Whoosh!
Tian Guang suddenly moved.
His figure was incredibly fast, leaving only faint afterimages along his path.
In an instant, he appeared in front of Ling Xiao.
With a curved blade in hand, he slashed directly at Ling Xiao’s body.
He was very confident in his blade technique, certain it could lightly injure Ling Xiao while also rendering him unable to fight.
“That kid’s done for!”
“Yeah, even if their strength is close, under Captain Tian Guang’s speed, he won’t even get a chance to act.”
“Serves him right, overestimating himself!”
“Kid, I know you’re a genius General Lin brought in, but here, it’s all about skill!”
Tian Guang sneered, his curved blade nearly slicing into Ling Xiao.
Suddenly, the figure before him vanished.
“Who are you talking to?”
Behind him!
Tian Guang jolted in shock.
What the hell? How did this kid get behind me so suddenly!
Could his movement technique be faster than mine? So fast I didn’t even see it?
An illusion?
No, his movement was just too quick!
The watching youths no longer dared to underestimate Ling Xiao. This movement alone was enough to secure a foothold in Qianlong Camp.
“Blood Moon Blade Technique!”
Tian Guang wasn’t a pushover. Though startled by Ling Xiao’s sudden appearance behind him, catching him off guard, he didn’t panic. With a casual flick, he swung his blade backward.
It was a masterful move from the beginner-level top-tier technique—Blood Moon Blade Technique.
Known for its unpredictability, this technique allowed strikes from any position. In Qianlong Camp, many martial artists had fallen to Tian Guang’s blade work.
Even the higher-ranked captains found this technique a headache.
That showed just how troublesome it was.
Especially paired with Tian Guang’s movement skills, it was a perfect match.
Others might not notice, but Ling Xiao could see that Tian Guang’s strike subtly carried the mysterious power of a martial soul.
Though it was still just a remnant soul.
In that moment, Ling Xiao vaguely saw a gaunt old man behind Tian Guang. The old man looked ordinary, save for the curved blade in his hand, nearly identical to Tian Guang’s.
In the Holy Dynasty of Humanity, there once lived a blade master known as the “Blood Blade Ancestor.”
He was a powerhouse of the mortal realm, later killed by an even stronger martial artist for slaughtering too many innocents.
Who’d have thought his remnant soul would linger after death, becoming Tian Guang’s broken martial soul?
The origins of martial souls remained a mystery to humanity, understood only as a form of soul power.
One could say the enigma and wonder of martial souls were unrivalled in the world.
With the Blood Blade remnant soul’s blessing, Tian Guang’s strike surged in power—speed, strength, and even a dizzying killing intent all amplified.
That killing intent clearly wasn’t Tian Guang’s own but stemmed from his broken martial soul.
“Your broken martial soul is interesting, but it’s still useless against me!”
Ling Xiao hadn’t used the Ghost Ship remnant soul he’d obtained from the King of Ten Thousand since acquiring it.
Today, he decided to test its power in his hands.
“Ghost Ship Ferry!”
With a low shout, a shadowy figure flashed behind him. A ghost ship roared forth, crashing toward Tian Guang’s curved blade.
This ghost ship’s colour was noticeably more vivid than the King of Ten Thousand’s. As it surged forward, it truly seemed to ride the wind and break waves, capable of smashing even the sea’s mightiest beasts to bits.
Clang!
Tian Guang’s blade was nearly bent out of shape by the impact. He flew backward, landing flat on his rear in a graceless fall, a trickle of blood seeping from his mouth.
In mid-air, he flipped several times to avoid crashing face-first, stumbling to a shaky stand.
“You’ve already lost!”
Ling Xiao withdrew his attack, not pressing further. New to the camp, he didn’t want to make mortal enemies.
“I haven’t lost yet! I didn’t expect you to have a broken martial soul too. Let’s see whose remnant soul is stronger!”
Ling Xiao had tried to leave Tian Guang some dignity.
But Tian Guang wasn’t having it.
With a roar, the shadowy figure of the Blood Blade Ancestor behind him grew more solid.
“Two-tenths broken martial soul!”
“I’ve never seen Tian Guang use this level of martial soul against a dorm disciple.”
“A humanoid remnant soul is pretty rare.”
The crowd buzzed with discussion.
“That kid’s remnant soul looks like the Wan family’s Ghost Ship soul. How does he have it? Is he a Wan?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. The Wan family having the Ghost Ship soul doesn’t mean it’s exclusive to them. The world’s big—we’re getting an eyeful today.”
Ling Xiao wasn’t worried about using the Ghost Ship soul, because as they said, it wasn’t unique to the Wan family.
“Tian Guang, since you want to keep going, I’ll oblige!”
When someone refused a gracious out, Ling Xiao saw no need to hold back.
“Ghost Ship Wavebreaker!”
Ling Xiao thrust both hands forward, and the ghost ship morphed into a massive shadow, faster and more powerful than before.
This was a move even the King of Ten Thousand hadn’t mastered.
Having refined the Ghost Ship soul to three-tenths, Ling Xiao had unlocked it—its power surpassing both Ghost Ship Ferry and Ghost Ship Blast.
Blood Blade Slash!
Tian Guang didn’t dare slack off. Raising his curved blade, he slashed downward, a massive surge of qi merging with the Blood Blade Ancestor’s phantom blade, boosting its might.
“This is Tian Guang’s strongest attack.”
Yin Ran sighed, “If he can’t win with this, he’s really lost face this time.”
Boom!
It was an overwhelming advantage.
The ghost ship smashed into the blade, shattering the phantom blade in an instant.
Tian Guang was hurled back by the colossal impact, his curved blade flying from his grip. In mid-air, the blood he spat traced an unlovely arc.
Thud!
He crashed heavily to the ground, his eyes dull and lifeless.
The scene left everyone dumbfounded.
Tian Guang, famed for his speed and blade skills, had not only been outdone in movement for the first time but had his blade technique effortlessly broken.
Most terrifyingly, this opponent’s cultivation was lower than his.
“Was that your strongest move just now?”
Tian Guang struggled to sit up, looking at Ling Xiao as he asked.
“Want the truth or a lie?”
Ling Xiao countered.
“Of course I want the truth.”
Ling Xiao sighed, “The truth is, ‘it’s not my strongest move—it’s just a casual one I use for practice.’”
Tian Guang’s face changed drastically. After a long pause, he stood, retrieved his blade, and turned to leave.
As he went, he left words behind, “My room’s yours. Now I get what ‘there’s always a sky beyond the sky, a person beyond the person’ means. Time to train seriously. Hope you don’t get beaten by someone else—I’ll challenge you again.”
“I’ll be waiting, but you’ve got no chance. Once I’ve beaten someone, they never win against me.”
Ling Xiao shook his head.
Tian Guang’s body trembled, but he said nothing more and walked away.
“Though your strength doesn’t match that beauty’s, to me, you’re more terrifying.”
Yin Ran stared at Ling Xiao.
“Likewise. Haven’t you been hiding your strength too?”
Ling Xiao replied calmly.
Yin Ran’s pupils shrank, then returned to normal. He laughed, “You’re joking, brother. See you later!”
