NOVEL WEB CHAPTER 273
CHAPTER 273: INTELLIGENCE AND STRENGTH
The key to winning any battle lay in intelligence.
Even when two individuals possessed equal strength, knowing an opponent’s moves and combat style could tip the scales. This was especially true in the Ancient Realm, where the role of intelligence was paramount. Different mystical patterns provided distinct power characteristics and strengths, making the opening stages of a battle a lengthy standoff, as both sides sought to gather information about each other’s patterns to gain the upper hand.
Despite this common strategy, Zhanglang Ge charged recklessly, his speed deliberate but unimpressive. His six arms moved in a blur, leaving behind countless afterimages as he gathered an immense amount of Origin Power. In the blink of an eye, it condensed into three large bows, each taller than a human.
“Soldier Transformation Technique.”
“And now… Bow of Stella Slaying!”
Multicolored arrows shot forth from the bows, flying toward Esek and Lu Ming.
Silver light flared from Esek, while a purple mist enveloped Lu Ming. Accompanied by thuds and sizzling sounds, the energy arrows either shattered or corroded upon impact. Zhanglang Ge’s attack had no effect.
“Do you sense anything?” Esek asked, as if testing Lu Ming like a teacher would a student.
Lu Ming nodded slightly. “His silver pattern power isn’t offensive.”
Depending on the differences in the Origin Power skills they practiced, the power nature of the Source of Mystic silver patterns could vary greatly. For those whose skills focused on offense, their Awakened silver patterns emphasized attack. On the other hand, silver patterns derived from Body Protection techniques were defensive in nature. Body Forging techniques, Breathing techniques, secret arts, and others each had their own unique focus.
The power levels of these mystical patterns also differed widely.
Zhanglang Ge's attack might have appeared terrifying to those in the Origin Realm, but to Ancient Realm experts, it had no effect. This confirmed that his silver patterns were not the result of an offensive Origin Power skill. There was no inherent Power of the Natural Order in his attacks either.
“Given that he only possesses a single mystical pattern, it’s highly likely he’s an Ancient Realm expert with a defensive focus,” Esek observed.
In other words, he was at the lowest tier of the Ancient Realm.
These types of Ancient Realm experts were characterized by their high defense and weak offense, posing little to no threat to even slightly stronger Ancient Realm experts.
For example, Esek.
Lu Ming noticed that as the energy arrows neared Esek, his body had already turned ethereal, almost as if it had transformed into a fog-like mass formed from Zombie Beast Poison. A thin layer of the poison had spread across his body, corroding Zhanglang Ge’s arrows before they could even touch him. Esek remained entirely unaffected.
This showcased one of the significant differences between the golden patterns of the Foundation of Matter and the silver patterns of the Source of Mystic. By fully mastering the characteristics of the related matter, a golden pattern user could completely embody that matter, transforming their body and gaining unique, almost unimaginable traits.
This also meant that the combat logic of the golden patterns was entirely different from that of the silver patterns.
“In short, that guy is very weak, so I’ll leave him to you,” Esek said, patting Lu Ming on the shoulder. “With your strength, even if you’re not his equal, you should be able to learn some Ancient Realm combat techniques and knowledge from him.”
Esek then turned his gaze toward Tang Chongye, who was standing behind Zhanglang Ge. Tang Chongye was the strongest among the three Ancient Realm experts on the opposing side.
“I’ll handle Esek,” Tang Chongye declared, his eyes locked onto Esek. As fellow bearers of golden patterns, Tang Chongye understood the immense power and terror associated with these patterns. Zhanglang Ge had no means to intervene in a battle of golden patterns. Although Zhanglang Lu, with his dual silver patterns, could offer some assistance, it would be limited.
Hearing Tang Chongye’s decision, both Zhanglang Ge and Zhanglang Lu nodded. The two brothers then turned their attention to Lu Ming, selecting him as their primary target. They needed to exploit the weakest link in their strategy.
