Chapter 1003 – Fighting a Wolf with a Flex Stalk

Died of exhaustion!

This was something that some people would never worry about. But there were also some who knew that the more powerful an Expert was, the more susceptible they were to this phenomenon.

Just like Zhao Hai and Addison! Upon meeting a well-matched opponent, they didn't dare to divert any attention, especially in the heat of the battle. They were afraid that a single mishap in their concentration would give the opponent the opportunity to kill them. Because of this, they were focused on the match. Their instincts had taken over their bodies, they were simply unable to know how much energy they've already spent.

In this case, if there were no external stimulus, then it would be too late for them to discover that they had used up all of their strengths. In the end, they would only exhaust themself to death, even Zhao Hai was not safe from this outcome.

The reason for this was because Zhao Hai had underestimated Addison. Addison was a rank higher than Guli and the others. But Guli and the others were already peak God-ranks. If they were in the Divine Realm, then they would already be Supreme Elders, needing only one step before ascension. In other words, if Addison was in the Divine Realm, then he would have already ascended.

Being an ascendant meant that Addison was himself already a cultivator. Although Addison had yet to ascend, his strength was actually at a level of a cultivator, a rank equal to Zhao Hai. And although Zhao Hai's energy was very solid, his body's rate of using this energy was still inefficient.

On the other hand, although Addison's energy wasn't as solid as Zhao Hai, his physique made him equal to Zhao Hai. And with their high-intensity battle, their bodies weren't able to supplement their usage on time. That was to say that the two were having difficulty making ends meet. If it wasn't for that skeleton, then it would have been very difficult to save the two of them.

The two examined the state of their bodies and immediately felt a sense of fear. The appearance of the skeleton was too timely. Naturally, it was impossible for Addison to know how the skeleton appeared. On the other hand, Zhao Hai was aware that the skeleton was sent by Laura and the others. It must have been them who discovered the current situation and decided to send the skeleton to stop it. When he thought about this, Zhao Hai couldn't help but feel that his love for his wives had deepened much further.

Naturally, there was no such thing as a useless battle. This meant that Zhao Hai had deepened his understanding of martial arts with this experience. He had discovered a fault in the Ark Continent and the Divine Realm's system. And this fault was no other than Domains!

Zhao Hai used to think that the Domains used by the Experts of the Ark Continent and the Divine Realm were extremely powerful. Not only was it powerful, it's attack and defense were also good. At the same time, it could also help in absorbing the energy of the heavens and the earth.

But when Zhao Hai got stronger and stronger, he used his Domain less and less. He always felt that the Domain hinders him from using 100% of his strength.

And now, after battling with Addison, Zhao Hai finally understood why. He discovered that Domains were a mistake.

Domains might look very good; they can attack, they can defend, and they can also replenish your energy. But because of these characteristics, the Domain couldn't focus all of its energy in offense. This might not be a problem ordinarily, but when people of the same strength fight, it can be deadly.

Take Zhao Hai for example, if he established his Domain, then he would have to allocate his strength to maintain it. Additionally, he would have to think about the changes in his Domain, hindering him from using 100% of his attack. Also, each attack made by a Domain was very wide, the shape of the energy was huge. Although it seemed formidable, but the lethality of the attack wouldn't be as desired.

If one concentrates the power of a Domain in an attack instead of just supporting a Domain, then one's power would double!

Take Zhao Hai's battle against Addison for example. Both of them used their swords at their fastest and most lethal state. And Zhao Hai can be certain that each of their slashes could easily tear open a God-rank expert's Domain and kill them immediately. In addition to the difference in level, this was also caused by the existence of the Domain. A Domain would spread the utility of the user's strength. The situation was just like a piece of iron cut into two equal halves, if one half was made into a square meter sheet while the other was made into an iron dagger, then can their offensive strength be the same? No. There was no doubt that the dagger would easily pierce through the sheet.

Naturally, one couldn't say that Domains were useless. If they were used to cultivate, then Domains were really good. When the Domain wasn't attacked nor being used to attack, then the Domain would be able to efficiently absorb energy. Although the Domain would consume a part of the energy, the absorption was more than what it consumed. This was beneficial to a person's strength.

