“Who knows? This kid has surprised us plenty of times already. One more wouldn’t be shocking.”
“Heh, if that’s the case, this is shaping up to be a fierce fight. I’m looking forward to what these two youngsters will pull out next to amaze us.”
On the other side, Yun Ya turned to the elderly man beside her. “Uncle, any results from the investigation I asked you to do?”
The old man shook his head. “It’s tough. We went to Tianfeng City, and everyone speaks highly of Ling Xiao, but almost no one knows about his past. All they know is he joined the Moonlight Sect.”
“What about the Moonlight Sect? Anything unusual there?”
“Hard to pin down. Since joining, Ling Xiao has broken records repeatedly, impressing everyone. The kid’s a genius, mastering everything he touches, from alchemy to array formation.”
“He can do alchemy?” Yun Ya frowned.
“Yes.”
“That’s interesting.” Yun Ya smiled, a hint of suspicion in her mind.
“Don’t overthink it, Yun Ya. He can’t be that mastermind behind the scenes. He’s too young,” the old man said, waving a hand, guessing her thoughts.
“Who knows? Maybe we’ll find out later.” Yun Ya just smiled, not arguing.
On the arena, new developments unfolded.
With a sharp cry, Ji Mingkong shattered Ling Xiao’s attack completely and stood firmly on the platform.
She was unharmed.
Some gasped in shock, while others sighed in relief.
The Heavenly King Sect members visibly relaxed.
Ji Mingkong, now in a new outfit, looked calmly at the impassive Ling Xiao. “You’ve truly exceeded my expectations. You’re the first in this Martial Arts Festival to injure me. I must admit, I underestimated you.”
“I didn’t underestimate you, but I might’ve overestimated you a bit,” Ling Xiao said with a smirk. “That last strike? If it were me, I’d never let an opponent succeed. For the Holy Son, failing to distinguish a clone from the real thing is pathetic.”
“Is that so? Too bad you don’t know I let you hit me on purpose, just to test your strength,” Ji Mingkong retorted sarcastically.
“Whether that’s true or not doesn’t matter. So, are you finally going to use your real strength? That performance just now didn’t feel like a Dual Harmony Heaven martial artist’s power,” Ling Xiao said.
He knew Ji Mingkong had been holding back, fighting him with only Heavenly Vein strength until his attack forced her to reveal her Dual Harmony Heaven cultivation.
She had no choice.
That strike was formidable. If she’d kept hiding her strength, she’d have been courting death.
“You’re right. You won’t get another chance. I represent not just the Heavenly King Sect but the Holy Dynasty’s royal family. Even without our bet, for the royal family’s prestige and the sect’s fortune, I must win,” Ji Mingkong declared.
“So you’re done holding back?”
“Exactly.”
As she spoke, her long dress and dark hair fluttered without wind, as if inflated by some force.
Her rising aura stemmed from her true cultivation and powerful Heavenly Essence Force.
“Hahaha, perfect! The Holy Son’s finally showing her true strength. With Dual Harmony Heaven cultivation, Ling Xiao’s doomed!” a spectator cheered.
The Heavenly King Sect disciples hadn’t grasped how much strength Ji Mingkong was using before, but the stark contrast in power now made it clear: she was getting serious.
The sun had risen, its blazing light flooding the arena, creating a sticky atmosphere, not just from the heat but from the tense mood.
At the Heavenly King Sect’s section, the sect’s elders were discussing the fight.
The current progress was far from pleasing.
“Sect Master, things aren’t looking good. The match just started, and the Holy Son’s already forced to use her true strength. This Ling Xiao is no pushover,” an inner sect elder said, his voice tinged with anxiety.
“You’re right, he’s not simple, but that’s all,” Sikong Zun said, shaking his head. “We’ve all seen Mingkong’s progress over the years. Even the Holy Emperor and I are shocked by her growth. Aside from Ji Fuling and Yu Xuanyue back in the day, no one compares.”
“I suppose I was overthinking,” the elder conceded.
“Haha, no need to worry so much. Even if Ling Xiao has hidden cards, don’t forget Mingkong has the special secret techniques granted by the Holy Dynasty and the Heavenly King Sect. He was destined to lose from the start,” Sikong Zun said.
The Holy Emperor laughed too. “Honestly, my only issue is that it doesn’t look great.”
“Exactly. Now that Mingkong’s using her true strength, this match is nearing its end,” Sikong Zun added.
On the arena, Ji Mingkong’s surging aura finally stabilised, clearly having unleashed all her hidden strength to end the fight quickly.
Her slender sword glowed green, with a faint dragon-like shape coiling around it.
Behind her, the shadow of an ancient Natural Dragon appeared.
With the Heavenly Mechanism Martial Soul and the Natural Dragon Soul, Ji Mingkong’s dual martial souls were undeniably formidable.
This left Mo Wushang, Bai Qianjiao, and others, who’d been slightly defiant, sighing in resignation.
They couldn’t catch up.
Their talents were already inferior, and Ji Mingkong possessed two rare, top-tier martial souls from the Mysterious Realm.
How could they compete?
They gave up, seeing no chance.
Their gazes turned to Ling Xiao, hoping to find despair on his face.
Instead, they saw an excited smile.
“Not bad, not bad. This level of strength is finally worth getting serious for!”
With a boom, Ling Xiao’s aura exploded, a thunderous roar echoing across the arena.
Terrifying black-gold flames fully enveloped his body, forming a layer of black-gold flame armour.
This wasn’t from any martial technique but a hallmark of Mortal Realm martial artists, known as the “Heavenly Essence Battle Armour.”
