Behind Ling Xiao appeared the figure of Ye Gushan.
It was a cold, murderous demon sword, exuding an ancient aura of desolation and tragedy.
In his hand, he held the Rain-Covering Sword, its blade shimmering with red light, as if a blood-red beast were ready to leap out.
Willpower was something almost everyone possessed, but only a few martial artists could harness it for combat.
The use of willpower had three realms.
The first realm was “Spiritual Pressure,” the pressure exerted by soul force.
For instance, things like domineering aura, killing intent, or malevolent energy were external manifestations of “Spiritual Pressure” fused with true essence.
It could impose immense pressure on an opponent, even causing their mental collapse and utter defeat.
This realm was the most basic use of willpower, and Bei Duanchang, his opponent, had only reached this level.
The second realm, called “Condensation,” involved solidifying willpower into a tangible attack, capable of causing not only mental damage but also direct physical harm.
Ling Xiao had reached this realm, far superior to Bei Duanchang.
Condensed willpower could be used in various ways, either independently to confront enemies or integrated into techniques to enhance their power.
The third realm was formidable, known as “Intent Realm,” where willpower could create a spatial environment out of thin air.
This was no illusion or fantasy, as the damage caused by willpower in this space was entirely real.
Even damage that shouldn’t exist could become real; such was the terror of the Intent Realm.
For now, Ling Xiao’s willpower couldn’t reach this realm; otherwise, with willpower alone, he could make Bei Duanchang die without a burial place.
In the stands, the crowd felt a shiver seeing the demon sword behind Ling Xiao. They had long heard that Ling Xiao of the Moonlight Sect could wield multiple martial souls, and now it seemed the rumours were true.
Moreover, this sword martial soul was unnervingly sinister, making people feel deeply uneasy.
If the spectators felt this way, one could only imagine how Bei Duanchang, standing opposite, felt.
Bei Duanchang’s brows were tightly furrowed. He couldn’t fathom how Ling Xiao, with a mere Invincible Ninth Layer Mortal Realm cultivation, could emit such a terrifying aura, instilling in him an instinctive fear and sense of crisis.
No, how could I fear him?
I’m a martial artist who has mastered the Will of Slaughter, combined with the eerie charm of the Mercury Ghost Infant martial soul. My realm is far higher than his; I absolutely won’t lose!
Bei Duanchang shook his head, and the fear and crisis in his heart vanished instantly, replaced by a compelling soul pressure.
Then, his body surged forward, the beast-fighting arena resounding with a loud boom as the bluestone floor nearly cracked.
Amidst the swirling dust, Bei Duanchang displayed his proud movement technique, charging at Ling Xiao with the momentum of waves washing away sand. His body was enveloped in an eerily dark green light, chilling to the bone.
“What terrifying poison skills, combined with spiritual pressure and that masterful movement technique. No wonder he’s firmly the third-ranked in the three southern sects. His strength is truly horrifying!”
“Indeed, with such robust true essence, his claim of sixty percent Half-Step Heavenly Venerable power is no exaggeration.”
“Ling Xiao is finished!”
Neutral observers were astonished by Bei Duanchang’s fearsome display. The chief core disciple of the Poison King Sect, third-ranked in the three southern sects, stunned the crowd with his opening move, leaving countless people in awe and fear.
“Hahaha, Brother Bei is finally unleashing his ultimate move. The Moonlight Sect has truly declined these years, letting such a weakling become their chief core disciple. This one move will take his wretched life!”
“Why not just wipe out the Moonlight Sect altogether? It’s disgusting to be listed among the Twelve Sects with such a sect.”
The disciples of the three southern sects naturally held Ling Xiao in utter contempt, mocking him relentlessly.
In their view, regardless of anything else, a mere Invincible Ninth Layer Mortal Realm martial artist daring to challenge a sixty percent Half-Step Heavenly Venerable was simply seeking death.
A cold, disdainful smile flashed in Ling Xiao’s eyes.
He had always been capable of dual-tasking.
And it never interfered with each other.
While fighting Bei Duanchang, he remained constantly vigilant of everything happening around him.
He clearly heard all the discussions.
He wondered what expressions the disciples of the three southern sects would have once this sword claimed Bei Duanchang’s life.
The distance between the two was rapidly closing, their auras clashing more intensely. In the beast-fighting arena, dust swirled, and a fierce wind arose, blurring their figures once more.
The Rain-Covering Sword in Ling Xiao’s hand trembled with blood-red light, as if it might break free from his right hand and fly out at any moment.
Swoosh!
The sword light finally burst forth. The spectators in the stands could only see the light flashing in the dim beast-fighting arena, unable to discern the two figures.
The sound of something being pierced rang out.
Ling Xiao’s sword had struck, a blood-red humanoid sword aura instantly piercing through Bei Duanchang’s protective true essence, even penetrating the poison skills he had painstakingly condensed.
A look of intense fear appeared on Bei Duanchang’s face.
With the same Will of Slaughter, Ling Xiao’s display was far superior to his.
Bei Duanchang was now thoroughly regretful, but he couldn’t flee. He knew that turning his back on Ling Xiao would lead to an even worse fate.
Thus, in an instant, he mobilised all the true essence he could muster, preparing for a desperate fight.
The Mercury Ghost Infant appeared before him, imbued with nearly seventy percent of his power.
“Stop him!”
Bei Duanchang roared, and the Mercury Ghost Infant emitted a dazzling silver light, almost piercing through the dust’s obstruction.
“Can you stop me?”
A cold voice came from Ling Xiao’s mouth. The sharp red sword shadow, imbued with terrifying Will of Slaughter, easily tore through the Mercury Ghost Infant’s defence and then pierced Bei Duanchang’s throat.
In a mere instant, Bei Duanchang’s aura vanished completely, leaving only a corpse with wide, staring eyes.
“You’re quite pathetic for meeting me, your natural counter. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have died so quickly!”
Ling Xiao knew clearly that his ability to kill Bei Duanchang so easily was simply because he completely countered him.
His immunity to all poisons rendered Bei Duanchang’s poison skills useless.
His Will of Slaughter was far stronger than Bei Duanchang’s, making the latter’s Will of Slaughter utterly ineffective.
In other words, Bei Duanchang’s two greatest strengths were useless against him, leaving only his cultivation to rely on.
But in terms of strength, true essence, and martial techniques, Bei Duanchang was inferior to Ling Xiao in every way. His ultimate defeat was simply the result of overestimating himself.
“It’s killing me! What’s happening?”
In the stands, the crowd anxiously awaited the dust to settle, unable to see through to what was happening.
They only saw a red and a white light suddenly rise, but they had no idea what had occurred.
