The experts from Beast King Palace and Sword King Sect were stunned. Ling Xiao’s strength far exceeded their expectations.
When Ying Wuya climbed up from the ground, he was completely dazed.
Back in Plague Valley, Ling Xiao was merely an outer disciple of Yuehua Sect, his strength worlds apart from Ying Wuya’s.
Now, both were core disciples, yet Ying Wuya had lost so decisively.
He even wondered if, had Ling Xiao gone all out from the start, he could have lasted nine moves. Perhaps five or six at most.
Seeing Ling Xiao’s victory, Jian Wuji, whose eyes had been closed, opened them again. He murmured to himself, “I never expected to encounter such talent at the Three Sects’ Martial Assembly. With only peak Ninth Mortal Realm cultivation, he so easily defeated someone at thirty percent Half-Step Heavenly Venerate!”
To Jian Wuji, only the Holy Son was a true genius.
But Ling Xiao’s performance seemed no less impressive than the Holy Son’s.
Should he defeat this fellow here today?
Jian Wuji felt a stir of eagerness.
No, better not. Defeating him would only spur him to work harder. It would be wiser to eliminate him quietly.
A ruthless killing intent flashed in Jian Wuji’s eyes, brief but revealing his belief that Ling Xiao had become a threat.
To him, if Ling Xiao wasn’t stopped soon, this youth could become a second Holy Son, impossible to suppress.
Though his current rivals were the other five of the Holy Dynasty’s Six Young Masters, a rising star like Ling Xiao could not be underestimated.
After Ling Xiao defeated Ying Wuya, the atmosphere in the Sword Pavilion grew tense.
Ying Wuya was Beast King Palace’s second-ranked core disciple, while Ling Xiao was only Yuehua Sect’s fourth-ranked core disciple.
A fourth defeating a second was already hard to accept, especially since Ling Xiao’s cultivation was merely peak Ninth Mortal Realm, completely mismatched with his strength.
If Ling Xiao could also defeat Ba Tianhu, it would utterly crush Beast King Palace. Yuehua Sect’s name would at least rank among the top two in the eastern region, and its standing among the twelve sects would surely rise.
The Beast King Palace Leader’s face darkened, and he said nothing.
Just yesterday, he had mocked Yuehua Sect outside Sword King Sect. Now, retribution had come swiftly.
It seemed only Ba Tianhu could salvage some face for Beast King Palace. Otherwise, today would be a complete humiliation.
“Ba Tianhu, the honour of our Beast King Palace rests on you. If you lose, don’t bother coming back!” the Beast King Palace Leader said coldly, glaring at Ba Tianhu.
Though Ying Wuya was his most valued disciple, Ba Tianhu’s cultivation was significantly higher. Defeating Ling Xiao should be no issue.
“Wait!” As Ba Tianhu prepared to step forward, Chen Meng stood up.
“Brother Ba, rest for a moment. My fight with Ling Xiao hasn’t happened yet.”
Ling Xiao smiled faintly. So, both of them saw him as a chance to crush Yuehua Sect, thinking he was an easy target?
“No need for the trouble. Both of you, come at me together,” Ling Xiao said with a half-smile, looking at Chen Meng and Ba Tianhu.
Truth be told, if they both attacked, he’d have to enter his Ancient Golden Dragon form.
There was another option: using a sealing card.
But the sealing card was a life-saving measure, and he was reluctant to use it now. The Ancient Golden Dragon form, he didn’t want to reveal in front of so many people either.
If it came to it, he’d test the limits of his potential.
Challenging battles were what drove growth. If the fight was too easy, the value of the sparring would diminish.
“Such arrogance!”
“You think beating Ying Wuya makes you something special? In our eyes, you’re still nothing!”
Ba Tianhu and Chen Meng both believed they could defeat Ling Xiao. Teaming up? That would be dishonourable, even if they won.
Ling Xiao’s words shocked everyone from the three sects.
Arrogant people were common, but someone this brazen was a first.
A mere peak Ninth Mortal Realm martial artist daring to challenge two fifty percent Half-Step Heavenly Venerates at once was utterly audacious.
“How about this? Stop arguing. Ling Xiao just fought, so let him rest. You two fight first. The winner can face Ling Xiao,” Jian Wuji said slowly.
“Fair enough.”
Both respected and feared Jian Wuji, so they dared not defy him.
“Ling Xiao, go rest,” Jian Wuji said to him in a commanding tone.
Ling Xiao smiled. “Thanks for the kindness, Brother Jian, but no need. If they won’t come together, then you come. I don’t care who I fight.”
“Insolent! You think you’re worthy of facing Brother Wuji?” Chen Meng snapped.
Jian Wuji was not only her senior brother but also the object of her unspoken affection. She couldn’t tolerate anyone disrespecting him.
She leapt into the arena, attacking Ling Xiao.
Seeing this, Ba Tianhu stepped back. He couldn’t possibly team up with Chen Meng against Ling Xiao.
After all, this was a spar, not a deathmatch.
The Beast King Palace Leader said nothing. The situation had unfolded unexpectedly, and he could only take it one step at a time.
If Chen Meng defeated Ling Xiao, and Ba Tianhu then defeated Chen Meng, it might not be a bad outcome.
Watching Chen Meng’s twin swords, Ling Xiao stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm, though a strange glint flickered in his eyes.
Chen Meng’s thrust suddenly halted, and she retreated several steps, her heart filled with shock.
What just happened?
Why did I retreat?
What was that feeling?
Why did it feel like a god of hell was staring at me?
Chen Meng didn’t know why she reacted this way, but she couldn’t help retreating.
To onlookers, it seemed like she was conceding.
“Chen Meng, surrender now, or you’ll fall into an abyss of no return!”
Behind Ling Xiao appeared the shadow of Ye Gushan, his pupils turning a terrifying blood-red. A killing intent, paired with an overwhelming aura, surged towards Chen Meng.
“No…”
Chen Meng refused to surrender.
But in the next moment, she suddenly noticed that the people seated in the Sword Pavilion seemed to radiate intense killing intent towards her. They sneered, stood up, and approached her.
The sensation was so real she couldn’t tell if it was an illusion.
“You filthy woman, die! I’ll never love you. You’ll only ever be a burden!”
Jian Wuji’s figure lunged forward, a sword light flashing. Chen Meng felt her body begin to disintegrate, as if sliced apart by the sword.
