“The Holy Son lives up to the name. This is just the beginning, but Ling Xiao is about to fall. Once the Heavenly Mechanism Sword Technique is fully unleashed, Ling Xiao will be defeated instantly!”
Ling Xiao had heard of the Heavenly Mechanism Martial Soul.
He didn’t care.
Though powerful, it was said to be merely a substitute for the Mountain and River Martial Soul.
Its strength was less than a ten-thousandth of the Mountain and River Martial Soul, at best reaching the level of the Twelve Immortal Souls, not even matching the Nine Dragon Souls.
It was likely created because the Human King feared his descendants couldn’t inherit the Mountain and River Martial Soul, so he kindly made this alternative.
Having a great ancestor was indeed a stroke of luck.
Ling Xiao didn’t care, but the Heavenly King Sect disciples and the Holy Dynasty’s youths were thrilled.
Even Sikong Zun and the Holy Emperor nodded approvingly at Ji Mingkong’s performance.
“It seems we were overly concerned,” the Holy Emperor said with a smile.
“Indeed. The third level is only equivalent to a Jade-grade rare martial art, but with Mingkong’s early Dual Harmony Heaven cultivation, Ling Xiao has no chance unless he has a trump card,” Sikong Zun said, nodding with a smile.
Holding the Purple Lightning Sword, countless golden inscriptions flickered in Ling Xiao’s pupils.
The Mountain and River Martial Soul was analysing his opponent’s sword technique.
This was his first encounter with such a technique, so he needed to understand it before continuing, or he’d be fighting at a disadvantage.
“The Holy Son truly lives up to the name, wielding a Jade-grade rare martial art so effortlessly. I’m impressed!” Ling Xiao said, though his face showed no trace of admiration.
He swung the Purple Lightning Sword again, thunder booming.
His body seemed enveloped in lightning.
With a whoosh, he suddenly surged forward, a pair of golden dragon wings sprouting behind him, boosting his speed tenfold. In an instant, he was before Ji Mingkong.
Ji Mingkong was fast, thanks to her superior cultivation. Ling Xiao needed his tenth Human-Dragon form and Golden Light Dragon Wings to gain a slight edge.
Amid the Purple Lightning Sword’s electric glow, faint black-gold flames burned, carrying the aura of the underworld, unnoticed by anyone but Ling Xiao.
No one else could see it.
Ji Mingkong’s brows furrowed tighter as Ling Xiao charged at her with astonishing speed, matching hers despite her Mortal Realm advantage.
Her frown lasted only a moment before she thrust her sword through the air, forming a strange glowing orb at its tip.
“Heavenly Mechanism Sword Technique, First Transformation: Sword Cannon!”
Ling Xiao didn’t know what a Sword Cannon was, but this attack was far stronger than ordinary sword qi, exuding an overwhelming, fearsome force.
With a whoosh, the fist-sized orb shot toward him, spinning rapidly. Air blades formed around it, slicing through the air and creating a vacuum.
The attack hadn’t reached Ling Xiao, yet it left countless grooves on the arena.
“This arena was repaired for nothing,” a referee said with a bitter smile, helpless.
Ling Xiao blocked the terrifying Sword Cannon with his Purple Lightning Sword. It exploded in midair, the blinding orb like a miniature sun.
The impact halted Ling Xiao’s charge, forcing him to stop.
Ji Mingkong’s next attack followed swiftly.
“Holy Ancestor Long Fist: Unifying the Mysterious Realm!”
With a clear shout, Ji Mingkong held her sword in one hand and struck with a fist from the other.
Though diminished from its former glory, the technique was still formidable in her hands.
If it hit Ling Xiao, he’d be injured.
In a fight between equals, an injury often meant defeat was near.
The fist’s force enveloped the arena, as if the Human King’s holy statue appeared in the void, a massive fist crashing toward Ling Xiao’s head like a meteor.
Ling Xiao’s face remained impassive, but he was inwardly surprised.
Ji Mingkong’s mastery of a Gold-grade top-tier martial art was impressive.
But such an opponent was all the more thrilling.
He stepped forward, and an illusion-like pattern appeared on the arena. With a slight shift, he dodged the massive fist, which should have hit him but missed.
Even so, the residual force churned his blood, making him uncomfortable, as if struck by something.
That was just the spillover. A direct hit would’ve been worse.
“No time to catch your breath when fighting me!” Ji Mingkong’s cold voice rang out.
“Sword Cannon: Model Two!”
The same move, the same orb, but Ling Xiao could feel this Model Two was more powerful, faster, and infused with wind’s cutting effect.
Having mastered the Wind Phenomenon, he was familiar with it.
“Good! This time, I won’t dodge!” Ling Xiao declared.
Dodging minimised damage but felt unsatisfying, as the residual energy still caused pain.
Blocking head-on was different.
With equal or greater strength, he could negate all damage.
His Purple Lightning Sword surged with energy, growing larger, releasing terrifying power that stunned many onlookers.
Black-gold flames finally appeared outside the lightning, enveloping the sword, striking Ji Mingkong’s Sword Cannon with overwhelming force.
With a boom, the energies collided, exploding with a deafening blast.
The piercing light was like a sun bursting, forcing many martial artists to shut their eyes to avoid blindness.
Ji Mingkong’s eyes were affected, but only for an instant.
In that instant, a cyan figure shot through the light like a sharp arrow, thrusting toward her.
Though her vision was impaired, her superior cultivation and the Natural Dragon Soul’s keen senses allowed her to shift ten metres, narrowly dodging Ling Xiao’s ferocious strike.
With a crash, the cyan figure, wrapped in lightning, pierced the protective barrier, shattering it like an eggshell into countless cracks before it collapsed.
