“Are all disciples of the Heavenly King Sect so shameless? No matter, it was my fault for being distracted during the duel, and your sneak attack wasn’t wrong. But the problem is, even with a sneak attack, you couldn’t harm me. Isn’t that a bit too embarrassing?”
Ling Xiao seemed to have regained his senses.
At that moment, the massive eye above his head underwent a strange transformation. Its once sinister aura gradually turned profound and mysterious.
Enlightenment!
This was something warriors often spoke of, the ultimate goal of martial arts being the Three Thousand Great Paths. Ling Xiao hadn’t understood what that meant before. Now he did. Diligent practice was crucial, but sudden enlightenment was equally important.
Today, facing Mo Wushang, he had achieved such an enlightenment. Because of this, his Mountain and River Martial Soul fused with the Ghost Flame Martial Soul, giving birth to a new “Eye of the World.”
Mo Wushang was still reeling in shock, unable to comprehend why his Immortal Dark Flame had avoided Ling Xiao.
“Have you heard of the Power of Celestial Phenomena?” Ling Xiao suddenly asked. “Haven’t you noticed that my Eye of the World is emitting the Power of Celestial Phenomena with wind attributes?”
As the saying goes, understanding one principle unlocks all others. The Mountain and River World was a world in itself. When Ling Xiao infused it with the Power of Celestial Phenomena, it formed true celestial phenomena. However, the strength of these phenomena depended directly on Ling Xiao’s cultivation level.
Wind, rain, thunder, lightning, fog—Ling Xiao currently wielded these five types of celestial power, which existed within his Mountain and River World. When channelled through the Eye of the World, they combined the dual forces of Heavenly Essence and Soul Power, amplifying their might.
“The Power of Celestial Phenomena! Have you mastered it?” Mo Wushang, clearly knowledgeable, had heard of it.
“Correct,” Ling Xiao confirmed.
“To which level?” Mo Wushang asked.
“The fifth,” Ling Xiao replied.
“Hahaha, you fool! You’ve cultivated a martial art that guarantees death. I overestimated you,” Mo Wushang laughed heartily, smug.
“Guarantees death?” Ling Xiao frowned. “You seem to know a lot about this martial art.”
“Of course! Who in the Twelve Sects doesn’t? It’s the work of the mad Lotus Master, touted as a Golden Grade martial art but actually a scalable one. It requires the Nine Primordial Dragon Souls and the Twelve Sacred Flames to truly advance,” Mo Wushang said, grinning. “Fools keep trying it, only to die in droves. You won’t be an exception.”
“I see,” Ling Xiao thought, secretly delighted. No wonder his cultivation had advanced after obtaining the Primordial Hell Dragon Martial Soul. Chang Yueying and Chang Yueli of the Moonflower Sect likely knew but kept it from him. Now, clarity dawned on him.
“Mo Wushang, since you’ve shared this, I’ll give you ten moves. If you touch me within ten moves, I’ll concede. After ten, I’ll strike,” Ling Xiao said, unwilling to owe a debt.
“You dare insult me!” Mo Wushang roared.
“Begin. Ten moves,” Ling Xiao said calmly, standing still.
“You want death? I’ll grant it!” Mo Wushang was furious. No one, not even Ji Mingkong, had ever belittled him so. His demon eyes flashed, unleashing countless red beams like dazzling fireworks or crimson flying swords, enveloping Ling Xiao. Then he lunged, his massive claws slashing down after transforming.
His plan was simple: if Ling Xiao was letting him attack, he’d kill him.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh… Boom, boom, boom…
Blinding lights of annihilation and terrifying claws struck. Mo Wushang’s assault was fierce. Even Qin Bixue would need to transform to withstand it. Yet, Ling Xiao dodged every attack.
On the duelling stage, Ling Xiao moved as if strolling. Each step was profoundly precise, perfectly evading Mo Wushang’s strikes.
“One move left. Seize your chance. Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Ling Xiao said mid-step, still finding time to taunt.
“How does this Ling Xiao have such an extraordinary movement technique? Why didn’t he use it before?” a spectator wondered.
“Hey, did those earlier opponents deserve him using it to escape?” another replied.
“True. If he hadn’t promised Mo Wushang ten moves, he probably wouldn’t have bothered dodging like this.”
“Hahaha, there’s hope, there’s hope!”
“Hope for what?”
“Hope to defeat the Holy Son! At least he’s earned the right to challenge. With this technique, even the Holy Son would struggle to catch him.”
“Seems so.”
The crowd buzzed with excitement. Ling Xiao’s fight brought new surprises: first the Eye of the World, then the Cloud Dragon Divine Step: Illusion Array, an extraordinary movement technique. They felt the race for “Chosen One” had suspense again.
“Argh! Die! Demon Eye: Ultimate Strike!” Mo Wushang’s final move, hard to execute under pressure due to its long preparation, was made possible by Ling Xiao’s concession.
The heavens and earth seemed to shift, the space turning blood-red. A massive red beam gathered above the terrifying demon eye and shot out. The duelling stage shattered, forcing both fighters to battle in the void.
“Ten moves are up. Time for you to lose,” Ling Xiao said. His move was understated but devastating. He appeared beside Mo Wushang, his condensed air sword dotted with blood. A clear gash marked Mo Wushang’s neck.
“You’d better not move, or next time, it won’t be a mere scratch. Your head will roll,” Ling Xiao warned.
Mo Wushang was defiant. No one had ever let him attack ten times without a scratch. Ji Mingkong might, but it was untested. Yet, he couldn’t protest. The sting on his neck persisted, and if he moved, Ling Xiao could sever his head.
“Why no result?” Ling Xiao asked the referee’s bench coldly. “Chief Referee, I don’t know how I’ve offended you, but if you rig this match, the Holy Dynasty will lose face.”
“He hasn’t conceded. How can I declare?” the referee said, flushing, still clinging to his dignity.
