"No need," Liang Xiao shook his head.
Achilles burst into laughter. "What? Scared? Are you planning to just go through the motions, utter a few harsh words, and call it a day for the decisive battle, then hide in the barracks like a coward?"
Liang Xiao shook his head again, his spear tip pointing directly at Achilles. "Within a hundred rounds, I shall grant you your final breath."
The sudden surge of killing intent made Achilles' eyes narrow. He roared, "Arrogant fool! Your weapon cannot resolve your doom! Let the battle commence!"
Both men raised their weapons.
The war drums and horns thundered, shaking the heavens!
"Kill!!"
The soldiers roared in unison, their gazes burning with intensity.
They had just noticed that General Tian had emerged from the camp with a spear.
At that moment, they remembered.
When General Tian first rose to fame, he wielded a long spear!
The two men roared in unison, Bai Ye Fei Ying and Sheng Long Ying let out sky-piercing cries that sounded like thunder, transforming into two white streaks that instantly closed the distance between them.
They flashed past each other, swords and spears clashing once more. Liang Xiao swept his silver spear horizontally, knocking Achilles' saber aside, causing his spearhead to bounce back from the force.
After this first probing exchange, both sides turned their horses and, fearless of death, charged at each other!
"This is bad! By switching to a spear, he has lost the advantage of immense power and is now at a disadvantage! I should have persuaded him back then!" Zuo Wuji's face contorted with regret.
The other generals also watched with bated breath.
They refused to believe that Liang Xiao had been overconfident.
Hannibal and the others also observed the details of their engagement, noting the significant deflection of Liang Xiao's spearhead. They felt a mixture of shock and joy.
"Quick! Today, we will cut him down! Even if we can't kill him, we must defeat him and shatter the reputation of Da Qian's God of War!"
Far away, Liang Xiao and Achilles were completely oblivious to the spectators, their eyes fixed only on each other, as if they could devour each other's flesh.
With two more furious roars, Liang Xiao and Achilles finally engaged in close combat on horseback in the second round.
Liang Xiao's spear danced like falling pear blossoms, a dazzling spectacle of a thousand flowers in bloom.
The moment they clashed, Achilles sensed an unprecedented crisis!
Liang Xiao's spear was far faster than the Sky Dragon Breaking City Halberd!
His saber was powerful and heavy, sweeping in all directions, but every slash was easily deflected by Liang Xiao's spearhead. Liang Xiao would then immediately counter-thrust, forcing Achilles to dodge sideways.
"Is this the spear technique of Da Qian? From whom did such a deity's legacy originate? Is it the Spear God Tong Zhen?"
Achilles' heart was filled with questions, but he maintained his utmost concentration, meeting the onslaught with full force.
The battle of saber and spear raged like a torrential downpour, relentless and continuous.
Liang Xiao's spearhead rained down like pellets, finally causing Achilles to feel a flicker of panic.
His spear was too fast; his saber's speed was lagging behind!
The Sky Dragon Breaking City Halberd, now with its head unclasped, finally displayed its full advantage in reach.
Achilles, infuriated, made a decisive move. He closed the distance, intending to restrict Liang Xiao's space for spearing.
Unexpectedly, Liang Xiao retracted his spear shaft by a foot, matching Achilles' reach with a length similar to the Sky Sun Divine Blade.
The pressure of the spear speed remained, and the power advantage of the Sky Sun Divine Blade posed no threat to Liang Xiao's divine strength. Liang Xiao could even block the Sky Sun Divine Blade with his spearhead.
At this moment, Achilles finally understood that he had underestimated his opponent.
"Got you!!"
Just as the fierce battle reached its peak, Liang Xiao's spearhead abruptly shifted its trajectory and pierced Achilles' chest!
Protected by the White Dragon Golden Armor, Achilles' heart was not pierced, but this fierce assault sent his body reeling backward, causing his blood and qi to surge!
Shocked, Achilles quickly reached out with his left hand, protected by his gauntlet, to seize the spearhead, attempting to disarm Liang Xiao. However, Liang Xiao timely withdrew his weapon.
The two warhorses, startled by the sudden impact of the spear, passed each other awkwardly before the next round began.
Liang Xiao's spearhead was again deflected by the incoming Sky Sun Divine Blade. Liang Xiao then turned his horse and charged forward, engaging Achilles in another round of tempestuous thrusts. Achilles found himself increasingly unable to cope, forced to retreat from Liang Xiao's relentless assault.
