Bang!
Clang!
Two figures wielding swords thrust at the ferocious tiger’s aura.
Crack, crack, crack!
The originally unstoppable, domineering Tiger King Force was intercepted.
Bang!
A third figure stabbed forward, and Li Xinghui’s expression changed drastically. The Tiger King Force was now on the verge of shattering.
After all, his Tiger King Force was merely a top-tier rare martial art.
In contrast, Ling Xiao’s Shadow Duplication Sword Technique was a superior top-tier martial art.
Under equal realms, Li Xinghui was naturally at a disadvantage.
Up until now, he had been suppressing his strength at the peak of the fifth stage of the Martial Vein to fight Ling Xiao.
And that had been the case in their earlier clashes too.
But at this moment, he could no longer hold back, or defeat was certain.
Boom!
Li Xinghui’s aura surged abruptly.
He unleashed his cultivation, rising from the peak of the fifth stage to the early sixth stage of the Martial Vein.
Still not enough?
Shocked, Li Xinghui didn’t stop and continued to release his power.
Mid-sixth stage of the Martial Vein.
Finally, at this point, the fractured aura of his Tiger King Force began to mend, even showing signs of overpowering Ling Xiao.
“You think you’re the only one with high cultivation?”
Ling Xiao sneered, his own aura surging dramatically, jumping from the peak of the fifth stage to the early sixth stage of the Martial Vein.
“How is this possible! A fourteen-year-old at the sixth stage of the Martial Vein!”
Below the stage, nearly every martial artist stood up in shock.
Even Ling Xiaotian was among them.
He had thought Ling Chen was the youngest to reach the sixth stage.
But Ling Xiao’s outburst left him utterly dumbfounded.
Was this young man human or a monster?
How could he be so powerful?
So freakish?
The four youths from Baiyun Prefecture were also stunned.
Even across the entire Baiyun Province, there had never been a martial artist who broke through to the sixth stage at fourteen. What was this kid’s background?
“Get back!”
With his realm unleashed, rising to the sixth stage, Ling Xiao’s entire presence transformed.
The power of the sword in his hand intensified sharply.
Crack!
Finally, the aura of the Tiger King Force shattered, unable to hold up any longer, pierced through by Ling Xiao’s single strike.
Li Xinghui retreated!
For the first time, he retreated!
Even after unleashing his cultivation to the mid-sixth stage and using the Tiger King Force, he was forced back.
He had no choice but to retreat, or Ling Xiao’s sword would have struck his body, ensuring his defeat.
“Hahaha, exhilarating! Take another strike from me!”
Having shattered the Tiger King Force with one blow, Ling Xiao showed no intention of stopping. With a flick of his longsword, he thrust again.
It was still the second layer of the Shadow Duplication Sword Technique.
The current Li Xinghui wasn’t yet worthy of him using the third layer.
Bang!
Li Xinghui retreated again!
This time, a bloody mark appeared on his palm, clearly wounded by Ling Xiao’s strike.
But his movement technique wasn’t weak either. At the critical moment, he managed to avoid a fatal blow.
“You’ve forced my hand!”
Li Xinghui’s face twisted ferociously. Suddenly, he dropped to the ground, his body beginning to spin rapidly.
Like an inverted tornado.
“Who’d have thought that the obscure Ling Xiao would push Xinghui to use the Spiral Kill?”
Inside the Li family’s pavilion, the Li Clan Patriarch stroked his chin and sighed.
“Once this move is unleashed, Ling Xiao’s defeat is certain.”
“Not just defeat—he’s as good as dead.”
“Indeed, even I would struggle to withstand Xinghui’s Spiral Kill.”
The Li Clan Patriarch had once fractured both arms because of this move.
Of course, that was mainly because he’d suppressed his own realm. Even then, he’d defended with the peak of the sixth stage.
And still, his arms broke.
What would happen to Ling Xiao?
Though the onlookers didn’t know the terrifying history of this technique, the fearsome storm of aura alone was enough to convey its dreadfulness.
“Be careful, Ling Xiao!”
Ling Yihang couldn’t help but shout.
“Junior Brother!”
Ling Yixue stood up, tense.
Though they believed in Ling Xiao’s strength, this move was simply too terrifying, and they couldn’t help but worry.
Amid their exclamations, Li Xinghui shot forward like a spiralling blade, his speed so fast there was no dodging it.
Had Ling Xiao used the Soaring Cloud Step earlier, he might have evaded the attack by now.
But activating the Soaring Cloud Step still required time.
Right now, his only option was to take this hit head-on. There was no other way.
Yet, his face showed no sign of difficulty or regret.
Instead, it was excitement.
Golden light erupted from his entire body as he roared, “Li Xinghui, if this is your strongest attack, then it’s far too disappointing!”
Boom!
The initial strike of the Spiral Kill was blocked by Ling Xiao with both fists.
But the impact forced him back, his feet carving deep gouges into the arena, leaving two terrifying trenches.
The true horror of the Spiral Kill lay in its continuous assault— the faster it spun, the more devastating its power.
Like a drill, it sparked dazzlingly against Ling Xiao’s arms.
Bang!
Ling Xiao’s arms were forcibly pried apart by the Spiral Kill, which then slammed directly into his chest.
Yet it was useless.
Aside from his clothes being shredded to pieces, not a single scratch marred Ling Xiao’s body.
“This Nine-Turn Golden Body Art is too insane!”
“How can its defence be so strong that even the Spiral Kill can’t break it?”
“Terrifying! No wonder they say the Nine-Turn Golden Body Art is hard to master. With defence this powerful, if it were easy to learn, how would anyone else survive?”
“Li Xinghui’s in trouble. If the Spiral Kill can’t take Ling Xiao down, he’s out of trump cards, isn’t he?”
“Yeah, Ling Xiao’s got too many aces up his sleeve. You can’t even guess what else he’s hiding.”
Such discussions arose even within the Li family, let alone among the others.
Ling Xiaotian watched Ling Xiao, too shocked to speak.
From defeating Wang Zui, Shi Feiyu, and Shi Yue one after another, to now holding his own against Li Xinghui, this strength was leagues beyond what he’d shown at the clan competition a month ago.
No, it was vastly greater!
This was a true genius. If only he’d treated him better.
Thinking back to how he’d once told Ling Xiao to give up on the Tianfeng Grand Assembly, Ling Xiaotian wanted to slap himself.
Back then, under pressure from the three Supreme Elders, he’d made such a foolish decision. He wondered if Ling Xiao held a grudge.
Nearby, Ling Yin was both furious and stunned.
On one hand, he feared having offended such a genius.
On the other, he worried this prodigy might overshadow his grandson’s status in the Ling family.
But the angriest was Ling Chen.
He couldn’t believe Li Xinghui had such a terrifying move as the Spiral Kill.
Even more unbelievable was that, facing an attack at least twice as strong as the Tiger King Force, Ling Xiao emerged unscathed.
Just his clothes torn?
How had this guy grown?
How had he cultivated?
Did the Clan Leader give him special treatment?
“Hahaha, I worried for nothing!”
Ling Yihang burst into laughter, shaking his head inwardly. Worrying about anyone else was fine, but this guy? He was a beast.
“Junior Brother, you’ve truly left us far behind.”
Ling Yixue gave a gentle smile, then her expression turned serious. She clenched her pale fist and muttered to herself, “But I’ll work harder, so I won’t become a burden to you.”
