Facing Ling Xiao, Jin Ming had to muster one hundred and twenty percent of his focus, unleashing his full strength.
Otherwise, he knew victory would be impossible.
“Hm?”
Ling Xiao felt his body being pulled as if by some force, hurtling towards Jin Ming’s hands.
“This move is intriguing!”
While others gasped in shock, he still had the composure to comment on the technique.
“Mammoth Water Spray!”
Water absorption and water spray were two moves designed to be used together.
Absorption could forcibly drag an enemy close, though it required immense true essence to succeed.
The spray condensed true essence into a single point, blasting the enemy away.
Its destructive power was far greater than Mammoth Charge or Mammoth Trample.
Ling Xiao could sense Jin Ming’s true essence gathering in his fists, the terrifying force even drawing in the surrounding air, forming a small vortex.
This was no joke, even without experiencing it, Ling Xiao knew this attack was formidable.
Nine Demon Divine Art, Demonisation!
Building on the Heavenly Dragon Golden Body, Ling Xiao’s body rapidly demonised, a layer of pitch-black energy forming a barrier around him.
Boom,
Jin Ming’s fists unleashed their full power.
At point-blank range.
First, the Heavenly Dragon Scale Armour began to shatter.
Then, the demonised body of the Ferocious Beast Demon King started to disintegrate.
Ling Xiao felt as if his body had been struck by a mountain moving at high speed.
He was sent flying over a dozen zhang, tumbling several times in the air before finally landing.
A trace of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
“Hahaha, exhilarating!”
Thud, thud, thud!
Though Jin Ming was the aggressor, Ling Xiao’s Heavenly Dragon Scale Armour had a rebound effect, so after blasting Ling Xiao away, Jin Ming staggered back seven or eight steps, his blood churning, feeling deeply uncomfortable.
His expression turned grim.
Understandably so.
He had thought this sudden attack would utterly crush Ling Xiao.
Yet, it seemed Ling Xiao had only sustained minor injuries, nothing too severe.
Worse still, what he couldn’t accept was that, according to rumours, Ling Xiao’s true strength lay in swordsmanship.
But until now, facing him, Ling Xiao hadn’t even drawn his sword!
Fear began to take root deep in his heart.
Unease grew.
This was entirely normal, when you attack an opponent with all your might, only to find them casually neutralising your strikes.
Moreover, this opponent hadn’t even used their true method of attack.
Clang!
The Ice Dragon Sword appeared in Ling Xiao’s hand, gleaming with a chilling light.
This was his first time wielding a rare treasure, and it indeed felt far superior to fine or common treasures.
“Though I’m not fond of you, you’ve kept me entertained for quite a while, so I’ll send you off this world with my sword! Consider it a courtesy!”
With the rare treasure in hand, Ling Xiao’s aura shifted abruptly.
If before he was like an impregnable vajra, now he was a drawn sword, radiating cold light and surging with killing intent.
“Gulp~~”
Jin Ming swallowed hard.
Though he wanted to retort, he couldn’t.
His opponent’s strength far exceeded his expectations, it seemed he truly couldn’t hold back.
Taking a deep breath, a pair of glowing gauntlets appeared on his hands.
Judging by their aura, they were also rare treasures.
In terms of weaponry, both were on equal footing.
Who would win or lose now depended entirely on their execution and inherent strength.
…
On the Deathmatch Tower, the two combatants paused momentarily, each revealing their weapons.
On one side, the Ice Dragon Sword.
On the other, the Ivory Gauntlets.
Below the Deathmatch Tower, the onlookers were filled with unspoken astonishment.
From the start of the fight until now, though Ling Xiao had been injured, it was clear he hadn’t been suppressed by Jin Ming.
In fact, he seemed to hold a slight advantage.
Especially after enduring Jin Ming’s terrifying combo, he merely spat out a thread of blood, this was simply a true monster.
“This Ling Xiao is too terrifying, he actually has strength on par with Jin Ming!”
“Nonsense, Jin Ming hasn’t used his full power yet, he’s probably only at eighty percent.”
“You’re the one spouting nonsense, haven’t you seen that Ling Xiao only just drew his sword? His most fearsome skill is his swordsmanship!”
“Exactly, I keep getting this feeling that Ling Xiao, up to now, is still holding back.”
“No way, how strong would that make him? Could he already be a Mortal Realm martial artist? But his cultivation seems to be only at the peak of Martial Vein Eighth Layer, right?”
“Something feels off, in the moments of his attacks and defences, there seems to be a fleeting aura of Martial Vein Ninth Layer peak, but it’s unclear if it’s actually his.”
“Haha, is that even possible? When Ling Xiao joined, he was only at the late stage of Martial Vein Eighth Layer, it’s only been a month, even if he’s a genius, reaching the early stage of Martial Vein Ninth Layer would be impressive, peak Ninth Layer? That’s a joke.”
“I think it’s impossible too, many Martial Vein Ninth Layer peak martial artists have died in the Deathmatch Tower, it could be residual aura.”
Regardless of the crowd’s discussions, their view of Ling Xiao had already shifted.
His strength had automatically been ranked among the top three of the outer sect.
What was thought to be a foolish death wish had turned into a dazzling, radiant performance.
From the start until now, the two on the Deathmatch Tower had exchanged only seven or eight moves, but their back-and-forth clearly showed both gains and losses.
But the critical moment was coming.
Snow Lotus Sword Art, Ice Heart!
Snow Lotus Sword Art, Flying Snow!
After the fourth move, Ice Heart, came the first move, Flying Snow.
Ling Xiao’s martial soul swiftly transformed, a dark cloud enveloping his head, biting cold winds swirling as snowflakes fell from the cloud.
He slowly raised the Ice Dragon Sword, a seemingly casual motion that carried an overwhelmingly terrifying pressure.
Jin Ming even felt his movements grow sluggish and stiff.
On the sword’s blade, icy true essence rapidly condensed.
This strike was as swift as lightning.
A single thrust, like dancing snowflakes.
Yet the gentle snowflakes seemed like deadly weapons of slaughter.
As if capable of reaping all life.
Stranger still, Ling Xiao stood there, yet seemed to blend into the very fabric of nature, his powerful momentum inspiring profound fear.
“This kid has actually comprehended the use of ‘momentum’!”
Yuan Zun’s eyes lit up, a trace of delight appearing.
The so-called “momentum” was an advanced method of wielding martial techniques, borrowing the forces of nature to multiply a move’s power and aura several times, making it utterly terrifying.
Some could harness the momentum of mountains.
Some could harness the momentum of wind.
Others could harness the momentum of the earth.
And some could even harness the momentum of the heavens.
