better than Zhou Yu?
They could not be certain!
Blood Robes and Tang Feng had fought against Happy before. At that moment, when they saw how fast and straightforward Happy had become, they felt chills crawl down their spines.
Dream Clouds had never fought against Happy before, but at that moment, a wary look could be easily detected in her eyes!
When Zhou Yu mentioned One Emperor to her and provided her the battle replay of his fight against him, Dream Clouds had noticed the difference between her and a powerful player who truly belonged at the top. She also knew just what One Emperor's status would become in the game in the future. In fact, she even tried to draw One Emperor into Class One Hall with everything she had to help her fight against Chivalry Sect and Mu Clan.
At that time, Dream Clouds had possessed complete confidence in One Emperor.
However, right when her dream of hiring One Emperor was destroyed, Happy decided to pour a basin of cold water over her head! The two men completely destroyed her ambitious dreams of dominating World of Martial Arts.
As long as Happy was around, unless Class One Hall could get someone of One Emperor's level to fight against Mu Clan, it was impossible for them to become the leader of World of Martial Arts.
*****
He stopped upon receiving a messenger pigeon. He cast its message a glance, and a surprised expression appeared on his face. He then immediately looked at Dragon Rank, which was in World of Martial Arts Secret News Log.
"Second on Dragon Rank… Happy, you did well. Zhou Yu is indeed not your opponent. You're pretty interesting." One Emperor's expression returned to one of indifference, and he put away his copy of World of Martial Arts Secret News Log with a sigh. "There's still five more months."
At the moment he finished speaking, he raised his head, and his eyes shone coldly. He moved like a sharp sword and shot into a black forest with an aggressive momentum.
*****
Silence reigned outside the pavilion.
Zhou Yu had died. The people from Class One Hall did not expect this, and they did not know how they should continue. The situation had taken an unexpected turn, and even Dream Clouds seemed to have lost her ability to control the proceedings.
Then, Happy spoke. His voice was the only sound left in the area. He spoke in a tone that allowed no arguments, and his voice echoed in the air outside the pavilion.
"From today onwards, all Class One Hall branches will leave the Western Border that is located near Yin Mountains, and Yin Mountains will serve as the border. Also, Class One Hall will leave Hubei. Hubei will fully belong to Mu Clan in the future. If you do not want me to visit Class One Hall's headquarters, it would be best that you do this within twenty-four hours."
Dream Clouds said nothing, but her face was red with rage.
If the battle at Beijing had dealt a heavy slap to Class One Hall's face when Barren Murderer and nearly one thousand of their brothers died, Happy's current act of listing out his terms was basically him cutting into Class One Hall's flesh and blood.
He wanted all of Hubei, including Western Border, which was a huge territory.
But did Dream Clouds have any way to fight against Happy? If she took action, they might all die, and she would lose not just Hubei… but all of the area to the north of Changjiang!
Chapter 507 - Change in Events, Four Powers Gaining a Stable Footing
World of Martial Arts went into a frenzy!
For a long period of time, countless players had treated Zhou Yu as someone who was at the same level as One Emperor. Even if Zhou Yu lost to him, One Emperor did not publicize the fact. Class One Hall had also kept it a closely guarded secret, which was why many players did not know about this inside secret.
Zhou Yu's status in the game was so high that he could be said to be at the same level as One Emperor and Happy.
But once World of Martial Arts Secret News Log was renewed, countless players burst into a commotion.
Happy was the one who replaced Zhou Yu's position as the second in Dragon Rank, and since he skipped ranks to challenge Zhou Yu, the battle was even archived into Happy's list of achievements in his position as a famous player. Coincidentally, Dream Clouds, Blood Robes, Tang Feng, and the names of the other powerful players had also been listed inside.
While surrounded by Class One Hall elites, Zhou Yu had been killed by Happy, and the news of it soon caused a ruckus in the world of martial artists. Everyone in World of Martial Arts fought over each other to spread the word.
It was the hottest news of the players on Dragon Rank switching positions. Since launch of the game, the elites on the ranks had changed continuously, but it wasn't hard to tell that there was never a major change to the people at the very top. Hence, when Zhou Yu was dragged from the second spot on Dragon Rank by Happy, it became the hottest piece of information.
It was especially so since the fight at Beijing had happened not too long ago. The monsters from Class One Hall were also present, and it naturally attracted countless players' attention and sparked their curiosity. They dug out what went on behind the scenes in hopes to learn what had happened at that time.
The Shaolin Temple disciples said that Zhou Yu, who was at the same level as One Emperor, fought against Happy alone while numerous Class One Hall elites watched by the side. The end result, however, was that he died in less than three moves.
Since this story came from the Shaolin Temple disciples, many players immediately d
enounced their testimony and said that they did not believe them. They refused to believe that Zhou Yu would lose and die so easily. Even if he died, the two parties should have fought fiercely against each other for days. Zhou Yu could have only died after three hundred moves!
Some people though understood where the Shaolin Temple disciples came from. If it were not because the fight had ended so quickly, there was just no way that people from Class One Hall would have just watched Zhou Yu get killed.
All questions were completely answered when Class One Hall did something major and a few Class One Hall members who defected provided a battle replay to the pay-to-view battle replay system.
On the next day, all the branches Class One Hall had set up in the cities in Western Border vanished.
The branches that were close to Mu Clan in Hubei disappeared on that day as well. This not only caught the attention of all world of martial artists and sparked their curiosity, but there were even many disciples from Class One Hall who were puzzled and could not accept this fact.
Some of the branches had been set up since a long time ago, and quite a number of players relied on them as resource points for their own development.
Many Class One Hall members were prepared to show their strength through them, but they did not expect that the higher-ups would release an order that call to pull back all the branches. They had to pack up their resources and leave quickly.
This major change inevitably led to a few Class One Hall members coming to a realization of certain things, and they resolutely left Class One Hall.
There were also a handful of Class One Hall members who noticed Class One Hall's precarious situation while they were at the foot of Mount Song. Right then, the situation of the three powers standing tall in the game was broken, and a fourth sect which took a portion of the server rose up.
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