These thoughts only flashed through Zhao Hai's mind. His attention was still concentrated on Addison's body.

Addison was so terrifying that Zhao Hai didn't dare to be careless. If he didn't have the Space nor the Hell King's ship, then Addison would definitely be his equal.

Addison held the same sentiment towards Zhao Hai. When he and Zhao Hai clashed, Addison discovered that Zhao Hai wasn't very skilled at using his power at first. So in the beginning, Addison held the upper hand. But as the battle progressed and Zhao Hai got more comfortable with his strength, the battle went to a standstill.

It was precisely because of this equality that made Addison enter a dangerous situation with Zhao Hai. He had to concentrate the entire fight to the point that he didn't have the capacity to monitor the energy that he had used.

The two separated for a hundred meters and stood quietly. Although they couldn't see each other now, they can clearly feel each others' presence. It can be said that even if a hair on the other party moved, the other would immediately find out.

The two didn't attack. In fact, both of them were worried. Just after the fight, the two had become aware of the other's strength. Like a chinese proverb, 'fighting a wolf with a flex stalk - either is afraid of each other.'[1]

Addison's spiritual force was locked into Zhao Hai. Naturally, he knew that Zhao Hai's spiritual force was also locked into him. Addison felt bitter. He didn't think that the Underworld would spawn such a powerful Dark Pharaoh. Moreover, he heard that Dark Pharaohs were primarily mages, how could this one's close-combat capabilities be so strong?

Neither of them dared to sheath their swords. Since the two were focused on each other, once one of them took back their weapon, then the other could immediately launch an attack.

Not to say about receiving their sword, neither dared to talk as well. Although the two weren't fighting and were only armed, the battle became more imposing and patient instead. The one who spoke first would lose their momentum.

This had been the most thrilling battle that Zhao Hai experienced since he went out. It can be said that he was taking careful steps, any mistake would cause him to be overwhelmed.

However, the two also knew that the battle could only continue in this situation. The one who determined the winner and loser weren't the two of them, but their men who were still fighting below.

The two combatants, with their strength, surely had their own people who would fight for them. Because of this, their battle didn't only involve themselves, but it included their overall strength. Their men could kill the other's men and establish momentum. A Great King would be able to overwhelm a smaller country because his country was stronger, his momentum was more pronounced than the other. A King didn't only fight on his own, his country would be involved as well.

Addison's confidence was very strong. He believed that his men could deal with Three Saint City. He didn't know Three Saint City for a day or two, he already understood that although Three Saint City was strong, it was still far compared to him. He believed that as long as he kept Zhao Hai here, then his people would be able to easily clean Three Saint City up. When the time comes, he would be able to overwhelm Zhao Hai with his momentum and then win.

But at the same time, Zhao Hai's confidence wasn't any weaker. If Addison was confident in his men, then Zhao Hai was more confident in his. Addison's men couldn't possibly contend against a billion undead. Moreover, Zhao Hai's undead weren't weak. Dealing with Addison's men shouldn't be a problem.

Also, Zhao Hai found some faults when he scanned the Undead outside the city using his spiritual force. These undead didn't seem to learn battle formations. They were chaotic and had little to no order. Even if Zhao Hai commanded the battle, he could still laugh at the ease of dealing with these undead.

On the other hand, Zhao Hai's undead were already adept in the battlefield. And with Lizzy and Megan commanding them, defeating the enemy would be very easy.

Zhao Hai initially had some concerns of the Dark Mist blocking the Space's monitor. After all, back in the Ark Continent, the monitor wasn't able to see through the Dark Mist.

However, after entering the Underworld, the Space had adapted to the Dark Mist. The Underworld was now clearly seen on the monitor. Because of this, Zhao Hai was confident that his Undead would be able to defeat Addison's men.

1. 麻杆打狼—两头怕 — Each party is fearful of the other: the wolf thought the stalk could be a fatal weapon while the person fears the consequence of his trick seen through by the wolf. source[https://people.wku.edu/haiwang.yuan/China/proverbs/m.html]