Seeing the six personal guards spring into action, Ling Xiao turned back to Wu Xiang and the others and said, “Just watch. Today I will make you understand my determination to destroy the True Devil Empire.”
Overthrowing the True Devil Empire was easy to talk about, but actually doing it was another matter entirely.
Both the Restoration Society and many underground resistance groups wanted to topple the True Devil Empire, yet none dared to act openly because they simply lacked the strength to confront it head-on.
Neither Moon Maiden nor the old Holy Emperor had any intention of raising the banner of revolt.
Some harboured the desire, but they lacked the courage and the power.
Ling Xiao was the Chosen of Heaven; practically every human on the Tianlong Continent knew that by now.
Yet he was, after all, only a sixteen-year-old youth. Many people doubted his ability and therefore hesitated to stand with him.
So today he intended to let the Restoration Society see exactly what he was capable of, then have news of his heroic deeds spread far and wide.
It didn’t matter if someone else did the fighting; what he needed right now was the spark that would bring all to answer his call.
Hearing Ling Xiao’s words, Wu Xiang silently nodded.
In his view, six warriors above Ninth Layer Heaven posed no real threat to Ling Xiao. If Ling Xiao told him not to interfere, there was surely a reason.
The very next moment, he understood why.
Incinerating Heaven Eye!
Against Jiao Lie, Ling Xiao planned to rely on Butterfly Maiden’s power to suppress him, but against a mere six guards above Ninth Layer Heaven, that was completely unnecessary.
The Taiji Eye alone was more than enough.
The instant the Taiji Eye spun, all six charging guards froze on the spot.
Scorching flames instantly swept through the entire hall.
Even the Cave Heaven domain Jiao Lie had used to protect his people sizzled and steamed under the intense heat, turning into wisps of white vapour that drifted away.
In just a few breaths, the six guards above Ninth Layer Heaven were engulfed in fire.
They screamed in agony within the flames, then were reduced by the extreme temperature to six small piles of ash.
In truth, the heat was not yet at its peak. If Ling Xiao could now wield sacred fire, their fate would have been far more gruesome.
“This boy… how can he be this terrifying? Even I would probably be unable to withstand an attack like that.”
Wu Xiang was shaken to his core. He was a peak Second Cave Heaven Realm warrior himself.
This kid Ling Xiao was becoming more and more unfathomable.
He felt endlessly grateful that he had befriended Ling Xiao all those years ago instead of making an enemy of him.
Inside the hall, six neat piles of ash lay on the floor, plunging everyone from the City Lord’s mansion into stunned, terrified silence.
What kind of power was this?
Hadn’t the boy been gravely wounded fighting the Earl of Dongjun?
Wasn’t he supposed to be only a late-stage Ninth Layer Heaven warrior?
What on earth was going on?
How could he unleash an attack on the level of a Second Cave Heaven Realm expert?
Fear began to sprout in every person’s body, rapidly devouring their hearts and minds.
Jiao Lie opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.
He had originally thought Ling Xiao was walking to his own death. With his own strength and the help of others present, he had been certain he could finish the boy off right here.
But now things clearly weren’t going according to plan.
The warrior seated to his right also looked extremely grim.
Although they had expected Ling Xiao might be stronger than anticipated, no one had imagined he would be this overwhelming.
Ling Xiao continued lounging comfortably, gazing at the trembling Jiao Lie with mocking amusement. “Well now, Lord City Lord, does my strength meet your standards?”
“Pah!”
Jiao Lie was, after all, a valiant Sea Clan general. Otherwise the Sea Clan would never have stationed him to hold Lanton City.
Lanton City was to the Devil Capital what Northern Desert City was to the Divine Phoenix Empire’s imperial capital: a vital fortress, a stronghold.
If Lanton City fell, nothing would stand between the enemy and the Devil Capital on the continent. An army could march straight through and lay siege to the capital itself.
Even though Jiao Lie could feel fear growing inside him, threatening to swallow him whole, he refused to yield.
He retracted his Cave Heaven domain, wrapping the boiling seawater tightly around his body like the Earl of Dongjun had done, seeking at least some sense of security.
Yet in Ling Xiao’s eyes there was only scorn and ridicule.
The colossal skeletal warrior vanished.
Ling Xiao slowly walked toward Jiao Lie.
Every step he took made Jiao Lie’s heart pound heavily.
When he was four or five metres away, Ling Xiao’s body suddenly floated upward. A long sword appeared in his hand and thrust straight toward Jiao Lie’s heart.
The motion looked slow, yet Jiao Lie suddenly discovered that his body seemed locked in place by some invisible force. He could not move at all.
His entire body felt as though it had been filled with lead, so heavy it seemed it might drag the whole continent down with it.
If it were only Ling Xiao’s own power, it naturally wouldn’t be this strong.
The key was that Ling Xiao was currently borrowing Butterfly Maiden’s strength.
Butterfly Maiden did not need to fight personally; she only had to channel her power into him.
It was similar to one warrior transferring inner energy to another.
Most warriors’ bodies, however, could not withstand energy far exceeding their own; forcibly accepting it would only cause their bodies to collapse.
But Ling Xiao’s physique was extraordinarily resilient.
He could handle a portion of Butterfly Maiden’s power.
Once that external power entered him, he converted it through his Nine Cauldron Heavenly Veins and used it to attack his opponent.
Of course, the process consumed a tremendous amount of energy, so Ling Xiao rarely did this.
Today he was only doing it to demonstrate his overwhelming might and to cow the Sea Clan.
Using it this once posed no problem.
The sword, shining with crimson-gold light, easily struck Jiao Lie’s Cave Heaven armour.
Then an astonishing scene unfolded.
The armour, which should have been utterly indestructible, tore like paper beneath the sword, a clear rift appearing instantly.
Jiao Lie could distinctly feel the blade pierce through the armour, through his clothes, and into his skin, bringing sharp pain.
In that instant, every hair on his body stood on end. A chill ran down his spine.
If he were killed outright, that would be that, a quick end to everything.
But Ling Xiao did not do that.
The sword advanced very slowly.
Excruciatingly slowly.
The pain continued without pause, and the terror deepened by the moment.
The shadow of death completely enveloped Jiao Lie’s mind.
The wound grew deeper, inching ever closer to his heart.
Added to this was the terrifying soul-pressure from Ling Xiao, amplifying that fear without limit.
Finally, Jiao Lie broke.
He suddenly dropped to his knees.
“Young hero! Young hero, spare my life! I don’t want to die!”
From start to finish in this clash, all Jiao Lie had felt was despair.
Death itself might not be frightening.
But having the shadow of death hang over him constantly, battering his spirit without cease, that torment was unbearable.
