Ling Xiao believed that instead of waiting for the Black Dragon King and his forces to hunt him down in the valley, it would be better to prepare everything here and stage an ambush.
The effect would be greater, and the battle would be easier.
Having just broken through to the peak of the Seventh Layer Mortal Realm and upgraded his Mountain River Martial Soul, he now needed a thrilling battle to temper his cultivation.
In truth, he could push his cultivation even higher, but he chose not to.
Hasty advancement offered no benefits.
He was deliberately suppressing his cultivation.
After this battle—or even during it—once he fully adapted to the peak of the Seventh Layer Mortal Realm, he could unleash his full power.
Then, he would become an invincible warrior within the Seventh Layer Mortal Realm.
Truly unrivaled in his realm!
On either side of the dark path stretched dense jungles and towering mountains.
No human presence, only the low growls or piercing cries of wild beasts echoing in the night.
A moonless, windy night.
The perfect time for killing!
Suddenly, his gaze fixed on the distance, where vague figures approached rapidly.
Traveling such a distance, even the Black Dragon King wouldn’t rely solely on movement techniques—he’d use mounts.
Ling Xiao could see dozens of one-eyed giant beasts used as mounts, charging toward him.
Most were seventh-level ferocious beasts, some eighth-level, not particularly strong.
But their sheer size was intimidating—ordinary people would likely go weak in the knees before fighting.
Ling Xiao’s pupils turned golden, allowing him to see clearly even from dozens of miles away. There were dozens of one-eyed giant beasts and hundreds of earth dragons.
These were sub-dragon creatures, formidable outside the Moonflower Pagoda but limited to sixth or seventh-level beast strength inside due to the seal’s effect.
Still, they were fast and stable, ideal mounts.
Farther back were thousands of various mounts, not seeming like the Black Dragon King’s subordinates but rather spectators, trailing at a distance with different banners.
It was as if they were signaling Ling Xiao to distinguish them.
Regardless, the Black Dragon King and his forces had finally arrived.
Ling Xiao let out a long breath.
He hated waiting, but thankfully, this wait wasn’t long.
“Stop!”
At about a mile away, the Black Dragon King raised his hand, halting the entire group.
Due to momentum, they advanced a few hundred meters before stopping.
The Black Dragon King’s soul force locked onto Ling Xiao.
Among the arrivals, his cultivation was the strongest, and his perception was impressive.
This was expected—how else could he have killed the old Dragon Emperor and claimed the throne?
The Black Dragon King’s gem-like eyes gleamed with ferocity, like twin ghostly flames in the dark night.
Ling Xiao could feel the overwhelming dragon might in his gaze, attempting to subdue him entirely.
Worthy of the Black Dragon King.
Worthy of a battle-hardened half-step Heavenly Venerate!
Far superior to that foolish Bai Feifei.
“You’ve broken through? Mid-Seventh Layer Mortal Realm?” the Black Dragon King noted.
Ling Xiao’s template was set to mid-Seventh Layer to avoid revealing his true strength, making it easier to lure the enemy into underestimating him.
Even the Black Dragon King couldn’t see through the Mountain River Martial Soul’s template ability.
He couldn’t before, and now, with the soul upgraded, he certainly couldn’t.
“Correct. I heard you were hunting me, so I waited here to greet you,” Ling Xiao said with a faint smile.
“Hahaha, don’t bluff! You think I don’t know? You have no ambush here!” the Black Dragon King laughed.
Ling Xiao replied calmly, “Ambush? Against the likes of you, do I need one? I, Ling Xiao, am enough! Today, you’ll all be buried here. It’s that simple!”
His Purple Lightning Sword and Rain-Covering Sword were planted on either side, his eyes brimming with resolve and confidence.
“Hahaha…”
Roars of laughter erupted from those atop the one-eyed beasts and earth dragons.
They treated it as a joke.
Defeating the Poison Dragon King by luck didn’t justify such arrogance.
The hundreds who came were the Black Dragon King’s elite, with dozens at or above the Eighth Layer Mortal Realm.
Could Ling Xiao, no matter how strong, handle so many?
“Your Majesty, let me deal with this one,” said a man in black.
The dragon race knew him only as a guard brought by the Imperial Preceptor, unaware he was a master sent by the Black Spirit Organization to target Ling Xiao.
His cultivation matched the Poison Dragon King’s.
Though aware Ling Xiao had taken her pearl, he believed it was due to her carelessness.
Whoosh!
The Black Spirit master leaped from his one-eyed beast, swift as a crossbow bolt, reaching Ling Xiao in an instant and striking with a palm.
His movements were like a fierce dragon, his palm force like thunder.
True essence formed a bizarre vortex, its golden-yellow light twisting wildly.
The strike shattered the surrounding trees.
Black Spirit Martial Technique: Heaven-Shattering Palm!
A Ninth Layer Mortal Realm invincible warrior’s aura was overwhelming.
His killing intent, forged through countless slaughters, was palpable. He specialized in this technique, executed with masterful precision.
Rumors claimed a Black Spirit of this level could kill an eighth-level beast with one palm!
Yet Ling Xiao’s eyes seemed to ignore the man’s existence. Without drawing his sword, he casually pointed a finger.
The finger seemed feeble, lacking any grandeur compared to the Heaven-Shattering Palm.
“Hahaha, the Poison Dragon King lost to a weakling like you? With your true essence and cultivation, you dare claim you’ll kill the Black Dragon King? Talk about overestimating yourself! A mantis trying to stop a chariot—that’s you!” the Black Spirit master mocked, laughing wildly.
Pfft!
But the next moment, as his words fell and laughter lingered, Ling Xiao’s finger force transformed. A dragon’s roar seemed to echo, as if thunder descended.
A terrifying aura spread from Ling Xiao’s body.
The Black Spirit master felt as if he were facing the entire world.
Ling Xiao hadn’t even used the Mountain River Will—just an ordinary finger strike from his upgraded *Nine Veins Qi Sword* produced such a fearsome effect.
The qi sword pierced the void, reaching the Black Spirit master in an instant.
