“With just you, you’re not worth my time. Wait until Ming Tian arrives, and all four of you can come at me together. Maybe then you’ll last a bit longer!”
Ling Xiao glanced at Yue Ren with disdain.
This person barely registered in his memory. He couldn’t fathom why this guy harboured such deep hatred towards him.
His cultivation wasn’t bad, but compared to Ling Xiao, it was far inferior.
“Arrogant!”
“Boastful nonsense!”
Bai Feifei and Tantai Lingzi erupted in anger almost simultaneously.
Ling Xiao gave a faint smile. He genuinely planned to take on all four of them. Fighting them one by one was frankly too dull.
In the entire Moonlight Sect, aside from Ren Xingtian, who had just advanced to the Celestial Realm, no other disciple could possibly be his match.
That included his senior sister, Lan Yuer.
He didn’t know how strong Tantai Lingzi had become, but he was confident his progress surpassed hers.
With all the advantages he’d gained, if he let Tantai Lingzi widen the gap, he might as well find a block of tofu and smash his head into it.
Still, he figured they wouldn’t gang up on him, as it would be beneath them.
Moreover, the core disciple ranking battles didn’t allow such tactics. It was the rule, and he had no intention of breaking it, especially since Wu Xiang was now the sect leader. He needed to play by the rules.
“Fine then, you, what’s your name, Yue Ren, right? Come on, step up if you’re not afraid of embarrassing yourself.”
Ling Xiao had no intention of challenging Tantai Lingzi directly. He wanted to defeat these opponents one by one on this stage to prove himself.
Crushing their confidence entirely would be the best outcome.
When it came to enemies, one should be ruthless.
“Yue Ren, be careful. This guy might use some sinister tricks. Try to stall him to give us a chance to observe him!” Bai Feifei warned.
Though Yue Ren felt irritated, he nodded, “Understood, Senior Sister Bai.”
But in his heart, he thought: Senior Sister Bai, you won’t need to step in. This Ling Xiao doesn’t seem that strong, just early eighth-level Mortal Realm cultivation, weaker than mine. How could I possibly lose to him?
Ling Xiao was currently using an early eighth-level Mortal Realm template.
Otherwise, he worried they’d be too scared to even face him.
On the stage, Ling Xiao and Yue Ren stood opposite each other, locking eyes.
The inner sect square was growing crowded with spectators.
Yue Ren’s heart was a mix of complexity and fury.
Back when Ling Xiao entered the inner sect trials as an outer disciple, Yue Ren hadn’t even bothered to glance at him.
Yet, in such a short time, this kid dared to dismiss him so blatantly.
With his immense pride, Yue Ren found it hard to stay calm.
To be fair, Yue Ren had never fought Ling Xiao before. All he knew of Ling Xiao’s prowess was hearsay.
Seeing is believing, and hearing is deceiving.
Yue Ren refused to believe Ling Xiao could surpass him in such a short time.
He was determined to show everyone that he, Yue Ren, was no mere side character. He was the protagonist of this battle!
“If you don’t make a move soon, you won’t get the chance!” Ling Xiao said, smirking at Yue Ren.
He had no deep grudge against Yue Ren, so he didn’t plan to go too hard, hoping to leave him some dignity.
But Yue Ren didn’t appreciate the gesture.
“Insolent fool, all you’ve got is a sharp tongue! I’ve taken Elder Jin as my master, and we’re sworn enemies!” Yue Ren roared.
“Pity. Knowing I’m at odds with Elder Jin, you still chose him as your master. Looks like you’re really asking for a beating,” Ling Xiao sighed.
“Enough talk, take this!”
Yue Ren bellowed, his longsword trembling as true essence surged, unleashing a massive sword qi that shot towards Ling Xiao.
The stage was marked with a dark gash from the sword qi. Without the protective array, it might have been split in two.
Even so, the mark was strikingly clear.
“That’s Senior Brother Yue Ren’s strongest move—One Sword Eastward!”
“No wonder it’s so powerful!”
“Exactly! I once saw Senior Brother Yue Ren use this move to instantly kill an early eighth-level Mortal Realm martial artist!”
The crowd of inner sect disciples gasped and shouted.
Yue Ren’s weapon was naturally a precious treasure.
For Mortal Realm martial artists, precious treasures were the most suitable. Immortal-grade treasures were less effective, as they couldn’t be properly wielded.
Yue Ren had perfectly combined his sword with his martial techniques, creating an exceptionally sharp sword move.
Behind him, a faint shadow of an unsheathed blade could be seen—likely his sword martial soul.
“Sharp tongue or not, you’re not worth my effort!” Ling Xiao said, smiling lightly at Yue Ren, seemingly unfazed by the attack.
“Bullshit!” Yue Ren roared, his sword glowing brighter as the terrifying sword qi closed in on Ling Xiao.
“Roar!”
At that moment, Ling Xiao suddenly opened his mouth and let out a thunderous shout.
An invisible force burst from his mouth, not only neutralizing Yue Ren’s sword qi but also striking Yue Ren, sending him flying.
This wasn’t the Dragon’s Roar, though it was similar.
Inspired by the Dragon’s Roar, Ling Xiao had created a new technique—Dragon Shout.
Usable in human form, it infused dragon might with the will of mountains and rivers to overwhelm opponents, delivering both physical and spiritual damage.
*Thud!*
“Ahh!”
Yue Ren screamed as he was blasted back, barely stabilizing himself at the edge of the stage with his sword.
But the scene was bizarre.
He had attacked Ling Xiao, yet Ling Xiao stood unscathed, while Yue Ren was bleeding from all seven orifices.
“How is this possible!”
“What kind of technique is that? Winning a fight just by opening his mouth?”
“That’s absurd!”
“I must be seeing things!”
Not only were most disciples shocked, but even some deacons and elders were stunned.
Ling Xiao’s attack was truly unexpected.
“You bastard, you’re looking down on me!” Yue Ren was furious. Ling Xiao had humiliated him without even lifting a hand. If he fought seriously, how bad would it get?
“Yep, I am looking down on you,” Ling Xiao nodded. “To think you’d take that shameless Elder Jin as your master. You’re no good either. I’ll spare your life today, so get off the stage and save yourself some pain!”
“Senior Brother Ling, please stand up for me!”
Suddenly, a female disciple shouted from below, pushing through the crowd to the stage.
“What’s going on?” Ling Xiao asked, frowning.
“This Yue Ren is scum! He not only forced himself on me but threatened to kill me if I spoke out. He’s always been close to Elder Jin, so I didn’t dare say anything before. Please, Senior Brother Ling, seek justice for me!” the female disciple cried loudly.
