Chapter 172 - 166

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One chased, the other fled...

Although Nolan had decisively chosen to run, the speed gap between him and Feng Yu was far too great. Instead of gaining distance, Nolan was rapidly being closed in on.

"Spiral Lance!"

The gap between them narrowed by the second.

Feng Yu didn't let up—in fact, he pushed harder. Eyes locked onto Nolan's back, his killing intent surged.

Still running full tilt, Feng Yu summoned a thread spear in his right hand and hurled it toward his fleeing target.

Chi chi chi...

The Spiral Lance spun violently, shredding the air with a piercing screech as it streaked after Nolan like a silver bolt of lightning.

"Damn it!"

Sensing the incoming danger, Nolan's heart skipped a beat. Without looking, he dove to the side in desperation.

Boom!

The Spiral Lance slammed into the ground a short distance away, carving a deep trench and kicking up a cloud of debris.

Though Nolan managed to dodge, the sudden maneuver slowed him down—and Feng Yu instantly gained on him.

Realizing he couldn't outrun him, Nolan whirled around mid-sprint and lashed out with a fierce battle cry, swinging his blade at the rapidly approaching Feng Yu.

His sword light split the air, sharp and deadly.

Fueled by fear and desperation, Nolan's attack was wild and powerful.

But Feng Yu wasn't shaken in the slightest.

Heart Drop Fist Listen activated instantly—slowing his perception of time.

A glimmer passed through Feng Yu's eyes as he pivoted with pinpoint precision, sidestepping the slash in a blur of movement.

"Art of War: Calm as the Forest!"

He responded with a punch—not wild, not fast, but grounded and heavy like the march of a thousand soldiers. Steady, disciplined, and balanced.

This move, Calm as the Forest, was different from his explosive techniques like Swift as the Wind or Invade like Fire.

It wasn't about speed or brute force—it was balance. It was control.

Whereas the others were unpredictably aggressive, this was Feng Yu's most stable form—designed for fighting opponents of equal strength.

And Nolan was no pushover.

He met the punch with a deft parry, blade shifting to deflect, while his body weaved backward, narrowly avoiding the strike.

Blow after blow followed—fists against blade. Sparks and shockwaves erupted with every clash, and the battlefield quickly turned chaotic.

Their battle carved deep scars into the earth as they traded attacks at breakneck speed.

In moments, they'd already exchanged hundreds of moves—and neither could gain the upper hand.

Feng Yu seamlessly switched between styles: Calm as the Forest, Swift as the Wind, Invade like Fire—adapting with each move. But Nolan held strong.

He dodged. He parried. He countered. Every time Feng Yu pushed, Nolan held his ground.

Even with his upgraded stamina and energy pool, Feng Yu hadn't yet broken through Nolan's defense.

They were both top-tier Nen users—and evenly matched in strength alone.

If this dragged on, Feng Yu would eventually win thanks to his deeper reserves. But right now, that wasn't good enough.

"I need to end this quickly."

Feng Yu had other concerns. Shiba, Mia, and Gatomon were still locked in their own battles. He couldn't afford to waste more time.

"Armor of Thread!"

He leapt back, just narrowly avoiding Nolan's latest slash.

Dozens of silk threads burst from Feng Yu's body, weaving into brilliant silver armor that encased him from head to toe.

Boom!

With a powerful stomp, Feng Yu launched forward—his foot leaving a shattered crater behind.

"This is bad!"

Nolan's expression twisted as he saw the Thread Armor. Panic crept in, and he lashed out with a flurry of slashes, forming a dense wall of blade arcs to try and stop Feng Yu.

"Art of War: Swift as the Wind!"

But Feng Yu was already there.

His fists became a blur.

Dozens—no, hundreds—of punches exploded outward, forming a hurricane of strikes. Each blow faster than the last, creating visible shockwaves that shattered Nolan's blade wall one strike at a time.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The shock forced Nolan's body to stagger. The force of the strikes numbed his arms and rattled his bones. Then, the punches broke through—three, four, five landed cleanly.

Blood burst from Nolan's mouth as he stumbled backward, chest heaving with pain.

"Aaaahh!!"

His body screamed in agony, but death was the bigger fear.

With his last ounce of resolve, Nolan let out a furious roar. His eyes flared gold—activating every bit of his remaining strength—and swung with a powerful slash, aiming to cleave Feng Yu down.