Chapter 123: Blind Bat vs Praying Mantis
The Roman Coliseum was as run down as what Yue Han thought it would be. In fact, it made him think of the medieval times. While there were no people around, the vaulted spaces in the Coliseum were converted into workspaces or housing spaces.
It was obvious when one saw the random tools lying around the vaulted spaces and the personal touches here and there that Yue Han discovered as he was running away from the Giant Praying Mantis. "What irony, the natural predator running away from the prey." Yue Han thought to himself as his steps felt much lighter than before.
With the grade promotion, Yue Han was finally able to utilise the inner chi force of the Blind Bat Style. He was able to navigate through echolocation even more accurately than before. Previously, he was learning various steps technique from the Blind Bat cultivation manual and the grade promotion allowed him to use one he had always dreamt of using.
The Webbed Wings Running Technique
It might sound weird, heck, it sounded stupid but the Blind Bat Cultivation Style was tailored for scouting with a touch of assassination. The Webbed Wings Running Technique was a basic movement technique that every Blind Bat cultivator needed to learn though its potential would only be fully unleashed when one reached Grade 3.
The Webbed Wings Running Technique enabled Yue Han's every step seem as if he was gliding on air. This made one of the diving sword techniques, The Descension Sword of the Blind Bat, even more potent than ever.
With gilded steps and gracious movements, Yue Han did not expend much chi nor stamina as he scouted the area for a good position to fight the Giant Praying Mantis. He was also hoping that the Mantis would tire itself out. Yue Han felt that the ancient Treant was controlling the Giant Praying Mantis to make things easier for him since praying mantises usually excelled in ambushes rather than chases. Or perhaps the ancient Treant was just toying with Yue Han.
In the amphitheatre of death, Yue Han crashed through a set of large doors before he reached a place where he suddenly felt a sense of tranquillity surrounding him. It felt like the grip of death had loosened and death itself did not matter anymore, even if it came right up to him and stared him in the face. Yue Han carefully looked around and found himself in a chapel with a broken symbol engraved into the top of the wall.
The Giant Praying Mantis stomped through the large doors and bared its mandibles at Yue Han. It looked like it had enough of running and wanted this useless chase to stop immediately.
"I was thinking the exact same thing, Mr Mantis." Yue Han felt that the chapel was the perfect place to end the fight against the Giant Praying Mantis. There were many obstacles such as the pews and pillars around for him to dodge and hide behind when necessary unlike the open space in the Coliseum Arena.
The Giant Praying Mantis did not waste any time and swung its blades, causing an energy ripple wave through the air. Yue Han was shocked because the simple looking insect had the ability to fire chi energy projectiles, a high-tier move for a monster. Fortunately, there was a row of box pews right beside him and Yue Han jumped behind the pew for cover.
Yue Han was considering using the diving sword technique but since he was now equipped with the knowledge that the Mantis could fire projectile attacks, he felt it was too reckless. "That means that I have to execute an all or nothing attack." Yue Han thought to himself as he quickly glided across the box pew to another before an energy ripple wave struck his previous location, decimating the box pew.
Yue Han immediately took out the basic chi regeneration potion that he had received from killing Meomi and quickly chugged it down. He was thinking of using the same combo he had used to distract the Zombie Abomination during The Great Wall of China dungeon instance.
But instead of distracting like last time, Yue Han's eyes had a spark that displayed his intent to kill the overgrown insect. His bloodlust could also be sensed by the Giant Praying Mantis, which caused it to be on its guard as it moved towards him.
With his new movement technique, Yue Han did not waste any time. When the Mantis stopped its attack to move closer, he directed extra chi into his legs and lower back before he jumped out from behind the box pew and ran up the wall. As Yun Han tried to run out of the box pew, the Giant Praying Mantis took that opportunity to strike rapidly and tried to capture its prey with its spiked raptorial forelegs.
Unfortunately, Yue Han was not skilled enough nor fast enough to avoid the attack and the Giant Praying Mantis not only grabbed his left hand but furiously tore it away from his torso. "FUUU-!" Yue Han cursed as his left arm was torn apart easily by the herculean strength of the Mantis' forelegs. Blood was spewing all over the chapel's walls.
Yue Han eyes were blurry from his tears of pain and his legs wanted to give way so he could curl up and cry at the loss of his left hand. However, he bit his tongue and gritted his teeth, trying to muscle his way through the excruciating pain as he rebalanced himself and prepared the wall run.
Meanwhile, the mantis feasted on Yue Han's left hand but was immediately ordered by Shu to focus on murdering Yue Han. It could not disobey Shu's order despite its basic instincts being to feed.
Regardless, that small window of time when the Mantis was feeding allowed Yue Han to find the optimum angle to dive down and execute his personal combo techniques. "Sword Art! Descension Sword of the Blind Bat! Shadow Sword of the Blind Bat!" Yue Han shouted with all the might he could muster and with only one hand left, he jumped off of the wall.
The Giant Praying Mantis thought that Yue Han was being foolish. All it saw was a pile of flesh to be readily cut by its serrated forelegs. Hence, it went into the usual ambush position as it discarded the skeleton shaped hand it had been holding.
Yue Han smirked when the Praying Mantis thought that he was merely easy prey once more. The Descension Sword of the Blind Bat gave Yue Han the high velocity and composure for him to collide directly with the Mantis' agile forelegs.
The Mantis laughed when Yue Han locked 'blades' with it as it used its other serrated blade to cut Yue Han. Yet, the one who had the last laugh though, was Yue Han, as he turned semi translucent and the Mantis blade went through him partially.
At the same time, Yue Han changed the angle he was holding his sword and managed to find a ligament he could cut through. Both of their attacks hit simultaneously, which caused them both to flinch.
"Further! I have to cut further!" Yue Han had adrenaline rushing through him as his mind rid itself of all unnecessary thought. All he wanted was to make sure he killed the Mantis or at the least, he had to die trying. With his Webbed Wings Running Technique, he glided under the Giant Praying Mantis and sliced its underbelly, which caused light green haemolymph to spill out.
The Praying Mantis cried out as it tried to turn but it was futile as Yue Han slashed one of its back legs off. Despite its injuries though, it was not going to give up. The Mantis flew sideways when Yue Han was least expecting it and counterattacked with a pierce through Yue Han's abdomen.
Yue Han coughed up blood since his Shadow Sword Art skill only partially blocked attacks, meaning that if he managed to evade sufficiently and not suffer a full frontal attack, he could survive. Regrettably, the previous attack was through his stomach.
Despite that last frontal attack by the Mantis, Yue Han summoned his remaining strength and threw his sword with all the chi he could invoke as a last ditch attempt to kill the Mantis. The sword somehow landed right in the centre of the Giant Praying Mantis' ocellus.
Both prey and predator stared each other in its eyes before falling to the ground, gasping for air. In his last moments before he lost his consciousness, Yue Han saw a chest appearing before him.
"Hahaha, looks like I won the second round by the skin of my teeth…too bad I can't get the rewards…" Yue Han thought to himself when a root suddenly grabbed the treasure chest and opened it forcibly. The root shook the contents out right in front of Yue Han and he barely absorbed all of it into his storage ring before fainting.
"As long as you don't give up on yourself, the world won't give up on you," Shu spoke with wisdom before the third round officially started. "But right now, looks like its lights out for you. Try again next time. I look forward to meeting you again, young bat." Shu chuckled as he used the same root that opened the chest to slam Yue Han body into pancakes.