At this moment, Ling Chen’s speed grew faster and faster, until gradually, it seemed as though he and his twin daggers had fused into one.
A terrifying beam of sword light formed!
In the way of the sword, there’s a concept called “Unity of Man and Sword.”
It emphasizes the harmony of body and sword, as well as mind and sword.
Using Ethereal Steps and other martial techniques, Ling Chen forcibly mimicked the effect of body-sword unity. The sheer power tore through the surrounding air.
Rip! Rip!
The air screeched harshly, as if a steel blade were slicing through an iron plate, and sparks even began to ignite.
What a horrifying move—could Li Xinghui withstand it?
Most of the young martial artists below the stage felt a chill of fear. They knew that if this move were unleashed on them, they’d be defeated without a chance to turn the tables.
“Unity of Man and Sword! I didn’t expect Ling Chen to be a genius too. The power of this move is probably close to that of a peak Martial Vein Sixth Layer warrior!”
“Will he lose?” Shi Yulian asked.
“No. Using this move will only make him lose faster. Though the attack is strong, it has its limits. It might trouble Li Xinghui a bit, but it’s still not much use.”
Ling Xiao shook his head.
On the first arena.
A glint of excitement flashed across Li Xinghui’s face.
“Ling Chen, you should be proud. You’ve forced me to use a third martial technique!”
Facing Ling Chen’s terrifying killing move, Li Xinghui showed no sign of retreat—instead, he grew excited.
This guy was truly a monster.
For Ling Chen to lose to such a monster in three moves wasn’t unjust at all.
As his words fell.
Li Xinghui finally shifted his stance.
He dropped to the ground like a beast, resembling a fierce tiger poised to pounce on its prey.
In that instant, his entire being radiated animalistic ferocity.
What came from his mouth was no longer human speech but the roar of a wild beast.
“Tiger King Force!”
A technique akin to Barbaric Bull Force.
But it was several tiers above, a rare top-tier martial art.
Though only at Small Success, its power was genuinely terrifying.
When unleashed, it was as if a Tiger King had descended.
The roar alone nearly caused a few timid martial artists to lose control of themselves.
He lunged forward like a tiger.
Without a doubt, this was the strongest move Li Xinghui had used in this year’s Tianfeng Gathering.
The fierce tiger clashed with the sharp sword.
It was as if two Thunderfire Bombs had collided head-on.
Legend had it that a Thunderfire Bomb, a type of explosive, could instantly kill any martial artist below peak Martial Vein Sixth Layer and severely injure even a Martial Vein Seventh Layer warrior.
Boom! Crack!
Gang qi scattered in all directions.
A wild gust surged.
Fire and light wove together into a terrifying spectacle.
No one could clearly see what was happening on the arena—most people’s vision was obscured by the horrifying effects of the clash.
“Too strong!”
“Is this really a duel between Martial Vein Sixth Layer warriors?”
“That final collision—its power must have reached the level of an early Martial Vein Seventh Layer attack.”
“Yeah, it’s insane. Compared to this strike, so many earlier exchanges look pathetic.”
“Who won?”
“Li Xinghui or Ling Chen?”
The dazzling effects finally subsided, and the two young martial artists came back into everyone’s view.
Li Xinghui remained calm and composed.
Still showing no signs of disarray.
Not a single hair or thread of his clothing was out of place.
It was as if he hadn’t exerted himself at all in this duel.
But Ling Xiao noticed that Li Xinghui’s breathing was slightly uneven.
That clash had taken a toll on him after all, though he hadn’t used his fragmented martial soul to attack from start to finish.
It seemed he was keeping it as a trump card.
Just like Ling Xiao, unwilling to reveal all his cards.
Ling Chen, on the other hand, was in a sorry state.
His arms were bent and immobile, clearly suffering from compound fractures.
In truth, such injuries weren’t a big deal.
For the Ling family, healing them would be easy.
The real issue was Ling Chen’s dazed expression.
Kneeling there, he’d lost every shred of pride.
He’d lost!
In just three moves!
Even after unleashing his strongest attack, he couldn’t defeat Li Xinghui or even scratch him.
Was the gap really this vast?
He couldn’t believe it—couldn’t accept it.
“You actually guessed right!”
Shi Yulian looked at Ling Xiao, her beautiful eyes wide with surprise.
“It’s not a guess—it’s analysis.”
Ling Xiao shook his head, “Ling Chen lacks something compared to Li Xinghui, and that makes all the difference.”
To awaken ten percent of a fragmented martial soul required a full grasp of martial will, and only ten fragmented souls could fuse into a complete one.
Ling Chen hadn’t even comprehended martial will—how could he be a match for Li Xinghui?
In this world, it wasn’t just martial arts and cultivation levels that mattered. For humans, martial souls were the key.
“What thing?”
Shi Yulian pressed.
“I don’t know exactly—just a feeling.”
Ling Xiao shrugged.
“You’re so sharp—why not challenge Li Xinghui for real this time, instead of faking a loss like before?”
Shi Yulian suddenly smiled.
“No need to goad me. I was already planning to. Though the Tianfeng Gathering doesn’t forbid challenging your own family, if I went after Ling Chen, the Ling family would scorn me. So him losing to Li Xinghui, then me challenging Li Xinghui, is the best option.”
Ling Xiao smiled faintly.
“You’re really going to challenge Li Xinghui? Careful you don’t lose in three moves.”
Shi Yulian teased.
“Thanks for the concern, Miss Yulian, but he’s not my match.”
Ling Xiao grinned, leaving a stunned Shi Yulian behind as he leapt onto the first arena.
“Sorry about this, Young Master Xinghui. I don’t like forced challenges, so I lost last time. Mind if I challenge you again?”
He looked at Li Xinghui and asked.
“Of course not!”
Li Xinghui actually wanted to face Ling Xiao too. He felt a similarity between them—a certain vibe deep in their bones.
He suspected Ling Xiao might also have a fragmented martial soul.
“Good. I’ll give you half an hour to regulate your breathing and recover to peak condition. Otherwise, people might say I, Ling Xiao, won unfairly.”
Ling Xiao sat down across from Li Xinghui.
“No need. Though you might be stronger than Ling Chen, ten moves are enough to defeat you.”
Li Xinghui was giving Ling Xiao some credit.
Sadly, like Ling Chen, he had the same flaw—boasting without fully understanding his opponent’s strength. He wasn’t afraid of eating his words.
His statement nearly made Ling Chen spit blood.
It implied Ling Chen was inferior to Ling Xiao—infuriating him.
“Rest up anyway. If you lose too badly later, it won’t look good for the Li family.”
Ling Xiao wanted a real sparring experience. If Li Xinghui wasn’t at his peak, what was the point? That’s why he insisted on the rest.
This wasn’t a life-or-death fight—there was no need to kick a man when he was down.
“This Ling Xiao is crazy arrogant.”
“Yeah, but Li Xinghui seems to rate him higher, saying ten moves to beat him.”
“Is he just trying to mess with Ling Chen?”
“Hahaha, that’s actually possible. Ling Xiao’s strong, but based on what he’s shown so far, he’s clearly no match for Ling Chen or Li Xinghui.”
