Chapter 83: A Duel of Life and Death

Blizzards swept across the sky, raising waves of snow and wind. Phantom Moon stood up once more, and without a word, charged straight at me.

"Yah—!" Phantom Moon shouted fiercely, pushing off with her foot and leaping into the air, her entire body shooting toward me like an arrow.

Before I could react, she was already upon me.

With her twin blades crossed, she drew arcs of dazzling light—435, 419, 426—three numbers flashed, the damage of each strike far less than before. I remembered that last time, this move could send me flying with ease, but now I endured it head-on. Over seven hundred points of defense were nothing to scoff at.

But Phantom Moon pressed her attack, slashing with full force; countless sword shadows filled the space before her in an instant. The range was so broad there was no dodging—only bracing for impact. Damage numbers popped up in rapid succession, sparks flew as the blows rained down, and then she finished the combo with a fierce kick to my abdomen—771 points of damage—sending me sliding five meters across the snow.

I had no idea how many of her attacks I’d managed to endure, but my Soul Guard was now covered in blade marks. After that flurry, I’d lost over two thousand health. Any other summoner would probably have died three or four times already.

Then Phantom Moon raised both hands, blue and red energy swirling together, and brought them down in a mighty chop.

I immediately raised my Ruyi Staff to block, but the force was overwhelming. The staff was pressed against my chest, forcing me half to my knees. Snow exploded around me with a thunderous boom, the ground caving in beneath the impact.

Though I managed to block the blow, I was still badly shaken. A damage value of 1000 floated above my head as blood spurted from my lips, my hands tingling with numbness. But I let out a shout, stood against her twin blades, and pushed her away with all my strength. As she staggered back, I hurled the Ruyi Staff at her. Phantom Moon dodged, but as she did, I closed in, grabbed her shoulder, and executed an over-the-shoulder throw, sending her flying.

She twisted in midair, landed safely, and I immediately launched a Cloud Assault. The Ruyi Staff hurtled toward Phantom Moon’s face.

"Clang—" Phantom Moon reacted with astonishing speed, crossing her swords to shield her face and blocking the staff's strike. I then swept the staff downward, nudged it forward into the gap between her crossed swords, and wrenched it upwards—her green-tier twin blades flew from her hands to either side.

But I wasn’t finished—Crushing Strike, Energy Burst, and Assault all followed in quick succession. Yet Phantom Moon caught the Ruyi Staff with one hand, yanking it toward herself, and with the other hand, clenched a fist crackling with electricity. In the next moment, she punched me square in the face—1880 points of damage flashed up. The blow sent me reeling, but I grabbed the Ruyi Staff and pulled myself upright. With my other hand, I seized her helmet—Cannon Strike activated with a boom, energy exploding from her helmet and forcing her to release the staff as she was blasted away, landing in the snow. I quickly took the chance to chug a healing potion, restoring my health.

Phantom Moon also got back on her feet. Her helmet was shattered, so she simply tossed it aside, revealing her beautiful face to the world. Yet her expression was unreadable. She didn’t bother retrieving her weapons—she came at me with a flying kick. I blocked with the Ruyi Staff, shoved her off balance and to the ground, and slammed the staff down after her.

Phantom Moon rolled left to dodge, flipped onto her hands, and kicked upward with her right foot. I raised my head just in time for the kick to graze my chin. She used the momentum to flip upright, and once again, the distance between us reset.

The wind and snow grew fiercer, the cold ever more biting.

In the distance, Beacon of Flame watched with the system's camera, capturing every heart-stopping moment. The two fighters were evenly matched—one’s combos were fierce and relentless, the other’s battle techniques equally masterful. Their clash was a contest of equals.

"You've improved a lot," said Phantom Moon.

"So have you," I replied.

"Thanks! Looks like that fish last time wasn’t for nothing. But from here on, I won’t hold back!" As she spoke, I felt a chilling killing intent radiate from her. With a shout, she raised her hands as if holding something, and a wild wind whipped up around her. In the next instant, she charged, still apparently unarmed, as if attacking me barehanded.

I swung the Ruyi Staff, but halfway through, something invisible blocked it. A burst of blinding white light flared at the point of contact, but even in the glare, I couldn’t see what had stopped my staff.

I leapt back and attacked again, but once more, something unseen blocked my strike. Phantom Moon brandished her invisible weapon, sweeping it horizontally at me. I leapt high, tumbling backward to land safely. Suddenly, a white light flashed from her hand as she brought it crashing down on my head. I dodged with a feint, and saw my decoy split in two, a deep gash left in the snow.

"Hey, what are you holding? An invisible sword?" I called, but Phantom Moon didn’t answer. She charged, trailing a phantom, and unleashed three rapid attacks. I defended with the Ruyi Staff, but the shock numbed my hands, and I was forced seven or eight meters back.

"What’s wrong? Just standing there waiting to be hit? If you don’t attack, I’m coming for you," Phantom Moon said coolly.

"Before that, can you at least tell me what that thing is?" I asked.

She smiled. "Who knows? An axe, a spear, a sword... or maybe a bow. Anything’s possible."

The battle raged on atop the snow. Countless brilliant flashes erupted between us as Phantom Moon’s unseen weapon clashed with the Ruyi Staff. I relied on my Fiery Eyes skill, barely able to track the air currents stirred by each swing of her weapon, guessing the direction of each attack—but I couldn’t block them all.

A hint of surprise appeared in Phantom Moon’s eyes. Though I couldn’t block every blow, I managed to defend against seventy or eighty percent. How much health did this summoner have? How high was his defense? To endure against her like this—mere healing potions couldn’t explain it. Unless she finished me with a single move, she might be the one to lose. This thought made her frown. Suddenly, she unleashed a powerful strike, forcing me back.

Then, the invisible weapon in her hands glowed with dazzling white light, the brilliance intensifying as gale winds gathered around her, seemingly charging her weapon.

"Bang!" Forced back, I quickly counterattacked, but my blow was blocked again. This time, as our weapons met, the air around us warped and twisted. The next moment, I was flung away.

From then on, Phantom Moon seized the upper hand. Each attack carried overwhelming power, and with every clash, a formless energy penetrated my body. I could parry, but each block sent me staggering back several steps.

"Yah!" Phantom Moon shouted, and shockwaves burst from her weapon. I feinted and defended, but she followed up with a relentless barrage of slashes, like a storm. My shield shattered, and I was too slow to block—the next instant, six or seven sword wounds slashed across me.

As I was sent flying, my health plummeted. Her attacks ceased abruptly. I gulped down a handful of healing potions and leaned on the Ruyi Staff to barely stand. Blood covered me, my armor was slashed and torn, and I gasped for breath—my stamina must have been nearly spent, my vision blurring.

This battle would leave a mark on my memory forever. Phantom Moon’s strength had surpassed my imagination. Whether I could win was a complete unknown, but even in defeat, there was glory in having fought so well.

Beacon of Flame, hiding on the sidelines, witnessed it all firsthand and could hardly believe his eyes—a summoner holding his own against a warrior in a duel of sheer might. If he hadn’t seen it himself, he would never have believed it. Suddenly, he realized: if these two ever joined forces, that thought alone was too terrifying to contemplate.