Clang, clang, clang, clang!
The four figures finally merged into two, then into one. A single sword struck the ghost ship, a piercing sound echoing across the arena. To everyone’s astonishment, the ghost ship was pierced clean through by that sword, shattering mid-air.
“Ah!”
Wanren Wang let out a scream, spitting out another mouthful of blood, his face growing even paler.
“Watch out!”
A warning shout rose from below the stage.
It was Ling Feifan, who had finally seized his chance and launched his own attack.
He held nothing back, unleashing “Snowflight Spear,” the profound meaning of a fragmented mortal martial art he’d comprehended from a stone tablet.
“Die, Ling Xiao!”
Mid-air, Ling Feifan swallowed the Dream Pill, his aura surging. The spear’s shadow instantly stretched several metres.
“General, it looks like Ling Feifan’s taken a Dream Pill. Should we stop him? This is getting dangerous,” Lin Chen glanced at Lin Ze and asked.
“No rush, let’s see. If Ling Xiao’s in danger, you step in!” Lin Ze shook his head, reluctant to interrupt the fight.
“Swift!”
Under the gaze of the crowd, Ling Xiao didn’t even glance at Ling Feifan. He merely pointed a finger backward, and a sword shadow shot through the air.
What a terrifying strike it was.
So fast it was nearly invisible to the naked eye.
Pfft!
The flying sword pierced Ling Feifan’s shoulder blade.
“Urgh!”
He spat out a mouthful of blood, yet showed no sign of pain—not even a furrowed brow.
“Ling Xiao, this one’s taken a special Dream Pill. He feels no pain. To stop him, you’ll have to cripple him!” Lin Chen shouted.
Ling Xiao took a deep breath.
He’d originally planned to spare Ling Feifan some mercy, considering their shared Ling family ties, and just injure him. But now, it seemed he’d have to cripple his martial arts entirely.
After all, someone who’d taken a Dream Pill would lose their martial prowess sooner or later and have to start over.
With that thought, the flying sword looped back, instantly leaving four bloody holes in Ling Feifan’s body.
Though he felt no pain, Ling Feifan couldn’t move anymore, collapsing there like a dead dog.
“Ghost Ship Blast!”
While Ling Xiao dealt with Ling Feifan, Wanren Wang had recovered.
His aura shifted abruptly, now brimming with terror and death. The ghost ship shadow reformed, this time different from his earlier moves.
“General, Wanren Wang’s going all out. We should stop him—whether he dies or Ling Xiao does, it’s bad either way,” Lin Chen said anxiously.
“Ling Xiao, subdue him. I know you can do it!” Lin Ze called out.
It was a bit of a tall order, but Lin Ze had no choice.
Wanren Wang was Wan Ben’s nephew—if he died, things would get messy.
Ling Xiao couldn’t die either. If it came to it, Lin Ze would intervene.
“Don’t worry, General, I’ve got this under control,” Ling Xiao replied. He’d never intended to kill Wanren Wang; what he wanted was his Ghost Ship Remnant Soul.
The ghost ship seemed intriguing—worth borrowing for a bit, a decent martial technique in its own right.
“Shadow King Strike!”
Ling Xiao moved suddenly.
This Shadow King Strike was a new move he’d devised after mastering the Shadow Sword Technique to its perfected realm.
Three shadow clones merged with his real body, boosting speed, power, and stealth to terrifying levels.
It could be considered the Shadow Sword Technique’s ultimate killing move.
A shadow so fast it was nearly invisible—if this were night, no one would see a thing.
No sound, no trace.
Just a flicker.
The shadow passed, and the sword was there.
“What… there’s a move like that in the Shadow Sword Technique?” Lin Ze leapt to his feet in shock.
The General’s Mansion had this sword technique too, but not this move.
“Did he comprehend it himself? That’s something only a Martial Master could do,” Lin Chen gaped.
He knew how hard the Shadow Sword Technique was to master.
For ages, its ability to split into clones had made it a favourite among disciples of the Border Town General’s Mansion and the Heavenly Ninja Academy.
Records showed the Shadow Sword Technique was not only powerful but versatile—its forms could split or merge, perfect for one-on-one or group combat, incredibly flexible and practical.
Among top-tier martial arts, it was practically unrivalled.
With such advantages, countless had tried to master it.
Yet, sadly, despite Baiyun Province’s wealth of talent, no one had succeeded.
Some went mad from overtraining, others exploded and died, and the lucky ones managed a single clone but couldn’t fight with it, eventually giving up.
Thus, the Shadow Sword Technique went from a coveted skill to a dusty, neglected relic.
Who could’ve imagined?
In this little Tianfeng City, someone had reached its perfected realm!
Not only that, but they’d also derived an ultimate killing move from it!
Such a killer technique was something typically only a Martial Master could grasp!
This kid was truly defying the heavens.
While Lin Chen reeled in shock, Ling Xiao’s attack reached Wanren Wang.
The sword plunged into Wanren Wang’s body, and the massive ghost ship shadow dissipated before it could detonate.
No one noticed that, as the sword struck, Ling Xiao also devoured Wanren Wang’s Ghost Ship Remnant Soul.
“I’ll spare your miserable life today. Hope you learn to value it!” Ling Xiao sheathed his sword, not a drop of blood staining it.
Perhaps the blade was too swift for blood to cling.
No! How could I lose?
Where’s my martial soul?
What did you do to my martial soul?
Wanren Wang tried to speak, but no sound came. Ling Xiao’s strike had pierced his body, his tongue stuck with blood.
He wouldn’t die, but he’d be mute for a while.
“Take Young Master Wan for treatment!” Lin Ze stood, exhilarated, laughing, “Ling Xiao, you’re even more impressive than I imagined. To derive an ultimate technique from the Shadow Sword Technique—that outshines many Martial Masters!”
Though he’d been confident after seeing Ling Xiao act that he could handle Wanren Wang and Ling Feifan’s combined assault, the ease of this victory caught him off guard.
He even suspected Ling Xiao had held back, though how much remained a mystery.
Ling Feifan knelt there, the malice gone from his eyes, replaced by a vacant stare.
Ling Xiao sighed and said to the Ling family martial artists who’d come with him, “Take him back and treat him well. He’s taken a Dream Pill—he needs to quit, or he’s finished for life.”
“Yes, Grand Elder!”
The two, both Fifth Level Martial Vein martial artists, showed deep respect to Ling Xiao, saluting before carrying Ling Feifan away.
“Grand Elder?” Lin Ze asked, curious.
“General, don’t laugh. After the Ling family’s calamity, thanks to Tianfeng City’s young martial artists not abandoning us, we decided to cast aside family divides and found the Divine Sword Sect. They forced me into the role of Grand Elder,” Ling Xiao said with a wry smile.
“Hahaha, a Grand Elder at such a young age! Looks like I didn’t misjudge you. Your calm maturity must’ve won the full approval of the Ling family’s martial artists,” Lin Ze laughed heartily.
Ling Xiao smiled, tacitly agreeing.
