Cleaving the Ships

Had Major Qing spoken big words before his very first battle upon breaking through to the super stage? The facts proved he had not. This clash between supers had been far less arduous and brutal than people imagined; it seemed more like going through the motions, merely stamping and validating the words Major Qing had spoken. Beneath the sky of top-tiers, this young Huaxian man had once streaked across the galaxy like a shooting star, once the brightest luminary in that starry expanse, once holding uncontested first place on the Cloud Piercer Leaderboard with no one daring to question it... only to vanish in haste later on. For over a year, people had said he was dead. In this world of source energy, dazzling with constellations where new stars continually rose, it seemed many had begun to gradually forget him. Now he had returned, already possessing super combat power. In his first battle after advancing to super, taking merely a few short minutes, he showed the world that Major The Qing, standing in the era of supers, would be no ordinary super either. It was just that he was destined never to take back the top spot on the Cloud Piercer Leaderboard... Supers were not listed on the Cloud Piercer Leaderboard. Perhaps the Dome Leaderboard was waiting for him. At this moment, on the battlefield of the super clash, the dust in the air had still not fully settled, and Theodore remained standing there. Barely an hour ago, he had been one of the Four Supers of the City of Iniquity who personally laid this lethal trap, the domineering and unyielding side. Yet now, defeated and facing death, apart from his subordinates gazing helplessly from afar, hardly anyone in the entire field looked his way. Under normal circumstances, what a momentous event this would have been! Yet right now, the crowd had turned their backs toward the sea. Out there, Shu You, the strongest man in the City of Iniquity, and the newly super Major Qing fresh from his bloody duel, were suddenly joining forces to hunt down the fifth on the Dome Leaderboard, Azure's First Generation Starlight, Alphonse... For this city that worshipped martial might to the extreme and for its people, this was perhaps the most peak battle they could ever witness in their lives. No one wanted to miss it. Locking his remaining life with life source energy, Theodore made no struggle in the final moments granted to him. Perhaps this battle just now had been influenced by certain chance and unpredictable factors, such as The King unleashing his trait at the very end... Otherwise, the outcome might not have been decided so swiftly. Yet in his heart, Theodore felt little resentment. Because he knew full well that even if he gathered himself and fought all over again, he would still lose. Turning his head, Theodore's eyes were dim as he glanced at the distant sea, where Alphonse's fleet was sailing away. "Once you choose to be a chess piece, you must be prepared to be discarded at any moment... It seems that's how the Eastern proverb goes. "I hope I can wait for you on the road to hell, Alphonse... 'Old dog,' they truly didn't call you wrong." With these thoughts, Theodore turned back. Feeling somewhat weary, he slowly sat down on the ground. ... Among the crowd behind his back, someone had just covertly pressed a camera shutter. The camera had been brought to photograph fireworks, but instead it had captured priceless photos rarely seen in a lifetime. Though afraid of stirring up trouble and hardly daring to circulate them, it was, in the end, a thrilling thing. In the photograph he had just captured: Background: Alphonse's entire fleet was sailing out into the vast, dark sea, all the other vessels steering aside to clear a channel for the flagship. And the focal point: those two silhouettes seen from behind. Suspended above the endlessly stretching sea, Shu You wore a black combat uniform, white hair flowing, holding a long silver blade—the sword was long, but its blade was not broad. Major Qing's white shirt was stained with blood. Grasping the blue starlight column sword with both hands, he swung it upward from his side, propelling his body forward and skyward before lunging down in a slashing strike. At this moment, the calm sea beneath them caved inward across an entire area, forming a massive depression as if heavily crushed by colossal force. *Bang... crash!* A thunderous roar rose from the water. At the same time, cries of astonishment broke out from the crowd. In the distance, the displaced seawater surged outward to both flanks, churning into swells a hundred meters to their left and right; towering waves surged upward violently, only to crash heavily back down onto the surface. The next second. *Snikt!* *Boom!