“I’ll defeat you in three moves!”
The Ninth Prince’s lips curled into a dangerous arc. His left fist clenched, a beast-like roar rumbling from his arm as a terrifying ripple surged outward. With a step, he blurred into an afterimage, charging Lin Xiao and smashing his fist forward, the air cracking under the force.
Feeling the overwhelming power, Lin Xiao tightened his right fist. A wild martial intent erupted, unmatched strength coursing through him. He unleashed Reverse Chaos First Style—a ferocious punch like a mountain crashing down, meeting the Ninth Prince head-on.
Boom!
A thunderous clash rang out, a vast shockwave exploding between them, rippling outward. Their forces matched perfectly, both standing firm.
“Not bad at all!”
Lin Xiao was mildly surprised. His punch was rarely met head-on by peers, yet this young Ninth Prince matched him—his talent truly monstrous, justifying his arrogance.
The Ninth Prince’s face flickered with surprise too, quickly twisting into a cold smirk. A sword appeared in his right hand, slashing swiftly at Lin Xiao.
“Chi!”
A radiant deep玄色 glow flared from his dantian. A longsword phantom materialized behind him, its piercing sword intent radiating outward, a chilling killing aura blanketing the scene.
“Sword Anomaly!”
Lin Xiao’s expression shifted. The Sword Anomaly—a rare weapon-based anomaly—granted exceptional swordsmanship talent, its power far exceeding peers, utterly terrifying.
The Ninth Prince’s strike flowed seamlessly from his first punch, brewed with lightning speed—a near-perfect two-hit combo.
Only now did Lin Xiao realize the first brutal punch was a feint; this second, lethal sword strike was the true killer.
Seeing Lin Xiao’s reaction, the Ninth Prince’s smirk widened. He was confident this sword would fell him.
Most couldn’t fathom a second strike brewing alongside the first—fewer still could execute such a combo. Many experts had perished under this stronger follow-up, their souls claimed by his blade.
Even the quickest foes, scrambling to block, would falter against it.
Thus, the Ninth Prince was certain: two moves to defeat, the third to kill.
Lin Xiao couldn’t muster vitality to match it in time, but as a third-grade intermediate spirit controller, he could wield spiritual power instantly.
A surge of potent spiritual energy latched onto the Ninth Prince’s wrist. Caught in the fervor of his combo, the prince hadn’t noticed—allowing Lin Xiao to nudge the sword off course at the last moment.
Boom!
The dazzling sword beam slashed beside Lin Xiao, carving a pit into the ground. A cloud of dust jolted him sideways.
The Ninth Prince staggered back several zhang too.
The sudden twist stunned him—never had his combo been disrupted like this.
But his reaction was swift. With the Sword Anomaly, his sword techniques flowed fast. Golden light flared, forming radiant wings on his blade, emanating a fearsome ripple and eerie howls.
“Cangyu Sword!”
Wings seemed to sprout from his sword. He shot forward like lightning, stabbing at Lin Xiao with unstoppable force, as if to pierce the void itself.
His style mimicked an assassin’s—rapidly brewing power for swift, deadly strikes.
Most couldn’t counter with equal force in time, but Lin Xiao’s spirit control gave him an edge.
Facing the onslaught, he unleashed a black-azure spiritual energy mass, surging forward. The Ninth Prince’s speed was too swift to dodge, plunging into the energy.
“Chi! Chi!”
His body vanished into the Heaven-Devouring Azure Fire energy, pausing briefly before bursting through with sheer momentum, still poised to strike.
Using that split-second delay, Lin Xiao shifted sideways, dodging the thrust.
The Ninth Prince halted several zhang away.
Lin Xiao stood aside, turning to see him—bloodied, flesh scorched, dripping crimson.
The black-azure energy had ravaged him.
The Martial King elder and the dozen Heavenly Martials gaped, too slow to intervene in the blur of combat.
The Ninth Prince’s assassination strikes rarely spared lives—yet now, he stood a mangled wreck before them.
Hu Yue stared, stunned. The fight’s speed had rattled even her.
“You’ve lost,” Lin Xiao said coolly.
“Pfft!” Blood sprayed from the Ninth Prince’s mouth as he dropped to one knee, his sword stabbed into the ground for support. “Yang Lao, kill him!” he snarled.
“Shiu!” The Martial King elder, brimming with killing intent, had already gathered power. He lunged, his palm roaring with colossal force toward Lin Xiao.
“Knew you wouldn’t keep your word!” A voice rang out. Lin Xiao’s figure vanished, ten streams of aura scattering in all directions.
The elder’s palm struck empty air, leaving him stunned. The Heavenly Martials, poised to attack, froze—unsure which path to pursue.
Such a bizarre tactic was new to them.
“Don’t chase—treat the Ninth Prince!” the elder growled, teeth clenched.
With ten directions, the odds of picking the right one were one in ten. Splitting up, they’d be no match for Lin Xiao.
If he pursued and Lin Xiao doubled back to kill the prince, the consequences would be dire.
Despite a thousand urges to eliminate this threat, the elder had no choice but to relent.
“Lin Xiao, I, Mo Jiuxiao, will never rest until you’re dead!” The Ninth Prince roared.
“Ninth Prince, take this fourth-grade Blood Healing Pill!” The elder rushed to his side, handing him a pill.
Swallowing it with fury, the prince sat to refine it with the elder’s aid. The potent medicine coursed through him, staunching the blood after hundreds of breaths, his wounds slowly mending.
“Good thing his body’s strong—this wasn’t fatal, or else…”
Cold sweat beaded on the elder’s brow. Looking ahead, darker killing intent flared in his eyes. “Hmph, Lin Xiao, once I get the Ninth Prince to Shengyuan Academy, I’ll hunt you down!”
“Just luck. Once I’m healed, I’ll cut him down myself!” the Ninth Prince hissed, his eyes blazing with venom.
“Is that so?” A voice cut through. A hundred zhang ahead, two figures emerged into their sight.