A thick, purple mist began to emanate from Esek’s body. Within moments, he had transformed into a massive cloud of Zombie Beast Poison, howling as he charged toward Tang Chongye and the others. In response, Zhanglang Ge and Zhanglang Lu retreated behind Tang Chongye. With a roar of defiance, Tang Chongye activated his golden patterns, turning his entire body into a golden metal form.
“The Power of Magic Gold!” Tang Chongye’s voice was filled with determination. “With a hard metal like Magic Gold, I can transform into the Foundation of Matter golden patterns.”
“Esek, let me see what you’re capable of!” Tang Chongye’s challenge was met with action as he plunged into the swirling purple mist.
Clamorous sounds echoed from within the mist, and faint traces of golden light seeped through the swirling purple fog. The two golden-patterned Ancient Realm experts clashed like elemental gods, each commanding their respective powers in a grand and destructive battle.
Lu Ming’s eyes darkened as he watched the spectacle. He muttered to himself, “It looks like a battle between two Ancient Realm experts, but in reality, it’s a clash between Zombie Beast poison and Magic Gold. Both sides are wearing down each other’s golden patterns in a war of attrition. Once one side’s power is completely depleted, they’ll be stuck in a deadlock.”
“This battle isn’t just about the strength of the golden patterns, but also the characteristics of the Zombie Beast Poison and Magic Gold. The Zombie Beast Poison struggles to corrode the Magic Gold, so Esek’s chances of winning are not high.”
With a sigh, Lu Ming reflected, “The power of the golden patterns is quite fascinating.”
In contrast, the power of the Source of Mystic Silver Patterns seemed a bit mundane. The characteristics of the Silver Patterns were similar to Origin Power skills, reaching their peak strength but offering little beyond that. Thus, battles involving Silver Patterns were akin to those between the Spirit Realm and the Origin Realm.
Scanning the battlefield, Lu Ming saw that Zhanglang Ge and Zhanglang Lu had already bypassed the clash of the golden patterns and were steadily advancing toward him.
Seeing this, Lu Ming shrugged his shoulders. “Although I can guess what a battle with the Silver Patterns is like… speculations and actual combat aren’t the same.”
As he spoke, Lu Ming clenched his fists. He faced the two opponents head-on and declared, “Let me see what the characteristics of a real battle in the Silver Patterns Ancient Realm are like.”
Zhanglang Lu came to a halt. Positioned between Lu Ming and Zhanglang Ge on one side, and Esek and Tang Chongye on the other, Zhanglang Lu had the advantage of engaging in the battle with Esek and Tang Chongye, while also being able to intervene in the confrontation between Lu Ming and Zhanglang Ge. His current position served as a strategic safety net—he could offer assistance wherever it was needed.
Observing Lu Ming and Zhanglang Ge, Zhanglang Lu muttered to himself, “With both of them having a single Silver Pattern, Zhanglang Ge should be able to handle it…”
As soon as he spoke, Lu Ming had already engaged Zhanglang Ge. Their fists and feet collided with a deafening roar, sending a flurry of debris flying. Yet, Zhanglang Lu focused on the essence of the battle rather than the spectacle.
Soon, Zhanglang Lu nodded in understanding. “The opponent has a defensive-type Silver Pattern.”
“There’s no need to pay any attention,” he concluded.
In Ancient Realm battles, the lowest tier of combat involved opponents with single Silver Patterns derived from defensive techniques. Such battles typically resulted in extreme exhaustion without a decisive victor. Ancient Realm experts with defensive Silver Patterns had strong defenses but lacked offensive capabilities, leading to a stalemate where neither side could break through the other’s defenses.
With this in mind, Zhanglang Lu shook his head and turned his attention to the battle between Esek and Tang Chongye. “There’s no need to pay attention. These two won’t achieve any results even if they fight for a day…”
End of Chapter 273