“Make your move, three strikes, and I’ll defeat you.” At this moment, Jian Wudi’s calm voice rang out. “Three strikes, in your dreams!” A loud shout erupted from Zhan Lan’s mouth, followed by an overwhelming surge of righteous energy pouring from his body. Unmatched battle intent roared forth, accompanied by the formidable aura of a sixth-level Martial Lord, rampaging in all directions.
“The heavens hold righteous energy, the spear grants form to all!”
With a shout brimming with soaring battle intent, Zhan Lan gripped his spear with both hands, took a fierce step in the void, and thrust forward. A vast, unparalleled righteous energy gathered at the spear’s tip, with dazzling golden light radiating from it.
The immensely powerful righteous force, as if representing the heavens and shaping all things, surged with rolling righteous energy, shooting towards Jian Wudi.
This was the first technique of the Spear Dragon Sect’s Righteous Energy Spear Art, a move many disciples of the sect could perform, and one that many had seen used before. Not long ago, Lin Xiao had employed it in his battle against Duan Dongtian.
However, the first technique of the Righteous Energy Spear Art, as executed by Zhan Lan, was far beyond what any disciple of the Spear Dragon Sect, including Lin Xiao, could match.
The spear’s radiance was simply too powerful. Its supremely yang and unyielding force seemed to shatter the void itself, causing the heavens and earth to resonate faintly with a trembling hum.
Seeing the power erupting from Zhan Lan, everyone was astonished. How could such immense strength possibly fall to Jian Wudi in three moves?
Even Li Yunxiao, Ming Tian, and Xie Sheng showed expressions of shock. From this first strike alone, it was clear that Zhan Lan’s strength seemed to surpass theirs. “It seems I underestimated you,” Jian Wudi said, slightly taken aback. Then, an aura as vast as a flood burst from him. Though his cultivation was only at the sixth-level Martial Lord realm, it felt as terrifying as that of a ninth-level Martial Lord.
“Voidless Sword, Unmatched Swordsmanship!”
With a thunderous shout, Jian Wuqu’s longsword slashed out, a sword beam imbued with colossal force tearing through the sky. The sword light was radiant, its momentum earth-shaking, as if the entire world contained only this single sword.
Slaying enemies with a single sword, unmatched in the world, it seemed capable of reducing the heavens and earth to nothingness.
Terrifying. This sword was simply too terrifying.
Seeing Jian Wudi’s move, the crowd’s hearts trembled once more. Even from dozens of miles away, everyone felt as if they were about to be obliterated by that sword beam.
Lin Xiao’s heart jolted. He had seen this sword during his battle with Jian Wuqu, but the power was vastly different. The destructive force of Jian Wudi’s strike was countless times stronger than Jian Wuqu’s.
If Lin Xiao faced this strike now, he felt that even with all his abilities, he would struggle to escape unscathed.
“The gap in cultivation is still too great!” Lin Xiao sighed inwardly. Though his current combat strength could nearly sweep all fifth-level Martial Lord disciples of the Spear Dragon Sect, compared to the prodigies of the sixth-level Martial Lord realm, he was still far behind.
*Boom!* A sound like thunder roared as the two forces collided. A blinding light erupted, illuminating the heavens and earth for hundreds of miles. A vast, ocean-like wave of energy surged outward, rolling in all directions.
The shockwaves from the clash collapsed several mountain peaks directly below, sending clouds of dust billowing into the air.
Everyone was stunned. Was this really a clash between two sixth-level Martial Lords?
The commotion clearly exceeded the scope of a sixth-level Martial Lord.
Yet, the result of this strike was a perfect stalemate.
Ming Tian and the others were shocked. Against Jian Wudi, they would have been at a disadvantage from the first strike. Yet Zhan Lan had fought to a draw. As a prodigy of the same rank, could Zhan Lan’s strength truly be this formidable?
Could he actually have the power to rival Jian Wudi?
“This guy’s been hiding his strength!” Li Yunxiao couldn’t help but exclaim.
Zhe Renfeng and the others from the Lingjian Sect were also taken aback. Zhan Lan’s strike had exceeded their expectations.
Meanwhile, the disciples of the Spear Dragon Sect grew excited.
“Hahaha, it seems the so-called sword prodigy is nothing special!”
“Who said he’d defeat Senior Brother Zhan Lan in three moves? It’s still unclear who’ll win!”
“Senior Brother Zhan Lan, beat him!”
With the first strike ending in a draw, the young disciples of the Spear Dragon Sect grew confident, their cheers ringing out one after another.
“It’s just the first strike. What’s there to celebrate? Senior Brother Jian’s second and third strikes are far beyond your imagination.”
“Exactly. A draw in the first strike doesn’t mean he can withstand Senior Brother Jian’s second or third!”
“Wait until Senior Brother Jian defeats Zhan Lan in three moves. Let’s see how you’ll keep shouting then!”
The young disciples of the Lingjian Sect shouted back, the two sides exchanging taunts ceaselessly.
At that moment, in the void ahead, Jian Wudi’s face showed a trace of surprise. “Interesting. But can you block my second strike?”
With that, his aura surged dramatically. The gleaming longsword in his hand slashed out once more.
“Voidless Sword, Boundless Swordsmanship!”
With a thunderous shout, Jian Wuqu unleashed an even more dazzling sword beam. The radiant sword light seemed to contain boundless power, carrying terrifying momentum as it tore through the sky like a rainbow or a bolt of divine punishment, slicing through everything in its path.
This strike was exponentially more terrifying than the first, its power several times greater.
“Righteous Energy Soars to the Heavens, Spear Hammers Ten Thousand Forges!”
With a resounding shout, Zhan Lan gripped his spear, his long hair flying. He unleashed the second technique of the Righteous Energy Spear Art.
As the spear struck heavily, vast righteous energy surged forth, converging with immense righteous force to form a massive, almost tangible spear beam.
The spear beam, imbued with supremely yang, unyielding, and overwhelming righteous power, smashed through the air with unparalleled ferocity, colliding with Jian Wudi’s sword beam.
*Boom!*
The sound was like a dozen mountains crashing together, deafening and earth-shattering. A tidal wave of energy erupted, with unmatched spear and sword beams transforming into rolling waves of power, shaking the heavens and earth in all directions.
The impact of this clash was several times stronger than the previous one.
Yet, the two remained evenly matched.
The crowd was stunned again, and the confident shouts of the Lingjian Sect disciples faltered.
Zhan Lan had taken the strike perfectly?
Did he truly possess the strength to rival Jian Wudi?
“Use your strongest attack. Otherwise, three moves won’t be enough to defeat me,” Zhan Lan said calmly, staring at Jian Wudi. His body radiated intense battle intent, with terrifying power brewing within.
“No need. I’ll use the same moves I’ve used against others. Let’s see if you can take another,” Jian Wudi replied. His aura erupted like a torrent, and he raised his sword to the sky. Unmatched momentum seemed to emanate from the sword itself, as if it could generate its own aura, merging with his own.
