The Duel of Attrition

1,481 words

Han Li and “Senior Brother Lu” poured their magic power unceasingly into the “Sword Talisman” and the “Azure Flood Dragon Banner,” respectively. All their focus was consumed by the manipulation of these two artifacts as they battled, neither daring to show a shred of negligence or distraction.

Yet by the same token, they had no surplus mental energy or magical power to deploy any other means to secure victory. Both understood clearly: the moment either party made the slightest misstep, the artifact would be destroyed and the user would perish, leaving no room for redemption.

And so, under the mutual radiance of the Azure Flood Dragon and the giant sword, the struggle between Han Li and “Senior Brother Lu” gradually devolved into a war of attrition—a contest to see whose magic power would be exhausted first.

When they finally realized that the decisive factor was the amount of remaining magic power, both resorted to the same method of boosting their reserves: each produced a spirit stone and held it in their palm to replenish their depleting energy.

Senior Brother Lu’s was a low-grade wind-attributed spirit stone. Han Li’s was a mid-grade earth-attributed spirit stone.

The discovery drained the color from Senior Brother Lu’s face, filling him with shock and fury.

For a mere Qi Condensation disciple like Han Li to possess a mid-grade stone—which, as everyone knew, replenished magic power far faster than a low-grade stone—was something he had never anticipated. Such stones were generally obtainable only by cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage and above. In the race to replenish magical power, he was at a severe disadvantage.

But after a moment’s thought, Senior Brother Lu steadied himself. His base magic power was far deeper than his opponent’s. Even if that mid-grade stone replenished energy a bit faster, it could not last long. The trickle of recharged vitality was utterly insignificant compared to the constant, heavy drain of power.

Reassured, Senior Brother Lu calmed down once more and refocused his mind.

Then Han Li’s next action reshaped his expression yet again—this time with a trace of bewilderment and disbelief.

Right before Senior Brother Lu’s eyes, Han Li voluntarily dispelled his blue protective barrier, exposing his true body openly and directly.

Even as sharp-witted as Senior Brother Lu was, he found himself utterly confused by the move. What was this fellow thinking?

Was he not afraid that a single Wind Blade would easily claim his life?

Senior Brother Lu’s mind raced. After only a brief hesitation, he extended his left hand and traced a pattern in the air, beginning to form a faint, pale-green Wind Blade.

But before Senior Brother Lu could fully condense the blade and hurl it at his opponent, the giant sword locked in battle with the Azure Flood Dragon suddenly blazed with light. Taking advantage of his split attention, it broke free from the dragon’s grip and shot straight toward Senior Brother Lu.

Startled, Senior Brother Lu’s heart leaped with alarm. If he insisted on finishing the Wind Blade and launching it, he might indeed take Han Li’s life. But at the same time, beneath the giant sword’s strike, he would certainly not survive either. The result would be mutual annihilation.

True, there was still a Wind Barrier lingering before him, but since the giant sword was able to contend with the Azure Flood Dragon conjured by the banner, the barrier would surely be pierced with a single tap, offering not even a moment’s delay.

That outcome was not what Senior Brother Lu wanted. He still had a great future ahead, a grand career to pursue. He had no intention of dying in this desolate wilderness alongside a man whose origins he did not even know.

With this thought, he did not hesitate. He hastily dispersed the Wind Blade with a flick of his left hand, then frantically channeled all his remaining magic power into the Azure Flood Dragon Banner, summoning the dragon back.

The Azure Flood Dragon—true to its nature as the manifested spirit of a wind-attributed magical tool—arrived before the sword under Senior Brother Lu’s full-throttle command, intercepting it mid-flight and locking into battle once more.

Seeing this, Senior Brother Lu exhaled deeply, cold sweat drenching his body.

In the moments that followed, Senior Brother Lu made several more attempts to launch a sneak attack.

But each time, Han Li forced him back with the same technique, leaving him utterly helpless despite Han Li’s defenseless state. Frustrated beyond measure, Senior Brother Lu could only rely on his deeper reserves of magic power and grind the battle out drop by drop.