The two resumed their fierce exchanges, repeating this pattern for twenty rounds.
Achilles no longer dared to underestimate Liang Xiao's spear technique, focusing all his attention on defense. However, he felt an increasing sense of powerlessness.
He had relied on his renowned speed to kill countless elite soldiers and mighty generals.
Now, he couldn't even match Liang Xiao's spear speed!
Nan Jiyun and the others finally clenched their fists in excitement, cheering inwardly, "It turns out General Tian's most formidable skill is indeed his spearplay!"
Yue Wenxin and Zuo Wuji finally broke into smiles, wiping the sweat from their brows that they hadn't even noticed forming. The heavy burden on their hearts finally lifted.
Indeed, he had his own plans, all for the sake of slaying the God of War Tian Ri!
Achilles was forced to abandon close combat. Seizing an opportunity when Liang Xiao's Sky Sun Divine Blade forced him back, he turned his horse and galloped twenty zhang, then charged directly at Liang Xiao.
"Clang!"
After the sound of metal colliding, Liang Xiao's spear, deflected by the force, executed a return strike, piercing towards Achilles.
Achilles narrowly dodged it, then swung his saber backhand towards Liang Xiao's face, intending to cleave him in two. However, Liang Xiao's spearhead, returning to its position, parried the blow.
"Indeed, I should have killed him with a charge. Otherwise, his spear is too dangerous. Even if I can protect myself, I cannot defeat him, and I might even lose!"
Achilles finally made up his mind and ceased engaging Liang Xiao directly.
The two engaged in round after round of charging at each other on their warhorses. In every instance, Achilles' saber held the advantage.
The Sky Dragon Breaking City Halberd in its spear form weighed only about thirty catties, while Achilles' Sky Sun Divine Blade was even more powerful and relentless. Liang Xiao knew he could fight for six hundred rounds.
Did Achilles even have the confidence to fight him for another thousand rounds?
This meant that wearing Achilles down was unrealistic. The opponent could retreat if he couldn't win, and Bai Ye Fei Ying might not be able to catch up to Sheng Long Ying.
Only a battle to the death, a killing blow on the spot, would suffice!
In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged sixty rounds.
To maintain his advantage, Achilles avoided stationary combat with Liang Xiao as much as possible, choosing only to charge.
Consequently, their rounds progressed three times faster than on the previous day.
Achilles, astride his horse, his gaze chilling, locked onto Liang Xiao's neck.
That was the gap between his helmet and armor, an opportunity for a beheading!
Liang Xiao, also on his horse, let out a long sigh. He whispered, "Fei Ying, this is the final round."
Bai Ye Fei Ying seemed to understand Liang Xiao's words and let out a deafening roar towards the heavens.
Achilles, unwilling to be outdone, shouted, "Sheng Long Ying! Together, we shall shatter General Tian!"
Sheng Long Ying also roared towards the sky, its power surging like a thunderclap, charging directly at Liang Xiao.
The two similar divine steeds unleashed the full power of their lives.
To the onlookers, they could only catch a glimpse of two white streaks as they collided.
"Die!!"
Liang Xiao and Achilles roared in unison, their divine spear and Sky Sun Divine Blade unleashing the most powerful attacks of their lives!
"This is bad!"
Nan Jiyun and the others cried out in unison.
At such terrifying charging speeds, Liang Xiao was still wielding his divine spear, meeting the Sky Sun Divine Blade.
Using his weakness against the opponent's strength, this move could very likely result in Achilles' saber deflecting Liang Xiao's weapon, and the blade, still carrying its momentum, would then decapitate him!
"Boom!"
To everyone's surprise, Liang Xiao's spear actually knocked the Sky Sun Divine Blade aside!
In an instant, the spearhead, with the force of wind and thunder, thrust towards Achilles' chest!
Achilles' pupils constricted, the image of the spear rapidly expanding in his eyes. He no longer had time to push the spear away.
This was a spear technique he had never witnessed in his life. It was so fast that he couldn't even track its movements. It was so powerful that it could knock away his Sky Sun Divine Blade, and then continue its assault on him. All these actions were completed in the blink of an eye!
This was simply a speed he could not match!
"Roar!!"
Under the astonished gazes of everyone present, the Sky Dragon Breaking City Halberd, in its spear form, pierced through the White Dragon Golden Armor on Achilles' chest!
A spear through the heart!!!