Jiang Wuming had been on the defensive, waiting for Nieson to reveal an opening. Then, he would shift from defense to offense and strike decisively to kill Nieson.
Nieson, during his attacks, was also seeking an opportunity, but to no avail. Jiang Wuming was as slippery as a mudfish, incredibly agile, giving Nieson no chance at all.
Moments ago, Nieson's continuous assaults hadn't even grazed Jiang Wuming's clothes. He had therefore changed his strategy, exploiting Jiang Wuming's concern for Dongfang Xiaoyao to create an opportunity for himself.
To seize this opportunity, Nieson directly deployed his ultimate move – the left-hand blade, determined to kill Jiang Wuming with a single blow!
Drawing upon his extensive experience in life-and-death combat, Jiang Wuming had anticipated that Nieson was trying to bait him into attacking. Thus, he was mentally prepared and narrowly avoided Nieson's blade energy without incident!
However, Nieson's left-hand blade attack had completely caught Jiang Wuming off guard!
*Whoosh!*
The sharp dagger, like a streak of white light, sliced through the night sky, piercing towards Jiang Wuming's head.
In that critical moment, Jiang Wuming had no time to react. His body, driven by combat instinct, tilted backward as if a breakdancer in a sudden move.
His formidable combat instinct had led Jiang Wuming to execute the best, and indeed the only, evasive maneuver possible.
However—
Nieson's blade moved faster than Jiang Wuming could fall backward.
Thirty centimeters, twenty centimeters, ten centimeters…
Time seemed to slow as the distance between the sharp dagger and Jiang Wuming dwindled.
Jiang Wuming watched the dagger get closer and closer, his pupils constricting!
One centimeter!
Finally, when the dagger was only a centimeter away from Jiang Wuming, it could advance no further.
All of this was because Nieson was airborne at that moment!
Subsequently, the distance between Jiang Wuming's body and the dagger began to increase.
*Swish!*
However—
At that very instant, a sharp whistling sound cut through the air.
As Nieson's blade missed its mark, he immediately released the dagger. Under the effect of inertia, the dagger continued its trajectory towards Jiang Wuming.
More accurately, by the time the whistling sound was heard, the dagger had already reached Jiang Wuming.
A white light flared in Jiang Wuming's eyes, and his surging mental power erupted, forming an invisible net that intercepted the dagger.
The dagger's speed abruptly slowed under the obstruction of Jiang Wuming's mental power.
"Mental power?"
Nieson, still in the air, turned his head to look at Jiang Wuming, expecting to witness his kill. Instead, he saw the dagger's speed decelerate, and his eyebrows shot up.
*Shing!*
As if in response to Nieson, Jiang Wuming's right hand flicked out with phantom-like speed. He snatched the dagger from the air.
Mental power obstruction, blade snatching!
Jiang Wuming had used his trump card of immense mental power to neutralize Nieson's deadly strike!
*Swish!*
With the crisis averted, Jiang Wuming stopped falling. Like a coiled spring, he violently sprang upward. Simultaneously, he flicked his right wrist, and the dagger in his hand shot out like a streak of white light, hurtling towards the airborne Nieson!
"Give him what he gave!"
Moments before, after his missed stab, Nieson had treated the dagger as a projectile weapon, attempting to kill Jiang Wuming.
Now, having caught Nieson's dagger, Jiang Wuming was returning it!
All of this, though seemingly complex, happened in the blink of an eye.
"Damn it!"
Nieson, still in mid-air and yet to land, hadn't even turned his head. He watched helplessly as the dagger whistled towards him.
Nieson cursed inwardly and forcefully contorted his body in the air, executing a roll to evade the dagger.
*Shing!*
Concurrently, Jiang Wuming's internal *zhenqi* circulated madly, gathering at his feet. He pushed off the ground, as if shod with white wind-and-fire wheels, and rapidly lunged towards Nieson.
He had found Nieson's weakness and was launching his counter-attack!
*"Rumble~"*
Immediately, the instant Nieson landed, Jiang Wuming arrived with precise timing. His internal organs and bones resonated, emitting thunderous sounds from within him. Secret power surged from his internal organs and limbs, merging instantly with his *zhenqi* and flowing into his right arm, transmitting to his right fist.
*Boom!*
At that moment, Jiang Wuming unleashed a punch. White *zhenqi*, transformed into lightning, coiled around his right fist. It was like a thunderclap or a lightning strike aimed at Nieson!
A thunderous blow!
He hadn't struck before, but when he did, it was his strongest kill move!
Jiang Wuming was like a patient hunter, waiting for Nieson to reveal an opening, intending to kill him with a single decisive strike!
Danger!
Nieson's heart jolted. In haste, he swung his hand, unleashing a palm strike towards Jiang Wuming, the black blade energy reappearing on his palm.
Using offense as defense.
In the critical moment, Nieson didn't dodge, nor could he dodge. He chose to meet Jiang Wuming head-on!
*Boom!!*
Subsequently, an even more terrifying sound echoed.
Jiang Wuming's punch struck the black blade energy. The lightning bolts, manifested from white *zhenqi*, all slammed into the black blade energy.
The black blade energy shattered upon impact. Nieson's right fist vibrated violently, the tiger's mouth splitting and bleeding. A terrifying recoil sent his internal *qi* and blood churning, and his body involuntarily retreated backward!
He was sent reeling by Jiang Wuming's punch. With every step back, the ground beneath his feet cracked open.
On the other side, Jiang Wuming's body also retreated backward.
Just one step.
"One step? How is this possible?!"
Nieson, still retreating, saw Jiang Wuming take only one step, and his eyes widened in disbelief, as if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight!
Although he had been continuously attacking, dodging, and landing, followed by a hurried counter-attack, he couldn't unleash his full combat power. However, he was still operating at eighty to ninety percent of his strength.
Such combat power, let alone a warrior at the tenth stage of the first star, might not even be matched by a warrior at the ninth stage of the second star!
Yet, Jiang Wuming had not only blocked it but also gained the upper hand, retreating only one step!
This sent colossal waves crashing through Nieson's mind!
Could this be possible?
*Swish!*
Nieson was met with a sharp whistling sound!
The dagger that Jiang Wuming had thrown earlier returned, once again transforming into a streak of white light, shooting from behind towards the retreating Nieson.
Jiang Wuming once again utilized his mental power to control the dagger, assassinating Nieson.
*Shing!*
At the same time, Jiang Wuming's figure flickered, and he lunged at Nieson once more.
With the dagger behind him and Jiang Wuming in front, Nieson was caught in a pincer attack after being repelled by Jiang Wuming's punch!
At this moment, Nieson felt a danger unlike any before, and he truly grasped the terrifying nature of the young man!
Danger descended once more. Nieson frantically stabilized his churning *qi* and blood and his slightly disordered *zhenqi*. He forced his body to retreat, and just as the dagger was about to strike him, he took a step to his right.
It was a small step, but it allowed Nieson to evade the dagger's thrust from behind!
*"Rumble~"*
However—
At this very moment, the thunderous sound echoed again.
The youth's offense, like a surging tide, had reached Nieson's front once more!
He intended to press his advantage and utterly defeat Nieson!!
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