Blood Moon Hunters

Lyu Hao lay supine on the grass. He raised his right hand slowly to grab at the night sky.

Then he slowly put down his hand and asked himself, “Is a night sky without any visible stars really a night sky?”

“Lad!”

Suddenly, as he was still lost in a daze, Lyu Bu arrived from behind. He quickly got up and said, “Senior… you’re done with reminiscing so soon?”

Lyu Bu heard him and shook his head. “It certainly can’t take so short a time, right? You let Chan and I meet again. You are my benefactor. I’m here to repay my debt of gratitude.”

“What? Senior, you taught me the Overpowering Halberd and also guided me. I’m already indebted to you. These things are what I ought to do. You don’t need to repay me.” Lyu Hao vigorously shook his head.

“That’s not right. The person I care most about is Chan. You have helped me so much. How can I not repay you?” Lyu Bu frowned.

“There’s really no need to. Ah…”

Lyu Hao was still thinking of declining when Lyu Bu grabbed him. “No need for words. I will surely repay you this debt. But since my body is dead, there’s nothing I can give you.”

“How about this: I will pass on all my halberd skills to you. Then I will teach you how to inspire more aggression in yourself, as well as the halberd strokes I created myself!”

“But that will consume your primordial spirit. Just let me comprehend myself. Miss Diao Chan needs your company. You shouldn’t exert your primordial spirit.” Lyu Hao frowned.

Lyu Bu heard him and immediately knocked him on the head. He said, “Enough of such nonsense! I know how much of my lifespan I should expend. Just accept the gift!”

Then, he injected spirit minds into Lyu Hao’s mind sea. He explained to him why each stroke ought to be executed in a certain way, as well as what else he needed to take note.

After retracting his spirit mind, he said to Lyu Hao, “Remember, the Overpowering Halberd was created by the Warlord of Chu, Xiang Yu. You must execute your strokes with every inch of your strength.”

“Each stroke must be even more aggressive than the last. Each time you execute them, you must aim to unleash even more of the halberd’s power. Exert yourself to the limit, or even exceed it!”

“This is the only way your halberd can be strong, weighty and brutal. And it also helps train your aggression. When the halberd moves, so must your body and your mind. Wherever your mind attempts to go, your breath shall devour the earth!”

Lyu Hao carefully tried to comprehend the skills. After some time, he gave Lyu Bu a cupped fist salute. “Thank you, General Lyu. I will surely not shame the legacy of Warlord Xiang Yu.”

“Good.”

Lyu Bu slowly nodded. Then he took the double-bladed halberd in his hand. “I will next show you the halberd strokes I created. Watch carefully, especially the details.”

With these words, he began flourishing the halberd in his hand. The Endless Sea of Dragon, Constant Wild Waving, Heavenly New Moon, Crazy Flower Sands, Offering One’s Neck to the Spirits, Cleaving the Moon with Stars, Magic Dragon in the Sky…

He taught Lyu Hao all the halberd strokes he knew and executed them once through. But his own execution was clearly more natural and proficient than Lyu Hao’s. His aggression and power with the halberd was several times the latter’s.

There were many details which Lyu Hao had not noticed before. They might seem minuscule, yet they meant vast increments in halberd power. For example, the way how one ought to raise the elbow, or twirl the wrist.

Or how one should pivot the body, or support it on one’s feet. Such slight differences would result in an immediate boost in power.

“You’ve seen and understood everything?” Lyu Bu retracted his halberd and asked.

“Yes. Thank you for your guidance, senior.” Lyu Hao nodded.

“Very good. I will now teach you the last two strokes. These are new strokes I created for Diao Chan, the essence of the fruit of my Taoism. Watch carefully!”

Lyu Bu bellowed and then shook his halberd vigorously, immediately raising sands and pebbles all around. At the same time, he injected all his surging spiritual strength, blood vigor and vitality into the halberd, merging them into one.

“Extinction of a Floating Life!”

There was only a ferocious growl. Lyu Bu had hacked the halberd brutally down.

“Rumble!”

The double-bladed halberd merely moved without releasing its spiritual strength. The earth underneath crumbled into broken bits. Had he unleashed its full power, it might really have caused a minor earthquake.

But its range was small only when compared to the actual earthquake he might have unleashed. Had that happened, it would have been absolutely devastating—registering at least a five on the Richter scale.

“Whoosh!”

But just when the halberd was about to completely cleave down, Lyu Bu retracted his power. His retraction utterly astounded Lyu Hao. This stroke had been so aggressive, and yet he could retract it!

The more powerful the stroke, the more difficult for its executor to retract. If one forcibly retracted one’s strokes, one must pay a hefty price. Sustaining broken bones or torn tendons would be considered mild.

