Even the flow of the wind followed Ling Xiao’s Snow Sword, as if adding wings of wind to his blade.
Upon closer inspection, Ling Xiao’s sword-wielding right hand had transformed again. It was still in a demonic state, but no longer a dragon claw—it now resembled the paw of an ancient giant ape.
The Demon King of Beasts, as the ruler of all beasts, could naturally morph parts or all of its body into various monstrous forms.
Whether it was an ancient demon dragon or an ancient giant ape, they were just one of many options.
Of course, with Ling Xiao’s current cultivation, he couldn’t fully unleash the power of demonization, but significantly boosting his attack and speed was already enough.
“This kid’s moves are getting stronger! Was he holding back earlier? Damn it!” Yang Cheng was both shocked and furious.
He hadn’t expected that not only would he fail to easily defeat Ling Xiao, but he’d be constantly restrained and thoroughly suppressed.
How could he accept this?
Wind Sword Martial Soul!
Boom!
After a terrifying explosion, a strange sword wreathed in fierce winds appeared behind Yang Cheng.
It was the Wind Sword Martial Soul, a variant of the sword martial soul.
Originally, Yang Cheng had planned to defeat Ling Xiao without using his martial soul, as that would deal a greater blow to Ling Xiao’s pride and make his victory more spectacular.
But faced with Ling Xiao’s terrifying strike, he had no choice but to summon his martial soul.
As the Wind Sword Martial Soul appeared, Yang Cheng’s longsword trembled, and a ferocious tornado roared forth, its power noticeably greater than before.
The raging winds seemed poised to scatter the flying snow.
“Hmph, you think summoning your martial soul can turn the tide? Not a chance!”
Cherry Tree Martial Soul!
Behind Ling Xiao, a massive tree suddenly appeared, its enormous branches and trunk blocking the assault of the wild winds.
The Dark Cloud Martial Soul and Cherry Tree Martial Soul worked in tandem, two complete martial souls exerting their power simultaneously.
In an instant, they suppressed Yang Cheng’s Wind Sword Martial Soul.
Sword light flickered relentlessly!
Yang Cheng retreated step by step!
Thud! Thud! Thud…
His figure was in disarray, his body marked with numerous wounds, completely enveloped by Ling Xiao’s sword light.
This scene stunned all the spectators.
They never could have imagined such a situation.
“Yang Cheng is completely suppressed!”
“Ling Xiao has dual martial souls—no, three martial souls, and all complete! This guy’s a monster!”
“No wonder he dared challenge Yang Cheng. He’s got some real skills!”
“It’s one thing to have skills, but how is Yang Cheng this pathetic? Can someone explain?”
The outer disciples’ shock was expected.
But even Lan Yuer, Elder Bai, and Hei Suo showed repeated astonishment.
Zhao Zhi and Zhao Ci were petrified.
Xu Ying collapsed to her knees.
She had always believed Ling Xiao killed Zuo Leng through a sneak attack.
She thought that once she joined the Moonlight Sect, she’d eventually avenge her fiancé.
But now, her confidence was utterly shattered.
Who was Yang Cheng?
The tenth-ranked outer disciple, a Half-Step Grandmaster, ten times stronger than Li Anle.
His strength was well-known.
Yet now, he was being dominated by a peak Eighth-Layer Martial Vein Martial Master, barely able to defend himself.
“Storm Dragon Transformation!”
Roar~~
Just as Yang Cheng was pushed to the edge of the challenge stage, a dragon’s roar echoed.
Behind him, his Wind Sword Martial Soul faintly manifested a dragon’s shadow, as if the soul was entwined by a divine dragon.
At that moment, a terrifying surge of true essence erupted from his body, charging straight toward Ling Xiao.
Boom—
A deafening explosion rang out. Below the stage, a dozen outer disciples watching were blasted back, covered in blood, clearly gravely injured.
Some had every bone in their body shattered.
“Send them for treatment! Everyone else, back off!” Elder Bai’s voice rang out.
He hadn’t expected this battle to take such a turn.
Yang Cheng had broken through at the critical moment, reaching a transformative state, creating a terrifying phenomenon akin to a dragon’s roar.
The power of this move was immense. Among the dozen injured outer disciples, four were top-30 quasi-inner disciples.
The rest were peak Ninth-Layer Martial Vein Martial Masters.
Yet they were injured so severely.
Wouldn’t Ling Xiao, a peak Eighth-Layer Martial Vein cultivator, be blasted to pieces?
Elder Bai was worried. If something happened to Ling Xiao, Hall Master Yang would have his head!
But as the smoke cleared, Ling Xiao hovered in midair, unscathed.
Not even his clothes were dirtied.
In that split second, Ling Xiao had analyzed the terrifying nature of Yang Cheng’s attack. He abandoned his plan to counterattack and instead used Cloud Dragon Divine Movement to soar into the air, effortlessly dodging the strike.
Unfortunately, the martial artists watching behind him suffered.
Looking at Yang Cheng, his face was grim, his clothes tattered, and his body bore several bloodied wounds.
Yet his injuries had already healed.
His aura had stabilized, though his breathing was slightly labored.
Seeing Ling Xiao land gracefully, a trace of fear flickered in Yang Cheng’s eyes.
This was supposed to be a casual fight—swat a fly and claim a thousand-year golden snow lotus.
But he never imagined the fly would turn into an ancient beast, leaving him scrambling.
If he hadn’t broken through under immense pressure, he’d likely have lost already.
What luck!
“Ling Xiao’s just too terrifying. How is he this strong?”
“Yeah, even Yang Cheng can’t gain the slightest advantage. Li Anle’s loss wasn’t unjust!”
“Hmph, it’s not just failing to gain an advantage. Look at them—Yang Cheng’s a mess, while Ling Xiao’s completely composed. I can’t even tell who the Half-Step Grandmaster is anymore.”
The crowd had retreated far back, but it didn’t stop their discussions.
“In my opinion, Ling Xiao’s only strong in movement and attack. His defense is probably pathetic,” said a quasi-inner disciple, a Half-Step Grandmaster.
“Why?” asked Liu Qiang, another quasi-inner disciple nearby.
“It’s simple. Haven’t you noticed? From the start, Ling Xiao avoids clashing directly with Yang Cheng. Whenever Yang Cheng’s attack might hurt him, he dodges immediately. That proves his body is weak, and his defense is fragile. Many martial artists are like that, aren’t they?”
The quasi-inner disciple spoke with confidence.
“You’re right, Senior Brother. Ling Xiao may have the upper hand now, but if Brother Yang lands a hit, he’s done for,” said Li Anle.
After treatment, though his injuries hadn’t fully healed, he could at least speak. He supported the quasi-inner disciple’s view.
“I’m not so sure,” someone countered.
