Chapter Eighty-three: From Headwinds to Tailwinds

With a movement speed exceeding 450, the Dragon-Binding Frost Jade Pillar caught up with Qin Chuan in just half a second and launched another attack.

At this moment, 1.9 seconds remained.

Three jade chains, like three rampaging dragons, howled toward him.

"Damn it, I don't believe I can't beat you!" Qin Chuan gritted his "teeth" and decided to pull off a dazzling move.

But challenging an opponent with over 450 speed while only having 300+ himself was like asking for trouble—one misstep and disaster would strike.

This was a test not just of skill but of nerves.

"Haha! Little brat, go to hell!" Zizi saw that in just 0.1 seconds, the three jade chains would strike Qin Chuan.

Yet he stood motionless, as if paralyzed with fear. Unable to bear it, Zizi screamed, "Qin Chuan, dodge! What are you doing just standing there?"

She could hardly watch, almost closing her beautiful eyes as a glimmer of tears appeared. She truly didn't want to witness Qin Chuan being torn apart.

Perhaps her scream had some miraculous effect, for within that 0.1 second, Qin Chuan did move.

But it was only a shift of 0.1 meters.

The jade chain brushed past the blade of Qin Chuan's sword, slamming into the ground and sending up a cloud of mineral dust.

"Ah! Are you stupid, Qin Chuan? Why didn't you dodge?"

Because it all happened so fast and her view was blocked by the dust, Zizi assumed Qin Chuan had been struck, perhaps even obliterated.

In that instant, tears nearly fell from her eyes.

Though their acquaintance was brief, she genuinely considered Qin Chuan a friend.

"Zizi, look! Brother is fine!" Sleepyhead, in contrast to Zizi, was much calmer. Though Qin Chuan was momentarily on the defensive, he showed no sign of panic.

To Sleepyhead, Qin Chuan was a miracle worker, always full of surprises.

So unless things truly reached a critical point, Sleepyhead would never intervene—such was his basic trust in Qin Chuan.

Zizi, surprised, wiped her eyes. When she saw Qin Chuan weaving among the jade chains, she couldn't help but curse with a smile, "Really now, you were playing with my feelings! Tricking my tears for nothing!"

"Who would've thought Sister Zizi cared so much about Brother? He'd be overjoyed if he knew," Sleepyhead said, his big blue eyes innocent and sincere. Zizi's face instantly flushed bright red.

"Nonsense! I... Aren't we friends? Isn’t it normal to care about him?"

At that moment, Zizi suddenly recalled the time she was under the spell of the Dream Incense on the Path of Life and Death.

When she finally awoke, she realized she had been hugging not a devastatingly handsome hero—

But a three-foot-long black sword, its blade faintly etched with dark dragon patterns.

That was clearly Qin Chuan. The memory of this strange scene filled her with both embarrassment and anger.

So when Qin Chuan later asked about her visions, she blushed furiously and fled. There was no way she could admit that she’d been embracing a sword, mistaking it for a handsome man. Who would ever believe such a bizarre image?

Of course, Qin Chuan had no idea what was going through Zizi's mind; he was still caught in a raging storm.

Though he’d dodged the main attack, the wind from the passing jade chain still sent pain shooting through his sword body.

Fortunately, Qin Chuan’s will was resolute. He gritted his teeth and continued his nerve-wracking performance, leaving Zizi’s heart pounding.

Finally, after a grueling 1.9 seconds, Qin Chuan didn’t retreat but instead charged toward the Dragon-Binding Frost Jade Pillar.

This move stunned Zizi yet again. She couldn’t help but shout, "What’s he doing? Shouldn’t he be getting out of attack range? Why charge forward?"

Her concern was warranted: the Dragon-Binding Frost Jade Pillar was not only incredibly tough but also boasted immense attack power.

With only 300+ speed, Qin Chuan seemed to be courting death.

But Qin Chuan had his own calculations. The previous skirmish had greatly boosted his confidence.

As long as he could avoid the Jade Pillar’s attack, he could pull off another brilliant maneuver.

"Haha! Is this guy crazy, running right at me? Doesn't he know close combat is a Power Type's specialty?"

So the Jade Pillar met him head-on, swinging its massive club.

But this was exactly what Qin Chuan wanted.

He watched calmly as the pillar came crashing down, waiting until the last possible moment—when the attack could no longer be redirected—before making his move.

With only 0.1 seconds left, but that was enough.

"Blink!"

At the critical instant, Qin Chuan flickered to the pillar’s side and immediately struck with a basic slash.

Zizi broke out in a cold sweat at this move and scolded again, "You idiot! Why not blink sooner? Making me worry for nothing!"

But Qin Chuan thrived on this suspense—otherwise, where was the thrill?

Clang!

Ding! 40% Slow triggered.

Qin Chuan’s blow landed, making the Jade Pillar howl in pain.

Greedy for victory, the Jade Pillar had left itself open, and Qin Chuan triggered the slow effect again—instantly turning the tables.

Now Qin Chuan was back in control.

Unless you’d experienced close combat with him, you couldn’t understand how terrifying he could be.

What followed made the Jade Pillar regret to its very core.

Qin Chuan now clung to it like a piece of sticky toffee—utterly impossible to shake off.

Defensive counterattacks at close range were supposed to be the Power Type’s domain, but against Qin Chuan, they became a joke.

With his superior speed and ghostlike footwork, Qin Chuan fought ever more freely and effortlessly.

Meanwhile, the Jade Pillar grew increasingly frustrated and furious.

"Blast it, I can’t believe I can’t hit you even once!" The Jade Pillar’s roar threatened to bring the cavern down.

But in battle, what counts is strength, wit, and experience—not just yelling.

"Dragon-Binding Earthshaker!"

No wonder the Jade Pillar had suddenly regained confidence—its crowd-control skill had just come off cooldown.

This time, it planned carefully—even if Qin Chuan blinked out of the control range, he couldn’t escape the ultimate, Frenzied Dragon Pillar.

After all, Frenzied Dragon Pillar could strike twice in quick succession, covering up to twenty-five meters in total. As long as he targeted Qin Chuan’s landing spot, the Jade Pillar was convinced that, even if Qin Chuan could fly, he’d be smashed to bits.

Yet, fate always has its surprises.

Just as Qin Chuan was about to blink away, an unexpected delight arrived.

Ding! Freeze effect triggered, duration: three seconds.

The moment the freeze took hold, the Jade Pillar froze in place, frost rapidly forming along its shaft.

Of course, it was a pillar to begin with.

The powerful Dragon-Binding Earthshaker was abruptly interrupted, the skill thrown back into cooldown.

All control skills have a slight delay, and the Jade Pillar was no exception.

This sudden freeze completely ruined its plans and left it in grave danger.

"What the—what's going on? Why can't I move?" The Jade Pillar was both shocked and furious—anyone who’d experienced such helplessness would understand.

A graceful smile curved Qin Chuan’s lips. "This freeze—feels like hitting the jackpot!"

And indeed, the Jade Pillar, infused with natural cold, should have had strong resistance to freezing. Even with a 35% chance, triggering the effect was rare.

Yet here it was, frozen solid.