Ning Zhuo couldn’t help but feel a burst of joy.
"I actually encountered a bronze shield, that’s quite lucky."
He was familiar with the Xingyun Trial intelligence of the Xuan Armor Cave, knowing that Mysterious Armor was almost all types of weapons, so this shield was truly rare.
Of course, there are rarer things than shields, such as some large weapons, crossbows, and siege vehicles.
Ning Zhuo then glanced around and discovered that the battle environment had changed.
The previous three battles were all in a spherical area, with ample space for maneuver.
But now, the Great Array of the Xuan Armor Cave had condensed into an alleyway, greatly reducing the room for maneuver. And Ning Zhuo’s bronze shield occupied most of the passage.
"Starting from the fourth battle, each battle will have a specific environment."
The alley was deep, like a throat, with moss climbing over the slick brick walls on both sides, ending in a thick, unbroken blackness.
The bronze shield turned from static to dynamic.
It initiated an attack, not with a clumsy collision, but skimming close to the ground quickly, sweeping toward Ning Zhuo’s lower row.
"Such fast speed." Ning Zhuo’s pupils contracted slightly.
The bronze shield moved so quickly that it left a streak of bronze shadow in Ning Zhuo’s eyes.
Ning Zhuo retreated hastily.
The walls on both sides seemed to squeeze in as he retreated, bringing more pressure to Ning Zhuo.
No way to open distance!
But Ning Zhuo knew from the beginning of his retreat that he just needed to buy time and adjust his stance.
Left Blade and Right Sword.
Ning Zhuo let out a low shout and simultaneously swung the Left Blade and Right Sword. The blade chopped down fiercely, striking the shield’s face. The sword was fast, leaving a trace of shadow, stabbing the edge of the shield.
In the next moment, a piercing clash of metal erupted.
The forward charge of the shield was momentarily halted by the power of the blade, but although the sword tip struck, it could not advance further.
A counter shock force surged, causing Ning Zhuo’s right arm to struggle, his wrist, forearm, elbow, upper arm, and shoulder immediately following the force, absorbing and dissipating it.
As Ning Zhuo continued to retreat, the Left Blade struck fiercely again, while the Right Sword poised to regroup after retracting.
Clink clink clink...
Several thrusts erupted into a shower of sparks.
The combo of blade and sword gradually neutralized the shield’s attack.
Clang!
The Sword and Saber Combination clashed fiercely, finally knocking the shield back.
Ning Zhuo jumped backward a step, lowered his head to look at his sword and blade, his expression somewhat gloomy.
The bronze sword was severely worn, even showing fine cracks on the blade. The bronze knife’s edge was slightly curled.
"I’ve used the bronze sword the most."
"The bronze knife strikes the shield, suffering suppression."
Between weapons, due to different constructions and structures, there naturally exists a relationship of restraint.
But Ning Zhuo knew that the main reason lay in the wear and tear.
"Frequent use of conventional weapons will cause wear. Mysterious Armor certainly has this issue, even more severely."
Mysterious Armor can change shape, and the material itself is quite peculiar. But as it transforms, it also means it is not tightly fixed.
Therefore, Mysterious Armor is not durable.
"In previous attempts, I practiced and learned multiple times, using the sword and blade more than others."
"The sword and blade can no longer be used; they need repair!"
Ning Zhuo tossed the sword and blade behind him, letting them float and follow, while he stretched his arms straight and slightly spread his ten fingers.
The bronze gloves separately transformed into two streams of copper, pouring directly into Ning Zhuo’s hands, quickly solidifying into a pair of bronze boxing gloves.
Ning Zhuo waved the gloves and took initiative, engaging the shield in battle.
The shield was formidable, but Ning Zhuo was at least twice as agile as before.
Compared to the sword and blade, fists are naturally more dexterous and free. After all, people are born with hands and use them the most in daily life.
The Demon Cultivator experience Ning Zhuo acquired included a lot of boxing skills.
Ning Zhuo punched continuously, copper fists flashing into shadows, constantly attacking around the shield. His movement technique was agile, stepping on the walls, flipping and constantly leveraging power.
He easily gained the upper hand.
Different from before!
Ning Zhuo’s memory was activated, his Close Combat Skills advanced significantly, and the gloves were almost readily usable weapons, augmenting his strength like a tiger with wings.
Even if memory and the physical body didn’t match perfectly, the gloves provided basic moves, always calibrating Ning Zhuo’s actions.
"Within a short period of two hours, my Martial Arts prowess has increased at least threefold compared to before participating in the trial!"
Ning Zhuo’s heart was elated, feeling the depth as the person involved.
Previously, his close combat was solidly foundational, no longer a noticeable weakness. But along with Ning Zhuo’s great strides in Five Elements Magic and Mechanical Techniques, close combat had become a shortcoming again, an indisputable fact.
But now, his close combat capabilities were also undergoing a great leap!
The shield was heavily struck by Ning Zhuo’s fists, hitting the ground.
With the aid of the counter shock force, the shield floated, suddenly tipping upwards, deftly defying logic, evading Ning Zhuo’s fists, rising to the alley’s airspace.
"Not good." Ning Zhuo raised his head, seeing the hefty shield lift like the front hoof of a giant beast, about to fall!
Ning Zhuo quickly retreated and dodged.
The shield changed trajectory in midair, fully exploiting the alley’s narrow terrain, pushing Ning Zhuo step by step against the wall, with no escape!
Ning Zhuo could only grit his teeth, turning fists into palms, using them to withstand the shield strike.
Clang!
His arms sank, as if trying to prop up a collapsing mountain.
An overwhelming force surged through, causing Ning Zhuo’s knees to buckle, forcing him to kneel on the ground.
His knees fiercely collided with the bricks, directly smashing them, slightly sinking into a pit.