Meanwhile, Han Li began pulling from his storage pouch an assortment of oddly shaped grasses, roots, and stems. He stuffed them into his mouth one after another, chewing them loudly, leaving Senior Brother Lu gaping in stunned confusion. What was this lunatic doing now?

The inability to divine his opponent’s intentions left Senior Brother Lu with a strong foreboding. But as cautious of his own life as he was, even his superior cunning could think of nothing to do in the moment.

Time passed. Senior Brother Lu’s heart grew heavier.

Finally, when the azure light on the Azure Flood Dragon began to dim, yet the gray radiance of the giant sword remained as dazzling as before, Senior Brother Lu lost all composure. He screamed hoarsely, his voice cracking with panic:

“Impossible! My magic power is far greater than yours! Even with a mid-grade stone replenishing you, you shouldn’t still have strength left! You should have run out before me!”

Watching the Azure Flood Dragon wobble unsteadily, Senior Brother Lu’s shouts were like the final yelps of a cornered dog, full of unwillingness.

Seeing his scheme unfold exactly as planned, Han Li allowed a faint smile to cross his face. But at the other’s words, the corner of his mouth twitched, and the smile turned into a cold sneer.

He had no free time to explain the entire affair to a man about to die. The priority was to finish him off. His own magic power was also nearly spent. Why waste breath on pointless chatter?

Resolved, Han Li ignored the question entirely. With a point of his finger, the giant sword’s radiance flared even brighter, grinding the Azure Flood Dragon down until it shrank to barely a few dozen feet in length, its azure light so faint it was almost invisible.

Seeing this, Senior Brother Lu fell into utter despair. In its place, a reckless will to fight to the death surged within him. A glint of madness crept into his eyes.

Without a sound, he abruptly withdrew what little magic power remained on the Azure Flood Dragon Banner, causing it to revert to its true form in an instant and fall directly from the air. Then, ignoring the giant sword hurtling toward him, he used that reclaimed energy to swiftly condense a massive Wind Blade. Without hesitation, he hurled it viciously at Han Li.

Han Li’s heart tightened. The moment the Wind Blade flew, he manipulated the giant sword to strike directly down at Senior Brother Lu’s head. Then, without waiting to see the result, he sprang forward, darting several dozen feet away.

After several exchanges, Han Li knew very well just how terrifyingly fast a Wind Blade could be. If he did not evade with his Smoke Step immediately, his unprotected body might very well be cut in two—a death he would never forgive himself for.

The Wind Blade was indeed swift. The moment Han Li shot away, it reached the spot where he had been standing. But then it curved, chasing after him as he fled, streaking forward once more.

Without a second thought, Han Li pushed his Smoke Step to its absolute limit. He zigzagged in that small space, twisting left and right until he seemed to generate several phantom afterimages. The Wind Blade stuck to him like a tail but could not land a clean hit despite the sharp turns.

Han Li understood clearly: a straight-line escape would never outrun the blade’s relentless speed. Only tight, agile maneuvers could buy him a temporary reprieve—and that was the main reason he had dared to abandon his defensive spell at the start.

Thud. The Wind Blade suddenly lost its tracking. It flew at a skewed angle and buried itself into the soil, carving a deep groove before vanishing.

Han Li let out a long breath, only then allowing the heart that had been lodged in his throat to settle. Using mundane lightness techniques to evade a cultivator’s spell attack was truly a harrowing affair.

He collapsed onto the ground, then lifted his head to look across.

The Wind Barrier had disappeared. Behind where it had once stood, “Senior Brother Lu” lay split in two, motionless. Above the two halves of his corpse, the giant sword floated, its gray light dim and bleak.

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Reading Guide Decoding

Draining the Battle—A Slow Grind to the Finish

Cultural / Xianxia Notes

War of Attrition as a Combat Doctrine – This chapter exemplifies a key feature of Mortal Stream combat: when both sides are evenly matched in technique, the deciding factor is resource management. The fight is reduced to a logistical calculation—who has more spirit stones, better grade stones, and fewer ways to waste power. Han Li’s use of a mid-grade stone, which recharges faster, is a subtle but massive advantage that flips the expected outcome.

