“Do not worry about that for now. You must not underestimate the Eastern Commandery Marquis. He possesses Minor Pure Void Heaven cultivation of the First Cave Heaven realm. Though only early First Cave Heaven, with your current level it will be hard to kill him.”
Wu Xiang shook his head and continued, “Fortunately, during my fight with him I managed a sneak attack and left wounds on his body, weakening his combat strength. That gives you an advantage. If you can defeat Half-Step Cave Heaven warriors, you should have roughly a fifty percent chance against him.”
“I know.”
Ling Xiao nodded. “But a First Cave Heaven warrior is nothing special. I have already killed one. I do not mind killing another.”
“Do not be hasty. My earlier attacks contained powerful demonic qi. By now it should have seeped deep into his body. You can make use of that.”
Wu Xiang reminded him.
“Senior Brother, brilliant. Even in that state you still thought to weaken him further. Thank you.”
Ling Xiao had to admit that facing the marquis at full strength would have been troublesome. This was an old fox, nothing like the straightforward Jiao Batian.
Now, thanks to Wu Xiang’s groundwork, victory was practically assured.
Wu Xiang estimated fifty percent odds, but in Ling Xiao’s view it was closer to seventy.
“Bastard! This marquis is speaking to you. How dare you ignore me?”
The Eastern Commandery Marquis flew into a rage when he saw Ling Xiao not only disregard his question but even tend to Wu Xiang.
Yet, perhaps because he had just suffered a hidden loss, he did not attack rashly.
Ling Xiao handed Wu Xiang to Po Qianjun for care, then turned back to the marquis with an icy smile.
He said nothing. He simply drew the Golden Crow Sword slowly. Killing intent surged from his body and condensed around him into a gigantic blood-red sword of murderous aura.
It flickered in and out of existence, yet was incomparably sharp.
Even against an injured Eastern Commandery Marquis, Ling Xiao intended to go all out. He had no wish to capsize in a gutter.
He knew too little about this opponent. Only by striking with full power and seizing the initiative immediately could he win more easily.
Seeing the astonishing cloak of killing intent around Ling Xiao, the marquis’s brows knitted tightly together.
He had long heard that this Heavenly Dragon King was overbearing, arrogant, and gave face to no one, daring to act against anyone.
Today he saw it was true.
“Ling Xiao, you have only just received the title of Heavenly Dragon King. Surely you do not wish to die here so soon? I advise you not to mix with these Holy Dynasty Restoration Society scum. It will bring you no benefit.”
Feeling threatened, the marquis preferred not to fight head-on, so he resorted to threats.
Ling Xiao remained silent. He continued gathering power. Today the Eastern Commandery Marquis had to die.
The man had nearly beaten his most cherished senior brother to death. If Ling Xiao showed any mercy, he would no longer deserve his reputation as the domineering young hero.
“Since you court death, do not blame this marquis.”
Seeing that Ling Xiao was impervious to both soft and hard approaches, the marquis stopped wasting words. Powerful battle intent erupted from his body. Celestial Origin Force gathered continuously on his fists.
“Oh, I forgot to mention.”
Ling Xiao suddenly spoke. “I have already eradicated your forces in Eastern Commandery. I also killed your precious son, Ming Liu.”
“What!”
Hearing these words, the marquis’s body shook. Much of the energy he had gathered instantly dissipated.
At that exact instant, Ling Xiao moved.
Golden Crow Sword gripped tightly, he turned into a streak of flowing light. He shot forward like a laser beam.
The stone slabs where he had stood were scorched completely black.
The crowd erupted in shocked exclamations.
Restoration Society warriors cried out in excitement.
City lord mansion warriors cried out in alarm.
“Treacherous little brat!”
Facing Ling Xiao’s sudden explosive assault, the marquis realised he had been tricked again. This fellow was too cunning. He had deliberately used those words at the last moment to shake his mind and throw him into panic and unease.
But the old fox was still an old fox. Though momentarily flustered, he rapidly mobilised massive energy into his fists in the shortest possible time.
The black flames burned even more fiercely.
Then he punched straight at Ling Xiao.
Although the strike had not fully formed, he had no choice. Ling Xiao’s attack was too sudden and far too fast. He was forced to respond in haste.
In the end, he had fallen for Ling Xiao’s scheme again and suffered another hidden loss.
Boom!
Golden Crow Sword collided with the black-flame-wrapped fists. The explosion tore through the air, and waves of residual energy produced a series of cracking blasts.
The stone slabs beneath both men’s feet were reduced directly to powder.
“Detestable!”
The marquis, who had taken yet another loss, staggered back four or five steps. Blood spurted anew from the wounds that had only just begun to clot.
Ling Xiao merely halted. He did not retreat a single half-step.
He had launched the attack and caught his opponent unprepared. If he had still been forced back, that would have been truly pathetic. He might as well have turned and fled immediately.
“Pah!”
The marquis spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and sneered coldly. “This marquis thought you amounted to something. After all that scheming, you only managed to reopen my wounds. With just these petty tricks you dare boast of killing this marquis?”
Despite suffering again, the marquis actually laughed.
He believed he had seen through Ling Xiao’s limits.
Although the youth’s strength was impressive, it was definitely still below Cave Heaven realm.
He, a dignified early First Cave Heaven cultivator, surely had no need to fear a mere Celestial Realm martial artist?
Thinking that he had actually felt wary of this brat earlier made him feel a little ashamed.
Yet Ling Xiao’s lips only curved into a cold, indifferent smile. He said nothing. The first strike had failed to finish the job, so the second strike came immediately.
Crimson-gold radiance gathered on the Golden Crow Sword. Ling Xiao shot forward once more.
Just as he was about to reach the marquis, his figure suddenly vanished.
This sight caused the marquis’s brows to crease again.
Anyone who claimed to have seen through Ling Xiao would soon eat bitterness from his unpredictable and boundless assaults.
Ling Xiao never believed anyone in this world could truly read him.
If anyone could see through another person completely, it would only be Ling Xiao himself.
From that single exchange just now, his Taiji Eyes had already collected detailed analytical data and obtained a clear picture of the marquis’s condition.
The Eastern Commandery Marquis was indeed very strong.
His battle experience far surpassed Jiao Batian’s.
Yet the density of his Celestial Origin Force was inferior to Jiao Batian’s.
Moreover, the man was suspicious and arrogant by nature. He often hesitated when striking. To put it nicely, he liked to let the opponent move first.
To put it bluntly, he lacked confidence in himself and needed to see the opponent’s attack before deciding how to respond.
Ling Xiao had seized precisely upon this flaw. Only when he was within inches of the marquis did he abruptly change his move.
