Chapter 2138 — Hard to Deal With

If Wei Zhao used his ultimate move, he and the spirit wolf would simply run. They would not stand there like those fools from the Jinzhong Sect, waiting to be beaten.

Wei Zhao knitted his brows and made a rapid judgment. Against this Wild Wolf Fist, he could tough it out—but the spirit wolf was another matter. The wolf's attack power was clearly formidable. Having dealt with attack-attribute spirit beasts in the ancient tomb, Wei Zhao naturally knew this spirit wolf would be hard to handle.

So Wei Zhao decided in an instant: he would take Wao Jindao's punch on his back, and devote himself fully to dealing with the spirit wolf.

Having made that decision, Wei Zhao turned to face the spirit wolf, positioning himself side by side with Han Xiaopo, both of them fixing their eyes on the beast.

Wei Zhao's move caught Wao Jindao off guard. What did the man mean by this? Turning his back to him? Letting him strike, while sparing Han Xiaopo?

True, a pincer attack from himself and the spirit wolf might inflict serious injury on Wei Zhao—but Wao Jindao dismissed the idea at once. Striking Wei Zhao would not necessarily kill him. Since Wei Zhao could withstand a full-power blow from an early Heaven-Rank expert, a pincer attack from himself and the wolf likely would not do him much harm.

So Wao Jindao shifted his target back to Han Xiaopo. In truth, when Wei Zhao saw Wao Jindao's martial technique, he knew it could not hurt him badly. Compared with the black-clad Earth-Rank expert from that day, Wao Jindao's skill was far, far inferior.

This one move of Wao Jindao's was about equal to the first form of that Earth-Rank man in black's technique. Since it could not kill him, Wei Zhao stopped worrying about it. He circulated his inner-energy method and prepared to slam the fourth form of the Frenzied Fire Fist into the spirit wolf.

"Ha!" Wao Jindao drove a punch at Han Xiaopo. Han Xiaopo's heart tightened. He did not know what Wei Zhao was doing, but out of trust in him, he did not make any rash moves. He simply stood where he was, motionless.

Yet Wao Jindao found it strange: as his punch flew out, Wei Zhao—as though he had eyes in the back of his head—shifted his body sideways, directly into the path of the blow.

In fact, Wei Zhao had no eyes in the back of his head. He was tracking Wao Jindao's direction through the jade pendant's sense. The stronger the pendant's danger warning from a given direction, the more surely Wao Jindao was striking that way. Wei Zhao could tell without even turning around.

But Wao Jindao had already unleashed his technique. To pull it back or change direction on the spot was impossible; he could only drive it into Wei Zhao's back. A pincer attack with the spirit wolf was the worst of strategies—but he would hit Wei Zhao first and figure out the rest afterward.

In that instant, though, there was no way to signal the spirit wolf to turn on Han Xiaopo instead. The wolf had some intelligence and could communicate with Wao Jindao, but it was only a mid-Yellow-Rank spirit beast. Its intellect was not especially high—nothing like General Weiwu or the Heavenly Thunder Pig; it was on the level of a tomb-guarding spirit beast.

It could understand and obey Wao Jindao's commands, but expecting it to make a judgment on the spot was out of the question.

"Bang—" Wao Jindao's fist landed on Wei Zhao's back with a mighty crash. And in that moment, Wei Zhao moved: the fourth form of the Frenzied Fire Fist, driven straight at the spirit wolf.

"Bang—" Wei Zhao took the hit, and the spirit wolf took one too, sent flying by Wei Zhao's punch and crashing heavily to the ground. But the creature was truly tough—a blow like that had not seriously wounded it. It only struggled briefly, then clambered back up, still glaring hungrily at Wei Zhao, eyes burning with fury. Only, Wao Jindao had not issued the next command, so it could not well charge at Wei Zhao on its own.

Wao Jindao's strike was not as powerful as the fourth form of that Earth-Rank man in black's technique, but Wei Zhao had taken it on his bare back, with no defense at all—not fist against fist—so the damage was naturally heavier. In truth, the more crucial factor was that the spirit wolf had hurt Wei Zhao more than Wao Jindao had.

Wei Zhao did not know what battle technique the spirit wolf used, but when his fist struck its body, the recoil force was enough to send his chest's qi and blood surging.

"Pff—" Wei Zhao did not hold it in. He spat out a mouthful of blood, and the stifled qi in his chest came out with it, leaving him somewhat better off. But the trouble before him was far from resolved, and he could not afford to be careless. While circulating the Xuanyuan Dragon-Taming Art to rapidly repair the injuries within his body, he kept a wary sense on the spirit wolf and Wao Jindao.

"Ha! Wei Zhao, you're nothing special after all—one move from me and you're spitting blood!" Wao Jindao was overjoyed at the sight. He raised his fist and said to the spirit wolf, "Come on, partner, let's keep at it!"

At Wao Jindao's call, the spirit wolf charged at Wei Zhao once more. Wei Zhao's earlier punch had roused the beast's savagery; now it wanted only to tear out Wei Zhao's throat and finish him.

Wao Jindao, meanwhile, wanted to test something: if he attacked Han Xiaopo again, would Wei Zhao keep blocking for him? The first time might be called a coincidence—but a second and third time could not.

This test, however, disappointed Wao Jindao. Wei Zhao did not turn his head, yet his back seemed to have eyes: wherever Wao Jindao's fist went, there Wei Zhao's body appeared.

This time Wao Jindao deliberately angled his strike a little, aiming at Han Xiaopo's left arm—no vital spot—yet Wei Zhao still interposed himself before that left arm and took Wao Jindao's punch head-on.

Wei Zhao did not mind. His foremost task now was to finish the spirit wolf or drive it off the platform. Wao Jindao's strength was not great, but the spirit wolf was fierce beyond measure. Rather than say Wei Zhao was punching it, it was more like trading blow for blow.

So Wei Zhao now faced enemies front and rear: a head-on clash in front, and his back left wide open for the enemy to strike. Such a way of fighting left him passive and at a severe disadvantage—yet he had no choice. The rules of this arena tournament were truly absurd: be knocked off the platform once, and everything was lost.

"Boom—" The fourth form of the Frenzied Fire Fist: Wei Zhao drove another punch at the spirit wolf's head. The beast was like bronze head and iron arms—though it was sent flying, Wei Zhao's arm was left numb from the shock, and the force traveled all the way to his chest before stopping. Combined with Wao Jindao's punch from behind, it made Wei Zhao spit blood once more.

For the fastest updates, please read without pop-ups.