At this moment, in front of the buildings on the guest peak, Kong Hongjun flew into a rage. “Hmph, then let us see whether you possess such strength!”
With that, his aura exploded forth. His foot stamped the ground, and his entire body charged horizontally toward Lin Xiao like a primordial ferocious beast.
“Take this move!”
With a thunderous roar, Kong Hongjun swung his massive fist as though wielding an entire mountain. Terrifying Martial Emperor pressure surged, smashing heavily toward Lin Xiao. The void itself seemed to tremble.
Lin Xiao remained unmoved. The yuan power of the Ninth Layer Martial Lord surged within his body. He clenched his fist, causing the surrounding void to appear on the verge of shattering. Explosive power coursed through the muscles of his arm. He threw a heavy punch straight forward to meet the attack.
“Hmph, daring to clash head-on with Kong Hongjun in raw strength, he is simply courting death!”
The others sneered inwardly.
Yet in the next instant.
Bang! Their fists collided. The void quaked. Kong Hongjun’s body was sent flying far into the horizon, vanishing into the swirling mist.
“…” Everyone present was dumbfounded. Not only the four youths and Bi Yao, even Bi Zhuang, who already knew Lin Xiao’s strength, was shocked.
He had witnessed Lin Xiao’s combat power before, but it did not seem to have reached the level where he could so effortlessly send a Fifth Layer Martial Emperor genius of their Azure Dragon Sect flying.
After all, the disciples of the Azure Dragon Sect primarily cultivated the physical body. Kong Hongjun’s strength was by no means weak among Fifth Layer Martial Emperors.
“Something is wrong. His cultivation has advanced one full layer. He has reached the Ninth Layer Martial Lord realm.”
Bi Zhuang suddenly recalled the aura Lin Xiao had just unleashed and came to his senses, thinking to himself.
“This fellow… yesterday I told him he needed to raise his strength quickly, and in just one night he broke through an entire layer?”
Bi Zhuang felt somewhat speechless and even a little struck. “It seems I need to step up my efforts, otherwise before long I will no longer be his match.”
Not only the onlookers, even the nine peak masters observing in secret were astonished.
“This fellow is this domineering?”
The Ninth Peak Master said with disbelief.
“Ninth Layer Martial Lord sending a Fifth Layer Martial Emperor flying with one punch. The gap he spans is simply too great, is it not?”
The Second Peak Master remarked.
“It is probably because of the combination of yuan power and spiritual power.”
The Eighth Peak Master said.
“Even combining yuan power and spiritual power makes this extraordinary. After all, both his yuan power and spiritual power are only at the Martial Lord level.”
The Fourth Peak Master added.
“Ninth Layer Martial Lord?
No, according to Bi Zhuang, he was only at the Eighth Layer Martial Lord. Now he is erupting with Ninth Layer Martial Lord power. That means in just one night after entering the Azure Dragon Sect, he broke through an entire layer of cultivation.”
The Second Peak Master recovered and spoke again in astonishment.
“This fellow truly is no ordinary person. He is worth the Azure Dragon Sect protecting.”
The Great Peak Master sighed deeply and immediately reached this conclusion.
At the same time, back on the guest peak.
“I never expected little brother Lin Xiao to be this strong.”
A few more traces of infatuation appeared on Bi Yao’s face.
She rarely left the Azure Dragon Sect and had little contact with outsiders. Within the sect, every disciple kept their distance out of respect and fear.
Only Lin Xiao was different. Moreover, he was the first young man in a long while to enter their Ninth Vein. He might not be extraordinarily handsome, but his appearance was certainly agreeable.
Thus, from the very first moment she had felt favour toward him. It might not be love at first sight, but it was close. He stirred a fluttering in her heart.
Now, witnessing the strength Lin Xiao had displayed, she was utterly captivated. She stared at him dumbly with lovestruck eyes, her cheeks flushed red.
The other four, having recovered, recalled the aura Lin Xiao had unleashed moments ago and felt even greater shock in their hearts.
He was merely at the Ninth Layer Martial Lord realm?
Not even First Layer Martial Emperor, yet he had sent Kong Hongjun flying?
