Chapter 133: Chapter 132: General, Please Take This Narrow Path
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Under extreme tension, time seemed to stretch endlessly for Bochang.
In reality...
From the initial blade attack until now, only about forty seconds had passed.
Not even a full minute.
It was unsurprising that nearby civilians hadn't managed to escape in such a short span.
The use of Dragon Blast must be approached with utmost caution.
"Dragon Blast... wait, could he have been intentionally leading me to use it?" Bochang pondered, feeling the cunningness of his opponent, "I need to develop another method of utilizing the Dragon Talisman's power."
Developing a new way to harness the Dragon Talisman's strength sounded simple enough.
However, executing it would not be easy.
At that moment, Bochang couldn't come up with any promising ideas, merely distracting himself fruitlessly.
In truth, this was something Bochang should have attempted long ago.
But due to constant urgency and his relatively smooth experiences, there hadn't been much pressure to pursue it seriously.
Regardless, if faced with danger,
Bochang could always rely on "Dating Options" to avoid it.
Thus far, developing alternative uses for the Dragon Talisman remained largely conceptual.
"I see a weakness!"
A red gleam flashed in Blade's eyes as he thrust his sword towards Bochang's stomach... The blade gradually materialized from nothingness, forming into a short sword.
The reason it couldn't fully extend to its full length was due to Serval's continuous interference.
Unfortunately...
Even without restoring the ancient sword to its prime state,
Blade's attacks remained largely unaffected. As time passed, his assaults became increasingly difficult for Bochang to fend off. It seemed that Blade had figured out Bochang's moves and fought with growing ease.
Now, Blade's strike pierced directly into Bochang's abdomen.
Fortunately, Bochang promptly activated his Holy Shield, narrowly avoiding being gutted by the sword.
The tip of the sword penetrated through Bochang's clothing but was halted firmly by a golden glow, preventing any further advance.
Using the teleportation ring could have been another option, but Bochang feared Blade's sword might be even quicker. Thus, he activated the Holy Shield to gain three seconds of invulnerability, just as mentioned earlier.
As anticipated, Blade appeared well-versed in Bochang's abilities. Upon seeing the golden light emanate from Bochang...
Blade swiftly retreated, leaving no opportunity for Bochang to counterattack. Bochang attempted to use the Invisible Hand combined with the Monkey Talisman's power, only to be blocked by a Wind Wall.
Blade's defense was virtually impenetrable.
Just as Bochang planned to capitalize on his invulnerability period and pursue Blade,
Bailu hurried onto the scene.
The dragon girl stood atop a nearby rooftop, overlooking both combatants from above.
"You troublemaking scoundrel! Today, you'll witness this young lady's true prowess!"
Holding her gourd, Bailu opened its lid and, with both small hands, tilted it towards Blade. A torrent of water gushed out, swiftly filling the entire street within moments.
Both Serval and Bochang found themselves within range of the deluge.
Fortunately, Bailu skillfully directed the water to part, creating a safe space around them to avoid accidental harm. Watching the surging currents flow around them without causing any injury was quite intriguing.
The rushing waters spread throughout the streets, generating waves ten meters high.
Instantaneously...these waves surged above Blade's head, casting a dark shadow over the sky.
Bochang halted his movements, watching helplessly as the black-haired, red-eyed man was engulfed by the water controlled by Bailu.
Blade attempted to escape, but the water seemed sentient, following him relentlessly. He swung his ancient sword, slicing through the incoming currents amidst swirling golden winds.
Alas, as the saying goes: "Drawing one's sword against flowing water only intensifies its surge."
This was merely a futile struggle of a trapped beast.
Within seconds, Blade found himself encased within a rapidly spinning giant water sphere.
The sphere, spanning over twenty to thirty meters in diameter, completely dominated the main street and even engulfed parts of nearby buildings, devouring them like a monstrous beast.
Debris mixed with swirling water at high speeds, making it impossible to discern Blade's location amidst the chaotic blue torrent.
"Bochond, Serval, let's hurry and escape! This guy is too strong; I can't hold him for long!" Bailu shouted from atop a rooftop.
Bailu wasn't surprised by her ability to control Blade. As the designated next High Elder, she inherently possessed extraordinary power, albeit usually restrained by the Shimo Binding Locks.
Without the shackles on her dragon tail, she wouldn't have needed such prolonged preparation time for her attack—it could have been initiated much faster.
Bailu could sense Blade wreaking havoc inside the water sphere.
The water sphere, spanning tens of meters in diameter, would likely only hold for about ten seconds.
Bochang pondered for a moment, finding her suggestion reasonable. However, just as he was about to act, he hesitated again.
"Isn't now the perfect time to unleash the Dragon Talisman's power against Blade?"
"With my full-strength blast, even if Blade doesn't perish, he should be severely incapacitated."
"As long as we find the right angle to avoid harming others, it seems feasible."
With this thought, Bochang felt increasingly inclined to proceed.
But at that very moment...
The system's voice chimed in:
[Dating Options activated.]
[Option 1: Avoidance may be shameful but can be effective. Take Bailu and Serval away from the battlefield, heading towards the Palace of Astrum - Completion Reward: Skill "General's Shortcut", allowing you to intuitively find the best escape route while fleeing.]
[Option 2: Why run when you can give Blade your all with a powerful blast first? - Completion Reward: Get abducted by the Stellaron Hunters.]
[Option Three: Infuse the Dragon Talisman's magic power into Bailu's body]
- Completion Reward: Obtain Equipment - Teleportation Ring, allowing spontaneous teleportation within a ten-meter radius. Contains three energy slots; each use consumes one slot, and it takes twenty-four hours to recharge one slot. Note: This type of item will...
The sudden appearance of this option plunged Bochang into deep thought.
It seems... if Bochang directly flees, there is a chance to escape successfully.
Perhaps along the way, someone might even come to assist him.
Or possibly relying on the "General, Please Take This Shortcut" skill,
he could evade enemies, swiftly reach the Palace of Astrum, and deter Blade from pursuing further.
Of course... if truly escaping, once out of Blade's sight, Bochang would undoubtedly harness the Monkey Talisman's power to transform himself, Bailu, and Serval into animals.
The chances of successfully escaping this way seemed quite high.
"Zzzt... If I confront Blade directly now, would they still capture me? Thinking about it, even though he's trapped within the water sphere, I can't pinpoint his exact location. Moreover, at this moment, the water sphere might act as a barrier weakening the Dragon Talisman's power."
"If I unleash my full-power blast and fail to severely injure the enemy, things could turn disastrous for me..."
Bochang's mind raced with thoughts.
Seeing that Option Two involved being captured by the Stellaron Hunters, Bochang couldn't help but sarcastically remark, "You only mention the outcome, not the process, huh? Based on Blade's moves earlier, it's clear he intended to beat me half to death before taking me captive. That sounds far worse than Big Biodou's approach."
He swiftly eliminated Option Two.
Now, it was down to Option One versus Option Three.