“Swish!”
On the life-and-death stage, Xiahou Jing casually slashed her sword, unleashing a terrifying sword aura that pierced the sky towards Lin Xiao, accompanied by sharp, splitting sounds.
Boom!
Lin Xiao moved, throwing a punch. A brilliant fist beam shot out, its blazing light like a colossal pillar tearing through the air, exuding a chaotic, rebellious aura that seemed to disrupt the very atmosphere in its path.
“Boom!”
The sword aura shattered some of the fist beam, but it was quickly dispersed entirely. The fist beam pressed forward relentlessly.
“Swish! Swish! Swish!”
Xiahou Jing’s figure blurred, slashing countless times in an instant. Her sword speed was so fast that the crowd could barely see her movements, only witnessing sword auras coalescing into sword shapes, barraging the chaotic fist beam.
“Bang!” “Bang!” “Bang!”…
Explosive sounds rang out as the chaotic fist beam was shattered piece by piece, ultimately reduced to nothing.
Xiahou Jing swiftly slashed again, a massive sword aura forming a three-to-four-metre-long sword beam, slicing through the air with searing intensity.
“Mountain-Collapsing Strike!”
Lin Xiao flipped his hand, drawing the Black Xuan Iron Tube. Infused with wild martial intent, a tubular beam took shape, surging with ferocious energy towards the sword aura.
But Xiahou Jing moved again, her dual swords alternating at blinding speed, unleashing an endless stream of sword auras with piercing sounds.
Lin Xiao’s powerful tubular beam was quickly slashed apart. As it crumbled, he unleashed another strike—Earth-Splitting Strike—infused with wild martial intent, repelling several sword auras.
Yet Xiahou Jing’s speed was astonishing, her sword auras forming an unending barrage against Lin Xiao.
To the onlookers, Xiahou Jing was graceful and precise, while Lin Xiao was brute force and clumsy. A few sword auras shattered his attack, but more formed in the time it took him to launch one.
Lin Xiao frowned slightly. Xiahou Jing’s sword speed was indeed remarkable. He stowed the tube and drew his sword, switching from wild martial intent to thunder martial intent. A half-metre barrier enveloped him, crackling with a wild thunderous aura, lightning faintly flickering within.
As sword auras struck, they were shattered by the lightning upon touching the thunder barrier.
“Thunder Martial Intent!”
The crowd gasped in shock. Even the composed Vice Dean showed astonishment.
Those who had called Lin Xiao a reckless opportunist and belittled him were dumbfounded. Thunder martial intent, a rare and difficult attribute to comprehend, was no easier than sword intent.
Lin Xiao had mastered both wild and thunder martial intents. Who dared call his insight lacking?
His comprehension was astonishingly high. Across Saint Yuan Academy, those who had mastered martial intent were rare, and historically, no disciple had likely mastered two simultaneously.
Mastering multiple martial intents not only signified extraordinary insight but also a unique cultivation path.
Ancient texts recorded that in distant times, someone focused solely on mastering martial intent, forgoing cultivation. They comprehended nine intents, fused them, and ascended to emperorship!
This was a heaven-defying path. For millennia, no one had achieved emperorship. If someone dedicated themselves to mastering martial intent, they might have a chance.
Of course, this was merely a path. Let alone fusing nine intents, mastering one was immensely difficult, two was a thousandfold harder, and nine, fused together, was near impossible.
Many doubted the ancient texts’ claims—fusing nine intents seemed too fantastical.
The texts merely offered a glimmer of hope.
In other words, the crowd was marveling at Lin Xiao’s dual martial intents.
Even Xiahou Jing was stunned. She couldn’t comprehend two intents. In this regard, Lin Xiao’s talent surpassed hers.
Her sword auras grew sharper in response.
Lin Xiao didn’t stand idly. He moved, Yuan force wings forming, carrying thunder martial intent. Dodging her sword auras, he closed in, sword in hand, attacking Xiahou Jing directly.
Seeing Lin Xiao launch an offensive, Xiahou Jing’s lips curled in a cold smirk. Instead of retreating, she advanced, slashing at him with even greater speed.
“Clang! Clang!”
“Boom! Swish!”
Their swords clashed, their martial intents colliding. Her sword intent sought to breach Lin Xiao’s thunder barrier, while lightning from the barrier aimed to pierce her sword intent shroud.
Amid their sword clashes, lightning shot from Lin Xiao’s sword, striking at Xiahou Jing.
Clearly, Lin Xiao was using the Thunder Sword Technique’s first form, but Xiahou Jing’s sword intent was formidable, deflecting even the thunder strikes.
Her dual swords were not only blindingly fast but also immensely powerful, numbing Lin Xiao’s hands. He struggled to parry two swords with one.
Dual-wielding granted the advantage of overwhelming numbers.
Despite his thunder martial intent and the fierce offensive of the Thunder Sword Technique’s first form, Lin Xiao quickly fell at a disadvantage. Even he had to admire Xiahou Jing’s strength—she was truly formidable.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
While wielding his sword, Lin Xiao unleashed his skeletal hand, controlled by spiritual force, barraging Xiahou Jing. As she diverted one hand to counter it, Lin Xiao finally matched her evenly.
As a spirit controller, he too had the advantage of multiple attacks. Spiritual force attacks didn’t hinder his Yuan force, requiring only a bit more focus.
Their clash was intense, but to the onlookers, both were merely probing.
Without fully gauging the other’s strength, neither could be certain of landing a killing blow with a trump card.
As they clashed, both gradually increased their power.
Clang!
After a while, Lin Xiao unleashed the Thunder Sword Technique’s second form, its mighty force clashing with Xiahou Jing’s powerful technique. Both were forced back several metres.
“Wind Spirit Sword!”
Xiahou Jing’s dual swords slashed, countless sword auras swirling around her. A several-metre-wide sword aura whirlwind formed, spiralling from her and slicing towards Lin Xiao, accompanied by piercing whistles.
The crowd exclaimed. The whirlwind seemed simple, but its lethality was staggering—facing it was like enduring hundreds or thousands of Xiahou Jing’s attacks.
Everyone knew: now, they were getting serious.
