Liu Qiang shook his head and said, “Who told you that having strong attacks and agility means you can’t also have formidable defence?”
“Liu Qiang, have you ever seen anyone perfectly master all three?” Li Anle asked.
“Not really,” Liu Qiang admitted after some thought. A person’s energy is limited; if they spread it across too many areas, it’s impossible to perfect them all.
Ling Xiao’s attacks and agility had undoubtedly reached the level of a half-step master, even standing out among others at that level.
Balancing these two aspects was already a rare feat, achieved by only a handful.
To excel in defence as well?
That was simply impossible. Was Ling Xiao even human?
“Alright, maybe his defence isn’t strong, but it’s not likely to be too weak either,” Liu Qiang conceded, unable to hold firm to his argument.
“Even if his defence isn’t too weak, facing Brother Yang’s attacks, unless his defence reaches half-step master level, he’ll be instantly killed. Believe it?” Li Anle said with a smug smile.
Initially, he had been worried, but after this analysis, his confidence in Yang Cheng surged.
Liu Qiang didn’t respond. Having been defeated by Yang Cheng before, he knew how powerful Yang’s attacks were.
Now that Yang Cheng had broken through to the Transformation Realm, his attacks would only be stronger.
“Sigh, could it be that Ling Xiao is just a fleeting meteor, rising briefly only to fall?” Liu Qiang mused. Deep down, he hoped Ling Xiao could defy the norm—not just because he wanted revenge for losing to Yang Cheng, but because if someone could break this convention, it meant he might have a chance too.
It gave him a sliver of confidence.
But after Li Anle and another near-inner disciple’s analysis, his expectations crumbled.
Indeed, it was just a flash in the pan.
How could a peak eighth-grade Martial Vein warrior possibly stand against a half-step master?
Defence was Ling Xiao’s fatal weakness!
“Ling Xiao, your arrogance ends here! I admit I underestimated you, but next, you’ll face my most ruthless counterattack! I’ll make you understand the cost of injuring a near-inner disciple!”
Yang Cheng’s wounds had fully healed.
As long as it wasn’t a severed limb, such recovery was trivial for a half-step master.
The frenzied true essence he’d used to attack Ling Xiao surged again, the giant sword wrapped in howling winds behind him sounding more menacing than ever.
In that moment, Yang Cheng’s aura peaked.
It faintly carried the presence of a Mortal Realm warrior.
Ling Xiao frowned slightly.
He had to admit, Yang Cheng was now far stronger than before.
*Gulp!*
The audience swallowed hard, awaiting the tense moment to come.
“Storm Dragon Transformation · Roaring Storm Dragon!”
Yang Cheng slowly raised his sword. In that instant, his eyes saw no one else—Ling Xiao was completely locked in his aura.
The sword was enveloped in a layer of tangible true essence.
Compressed!
Compressed!
Compressed again!
The true essence was condensed to its limit, as if it could explode at any moment.
*Roar~~*
As Yang Cheng swung his sword, a dragon’s cry—no, a dragon’s roar—echoed.
From the sword burst a bizarre spiral sword qi, twisting like a coiling divine dragon.
*Buzz~~*
The air warped under the pressure.
The spiral sword qi, initially just a foot long, exploded in size when it was two or three metres from Ling Xiao.
In Ling Xiao’s eyes, it was as if a storm dragon was tearing through the void, lunging to swallow him whole.
“This Yang Cheng—not only has he broken through to the Transformation Realm, but he’s also mastered a killing move. Ling Xiao’s in real trouble now,” Elder Bai sighed. He hadn’t expected that all of Ling Xiao’s efforts would end up paving the way for Yang Cheng. Not only did he fail to defeat Yang, but the immense pressure pushed Yang to break through his inner technique’s limits and master a devastating killing move.
Under this unprecedentedly powerful technique, Ling Xiao felt his true essence flow sluggishly, his chest weighed down as if by a boulder, his breathing laboured.
Locked by this move, he knew he couldn’t rely on agility to dodge.
The move’s speed surpassed his own.
Not letting me dodge?
Fine, I won’t dodge!
What he needed now was defence.
His martial soul shifted again.
Thunder Bear Martial Soul!
Yes, a complete martial soul, not a fragment!
After joining the Moonlight Sect, he’d noticed that all outer disciples’ martial souls were complete.
At first, he didn’t understand why.
Later, Elder Yang explained that with the reappearance of the Mountain River Martial Soul, the Moonlight Sect’s Moonlight Pagoda had regained its former power.
Anyone who joined the sect would have their fragmented martial soul rapidly restored and strengthened until it became complete.
This was why Dai Yuling’s martial soul was nearly complete.
Ling Xiao’s fragmented soul was already more advanced than hers.
By now, his fragments had fully transformed into a complete martial soul, though further progress would be slower and require steady effort.
The Moonlight Pagoda’s role was limited to perfecting fragmented souls.
He believed other sects likely had similar mechanisms.
With the Thunder Bear Martial Soul active, Ling Xiao didn’t stop reinforcing his defence.
Third Layer—Heavenly Dragon Scale Armour!
—Full Demonisation!
Ling Xiao’s body underwent a dramatic transformation, now resembling a dragon warrior clad in golden scales.
In this state, a sword wasn’t ideal, so he sheathed his Snowfall Sword and faced Yang Cheng with his fists.
*Crackle!*
Lightning surged from the Thunder Bear Martial Soul, enveloping his fists.
No, more accurately, his dragon claws.
—Thunder Slaughter!
Under the Thunder Bear Martial Soul, the Divine Prison King Fist’s power skyrocketed, its aura no less imposing than Yang Cheng’s sword move.
But Ling Xiao knew this move wasn’t for attacking—it was to offset part of Yang Cheng’s sword strike’s power.
Otherwise, his body wouldn’t withstand it.
In an instant, a thunderous boom erupted as the lightning-wreathed dragon claws struck the storm dragon.
*Boom!*
The storm dragon and dragon claws collided, two terrifying forces intertwining in a deafening roar. A terrifying true essence vortex formed between them.
The two distinct true essences clashed without immediately determining a victor.
The spectators below watched, breathless, hearts pounding.
On the challenge platform, neither combatant yielded.
*Boom!*
After a full breath, an explosive crack finally rang out.