* A smaller sea vessel at the rear of Alphonse's fleet suddenly swung broadside across their path, blocking their way. The men aboard charged toward the gunwales, swinging their blades. Shu You's silver blade struck first. Visually, his strike did not seem to make solid contact all the way through, nor was the blade long enough to slice across the entire vessel. Yet with that crisp snikt, the ship was cleaved straight open, separating. The severed vessel did not split into two pieces, but three. For on the other side, Major Qing's column sword cleaved down almost simultaneously; deck planks splintered and flew as the hull shattered. Alphonse's men aboard tumbled into the sea one after another before they even had a chance to swing their blades. Shu You and Han Qingyu landed on the left and right halves of the severed ship. Shu You sprinted, while Major Qing hurled his sword; both reached the far edge in an instant. The moment they vaulted off, their feet kicked off the wreckage. The two figures rose again, shooting forward like lightning. Behind them, *rumble*—the severed sections of the hull, forced under by the sudden kick, swiftly sank beneath the churning waves. This time, silence fell on the shore. For on the sea, a second intercepting ship quickly pulled broadside across their path. This one was slightly larger than the previous vessel. This time, Alphonse's men did not remain aboard; split into two groups, they leaped over the gunwales and slashed through the air toward Han Qingyu and Shu You. At the same time, the flagship far in the distance had hoisted its giant sails and was already picking up speed. *Whoosh!* Han Qingyu and Shu You each slashed once in midair, their figures slipping past the intercepting enemy formation. Yet because of this clash, their speed and momentum were inevitably impeded. A second burst of energy in midair allowed them to land on the ship at last. Seemingly without a second thought, the two crossed from one side of the vessel to the other just as before, then stepped off, leaping forward. "Just how immense is this resolve and hatred?" the onlookers on shore thought, unconsciously hoping they would make it. Yet they were running out of time. "We won't make it." Vaulting into the air, Han Qingyu and Shu You exchanged a glance midair. "...Help me," Shu You said. Ahead, the large ship had accelerated, while dozens of ports opened along both sides of its hull. Dozens of giant dead iron oars plunged into the sea. *Whoosh!* As if detonating with speed, the large ship accelerated again, parting the water and darting away like an arrow. It wasn't hard to guess that among the rowers, there might even be several top-tiers. And Alphonse stood at the stern, watching them. In that split second, cursing under his breath, Han Qingyu hurled the column sword horizontally before surging forward behind it. Spinning midair as his source energy detonated, he planted a heavy kick against the soles of Shu You's boots. The soles of their combat boots were plated with dead iron. In the clanging impact, Shu You's descending figure—its momentum previously spent—suddenly surged upward once more, accelerating as it shrieked across the surface of the sea. *Whoosh!* In midair, holding his silver blade high, he unleashed an irrevocable strike cleaving straight toward Alphonse at the ship's stern. ...So long as they could pin him down, they could kill him. Even at the cost of life, he had to be killed. Han Qingyu used the recoil to fall back onto the fractured ship behind him, his tense, anticipatory gaze immediately fixing ahead. Shu You was stronger than him; that was the reason he had chosen to support him. In truth, back on shore, had Shu You not chased out first, Han Qingyu would not have given chase. Chasing alone, he couldn't have pinned Alphonse down and would only have died out on the sea. Helplessly watching Alphonse depart would have been bitter, but Han Qingyu could endure it, could bide his time; he was in a phase of rapid growth... Alphonse's life would be his to take sooner or later. Yet Shu You had acted. He had to help. Even though they didn't know each other yet, not knowing whether they were friend or foe. At this moment, there were actually people by the gunwale of the ruined ship. A few of Alphonse's subordinates who had survived the interception and just clambered back aboard after falling into the water... took one look at his back, didn't dare attack, and instead swiftly grabbed wooden planks and leaped back into the sea. Han Qingyu paid them no heed. Because ahead... he had caught up! Shu You's silver blade sliced down from midair. At the stern, Alphonse lifted slightly off his feet and struck back with a dark-gold long blade. *Boom!* Monstrous waves erupted. Han Qingyu: "...Sigh!" At the point of collision, Alphonse's figure was knocked back and disappeared for an instant, but soon reappeared at the stern. The large ship continued forward, pulling farther away. He first glanced at Shu You in the surging waves, then looked into the distance at Han Qingyu... Across that distinctly unnatural, youthful face stacked upon the lives of others, a sinister sneer formed. It was an especially nauseating sight. Yet Han Qingyu could only watch. *Two years. Three years at most. No matter how far across the ends of the earth, no matter if the Alliance or the Council stands in my way, I will kill you.* Shu You's figure, likewise knocked back, plunged toward the water alongside the falling waves. A plank of ship wood was tossed down to him. Shu You spotted it, tapped a foot against it, and vaulted back onto the ruined ship. Landing firmly, he wiped a smear of blood from the corner of his mouth... Full of resentment and disappointment, yet with rather mixed emotions, he turned his head to look at the young Huaxian super. "What? Are you really that useless?" Han Qingyu said, looking disappointed. "...*Pfft!*" A mouthful of blood that Shu You had forcibly swallowed back surged right out.