Just how monstrous was he?
“My apologies. It was my first time crossing hands with disciples of the Azure Dragon Sect, so I struck a little heavily.”
At that moment, Lin Xiao’s voice rang out, full of remorse.
“You!”
The group flew into a fury. Not only had he beaten someone, he was now pretending to be humble. This was outright humiliation.
However, having seen Kong Hongjun sent flying with one punch, the other two Fifth Layer Martial Emperor youths clenched their fists tightly but did not dare charge forward.
Although their strength was slightly superior to Kong Hongjun’s, when it came to physical body, they were inferior. Since even Kong Hongjun had been blasted away with one punch, they would suffer the same fate if they stepped up.
Both felt a burning desire to thrash the opponent yet knew they were outmatched. Their faces twisted in suppressed rage.
“Let me.”
At this point, Zhuo Yifan of the Sixth Layer Martial Emperor realm stepped forward and said to Lin Xiao, “Since you are this arrogant, there is no need for us to go to the sparring platform. Let us settle victory with one strike.”
Without waiting for Lin Xiao’s reply, Zhuo Yifan’s Sixth Layer Martial Emperor aura erupted. Overwhelming Martial Emperor pressure surged forth. His presence was more than a cut above Kong Hongjun’s. His foot moved, whipping up a fierce gale as he charged at Lin Xiao. His fist pierced the air like an explosion, smashing toward Lin Xiao with peerless might.
Sensing the opponent’s erupting aura, Lin Xiao frowned slightly. A Sixth Layer Martial Emperor was indeed far stronger than a Fifth Layer. Had his cultivation not broken through, relying solely on yuan power and physical body, he would have gained little advantage.
But now his strength was comparable to the Sixth Layer Martial Emperor level. Combined with his physical body, he had nothing to fear.
Apart from activating his dantian phenomenon, he circulated his strongest yuan power through his body. Clenching his fist, explosive energy surged. He swung his arm and met the attack head-on with a heavy punch.
Boom! A thunderous explosion rang out. Terrifying force detonated. Zhuo Yifan’s body slid violently backward, only coming to a forced halt when he reached the edge of the mountain peak.
“So strong!”
Shock filled Zhuo Yifan’s face.
The others were equally stunned.
A Fifth Layer Martial Emperor had been sent flying. Now even this Sixth Layer Martial Emperor, Zhuo Yifan, had been forced back?
He had nearly been pushed off the mountain peak?
One must know that Zhuo Yifan not only possessed higher cultivation than Kong Hongjun, he too cultivated the physical body, and his attainment in it was even a few degrees higher. Yet in a direct clash of strength, he had still been repelled?
Bi Zhuang was shocked. The infatuation on Bi Yao’s face grew deeper. The nine peak masters watching in secret were once again astonished and now regarded Lin Xiao even more highly.
“I controlled my power perfectly!”
Lin Xiao spoke again.
These words were actually meant to intimidate the fan-wielding youth. He had already used his full yuan power; he was not holding back or precisely controlling his strength.
However, he had not yet employed his spiritual power nor activated his Nine Nether Demon Body, so his statement was not entirely wrong.
“It seems your physical strength is your forte, while mine is not the body. Do you dare come to the sparring platform and fight me properly?”
At this moment, Xuan Hua finally spoke, his tone still calm.
“I said from the beginning that I wished to exchange pointers with disciples of the Azure Dragon Sect. Clashing purely in physical strength here is rather dull. I am happy to go and fight.”
Lin Xiao replied.
He truly did want to test just how strong he had become after breaking through to the Ninth Layer Martial Lord realm, and at the same time see what unique aspects the martial techniques and cultivation methods of the Azure Dragon Sect possessed.
That was why he had deliberately intimidated them earlier.
Of course, there was also an element of sharpening his own edge.
To their ears, however, it sounded exceedingly arrogant, leaving them furious yet helpless, only able to seethe inwardly.
“Hmph, follow us!”
One of the Fifth Layer Martial Emperors who had not yet fought snorted coldly, turned, and flew away.
Xuan Hua and the others also took to the air one after another. Lin Xiao immediately followed.