Mid-Grade Spirit Stone – These are extremely rare at the Qi Condensation level. Most disciples operate on low-grade stones, which recharge magic power slowly enough that they are negligible during intense combat. A mid-grade stone, however, provides a meaningful stream of energy, enough to turn a war of attrition. That a junior disciple like Han Li possesses one underscores that he is far more prepared than he appears, and it’s a moment of genuine shock for Senior Brother Lu—a crack in the confidence of a more senior opponent.

Voluntary Shield Drop as Psychological Warfare – Why would any sane fighter drop their defenses in the middle of a duel? Because a shield that costs nothing to maintain is one thing; a shield that siphons your limited magic power is a luxury you can’t afford. Han Li’s decision to expose his body is a cold, utilitarian calculation: reduce energy drain and bait the opponent into overstepping. It also disguises his real limit—he may have been near empty anyway, and the shield was doing less good than the pretense of fearlessness.

Chapter Overview

Welcome back, fellow daoists, to the final act of a fight that has turned into a slow, grinding chess match. Last time, Han Li and his scheming opponent were locked in magical combat, unable to break free. This chapter forces both combatants to confront the same ugly truth: this isn’t about who has the flashiest technique anymore. It’s about who runs out of fuel first. Watch as Han Li abandons his defenses, starts snacking on random herbs, and drags a perfectly rational villain into a state of screaming disbelief. The tension here is quiet, cold, and utterly ruthless—pure Mortal Stream attrition warfare at its finest.

Key Plot Points

The battle between Han Li and Senior Brother Lu transitions into a pure war of attrition, with both sides channeling all their magic power into their respective treasures (the Sword Talisman and the Azure Flood Dragon Banner), unable to spare effort for other attacks.
Both cultivators begin using spirit stones to replenish their magic power; Senior Brother Lu is shocked to see Han Li pull out a mid-grade stone, which recharges faster than his own low-grade wind stone.
Senior Brother Lu briefly considers creating a Wind Blade to assassinate Han Li, but is forced to abandon the attempt when Han Li exploits the distraction to send the giant sword straight at him, threatening mutual destruction.
Han Li voluntarily drops his blue protective barrier, exposing his unguarded body, which confuses Senior Brother Lu and forces him into a psychological trap where any attempt to attack is met with a counter-threat of immediate death.
As the attrition drags on, Han Li begins eating various herbs and plant roots from his storage pouch, further unsettling his opponent, who cannot guess the purpose of the strange behavior.
The Azure Flood Dragon begins to dim while the giant sword remains bright; Senior Brother Lu realizes in panic that Han Li’s magic power should have run out first, but is screaming “Impossible!” as his own reserves fail.
In desperation, Senior Brother Lu recalls the banner, forms a final massive Wind Blade aimed at Han Li, and attempts mutual destruction, but Han Li evades using Smoke Step, leaving his opponent to be bisected by the giant sword.
Han Li collapses to the ground, the fight won, the giant sword floating dimly above the corpse.

Reading Guide

This is a textbook Mortal Stream fight scene: no sudden power-ups, no dramatic final forms, no emotional speeches. Just two men squeezing the last drop of energy out of their depleted reserves while one of them plays mind games with his own life as bait. The tension lies in watching a rational, calculating villain slowly unravel as he realizes the numbers don’t add up the way he expected. Pay attention to Han Li’s decision to drop the shield—it’s a sign that his internal calculation has reached a winning conclusion, and everything after is just the execution.

One moment to savor: Senior Brother Lu’s final scream of “Impossible!” This is not an anime villain’s monologue—it is the sound of a mind that trusted its own arithmetic breaking under the weight of a variable it never accounted for (the mid-grade stone and Han Li’s unknown herb stash). In the Mortal Stream, arrogance is not punished by fate, but by faulty algebra.