Ji Yang’s figure danced as he unleashed another attack. Peerless sword light illuminated all directions, stirring up a strange whistling sound. With terrifying fluctuations, it slashed down through the air towards Lin Xiao. Only this strike could be considered his true opening move.
“Heavenly Thunder Slash!”
Lin Xiao also executed the second form of the Thunder Sword Art. In this battle, he intended to show everyone the power of his thunder attribute.
A vast thunder force surged from the chaos within Lin Xiao’s dantian, pouring into his long sword. Electric currents flashed across the blade. With one downward slash, violent thunder power erupted, condensing into a gigantic thunder sword beam that met the incoming sword light head-on.
Boom!
A tremendous explosion rang out. A dazzling, bright ball of light bloomed. Ocean-like waves of qi burst forth, surging wildly through the sky. Unmatched shockwaves spread horizontally in all directions.
Even more shockwaves rushed towards Lin Xiao’s side.
Lin Xiao was startled. In this exchange, Ji Yang had actually gained the upper hand.
Ji Yang’s strength was indeed terrifying.
However, Lin Xiao had not fallen too far behind. He leapt high into the air, allowing the massive waves to crash beneath him. His long sword slashed again, sending another thunder sword beam hacking down.
At the same time, he mobilised his Nine Heavens Thunder Dragon spirit energy. Rolling thunder energy condensed into a thunder dragon, containing unparalleled might. It followed the thunder sword beam and charged towards Ji Yang.
The thunder sword, accompanied by the thunder dragon, streaked diagonally downwards across the sky towards Ji Yang. The spectacle was nothing short of magnificent.
“Thunder spirit energy, pure thunder energy! Wasn’t his spirit energy supposed to be a mixture containing devour, incineration, and just a trace of thunder? How can it be this pure?”
At that moment, in front of the misty mountains of the Azure Dragon Sect, the crowd erupted in shock.
Previously, when Lin Xiao had unleashed spirit energy attacks at the entrance to the Ji family’s fifty branches, the spirit energy he revealed was primarily devouring, a blend of incinerating and thunder power. It had been rumoured that he possessed mixed-energy spirit energy.
Yet now, this strike had produced such pure thunder energy?
Everyone was utterly baffled.
Of course, no one would ever imagine that this was Lin Xiao’s special spirit energy formed by fusing three types. Not only could it produce mixed energy, it could also produce pure single-element energy.
Boom! Rumble!
While the crowd was still reeling in astonishment, Ji Yang’s single powerful sword beam shattered the combined thunder assault. Both forces transformed into vast, unmatched waves of qi that surged in all directions. In this clash, neither held the advantage.
And at that very moment, ink-black clouds churned in the vault of heaven like raging waves. Rolling dark clouds gathered from all sides above Lin Xiao’s head. In an instant, the entire sky dimmed.
Lin Xiao held his sword with both hands pointed towards the heavens, his long hair whipping wildly. His aura pierced the sky. He seemed to have transformed into an unrivalled supreme expert.
Seeing the overwhelming presence Lin Xiao unleashed, Ji Yang frowned. Vast vital energy surged within his body as he began brewing a powerful attack.
His opponent was preparing a terrifying strike. If he only launched a casual pre-emptive attack, even if it reached Lin Xiao first, it would not injure him.
If he failed to break his opponent’s momentum, a counterattack would put him in trouble.
Therefore, in such circumstances, even if his opponent needed slightly longer to prepare, Ji Yang would not choose a quick but insufficiently powerful strike.
Of course, the time anyone needed to brew a martial technique was merely an instant.
“Latent heavenly thunder, submit to me!”
At that moment, Lin Xiao’s resounding roar echoed. From within the rolling black clouds, vast thunder suddenly poured down, flooding endlessly into Lin Xiao’s long sword.
“Heavenly thunder! He can actually draw heavenly thunder!”
“He can channel heavenly thunder into his body, the same move as Long Tutian!”
“He really is Long Tutian’s disciple!”
…
Shocked exclamations rang out everywhere. Everyone stared in disbelief at the scene before them. Drawing heavenly thunder into the body had been one of Long Tutian’s ultimate techniques in his prime.
No one had expected to see this terrifying attack performed again. It was as if they were witnessing Long Tutian himself from years ago.
Now, no one doubted Lin Xiao’s connection to Long Tutian any longer.
The two had surely come from the same master’s teachings.
“Zhaotian Sword, Ji Yan Form!”
A great shout rang out. From Ji Yang’s position, radiant light soared into the sky, illuminating the world. A blinding, crimson sun-like sword beam shot forth. Scorching heat filled heaven and earth. Within a hundred li, the air instantly became blazing hot. Even the onlookers two or three hundred li away suddenly felt a wave of hot wind strike their faces.
“Zhaotian Sword, the Ji family’s core martial technique!”
“Worthy of a heaven-tier genius of the Ji family. It is said that very few in the entire Ji family have mastered this technique, yet Ji Yang can unleash it.”
“Rumour has it that the Ji family is not merely a thousand-year-old clan. Their bloodline is said to trace back to ancient times, with extremely ancient inheritance. It seems those rumours may be true.”
The crowd was filled with alarm. The heavenly thunder Lin Xiao drew was terrifying, but the soaring aura Ji Yang suddenly erupted with was equally fearsome.
Boom! Rumble! Boom! Rumble! Boom! Rumble!
At that instant, the two attacks collided. Sounds like thunder from the ninth heaven exploded forth. Towering waves erupted one after another, surging towards all directions. Vast, unmatched fluctuations rushed mostly towards Ji Yang in a mighty torrent.
Ji Yang was greatly shocked. He hurriedly retreated while circulating vital energy across his body, boiling qi bursting out to protect him.
Yet the fluctuations were too fast and too powerful. They struck him, sending him flying far away. A trace of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
In that split second, everyone was stunned.
In this exchange, had Ji Yang actually lost?
“The might of heavenly thunder is indeed formidable! Combined with thunder spirit energy, it actually repelled Ji Yang, a sixth-level Martial Emperor!”
The First Peak Master and others sighed inwardly.
Ji Min and the rest of the Ji family looked extremely displeased. Although Ji Yang had not been completely defeated, being forced back and coughing up blood meant their side had already lost the upper hand.
Having been blasted far away, Ji Yang quickly stabilised himself. He reached up to wipe the blood from his lips, his face filled with utter shock.
He knew better than anyone how powerful his Ji Yan Form was. He had never expected that he would fail to shatter his opponent’s attack or even block it. Instead, his opponent had seized the advantage and injured him to the point of drawing blood.
A bloody glint appeared in Ji Yang’s eyes. He, a majestic earth-tier genius of the Ji family, and one of the very top among earth-tier geniuses, had actually been wounded today by a ninth-level Martial Lord.
“It seems that unless I go all out, I cannot take you down!”
With a deep shout, Ji Yang’s aura continued to climb. His long hair whipped wildly, his presence flooded forth like a great river. Faint but terrifying fluctuations emanated from his body, causing even the void to tremble.
