“That’s exactly what I was thinking!” Lin Xiao said coldly, his icy gaze fixed on Mo Yi.
“Good, then let’s fight. Life or death—leave it to fate!” Mo Yi flicked his longsword, his voice equally cold.
He didn’t need to wipe out the entire Tianmen faction right now. The one responsible for making them lose face was Lin Xiao. As long as he killed Lin Xiao, the others would follow.
Seeing that the city lord didn’t object, a powerful aura erupted from Mo Yi’s body.
“Then let’s get started!”
With that, Lin Xiao made the first move. His body surged forward, charging at Mo Yi in the blink of an eye. His longsword slashed out, accompanied by the sound of wind and thunder, delivering a strike brimming with immense force.
He wanted to see just how strong this Martial King, Mo Yi, really was.
“Hmph, testing me? Your current strength isn’t enough!” Mo Yi swung his longsword in response. A brilliant light flared from the blade, and a strike infused with the formidable power of a Martial King clashed against Lin Xiao’s sword.
*Clang!* A massive metallic clash rang out, sparks flying as the sound reverberated. A powerful shockwave erupted between the two swords, forcing both fighters back several steps.
“Worthy of a Martial King!”
Lin Xiao felt his hands go numb. There was a vast gulf between a Heavenly Martial expert and a Martial King. Though his own strength was impressive, Mo Yi’s power was not to be underestimated.
“You’ve grown stronger, but it’s still not enough to face me!” Mo Yi snorted coldly. With a step, wings of primal energy formed behind him. Accompanied by the sound of breaking wind, he swung his sword down at Lin Xiao with ferocious speed.
That speed and power were noticeably greater than before.
*Clang!* Lin Xiao increased his own strength, meeting the strike with his sword. Once again, they were evenly matched.
“Hmph, let’s see how many strikes you can block!” Mo Yi swung his sword again, slashing at Lin Xiao repeatedly. The *ding-ding-dang-dang* of metal clashing echoed continuously.
Their fight seemed straightforward—sword against sword, a pure test of strength.
But anyone could tell that the force behind their clashes was extraordinary.
Whether it was the people from Snake Valley, the Mo Alliance, or Tianmen, everyone was astonished. They hadn’t expected Lin Xiao’s power to be this formidable—holding his own against a Martial King with just the strength of an eighth-level Heavenly Martial expert.
Even the city lord, watching from the air, showed a hint of surprise. For Mo Yi to reach the Martial King realm at his age was a remarkable feat, his strength surpassing that of most who had just entered the rank.
Yet, unexpectedly, this even younger boy, not yet a Martial King, could stand toe-to-toe with him. It defied his expectations, and when he looked at Lin Xiao again, there was a trace of astonishment in his eyes.
At this moment, Lin Xiao and Mo Yi were locked in a head-on confrontation, as if both were testing their newly gained power.
However, on the ground, Lin Xiao appeared to be on the defensive.
Mo Yi, now able to form wings of primal energy, darted through the air, attacking from all angles, while Lin Xiao could only respond.
This was the difference between a Martial King and a Heavenly Martial expert. A Martial King could fly with primal energy wings, while a Heavenly Martial expert could not. The initiative always lay with the Martial King.
Even if a Martial King lost, they could simply fly away with their wings, leaving a Heavenly Martial expert unable to pursue.
That said, no one present had ever seen a Heavenly Martial expert chase down a Martial King.
What the crowd didn’t know, however, was that Lin Xiao could fly too. As a Spirit Controller, he could levitate without needing primal energy wings.
In his eyes, Mo Yi’s ability to fly gave him no real advantage. But he had a faint feeling that the city lord was watching them like a predator eyeing prey, exuding a dangerous vibe.
Against this city lord, he needed to keep something in reserve. His identity as a Spirit Controller didn’t need to be revealed just yet.
Still, in this head-on clash with Mo Yi, he was subtly using invisible spiritual energy to enhance his sword. Otherwise, with just his eighth-level Heavenly Martial strength, trading blows with Mo Yi would have been far more taxing.
“Impressive. I have to admit, your physical strength is remarkable. But let’s see if you can keep up when I use martial techniques!”
Mo Yi let out a cold shout. His longsword seemed to carry the weight of ten thousand forces as he swung it down, unleashing a piercing sonic boom. Terrifying shockwaves rippled outward.
“Then taste my Thunder Sword Technique!”
Lin Xiao smirked. The Thunder Sword Technique surged within him, and a wild burst of thunder energy erupted from his body. It was as if his insides had turned into a sea of lightning, the raging thunder power coursing through his arms and into his longsword, faint currents of electricity flickering along the blade.
“Thunder Form One, Furious Thunder Slash!” Lin Xiao slashed out, the sound of wind and thunder roaring as the heavy strike smashed forward.
“Die! Mo Force of Ten Thousand Weights!” Black mist surged around Mo Yi’s longsword as he brought it crashing down against Lin Xiao’s blade.
*Clang!*
A massive collision rang out, accompanied by a deafening thunderclap. Powerful gusts and shockwaves erupted between the two swords.
At the same time, several dazzling bolts of lightning shot out from Lin Xiao’s sword, striking Mo Yi directly.
Mo Yi’s body trembled, and he was forced back, his face etched with shock. The unexpected lightning had caught him off guard, landing him a solid hit.
“Heh heh, the real show’s just beginning.”
As Mo Yi reeled from the lightning, Lin Xiao’s laughter rang out. In an instant, his figure blurred, rushing to Mo Yi’s side with lightning speed and launching another strike before Mo Yi could react.
Startled, Mo Yi hurriedly summoned his Martial King power, swinging his sword to meet the attack.
*Boom!*
Several more bolts of lightning struck Mo Yi, nearly forcing him to spit blood.
This attack was bizarre—impossible to counter at close range.
Lin Xiao seized the chance to press his assault, landing two more lightning-charged strikes on Mo Yi, who finally coughed up blood.
But Mo Yi was a Martial King, after all. After enduring four hits, he pulled away, soaring high into the sky to escape Lin Xiao’s relentless barrage.
As Lin Xiao pursued, Mo Yi swung his sword, unleashing a massive, radiant sword beam that cleaved through the air.
*Boom!*
Blinding light illuminated the heavens and earth, the terrifying shockwave shaking the entire space. Lin Xiao had to use his spiritual energy to control his body, narrowly dodging the attack.
*Boom!* A tremendous explosion sounded as the ground was blasted into a massive crater, the fearsome shockwave forcing both sides to retreat. A nearby inn collapsed under the force.
A Martial King was a Martial King— even a casual strike could produce such devastating power.
At this moment, both sides were stunned. The Mo Alliance and Snake Valley were shocked by Lin Xiao’s strange tactics, using thunder energy in their clash to make even a Martial King suffer.
Tianmen’s members, meanwhile, were awed by the Martial King’s strength. Lin Xiao’s fearsome technique had once overwhelmed the leader of the Tiger Guard squad, leaving them no chance to fight back.
Yet against this Martial King, after landing four consecutive strikes, Mo Yi broke free. Once airborne, anyone facing a Martial King would be at a disadvantage.
The city lord, standing in the air, was startled once more. Lin Xiao’s methods surprised him greatly. If caught unaware, even he might suffer at Lin Xiao’s hands.
