Just now, Shang had used a peculiar combination of Reflection and World Connection.
Usually, Reflection could only reflect energy-based attacks, and neither water nor ice belonged to that group.
The reason was that Shang needed the inherent power of the attack to remain.
Shang wasn't able to use Reflection on ice since the force of the sudden stop would turn the ice into powder. Throwing that powder at the opponent wouldn't do anything, just like throwing water.
The same thing was true for earth since it would break apart into multiple pebbles, and metal would get completely bent to the point of uselessness.
However, by transforming ice into water and then solidifying the area around the weapon, Shang caught everything.
Then, he just needed to throw it back.
Since water was very flexible and stuck together, it didn't "break into pebbles".
It essentially passed through the ribbon in one piece, which then created one big and sharp icicle.
The circumstances had been perfect for this move, but this definitely wasn't something that Shang would be able to use often.
The circumstances had just been too specific.
Nevertheless, it had worked, and one of the serpent's claws had exploded.
BANG!
Shang didn't hesitate and immediately shot at the serpent.
But then, Shang gritted his teeth.
The ribbon appeared between them again, and he had to stop his attack again.
This gave the serpent time to react.
Yet, surprisingly, it didn't summon a new icy claw. It just kept using its remaining three claws.
'Sure enough, keeping this terrifying ribbon active is consuming a lot of Mana,' Shang thought, 'but it also stopped me several times already.'
The serpent readied another claw, planning on unleashing the terrifying attack again.
However, the serpent wasn't stupid.
This time, it made sure that its opponent wouldn't get the chance to use its ribbon to hurt it.
'Using Shock takes too much life energy.'
'Comet isn't fast enough.'
'Reflecting it also consumed life energy.'
'Blocking it will injure Sword and break my bones, which will also consume life energy.'
'It has over ten of these fingers remaining, and then there's that terrifying ribbon.'
'I can't win in the long run.'
'I have to end this as quickly as possible!'
Shang focused on the ribbon.
'But if I use Javelin, the ribbon might weaken it too much.'
'So, I have to weaken the ribbon first, and quickly at that!'
The serpent shot its claw at Shang.
SHING!
Shang used Shock to evade, using up nearly all of his remaining life energy.
Then, Shang slashed forward after loading his Addum with Fire and Light Mana.
Just like during the beginning of the fight, a terrifying crescent shot at the serpent.
The serpent moved its ribbon between it and Shang.
SSSSHHH!
The fiery crescent froze and broke apart.
Shang immediately used the same attack again, and the same process was repeated.
Then, the serpent threw its claw at Shang again.
Shang angled his body, keeping his sword in front of him with his legs.
BANG!
The claw hit the Addum, throwing Shang into the distance.
The Addum received another scar, and Shang's legs broke into pieces.
However, Shang didn't heal them this time.
'I can't get hit another time. I don't know if I have weakened the ribbon enough, but I have to try it now!'
This was the moment that decided victory and defeat.
Yet, surprisingly, Shang wasn't as nervous as he had been before the fight.
He had regained his old mindset when it came to fights.
Shang stopped in the air and took a deep breath.
Then, he slashed forward.
WHOOOOM!
Another gigantic crescent appeared, but this time, it was made of black fire.
Shang had used his new Hidden Sun but with Sword's Entropy.
The serpent felt the incredible power inside that crescent and moved to the side to avoid it. They were several kilometers away from each other, giving it enough time to avoid the attack.
At that moment, Shang's Long Sword shone with Darkness Mana.
SHING!
Shang used Shock, his body becoming even thinner.
He arrived right beside the flying crescent.
The long sword in Shang's left hand stretched to his right, touching the crescent at the end.
And then, it also started to burn with black fire.
And Shang slashed forward.
BANG!
As Shang finished his slash, the black crescent was pulled together into a thin line.
This was the other attack Shang had used back then in his Saber State, Shooting Star.
Shang had created a powerful Hidden Sun with Entropy and had then transformed it into a powerful Shooting Star with even more Entropy.
Two concentrated attacks of Entropy.
This was Shang's new strongest attack, replacing Dusk.
And it was far faster than Dusk!
Its name was Javelin.
When Hidden Sun had transformed into Javelin, it also changed its trajectory, shooting at the serpent's new location.
Since the serpent had just moved, it couldn't change its trajectory quickly enough to evade another time.
It was forced to block.
Its ribbon gathered in front of it in a folded shape, all its power concentrated.
Javelin hit the ribbon and broke through it like it didn't exist.
However, the ribbon was extremely long.
Like a piece of cloth, the icy ribbon was burning away as Javelin kept traveling through it.
Shang could feel Javelin losing power.
Eventually, Javelin destroyed the entire ribbon.
In a panic, the serpent immediately put its three remaining claws between it and Javelin.
Javelin broke through the first.
Javelin broke through the second.
CRK!
And then, Javelin broke apart on the third claw, but the third claw shared its fate.
The black fire vanished.
Javelin was gone.
The ribbon was gone.
The icy claws were gone.
SHING!
Suddenly, a streak of black appeared, and a skeletal figure hit the serpent's body.
It was like a tiny mosquito had landed on an anaconda.
However, Shang's new long sword, the former Addum, had stabbed through the serpent's scales.
The serpent wasn't injured since Shang had barely used any power with that attack.
But at that moment, the serpent felt like it was about to die, and an instant later, it felt a terrifying suction force pull its life energy away.
Shang was absorbing the serpent's life energy with Darkness Absorb.
The serpent immediately shook its body, but it couldn't create any significant power while its opponent was literally holding onto it.
If it had appendages, it could just punch Shang and kill him.
The serpent immediately tried to summon an icy claw, but it had used up all its Mana already.
The serpent's body began to shake to throw Shang off.
Shang had already fully healed.
SHING! SHING! SHING!
Shang used several Shocks to create humongous cuts across the serpent's body, but that was only a side benefit.
Shang used these Shocks to use up the life energy he had absorbed so that he could absorb more.
In a terrified panic, the serpent spasmed and flopped around in the air, trying to get rid of Shang, but more and more black cuts appeared across its body, and Shang kept on absorbing more of its life energy.
Eventually, the serpent's body became sickly and frail.
Shang's cuts kept getting more efficient, and eventually, he managed to cut the serpent's head off.
The fight was finally over.
Shang took a deep breath.
The appearance of all the Zone Beasts from Area 23 shot through his mind.
They had been so powerful.
They had basically been immortal.
And now...
Shang looked at the withered corpse.
'I did it!'
'I killed a Zone Beast!'