Yet Lyu Bu had been able to do so with ease. Not only that, he had twirled the halberd and then kept it on his waist. His entire person had spun three times rapidly with the halberd.

The powerful spiritual strength unleashed had destroyed all the grass and trees within a radius of several kilometers. Following that, he gyrated sideways into the air and cleaved down the halberd in both hands, unleashing another mighty gale of spiritual strength.

This spiritual strength smashed and toppled everything again. The wild gale released by this spiritual strength extended to beyond five kilometers away. Wherever it hit, rocks and earth crumbled, and grass and trees turned into dust.

“Clang, clang, clang!”

Following that, Lyu Bu raised the heavy halberd and brandished it wildly. Each hack would unleash an exceedingly powerful aura. He would inject all his spiritual strength, blood vigor and murderous intent into it, as well as his aggression!

These auras ravaged the front, scorching the earth into embers. Finally, he leaped into the air several hundred meters high and injected all his cultivation into that double-bladed halberd.

The halberd began to radiate with a dazzling light, like a divine flame illuminating the night sky. Countless gales of spiritual strength converged on his body. Even the spatial dimensions were distorted.

“Beauty in Troubled Times!”

He heard a long howl from Lyu Bu, followed by the illusion of a demon behind him. It too was holding a gigantic weapon, its movements like his. It also cleaved the halberd in its hands down heavily.

“Whoosh!”

Lyu Hao at the rear could sense a hot wave assailing. The surrounding temperature soared to several hundred degrees Celsius high. It was merely the repercussion of the halberd’s spiritual strength.

The gigantic double-bladed halberd really had the potential for destruction. Had it smashed the earth, it would cause massive quakes. All the raised earth would end up being scorched.

He could not guess how badly destroyed this area would have been. Perhaps it would be a real purgatory on earth.

“Boom!”

Just when the halberd was two hundred meters above ground, Lyu Bu retracted his stroke forcibly. But his stroke had been too brutal and aggressive. Even as he forcibly retracted it, it caused mighty tremors.

“Pow!”

Its spiritual strength was indeed aggressive. Even Lyu Hao had to take several steps back due to the tremors.

“Thump!”

Lyu Bu landed like a falling meteor. He held the halberd in hand, surveying the surroundings. Not an inch of land underfoot was intact. With him as the center, all the earth several kilometers around him were now scorched embers.

“Wow…” Lyu Hao widened his eyes and sighed.

He had not expected these two strokes to be so powerful as to be almost suffocating. Were they only halberd strokes? Rather, they were more like Wang Bugui’s Emperor Fist!

“This is the unique skill I created for Diao Chan, and the proudest thing in my life.” Lyu Bu turned around and proclaimed slowly.

“This must be even more powerful than the Overpowering Halberd!” Lyu Hao gasped in surprise.

“Not true. The Overpowering Halberd was created by Warlord Xiang Yu. His cultivation base was equal to the First Emperor’s. I cannot match his peerless skills.” Lyu Bu shook his head.

“But I can sense that your halberd strokes are more powerful than his. Although not quite as domineering, their power is unmatched. Such destructive power cannot be rivaled by my Overpowering Halberd.”

Lyu Hao disagreed with Lyu Bu. He thought that he had quite understood the Overpowering Halberd. In comparison, these two strokes— Extinction of a Floating Life and Beauty in Troubled Times— were definitely more powerful.

But Lyu Bu merely shook his head and laughed. He said, “Do you know why my two strokes seem more powerful? The first reason is because they comply with my way and principles. They suit me best.”

“The second reason is because these are strokes I created for Diao Chan. She is in my heart, and I can do everything, even beyond the limits of my lifelong cultivation. These were the reasons why you had been misled.”

Lyu Hao heard him and seemed roused from a dream. He said, “I see. My Big Brother also told me the best skill would be the one most suitable for oneself. As for the second reason, is it because of love?”

“Yes. The way of love means love is in your heart! It is the greatest Taoism!” Lyu Bu smiled confidently.

“I have learned much. So I too can follow these halberd strokes and create a skill most suitable for myself?” Lyu Hao asked.

“Of course you can. Feel free to create them! Your innate talent isn’t inferior to mine. and may be even superior. I believe you can create a halberd skill which will move the gods and make ghosts weep!”

Lyu Bu placed his hand on Lyu Hao’s shoulder and nodded solemnly.

“Yes, I’ve already some vague ideas in my mind. Thank you, senior!” Lyu Hao smiled.

“If that is the case, go back with me. Chan would like to thank you in person. Later, I will bring her into the double-bladed halberd.” Lyu Bu was still laughing.

Lyu Hao heard him and nodded. He used his Tao Law to repair the terrain somewhat, then executed his Innate Prana Power to moisturize the earth, doing his best to mend it.

After that, he left this place with Lyu Bu to look for Diao Chan, who had been awaiting their return.